Unity

Well, good morning, everyone.

Would you turn to Philippians chapter 1?

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

Please pray with me.

Our Father in heaven, we ask that you would show us the greatness of your Son.

And we ask that you would give us grace to make him our deepest treasure.

In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.

Why does he always leave his dishes at the sink?

If Mum knew how bad these vegetables tasted, she would not be forcing them down my throat.

I really want that last slice of pizza.

Oh, no, no, no, you have it, I'm full.

If only she knew how great I am, then she would go out with me.

Dad just wants the money for himself.

That's why he's not buying me that phone.

Can't she see how good it would be to own that car?

Why on earth did she spend money on flowers again?

She uses the heater way more than me.

It's not fair that we split the bill 50-50.

Why can't she just try and sleep when I put her to bed?

Why on earth would the coach let Dave start on the field and I have to sit on the bench?

Why do they always mow the lawns on Saturday morning?

Can't he see that I'm hurt?

Why is he pretending like he's the one hurt?

How can they believe that the Bible allows evolution to be possible?

I've got great ideas for how the church can do evangelism better, but no one asks me.

Isn't it obvious that those type of songs don't worship God?

Wouldn't life be so much better if people just agreed with the way we were thinking?

Wouldn't it be better?

Imagine it.

You would have the house and the finances set up the best way.

Your sporting team would have the best chance of winning.

You would be able to have the stuff you need.

Your work would always be satisfying, not too stressful.

Your kids would always do what you say.

Your parents would always do what you say.

You'd get on wonderfully with your neighbours, never having to speak to them.

Bible studies would be 10 minutes, not an hour.

You'd always resolve disagreements within seconds.

You would have the best strategies for ministries and evangelism as a church.

Life would be so much better if you would just think the way I think.

In fact, God says we need to be united.

I reckon we would be way more united if you just thought the way I think.

This morning, do you know what God's going to say to us through our passage in Philippians?

Here's what you're not expecting.

God is saying that we ought to think the same way.

But not how we might expect.

Something way better.

The reputation of Jesus himself.

The reputation of the gospel is at stake.

We heard last week,

if Christ himself is our deepest treasure of our hearts,

then we will count death as gain.

And we'll count living for him as what it means to truly live.

So how do we live for Christ?

What does that even look like?

Here we come to verse 27.

Paul gives the Philippians and he gives us one single instruction.

Only.

For everyone who God has saved by his grace, he makes this call on your life.

Only.

Only.

Only.

Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

You believe the message that you deserve God's just punishment for your sinful attitude to God and your sinful behavior.

But you also believe that Jesus took that punishment for you.

All of it.

He took it for you.

And he gave you his eternal life with God.

The gospel is great, isn't it?

Hearing it and believing it has saved your life.

Now, how do we respond?

And remember at this point, God is at work in us to produce this response.

Conduct every aspect of your life, every aspect of your life to show the greatness of Christ.

Here, Paul uses a word for live.

Usually he uses a word that means something more like walk.

But here he uses a different word, something more like live as citizens of a country.

The Philippians, they would have been proud Roman citizens.

And they would feel tremendous pressure to live worthy of being called Roman.

But now that Christ has saved them, now that Christ has saved us,

we need to think of ourselves under a different citizenship, a citizenship in heaven.

You are living under the law of the gospel of grace.

So act according to grace.

From watching TV, to choosing bananas, to having sex, to playing footy, to crying, to feeling anxious.

Let your thinking and values and choices be governed by God's grace to you in Jesus.

It's a big call, isn't it?

God is at work in us to produce this.

And our passage is going to help us do this.

Live in a way that makes Christ and his gospel look as great as he is.

But what makes Christ look great?

What shows that he is our treasure?

What shows the people around us the priceless value of the gospel message?

Well, the rest of the letter and the rest of the Bible addresses lots of areas that we need to hear.

And that's why we need to saturate in God's word all the time.

But the first thing that Paul addresses appears to be the primary way to live to make Christ look great.

It is what he spends the majority of the letter talking about.

And it's what he devotes the most beautiful poem of the New Testament to help us do.

This is what it is.

Live in a way that shows the greatness of Christ by remaining united.

Not united around superficial things.

Not even things like evangelism.

We make Christ look great in our unity when we share in Jesus' humble way of thinking.

So for the rest of this morning, we'll hear four aspects of how to live to show the greatness of Christ.

The first one, when we remain united while under attack,

this is a clear sign of the truth of the gospel.

The second aspect is that it's not external opposition that really threatens us.

