How You Magnify God’s Glory On Earth

Our sermon text for today is Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5.

Philippians 2:1–5

For many it's the favorite part of the Bible.

In these first 11 verses, as someone observed,

they speak the soaring language of a musical piece.

Think of that favorite piece of music that you could listen to over and over again.

That's best understood by being heard out loud to the end

and then heard again.

So as I read our sermon text 1 through 5,

I'm going to read all the way through verse 11.

And I ask that the Holy Spirit will illumine to us His inspired word.

It's infallible, it's clear, and it's sufficient

only by the ministry of the Spirit to His people.

Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 11.

Philippians 2:1–11

Even the death of the cross.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him

and given Him the name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

of those in heaven and of 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.

the word of the Lord for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

You may be seated.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Let's pray.

God, we ask that you please

will open our eyes to see your glory.

We pray that you'll

turn these words, Father,

that you breathed out.

You'll make them alive and active

to set forth Christ

before us, his people.

We need Christ right now, Lord, this hour.

We ask that you set him forth

to us through your word.

We ask for your Holy Spirit

to press home the truth

that our souls need right now, Lord.

I thank you for these dear brothers and sisters,

for each one that you brought here

by your providence this morning.

And I pray that your spirit will minister

and feed us.

You know what each one needs, Lord,

to keep going and to grow.

We trust that you will do this

because you are faithful

and you are faithful to your word.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Amen.

Well, beloved congregation

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

what I hope to do today

is to walk through these verses

and see together how

you and I magnify

the glory of God on earth.

How does the church

magnify the glory of God on earth?

this was how Paul described it in his own life in verses 19 and 20 he said I am this is chapter

one of Philippians 19 and 20 I am confident of this that through your prayer and the supply of

the Holy Spirit Christ will be magnified in my life and now he turns his focus to not his own

situation in life but to the congregation in Philippi and he says in chapter 2 verse 5 let

the mind of Christ be in you the mind of Christ and he rehearses for them in verse 6 Christ who

shares the essence of the holy holy holy God verse 8 he humbled himself and he became obedient unto

death verse 11 of chapter 2 he did all of this to the glory of God the Father so this is the concern

of this passage it's how God's glory is magnified on earth through you his church

a telescope magnifies a telescope takes something far away and brings it close makes it accessible

I looked up this morning we are in the Milky Way galaxy there's there's over I want to say

over 200 I think it's 200 billion stars in one galaxy but then how many galaxies are there in

the universe about 170 galaxies it's mind-blowing what God has created and he holds all the stars in

the palm of his hand so those things are glorious and the telescope helps bring those things that are

far away and make them accessible well what about the glory of the God who created these glorious stars

in galaxies he brings his glory to this earth on this planet in this galaxy through people like you and me

the person sitting to your right and your left the church four observations from this passage number one

God's glory is magnified on earth in his church look at verse 5 again let this mind be in you

which was also in Christ Jesus so who is it that shares the mind of Christ

well in chapter 2 he starts with the word therefore you've probably heard that every time you come across

the word therefore you have to ask what's the question what is therefore therefore so you go a little bit

and in chapter 1 verse 27 as heavenly citizens you could say as God's gospel colony in Philippi

who are sharing in the suffering of Christ that's his audience

and he says now in in verse 1 it's you who know what it is to be encouraged and exhorted in Christ

it's you who are comforted by his love it's you who know this fellowship of the Holy Spirit

it's the church it's impossible to be unregenerate to still have a heart of stone it's impossible

it would go against your nature if you're still caught in verse 3 of Philippians chapter 2 where it

