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So we're looking at Unity through humility. Do you let me ask a question? Do you? Desire to be used of the Lord this morning and his church. Usefulness to the Lord and I truly believe that humility and I'm speak of true humility.
Biblical humility is the key. It is the key to be in use of God. Please bow with me in a moment of prayers. We look to our Lord and as we hear his holy word our father and our great God we come before you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Your one and only son your beloved son in whom you are well pleased in only through him We have access before you and to your holy courts Before the Holy of Holies.
Oh God we pray That you would be exalted and glorified through your son. And as we exalt and honor the son you are glorified as we hear your word this morning Lord. Help me Lord, I pray to speak with clarity and truth.
Empower the Holy Spirit. Lord give us dear Lord. I pray ears to hear and eyes to see and most important Lord, give us a heart to understand and obey your truth. And Lord we would pray this for your honor and glory in Jesus name.
Amen.
Likely to turn with me to the this a little epistle of Philippians as we continue to work through it. It is known as the epistle of joy. And it's interesting that the Apostle Paul When he writes this little epistle to the believers in Philippi He's in chains in a prison cell a dungeon and I assure you it's much much colder than this building.
But yet he says the Word of God Is not bound. The Word of God cannot be chained.
Yet.
Paul gives an incredible exhortation to believers to walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So we turn to Philippians chapter 2 and We'll be looking at verse 1 to 2. Verse 13 Paul emphasizes the great importance of humility through unity.
Warren Weirisby said this Quote. Paul knew what some of the church workers today do not know. That there is a difference between unity and you know uniformity. True spiritual unity he says comes from within.
It is a matter of the heart. Uniformity is the result of pressure from without and This is why Paul opens this section Appealing to the highest possible spiritual motives. End quote. And how right Weirisby is in saying that Philippians chapter 2 beginning with verse 1 The Word of God says this.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any affection and mercy Fulfill my joy and be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of.
One mind.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest but also for the interest of others.
And let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ Christ Jesus.
Who.
Being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself And became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross.
Therefore.
God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name. And that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and Of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
My beloved as you have always obeyed Not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do.
For his good pleasure. We'll stop right there. As we have seen in This particular section we see first of all and I give credits to pastor John MacArthur for these wonderful ends these this outline of these verses.
It cannot be improved and it's very simple and easy for us to remember. But we see first the motives for spiritual unity the motives for spiritual unity in verse 1 and 2. Second we see the marks of spiritual unity the marks that are found in verse 2 then we see third the means of spiritual unity found in verse 3 and 4 and Last and final we fourth we see the model of spiritual unity found in verses 5 to verse 11.
The motives of unity answered the question why. The marks of unity answered the question what the means of Unity answer the question how and the model of unity answers the question who? Today our focus will be on The means the means of spiritual unity which answers the question how? How how does?
Unity work, how does it look like? how does it operate and the Apostle Paul gives us a.
Clear.
Answer in this and we see this found in verse 3 and 4 3 and 4 in our text today, and then we will be looking at that. He says this let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind.
Let each esteem others.
Better.
Than himself let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of.
Others.
Powerful powerful again. And where's B says this. The secret of joy in spite of circumstances is the single mind. The secret of joy in spite of people is The submissive mind. And how true that is to have spiritual unity.
We must have a single mind and we must have a Submissive mind. And the Apostle Paul basically comes to the conclusion in this section Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He's the perfect example.
Proverbs 23 7 says this. The first half of it for as he thinks or as a man thinks in his heart So is.
He.
Think about that. We're just not thinking with our mind. We're thinking with our heart. Because really the mind and the heart connect Here in our text in Philippians 2 in a gracious way. Paul is basically saying to the church at Philippi and A very important word and we all need to hear it as he is saying this To us and we should apply it to ourselves and this is what he's saying.
Your.
Disagreements reveal that There is a spiritual problem within the body within your fellowship. It isn't going to be solved by rules. It's not going to be solved.
By.
Something that we come up with or conclusion. But it's going to be solved when our hearts are right with Jesus and with each other that's basically what he's saying and doesn't that remind you of an awesome verse that the Lord spoke to the religious groups of his day in Matthew 22 37 and 38 he says he's quoting Actually from Deuteronomy our Lord says love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment and then in verse 39 and 40 Jesus says this and the second is like like it you shall love your neighbor as Yourself and on these two commandments being he says Hang all the law and the prophets.