What really has the potential to divide us is our own self-seeking thinking.

Thirdly, we remain united by sharing Jesus' humble way of thinking.

And lastly, we believe that Christ is great because of his humility.

When we believe that he is great because of his humility,

we will share in his thinking.

So let's get into it.

Look at verse 28.

Verse 28.

So first, remain united while under external attack.

The Philippians had been getting the gospel out into their city

and no doubt they were already living in ways that showed that their primary loyalty

was not to Rome but to Christ.

What do you think that caused?

Jesus said,

if you were of the world,

the world would love you as its own.

But because you were not of the world,

but I chose you out of the world,

therefore the world hates you.

We are citizens of heaven.

If they persecuted me,

says Jesus,

they will also persecute you.

Opposition to Jesus is par for the course.

The gospel is good news.

It is good news,

but people will either love it or hate it.

When you live in line with the gospel,

people will be attracted to it

or they'll despise it.

Now, one thing to make clear,

if we ourselves are offensive in our manner

and people are hostile towards us because we are offensive,

don't call that persecution.

You're just offensive.

So there's a few guys on Beaumont Street.

They just approach people and say,

do you know you're going to heaven?

Okay, confronting, maybe it's loving.

And then even when Christians go,

yes, I believe in Jesus, I'm going to heaven.

They're like, are you sure?

And then they just walk away.

Now, they're offensive.

Don't call that persecution.

But even if you are gentle and considerate

and truthful to the gospel,

it will bring about opposition

because people will either submit to Christ

or they will oppose him.

For the Philippians,

the opponents are either people coming into the church

trying to teach them to,

they have to submit to the law of Moses,

or maybe the opponents are just the surrounding society,

the surrounding authorities.

I think that's more likely because in verse 30,

Paul compares their conflict to his current imprisonment

and also his original imprisonment in Philippi.

But it could just be any opponent's.

The important thing is that the church holds rank.

Their chief officer, Paul, is absent.

But that doesn't matter.

For the sake of showing that Christ is great

and his gospel is worth believing and sharing,

they are to stand firm in one spirit,

with one mind, striving side by side

for the faith of the gospel.

It's military language.

Roman soldiers would hold their ground

by having half their shield covering themselves

and half their shield covering the man beside them.

They would move and defend as one unit,

as one man.

The Philippians are to have the same spirit,

the same goal motivating them.

They have the same mind controlling their every movement.

Move as one.

Whatever the opponents threw at them,

don't feel scared.

Feel pity for the opponents

and feel assured of your own salvation.

Now that's opposite to the way we think.

How do we think this way?

How can we be sure that God approves of us

when people are opposing us?

Sure doesn't feel like God is approving of us in that moment.

Verse 29, have a look.

We're to know and remember that God has not only given you faith in Jesus,

but he gives you opportunities to witness to the value of Jesus

by giving you sufferings simply for your faith in Jesus.

When we remain united,

committed to the gospel together,

even when under attack,

this shows that we really believe.

This shows that we belong to Christ

and it shows that our opponents are really opposing Christ.

They will be judged on the last day.

Let's feel pity for them.

Let's pray for them.

When we remain united,

we are reassured that we really do belong to Christ.

We will be saved.

We will be vindicated on the last day.

Unity,

even while being opposed,

being willing to suffer,

shows the great value and truth of the gospel.

But notice that chapter 2 verse 1 starts with,

so, or therefore.

Paul is going to show

that there's an even bigger threat to our unity.

What actually has the potential to divide us

is our own self-seeking way of thinking.

Verse 3.

Do nothing

from selfish ambition

or conceit.

Conceit

means to be full of yourself.

And if you're full of yourself,

you don't even realise it

because you already have

an inflated

view of yourself.

Now,

Australians.

Australians don't put up with arrogance.

We don't like anyone who's arrogant.

And so,

I think we're in danger of thinking

this verse isn't about me.

I'm not arrogant.

But,

as Australians,

just because we don't put up with arrogance

doesn't mean that we value humility.

Have you noticed the ads

for people signing up

to the Australian Defence Force?

They surprise me.

I just,

I can barely understand them.

I went to the ADF website,

and this is one of the main links

on the website.

Explore all the financial,

career,

and lifestyle benefits

of working for the ADF.

If any job

is about serving others,

surely

laying down your life

for your country is.

But no,

they're selling it

by saying,

what financial

and career

and lifestyle benefits

do I get out of it?

As Australians,

we are a self-seeking country

on an individual basis.

