A Humble Servant Series

Sunday Morning March 10, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church

Series: Who Is Jesus Christ? [#4]

A HUMBLE SERVANT

Philippians 2:5-11

Introduction:

1. In our series “Who Is Jesus Christ?” we have seen Jesus as Life Giver, Minister to sinners, The Lion, The Lamb, King of kings, Lord of lords, High Priest, and the greatest gift ever given to mankind, but this morning we will see Jesus in a way that makes us all uncomfortable. We will see Jesus as a Servant.

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2. As always, we are to be imitators of Christ and so as we look at Jesus as a Servant, we must also realize that we are to apply this to our lives. The first verse in our text tells us this.

Philippians 2:5

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:”

3. Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-11.

Love

Left Heaven (vs. 6-7)

John 3:16-18

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

1. God sent His only son to earth because He loves us so much.

2. We don’t find Jesus fighting the Father about Him leaving Heaven. Jesus didn’t say, “No Dad, You go!” He didn’t say, “Look Dad, don’t forget We had to destroy them once.” Remember Dad, I was there when Adam and Eve sinned. I was there when the earth was flooded and only Noah and his family survived. I was there when Our Nation Israel disobeyed us over and over again. These people don’t deserve our help and the people to come won’t be any better so they don’t deserve our help either.”

3. Jesus left a perfect Heaven and came to earth. That’s a sacrifice bigger than I would ever make, but it doesn’t end there because Jesus came to this earth in human form. This means that not only did Jesus leave a perfect Heaven, but also He left a perfect form. Jesus’ human body felt pain, He hungered, He thirst, etc… Before Jesus came to this earth He did not hunger or feel physical pain.

4. Jesus arrived on this earth in the form of a baby. He was born to poor parents in a poor environment.

Why?

1. Why did Jesus do all of this? Jesus left all of the glory of Heaven simply because He loves us.

2. Our text says that Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

3. Jesus did all of that for you and I.

Motive

1. We find that Jesus’ motive for becoming a servant was love.

2. What is your motive for serving God? Are you serving God?

3. Let me remind you that verse 5 says we are to have the same attitude as Christ. That means if Christ became a servant, what should we become?

4. As Christians we should be servants of Christ. Why do you come to church? Why do you witness? Why do you teach a class at church? Why do you serve at the church? I know what the answer should be but that is not always the case.

5. Take some of the 12 disciples for example. Judas Iscariot was in it for the money. James and John wanted position in Christ’s Kingdom.

6. Jesus’ motive was love. What is your motive?

Life

On Earth

1. Jesus served people on earth that most of us would walk by.

2. Yes, I said served. When Jesus ministered to people it was not at His convenience. A servant works on someone else’s schedule, not their own.

3. Jesus tried to teach His disciples the importance of serving.

Teachings

1. The disciples obviously had a difficult time with these teachings of servitude, just as we do today.

Matthew 20:20-28

2. The disciples are furious at James and John. Who do they think they are sending their momma to “get them in good” with Jesus. After all, they had done just as much or more than James and John had done.

Matthew 20:26-28

Motive

1. Again we see that Jesus’ motive was love.

2. Jesus came “to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Labor

God’s Plan

1. In John 13 we find Jesus giving the disciples yet another lesson in being a servant. We find here that Jesus did much more than just talking about being a servant; He modeled it.