Sermon Central
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Philippians 2:1-4
Contributed by Michael Monica on Aug 14, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: Philippians Exposition
Philippians 2
Point - Your life will be defined by who you live for.
Philippians 2:1-4
We all have agendas…
When we realize God is ultimately in control and our lives are in His trustworthy hands, we can stop pushing our agenda. Instead of having a selfish, self-centered to-do list, we release our wants, dreams, and desires for something far greater… HIS!
When we live for ourselves - our wants, our desires, and our dreams – we become our own focus, not Jesus. But what if we chose differently?
What if, we choose Jesus everyday?
Have you ever attempted a recipe that was full of precise measurements like; If you were really lucky, your measurements also came with conditional directions like: “If potatoes seem dry, then add a little more milk”.
“If-then” directions were always gold because they were designed to help you: (1.) Course correct and (2.) discover your next step.
That’s exactly what Paul is doing in this passage. He’s using this “If-then” to give the church at Philippi a “maturity check” by asking: How’s your relationship with God?
IF SO, THEN – here’s your next step.
The way for them to continue to grow UP, is actually to GO DOWN…in other words, be selfless, be humble, pursue unity.
To live as a Christian means to live on mission as a Christian.
When we live on mission (especially and specifically) with other believers, that shared experience helps us to grow and strengthens our faith.
This word fellowship in the original Greek is koinonía, which implies community and intimacy, deep friendship and communion. You can’t have koinonía alone.
Christians have koinonía with other believers and with the Holy Spirit. That koinonía brings encouragement and comfort.
In your everyday life, as a Christian, you experience the same thing as other Christians form your relationship with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Any shared experience creates unity - you think similarly, look out for one another, and put your needs after others. You create memories together that you can look back on. You comfort one another. You love sacrificially. (Think military)
