Working out Salvation

Good morning.

My name is Matthew Gapone, and I'm the assistant pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,

and it's my joy to bring God's word to you.

A special welcome if you are new with us, you're visiting with us.

We're glad you're here.

And we're glad you're here, as I say every week, not because you are filling a seat,

but because we are following Jesus together here as one community.

And we're convinced that there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace,

and no one so bad that they can't have it.

And so God has something to say to everyone in his word.

He has something to say to those of us who might say we've been Christians our entire lives.

He has something to say to those of us who might say that we're not Christians,

that we have questions or doubts or objections to Christianity.

But God's word is powerful enough and good enough that he's willing to speak to us wherever we're at.

If you remember, we are looking at the book of Philippians, and the book of Philippians is a letter.

It's a letter that's written to a church that's very much like our church.

That church is in a city very much like our city.

Remember, we've been talking about the fact that this is a military city.

It has a military history.

It has special privileges in the province of Macedonia.

And so people who are citizens, people who have served with Rome are given special privileges, special benefits.

They have reduced taxes.

They take pride in the fact that they belong to the Roman Empire.

And so in a world that, in a city that takes pride in its Roman citizenship,

we saw last week that Paul encourages his readers instead to take pride in their citizenship in the city of heaven,

that they belong to God.

And this is a book overall in the big picture about partnership in the gospel.

So it's about our partnership together, that we are working side by side,

that we have the same goal.

We're seeking the same treasure together.

And it's also about the gospel, that our treasure is the news about Jesus.

It's the story of his life, but also the announcement, the news,

that his life and his death and his resurrection did what we could not do.

It took the punishment that we deserve for our sins and gave us the righteousness that Christ earned through his obedience.

And so we're both working together and we're with the gospel,

that we can't take those things and separate them.

Last week we asked the question of how we can stand together,

how we can have a partnership in the gospel together when we face opposition.

And we saw that we can either go on a mission with each other or we can go on a mission against each other.

That those are our two options.

And Paul encourages and exhorts the people in Philippi to strive side by side for the gospel.

That they have to pursue unity together and with one another.

And so last week we saw the why.

We saw that God builds us up, he confirms our faith and that we belong to him when we stand together.

And this week we're going to see the how.

How is it that we're able to strive side by side?

It is one thing to join a church and another to get along with the people in it.

It's one thing to take vows for better or for worse.

And another to figure out how to actually live with your spouse.

It's one thing to be excited about the school year that just started.

And another to actually get along with the classmates around you.

It's one thing to talk about people from both sides of the aisle listening to each other.

And it's another thing to do it.

And so our big question is this.

How do we actually work together?

What is it that we actually do?

Because we know that it's easy to say and hard to do.

It's something that we wish for.

We know that there's few things in this life more satisfying than working with a team, with a group, towards a common goal.

And yet if we've lived in this life for more than a few minutes, we know that there's also nothing that's more difficult.

And so Paul is going to address that very thing in his letter to the Philippians today.

We're in Philippians chapter 2, starting at the very beginning.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 1.

And remember that this letter is God's word.

And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.

And that it is sweeter than honey.

Even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.

And so we're going to read it starting in verse 1 of chapter 2.

Please read with me.

So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Verse 3.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.

But in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Verse 7.

But emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.

Verse 10.

So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Please pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.

Dear Father in heaven,

we confess as we read your word

that it's impossible for us to hear from you unless you speak.

And even if you speak, it's impossible for us to understand unless you send your spirit to work in our minds and our hearts.

And so we ask simply that this morning, that you would send your Holy Spirit to us.

That you would take what's dead in us and make it alive.

That you would take what we can't understand and make it clear.

And most of all, that you would take a spotlight and that you would put it on Jesus Christ

so that we could see him for who he is.

And we would respond to that.

We ask all these things in the name of your son.

Amen.

Paul begins this section essentially by asking a question.

Have you experienced anything good from the gospel?

Verse 1, is there any encouragement in Christ?

Do you take any encouragement from the fact that

Jesus' death has paid for your sins and his life is credited to you?

Does the gospel mean anything to you?

But remember, this isn't just about the gospel.

It's about the partnership.

And so we also ask, does the partnership mean anything to you?

Do you have any comfort from love?

Any participation in the spirit?

In other words, have you experienced even the smallest benefit from partnership in the gospel?

Have you been able to catch the smallest glimpse, to see the smallest part of it, just a sliver of light?

Have you been able to see even only a little bit?

Have you been able to experience the love that comes from being part of this partnership?

Has it affected you in any way?

Has it piqued your curiosity in any way?