Paul even says that The Word of Christ is is basically it's all summed up in Love in your neighbor. The law is all summed up in that and notice again Jesus is saying all not some of our hearts, but all of our heart all Of your soul emphasize all all of your mind.
And I'm seriously doubt that any of us has done that within our Christian life and We fail miserably in that not thus we need grace to help us a disciple of Jesus Christ a follower of the Lord. Ultimately one of the great marks of a child of God is our love To God our love for the Lord our love for Christ.
Underscoring the completeness and this text and Jesus is speaking of the kind of love that is called for. It's God's kind of love. It's not our love by no means and even in Mark the gospel mark chapter 12 verse 30 he adds one thing that Matthew left out and it doesn't Mean that it was Left out on purpose, but it depends on the translation and going back to the original.
Where the translation comes together? Mark adds with all your strength. With all your strength. That's interesting, isn't it? Because our Lord again, he's quoting from the Septuagint the Deuteronomy he's quoting from Deuteronomy 6 -4 and He says and in the second command and in which he puts right together with what he's saying from Deuteronomy is quoted from Leviticus 19 18 and the second is love your neighbor as.
Yourself and.
Contrary to many contemporary interpretations, by the way, let me put a footnote right here. There are many contemporary Ministers within this hour and many many churches basically says that Jesus is promoting self-love on the contrary.
This is not a mandate for self-love. It's on the contrary by the way That this command prompts believers to measure their love for others by what they wish for themselves. So there is no self-love here.
It actually Jesus commanded self-denial. Not self-love and a lot of there's a lot of twisting of Scripture today. So be careful what you hear out there. I've heard this myself and Believe brother Keith and brother Ben and others here and brother Zach and has heard the same kind of this missed Misinterpretations of Basically to justify self-love.
Oh, you got to love yourself. That's your problem and if you don't love yourself you you're not really fulfilling your duty. That is a lie straight from the pit of hell folks. That's the biggest problem that we have.
Our problem is we love ourselves too much there and that's it's it's really Satanic because Lucifer loved himself so much that he rose up against God in rebellion and self-love is Satanic and I can tell you that right now.
Because it turns all you it turns you yourself into an idol. It turns yourself into a little God a Demi-god right and you see it is so satanic and that's why Jesus calls his followers to deny Yourself, that's the first thing.
Come and follow me deny Yourself take up your cross and follow me. So Really be careful with this kind of nonsense and this poison that's being preached in the church today. Now rather than again on the contrary the command prompts believers to measure their love for others and love others.
So the whole moral duty of man in a sense Falls under these two categories love for God and love for one's neighbors. This is exactly the direction the Apostle Paul goes By in and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in verse 3 and 4 so chapter in chapter 2 so Philippians 2 is Bet of about biblical humility.
True humility and if there's ever a virtue that is missing among the church today. Beloved it's the virtue of humility humility, I Love J. C. Rowell. J. C. Rowell says this about it and there's a much larger version of this quote.
But I'm gonna give it to you in a nutshell. He said pride is the oldest and most common sins. Pride is the oldest and most common of sins, but humility is the rarest and most beautiful of Graces, it was the Puritan John Bunyan that said of humility.
He that is down needs fear. No fall he that is low. No pride and he that is humble ever shall have God to be his God. Proverbs 3 34 the wisdom of Solomon by the inspiration of the Spirit of God listened God to God's Word in Context here surely he scorns the scornful.
But gives grace to the humble the Apostle Paul was Tied to the great concern of unity within the church within the body of Christ you see this in verse 4 fulfilled by joy. This was his joy. By being like-minded having the same love being of one accord and one mind.
There you have a single mind a singleness of mind verse 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 4 1 through 6. Once again, the Apostle exhorts the believers here at Ephesus and he says this.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the Calling with which you were called with all lowliness and gentleness. With long-suffering and he says this bearing with one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling of one Lord one faith one baptism. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all.
That's the Word of God on unity. So believers in Christ are to love one another. That is the great command that Jesus gave and this is what the world and how the world will know that we are Christians beloved that we are disciples of Jesus Christ that we love one another.
Now.
That is so far missing one thing that comes to my mind here. This is not my notes, but years ago We had a caretaker taking care of Teresa's mother in the end days of her life and it broke my heart to hear such a thing.
