Philippians 2:1-13, Thursday Night Worship Sermon, April 11, 2019

Last Thursday night we were once again in the book (letter) called Philippians, in Chapter 2 and verses 1 through 13 to be exact.  Philippians is often called Paul's 'letter of joy'.

Paul here lays out four things which we need to strive for in order to be of the 'same mind' as Christ.
1. Willing to Sacrifice
2. Willing to Serve
3. Willing to Submit
4. Willing to Suffer

All four of these blend together, of course, but Paul lays these out in verses six through eight.  Today in our self-centered world of Instagram and Twitter, each of us feels that we are the most important thing in God's Creation.  Or... have we evolved to this state because we're convinced that we simply don't matter and thus are trying desperately to over-compensate?  I don't explore that avenue but it's one worth considering... perhaps another sermon on another day.

Paul implores us to be united and of the same mind as Christ.  It saddens me to think what Paul (and Christ of course) would think of the broken and shattered mess we've made of the body of Christ.  We can do better... sad to say though that it is, in my opinion, those who profess to be striving for unity that are busy breaking the Body and subverting the will of God... but, that too is another sermon for another day...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Philippians 2:1-13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be 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 regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him
    and gave him the name
    that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Footnotes:

a) Philippians 2:5 Or that you have