Pastor Michael Ngui, 14/04/2012
This is the 3rd sermon in the Studies in Philippians series.
The church in Philippi was a great church. Philippians is one rare epistles from Paul that does not contain much rebukes. It was a young yet Christ loving congregation. Most of them were gentiles not brought up in the Jewish traditions yet they revered the Word of God. They were as mission-minded congregation and also a giving congregation despite not being a wealthy church. However, they have problems.
Php 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with 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 purpose. (3) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (4) Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (5) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! (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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
DUMC is a great church that seeks to honour Christ. We constantly look to five to the mission field. We are constantly encouraged to build bridges with people to reach out to them. We are a giving church. However, like the Philippian church, we are not impervious to problems. What Paul wrote to the Philippian church speaks to us to. We need to hear what Paul had to say to the Philippian church.
Paul wanted the Philippians to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. Joy and rejoicing are recurring themes in the Philippians. It’s the gospel joy, the joy of being united with God. Things / people may prevent us from having the joy. How do we live our lives with the “gospel joy”?
The joy that Paul mentioned are deeply rooted and doesn’t evaporate easily. Paul saw pride as a problem
The Position (1)
Paul was not being demanding unreasonably. He has a basis on what he wanted the Philippians to do. Every Christian has a sharing in a life God created for us. We read that our body is temple of the Holy Spirit and it’s part of the whole body.
The Pursuit (2-4)
A. Unity
Paul wanted them to have unity in Christ
Pursue a UNITY among ourselves:
- Have the same mind
- Have he same love
Different agendas, disagreements, etc. can divide churches. Sins can divide churches. False teaching can divide churches.
Pastor Mike thinks the biggest threat to unity in DUMC is the lack of attention to maintain unity.
To build unity in our community we need humility.
B. Humily
Why do we need humility? We are all sinner who tends to say “me first.”
Pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest. ~John Stott
i. Consider others more significant than ourselves
How do we do this when some of us are quite well blessed? In the church in Philippi, there was disparity.
A question to ask is, will he / she be worthy of my help?
George Whitefield had theological difference with John Wesley. When asked whether he would see John Wesley in heaven, he said, “no.” He then continued.
John Wesley will be so close to the Throne of Glory, and I will be so far away, I will hardly get a glimpse of him.
ii. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit.
Conceit – an excessively favourable opinion of self.
Pride is the master sin. Pride is the original sin. Pride is a master of disguise. It burrows itself into our soul.
There are so many ways pride is manifested. “I know your senior pastor.” (Hey, Pastor Mike, I know your senior pastor. He he.)
Pride is impartial, not racist. It takes everyone.
How do we to cultivate humility?
- Reflect on the Cross – humility comes from looking at our bleeding Saviour on the Cross, who died for us because of His love.
- Use the means of grace – use it in prayer and recognize we are sinners and we can come to Christ because He shed his blood for us.
- Study God, grace and sin. Examine our own sin, not the sin of others – not the act of sin but the attitude and the heart of sin.
- Celebrate God’s grace at work in others – see God’s grace and work it out for others
- Invite and welcome correction and counsel
- Acknowledge my need for God. Prayer is so powerful because it reminds us of our smallness.
The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is. ~Philip Brooks
c. Mutuality – Pursue Helpfulness to others
Look not just at the interest of ourselves, look at the interest of others.
The Pattern (5-11)
Paul used Jesus as the primary pattern of humility.
- His divine status – He is God
- His abnegation – He refused to cling on to his prerogative as God
- His abasement – chose to empty himself, making himself nothing
- His voluntary servitude
- His incarnation – we will never understand how condescending it is for the creator to become like His creature
- His humble embrace of death – “even death on the cross”
And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
~ Charles Wesley
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