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

says selfish ambition conceit see these are the words of those who don't know Christ who are not in him

who don't have the fellowship of the spirit that's not who brings glory to God it's impossible

and what a what a sting that would be because what he says in chapter 2 verse 3 that phrase selfish

ambition that's how he spoke of those preachers who preach Christ with bad motives now he's saying be

careful there's threats to the church from outside like those obvious ones but be careful your flesh is

bent in that direction even if you're regenerate your pride is going to want to steal some glory for

yourself that word is best translated I think as vain glory vain glory to pursue your own prestige

one commentator called this vain glory that strangely addictive and debasing cocktail of vanity and public

opinion it's strange how our flesh will even want that why would you want to keep drinking that

and conceit it's to be puffed up it's to view reality in a distorted way it's to be out of touch with

what's real and true conceit is what Satan brings that's how Satan thought and how Satan and all those under

the pagan spell of the demons think that way Satan thought that equality with God could be grasped

and it's the way of the world it's a threat to the church he also warned the church in Galatia

Galatians 5 26 let us those within the church those hearing this reading let us not become conceited

that's the word of Satan provoking one another envying one another to the church in Corinth 2 Corinthians

12 20 he warned them of this danger your church could become marked by here's the list contentions

jealousies outbursts of wrath selfish ambitions backbitings whisperings conceits there's the same

word again and tumults he says be careful it's possible to claim the name of Jesus to minister in the

name of Jesus even to say the right message in the name of Jesus but it's a counterfeit that does not

bringing glory to God you can use the name of God but you can have the mind of Satan

if you're doing this for selfish ambition or vain conceit or you can even have the right message

but do it for man's glory those are counterfeits

Jesus prayed in Matthew 11 we heard this I thank you father lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden

these things from the wise and learned and have revealed them to babes for so it seemed good in

your sight so the question I'm trying to answer is who is it that truly does magnify the glory of God

it's the answer is it's not everyone who claims the name of God it's not that it's more narrow

he says in verse one again if there is any consolation in Christ how much any if there is any comfort if any

fellowship of the spirit if any affection and mercy who magnifies the glory of God you who have tasted

even the smallest amount of how good God is in Christ you magnify his glory on earth

is there anyone here today who needed to be consoled spiritually and you were comforted and exhorted

and encouraged in Christ then you are the one he's talking to you're the one who will bring glory to God

on earth is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone

whose soul was once so hollow you thought you were going to die and if you died won't even make a difference

and then Christ poured his spirit into fill your heart to overflowing then he's talking to you

you are the one who will bring glory to God on earth if there's any of us who have felt very lonely in this world

we all have we have enjoyed now through Christ the fellowship of his spirit well then you're the one

through whom he will bring his glory on earth if you can think back to that time when your heart was still

ice cold toward God and his love melted your heart then you're the one through whom his glory will be revealed

on earth if you're a much forgiven sinner who's been surprised by God's own mercy now in your heart

toward his people where did my love for his church come from I I love his church where did that come from

that's not natural he says if this is true of you then let the mind of Christ be in you you've gotten a

taste of it you've gotten any amount of it want more and more and more and more do this to the glory

of God the Father verse 11 so God's glory is magnified on earth in his true church you who have

tasted any of his love number two the more you experience Christ's goodness the more you desire

to magnify his glory the first question is who who are we talking about the next question is why the

motive behind it but why look at verse two he uses a personal appeal he says fulfill my joy so don't

do this because it's it's like a law or someone's regulating or forcing you no fulfill my joy do it do it

to make me happy and proud by being like-minded having the same love being in one accord of one mind

in the fourth chapter of Philippians we learn of a conflict between two very influential women in

this congregation in Philippi now it's interesting in this whole letter Paul never says who was right

or even what the conflict was about it's as if that doesn't even matter he does not take sides

he does not call the church to erase their differences nor pretend like their differences don't exist

and we can give gain some other insights there was this threat of of bad teachers all around them but

also internally within the congregation there's going to be diversity of opinions and values and

things that will be put into collision one with another among true Christians who have shared any of

