The Great Example
Philippians 2.6-8 Pt. 1
Maundy Service 2012
Introduction:
A On the southern border of the kingdom of Cyrus, there was a chieftain named CAGULAR.
1 Anytime an attachment of Cyrus’ army came to subdue Cagular, he would quickly defeat that attachment.
a After many defeats, Cyrus gathers his whole army & goes to Cagular’s providence and defeats him.
aa He & his family are captured & brought before the King for execution.
bb Cagular was about 6'3", dark complected, handsome, striking in appearance, incredible specimen of a man. It struck Cyrus.
cc What would you do if I spared your life, Cagular? I’d go back home & live the rest of my life in obedience to your throne, your highness.
dd What would you do if I spared the life of your wife? I’d give my life for you, my highness.
ee The king was so moved by Cagular’s selflessness, he allowed him to return home, serve as his governer over the people there.
b On the way home Cagular was talking to his wife about the opulence of the palace, marble floor, tapestry, throne.
aa I didn’t see any of that. “What did you see?”
bb I beheld the face of the man who said he’d die for me.
2 Tonight, at communion, we have the opportunity to look into the face of the one who was willing to die for us.
a Philippians 2.5-8
b ETS: Christ was always thinking of the benefit of others.
aa ESS: When we posse the mind of Christ we will put others ahead of ourselves.
bb I want you to serve the Kingdom by serving your kinsmen. (Obj.)
c What is stopping you from emptying yourself of self tonight? (PQ)
d Let’s look at the first of two steps tonight that enable us to serve the Kingdom by serving our kinsmen.
I The first step: Emptying Self (Phil. 2.6-7)
A Jesus was worthy of being glorified because He was (and is) God. (John 1.1-4; Col. 1.15; Heb. 1.1-3)
1 He was in the “form of God”, which does not mean shape. (ie; Concrete form or in the form of a pillar of fire)
a “Form” is being identified with something natural & appropriate expression.
b IL. A basketball player shots a three-pointer and you think, “That player has such winning form.”
aa The form is a reflection of his playing ability that comes from within side him.
bb Jesus was/is an outward expression of the very heart of God when He became flesh.
c Jesus “did not regard” this fact as something that had to be protected at all cost.
2 Jesus waived His rights to the expression of being God in order that humankind may be saved.
a KJV, “made himself of no reputation”; NASV “emptied Himself”, He emptied Himself of self.
aa “taking” or “took” is in the aorist participle which means Jesus took the servants heart/attitude before He emptied Himself.
bb Before Jesus was born of a virgin He already surrendered to the fact that His role was about to change.
cc Vs. 6 is pre-incarnate deity, vs. 7 is incarnation of a servant.
b When Jesus set aside His pre-incarnation expression of Deity to take the expression of a bond-slave He was sitting aside His natural desire of Deity to be worshiped/glorified/received/adored. . . didn’t happen until He became a servant!
aa Up until the moment Jesus left heaven and came to earth He was surrounded by worship & adoration of angels.
bb For 33 years He laid Himself to the side to become a servant.
cc For Jesus entire ministry He put Himself at the beck and call of drunks, prostitutes, tax collectors, hypocrites, fishermen, the sick and the suffering. (He didn’t come to be served, but to serve!)
B At the Last Supper we see a perfect illustration of what Jesus gave up to be resumed later.
1 John 13.1-17, either His disciples refused to wash each other’s feet (or didn’t think it necessary), Jesus took the role of the servant.
a 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. John 13:3-5 (NASB)
aa The robe was a picture of His pre-incarnate glory.
bb Worship/adoration He had prior to being God in the flesh.
b 12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
-John 13:12-15 (NASB)
aa While He was among us He operated as a servant but He was still God. (When He washed their feet He was still God!)
bb The willingness to serve didn’t do anything for us until He showed up here.
cc After the serving was over, the glory was resumed just as it was before!
2 If we are going to have the mind/attitude of Christ we must resolve to empty ourselves of self.
a That surrender starts by becoming a slave first then the emptiness comes.
aa The reason so many Christians get upset when they don’t get their way, don’t chosen for this ministry or that ministry, refuse to get involved or help in a ministry because it’s not what they wanted is because they have refused to be a servant.
bb You don’t empty yourself before you decide to serve. . . you decide to serve and the emptying follows.
cc When we refuse to serve each other, we refuse to serve the Kingdom.
b You are a child of God, Princess & Princes, but you’re not above washing your friends feet.
aa Until you take off your desire to be worshiped, adored, accepted, acknowledged your of little good here (or any place else.)
bb Until we take off the garments of praise for a servants towel we will not be the servants we are called to be.
3 Persian legend of a King who has to chose between two men to fill offices in His administration, so he hires them to fill wicker baskets with water from a well.
a The Kings pays the men in full and tells them to start in the morning and that night he’d come by & expect their work.
aa The next day the men go to the well and begin drawing water & pour it into their wicker baskets.
bb After about 30 minutes, one servant said, “This is crazy! We’re not getting anywhere by doing this. I’ve already been paid so I’m not wasting my time do this!”
cc The other servant replied, “The King is a very wise King and he must surely have his reasons, reasons that I don’t understand.”
dd Two-hours later the faithful servant is still pulling water out of the well and he notices something shimmering at the bottom of the well.. The King’s Diamond ring.
ee If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was dry, it would have been filtered out in the basket. The King was looking for his diamond. Our work was not useless."
b “I’m not washing her feet, that’s not fun. I’m not fasting, that’s not practical. I’m not going to submit to the authority of the leaders God places over me, that’s not Baptist.”
c Bible than Baptist, approved than practical, faithful than fun . . .
Conclusion:
A Christ was always thinking of the benefit of others.
1 When we posse the mind of Christ we will put others ahead of ourselves.
a I want you to serve the Kingdom by serving your kinsmen. (Obj.)
b What is stopping you from emptying yourself of self tonight? (PQ)
2 The elements are here tonight to serve each other.
a My prayer is that you serve one another out of love tonight by washing each other’s hands, serving one another communion, and singing together in unity through the love of our Lord.
b Explain the progression of events.
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