This is the final part of a three part series called The Worthy Life. I did this sermon for VLI.

1. Maintaining Unity through Humility (Philippians 2:1-4)
2. Be Like Christ (Philippians 2:5-8)
3. Exaltation (Philippians 2:9-11)

Series: The Worthy Life
Title: Exaltation (Philippians 2:9-11)
Thesis: Those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Introduction:
There is a summer tradition at our church called the Vineyard Family Reunion. For one weekend we shamelessly throw a big party. Out of that tradition emerged something we’ve done over the past few years called the “Not So Amazing Race”. It’s this city-wide scavenger hunt that has 20+ teams doing crazy stuff all over Grove City. One summer, my wife joined up with 3 other high school students from our H.S. ministry to form a team for this race. Week after week as they got closer to competing in the race they got really psyched up! They went out and bought white T-Shirts and decorated them with their team name. They were constantly talking about how they were going to win first place because they were the BEST team ever! They were really talking the talk! They thought they were smarter, faster, and stronger than any other team.

So finally the day of the race came and they were convinced they were going to win. So the race began, they do the scavenger hunt activities, and they finally cross the finish line. To their surprise, they were not first place, or second place, or even third place. They came in DEAD LAST. They were shocked and probably a little bit humbled.

I heard about the results of the race when I got home and I tried to sound upset and disappointed and being a supportive husband. But, in the back of my mind I was wondering, “Was this, in a sense a kind of DIVINE VINDICATION?” Was God enforcing the principle we see in the Bible that says “Those who are first will be last.” Or “the greatest will be the least.” Or “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.” This is actually the principle we are looking at today as we continue our series of “The Worthy Life”. Those who exalt themselves, will be humbled. Those who humble themselves, will be exalted.

Re-contextualize:
Before we jump into today’s passage, I want to briefly give you an overview of The Worthy Life series so you can see the continuity of Paul’s thought. First, we saw that we are to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. Second, the church must have unity to advance the gospel. Third, humility is necessary in order to have unity. Fourth, Jesus Christ is our supreme role model of humility. Lastly, today, those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Passage:
Turn in your Bibles to Philippians 2:9-11. I’ll read it to you.

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore:
Right of the bat, Paul uses the word “Therefore”. So if we see the word “Therefore” we need to find out what it’s “There for”. In verse immediately before this passage, we see Jesus humbling himself in obedience to the Father. This obedience led to his death, and not just any kind of death, the most humiliating kind of death. To the Jew, if you were executed on a cross you were bearing the curse of God. Death on the cross was the most shameful form of execution. If we were to illustrate this death with a modern day equivalent, it would be like having someone on death row only— to be executed by the electric chair. It’s a horrify death reserved for the most sinful criminals. In the New Testament, nobody wore a fashionable gold cross around their neck because that would be like wearing an electric chair around ours.

So Jesus was killed in the most shameful way imaginable. Let’s say that was the end of the story. We turn to the last page and Jesus is dead. If that were true, we could all go home right now and order a pizza. Seriously, what would be the point in meeting together? Why would we pray to someone who is dead? Why would we be crazy enough to bear the name of a criminal? BUT, the story didn’t end that way! In fact, there is a strange turn of events.

Divine Reversal:
In verse 9, the subject of the story changes from Jesus to his Father. Jesus now takes the passive role and the Father takes the leading role. Point 1 in your outlines says, “God, the Father, initiates a ‘Divine Reversal’.” The Father sees the scandal involving his son and initiates a two-fold plan to reverse every false accusation against Jesus. The Father essentially overturns the world’s verdict.

Firstly, God elevates Jesus from the very lowest place to the very highest place. The world’s death sentence against Christ was reversed by God when he raised his son up from the grave. And, the honor bestowed upon Jesus was God’s outright rejection of the world’s judgment and shame. The world vilified Christ so the Father vindicated Christ.

Secondly, God gives Jesus the highest name. So what was this name? When we look throughout scriptures we see dozens of names ascribed to Jesus. Christ, Son of Man, Son of God, and Immanuel (just to name a few). So which name is above every name? Verses 10 and 11 reveal a bit more about this name. It is a name that will cause all knees to bow and will cause all tongues to confess that Jesus Christ is LORD! The name above every name is LORD. In the Greek language and culture, the word lord has special significance. The Caesar of the Roman Empire was called lord Caesar. Not because he had lots of political power, but because they believed he was divine. What’s also interesting about the word Lord is that it’s used within a passage that is adapted from Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45 is about the sovereignty and power of God. When Paul used this passage from Isaiah 45, along with the Greek word Lord, he was doing nothing less than ascribing full deity to Jesus. In contrast, the world slandered Jesus’ name and dug it into the ground. The Father rendered their slander null and void by bestowing his own name upon Jesus.

The Divine Reversal is truly an awesome act of the Father.