God's love and shared any of his fellowship there will be conflict and difference remember in Acts there's

there's these examples we have Paul and his team traveling with him Paul is a Jew and then we hear

of the conversion of three other people Lydia was from Asia and she was of the wealthy class the slave girl

that was demon-possessed and freed and converted she was most likely Greek and definitely of lower class

she was a slave and then there's the Roman jailer who you know historians do their best guess to say that he

was most likely a Roman soldier so you've got Jew Asian Greek Roman all together in this little church

and this verse this passage verses one through four it's in Greek it's one continuous sentence that only

has one verb and the verb is right here in verse two being like-minded being of one accord that's the verb

this verb is plural so it's saying you or ye in the plural be this way and that phrase like-minded it's

it's really literally translated this way may you plural all of you together may be being disposed

it could almost be like have a shared mentality a shared mindset an attitude collectively that defines you

you're not all bound to hold the same opinions that wouldn't even be good for a church

but you are to be of one accord he says of one mind literally one sold like one shared personality

one shared identity who are you I'm a member of this church that's who I am above everything else

because I'm in Christ you have a shared mission and you're a team one commentator pointed out

uniformity comes from pressure without but unity which is the need of the church in Philippi

is only possible by the work of the Holy Spirit within internal divisions can only be resolved

when our minds get filled with Christ over and over again by the Holy Spirit

and this is a gift to the church to share a mind focused on Christ and his glory despite all of our differences

and then our differences actually are a source of strength for the body for the congregation

the more you experience Christ's goodness the more you desire to magnify his glory the hungriest

people to lift that trophy that world cup trophy when you get the shot every four years

biggest sports tournament in the world are those who have tasted it before that's why Brazil has won the

world cup five times more than any other country they've tasted it the whole nation behind them

rallying with them and so Paul's words here where he says if if if if if then make my joy complete

and be like-minded it's like an old coach and it's his last season before he's going to retire

and he sits down all these young guys and he says if that crest over your heart the emblem of

our nation if that stirs up any patriotism inside of you if your family name on the back of your jersey

makes you willing to sacrifice for something greater than you as an individual then you will

leave it all on the field if those great players who wore that number that you now carry on your back

if that means anything to you and you have any respect for them then you'll dare to achieve

something great with this team that most players would never even dare to dream of that's what he's

saying to the church fulfill my joy do this for the old coach don't play for yourself for your stats

do it for my joy do it for the team do it for the legacy play our game for one another and we'll share the cup

see this is the pattern of christ with his disciples isn't it it was for the joy set before christ that he endured the cross

to share this joy with you to share his crown with his church

paul says following christ's example fulfill my joy by being like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind

see what you feel on the inside these are all emotional personal appeals someone said it's like it's like a rope with

all these different hooks anything inside of your heart or your soul that he can hook on to and pull you toward christ

he's appealing to it our faith can't just be a desire or a feeling it's a feeling that christ by the power of the holy

spirit pulls into action with his church spurgeon commented on this principle he said if your religion

can live and die within your own hearts nowhere else then you have not any that is worth having

if you would adorn the gospel you must love others love them intensely and make it one objective of yours

in your life to make other people happy for so you will then be acting according to the spirit

and genius of the gospel you will be adorning the doctrine of god our savior in all things

so if you've tasted any of god's goodness church then let the mind of christ jesus be in you also

to the glory of god the father we do this day after day and the more we experience christ's goodness

the more we desire to magnify god on earth don't we

number three that god's glory it's magnified on earth when the minds of god's people get filled

with christ that's how he does it we saw who we saw why the motive and now it's how how does god do

this through his church it's by filling our minds with jesus christ

in verse three he says negatively let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit

number verse two he had said being like-minded of one accord of one mind sharing that mind of christ

and that's why his example the first example he gives in this chapter is jesus christ verse five

the trinity father son and holy spirit the creator of all is self-existent self-sufficient holy good

loving glorious and his eternal decree before time and space are created the holy triune god says

let's magnify our glory to our creation well how

and the answer is in verse six jesus christ god the son being the essence of and equal with god

verse seven he made himself of no reputation hebrews 10 5 and 7 says when christ came into the world he said

a body you have prepared for me behold i have come to do your will oh god as it is written in the bible

here are the disciples now with the lord jesus christ incarnate clamoring to have a position of honor

and power in his kingdom and as alistair beg pointed out the same god creator who that said let's make water

be h2o that's what water will be that same designer and creator put a towel around his waist and took the

