Lookout mtn.conference 1973-03 Philippians — Stan Ford

Philippians 2 and the Mind of Christ

I'm going to try, I don't know whether I will succeed, I'm going to try to go right through the chapter today. For the sake of time, we will not read the whole chapter at this time, we will read just a few verses that all of us are so familiar with, I almost feel like asking you to quote them with me.

Philippians chapter 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any vows of mercy, foretell ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind.

Let nothing be done to strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, taught it not robbery to be equaled with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

And being found in his passion as of a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God the Father.

May the Lord just add his blessing to these wonderful words from his own precious words. You will have remembered that in the past days we have been considering just a little of the first chapter of this wonderful epistle.

Paul the Pastor and Paul the Prisoner

I reminded you that first we saw Paul the pastor, with a heart of love towards those to whom he was writing, and we thought that here was one Paul the pastor who was reflecting as he thought of those that he had met, his brethren and sisters in Christ in Philippi.

He thought of the problems they had to face, and as he looked back over his own life and over his experience there in Philippi, he writes the glorious words that make up the eleven verses of the first chapter, or the first eleven verses of the first chapter.

Then yesterday, you remember, we thought of Paul, not the pastor, but Paul the prisoner, and he was not now reflecting, but he was rejoicing. He was crying again and again, rejoice, and again I say, rejoice.

Harmony Among the Saints

Today we're going a step further, and we're going to see Paul not now as the pastor or now as the prisoner, but we're going to see Paul as the picture, and in chapter two, who retains one of the greatest, if not the greatest, sermon that the apostle ever preached, and he associates with it so many things.

I'm going to suggest that here we find the preacher requesting, as to say to those Christians there in Philippi, all fall through ye my jaws. But again he says, the outcome of my preaching shall be this, or should be this, that the mind of Christ might be in your ears.

Makes requests of those Christians in Philippi, he has so many, many things to bring before them. I'm going to suggest that the first thing he does as a preacher, he encourages harmony among the saints.

A strong feeling that this is one of the things that every one of us that do a little preaching ought to remember. Quite frequently, and I say this with some shame, quite frequently one finds that the preacher does not encourage harmony among the saints, but it is often from the platform that strength commits sterner.

But here is the great preacher, and in those opening verses of this glorious chapter, from verses 1 to 4, he encourages harmony in the saints. And then you will notice, indeed, from verse 5 to 11, he is not now encouraging harmony among the saints, but he is exemplifying humility in the saviour.

Humility Exemplified in the Saviour

I'm not here to say, I'll show you what it means to be humble, open with Peter. There were times when, speaking of Peter, it seems almost as though there had been hard words said. Yes, but Peter, when he wrote his letter, said, and be clothed with humility.

When he writes to the church at Colossae, he says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh. Here is one who is humble, and he exemplifies humility in the saviour. First he encourages humility, I'm sorry, encourages harmony among the saints, and exemplifies humility in the saviour.

Holiness in the Stewards

Then he goes on, and he expects holiness in the spirit. Here, from verse 12 to 16, he speaks of the holiness that is expected of any man to whom the message of the gospel has been given. And, as a steward of Jesus Christ, there are things expected of them, and one of the things is holiness.

Then he rolls this chapter to its closing, and I'm thrilled at this. It makes my heart rejoice. Then he exhibits helpfulness in the servants, and he shows us the story, and over all their ministry, he dares to say, tell me, is not this the very core of our ministry?

That we are helpful to the faith. Firstly, then, he encourages harmony, and what glorious harmony it is. He dares to remind us that there can never be real harmony among God's people until we understand that the source of harmony is in Jesus Christ himself.

It seems to me that in verses 1 and 2, he reminds us that everything we need is found in Christ. Why, he dares to say, if there be therefore, and it's not the if of day. Let's remember that. If there be therefore, and it is not the if of doubt, it is the if of argument.

He says, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any communion, fellowship of the Spirit, if any care, if any vows of mercy, he dares to say that as we think of Jesus Christ, all that you and I must expect to others is found in him.

If there be, and it comes, what may I change it, for it is not the if of doubt, it is the if of argument, as there is consolation in Christ, comfort of love, as there is communion, fellowship of the Spirit, as there is care, vows of mercy, it's all found in Jesus Christ.

Brethren, sisters, if there is one thing I am absent of, that whatever the Bible desires of me, I can always see it in Jesus Christ. Some yonder at the Bristol conference, as we were going through those opening verses of the first chapter of Acts, and we were thinking of he who began both to do and to teach.