The Implications
From this passage we can find three implications.
1. Our obedience will be rewarded.
Our future reward from God is directly related to what we do in this age. Colossians 3:23-24 reads, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”

2. Our sufferings will be vindicated.
We live in a world that has so much chaos and wrongdoing and injustice. We naturally and rightfully get upset when we’re wronged. When we see something that is dreadfully wrong we cry out to God saying, “How does THAT glorify you? Where is your justice? When will you make it right?”

This passage from Philippians 2 makes it abundantly clear that God has not overlooked our pain. God stooped down from heaven to become a man and then suffered more than any other human being. He shared in all of our sufferings and he deeply desires to make things right. In fact, he has appointed a time to deal with all of the wrong and to bring vindication and justice.

3. Bow down willingly or bow down grudgingly.
This passage makes it clear that there is coming a day when every knee will bow. If we bow down willingly in this age, we will experience everlasting life in the age to come. Those who do not humble themselves in this age will be forcefully brought under the authority of Jesus Christ and eternally separated in hell. This applies to all intelligible beings whether they are angels, demons, or humans. ALL knees will bow and ALL tongues will confess that JESUS IS LORD! 1 Corinthians 15 says that Christ will bring all enemies under his feet and that the last enemy to be destroyed is DEATH itself. There will be no more enemies and no more death when Jesus consummates his Kingdom.

Altar Call:
1. Death of Loved One
Some of you experienced a recent death of a loved one. You’re still experiencing the pain of that loss, and some of you might even be angry with God.

2. Obedience
Some of you are struggling with obedience. Pride has gotten in the way of your relationships and God has been convicting you to humble yourself in those relationships.

3. Salvation
Some of you have not begun a relationship with Jesus yet and you’re feeling this strange stirring in your chest. God is working on your right now and we want you to come forward for prayer.

This was the second installment of The Worthy Life series for VLI. A big improvement from Part 1 – Maintaining Unity through Humility!

The Worthy Life:
1. Maintaining Unity through Humility (Philippians 2:1-4)
2. Be Like Christ (Philippians 2:5-8)
3. Exaltation (Philippians 2:9-11)

Series: The Worthy Life
Part 2: Be Like Christ (Philippians 2:5-8)

Thesis: In order to have humility, you must be like Christ.

Introduction:
How many of you remember the Gatorade ad campaign from 1992? C’mon, that was only 16 years ago! Let me give you a hint: It featured the basketball player Michael Jordan. Let me give you another hint: It had a catchy tune called “Be Like Mike”. I would like to share with you that commercial on the big screen.

Movie: Gatorade – Be Like Mike. (Short Version)

Movie: Gatorade – Be Like Mike. (Long Version)

In 1992, I was in 8th grade and this commercial had a tremendous impact on me. I didn’t play basketball nor did I care to watch it much on television. But somehow I was drawn into wanting to become more like Mike. Not in the sense of actually practicing basketball. But I would wish that I could jump like him, dribble like him, and shoot the ball like him. I even went so far to stand in front of a mirror and practicing smiling like him. How silly is that?

But at such a young age, we want to be exactly like our favorite role model. We’ll want their shoes, their clothes, and their hair style. We’ll want to talk like them, walk them, and in every sense be like them. In 1992, everyone wanted to, “Be Like Mike”. He was the supreme model of coolness!

I think the Apostle Paul understood the value of a role model. As we’ve been working our way through Philippians 2, Paul has been encouraging the church to have humility in order to maintain unity. In our passage today, Paul is essentially saying to the Philippians, “You must look to Christ to learn humility.” In order to have humility, you must be like Christ. Jesus Christ is the supreme model of Humility.

Philippians 2:5-8
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: 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 human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!

Preface – Verse 5
1. Uncomfortable, yet Essential.
A. Combats Natural Tendencies – Flies in the face of “Self”. I have so much room for improvement with humility. I battle with pride daily. So today I’m going to preach to myself, and you’re welcome to listen in.

B. Foundation of healthy relationships – In verse 5 it reads, “In your relationships with one another?”

C. Ultra-Idealistic – Dreamy eyed, “Be One, Unity, Community.”

D. Paul lays it out there and says, “You need to be like Christ”.

E. What does it mean to “Be Like Christ?” Verse 6 tells us.

Unselfish – Verse 6:
2. Verse 6: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” This verse tells us 2 things about Jesus:
A. Jesus is God – Jesus was God before he came to Earth, Jesus was God while on the Earth, and Jesus was God when he left this Earth. His divinity followed him wherever he went.

B. Jesus didn’t exploit his divinity – Jesus didn’t use his Godly attributes for his own advantage. Jesus had the power to do anything he wanted on earth. He could have proclaimed himself King, angels would have swept down from heaven, and he could have built himself the world’s most powerful kingdom with just a few words.

C. The first point Paul is making for us is, “If we want humility, we must: Be Unselfish”.

D. When we wake up each morning, our first thought isn’t on other people. It’s: “I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I don’t want to go to work. I need a shower. I need to brush my teeth.”

E. Seriously, when we wake up our first thoughts have to do with ourselves. Our morning prayers may even sound like, “God, bless me. Give me a good day today.” We usually sustain this inward-focused mentality throughout the rest of the day. If something doesn’t go our way, we’ll think to ourselves, “How dare they do that to me! Don’t they know who I am? I’m going to get even with them!”