What about you and me?

I hope how I started

this sermon

showed that the way we think

is often,

often

about our own

self-seeking desires.

And could it be

that our opinions

and strongly held convictions

can sometimes be

the fruit of assuming

that we are so clever,

that we are so experienced

or talented,

or we just assume

our way of seeing the world

is the right way.

I'm not saying

don't hold convictions.

I'm saying,

have a look.

What's behind those?

So notice two things

in our text.

First,

Paul is speaking

to the whole church.

It's not just a few

arrogant people

in the congregation.

He's speaking to all of us.

We can all be proud

and self-seeking.

Second,

look at what the opposite

of being driven

by self is.

I think

we can often think

that the opposite

of self-seeking

is just doing

what you need.

You just go off

the base of what you need,

not what you want.

That's not the opposite

of self-seeking.

The opposite

of self-seeking

is in humility.

Count others

more significant

than yourselves.

Wow.

Do you find that hard?

I do.

This doesn't mean

that you think

of yourself

less valuable.

It's not saying

have a poor self-esteem.

Otherwise,

Jesus could not

have been humble.

He was the most valuable

and still is

the most valuable person

in the universe.

It's not about

having a low self-esteem.

That's not what

this is saying.

To be humble

is not to think

less of yourself.

It's to think

of yourself

less.

It's to

intentionally

choose

to place

at the center

of your thinking

and decision-making

others,

not self.

It's to pay

close attention

to what others need.

Humility

is an active

and intentional

choice

to consider others.

When you meet

a humble person,

you won't go away

thinking,

wow,

they were humble.

You will go away

thinking,

wow,

they were interested

in me.

They really cared

about me.

That's evidence

that you just met

a humble person.

this kind of thinking

is completely

opposite to the way

the world works

and it doesn't

come naturally

to us.

We need

external help

and that's exactly

what we've got.

Look at verse 1.

If there is any

encouragement

in Christ,

that if statement

is really saying

since you have,

since you have

comfort

and encouragement

of being saved

in Christ,

since you've got it,

since we share it,

since you experience

the consolation

of Christ's love

during hard times

and sufferings,

since you participate

in the Holy Spirit,

since you receive

God's tender mercies

and compassion

for you,

we share in this

together.

What's going to bring

joy to Paul

because it'll be

the Philippians

living in a way

that worthy of Christ?

This is what it is

to be united.

If the local church

is deeply united

by sharing

the same thinking,

have the same

intentional love,

have deep agreement

by operating

on the same thinking.

So what is this thinking

that unites us?

Humbling ourselves

by counting others

more significant,

paying close attention

to their needs.

Imagine if we were

all doing that.

Humbling ourselves

by counting others

more significant,

paying close attention

to their needs.

How do we have

this thinking among us,

within us?

How do we do it?

Do we just really

work hard at not

thinking about ourselves?

Isn't that just

thinking about yourself?

Don't do that.

Please don't do that.

This is how we do it.

We focus

on the greatness

and the beauty

of Christ.

So let's have a look

at the beauty

of Christ.

Verse 5.

Have this mind

among yourselves,

which is yours

in Christ Jesus.

Jesus.

What is Jesus'

way of thinking?

Here we come

to a poem

about Christ

that for good reason

some see

as the centrepiece

of the crown jewel

of the New Testament.

If you're still

exploring Christianity,

can I urge you

to pay attention?

This poem,

it's going

to give you

a glimpse

not only

to what we believe

as Christians,

but it's going

to give you

a glimpse,

a window

into Jesus'

thinking.

Let's have a look.

Verse 6.

Christ Jesus,

who,

though he was

in the form

of God,

before being born

as a baby,

Jesus existed.

I'm hoping

our head

is blown

at each point.

It should be.

Before he was born,

he existed.

Not merely

existing as one

of the first

of God's creation,

no,

he was in the form

of God.

And that phrase

in the form of

might give the false

impression that he

was just an imitation

of God.

That's not what it

means.

It means

that he existed

as God.

If it looks

like a duck,

if it thinks

like a duck

and acts

like a duck,

it's a duck.

As the Son

of God,

Jesus shared

all God's

nature,

not just in a

similar way,

in the same way,

the same essence.

God's eternality,

his knowledge,

his power,

his wisdom,

his unchangeableness,

his love,

his mercy,

his justice,

and so on.

Jesus,

was the one

who put the

southern cross

in the sky.

He's the one

upholding the

law of gravity

right now.

He is God

in every respect.