Just a comment like this. We were thinking of the blessedness of the Savior. I dare to say that when I think of him, is it not true that there was no crossness in his life, on his lips, in his loyalty?

The more we realize that what the Shumanitic woman said long ago is true. He's altogether loving. There is not a man or a woman who knows Jesus Christ who has an excuse at all for everything I think that we need, for harmony among God's people, we find it available in Jesus.

Consolation in Christ. Come back. What if your brother or sister says something harsh of you? Is it not a joy for your heart to realize them? They said things harsh about my Savior. Isn't it? Any comfort in love?

When sometimes you go to a service and you walk out, and you find yourself not, oh brethren, isn't there not comfort in love when we realize that he loves us? We're always prepared to accept excuses like that, you know.

Folks say, well I went in and no one talked to me. I went home years ago, I learned all sorts of lessons. I learned lessons when she intends to teach me. But I learned lessons in just an ordinary way, as all married men do.

And I returned some years ago now, for the children, and so she wasn't with me. And I talked to her, and she said, well, did you enjoy it? She didn't shake hands with us all. Such two ways, isn't it? Such two ways.

Let's be over-concerned when sometimes we feel in the cold. But let's find our blessed comfort in the love of Christ, that he loves us. Chameleon fellowship of the Spirit. Some of the greatest saints I've ever met have been brethren and sisters that have been isolated from others.

I made reference, was it yesterday or the day before, to Death and Defeat, the day when one is going through the missionary list. And by the way, I hope you brethren and sisters were praying for the missionaries this morning.

Let's see, it was the end of Korea and Japan today, wasn't it? I didn't read his missionary list this morning, though. We were praying for the missionaries today, and I couldn't help but think again of the folks that I'd met in different parts of the mission field.

And I thought of that little girl, away there in the heart of Angkor, amongst thousands if not millions of Africans, lovely folk, but of a different social strata, of a different background, and there was one little girl with no one to commune with.

If there was not such a thing as the communion of the Spirit, what is there? Praise God, it's there, it's available for us. Everything's found in Christ. I say as we go further, and he speaks of vows of mercy, he speaks of the heart, but day by day he cares for us.

This is what he's daring to say to you and me. Brethren, sisters, we must have harmony among the saints, because everything that's necessary is found in Jesus. Our consolation, our comfort, our communion, our care, it's all found in Him.

Selflessness and Sympathy in the Church

Having spoken of the fact that everything's found in Christ, then he dares to say, and every one of us should be like Christ. Verses 2 and 4. Be like-minded, he says. Loving. Do nothing to strife and vainglory.

Oh, I say, here are two things we miss. Strife, not the pert and dang group. Vainglory comes from us. And God dares to say, don't you do anything for the sake of strife or vainglory. He dares to say that we should be loving and of like mind.

He dares to say that we should be selfless and sympathetic. He says, why, in lowliness of mind, let me esteem other better than themselves. Selfless. Brethren, how difficult it is. Sympathetic. Look not every man on his own things, but on the things of others.

It isn't a matter of just esteeming other better than ourselves, but it's looking on other people's things as well. It is not only being selfless, but it is being sympathetic. And this is the way harmony comes in the church, isn't it?

And brethren, sisters, when you and I came to know Jesus Christ, well, I can't speak for you, let me speak for myself. When I bowed my knee and took Christ as my Saviour, I didn't realise the claims Christ was going to have on my life.

I just wanted to get rid of the consciousness of sin. I understood so little, I just bowed my knee and cried, God have a sinner save me. But as the days have slipped by, one has learned this, that our good friend, Brother Harry, has been emphasising so ably, day by day, that it isn't just what we know, but what we do.

He dares to put his hand upon us and say, esteem other better than self. For it to do that. Among the saints. Then he exemplifies humility in the Saviour. All of you, quoted, preached from, listen to sermons on the next verses that are contained here in the second chapter.

Christ's Humility in Philippians 2

Speaks of the blessed Saviour, who being in the form of God. I found out, in every country I visited, and it's been my joy in this and some thirty more countries to have told of Christ. I found that of the Lord's Day morning, there are three portions of the word of God, which I use maybe more than any other.

The fifty-third of Isaiah, the second chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, and, as we saw, Lord's Day morning, the fifth chapter of Revelation. I've heard them read in a dozen and more different languages.

And upon God's people let of the spirit drawn to Christ. And if the Spirit of God, as he has, was used in verses so frequently, why, surely this morning, our hearts will be attracted to this man who died.