F. No, we should be like Christ. When Christ was wronged, he didn’t exploit his authority to get even. When Christ wasn’t recognized as the King, he didn’t forcefully assert his authority. Instead, he looked out for our best interests rather than his best interests.

Servant – Verse 7:
3. But, Christ’s Humility didn’t stop with unselfishness. In verse 7 it reads, “Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” This verse tells us two things about Jesus:

A. First, Jesus became a man – This begs the question, “How can God became a man?” This is the mystery that people have debated for 2,000 years. If thinking about God becoming a man doesn’t hurt your head, you haven’t thought about it long enough! I’m going to do my best to give you an illustration. Play doe illustration. Different form, same substance.

B. Second, Jesus made himself nothing – Some literal translations say, “he emptied himself”. Many people logically conclude, “If Jesus emptied himself, then what part of himself did he empty?” Then people start naming divine attributes that Jesus didn’t exhibit. To go this direction would be a grave error! It would imply that Jesus was somehow less than God! No, he didn’t empty himself OF anything, rather he emptied HIS ENTIRE SELF through being a servant!

C. So, the second point Paul is making for us is, “If we want humility, we must: Be a Servant”

D. So what does it mean to be a servant? It means that we “Give our self away for the sake of others.” We essential pour our entire self into the lives of others.

E. Being a servant is a pretty radical thought. We like sitting on our throne. We like being king of the hill. We like being served by others. We like calling the shots. We like being the boss.

F. Now, if Jesus Christ could put aside the rights to his heavenly throne, take the form of a man, and then become a servant among men; couldn’t we get off our high horse for a little while to serve someone else?

G. Let’s get practical here. Husbands: wash the dishes and take out the trash. Wives: Give your husband a little free time to do something fun with friends. Teens: Help out with the chores. And if you have a neighbor: Scrape off the ice on their windshields or shovel the snow off their driveway.

H. Being a servant isn’t terribly complicated. You simply pour your life into someone else’s life.

Obedient – Verse 8:
4. Christ wasn’t just a servant. In verse 8 it reads, “And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!” This verse tells us two things about Jesus:
A. First, Jesus really is a man – Paul restates Christ’s humanity. Jesus really was human.

B. Second, Jesus was obedient to the Father. – Jesus was not only a servant, but an obedient servant. He willfully obeyed the Father even though he knew it would lead to death. What’s interesting is that this passage says, “He humbled himself.” It doesn’t say, “Jesus was humbled”. The Father didn’t have to force His Son to die. The Father requested it and His Son obeyed. Jesus humbled himself.

C. So the third point Paul is making for us is, “If we want humility, we must: Be Obedient”.

Conclusion:
This begs the question, “What parts of my life am I refusing to give over to the will of the Father?” In what parts of my life am I being disobedient? In what parts of my life am I rebelling against the Father’s will?

A. Maybe it’s your Pride – God is asking you to do something, but it’s not a glorious job. In fact, it might be a difficult job, a dirty job, a job that you don’t think you deserve. Do you want to be like Christ? Humble yourself.

B. Maybe it’s your Money – Every time you drive past a particular intersection, and you see a homeless person with a sign that says, “I’m hungry”. Or maybe God has been asking you to give money to a particular ministry or mission, yet you cannot part with your fortune because you feel consumed by a selfish spirit. Do you want to be like Christ? Humble yourself.

C. Maybe It’s your Time – People ask you to come early to setup or stay late to tear down for an event; or maybe your spouse wants you to do something around the house, yet you feel unable to give anyone else your precious time. Do you want to be like Christ? Humble yourself.

If you need prayer, come forward now. The Lord gives grace to the humble.

This is a sermon I wrote for VLI last quarter. We were required to do at least one sermon from Philippians 2, but I’m a series kind of guy, so all three of my sermons are from Philippians 2. This first sermon was probably my weakest one. I made the mistake of utilizing too much text for a 15 minute sermon. The end result was a very dense sermon that actually lasted 22 minutes. This would have been MUCH better as two separate sermons.

The Worthy Life:
1. Maintaining Unity through Humility (Philippians 2:1-4)
2. Be Like Christ (Philippians 2:5-8)
3. Exaltation (Philippians 2:9-11)

Series: The Worthy Life
Part 1: Maintaining Unity through Humility (Philippians 2:1-4)
Thesis: We must have humility to maintain the unity needed to advance the gospel.

Introduction:
I learned of a man who was out on a walk one day when he saw another man about to throw himself from a bridge into the river. He ran over to save him.

“Why are you killing yourself?” he asked.
“I have nothing to live for!”

“Don’t you believe in God?”
“Yes I do”

“What a coincidence – so do I! Are you a Jew or a Christian?”
“A Christian”

“What a coincidence – so am I! Protestant or Catholic?”
“Protestant”

“What a coincidence – so am I! Baptist or Charismatic?”
“Baptist”

“What a coincidence – so am I! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
“Southern Baptist”

“What a coincidence – so am I! Premillenial or Amillenial?”
“Premillenial”

“What a coincidence – so am I! Pre-Tribulation or Mid-Tribulation?”
“Mid-Tribulation”

At this the first man pushed the suicidal man into the river shouting “Die heretic, DIE!”