water he created and washed the dirt off the feet of his disciples bringing their dirt unto himself

this is what it means to have the mind of christ

and jesus said to his disciples and all who will follow him

john 13 a new commandment i give to you that you love one another how just as i have loved you

you also are to love one another by this all people will know that you are my disciples

if you have love for one another by this the creation the earth will see my glory

when my love is inside of you for one another just as i have loved you

titus chapter 2 verse 9

Titus 2:9

paul writes specifically to bond servants slaves within the church and he says

be obedient to your masters to be well pleasing in all things not answering back but showing all

good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of god our savior in all things how much ought we to

serve one another even as a slave serving another master because it adorns the doctrine of our salvation

it expresses to the world it makes it visible this is how glorious our god is who took on flesh and came to save

sinners like us

let this mind be

in you that was in christ jesus he says in verse 5

and do this to the glory of god the father

when christ fills your mind

with himself

there's no space left for our pride

there's really no target left for satan

when our mind is full of christ there's

really nothing to be baited or tempted with

when our mind is full of christ his love will ooze out

as if it were jewelry on us

it's his love

john chrysostom made that observation he said

as the children of the wealthy have an ornament of gold around their neck

and never take it off because it exhibits a token of their high birth

so

compassion

and mercy

are our status

symbol

as citizens of heaven

god's glory is magnified on earth

the more

your mind

and mine

get filled with christ

fourth and final observation for today

is that god's glory is magnified on earth

as christ's people learn his humility from him

god's glory is magnified on earth as christ's people learn his humility from him

moises silva

commented that the true obstacle to unity

is not the presence of legitimate differences of opinion but self-centeredness

in verse 3 paul cautioned

he says

don't let conceit creep in or vain glory

but instead verse 3

in lowliness of mind

let each esteem others better than himself

verse 4

let each of you look

not only to your own interests

but also to the interests or rights

of others

let the mind of christ jesus be

in you

we know that philippi

in act 16

is described as the foremost

colony

the imperial colony

in macedonia

the citizens of philippi

they would have assigned a high value

to questions of roman

social status

and rank

and so when he says in verse 3

in lowliness of mind

or in humility

let each esteem better than himself

this would have been a shocking word for him to use

in the Hebrew faith and religion

humility was a virtue

but in the Greek word

it was a derogatory term

so if you look in secular Greek literature

nowhere will the word humility

in this sense be used as a virtue

it's rarely used

and then only to push someone down

to denote them as a servile

beast

like a

a person that's extremely weak

and dumb

they're like a donkey

that's just meant to carry

carry something from one place to the other

to say a person is

low-minded

that's what you're calling them

and he says in verse 3

be that

be humble

this word if you break it down

it has a base

and an adjective

the base of this word

humility

humility

or low-mindedness

it's the mind

the faculty of perceiving

and judging

and the adjective is

not rising far above the ground

very low

in spirit

deferring

servilely to others

and he says

learn

from Christ

how to be

humble

how to be low

minded

our Lord Jesus Christ

was

humble toward his father

the opposite would be

to be proud

before God

to be unyielding

but Jesus Christ

he was

here to obey his father

to do his father's will

he was always content

and he never complained

about God's providence

in his life

be

like Christ

have the mind

of Christ

think of a child

in a household

how powerless

especially in the ancient world

the child's completely

at the mercy

of the parents

decisions

and Jesus said

in Matthew 18

for whoever

humbles

himself

like a child

is greatest

in the kingdom

of heaven

someone had pointed out

I think very wisely

that true humility

biblical humility

like Christ

is not to think

less of yourself

but to think of yourself

less

such humility

I apologize

such humility

as Christ provided

with his own life

it's not a sign

of weakness

but a sign

of strength

Christ lived

to save

others

he lived

to obey

his father

he put his own

rights

aside

to accomplish

the mission

that God called him to

someone concluded

that there can be

nothing

so foreign

to a soul

that is united

