THE MOST COMMON "PRODUCT" OF FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND YOUTUBE: We are self-centered, endlessly focusing attention on ourselves.
- Philippians 2:3-4.
- Let me acknowledge first that I am not saying that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are intrinsically evil. They’re not. I use each and there are positives that come with each. For instance, I’m thankful for the opportunity through Facebook to keep up old friends that I don’t get to see on a regular basis. That’s a positive thing.
- At the same time, there is a “product” at the center of Facebook. That “product” is me and you.
- It’s an easy thing to allow each of these technologies to push us in the direction of self-centeredness.
- Of course, there’s nothing wrong with telling friends with something that happened to us that day.
- But we’re showing signs in our society of becoming increasingly self-centered, and these technologies are part of that tendency.
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BUT THE BIBLE SAYS: We are called to be servants.
- Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:24-27; Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 4:10.
- The antithesis of self-centeredness is having a servant heart.
- In this same book, Paul opens up his writing to the Philippians by calling himself a “servant.” It’s a primary way that he sees himself.
- Two things about a servant:
a. A servant is someone who is attuned to taking care of another person’s needs.
- We don’t feel comfortable with that image: we don’t like to think of ourselves as servants. We’re used to people attending to our needs. We’re used to companies jockeying to serve us so they can get our money.
- And yet Jesus calls us to be servants.
b. A servant is someone who acknowledges that someone else is in charge.
- We are called to know that Jesus is Lord. “Lord” isn’t just a nice phrase that we use – it’s a title with serious meaning. Part of that meaning is that He is in charge.
- “Lord” means boss, CEO. Jesus gets to call the shots.
- Many folks want Jesus as Savior; not as many want Him as Lord.
AN HONEST DESIRE, MISDIRECTED: There is nothing wrong with wanting to live a great life, but we’re being lied to about how to make it happen.
- Mark 9:35.
- The first half of this verse (and we’ll get to the second half in a moment) says, “If anyone wants to be first. . ..”
- There is something within most of us that desires to live a life of consequence. We want to leave a legacy behind and know that our life stood for something.
- That’s not a bad desire – it’s a good one. We are designed for significance.
- The problem is that we get misdirected about the best ways to live that life of consequence. What we’re talking about this morning is one of the most prevalent lies that are shared: you’ve got to focus on yourself and promote yourself. “Take care of #1.” “Look out for yourself.”
- We’re told that having people watching our videos on YouTube or “liking” our comments on Facebook or following us on Twitter is a sign that we’re making an impact. And while none of those are intrinsically wrong and under certain circumstances could be signs of genuine good things, for the most part those things are about an elevation of the self. We want all those things to happen in order to feel significant because other people have noticed us and praised us.
- We want them to (pay careful attention to the wording) look up to us.
- What’s that phrase mean? It means we’re above them. It means that we’re superior to them. It means that we’re on top.
- The second half of the verse is straightforward, but it’s so unlike the way we normally live that it’s hard for us to grasp.
- What does it mean that we “must be the very last, and the servant of all”?
- Also, another major question it raises is, “How exactly does that make the first half actually happen?” That is, how does doing that make us “first”?
- Well, let me see if I can explain it. [Next sermon point.]
GOD'S PATH: We humble ourselves in service and let God handle the lifting up.
- Matthew 23:11-12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14; Philippians 2:5-11; James 4:10.
a. God humbles the exalted and exalts the humble.
- Look up: Matthew 23:12.
- Repeatedly Jesus says that the way that God works in this is that we are to pursue humility and then He will lift us up.
- Let’s be clear about what “exalts” means.
- It doesn’t mean that He makes you into a YouTube sensation. It doesn’t mean that everyone is looking at you.
- “Exalts” means that He uses you in a profoundly fruitful way for the Kingdom of God.
- In John 15:1-11 it talks about the fruitfulness that is one of the defining characteristics of a faithful Christian life.