This particular lady. She was so sweet. She was she was meek and mild and of a quiet spirit and gentle but yet I was grieved to hear and I started to talk to her and I was I was Assuming she went to church somewhere and she said yes, I did go to church and I said what church do you attend?
She says I go to the Jehovah Witnesses of Kingdom Hall Kingdom of all Jehovah Witnesses and I was so grieved to hear that. I said, I just wanted to ask you some questions here what what prompts you to go to the Jehovah Witness in the Kingdom of all Jehovah Witnesses and She told me a sad sad story folks and listen to this.
She says I was at once at a Baptist Church a Protestant Church, and I was treated so meanly. So ungentle I was. I was actually Ignored as a person they did not love me. But yet when I went to visit the Kingdom of all Jehovah Witnesses They they welcomed me in and they loved me and they cared for me now.
Doesn't that grieve your heart folks? The kingdom as you well know that Jehovah Witnesses is a cult and the reason they're a cult is they deny that Jesus Christ is Lord. And he's God and also there's many other Heresies that they teach they do not believe in a Trinity.
They just believe and say there's one God, but there's no Trinity whatsoever. No father, no son, no Holy Spirit. They say there's a son, but his son is like a good man. He's a good prophet. That's the way they look at Jesus that he's not God in the flesh.
That's heresy folks and also they've denied the reality of a hell. They basically believe that okay when you die God's too good. He's not going to allow a person to go into a Literal burning eternal hell so they deny the existence in the doctrine of hell and here's this lady Welcoming in because they loved her.
Isn't that grievous and when I heard that I said, you know, I know you've been hurt by This particular church, but please don't judge all of Christendom by one church so-called church that has failed to love you.
Jesus loves you and I don't know. She would basically cut the conversation off from there and just spoke to her as she was caring for my mother-in-law. As she was on her way to glory, but it was so grievous to hear.
Such a story is that. Now, I don't know about you. But that stirs me up a little bit more to love people more so even because people are paying attention people are looking and They they noticed that Jesus said how important it is and this was the command He constantly gave to his disciples by this you shall know people shall know that you are my disciples by the love.
That you have to one another this was a command by Jesus himself the Lord of the church.
Believers in Jesus are to love one another within the body of Christ equally without partiality without respecters of persons regardless of creed color. Regardless of what God has no respecters of persons does he he loves all but there is a general love.
And there's a special love the special love is given to the children of God the regenerate now. We show and demonstrate the same kind of love that is selfless sacrificial love loving service to our Lord.
United in spirit as the scripture says meaning that is one-souled. We are of one soul which describes a people who are knit together. I love brother Keith's illustration here several weeks ago. If you don't mind me using this brother Keith I love how he brought Felicity up here and it's such a simple illustration.
He gathered up a bundle of little sticks and you know one twig you can break but could could could you could you actually break? That whole intertwine of all these little strong little sticks together.
It would be almost very hard to pull together and that's what he's speaking of. We should be bound together knit together in harmony and then and the stronger the cords are wrapped together intertwined together and strength.
It's harder to tear apart you see and Satan would do like to do everything he can to tear us apart. Especially when God is doing something in the midst of us. But you see we have the Holy Spirit of God and we have the Word of God folks we have the truth of God that puts Satan to flight and.
Also, it deals with our flesh and it deals with our hearts. But there has to be harmony within the church. There has to be that same desires the same passions the same ambitions. And what is that that is to be Christ centered that Jesus will have preeminence in all things that we do everything that Christ is the one that we look to and follow and.
To be Christlike to be like Jesus that is our goal. That is our goal now. Philippians chapter 2 in verse 3 and 4. We're going to be looking at three ways and I like to break this down that we can practice humility which in turn will promote and strengthen the bond of peace among us.
This is so important. We we need this to happen and it is the command of God and this bond of peace is in unity within the local church and. By the way, let me add another footnote here. Unity a lot of people can have unity.
Cults have unity some of the most evil. People together come together and have unity the third right? Right and and during the war Hitler's regimine had Unity but that's a unity of evil, isn't it? So there has to be unity and truth that's the key and this is what Paul's speaking of.
Paul speaking about the church is based on the foundation of the Word of God and Christ and the apostles and and and the prophets and all that is founded on that the Word of God and that truth is. What Trump's now we need to keep that in mind so if we if you and I really desire to experience real joy and.
