“Learning How To Live As A Servant”
Philippians Series
Key Scripture: Philippians, Chapter 2
Welcome to week number two of our four-week series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This is the story of the community learning how to live together in times of testing in trouble.
As we saw last week, the Book of Acts, chapter 16, records the roots of this church. Then nearly 10 years later, the Apostle Paul is in prison in Rome, and he writes a letter to encourage the church he planted a decade before.
I still find that amazing- Paul is writing the letter from inside prison and he is encouraging those outside of prison. The people of that day needed encouragement because persecution was becoming an everyday part of life.
How many people here can testify that there comes a time when we need encouragement, too.
Perhaps we do not face the kind of persecution that the early church faced or that the church in China or Iran faces these days, but as individuals we certainly faced times of testing and trial. This letter, Philippians, is God’s instruction to us about how to live during tough times:
Our Journey though this book will look like this-
• Last Week- Learning how to live as if God is in control as we looked at Philippians chapter 1.
• This week- Learning how to live as servants in chapter 2, as we study Jesus’ example to us.
• Learning how to live a life of loss. In chapter 3, Paul will use his life as the example of a life that is laid down for the sake of the Gospel
• Our final message will be “learning how to live a life of generous friendship” in Phil chapter 4.
Because these messages kind of build on each other, let’s briefly review last week.
We talked about Learning How to Live as if God is in Control.
God is in control, isn’t he?
Yes, of course, He is. But there is a big difference between saying God is in control and living as if God is in control.
It is the difference between our theology and our actions.
If we can just bring ourselves to surrender to Christ and believe the words found in this book, together, like the church in Philippi, we can become a community of believers that demonstrates God is in control by the way we live.
Last week we broke chapter 1 into three parts:
1. We can learn how to live as if God is in control by taking on God’s priorities. We saw Paul’s example, that he was gospel-centric. And we asked ourselves, “Do we look at the outrageous national or world events swirling around us in terms of their effect on God’s plan, or do we ask, ‘why is this happening to me?’ as if things are out of control?”
2. We can learn how to live as if God is in control by trusting Him for the outcome. Paul wrote to his friends in Philippi that, “what has happened will turn out for my deliverance.” From this very important phrase we learned that Paul understood God is in control in terms of outcomes. Whatever the outcome, Paul was rock solid about the fact that he would experience glory and goodness from any set of events.
3. And finally, we can learn how to live as if God is in control by receiving suffering as something that is sometimes granted by God to the community of the faith. This is very challenging to our 21st-century ears—our ability to suffer together is a sign to us and to the world of God's kingdom in the earth here and now.
This week, we turn our attention to chapter 2 and discover that Jesus is our model for living in troubled times. His model is not only praiseworthy or notable; it is accessible for us. Paul challenges us to live up to the example Jesus set.
We will read through the chapter today, but let’s just look at a few verses to get going this morning.
Phil 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,t if any tenderness and compassion,u 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded,w having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.y Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,z 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.a
Prayer
There are 4 points I want to make today of how we can live as a servant, just like Jesus did for us while he was on this earth.
1. Don’t look out for #1
Look at the first four verses of chapter 2. We are instructed that in the midst of difficulties that we should not look out for number one! This certainly runs counter to the spirit of this age. It’s easy to be magnanimous when everything is rolling along well. But Paul laid his challenge in front of people who were experiencing persecution. I want to highlight again a few of the verses we just read-
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)
The Scripture tells us that we should not look after our own well-being but that we should look after the well-being of others. We learn from the Gospels that when Jesus was on the cross, he focused on the Father’s will and was concerned about the standing of those who persecuted him. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Or even before that terrible day on the cross Jesus placed his focus on the Father’s will, and was constantly reconciling people to God. What an example! In fact, whether in times of persecution or in times of safety and security there is simply no other way to reflect Jesus Christ.
What would such an attitude look like in our everyday lives? We are routinely told that if we don’t look out for ourselves, no one else will. But as Paul is introducing the example of Jesus in Philippians chapter 2.
Paul Ai was a Vietnamese man who was a witch doctor during the time of the war. Paul came to know Christ through the witness of an American soldier who led bible studies at night. Paul rose to become the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in his country. Paul Ai spent decades in prison for his faith in Jesus. The prisons in Vietnam were primitive to say the least, and there was no climate control so at night it got very cold. Prisoners were given a 4ft by 4ft blanket to try to keep warm. Paul Li would offer his blanket to other prisoners for the night under the condition he could talk to them before going to sleep.
By not placing himself as #1, 600 people in that prison received Jesus Christ.
Because of being willing to part with a thin 4x4 piece of cloth.
Let’s look at the second point of how to live as a servant
2. The Great Example of Jesus
In the next few verses (5-11) we hear one of the great songs of the early church. In many of your bibles, it’s written like a poem or song lyrics- that’s because it was a worship tune. This was sung by the very first followers of Jesus. It is a song filled with challenge and wisdom for us today. Paul states the challenge-
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
And then uses their worship song as the illustration
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing, by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:5-11)
These six verses break down into three sentences.