We’re starting a three part series called “The Worthy Life”. Today we’re going to be looking at the book of Philippians and learning about what the Apostle Paul says about how maintain unity through humility.

Passage:
We’ll be focusing on Philippians 2:1-4 today, but I’m going to expand our reading to include the end of chapter 1. There is an unfortunate chapter break. The end of chapter one sets the context for chapter two. It actually serves as a springboard from which chapter two gets its significance. Let’s read it together starting in verse 27.

27 Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

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.

Mandate of Unity: “The Why” (1:27 – 1:30)
A. Why are we to have unity?

B. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. (vs. 1:27)
1. Verse 27 “Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven?”
2. Philippi was part of the Roman Empire and they were Roman Citizens.
3. Paul adopts their understanding of Roman citizenship to show them that through Christ they have entered into a greater citizenship.

C. We are live in a way that is worthy of the gospel. (vs. 1:27)
1. Verse 27 – “live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”
2. What is the gospel? It is the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is all that HE IS and all that HE HAS DONE.
3. You guys are citizens and you need to live in a way that is worthy of your citizenship.
4. In other words: By what you do, demonstrate who you are.

D. Since we have strong opposition from without, we must have unity from within. (vs. 1:27-28)
1. Verse 27-28 “Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”
2. Basically what Paul is saying, is “Since we have strong opposition from without, we must have unity from within.”
3. Paul knew first-hand the price that they were paying for the gospel in Philippi. Let’s read Acts 16:22-24: “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
4. What do you think? Do you need a support system for that kind of treatment? A little unity wouldn’t hurt.

Model of Unity: “The Who” (2:1)
A. Who looks like unity?

B. Verse 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”

C. If … Then … Before we get any deeper into this verse, I just want to clarify the meaning of the If … Then. Paul isn’t setting up an actual If … Then. If these things are true, then the following is applicable. Paul is framing his argument for unity with a rhetorical question. We should actually read the passage like this:

D. “SINCE you have encouragement from being united with Christ, SINCE you have comfort from his love, SINCE you have common sharing in the Spirit, SINCE you have tenderness and compassion”

E. Paul has no doubt that they are recipients of these things.

F. Now, what makes this verse the model of unity- Paul has incorporated all three persons of the trinity.

G. Encouragement from being united with Christ. (2 Cor. 1:3-7)

H. Comfort from the love of God the Father. (2 Cor. 1:3; 1 Thes. 2:10-12)

I. Fellowship with the Spirit.

J. What he’s essentially saying is, “When you received the good news of Jesus Christ, you were brought into a perfect preexisting tri-unity (or trinity). And not only that, you have experienced encouragement, comfort, and fellowship from this unity.”

K. Paul’s point is that they now have the capacity for maintaining unity among themselves because as Kingdom Citizens they are perpetually experiencing the unity found in the tri-unity.

Marks of Unity: “The What” (2:2)
A. What is unity?

B. Verse 2, “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

C. Like-Minded. Literally it says “mind the same thing.” Let me give you an illustration.
1. Conductor/Band.
i. In a band, you have one conductor and several musicians.
ii. The musicians share the same music, BUT they all have different parts.
iii. There’s melody, there’s harmony, there’s rhythm, there’s all sorts of musical effects going on. When all of the musicians play their part in sync with the conductor, it’s beautiful!
iv. Now let’s say the person who wrote that beautiful song rewrote it with every musician playing the same melody at the same time for the entire song. If we all play the same notes at the same time all the time, we would have Uniformity, not Unity.
v. When Paul says, “mind the same thing” he doesn’t mean we should think the same thoughts all the time. It means we have the same mindset. Different thoughts, same song.
vi. Let’s say that one person didn’t want look at the conductor and they just buried their head in their music and never looked up to see what the conductor was doing. Sooner or later, this person will become a huge embarrassment for the entire band. The conductor may abruptly stop the music for dramatic effect, and anyone who isn’t looking to the conductor will stick out like a sore thumb.
vii. When Paul says, “mind the same thing” he’s saying that we need to keep our eyes on the Christ and follow his lead. Christ is the conductor.

D. When Paul says “mind the same thing” he is both pointing back to Philippians 2:1 in which we are “united with Christ” in the tri-unity AND he is also pointing forward to Philippians 2:5ff where he talks about the Mind of Christ.

E. Secondly, we are to have the “same love” Again, this attribute of unity points back to verse 1 on the tri-unity. Since we are the recipients of love from God, we have the capacity to love others. In 1 John 4:19 we read, “We love because he first loved us.” We have the capacity to love each other because we first received love from God in our acceptance of the gospel.