And see unity in truth in the church. We need to do these three things and I will focus on these three things in my outline in these two verses. First of all We must reject selfish ambition and conceit.
We must reject selfish ambition and conceit. Second we are to regard others higher than self. We are to regard others higher than self. And third. We must recognize others interest others interest reject selfish ambition and conceit.
Regard others higher than self and Recognize others interest. Let's look at it from the Word of God. First of all, the Word of God basically calls us to reject selfish ambition and conceit. Reject selfish ambition and conceit.
Look at verse 3 a. Let nothing be done through selfish. Ambition or conceit. Now, what does this word? Selfish ambition. What does it say? What does it mean? The translation actually refers to a desire to put one's self.
Forward.
Even by unfair means. It originally refers to seeking political office. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Political office or a position by unfair means. Does it surprise you that in Greece there were politicians whose ambition to promote self trampled Unfairly on others.
Well, we see this today among politicians. Selfish ambition is all rooted in the sin of pride. Pride is the root sin of all sins. Actually the word Selfish is sometimes rendered in the original means strife.
Strife.
Because it refers to factionism rivalry and partisanship and. This speaks of pride and by the way pride is what turned an archangel into a devil folks. So it's a serious sin and it's the one pride a haughty look that God hates above all sins.
It's the pride within us the pride of sin the pride. Even Spurgeon says the greatest sin that he fights up against himself when he was alive in Britain it was his own pride his own heart and how honest he was.
And if we're honest. That is the sin that we fight up against the most as well when we look ourselves in the mirror. It's that man there that woman there that needs to be dealt with. Pride is that prompts people to push For their own way and not God's way.
That's the sin of pride. It's rebellion against God and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. That's why it's satanic MacArthur says this about selfish ambition quote it usually carries the idea of building oneself up by tearing someone else down as In gambling where one's person gain is derived from others losses.
The word accurately describes he says someone who strives to advance himself by using flattery deceit false accusation contentiousness and any other tactic that seems advantageous. In-quote now beloved.
Unfortunately, we've grown accustomed to this. Haven't we too much in our world and we aren't too surprised when we see a selfish ambition. Raise its ugly head on display in the political world and we know it's in the political world.
But let me say this right here. It is a serious danger of this destructive attitude of finding its way into the church. And that should be the last place it should be because the unity of the church is unified in Christ and Christ alone and on the Word of God and loving one another.
The church should be the land Paul thus warns the Philippians here not to do anything out of selfish ambition. If I seek gain for myself at your expense I'm guilty of selfish ambition. If I seek promotion at your expense I'm guilty of selfish ambition.
I'm going to do what's best for me. Even if it cost you. That's what it's saying. You could see why the Apostle Paul Warned. And Warning is because of the love he had for the believers as a father of the faith.
He warned the believers against this awful sin of selfish ambition, which is rooted in pride. Selfish ambition is prevalent in a church. There certainly will not be unity beloved. It might seem obvious but Selfishness is at the root of selfish ambition.
It sounds so obvious. But again, this is why Jesus said if you're going to be my disciple and follow me the first thing deny your.
Self and.
We if we fail to tell people that and following Jesus Christ, we have failed to tell people the gospel and. After that the first Command is deny yourself. The second would be what take up your cross. What does that mean?
Obedience to the commandments of Jesus. Obedience to the words of Jesus. Just not speaking the words. Anybody can memorize the words. What about practicing it? What about following Christ? What about being an everyday disciple of Jesus?
That's what he's talking about. So at the root of selfish ambition is selfishness and by the way if we're promoting ourselves instead of Jesus We're not going to experience unity. Are we actually was shaming God.
We're robbing God of his glory. The missionary Hudson Taylor said this of Robert Morrison who was also another humble missionary that went to China. Listen to this quote. This is what Hudson Taylor said of Robert Morrison.
When I was a young man Robert Morrison had first sailed to China. He was asked. Do you really expect to make an impression on idolatry at the Great Chinese Empire. He replied As Morrison said spoke more prophetically than he knew and this is what he said in a very simple way.
No, sir.
But I expect God will.
Not him because he recognized it wasn't about him. He recognized it was about God the God of the this Bible.
Yes, amen.