If it has touched you in anything, in any part of your life,

if you've been a part of this community,

then he asks them to make it even more.

Because he's appealing not just to their relationship with God,

but also to their relationship with him and with others.

Because in Paul's mind, this partnership is so important.

And so that's why he says in verse 2,

to complete my joy.

Not only have you experienced something from your relationship with Christ,

but have you experienced something with your relationship with me, Paul?

He's appealing to the fact that he knows this church personally.

It was 10 years ago that he was with them,

and he was in prison for the sake of the gospel.

And so he appeals to them like a father to his children.

Have you experienced anything good in this family?

Has it been a blessing to you?

Do you want to stay in?

Do you call yourself a Christian?

Well, then you just have one choice.

Have the same love.

Be in full accord and of one mind.

Verse 3.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,

but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

And it's in verse 3 that we begin to see the answer to our question.

How is it that we can actually work together?

What is it that we actually do that allows us to strive side by side?

And Paul gives us a simple answer.

It's humility.

Now, we could leave it there,

but we wouldn't have any definition of humility.

Thankfully, Paul's a precise thinker.

He's a precise writer.

And so he doesn't leave us to wonder what this kind of humility is.

He's very clear.

Humility here is the opposite of selfish ambition or conceit.

And so we can do one of two things.

We can either pursue things that make us look good or feel good,

or we can pursue things that make other people,

that go after other people's interests.

We can either do things that make people look,

ourselves look good or feel good.

That's the conceit or the pride.

Or we can focus on what's good for others.

That's the first part of humility that he gives us,

but that's not the end of it.

Verse 4, he says,

Now, I'm not going to take credit for this definition.

I'm not sure where it comes from,

but it's a common definition of humility,

and it's simply this.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,

but thinking of yourself less.

It's not thinking less of yourself,

but thinking of yourself less.

In other words, the focus of your mind,

the focus of your energy and your thoughts is on other people.

It's on their needs.

It's on their concerns,

rather than on what makes you look good and feel good.

That is Paul's answer here to how this partnership is going to work.

What is going to have to happen

if these Christians in Philippi

are going to be able to achieve what we talked about last week?

If they're going to be able to actually continue striving side by side

for the sake of the gospel?

If they're going to have any humility,

any partnership, any unity,

then the answer is humility.

Now, don't hear what I'm not saying here.

Paul is not saying that you should allow people to abuse you.

He is not saying that you should live as a doormat.

Remember, he's writing to a church that's in the middle of conflict.

We are going to find out in chapter 4

that there are people in the church

that cannot figure out how to get along.

And so he's saying in the middle of conflict,

the answer is to figure out what other people need.

And so in verse 4,

I wish this word were even stronger.

Let each of you look.

We could say maybe look into.

But a better word for this might be research.

That this looking is an inquiring,

it's an asking,

it's a questioning.

It's going and trying to figure out

what other people need.

And so it looks something like this.

It looks like

young families

trying to figure out

what is it that our widows in the church need.

It's widows in the church

being concerned,

first and foremost,

what do young single people in the church need?

What are their concerns?

What are their interests?

People who were born in the U.S.,

they make their primary concern

trying to figure out

what are the needs and the interests

of people who are not born in the U.S.

It's husbands who are making it their job

to research and look into

what are the needs and concerns

of my wife and my children.

That is my primary concern.

And so there's a question challenge here for us.

Because Paul is saying

that the answer

to our disunity in the church,

our answer to conflict,

is to become researchers.

To become researchers

about other people in the church.

Our conflict in the situations

that we find ourselves in,

if we're not able to reach unity,

this is his initial answer.

And so when he says in verse 2,

be of the same mind,

having the same love,

he does not mean

that everyone in the church

has to agree about everything.

He's not saying

that we're going to have a church meeting

and at this church meeting

we're going to write down

ten questions of opinions

and preferences.

And at the end of the meeting

all of us have to leave

believing the same thing.

Because the problem here

is that not that people in the church

believe different things,

but that they can't get along

with each other.

They don't know how to work together.

I had an acquaintance

in college

and I didn't know him very well,

but at one point

he came up in a conversation

with someone else

and I said,

oh, do you know so-and-so?

I don't even remember

what we were talking about,

but this person's answer

has stuck with me

ever since then

for the last probably

ten years or so.

He said,

yes,

I know so-and-so.

Let's say his name is John.

His name's not John,

but let's say his name is John.

I know John.

And then he sat and thought

for a second

and he said,

John,

John has a lot of answers,

but he doesn't have any questions.

He has a lot of answers,

but he doesn't have any questions.

And I thought about that for a second

and I thought,

yeah, that's true.