But again we look at them. I've nothing new to say about them. You wouldn't expect me to have anything new to say about them. I trust they may come, though, with a very freshness of the spirit, as we see humility exemplified in Christ.

Would you notice, first of all, that here is the Saviour on the throne, he's concerned, controlled, on the throne, he's concerned, hearken to the words of Holy Rich, who, being in the form of God, taught it not to think of it, grasp that, to be equal with God.

As we were thinking a little in the sixth chapter of Isaiah, of the one who is none other than the divine Son of God, pondering together again something of the wonders of the Trinity, does it not thrill our hearts to realize that the one of whom we're speaking is the one who is none other than God of all, is forever and ever.

Yet, as we look back in the eternity that's past, of all found worshipped by angelic beings, the upholder of all things, yet he was concerned with you and me. I will let God look down to see if there were any that did understand.

Before a world doomed on its way to the terrible yet there was one who could say, Oh, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me. I so like to do thy will, oh my God. Oh, the wonder of it all, that he ever could look down the avenue of time and see you and me and be concerned with us.

Oh, God, help me to appreciate that. And he didn't think it a thing to be grasped at, to be held on to, to be equal with God. But if we see him on the throne concerned on the earth, we see him controlled.

And this is mystery of mystery. The game created all things, for all things were made by him. And without him was nothing made that was made. This is that which Paul dares to say to the saints. Away with Corinth.

He took unto himself the form of a servant to be controlled. How many times do we read words like these in Holy Writ? Not only do I delight to do thy will, oh my God, but my meat is to do thy will. Tell you in the beginning of his days, as a boy he said, Wish ye not that I shall be about thy father's business?

But the woman at the end of his days said, Not my will, but thine be done. I'm not sure because I don't keep an account of what I say and where I say it. But I have a strong feeling that when I was last with you some three years ago, we were thinking, in the 13th chapter of Hebrews, of something of the wonder of this one.

Thou reminded you that here was a Christ of whom he could be said, and of him alone. The only man that ever lived, who finished his life where he began it, and began it where he finished it. Start it off.

Thou holy thing that shalt be born of thee. But isn't it easy to say of a baby, Thou holy thing? What counts is what they say at the end of the journey. And what is it said? He offered himself without stop to God.

He started as a boy doing the will of his father. But I've heard hundreds of boys as they've come to me and said, Uncle Stan, maybe they've not used those words, but that's what they said. Stand on the shoulder and say, God bless your son.

He's at the end of the journey. Are they going to say, I want to be about my father's business. Christ it was, not my will, but thine be done. At the beginning of his journey, he starts his ministry. And he says to those as he looks upon their faces, Blessed are the merciful.

But anyone can say that before they've found you out. What do you say when three and a half years have passed? When those same people have lived in the same home, and walked the same streets, and listened to you again and again and again.

What do you say then? What did he say? God forgive them. Where he started he began, and where he ended, where he started he finished, and where he finished he began. Oh, this is the wonder of it all. Brethren, here we see it as he who is the servant.

The gospel of Mark. He, the servant of Jehovah. But if we see him on the throne concerned, and upon the earth controlled, we see upon the cross consistent. He became obedient unto death. He became obedient unto death.

Oh no, please, brethren, sisters, do not, do not trap these words into one isolated truth. It is truth that he became obedient, and therefore went to the cross. For this was the will of the Father. That is the outcome of his obedience.

He went on to tell, but it's more than this, is it not? That here is one who became obedient to death. Death laid its hand upon him, and he obeyed the claims of death. He was obedient unto it, and I thank God for that.

But death had no control upon him. He willingly and humbly placed himself under the power of death, that you and I might know the power of life. Oh, glory to his name. What a saint. What manner of men and women ought we to be, brethren.

What manner of men and women. Then, bless God, that if we see him on the throne concerned, if we see him on the earth controlled, if we see him on the cross consistent, we see him back on the throne. And glory to his name.

He's compensated. Wherefore God has highly exalted him. Give him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. What a wonder of it all. What a wonder of it all. I thank God for this.

I bless God that as we think of him, we are thinking of one who lives. For never let us forget there could be no harmony in the church unless the head was alive, unless he who died was raised from amongst the dead.

The Resurrection and the Living Head of the Church

You know, I love to tell young folks that they took our blessed Lord and they put him in a tomb. They rolled a stone over the tomb. And they put a seal on the stone and they put a soldier by the stone to keep him there.