So Paul made it very clear that the Philippian believers should not do anything or do nothing out of selfish ambition. We need to reject.
Selfish.
Ambition.
With a resolve. Reject it and hate it We also need to reject Something else here that goes along with it. He mentioned conceit.
Conceit.
What's that? That means? We should be if we should if we shouldn't be conceited. We shouldn't think highly of.
Ourselves a.
Conceited person is someone who thinks so well of themselves. See, well, all this is a is a wrong view of self. And by the way, if we have a wrong self of you with a wrong view of self We're gonna also have a wrong view of God.
But when our view of God is high and holy and lofty our view of ourself comes right down, you know I'm down here as Job says I'm a worm.
I'm a worm. I'm.
Nothing. I'm just made of the dust and the breath that I have within my body is God's breath.
You see.
Have you let me ask you a question. Have you ever been around someone who is always right? Have you been around those kind of people? They're not too nice to be around. Are they. They're haughty. They're high-minded.
And we say in quote we think what they think they know everything they're conceited. They're conceited. They think so highly of themselves. Because as scripture says in a paraphrase knowledge puffs up.
But love what builds up it edifies. Remember that knowledge puffs up. Love edifies. And therefore you could quote look at those 13 verses of 1st Corinthians 13 the most convicting chapter one of the most convicting chapters in the Word of God and it constantly says that I can Get myself to be burned and and if I have all knowledge and have all faith and that could remove mountains.
And if I could do all these things and if I don't have charity if I don't have love, I'm nothing. Nothing. Well, you see we should not think highly of ourselves we should think highly of God. And lowly of ourselves.
You know people that think so highly of themselves that they can actually never admit that they're wrong. That's conceit. We we all need to be careful here not to fall into this pitfall this ditch. That we should that we aren't to be conceited the words Galatians and Paul quotes in Galatians 6 3 tells us and gives us this Warning and listen what he says here for if anyone thinks himself to be something when he's.
Nothing.
He deceives himself. There's self-deception and folks. Can I tell you this and all the love and passion in my heart? There's nothing as bad and evil and as worse as self-deception. Because a self-deceived person thinks they're okay.
There's a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof is death. It's a very dangerous road and it leads to hell and they don't even know that they're going in that direction. That's why we need to hear the truth beloved.
And we need this no matter how hard it may be to swallow. You know, we like to pick and choose the verses the promises of God and don't get me wrong. There's many many promises in the Word of God and we take him.
Paul says the promises of God are yes and amen, and I say amen to all the promises of God. But you know, how about the warnings? JC Ryle said this it would serve the church even more so in his generation.
He talked about this that way that we studied the warnings as much as we do the promises. God is into building character in each and every one of us and not only does the desire to Build us up and edify us in the Word of God, but he desires to correct us and discipline us with a with a rod with the staff.
To bring us in and Sometimes that is hardship and that is affliction. But that's what David said. It is good that the Lord afflicted me. Because that affliction draws us close to God close to God. That's how we get closer to God.
Beware of thinking well of yourself the conceit. Beloved if we are marked by selfish ambition and conceit. We will never see the promotion of spiritual unity within the church. We must reject selfish ambition and conceit with the holy vengeance.
And it's in its place we need to regard and esteem others higher than ourselves, that's my second point. Regard others higher than self regard others higher than self. That's in the last half of verse 3.
He says this but in lowliness of mind let each that's each and every one of us. Esteem others. More or better than himself. You know this calls for lowliness of mind. Beloved refers to having a humble opinion of oneself and In a true humble opinion it doesn't mean that yeah I'm I'm humble actually booty says if a person thinks he's somebody when he's nothing he thinks he's humble.
He's not humble. Actually the true humble men. That God used throughout the Bible. Scores of them and women as well were those who didn't think nothing of themselves. They didn't even take the time to think less of themselves.
They didn't think of themselves at all. They thought of God and he thought of others.
So.
Again.
It's one's self Perception a deep sense of one's moral. Little miss. Need to hear that word sometimes. Don't we? Littleness we are little.
Small.
Don't you see this in the church today. Man has elevated himself. It's humanism. He's isms and man has put himself on the pedestal and on a throne and dethrone God, but it should be the other way around.
God is high and lofty on the throne is sovereign and king and little man needs to be down on his face before God. It's a stark contrast to selfish ambition and conceit. Matter of fact, they're diametrically opposed to each other.
