Introduction- Do you need help building stronger relationships in your life: at work, home, school, and even at church? All of us need help building stronger relationships!
Ill- One Sunday a minister was finishing up a series on marriage. At the end of the service he gave out small wooden crosses to each married couple. He said, "Place this cross in the room in which you fight the most and you will be reminded of God’s
commands and you won’t argue as much." One woman came up after the service and said, "You’d better give me five." Obviously, that couple needed help with their relationship! (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Rob Morton)
Jesus showed us how to build strong relationships. We find the description of His example in Philippians 2:1-10. In Philippi Paul faced a church that was struggling with division. Several times he encouraged the people to be united (See 1:27; 2:2-3; 4:1-3). Near the center of Philippians Paul discusses Jesus example. Paul uses Jesus life as a display in building Christ honoring relationships. The focal point of this passage is found in verse 5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (NKJV) If we follow Jesus example we will build Christ honoring relationships. Notice three aspects of Jesus example.
I. First, notice the Motivation to build Christ honoring Relationships. People are motivated by different things.
Ill-Football players are motivated by a desire to be a champion.
Ill-Bass fisherman are motivated by a desire to catch the big fish.
Ill- Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar shares what motivated him to lose weight. Ziglar says he looked into a mirror one day and realized he needed to lose a lot of weight. He really wanted to get in shape. As an incentive, he put a picture of a thin man on the refrigerator door. But Ziglar wanted a positive reinforcement, so he put a picture of what he wanted to look like on the refrigerator. That constant reminder was the first step toward a healthier body for him. (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Randy Aly)
Ill- The story has been told about Little Billy, a Jewish boy, who was failing his math lessons. His parents tried everything they knew to get him to do better in this subject, but he continued to fail. At last, they took him down to the Catholic School, and enrolled him. After the first day, Billy came home and went up to his room, closed the door, and went to work on his math. His parents could hardly get him down for dinner. After dinner, he went back and "hit the books again." When his report card came next time, he laid it on the table for his parents to find. When his mother read it, she was amazed. He had an "A" in math. She questioned him about it wondering how such a change had come about. She asked him if it were the teachers, or the kind of books they used, but he said "no." Then why the change in his math scores? He said, "That first day at school, I looked up on the wall, and I saw a man nailed to a plus sign, and I knew that they were not fooling around here. So I went to work on my math." We all need a little motivation now and then. (Contributed to Sermon Central by: John Gerald)
In verse 1 Paul mentions four incentives. Notice the four “ifs.” (NIV)
1. There is the incentive of “ being united with Christ.”
2. There is the incentive of “His Love.”
3. There is the incentive of the “Holy Spirit.“
4. There is the incentive of “compassion.“
All of these are inner drives placed there by God. The later three come because you have taken care of the first. If you are united with Christ you will receive His love, the Holy Spirit, and His compassion. The key is to be connected with Jesus Christ. People who know Jesus and have experienced His saving grace should be motivated to build relationships that honor Him.
II. Second, notice the motive to build Christ honoring Relationships. We find this identified in verse 2. One word identifies what should be our motive. The word is “purpose.”
A. Our purpose in life should be to glorify God.
Ill- Former astronaut James B. Irwin has the proper perspective. Describing his thoughts en route to earth following a successful moon walk, he said, “As I was returning to earth, I realized that I was a servant---not a celebrity. So I am here as God’s servant on earth to share what I experienced that others might know the glory of God. (Improving Your Serve…Chuck Swindoll…p. 19)
(Refer to I Cor. 10:31)
B. The point behind this passage is that Jesus gives us something to live for. People are looking for meaning in life. Jesus gives us that meaning. That is our motive.
III. Third, Jesus displays the attitude required to build Christ honoring Relationships.
A. Our attitude should be a self giving attitude. Paul explains the self giving attitude of Jesus. He gave of Himself for the sins of man kind. (refer to verses 4-7)
Ill- A mother who was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3 had to referee an argument. The boys were arguing over who would get the first pancake. The mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!” That is not exactly a self giving attitude. (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Steven Simala Grant)
Strong relationships require a self giving attitude.
B. Our attitude should be submitted to the will of God and the character of God’s teachings. Jesus submitted himself to the point of dying on a cross. (refer to verses 2 and 7)
Ill-During the days when Mohammed Ali was a great boxer, he would go around in his arrogance and say that, "He was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, during his prime, he was on an airplane and learned a lesson in submission. The plane was ready to take off and the flight attendant had repeatedly told him to put on his seat belt. He finally told her, "I’m superman and superman doesn’t need a seatbelt." The flight attendant didn’t hesitate a minute but shot back with, "Superman doesn’t need an airplane either, now buckle up." (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Mark Hodges) He needed to learn to submit to authority.
C. Our attitude should be a servant attitude. In verse 7 we read where Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant. He put the needs of others above His own.
King Henry III grew tired of court life and the pressures of being the king so he applied to a monastery to be accepted for a life of contemplation. The religious superior said to him, “Your Majesty, do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”
Henry replied, “I understand. The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”
“Then I will tell what to do. Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.”
Like King Henry, we often tire of our role and responsibility. But we need to remember that God has called us to be faithful where we serve no matter a plumber, accountant, mother or teacher. (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Rick Labate
King Henry III grew tired of court life and the pressures of being the king so he applied to a monastery to be accepted for a life of contemplation. The religious superior said to him, “Your Majesty, do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”
Henry replied, “I understand. The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”
“Then I will tell what to do. Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.”
Like King Henry, we sometimes often tire of our role and responsibility. But we need to remember that God has called us to be faithful where we serve no matter a plumber, accountant, mother or teacher.