F. Love was first DONE to us so we could DO IT to others.

G. One in Spirit and Mind – Literally “minding the one thing.”

H. Illustration: Allow me to continue my previous illustration with the band and the conductor.
1. The conductor gives everyone a piece of music to the same song.
2. The conductor raises his baton and at the last second I decide that I don’t want to play that song because I wanna play a different song. So I put aside the song that the conductor has given everyone to play and proceed to play my song. What do you think will happen… Disaster.
3. When Paul said “minding the one thing” what he was talking about here was the song that Christ has given us to play. That obviously begs the question, what is the “one thing?”

I. Let’s check out a few verses in chapter 1 to see if we can’t figure out the “one thing”
1. Phil 1:4-5 – “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your PARTNERSHIP in the GOSPEL from the first day until now”
2. Phil 1:7 – “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or DEFENDING AND CONFIRMING THE GOSPEL, all of you share in God’s grace with me.”
3. Phil 1:12 – “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to ADVANCE THE GOSPEL.”
4. Phil 1:14 – “And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL WITHOUT FEAR.”
5. Phil 1:16 – “I am put here for the DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL.”
6. Phil 1:27 – “Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven LIVE IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL of Christ.”

J. The “one thing” is undoubtedly The Gospel.

K. Unity is when we work as a team to keep our eyes on Christ, abounding in love that is given to us by the Father, and (with our whole being) live in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Means of Unity: “The How” (2:3-4)
A. In closing, we’re going to look at the Means of Unity. This is where the rubber meets the road. If you follow these means, your end will be unity.

B. Verses 3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

C. The “How Not”
1. Must not practice selfishness – Well what’s that? The Friday following Thanksgiving is Black Friday and it’s the biggest shopping day of the year. People are literally camping outside in a line just to get into the building first. Have you ever seen a Black Friday stampede? It’s like a wave of people pushing and shoving and yelling at each other trying to find the sale item. Geez, you might hurt someone. Who cares? It’s what I WANT!
2. This can also happen in ministry with good intents. You might have a particular idea but the rest of the team doesn’t agree. You keep asserting your idea because you really want to see it done a particular way. You may have even convinced yourself that God is on your side and if your team is against you, they’re against God. Watch out, that attitude puts unity at risk. Instead, submit to your team, sustain the harmony, so you can effectively proclaim the good news.
3. Vain Conceit – What’s that? It’s also known as Vain Glory. Vain Glory goes beyond personal ambition. It’s actually wanting people to applaud you and recognize you. So I can make a name for myself. If I toot my own horn enough, I’ll get noticed by the pastoral staff and maybe even get a position at the church. Watch out, that attitude is definitely putting unity at risk because it’s no longer about glorifying Jesus; it’s about glorifying myself. Instead, cast off your pride, protect the unity, and become a partner for the gospel.

D. The “How To”
1. Practice Humility of Mind – What’s that? Proper estimation of oneself. To use my introduction as an example, the suicidal man’s view of the End Times was “Mid-Tribulation” and the other man’s view was “Pre-Tribulation”. Without going into detail, these views cover the various scenarios of the tribulation period. Each viewpoint has numerous scriptures to support their claim. Practicing humility of mind would not be attacking the other person. Rather humility is engaging in open dialog to better understand where they’re coming from. Lower yourself, find common ground, and let your actions be worthy of the gospel.
2. “Interests of the others… ” I like how the NASB phrases this one, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Paul recognizes the tension that exists with humility. Without this final sentence we could have taken humility to the extreme of self-degradation and self-hatred. There is a balance between meeting our needs as well as the needs of others.

We must have humility to maintain the unity needed to advance the gospel.

Response:
1. I’ve been living my life for myself. It’s been all about me.
Get Healing from Pride.

2. I’ve been letting my particular view about non-core beliefs create division in the body.
Humility of Mind

3. I’ve been rudely pursuing my agenda in ministry and without considering the needs of others.
Looking out for the interests of others.

4. I’ve been facing persecution because of the gospel and I really need some encouragement and comfort. Maybe your marriage is broken over a religious matter. Perhaps your family has rejected you because of Jesus. First, I want to thank you for standing firm in gospel. Come up to receive prayer for encouragement and comfort.

5. I want to know more about this good news and what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom. We want to tell you more about Jesus and what it means to begin a relationship with him.

This sermon is part of a 3-part sermon series I did for Vineyard Leadership Institute.

Compassion: Just Do It
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=163

Compassion: A Catalyst for Restoration
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=164

Compassion: Unlocking the Power of the Kingdom (This sermon)
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=166

Subject: We do not have enough strength to minister to others if we rely on our natural abilities alone.
Complement: By relying on kingdom resources, we can find more than enough power to minister to others.
Central Thesis: We can find the power to minister to others in need when we stop relying on our abilities and rely completely on kingdom resources.

Compassion: Unlocking the Power of the Kingdom
Introduction:
[Play Intro Video - 2:43]

I feel sorry for Dr. Marvin. He was just trying to get away from work to get some rest at his lakeside retreat. In the next few scenes, Bob manages to trick Betty to give him the location of Dr. Marvin’s retreat, and Bob begins his relentless pursuit to be with Dr. Marvin.