Lowliness of mind translated is actually another translation of LSB and the NASB. Humility of mind. Humility of mind. Now, let me ask you the question. What is humility? That's a good question. I Got that.
I got a definition by Andrew Murray, I love this. He said this about humility and it's very helpful. Quote. Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or irritated or sore or disappointed.
It is to expect nothing to wonder at nothing. That is.
Done to me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to go on and go in and shut the door and kneel to my father in secret and. Be at peace as in the deep sea of calmness when all around and above His turbulence and trouble in quote.
I love that definition. Paul says let each esteem others better than himself. We see the same idea expressed in Romans 12 10. Be kindly.
Affectionate.
To one another with brotherly love and honor giving preference to one another. Commenting on this phrase in verse 3 and lowliness of mind that each esteem others better than himself. The Puritan Matthew Henry says this and I love this we must he says Be severe upon our own faults charitable in our judgments of others be quick in observing our own defects and Affirmatives but ready to overlook and Make favorable allowances for the defects of others.
We must esteem the good which is in others above that which is in ourselves for we best know in our own unworthiness and And imperfection. Imperfections in quote and what basically what he's saying is be hard on yourself and easy on others as Tozer says and If you do it the other way around if you hard on others and easy on yourself, you're basically a Pharisee.
That is very strong language folks. But that I need to hear that I as Your pastor and servant of the Lord. I need to hear this. It stabs my flesh it. It cuts me because I need this because that's the proper place of each and every one of us if we're going to be used used of God and if we're going to see unity within the church.
It's easy to focus or should I say easy for us to? Do just the opposite, isn't it? Instead of esteeming others better than ourselves. We're quick to point out point with fingers when others fail and while others While we're overlooking our own faults.
And if we regard others higher and better than ourselves will promote spiritual unity within the church. We'll seek to build others up and edify them and encourage them in the Lord. Encourage them in the faith.
Instead of harping with a sharp razor tongue at them and criticize and always finding fault saying I'm right. And you know if we practice this of what Paul was speaking of here and what Jesus spoke of Beloved we would experience the joy of God.
That's promised the joy of God. I Don't know about you. I constantly pray this in my life and I'm think restored the joy of thy salvation to me as David prayed. But a lot of times it's because we're we could be disobedient to the Word of the Lord.
And we need to examine ourselves. And apply it to our own hearts excuse me. So beloved this is true humility when we esteem others better than ourselves. Ephesians 5 21. Paul says this. Submitting to one another in the fear of God you hear that submitting to one another in the fear of God.
First would reject selfish ambition. Second would have regard others higher than themselves and third would have recognized others interest. Would have recognized others interest look at the verse for verse 4 let each of you Look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.
Let me Ask you a question right here. Are you concerned with the welfare of others this morning? Notice the first part of this verse and I love this because he says this leech let each of you Look out not only for his own interest now Taking care of yourselves and looking out for your own interest is not wrong beloved.
Scriptures does not condemn that but.
If we.
Only look out for our our own interest only ourselves. We have fallen into sin and disobedience and not obeying the Word of the Lord. And If we're not looking out for the interest of others and we have gone wrong.
We need to notice the things of others within the body of Christ the concerns the needs. Always be ready to do what we can do to help out with a serving hand. We must be concerned about each other with a genuine unfamed love and Care that is genuine.
I can't help but being struck by the truth. That is being spoken here by Paul that if we are a church a true church a true church of God. That is loving God and loving one another. Will heed Paul's words to the Philippians.
Will reject selfish ambition. We will Reject conceit. We will regard others higher than ourselves. We will recognize the interest of others and we'll practice humility within the church. It will be shoe leather faith and we would experience unity God's way.
For the child of God humility is the hallmark of the way of the master beloved because the Lord Jesus Christ Showed and demonstrated perfect humility and that's the direction we're going into and I'm not going to touch on that today.
But let me just say a few comments here verse 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in.
Christ Jesus.
Christ. Jesus. Christ is the ultimate model. Christ is the ultimate example. Christ is the one that we look to looking unto Jesus the author and finish of our faith. He Demonstrated true humility because this is how our Lord said of himself.
He said come unto me all you labor and heavy laden. I am what meek. I'm humble. I'm lowly in heart. That's what he said. Far far from being weak folk that this world looks at meekness is weakness, but it's actually strength under control.
