GROWN UP CHRISTIANS – My Older Brother is My Hero
Philippians 2:1-11 (pg. 819) June 14, 2015
Introduction:
I am a fighter... I can’t help it... it’s part of my nature... I’m not completely sure if it’s taught or caught... whether it’s part of my DNA or whether my life experiences have created in my heart the “you wanna go...OK let’s go” attitude in yours truly... but it’s my go to reaction when something I don’t like happens... or when I encounter something or someone that’s mean or unfair.
But my brother Sammy is the polar opposite... He’s courageous and good, but he’s the gentlest man I’ve ever met. One of my earliest memories of Sammy was when I was 4 or 5 at my MeMaw’s on Colony Drive... She had a huge house next to a creek and a big patio out back made of white stones... and I was on that patio killing ants. I am not sure why I was killing ants, but I was... And Sammy came out, saw what I was doing and told me to stop... I immediately ignored him and kept killing ants... He went and told Mom and Dad who immediately made me stop...laughing all the way.
As I look back, I understand why they were cracking up... first of all, it’s normal for a 4 or 5 year old to kill ants... so please don’t’ try any Freudian examinations of my psyche. But it’s not so natural for a 14 year old to care for the life of an ant... but my brother Samuel Arthur Burdette did.
I think that’s the reason he’s my hero. That’s who he is... perfect? NO! but it’s his nature to think of others... he’d rather be at peace than cause conflict... he doesn’t want to hurt, he wants to protect... even if what he is protecting is small, many legged, and bites. He’s humble and gentle of heart.
Where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah... it’s in Matthew 11:29, where Jesus tells us, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Grown Up Christians have taken that request to heart... it’s a request that I have to focus intently on every day of my life as a natural born fighter... it’s probably why Jesus said:
“You cannot be my disciple unless you deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
When Jesus makes definitive statements it would behoove us to pay attention...whether it’s to Nicodemus: “You cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless you are born again.” (John 3) or “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, die, and following my lead.”
“Cannot” and “must” are pretty definitive!
Surrendering my nature to fight and win at all costs is a daily process. It’s something I have to intentionally do when the Holy Spirit speaks to my soul. Some days I do better than others. This doesn’t mean we become passive to injustice or sin. Jesus didn’t, and He dealt boldly with religious people who legalistically lived with anything but gentle and humble hearts, but if we’re honest...most of our desire to fight comes from self...not the Spirit, and not wanting to hurt others isn’t even thought of. That’s why a “new birth” and “real discipleship” (daily) is so imperative.
I. BEING UNITED WITH CHRIST IS WHERE THIS ATTITUDE BEGINS
The Apostle Paul starts our text in Philippians chapter 2 with the words “Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ.”
Looking at what the “therefore” is there for we see he’s just talked about the Philippians going through similar struggles as Him. “Since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” (Phil. 1:30)
Have you ever noticed that shared hurts in Christ are a more powerful bond than shared victories? Both can be powerful, but struggles cut deeper than victories.
And the truth is I cannot get out of myself unless Christ gets into me. And anyone want to guess how Jesus teaches me to be gentle and humble of heart?
In the book, “The Signature of Jesus” by Brennan Manning he writes:
Jesus says: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). These beautiful words are a portrait of the heart of Christ. So we respond, “Jesus, gentle and humble in heart, make my heart like yours.” Now we are really in for it! We have just opened Pandora’s box. Why? Because we don’t learn humility by reading about it in spiritual books or listening to its praises in sermons. We learn humility directly from the Lord Jesus in whatever way he wishes to teach us. Most often we learn humility through humiliations. What is humility? It is the stark realization and acceptance of the fact that I am totally dependent upon God’s love and mercy. It grows through a stripping away of all self-sufficiency. Humility is not caught by repeating pious phrases. It is accomplished by the hand of God. It is Job on the dunghill all over again as God reminds us that he is our only true hope.
I know a man who felt comfortably close to Christ for thirty years because his ministry had been a success. He had made his mark, produced good work, was respected and esteemed by the community. It seemed as though his success was the reward for his faithfulness. Then one day God took pity on him and granted his prayer to be humble in heart. What happened?
In a blinding moment of truth, the man saw his ministerial success as riddled with vanity and self-seeking. Soon friends drifted away; his popularity waned. He became conscious of distrust on the part of others. Radical differences developed on issues such as church growth and evangelism. Sickness brought inactivity and heightened the sense of loss.
The man entered the dark night. For the first time he experienced the unbearable absence of God in his life. He suspected that his life had been a disappointment to God, a disappointment he was powerless to undo. He felt he had lost Jesus through pride and selfishness. He was convinced that the rebuke of the divine Judge in the book of Revelation was aimed at him: “You say, how rich I am! And how well I have done! I have everything I want. In fact, though you do not know it, you are the most pitiful wretch, poor, blind, and naked.”