He had been lovely. Been lovely. I was telling a crowd of youngsters some little while ago when they'd asked me in a school to speak on the evidence of the resurrection. I don't think any of the youngsters had any data about it.

It was the schoolmaster who did. But nevertheless, we went along and spoke on the evidence of the resurrection. And I dare you to remind these young folks that they took one of every one of the kingdoms, didn't they?

They took a stone, the mineral kingdom. They took a seal, the vegetable kingdom. They took a soldier, the animal kingdom. They took one of every one of the kingdoms and they made him the king of kingdoms of all.

Giving him a name which is above every name. Oh, what a saviour we've got. What a saviour. And when you think of it, and then you remember, well, here's humility. Teach me. Teach me humility. Find in the saviour humility.

Holiness Depends on Christ's Work

Then we remember that this preacher, he not only encourages harmony amongst the faith and exemplifies humility in the saviour, but now he expects holiness in the stewards. He's going to speak of them as stewards, as those that hold for us the word of life.

As those for whom has been given the blessed treasure of the glorious message of the gospel. So he speaks to them of their holiness and he says, first of all, their holiness depends on the work of Christ.

That's the first thing he says. I hear a number of folk talk about holiness. Now I'll let you into a secret. You can show me holiness and talk about it. For anything has been this. That the people who speak most about holiness are the people who so frequently know so little about it.

And what we've already seen is of stealing others better than themselves. The gospel does dare to say that holiness depends upon Christ himself. For he says, this is God which worketh in you. We won't forget, of course, that he's not saying work for your own salvation.

He's saying work out your own salvation. And you can't work anything out unless it's in first of all. Well, the Lord puts it in and he says, now you work it out and it's God who worketh in you. The source of anything that is for the glory of heaven is found in Christ.

Holiness Displays and Declares Christ's Will

And then he dares to tell us that our holiness not only depends upon Christ, but he says our holiness displays the will of Christ. If our holiness depends on the work of Christ, it's God who worketh in you.

Then our holiness displays the will of Christ. As he says in verse 15, be blameless. And harmless. Blameless and harmless. Brethren and sisters, I must leave you to interpret what that means. It hurts me too much.

It is that one of us would stand before another and say I am completely blameless. Any one of us who would say we're harmless. That which is required of us, that if we are going to be stewards of the Word, then surely we must be those who are blameless and harmless.

But then he says holiness not only depends upon the work of Christ, and holiness displays the will of Christ. He dares to say that holiness declares the Word of Christ, holding forth the Word of Christ.

The longer I find myself in the service of God, the more I realize that it is the Word of Christ that brings liberty to men and women. I am responsible both in my gospel preaching and in my ministry that I shall present to men and women the Word of the Lord.

Not what I think about it, but the Word of the Lord. And I have a desire that if there are Christians I want to teach them. And if there are unconverted, I want to reach them for Jesus Christ. And I can neither teach nor reach unless the Word of God is declared.

And holiness declares the Word of Christ. Not what we think of it, but it is faithful and true to that which has been written. And then he goes on. He not only expects holiness in his spirit, but he exhibits it in his sermons.

Sacrifice and Service for the Faith

I think that's wonderful, don't you? Do notice he uses three distinct things to show helpfulness. First of all, sacrifice. And then he uses suffering as that which can be helpful to others. First of all, sacrifice.

And he speaks a little himself. And he dares to say that my sacrifice is helpful to the saints. Yea, says verse 18, yea, if I'm the offerer. What then goes on? I will rejoice. And then he goes on. And for the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me.

If I be sacrificed. If something happens to me, then if it's for the glory of God, I rejoice. And my rejoicing in my sacrifice it enables you to rejoice also. Remarkable thing. The parent of God who should have this before us, not only the glory of Christ, but the blessing of the church.

Not his own sacrifice, and he speaks of it so briefly. He speaks of himself being offered, then he goes on and speaks a greater length of Timothy. That's always the sign of a man of God, isn't it? He speaks of others more than he speaks of himself.

All he witnesses, he tells folk what Jesus means to him, but he speaks of others. And here having spoken indeed of a sacrifice that he made, now he speaks of service that Timotheus made. And he does tell us three things it seems to me about Timothy.

He says first of all that Timothy was a true man. In verse 21 all speak their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. Isn't God saying, as he holds Timothy up in contrast, that here is a man that is true?

Others may speak the things of the twelve, but he speaks the things of Christ. Brethren, sisters, if you and I are going to be servants of the Lord in any capacity, I believe I am not just speaking now of being a preacher.