That's the power of meekness. It's not weakness. It's the power of God. Humility literally takes the strength of the Holy Spirit. Since it goes against the grain of depraved sinful human nature it goes against our nature.
You notice when I was speaking of this and all that we're talking about here. Doesn't it kind of prick you a little bit and pierce your heart when you start talking about? Hey myself must be removed. I must deny myself.
I must be putting mortifying self. Doesn't it? Convict us. Convicts me as I preach this to you. Humility of mind lowliness of mind. Peter says in 1st Peter 5 5 you younger men. It's interesting. He mentions the younger men first.
It's interesting in it because if you notice younger men a lot of times has young men's disease and they get haughty and think they're. There's something else they get lifted up in pride there. That's why Paul says that.
To be an elder within the church or even to desire eldership. They're not to be a novice. They're not to be green they need to be have some experience behind their belt. But younger men he says likewise be Subject or submissive to your elders and all of you.
Then he just doesn't say to the younger man. He's just and all of you. No exception all of them.
Clothes.
Yourselves with humility. What do you do when you put your clothes on. You put your clothes on don't you? You cover your nakedness, right? You made a choice today each and every one of us got up this morning to get dressed and shower and put on our clothes.
Well, it's a choice. It's a choice that we must make and have a single-mindedness to make it to be humble and he says this clothed yourselves with humility. Toward one another. And then he says this for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.
First Peter 3 8 to sum up all of you again. He says all of you be harmonious sympathetic.
Brotherly.
Kind-hearted and humble in spirit. Again Proverbs 3 34 though. He scoffs at the scoffers yet. He gives grace to the afflicted the humble. And by the way, the word afflicted here in the Hebrew, you know what that means?
He basically means he who bends himself low. He who bends himself low James 4 6, but he gives greater grace. Listen to that greater grace. Therefore it says God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Have you noticed time and time again the Apostles? Constantly go to the scriptures in the Proverbs and speak about how horrible pride is that God? Opposed to the proud he resists the proud. But he gives grace to the humble.
Martin Luther said this The Reformer who was so used of God During the Dark Ages. God is the God of the humble the miserable the afflicted the oppressed the desperate and Those who have been brought to nothing.
So the believer is not merely to look out for the interest of his own self But the interest of others the believers solely to love God to serve God and to love others. Others Lord. Yes others. Let this my motto be help me to live for others that I might live like thee said the poet.
In a very real way the word others forms a key in this chapter in chapter 2. It is as we our lives are devoted service and devotion to God and the love our Lord and the love others that we rise above selfish the selfish ambition and conceit of our sinful ways.
Verse 5 let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul now is going to hold up before the Eyes of the Philippian believers the perfect model of Jesus Christ, and that's the direction.
We're going to Lord willing next Lord's Day. So what kind of attitude? Did he it's exhibit. What kind of attitude did Jesus exhibit. What characterized? Jesus's behavior. Toward others our Lord Jesus had a mind that was totally free of self.
He had a mind that was totally selfless. Sacrificial and servant a servant's mind.
And.
That our Lord Jesus constantly thought of others. Charles Gabriel and the old hymn says like this he had no tears for his own griefs. But sweat drops of blood for mine. Well, let me give an application to this very quickly to achieve spiritual unity in our own congregation here at redeeming grace Church.
Humility is so so necessary. Let me ask a question to you, what are you personally doing about your actions today to bring unity to redeeming grace Church? It's a probing question, but it's a good question.
Again verse 5 have this mind this attitude in you in yourselves. Which was also in Christ Jesus and let me conclude very quickly with an awesome example given to us from Matthew chapter 18. Chapter 18 go with me to 18.
18 chapter of Matthew. Just the first five verses. It's thinking about Solomon as well about catching those small foxes that Chew up the vineyard and eat the fruits. And I think that's a good application as well.
We watch out for the small foxes the small things that because that's the way it comes in. It doesn't come in all and floods. It comes a little here and little there like a little fox taking a fruit here and the fruit there catch those foxes.
Catch the Fox of selfish ambition catch the Fox of anything that is selfish and thoughtless against others, but Jesus made a great example here in chapter 18 of Matthew, and I really love He says this and it speaks about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 1 at the time the disciples came to Jesus saying who who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And then Jesus called a little child to him. He set him in the midst of them of him of them and he said assuredly I say to you unless you are converted.