I've interacted with John.

John does have a lot of answers.

For a 19-year-old,

he knows a lot about the world.

He knows more than the rest of us do,

but I don't think I've ever heard him

ask a question.

What we see here in Philippians 2

is that if we want to have unity

in the church,

we have to be question people,

not answer people.

We have to be question people,

not answer people.

And question people specifically

about the needs and concerns

of other people.

You know, everyone has a list.

Everyone has a list,

whether it's in their marriage,

whether it's in the church,

whether it's in your job,

whether it's in your friend group.

Everyone has a list of things

that would make,

that need to change

and would make life better for them.

And so my challenge for us is this.

What would it look like

to have a list of things

that would make things better

for other people?

And would cause us to lose something?

What would it be like for us

to have a list of things

that would make a situation

better for other people,

but it would cause us

to lose something?

Now, we're going to have a chance

to practice this a little bit

in a few weeks.

So you heard this morning

from Mark

that we're going to have a survey

about what time

the church should meet.

Now, this is a simple thing.

This is probably the simplest

of things we could talk about.

This doesn't involve

our theological convictions,

hopefully.

But it involves our preferences,

and I'm just going to say it.

Someone's going to lose.

If the time doesn't change

and you wanted it to change,

then you're going to lose.

If you wanted the time

to say the same

and it changes,

whatever happens,

someone's not going

to get their preference.

And so we're seeking

as deacons and elders

to try to do

what's going to be good

for our whole community.

And so if what happens

is not your preference,

if you're anything like me,

if you're a normal human being

in this world,

you're probably going to say,

you know,

man, I wish it had been different.

I wish it had been

what I had voted for.

Don't they understand

that I have young kids?

Or don't they understand

that I wake up

at 6 a.m. every morning

and I have to wait

three hours for service

to start

and now I have to wait four.

But the response here,

if we're listening to Paul,

our response would be this,

if we lose.

Someone in the church

must have really needed

our time to change.

And I'm glad we're doing

what's in the interest

of other people.

I'm going to lose something,

but I'm willing to do it.

I'm willing to do it

for the sake of our community.

I'm willing to do it.

Now, I don't mean to be trite

in giving you that example.

I'll say that is probably

the least of things

we could worry about.

So if we can't pass that test

as a church,

we're in trouble.

I'm confident that we'll pass it.

I have a preference

about which time

we're going to change to

or not change to.

I'm not going to tell you.

So then you can't hold me

accountable

if it doesn't go my way.

But that's what Paul

is telling us here.

Be questioned people,

not answer people.

Be looking to the needs

of other people.

Be researchers.

When you see that word,

look in verse four,

I want you to think,

let each of you research

not just his own interests,

but really research

the interests of other people.

Don't be brainstorming answers,

but be brainstorming questions.

Think about what you don't know

about other people

in this situation.

So our first question

then to our,

our first answer

to our question is this.

How do we have unity?

How do we work together?

We promote the good

of other people

even when it costs us.

So we're not just researchers,

we take action.

We figure out

the needs of other people.

We're willing to put those needs

above the needs of our own.

We're willing to act.

We're willing to lose.

We're willing to lose something

for the sake of others.

And so when Paul tells the church

to be of one mind,

again, he doesn't mean

you have to agree

about everything except this.

Agree that you're all

going to have the one mind

of pursuing what's best

for other people.

And when you do that,

unity will not be

a problem for you anymore.

You might have disagreements.

You might have friendly debates.

But you won't have disunity.

You won't have people

fighting in factions.

Instead, you'll have people

fighting over

how they can help other people,

how they can promote

other people and lift them up.

Now this isn't some,

just some trite

self-help advice.

It's more than that.

It's actually impossible.

So Paul asks us

to do something

that we are incapable

of doing.

If you were to run

into some kind of strategy

like this in a leadership book,

it would ultimately

be manipulative.

Look out for the interests

of others so that you can

build their trust

and then push your agenda

through.

But Paul's not saying that.

Paul's saying,

no, you're actually

going to lose.

This is not some

leadership strategy

that was published

in the Harvard Business Review

for people to figure out

how to make their agendas

happen faster.

This is actually

losing your agenda.

It's completely dying.

And so how are we going

to do what is impossible,

what we do not have

the resources

to accomplish?

Well, Paul tells us

that we do.

We have the resources

but only if we are in Christ.

You see in verse 5,

he says,

have this mind

among yourselves

which is yours

in Christ Jesus.

In other words,

the only way

you are going to be able

to do this

is if you belong to Jesus

and his spirit

is at work in you.