Transition:
Today’s Bible passage tells a similar story about a crowd that decides to pursue Jesus even though he and his disciples were trying to get some must needed rest. Please follow along as we read from the book of Mark chapter 6, starting with verse 30.

Mark 6:30-44
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Setting the Stage:
So many people look at this passage and they just see another one of Jesus’ amazing miracles. But if we look carefully at the text, we see that Jesus is also illustrating a model for ministry. This model isn’t restricted to pastors and “professional” Christians. It’s a model for all Christians. We’re all servants and ministers of the body of Christ.

Let me bring the story into context. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus sends out his 12 apostles on their very first missions trip. He instructed them to take no food, no bags, and no money. All they had were the clothes they were wearing, a staff, and their sandals. They go from town to town preaching the gospel, driving out demons, and healing the sick. When they came back, it says in verse 30 they, “gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” Can you imagine their excitement?! I’m sure they had an endless supply of stories to share.

Rest
But, we see in the next verse it says, “so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat.” In all of the excitement of their first missions trip, they had worn themselves out. Jesus sees their fatigue and invites them to a quiet place to get some rest. Which brings us to our first point: To be an effective servant, we must take adequate time to REST.

Jesus modeled a balance between ministry and personal time. Serving others can be exhausting, especially when we don’t give ourselves permission to take a break. When we fail to regularly separate ourselves from our ministry, we’ll become ineffective servants. Our physical fatigue catches up with us and we’re always tired. Our emotional stress will fail to find a healthy outlet and we will become short-tempered and snippy when we talk to people.

This lack of rest also affects our family. When we don’t take breaks, we can become mentally checked out of what’s going on at home. Without rest, we can become preoccupied with ministry and occasionally neglect our responsibilities as a spouse and parent. Since our priorities are out-of-whack, our family doesn’t feel the love that they need.

Finally, the flame of our spiritual life starts to die down. We become so busy with our ministry that we’ve forgotten to spent quality time with the Father. We’ll go days, maybe even weeks without quiet time. After awhile, we loose our sense of direction and purpose.

If you feel physically fatigued, emotionally stressed, or spiritually disconnected; listen to these words of Jesus in verse 31, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” If you’re not plugged into God’s power, you’ll run out of energy before the job is done.

Obedience
As the disciples were getting some much needed rest on the boat, they headed toward the solitary place that Jesus had in mind. To their surprise, a huge crowd of people had been waiting for their arrival! You can probably imagine what the disciples were thinking, “Sigh… This isn’t a solitary place!”

Jesus sees the crowds and has compassion. Mark even tells us why Jesus had compassion, “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” How does Jesus respond to the “need that he sees” and the “compassion that he feels”? He does something about it! Jesus meets their need by becoming their shepherd. This brings us to our second point: When we feel compassion, we must OBEY the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At first glance, it may seem like Jesus immediately neglected the needs of his disciples upon seeing the needs of the crowd. This is NOT true. This story is told in all four gospels of the Bible. In the book of John, the author notes that Jesus did fulfill his responsibility to the disciples before ministering to the crowd. In John 6:3 it says, “…Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.” First, Jesus fulfilled his responsibility to his disciples, and then ministered to the crowd second. Practically speaking, if we’re ever in a situation where we’re called to minister unexpectedly, we should be careful not to neglect our other responsibilities. Jesus was obedient to the Holy Spirit’s call to minister unexpectedly, and he did it responsibly.

Power
Some time later in the afternoon, the disciples approached Jesus as he was ministering to the crowd and they said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” It seems like a valid concern and a reasonable solution, right? I find it hard to believe that these disciples didn’t have an ulterior motive. This is a REMOTE place and it’s VERY late. Send the people AWAY so they can eat. Clearly, they want the crowd to go so they can have Jesus all to themselves. After all, their time with Jesus on the mountainside probably got cut short because of the crowd. I love Jesus’ response, “YOU give them something to eat.”

The response from the disciples is hilarious! “That would take EIGHT MONTHS of a MAN’S wages! Are WE to go and spend THAT much on bread and give it to them to eat?” Their frustration with the crowd has now been exposed! To top it off, Jesus passed the responsibility of feeding the crowd over to his disciples. They’re clearly upset and don’t want that responsibility because they consider it be an impossible feat. Let’s see another clip from “What about Bob” to see what happens when we operate from our own strength.
[Play Closing Video - 0:57]

You’ve ruined MY life, you’ve ruined MY career, you’ve ruined MY book. Dr. Marvin completely snapped when he realized that he had lost the power to control the situation.

This brings us to our third point: We must meet needs with the power of the KINGDOM, not with the power of MAN. The disciples made the mistake of trying to fully satisfy the needs of the crowd by using the strength and resources of MAN. Jesus responds to the need using a KINGDOM mindset.
1) God will use what you have; in this case it was 5 loaves and two fish.
2) Dedicate what you have to the Father; in this case Jesus blesses the food.
3) If you’re lacking anything, God will provide the rest; in this case the food was multiplied to meet the need.

