Christ My Example Series

Reading: Philippians chapter 2 verses 1-30:

Ill:

• Story told about a Jewish man in New York who bought a little shop;

• Problem was it was squeezed in between two gigantic department stores.

• He wondered what to call his little shop,

• After much thought he had a brainwave, he called it ‘ENTRANCE!’

• In life we can be crushed and defeated by our problems;

• Or with God’s help we can overcome and get the better of our difficulties.

The Apostle Paul knew the Church at Philippia had problems:

• Chapter 1 verses 15-18:

• Tells us Paul had his rivals, opponents who criticised him & his message.

• Chapter 3 verses 1-3:

• Tells us that there were false teachers confusing these believers with wrong teaching.

• Chapter 4 verses 1-3:

• Tells us there were people openly arguing in an unhealthy and damaging way.

Paul knew that these problems would not be solved by rules or threats:

• These problems would only get solved;

• When these Christians get their hearts and minds right with Christ.

• So he gives them four examples, four models.

• Jesus (verses 1-11, Paul himself (verses 12-18),

• Timothy (verses 19-24)

• Epaphroditus (verses 25-30).

We don’t have time to look at all four examples:

• So we are going to look at the first and greatest in the chapter.

• Jesus Christ – he is our ultimate example, he is our perfect model.

ILL:

• A husband came down to breakfast and was delighted to hear his wife say;

• "Darling you are a model husband'.

• Now he was so flattered by the remark;

• That latter on that day he decided to look up the meaning of the word in his Oxford dictionary.

• He found the page and began reading:

• "Model, a small plastic imitation of the real thing".

• Question: Does that describe your Christian experience?

• “A small imitation of the real thing?”

• God wants us as individuals and also our Churches;

• To be the real deal, the genuine article.

Ill:

• A father took his young son to a large city museum;

• Thinking that the visit would entertain the boy.

• But for two hours the lad did nothing but sigh and complain.

• To him everything was old, decaying, lifeless, dead.

• Finally in desperation the boy turned and said to his dad;

• “Dad, let’s go someplace where things are real!”

• God wants us as individuals and also our Churches;

• To be real, the genuine article.

• To help these Philippian Christians be real;

• Paul reminds them of Jesus Christ as his prototype.

(A). The example of Jesus (vs 1-11).

• Now these verses are a preachers, a theologians dream;

• They tell us so much concerning the unique person of Jesus.

(a).

• They talk about his deity (verse 6):

• He was and is God. The supreme being. The Almighty, creator of heaven & earth!

(b).

• They talk about his incarnation (verse 7):

• He became a human being and lived among us (ill: xmas).

• Quote: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity”)

• Ill: Fly in room.

(c).

• They talk about his death, a shameful, disgraceful death on a cross (verse 8);

• (ill: He died like the lowest of the low).

(d).

• Then they talk about his exaltation;

• How he was ‘raised, ascended and now reigns in the heavens’ (verse 9);

• Ill: Lewis Hamilton, ‘On the winning podium’.

(e).

• They talk about his kingship (verses 10-11)

• ‘Every knee will one day bow and acknowledge him’!

• We do that voluntarily now or one day we will be summoned to stand before King Jesus!

Ill:

• An American guide in Arizona was asked;

• ‘How long does it take to see the Grand Canyon?’

• The guide replied;

• ‘Some see it in five minutes others want to stay for days or weeks’.

• Likewise we could spend weeks looking at these great doctrines;

• But we only have minutes to appreciate them.

• So I am going to pick out four key truths concerning Jesus;

• And they are all aspects that we can put into practice.

Notice:

• Our key verse is number 2: where Paul says “be like minded”.

• In other words ‘Look and learn’.

Ill:

• How we learn:

• 1% through taste

• 1.5% through touch

• 3.5% through smell

• 11% through hearing

• 83% through sight

• Quote: Chinese proverb

• “Tell me; I’ll forget. Show me; I may remember. But involve me and I’ll understand”.

• Paul tells the Philippians ‘Look and learn’.

• Look at Jesus and “be like minded”.