That's why he talked earlier

about participation

in the spirit

in verse 1

because that's the prerequisite

for anything to happen.

Anything of spiritual value

or worth.

That's how,

remember we talked about

we're one garden

growing together.

That's how the garden grows.

It's because there is

a great gardener.

And then he goes on

to tell us

why this is ours

in Christ Jesus.

Because who,

though he was

in the form of God,

did not count equality

with a God

a thing to be grasped

but emptied himself

by taking the form

of a servant

being born in the likeness

of men

and being found

in human form

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient

to the point of death

even death

on a cross.

In other words,

there is no one

in the history

of the world

who has lost

more than Jesus lost.

There's no one

in the history

of the world

who's lost

more than Jesus lost

and there is no one

who is willing

to lose more

for the sake of others.

Jesus didn't hang

on to his personal

interests.

He didn't hang

on to what was

good for him.

He gave up

all the privileges

that he had

in heaven.

And not only that,

he took on

the body

of a human being

with all its

frailties,

with all its

inabilities,

all its limitations.

That he didn't just

lose everything

that he had

but he took on

something that would

cause him to have

tremendous suffering.

And yet he was

still God

in the midst of it.

He took off

everything that

would give him

stature or power

or status

and took on

the form

of a human being.

Now this passage

here is primarily

it's about church unity

but it's become

a point of debate

in the church

about the relationship

between Christ's

human nature

and his divine nature.

And so I'm going

to tell you a story.

The story is not

my own.

It's a famous story

among preachers

to explain this concept

so I take no credit

for it.

But the story

is about

a tribe in Africa.

And this tribe

in Africa

had a deep,

deep well.

And so to get water

people would have

to climb down

a shaft

and take their

carrier and get

the water

and then they would

have to come back up.

And there was a chief

in this tribe

and this is a true story

by the way.

It's from missionaries

in Africa.

There was a chief

in this tribe

who had many honors

and privileges.

The reason he was

the chief

was because he was

the strongest person

in the whole tribe.

And he had honors

and glories

that went along

with being a chief

so he had a great

headdress.

He had a great robe

that he would always wear.

And one day

there was a man

who went down

to get his water

and while he was down

at the bottom

of the well

he broke his leg.

And so he was

unable

to get back up.

He was trapped

at the bottom

of the well.

There was nothing

he could do.

And so they went

to get the one man

who was able

to do anything

the chief

because the chief

was the only person

strong enough

to go all the way down

and lift this man

up on his back

and carry him up.

But to go down

the shaft

of the well

the chief

could not do it

with his headdress

because it was so big.

And he could not

have his robe on

because he would

get in the way.

And so he took

off the headdress

and he took

off the robe

and he climbed

all the way down

into the shaft

and he was able

to put this man

on his back

and carry him up.

He got rid

of everything

that would give him

glory or power.

Everything that was

his by right

he took down

for the interest

of this man.

And so did he

stop being a chief?

Of course not.

He was still

always the chief.

But he took

off all the things

that gave him

his status

and his authority

and his power

for the sake

of saving this man.

And so did Jesus

cease to become God

when he became man?

Of course not.

He simply took

off everything

that gave him

power and glory.

We're told in Isaiah

that there was

nothing in him

that would cause us

to look at Jesus

and be impressed

with him.

When people saw

Jesus walking around

they did not think

there's a great leader.

There's a man

right there.

No.

There was nothing

that would draw

our attention to him.

There was no beauty

in him.

And yet he laid

it all down

for our sake.

And so Jesus

first of all

he's our model here.

He shows us

that he has lost

more than anyone

else ever lost.

And so

whatever we lose

is less than that

we can follow

after him.

But he's not

just our model.

If Jesus were

just a model

then he would

also be the

stupidest man

who ever lived

because he would

have died

for no reason.

But remember

Jesus is not

just our model

he's our reminder

because as we

look at him

laying aside

all his glory

all his privileges

all his rights

we have to remember

the reason why.

And the reason

he did it

was to die

for our sins.

And you know

that the cost

of the remedy

shows the severity

of the illness

Jesus' death

the fact that he

died for our sins

shows us how

bad off we are.

That we're not

just mistaken

we're not just

incorrect

but we're deeply

broken in every way.

That God was

pouring out

his wrath

on humanity

and Jesus

had to come

and receive

that wrath

for our sake.

And so Jesus

is not just

a model for us

but he's a reminder

a reminder

that as we're

struggling with unity

as we're seeking

the best of others

we have to remember

that our ideas

are not as good

as we think they are.

Because

the reality of sin

doesn't just affect

our emotions

it doesn't just affect

our will

our desires

it affects

every part of us

it affects our mind

as well.