- In v. 8, Jesus say that bearing much fruit in our lives both brings glory to the Father and proves that we are really His disciples. Those are two pretty essential things.
- The rest of the passage shares the simple but important idea that great fruitfulness doesn’t happen because we try harder or are more effective at self-promotion, but because we are closer to God. Spiritual fruitfulness doesn’t happen because we try harder, but because we get closer.
- So when we talk about “exalts” we’re not talking about self-exaltation and making a name for yourself. That has no place in the situation that Jesus is talking about.
- Rather, what it means is that we’re mature enough that God can use us to in situations where there is more fruitfulness, but because of that there is also more temptation to get off track.
- Why does God work this way?
1. One reason is that He’s interested in people who are mature.
- When we’re running around only thinking of ourselves, we’re by definition pretty immature.
2. The humbling is part of the maturing process.
- As we are willing to do what God desires even when we receive no public recognition for it, it’s part of the maturing process. We learn to do things simply out of obedience.
3. He then is able to “exalt” us and use us ways that are more profoundly fruitful.
- We are mature enough at that point to be able to handle that type of fruitfulness without believing it’s because of how great we are.
- We talk about temptation destroying our Christian lives, but many walks are destroyed by success. Things go great, people think they can do no wrong, start believing that they’re exceptions to the rules or that they are the source of power, and things quickly go off the rails.
- He will sometimes bring failure into our lives as part of the humbling in order to help us to know without doubt that we can’t do it on our own. We need His power or things will fall apart.
b. The greatest example of this is from Jesus’ life.
- Philippians 2:5-11.
- This passage represents the clearest and best-known one about the humbling of Jesus in taking on human flesh.
- It tells us that Jesus humbled Himself in His humanity and trusted that as He did that God the Father would lift Him up.
- v. 6 – He didn’t grasp after the power and position that He deserved.
- v. 7 – Rather, He humbled Himself, even to becoming a human and a servant.
- v. 8 – Not only did He humble Himself, but He was humble even when it was extraordinarily painful and costly to Him.
- v. 9 – Having done that, it was God then that exalted Him, lifting Him up in the way that vv. 10-11 clearly spell out.
- Jesus is a model of how God works in this regard: we are to humble ourselves and trust that He will lift us up at the right moment.
- It’s important to note that in this way of doing things, the exalting is not a shallow self-promotion, but it is to live as a mature and substantial person in the eternal Kingdom of Christ.
- God wants you to be mature. He wants you to be like Jesus, therefore it’s not surprising that He would want you to follow the pattern of Jesus’ life.
HOW CAN A SELF-CENTERED PERSON DO THAT? The first step is in knowing that my security is not in what others will say about me, but in what God has already said about me.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:4-8; Colossians 2:9-10.
- The irony of being self-centered is that so much of our needs are based on others’ opinions of us.
- We want others to praise us and to lift us up. We get mad when others ignore us or fail to give us the attention we crave.
- Self-centered people tend to be incredibly insecure, always looking for that next praise.
- “How many people ‘liked’ my comment?”
- “How many views did my Vine video get?”
- “How many texts do I have waiting on me when I get out of class?”
- It’s an insecure way to live.
- Look up: Philippians 3:4-8.
- Paul says in those verses that he had every reason in his life to get praise from those around him, yet he considers that stuff rubbish in comparison to the opportunity to know Jesus.
- Would we say the same thing? “I gladly toss aside this petty praise from people in order to pursue the surpassing greatness of His glory.”
- By contrast, when we find our identity and security in Christ, we can rest. He has already declared His never-ending love for us. I am secure in what He has already said about me, knowing that His love is never-failing and unending.
- Look up: Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 2:9-10
- If you have this tendency in your life, it can be frightening to think of giving up that focus in your life. But what God is offering you is better: a secure and lasting love.
- Yes, instead of centering everything on you it’s going to be centered on God, but that’s also a good thing. You’re focused on the One who is substantial and eternal, rather than just trying to inflate your own ego and image.
- This is a much better way to live.