I wonder why it is, I wonder why it is, that amongst us we have some idea that the greatest gift is the gift of preaching. That they might be able to show their spirituality by preaching. Please remember this, that the Bible teaches, as we've seen already through the ministry of our brother, the priesthood of every believer.

And it is this that has kept me amongst the people I am amongst. And really that's the only reason that's kept me amongst them. But a realization of the priesthood of every believer, that Peter said, you are, not we are, Paul and Apollos and Cephas, but you are, you are.

Isn't it wonderful as holy priests we have spiritual sacrifices, as we've been reminded to offer to God. And isn't it glorious as royal priests we go out to represent Him, who has called us out of nature's darkness into His glorious light.

And I dare suggest that this is the highest, this is the highest of our spirituality. That as priests we might offer sacrifices first to God. Then as royal priests, as holy priests to God, as royal priests we must go out and present Christ to the nations.

Remembering Christ's Glory in Worship

And I want a deep appreciation of the Saviour. Do you know Lord's Day morning, after we had remembered the Lord here, I turned to the dear sister that was sitting next to me, oh wait a minute, I can't even remember, I don't know.

But I turned, if you were the person you'll know what I said, I looked at you and I said, you know I was thinking again this morning, as so often I do of the Lord's Day morning, I was thinking of that lovely verse from the 48th chapter of Genesis.

Remember when Joseph said to his brethren, go, tell my Father of all my glory. We tried to do that Sunday morning, didn't we? We tried to tell the Father of all His glory. Our brethren and sisters, don't let's forget this, that I remember that Lord's Day morning is not a funeral service, no, the Lord's Day.

We show it until He comes. We're there that we might present our appreciation of Christ to the fathers I worship. Spirituality, appreciating Christ. But nevertheless, if we do rise that we might be a servant of the Lord in a different capacity, it's still true, that whether as servants of the Lord in the ordinary things, we may be true and seek the things of Christ.

Timothy as a Tested and Tender Servant

And then he says he's not only true, but don't you forget, no man's true until he's tested. And so he says he's tested in verse 22. You know the proof. You know the proof of Him. For it is done He hath served with me in the gospel.

This is it. And then he says something more. Thank you, my Lord, for just giving me a real hit this morning. And then he says he's tender, that he's one who cares. This is the servant of the Lord. Tender.

Do we care for one another? And then having brought before us the fact that service, the servant, is helpful to the Lord, then he dares to tell us that Epaphroditus, not now in his sacrifice and not now just in his service, but in his suffering, is helpful to the Lord.

Epaphroditus: Brother, Labourer, and Fellow Soldier

He dares to tell us the story of this man. He says so many wonderful things about him. We haven't time to look at them. Just to say this, he says first of all of him, verse 30, that he was a brother. Isn't that nice?

See, that covers a lot, doesn't it? A brother. I like that. Did you notice as Brother Harry was ministering to us this morning, of course you did, did you notice the words of the Savior? The words of Mary who anointed him.

The words of Peter. Let her alone. Wasn't that good? Isn't it wonderful? And I'll let you in on a secret. If I really thought you were my brother, I wouldn't be willing to listen to someone else talk about you, would I?

Firstly, brother, if you came to me and said something about our bill, I'd put my hand on your shoulder and I'd shake you and I'd say, hey, that's our bill. He was a brother. He was a companion in labor.

I like that. I like that. A companion in labor. Do you know what he did? No, he brought from, he brought from, the last chapter, so I mustn't go into that too much, but there are other ways he labored.

Isn't it wonderful to be a companion in labor? He says he was a fellow soldier. He carried to the skies in flowery bezelies while others fought to win the prize. He says of him that he was a messenger and a minister.

Oh, this is who he was and what he suffered. He suffered sickness and he suffered sorrow. He was full of heaven, helpful to the saints. And he who suffered was he who supplied their lack of service. As a preacher, this is what he says.

The Mind of Christ in the Church's Ministry

He says, brethren, sisters in Philippi, whatever else you do, whatever else you do, let me encourage you, and you let the mind of Christ be in you also. Whatever you do, do this from you. Remember that this only comes to the Savior.

Whatever else you do, exhibit helpfulness in your complete activities that men and women may look and say, there's a church of God in Philippi.

He goes beyond the highest bar and reaches to the lowest hell. Number 39. Let's stand and sing it together. And we'll ask our brothers to commit us to the Lord. All together now.