So whatever we want

whatever we're pushing for

the cross

has to give us

a moment to pause

because we have

to remember

how mistaken

we are.

We are so wrong

that Jesus

had to die for us.

And so it causes

us humility

we don't just have

humility

as we follow

after Jesus

as our model

but we have

humility

because he reminds

us of how

desperately

in need of

rescue we are.

How desperately

broken we are

in every part.

and so the gospel

humbles us

because it shows us

that Jesus did

more than we can do

but it also

humbles us

because it shows us

that we needed

him to do it.

There are few

things stronger

in this world

than a person's

need

to be right.

I'll say that again.

There are few

things stronger

in this world

few forces

that are more

powerful

than an individual

person's

need to be

right.

Yet the gospel

frees us from that

because to accept

the gospel

we have to admit

that we're wrong.

To accept

the gospel

we have to

admit

that we're wrong

because Jesus

is not just

our model

but our savior.

And so we can

put the interests

of others

above our own

not just

because we have

the Holy Spirit

working in us

not just because

of Jesus'

example to us

but also

of the reminder

that whatever

we think

whatever we know

whatever we feel

strongly about

none of it

not all of it

can be 100%

correct.

And we know

that our desires

and our

wants and our needs

our temptation

is always

to make them

bigger than

they should be

and less

than they need

to be.

And so the gospel

the story

of Jesus

his life

and his death

and his resurrection

and the news

that he gives us

both empowers us

as we seek

the good of others

and it also

humbles us

that if we admit

our need for him

we have to realize

that we are not

right

even as our desire

to be right

can feel overwhelming

at times.

But it doesn't

end there.

We still have

verses 9 and 11.

Jesus gave up

but then he gains.

In other words

Jesus was willing

to lose everything

for the sake

of others

and God gave him

everything

in return.

Jesus didn't

earn those things

something didn't

become true

of him

that wasn't

true before

but instead

now we know

he has the name

above every other

name

because now

humanity

is aware

mankind

is aware

of the fact

that he is

the one

who showed us

what God is like

he's the one

that is willing

to give up

everything

for the sake

of others

and so it

doesn't just

stay in his

humiliation

we don't just

stick with the fact

that Jesus died

but it ends

in his exaltation

it ends in the fact

that he's risen

from the dead

that he's sitting

at the right hand

of the father

and so by losing

everything

Jesus gained

everything

because God

gave it to him

and so Jesus

isn't just

our model

but he's also

our encouragement

if we're united

with him

if we have

participation

in the spirit

that we see

in verse 1

if we have

his mind

in verse 5

then his future

is our future

as well

and so that

when we lose

for the sake

of others

when we lose

for the sake

of Christ

we also know

that we will

gain with him

we will gain

everything with him

that his story

is our story

his exaltation

will ultimately

result in ours

when he returns

in his second coming

and so his model

and his story

belongs to us

that we can lose

for the sake

of others

because Jesus did

and we will win

with him

because he won

as well

but it will look

like the path

that he's given us

a path

of suffering

and then glory

Jesus models

this for us

in John 13

you remember

in Mark 10

we had James

and John

and they asked

Jesus if they

could be great

if they could be

the first

if they could sit

at his right hand

in the kingdom

and Jesus said

it's not for me

to give

but my path

is the path

of a servant

and a slave

and then he demonstrates

it in John 13

by washing

their feet

it says

when Jesus

had washed

their feet

and put on

his outer garment

and resumed

his place

he said to them

do you understand

what I have done

to you

you call me

teacher and Lord

and you are right

for so I am

if I then

your Lord

and teacher

have washed

your feet

you also

ought to wash

one another's feet

for I have given

you an example

that you also

do just as I

have done

to you

truly truly

I say to you

a servant

is not greater

than his master

nor is a messenger

greater than

the one

who sent him

if you know

these things

blessed are you

if you do them

so as the master

walks

so walk

his disciples

both in his

giving up

losing everything

for our sake

but also

in his gaining

because we

follow him

in his suffering

and his victory

please pray

with me

dear father

in heaven

we thank you

that you

were willing

to lose

everything

for our sake

for us

to gain

to gain

life

because without

you

we have

nothing

but death

so we

thank you

for that

we ask

that you

would make

it real

in our

lives

that you

would give

us the

humility

that comes

from that

knowledge

and you'd

give us

the humility

that comes

from your

example

that you'd

move in

us

that we

would be

researchers

looking out

for the

interests of

others

above our

own

we confess

that we

can't do

it by

ourselves

and so we

ask that you

would do it

for us

we ask all

these things

in the name

of your

son

amen