Sermon No. 9
FOLLOW THE STAR
By: Atty. Numeriano P. Galgo, Jr.
December 23, 2018
Tagum City
Part I.
A. Greetings
B. Overview of the message
The message this morning is about following the footsteps of Jesus. This is hard to do but by his grace we are more than conquerors. The birth and life of Jesus Christ serve as an example for us. His life is the reason for the season. Christmas should not simply be about gifts and material things. We can do better than that. Let us examine how he lived his life and do our best to follow him as long as we live so that our mindset will be like his. He is our star; he is our guiding light. We could never go wrong in following him. As long as we have him, we will always have a wonderful life and a blessed Christmas.
Our main verse is found in Philippians 2: 5-11. It says:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
C. Prayer
Part II. Discussion
A. Emptied himself
God’s love for us is so great that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus. Jesus Christ is God but he emptied himself for our salvation. He emptied himself of his glory and privileges. Imagine for a second the nature, power and life of God. Imagine his splendor. Imagine his kingdom and the precious stones he walks on. Imagine the angels that surround him. Words can hardly describe it.
A president of a certain country enjoys a degree of power, influence and wealth. We are already amazed by it. A rich man enjoys a certain degree of fame, wealth and power. And we are amazed by it. Yet all the riches and power in the world combined could not compare to the glory and power of Jesus Christ.
Despite that, Jesus emptied himself. Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God but emptied himself. He left his heavenly glory and lived among us. He gave up the right to enjoy the rights of God. He sacrificed everything and freely became a human being who is limited in capacity. He was born in a manger. There was no room for him. How pitiful it was. From immense glory and importance, he was reduced to a homeless street child in a cold night. He could have arrived like a king with a grand entrance. But he did not. He had chosen the lowliest of places and status.
B. Entitlement or self-importance
How about us, can we empty ourselves for God and for others? It’s when we are empty that God can best work in us. Can we give up whatever little things we have to do His will? For us, it’s very hard. We are easily worried and threatened by the circumstances around us. It’s hard for us to let go of the things that we have. We even keep our very old and unused clothes, TV, refrigerator, cellphones, toys, books, vehicles, foods and many more. We hoard. Our houses can be a garbage dumpsite or a storage for junks!
Unlike Jesus, we feel entitled and we highly value self-importance. We want to be the first, to be acknowledged, to be served, to be feared, to be exalted in the public, to be the center of attraction, to have the best. Most of the time our humility is fake. If we are not treated the way we want to be treated, we get angry, insulted and vengeful. We value our earthly possessions and positions very much. Because of our status, we tend to discriminate others. We cannot allow that our neighbors have the latest edition of a videoke, car, shoes, cellphone, TV, watch or hair color! By nature, we cannot be contented.
Jesus lived a simple, inexpensive and fruitful way of life. His life was characterized by giving and service to others. That is why Christmas is a season of giving and love.
C. Following Jesus’ mindset
We cannot become a God like Jesus Christ. There is only one God. However, we can follow the examples of Jesus. He is our true model. We must look up to him and learn from him. This Christmas, we should not concern ourselves much about the material gifts that we will receive or give. Let us go beyond that for a change. Let us consider the most important thing in this season. Christmas is about Jesus and the life he lived and the sacrifices he made on the cross.
From our verse, we can learn and follow at least two ways of how Jesus lived on earth. First, he emptied himself out and became a servant. Servanthood is the giving up of rights for others. It is about placing the needs of others first. Jesus served the will of God. He healed the sick, raised the dead, opened blind eyes, feed the multitude, comfort the needy and above all else he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He endured so much for you and me. He deeply loves us. John 15: 13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” From the very beginning until now, Jesus is serving us. He provides our needs, he guides us, he protects us, he heals and bind up our wounds, he loves us, he gives us hope in the darkest times of our lives, he makes ways even when all seems impossible, he is always there for us. He gives us rest from our toils.
We must follow this example of servanthood. There are many ways to serve others and God. Servanthood means obedience to the will and words of God. We can serve even in small ways. Serve even if no one recognizes it. How we treat the garbage collector, security guard, saleslady in the mall and the strangers we meet is service already. In Matthew 25: 35-36, Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Do not wait to serve in a heroic fashion. In our own small ways we can serve.
One author (Calvin Whitman) wrote that for many of us we already predetermined the things God wants us to do. We have set the parameters of service. We will only serve in such and such place and conditions. We have convinced ourselves that God would never ask us to do outside of that box. We have selective obedience, and that is not real obedience or service. We serve only if our needs are met first. But Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We must serve first, then we will be served. That is the principle. We cannot reverse it. This Christmas season, find someone to serve in your family and community. Share your blessings.
Second, Jesus humbled himself to the point of death on the cross. Humility is the key to obedience. Another hard thing to do. Most of the time, we see or show fake humility. It is only through humility that we can accomplish God’s will in our lives. Complete submission to God. Though God, Jesus was born in a manger, he washed the feet of his disciples, he mingled with the sick and sinners, he considered himself nothing and died for our sins. From the beginning until now, Jesus is humble with us. Though our sins are many, he still forgives us when we come to him; he listens to our complaints and prayers; he is faithful in his promises to us; he gives us many chances though we deserve immediate punishment.
Let us follow Jesus’ example of humility. Human nature is proud and boastful. We always feel good if we fight back. If someone says negative things on Facebook or social media, we fight back. We are a fighting machine. We waste our time and energy fighting back. When someone corrects us of our mistakes, we refuse to listen. We think that we are the most intelligent, talented, experienced and special person in the world. We don’t like small roles. We want to be the actor, the main character. We don’t like the backstage. We dislike being anonymous.
But our God is humble. We must imitate him. We must take up our cross and learn to live outside the spotlight of human eyes. If Jesus was not humble, there would be no Christmas, no manger, no shepherds, no wise men, and importantly, no salvation for us. Without humility, it’s a dark world. Humility teaches us dependence on God.
D. Rewards
When we stay humble and become a servant to God and others, we will surely receive rewards. Because Jesus was humble and became a servant, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Proverbs 22:4 says, “The result of humility is the fear of the Lord along with wealth, honor and life.” In Matthew 23: 11 Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” James 4:10 also says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Great is the reward that awaits us when we follow Jesus’ footsteps.
Part III. Conclusion
This Christmas season and all year round, give the gift of service and humility to others. Our church needs us too. Choose forgiveness. Choose to let go of your heartaches. It is the only way to truly enjoy Christmas and live a meaningful life like Jesus did. Let us continue or begin to follow our star who is Jesus Christ. He is shining brightly for us. Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