to this

humble Christ

as arrogance

it's impossible

and I was so encouraged

to see

what does this look like

when this mind of Christ

this humility

like Jesus had

when that slowly

works its way

into all of us

I was encouraged

to see how this

actually becomes

a protection

for the church

from the attacks

of the enemy

John Chrysostom

pointed out

when there is a

mutual

unselfishness

a mutual

both looking out

for the interests

of one another

and the rights

of one another

he called it

a double wall

of gentleness

that Satan

can't penetrate

Satan wants to

accuse us

one to the other

he wants to

divide and try

to conquer

and God puts

in the Christians

by the Holy Spirit

in each of us

a gentleness

toward one another

that we learn

from Christ

a humility

to serve one another

and this puts up

a double wall

against the attacks

of Satan

to penetrate

and try to

break up his church

Polycarp

similarly

he said

this is like

it's participating

one another

by the gentleness

of the Lord

it's his gentleness

and kindness

in us

and we participate

for one another

to protect the walls

of the church

for the glory

of God

it's to walk

in Christ's

meekness

and humble

footsteps

Jesus said

blessed are the meek

for they shall

inherit

the earth

you know

how this looks

in our lives

I think it can take

a variety of forms

really small tasks

we do every day

one another

you all do here

on a Sunday

and it can also take

really colorful expressions

different parts of the world

that we would never

even be aware of

so we share this

as a testimony

to God's faithfulness

one example like that

is from an evangelist

in China

named Watchman Nying

and he told about

this Christian

who was a farmer

and he had a rice plantation

and because it was

on the mountains

you had to create a terrace

and you have different levels

of rice plantation

and when you irrigate one

you have these little

dikes that open up

the water

and it can flow

to the lower fields

well this Christian

happened to live

way high up

on the mountain

and he had access

to water

and he would do

the hard work

of getting up

every morning

and letting that

water flood

his rice plantation

but he noticed

the pattern

that his neighbor

who was not a believer

kept opening up

the dikes

without permission

and draining out

the water

so that the Christian's

crops start to get dry

and he couldn't

figure out why

and this neighbor

that was further down

with the help of gravity

was stealing his water

so the Christian

did not know

what to do

and he went to his church

and they prayed together

they searched the scriptures

and the church

encouraged him

his fellow brothers

and sisters in Christ

encouraged him

to be like Christ

be humble

think of your interest

but also the interest

of others

and with the power

of the Holy Spirit

and the example

of Jesus Christ

this believer

started getting up

two hours earlier

and he would first

fill up his neighbor's

field with water

take care of his needs

and then he would

keep working

and fill up his own

field with water

say well hold on

in this example

this is dealing

with the church

it's talking about

unity within the church

serving those

within the body

brothers and sisters

we don't know

which souls

Jesus died for

and it's whoever

will believe

will reveal to us

who it is

well in this example

in China

this evangelist

shares this story

that that neighbor

who was stealing water

and then got served

so generously

and humbly

by this Christian

he wanted to see

if this is real

he wanted to understand

why

and he came to church

and became friends

and got saved

he's part of the church

now

he was one for whom

Christ had died

all along

and this was the means

this suffering

and this sacrifice

of the Christian

looking out for the

interests of his neighbor

was the means

God used

to bring another soul

into his family

Romans 14 19

says let us pursue

what makes for peace

and for mutual up building

how do we do this

what Jesus said

in Matthew 11 29

learn from me

we learn from Jesus Christ

he says I am meek

and lowly in heart

learn from me

and there's no striving

you will instead

you'll find rest

for your souls

so church

God's glory

is magnified on earth

as you and I

learn

the humility

of Christ himself

from Christ

by the work

of the Holy Spirit

in us

so let this mind

of Christ

be in you

more and more

and that's how you

and I get to magnify

the glory

of our creator

right here on the earth

where he's put us

to the glory

of God the Father

let's pray

we confess

this is all your work

from start to finish

and you who began

a good work

you will see it through

to completion

we ask that your Holy Spirit

illumine to us

how it is you want

to apply this truth

for your glory

in our lives today

amen

oh my God

then