Kingdom resources never run out. God will always finance and provide for the things he has called you to do. If you’re operating from your own strength, your own understanding, and you own resources, you will burn out before fulfilling what God has called you to do.

Conclusion
When we read the New Testament, it seems like some of the best lessons about ministry are when the disciples are messing things up. They’re making the exact same mistakes two-thousand years ago that we making today. In this story alone, there are so many practical lessons about a kingdom-centric ministry that I want you to remember:

First, if your tank is empty, you won’t be able to finish the race. Like we saw in the first movie clip with Dr. Marvin, we must find time to remove ourselves from ministry to get some rest. If you haven’t had time alone with God in a long time, you’re probably not tapped into the full power of the kingdom. If you’re marriage and family is feeling neglecting instead of feeling loved, you’re probably not accessing the power of the kingdom.

Second, we must be obedient to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Every time Jesus was presented with an opportunity to minister, he did. His method was simple. He saw the crowds, felt compassion, and took responsible action. If you’re not making responsible decisions in your ministry, you’re probably not accessing the power of the kingdom. If you’re not being obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you’re probably not accessing the power of the kingdom.

Third, put your faith in the power of kingdom resources not the power of man’s resources. If you’re looking into yourself for strength instead of looking up to the Father, you’re probably not accessing the power of the kingdom. If you’re placing your trust in man and not placing your trust in God, you probably don’t have a kingdom mentality. If you’re not dedicating all your resources to God, you’re probably not relying on the power of the kingdom.

We can find the POWER to minister to others in need when we stop relying on OUR abilities and rely completely on KINGDOM resources.

[tags]Sermon, Thesis, Compassion, Kingdom of God, Rest, Obedience, Power, Power of the Kingdom, kingdom resources, ministry, Mark 6:30-44, VLI, Vineyard, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christianity[/tags]

This sermon is part of a 3-part sermon series I did for Vineyard Leadership Institute.

Compassion: Just Do It
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=163

Compassion: A Catalyst for Restoration (This sermon)
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=164

Compassion: Unlocking the Power of the Kingdom
http://www.brianstevenson.com/blog/?p=166

Subject: Jesus calls us to be compassionate to everyone despite the high costs.
Complement: Our compassion is a catalyst for restoring the broken.
Central Thesis: Jesus calls us to be compassionate to everyone, despite the high costs, because he desires to restore human brokenness.

Compassion: A Catalyst for Restoration
Introduction:
At about 3:20 a.m. on March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese, a 28-year-old manager of a bar in Queens, New York, returned to her quiet residential neighborhood, parked her car in a lot adjacent to her apartment building, and began to walk the 30 yards through the lot to her door. Noticing a man at the far end of the lot, she paused. When he started toward her, she turned the other way and tried to reach a police call box half a block away. The man caught and stabbed her. She started screaming that she’d been stabbed, and screaming for help. Lights went on in the apartment building across the street. Windows opened. One man called out, “Let that girl alone!”

The assailant shrugged and walked away. Windows closed and lights went out. The assailant returned and attacked Genovese again. This time she screamed “I’m dying! I’m dying.” This time lots more windows opened and lots more lights went on. The assailant walked to his car and drove away, leaving Ms. Genovese to crawl along the street to her apartment building. Somehow, she managed to drag herself inside. The assailant returned a third time, found Genovese on the floor at the foot of her stairs, and finally succeeded in killing her.

During those three separate attacks over the course of 35 minutes, not one of Kitty Genovese’s neighbors tried to intervene. Worse than that, of the more than 30 people who saw at least one of the attacks and heard Genovese’s screams and pleas for help, not one of them called the police.

Interviewed afterward, the residents admitted, “I didn’t want to get involved.” One person said he was too tired to call police, so he went back to bed. Many of them said they’d been afraid to call, even within the safety of their own homes. People all over the nation asked themselves, “What was wrong with those people, anyway?”

Transition:
Many of you have heard this story before. That incident may be the defining moment of urban apathy in the latter half of the twentieth century. When it happened, many thought the incident was shocking and bizarre… but not typical of the way most people would respond. It was the kind of thing that would only happen in a big city like New York.

Today’s Bible passage tells a similar story. It is found in Luke chapter ten verse twenty-five:

Passage – Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Looking for the Legal Loophole:
Before I get into the meat of the parable, I want to briefly cover the situation that brought about this parable. Jesus was under close examination of the legal experts of the day. The lawyers questioned Jesus about eternal life. Like a good rabbi, Jesus answered their question with a question. When the lawyer responded with the correct answer “love your neighbor as yourself”, the lawyer felt the need to JUSTIFY himself (v. 29). Uh oh! There’s a red flag. We humans have a tendency to justify ourselves when we know we’ve done something wrong. The lawyer knew that he had not shown love to his “neighbor”, so he was looking for a legal loophole in Jesus’ definition of neighbor. Jesus turns the tables on their attempt to corner him and he responds back with a parable that redefines their perception of love.

