Having the Attitude of Jesus

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

We talked last week about an if then statement found here in verses one and two. If we have encouragement from Jesus, if we know the love of the Father and if we experience the power of the Holy Spirit, then a joyful result will occur for Paul.

What does Paul want for these people? He wants them to be like Christ. He wants them to live in the blessing of God’s best life for them. He wants them to be full of the Holy Spirit. What does that look like? This passage points to three things and it is put in the context of unity. Pain and suffering create isolation, isolation breeds disunity.

Unified in Thinking

Unified in Love

Unified in Service

 

 

  1. Unified in Thinking About Life

       

  1. Life comes from Jesus directly

Therefore, our relationship with God is key. And our desires,        priorities and actions directly impact our relationship with God.

John 4: If you had known!

  1. Who I am
  2. What I can give you
  3. You will never be driven by desire again.

She is married six times and living with a seventh                               man, she is completely separated from her culture                              because she is consumed by desire. But Jesus offers                            her life. She says yes and immediately is used by God                               for His kingdom purposes.

 

  1. Set Jesus as the standard for life

        Pray what He prayed:

Your name

Your kingdom and will

What you give us for live today

Forgive us

We forgive others

Help us not be stupid about our weaknesses

Deliver us from our weaknesses

Your kingdom, power and glory forever!

 

Love how He loved:

John 13:

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Serve how He served:

John 13: 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

 

  1. Follow Jesus Christ

        Come and see

John 1: 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.”

Follow me:

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

You will see:

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

 

  1. Unified in the Way that We Love

 

  1. Love the one you hate

        Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Luke 10: 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Desiring to justify yourself is a big mistake and a huge waste of time. You do not love perfectly. Let’s get that out of the way. Now, the question is, will you move toward loving like Jesus loves? Parable of the Good Samaritan.

  1. Love as Jesus loves

        Look at the hymn. It is the source of Jesus’ thinking and service and love!

  1. Did not regard His equality with God as the issue
  2. Prioritized service and love to God
  3. Emptied Himself

For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.

Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame. Whose joy? God’s joy. Jesus Christ has purchased people for God from every tribe, tongue and nation!

Revelation 5: 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[b] on the earth.”

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

  1. Love God first

Ten Commandments

Great Commandments

Freedom from slavery to terrible people

Hebrews 10: 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”

 

 

III. Serve as Jesus Serves

  1. Fight against selfishness

We need to see all of our lives from God’s perspective.

 

  1. Invest in humility

Life is about God and His kingdom. It’s not about me. And it’s not about my neighbor. It’s about God’s created purposes and designs being lived out for His pleasure and glory. Because God is good, this will be for my blessing and my neighbor’s benefit as well.

 

  1. Look out for the interests of others

        There are things you can do. Do those things.

Use the gifts and talents,

the life experience and education,

the resources you have,

the energy and health that God has given you,

 

What can I do to bring the blessing of God (kingdom of God) to other people?