The pain was excruciating, the dark night pitch-black. Later, however, when the man looked back on that painful experience of ego-reduction, he recognized his agony was an answer to prayer, that the humiliation he endured was God’s way of saying yes to his plea to be more like Jesus.
Paul uses words like encouragement, comfort, love, tenderness, compassion, joy...and what causes those to flow from the child of God is being united with Christ...and that “common sharing in the Spirit” mentioned in the 1st verse. God’s message of grace always flows from broken vessels...who share that brokenness in common.
Even in ministry if success comes from vanity and self seeking...a selfish ambition or vain conceit and you want to be more like Jesus...Guess where God will take you...what Brennan Manning calls “The Dark Night.”
When Philippians 2:5 asks us “To have the same mindset (attitude) in our relationships with one another as Jesus” it makes it very clear that Jesus didn’t have this mindset only in heaven...far removed from the Dark Night of suffering and struggles...“even though being in very nature God...He didn’t think of himself, but made himself nothing...a servant...being made in human likeness.”
Isaiah 53 tells us “He was a man of suffering and familiar with pain.” (Is. 53:3) The writer of Hebrews says, “He was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet did not sin. (Heb. 4:15)
John’s gospel records that “the Word of God became flesh and make his dwelling among us. (Jn. 1:14)
Christ lived in a body like yours and mine. He felt the same emotions, thought with the same mind, but never sinned. God in the flesh can understand my battle, but He did more than understand my battle with sin, He conquered sin on the cross and He defeated the result of my sin, death by rising again. All the way to the cross He was obedient to God’s will.
Obedience is the greatest proof of becoming Grown Up Christians.
It’s why Jesus, my big brother, is my biggest Hero. He obeyed His Father’s will 100% of the time. He prayer “Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” And He did it! PERFECTLY!
Our feeble attempts to love people, endure suffering patiently,,. and glorify the Father are only possible because we are united to Jesus.
Let me end with this encouragement to those who are seeking to grow in this union.
II. OUR PRESENT OBEDIENCE POINTS TOWARDS A FUTURE HOPE
There’s always a battle that takes place between what we believe...and present circumstances. What do I mean?
It’s always easy to read and believe “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” Or The grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of God stands forever.” (Is. 50:8)
But believing that God exists and His Word is living and active...is radically different than “choosing to live by it in real circumstances.” Loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute “us” is the will of Jesus for His followers...but the proof of faith isn’t just in it’s knowledge, or it’s truth, it’s in our obedience to it. And that takes an intentional choice that goes against our will and chooses His.
God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave Him the name that will make everyone bow and confess, because He was obedient.
Heaven and Hell will acknowledge this truth one day, but “Lord, Lord won’t mean a whole lot according to Jesus “unless you do the will of the Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7: 21-23)
Loving Jesus isn’t about earning His favor...It’s about wanting to be like Him...keeping His commands isn’t burdensome...it’s Hero worship. Obedience pleases God...and He rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter of the New Testament filled with examples of obedient Heroes. It begins “faith is the assurance of what we hope for, it’s the convictions of what we do not see.” (v. 1) And in verse 6 is this amazing warning and encouragement:
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists AND that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
Belief without earnest seeking (obedience) isn’t faith!
[Forgiveness is the very essence of our faith. Christianity is based on the foundation that Christ died on the cross so our debt could be paid. His prayer of “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing” wasn’t just for those driving the nails, but for you and I as well.]
It’s that accepted forgiveness that allows the door to heaven to open for me...It’s the blood of Jesus that washes the blackness of sin off my soul. It’s His righteousness that covers me so I stand uncondemned on the day of judgment.
But I also realize a very hard truth. If I carry the name of Christ and being like His is my my goal and the very reason I’ve been given the Holy Spirit, then forgiveness must characterize my life as well.
On the heels of the model prayer Jesus said these words:
MATTHEW 6:14-15 (p. 678)
Did Jesus really mean this...I think He did! But it’s really, really hard...and it truly requires obedience to the Holy Spirit’s prompting...BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO! And sometimes it takes time...but it always takes an initial first step.
Heaven will be filled with forgiven people who love Jesus, so much they’ve learned to forgive. It’s this characteristic...this quality that points to the fact we believe in a promise more than the present injury.
[I constantly have Christians tell me about past hurts and injustices done to them, or even harder to their children or loved ones. And often they were years and years ago. They are the reason children or parents no longer go to Church to worship...and some who still do hang onto the injustice with righteous indignation. And unforgiveness of the things said or done become a stumbling block to freedom and growing in Christ.
I’m in no way saying this is easy...but if you want to be free...If you want to have peace then take the first step...write the first letter, maybe the first call, go visit them when they’re in the hospital...begin to live a life of forgiveness...like Jesus...because it points towards a future hope more than any other quality.]
When Jesus returns...Every knee...angelic, demon, or human will bow...Every tongue will acknowledge His authority and Lordship.
My advice...don’t wait until then.
Let’s pray.