That word converted means unless you turn there's repentance there and Become as little children you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and Whoever receives one of the one little child like this and my name receives me.
Jesus here in this narrative in this particular section is dealing with true humility child likeness of the believer by the way, not.
Childishness.
But child likeness. Lord Jesus gives a powerful example. And Jesus believed not only in teaching with Speaking and teaching as he did on the Sermon on the Mount, which is very effective. But he also had other ways to teach and it was kind of what we would say show-and-tell.
Demonstrated things by living an example and he brings this child before the disciples this little child not for sure how old the child was but it was a little child and It serves as a powerful powerful example and is very very effective.
He gives the disciples this living example and he shows them What a powerful lesson this is and and what wisdom that Jesus is demonstrating to them is Extremely effective and he gives this example of a child and this and he said this is the way you come.
If you're going to come into the kingdom, this is the way you come as a little child. What does it mean? What's that mean? What Jesus said in the Beatitudes he starts with blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
What's he talking about? He's talking about those that are bankrupt in spirit those that have been stripped Beloved this picture of faith and true faith and living faith and obedient faith. There is simple helplessness simple total Detroit trusting dependence upon God of Those who have no resources children have no resources.
They have no credentials. Look at children. They are dependent no Accomplishments of their own no achievement achievements of their own they offer and they come or command and they are at the very bottom of the totem pole and this is the way Jesus is saying if you're to come into the kingdom of God, you must come poor and little and Coming with no credentials of yourself, but thinking yourself is good.
He says you're nothing you come is broken and humble before God. Like the Jesus also told in Luke about the publican and The Pharisee one went up thought he was so good. He bragged before God. I tithe I thank you that I'm not like this person down there looking down at them.
And then yet he says the publican the sinner comes and says Smokes his breath and says Lord be merciful to me a sinner.
That's the way we come into the kingdom. It's effective.
And that's the way we come in. What does that mean. We come broken we come humbling humbled before.
God.
That means we must die to our pride die to ourselves.
What about you?
Have you come to this point and lowliness of mind broken and contrite of heart? Let that question probe you and let me give you one more verse in closing Isaiah. The prophet said this in isaiah 57 15.
And this is God in the first person speaking through the prophet. For thus says the one Who is high and lifted up who inhabits eternity and whose name is holy I? Dwell listen to that I Dwell in the high and holy place.
And also with him who is of a contrite.
Lowly.
Spirit.
And then he says this to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. You see we come broken, but God's good. Mending the broken heart matter of fact He's a master at it. And when you come with tears of repentance and brokenness and being broken over your own sin God has the healing balm beloved and that's the blood of Jesus Christ that he applies to it and washes your sin and cleanses you and he puts the joy of God within you and Then he will lift you up, and that's what it means.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and in due time God will lift you up. May it be with us today. Let's pray like to say a prayer from a Puritan. And about humiliation here hear this prayer and made this be your prayer as well our sovereign Lord when clouds of darkness atheism and unbelief come to me and I see that purpose of love in withdrawing the spirit that I might prize him more and Chastening me for my confidence in past successes that my wound of secret godlessness Might be cured.
Help me. Oh God to humble myself before thee by seeing the vanity of honor as a conceit of men's minds as Standing between me and thee O Lord by seeing that thy will must alone be done as much in denying as in giving.
Spiritual enjoyments.
By seeing that my heart is nothing but evil mind mouth life void of thee. By seeing that sin and Satan are allowed power in me that I might know my sin be humbled and gain strength thereby. By seeing that unbelief shuts thee from me So that I sense not thy majesty power mercy or love.
Then possess me for thou only art good and worthy. Oh.
Lord.
Thou doest not play and convicted me of sin. Satan did not play and tempted me to it or Do not. I do not play when I sink in deep mire. For sin is no game. No toy. No bobble. Let me never forget that the heinous of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed as in the greatness of the person sinned against.
When I'm afraid of evils to come comfort me by showing me That in myself I am dying condemned wretch that in Christ, I'm reconciled made alive and satisfied and that I'm feeble and unable to do any good, but That in him I can do all things.
And what I now have in Christ is mine in part. But shortly, I shall have it perfectly in heaven.
All praise to God.
Amen, and amen.