An Inconvenient Truth:
First, compassion can be inconvenient. The first two characters that pass by the half-dead man were the Priest and the Levite. The passage doesn’t specifically say what the Priest and Levite were doing, but tradition says that they were going to perform their priestly duties. If this were the case, this would be a huge inconvenience for the Priest and Levite because contact with a dead body would make them ritually unclean and unable to perform their duties. The religious experts that are listening to this parable would have immediately understood the implications.

Inconvenience is a barrier to compassion. Think back to the story about Kitty Genovese. One of the witnesses to the crime said he was too tired to call the police, so he went back to bed! He found a way to justify his actions. Each of us does the same thing today when we are presented with an opportunity to show compassion. For instance, I’ve excused myself from Servant Evangelism because I didn’t want to wake up early on Saturday mornings. I’ve excused myself pulling over when I witnessed a minor fender bender at midnight because I didn’t want to stick around for an hour to fill out a police report. Sadly, I’ve even excused myself from several opportunities to show compassion without a reason. Apathy begs for an excuse.

Every Human is Your Neighbor:
Second, compassion means loving everyone. When Jesus told this parable, he left out all means of identifying the victim. He did not mention his skin color, his social class, his religion, his sexual orientation, his wealth, or anything. In fact, since he had been stripped naked, we can’t even determine his social class based on his clothes. He was a fellow human being in desperate need.

Often times, though we may not like to admit it, we place conditions on who will receive our compassion. Some will avoid gay and lesbians like the plague because we’re afraid that we’ll condone their behavior by being their friend. We divert our attention away from the homeless person who holds up a sign that says, “Please help me, I’m hungry.” We’ll look at criminals and terrorists with hatred because of their acts of violence. Jesus cut through every excuse. The truth is every human is created in the image of God and they need to be loved.

Bearing the Burden:
Third, compassion is taking upon the burdens of the other person. The NIV translation says the Samaritan “took pity” on the victim. In my opinion, that phrase was poorly translated. The Greek word is Splagchnizomai. Last week, we unpacked the meaning of that word. It boils down to allowing another person’s pain and misery to penetrate our heart. We effectively take their burden from them and make it our burden. This is exactly what the Good Samaritan did. Notice he first gave the victim immediate medical treatment. Second, he placed the man on HIS OWN donkey and brought him into town. Third, he took care of the victim for one night at the inn. Fourth, he paid two silver coins for the innkeeper to take care of him. [Many people don’t know this, but two silver coins is the equivalent of up to two months of care.] Finally, he tops it off by saying he will return to the innkeeper and reimburse him for all expenses over and above what he’s already paid.

This level of commitment is unheard of today. How many times have you heard of a story where someone bears the ENTIRE burden of a stranger in need? Jesus is challenging our perception of mercy by illustrating that mercy flows from a spring that will never dry up. Just when we think there’s no more mercy to be found, there’s more. Many of us would have drawn the line at giving medical treatment and taking him into town. Where would you have drawn the line? How much burden would you be willing to bear?

No Strings Attached:
Fourth, compassion has no strings attached. No one likes it when there’s a catch! Here are three strings that can get attached to our relationships: 1) The Gratitude String. This string has an expectation of appreciation. This string is used to get a “thank you” and to fulfill some kind of unmet emotional need. 2) The Conversion String. This string is attached by people who serve only if they see some indication that a person might be interested in becoming a Christian. They serve for the sole purpose of soul-winning and they could care less about the needs of the people they serve. 3) The Manipulation String. This string is used to control some aspect of a person, such as their money or behavior.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, none of these strings were found. He served without any expectation of gratitude, he showed no interested in converting the victim to his religion, and there was no hint of manipulating the victim’s money or behavior. When freed from all strings, compassion is a beautiful expression of the love of Jesus Christ.

Compassion is a Catalyst for Restoration:
As we look at the compassion of the Good Samaritan, we find a common thread. We see a desire to bring restoration. He saw the need, he felt compassion, and then he sacrificed his time, his energy, and his money to restore a human in desperate need. Compassion is a catalyst for restoration. Compassion ignites our hearts and propels us to become active instruments of God’s love and mercy. Compassion brings healing and hope to those who are broken and in despair.

If we loose our compassion, it’s like salt loosing its saltiness. What good are Christians if they profess to know Jesus Christ, but do not have the compassion of the very Person who saved them? We would become like the world we see around us. A world like the one Kitty Genovese knew all too well as she cried out for someone to help her while her attacker stabbed her to death in full sight of her neighbors.

I challenge you to see the world from a new perspective. Train your eyes to look at people at the grocery store, at the gas station, at restaurants, at the office, in the neighborhood, and the people you see as you drive. Ask the Holy Spirit for divine appointments where you can minister. When God has revealed the person, give yourself permission to be inconvenienced and to be filled with a compassion that is free from any strings. Finally, keep your eyes open to what God is doing and follow his lead. He desires to use each of his children in his redemptive plan.

[tags]Sermon, Thesis, Compassion, Catalyst, Restoration, Kitty Genovese, No Strings Attached, Luke 10:25-37, VLI, Vineyard, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christianity[/tags]