Meaningful Life
Date: Apr. 8, 2024
Philippians 2:1-8
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-8
Sermon Topic: Imitators of Christ
Take Home Point: ”Be United in Christ”
We have so far treated chapter one of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. Paul’s intentions were to highlight the expectations and responsibilities of the Christian faith that they were to follow as new believers. The question is, what did Paul expect of the Philippian church and by extension Christians of our generation? Our passage today will guide us on how a genuine Christian is to lead a life of Unity, Humility, Servanthood and so on as was demonstrated by our Savior Jesus before he was crucified and ascended to Heaven.
Paul’s letter to the Philippian church was done out of genuine love. In his plea through the channel of love and friendship, the apostle Paul was trying to calm down the growing state of disunity found among the Philippian church. Paul pleaded with the church to put away any selfish tendency amongst them, and for them to emulate the life and truths of Jesus Christ as a model to follow. The simple truth is that in any church where disunity, rancor, self-centeredness exists, such a church will never grow. In Amos 3:3 (KJV) this important question was asked, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”.
The apostle Paul pointed out attributes that will build and foster relationships amongst the brethren:
• Unity & Oneness of Mind Through Christ (vs 1a): “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ.” A house divided against itself can never survive. Division among brethren will only pull down the church of God.
• Christ-Like Agape Love (vs 1b): “if any comfort from his love,” To achieve this unity, Paul introduces the need for Christ-like Agape love to be present. According to James M. Hamilton Jr., in his book, God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment “This kind of love will not result in selfish behavior that sinfully exploits others.” Remember in Philippians 1:9-10, Paul had encouraged the brethren in this manner, “9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,”. We must all remember that Unity is a product of the truth found in the Gospel message of Jesus. Therefore, the Philippian church must 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.”
• The Need for Humility (vs 3-4): Paul wrote “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Paul was encouraging the church in Philippi Not to do things from a selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Acts of selfishness would destroy and pull down the church. According to verse four of our text, those who are humble seek not their own advantage but the opportunity to serve others.
• Heart of Servanthood (vs 5-8): For anyone to succeed as a servant or be effective as a servant, he or she must be obedient and humble. Our Savior Jesus gave a perfect example for us to emulate. He stepped down from His Heavenly home to live among sinful man not as God but as man though He still maintained the likeness of God. Yet, He obediently humbled himself to God the Father by taking all the insults from men, the pain on the cross and eventually death on the cross. It is this position of a humble servant like Jesus that the Apostle Paul wants the Philippian church to emulate.
Until I come your way next week, remain Christ focused. I wish you a meaningful week.
Pastor David Kachi Jite