Hand Over Your Sword
Text: Philippians 2:1-11
Introduction: We live in a very “me-centered” society. “Me-centered” simply means “selfish.” This spirit of selfishness is plaguing our nation, but even sadder is the fact that it is plaguing the Body of Christ as well.
We consider this a fairly new problem, but history reveals selfishness has ruled the hearts of mankind since the very beginning. It was selfishness that caused Eve to act in disobedience unto God in the garden. It was selfishness that caused Cain to kill Abel. Selfishness destroyed King Saul and the list goes on and on and on. As a church planter, Paul encountered this problem often. Too many people think they have a better way of doing of things. These type of people are always eager to jump up and voice their opinion of how things could be alot better. Here in this work, we are often bombarded by people who think they have the solution to all the problems we encounter here. Opinions and suggestions are not bad, in fact they can be be very helpful. It’s the attitude in which they are put forth that makes them bad. It’s that selfish attitude that is always looking at the "me."- how we could better accomodate the individual to suit they’re particular fancy for the moment. The concern of these kind of people is not focused on others, it’s focused on "me."
A major problem arises when we become "me-centered" - others are often ignored, or we become so focused on having our own needs met, we don’t even think of the needs of others. Worse yet, we come to the place where we don’t even have room for Christ anymore. Let me clarify something here: no one is immune to this.
In our passage today, we find Paul discussing this particular problem that had arisen in his church plant at Philippi. Paul’s words to this church, as well as ours, are not only words of wisdom to live by but they are pointers to the true reason for our even being here - Jesus Christ.
As we consider these words and see the example of Jesus Christ, may the Holy Spirit be free to work in all of us to be people of humility, people who are always considerate of the needs of other people. What it comes down to is that word used in verse 5: "attitude." Some of us here may need to consider an attitude adjustment before we leave here.
Let’s get into the word here and see what we can learn from Paul about this whole issue of "me-centeredness." Paul offers five instructions to for putting others first.
To put others first, we must learn to:
1. Use the Tools of Jesus
- v. 1 - "If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy"
A. Jesus has given us some tools to use to make "putting others first" a little bit easier.
B. These tools include: encouragement, consolation, fellowship, affection and mercy.
1. Encouragement in Christ - our bond with Christ brings personal encouragement to us and through it we learn to encourage others in that same bond.
2. Consolation of Love - Or comfort from His love; it is in discovering His love that we find all comfort for ourselves as well as others.
3. Fellowship with the Spirit - As we learn to grow in our fellowship and relationship with God’s Spirit, we learn to grow in our fellowship and relationships with others.
4. Affection - This is a permanent bent of the mind toward another, a passion. When we develop a passion or affection for others, we become permanently bent toward helping them with their needs.
5. Mercy - Mercy is tenderness of the heart which overlooks injuries and trepasses, overlooks the offender and the need for justice, and simply forgives just as God has forgiven us.
Application: If we will set our hearts and minds upon these tools of the Lord Jesus, we will find it is very easy to put others first.
But a question arises at this point: Just what are we to use these tools for? Paul answers that question here in this second point of putting others first:
2. Work for Unity in Christ
- v. 2 - "fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal."
A. It is important that we see that this unity is not based on our magnetic personalities, on our similar tastes in food, or on our mutual hobbies.
B. This unity Paul is talking about is based on our love and service to Christ.
C. Four things Paul encourages us to do to develop that bond of unity:
1. Think the same way
2. Have the same love
3. Share the same feelings
4. Focus on one goal
D. A side note in the NIV Study Bible says this about this verse: “These emphasize the unity that should exist among Christians…Not uniformity in thought but the common disposition to work together and serve one another.”
1. We don’t need to agree with everyone about everything.
2. Unity is based on our common agreement that Jesus is the boss and we want this church to reflect His love and priorities.
3. Understand that just because you have union together doesn’t necessarily mean you instantly have unity - you can tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothesline. You will have union, but certainly not unity!
Application: We must strive for unity within the Body of Christ. We need each other. As we learn to put others before ourselves, unity and working in unity will continue to develop.
The third instruction Paul gives for putting others first is to:
3. Get the Right Perspective on Others
- vv. 3-4 - "Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
A. This might be the toughest part of the whole deal.
B. The Church is not in competition with each other.
1. We are a part of "one body" - His Body!
2. Putting others first requires we forget about how much better we are and recognize our position is to submit to one another.
C. The natural human tendency, including many if not most Christians, is to put their own needs and wants first.
1. This should not be what characterizes Christians.
2. This is not a Christ-like attitude.
3. We need to take our eyes off of ourselves and put them on others.
Application: As we learn to look at others as being more important than ourselves, we start to shed that old skin of selfishness and self-importance. We need to gain the right perspective on others – that they are more important than I am.
This fourth instruction is by far the most important as we attempt to learn to put others first:
4. Follow the example of Jesus
- vv. 5-8 - "Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death--even to death on a cross."
A. Why would I consider this to be the most important instruction? Because in all things we are commanded to reflect the love and priorities of Jesus - in our work, in our play, in how we handle money, in our families, and everything else.
B. Looking at these verses indicates the self-sacrificing attitude Jesus had and that we should have.
1. Jesus took His eyes off of His own glory – glory He deserved and will deserve forever and ever - and looked at what we needed.
2. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to set aside your convenience, your preferences, your agenda for the sake of others?
3. Are you willing to be a living example of the love and priorities of Jesus?
4. Putting others first is what Jesus did, and we need to do the same thing.
Application: To really put others first and bring unity within the Body of Christ, we need to be people who are surrendered completely to Christ. Surrender to Christ means adopting His attitude towards others.
The fifth instruction Paul gives is simply this:
5. Hand Over your Sword
A. Let me clarify this a bit: U.S. Marine military officers look grand in their dress uniforms. The uniform is very crisp, usually highly decorated with medals and ribbons. But there is something else they have – a sword. That sword isn’t just a decoration. That sword is a symbol of authority. If that officer surrenders to an enemy, what do they do? They hand over their sword as an act of submission.
B. We are no longer officers walking along dictating our own lives. We are now servants in submission to the King of kings. Consider the passage.
- vv. 9-11 - "For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow--of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth--and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
C. It’s time to give up the sword. As servants of the most High God, we are no longer in control.
1. When we give up the sword, we give up the “right” to being selfish and self-serving.
2. But when we give up that right, we become a person who becomes more concerned with the needs of others and the cause of Christ.
Conclusion: Like I said, it’s time to give up the sword. It’s time to surrender your all to Him today. Putting others first begins by this very act of submission unto the lordship of Jesus Christ.
I want you to close your eyes and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any area in your life that still needs to be surrendered unto the lordship of Jesus Christ- anything you still need to give up or any area you need to give over to Him.
Now I’m not going to ask you to draw a sword in your mind. As you continue to consider areas that need surrender today, I want you to take that sword that you have drawn - that sword now represents those areas that need to be surrendered. Hold that sword out and hand it over to the Lord. If you are holding back, understand that until you release it completely, you will never know the full benefits and joys of possessing the attitude of Christ who considered the needs of others above His own.
Are you giving it over completely to Him today?
Disclaimer: Not necessarily all original material. Some material contained in my sermons may be gleaned from other sermons.