• First, he made himself nothing.
• Second, he humbled himself.
• And third, God exalted him.
This early hymn of the church shows us the steps downward into humility using Jesus as our example.
You would think that when God came to earth he would demand worship from everyone.
But no:
When God came to earth he made himself nothing. He became like an ordinary man.
He humbled himself living a life of service,
and then humbled himself even until death.
And beyond humility, Jesus suffered the kind of death filled with shame. This did not happen to Jesus accidentally.
This is the path Jesus chose to walk. (repeat)
Bible scholar Gordon Fee tells us that this passage is the complete picture of what God is like.
“Here in Philippians, this ancient worship song does not leave Jesus in the grave. We see that God the Father exalted Jesus and raised him to life. Indeed, the Father raised him high above every other name. Now that’s a song worth singing! But it’s more than a worship song. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is our example. Paul tells the church in Philippi to have the same attitude that Jesus had.”
The challenge to us is this- During times of trouble or persecution we are tempted to defend ourselves.
When people misunderstand us at work;
when people ridicule for our beliefs in public;
when our own family members do not understand our faith,
we face the temptation to argue and to dispute.
But the Apostle Paul says that we should have the same humility of heart and posture as Jesus, our Lord.
This isn’t just an isolated Scripture- this message is repeated many other times in Scripture.
Here’s just one example. Four different times, the Bible says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Isn’t that the polar opposite of how our world functions?
The world would say to someone like Paul Ai- “Keep your blanket! God wants you healthy. You can’t preach to the other prisoners if you have pneumonia”
Jesus’ example to us says, “Thinks of others before yourself. Humble yourself before me and I will lift you up”
I’m reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”
Exaltation is the Father’s work. And it requires faith from us to trust that the Father will raise us up in His time and in His way.
The third way to live as a servant is to
#3 Work Out Our Salvation
After leading the Philippians in this beautiful worship song, the Apostle Paul brings a practical word for them, and for us. In verses 12 and 13 he says,
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
This is one of those verses in the bible that seems contradictory.
After all, “We are saved by grace, through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) Right? Yet it’s the same Apostle Paul who said, “We are saved by grace through faith,” who also said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
What Paul is saying is that we have been given salvation.
It is a gift.
Having received the gift, our only reasonable response is to work toward imitating the example of Jesus. Perhaps that will take some work on our part.
But the work itself does not save.
Christian philosopher Dallas Willard said, “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.”
Jesus has won it for us, but it’s our to water, grow, and make beautiful under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
If I give you the sapling of a tree to plant in your yard- it’s a gift.
The actual planting and nurturing of that tree is then your responsibility. It’s your responsibility to water it, trim it, and not to run over it with the lawnmower.
See the difference?
We do not want to be the kind of person who fails to respond to God’s grace. The truth is that Jesus gave me a free pass to heaven, and he’s been trying to make me fit for heaven ever since! But it requires us to yield to the Holy Spirit’s influence and pruning in our lives.
This sounds challenging even for people who are not facing persecution!
But the path to Christian maturity is the same in good times and in bad: humble yourself because God resists the proud by gives grace to the humble.
So really, in good times or bad, there is simply no other way to reflect Jesus Christ other than surrender to Him and His will for your life.
The 4th point about living as a servant is
#4 Hold On, and Hold Out
(Philippians 2:14-18)
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”
The Apostle Paul was quite the preacher, because after singing the worship song his preaching becomes very practical.
He tells us to do everything without complaining or arguing.
This is true for both individuals and for the community of faith.
To set aside complaining or arguing is a corporate discipline that is the only possible when people realize the blessings of grace and salvation. We have been saved by grace.
What is there to argue or complain about?
What would we look like to the unbelieving world if we were a community who could live together without complaining or arguing?
If there were no gossip or backbiting. If love was our language?
We would shine forth like the stars in the heavens.
We would be seen as blameless and pure, even though we would be well aware that God is the one who changed us.
Finally, the Apostle Paul tells us to hold on to the Word of Life. This is a wonderful and challenging command. But if we can hold on to the Scriptural word of life given to us by the Holy Spirit, we will also be able to hold out the words of life, offering them to our families, friends, and our community.
This would be a demonstration of God’s kingdom on earth.
Finally
The second chapter of Philippians puts us in touch with the ancient worship of the earliest Christians, and the very heart of what it means to follow Jesus.
When Paul wrote his letter to comfort the brothers and sisters in Philippi, he pointed to Jesus as their (and our) example.
The Lord’s example does not require of us miracles and supernatural signs and wonders. These things are wonderful and certainly possible, but they are not a requirement for following Jesus, nor are they the biggest proof of his presence or power in our lives.
No: the heart of our faith is to follow the humble example of Jesus, especially in times of trial and persecution.
His example of humility and service is within our reach.
Indeed, it is our calling, both individually and as a church.
That is how we show the servant heart of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it.
Prayer