He deserves

obedience

and thanks

and worship

from everything

that exists.

Verse 6,

though he was

in the form

of God,

he did not

count equality

with God

a thing

to be grasped.

God

that's the

very opposite

of Adam

in the garden.

Equality,

equal rights,

equal status,

equal pay,

equal opportunities,

equal portions,

equal credit.

We're obsessed

with equality.

We grasp at it.

We think it is

worth grasping at.

We think it's worth

taking possession of

and defending

no matter what

the cost.

but notice

here that

Jesus was

equal with

God.

He was

God.

He was

equal with

God

but he

didn't count.

He didn't

consider.

He didn't

think

being equal

with God

was something

to be

protected.

Wow.

What did

he do?

Verse 7,

he emptied

himself.

First,

let me clarify

what this

doesn't mean.

It doesn't

mean that

he gave

up

his

godness.

He didn't

give up

any

characteristic

of being

God.

Before

he came

to earth,

he was

fully

God.

While

he was

on earth,

he was

fully

God.

Ever

since

and

forevermore,

he is

fully

God.

He is

always

God.

So what

does it

mean that

he emptied

himself?

The poem

tells us

he emptied

himself by

taking the

form of

a servant.

Here we

have that

same idea

again,

taking the

form.

Jesus

actually

became a

servant,

a slave.

Could you

imagine the

queen putting

on gloves

and cleaning

the public

toilets in

London?

The one

who by

nature is

the ruler

of everything

that exists.

The one

to whom

everything that

exists owes

its breath.

The one

to whom

everything that

exists should

look to him

and say,

what would

you have

me do?

He's the

one who

became a

slave.

he chose

himself.

It wasn't

forced on

him.

He took

the nature

of a slave

upon himself.

What is

this servant

form?

Verse 7

and 8.

Becoming in

the likeness

of men and

being found

in appearance

as a man,

as a human

being.

The creator

became a

creature.

The creator

of the

God.

More than

that,

the Holy

One could

not be

distinguished

by outward

looks alone

from sinful

humanity.

If you had

a picture

of a random

selection of

people of

Nazareth in

the time of

Jesus,

you could

not be

sure which

one was

Jesus,

despite all

the pictures

you've seen.

You could

not be

sure.

He looked

exactly like

us.

The Holy

One looked

like us.

Proud,

God-ignoring,

promise-breaking

people.

He became

like us in

every respect

except sin.

He was

sinless.

He designed

the human

body,

and yet

He is the

one who

experienced

hunger and

thirst and

cried.

He was

dependent on

sleep.

He really

and actually

became a

man.

He emptied

Himself.

He became

a servant.

And

incredibly,

there's even

more to the

way Jesus

thought.

Verse 8,

He humbled

Himself

by becoming

obedient to

the point of

death,

death,

even

death on

a cross.

No one

forced this

humiliation

on Him.

He humbled

Himself.

Again,

humility is

not about

counting

yourself as

less valuable.

Jesus

didn't

pretend

He wasn't

God.

He didn't

pretend He

wasn't

valuable.

He wasn't

insecure.

How did

Jesus show

true humility?

He became

obedient.

Obedient to

other people?

No,

obedient to

God the

Father.

We see this

clearly in the

Gospels.

He never

insisted on

His personal

autonomy.

Quite the

opposite.

He delighted

in speaking

the words

God gave

Him,

the Father

gave Him

to speak.

He delighted

in doing

the works

God gave

Him to

do.

In the

midst of

insult,

in the

midst of

every attempt

by men

to undo

Him and

even kill

Him,

He remained

obedient to

the Father.

Even when

He was

tempted by

Satan to

have rule

over everything

without having

to suffer,

He remained

obedient to

the Father.

Him

humbled

Himself by

delighting

in doing

what God

the Father

wanted Him

to do.

Even to

the point

of death.

Even to

the point

of public

shame.

People

looked at

Him and

saw Him

as weak

and powerless,

saw Him as

an enemy

of God.

His disciples

deserted

Him.

people

looked at

Him and

thought He's

a criminal.

He is

cursed by

God.

He deserves

to die.

He was

even obedient

to the point

of the

Father forsaking

Him.

He never

said enough.

I deserve

better.

I'm

stopping.

I'm

stopping.

though

equal with

God,

He chose

to become

a slave.

Becoming

in every

way

like sinful

men,

except without

sin.

And He

chose to

humble

Himself to

the direction

of His

Father,

serving

you,

serving me

by dying

so that I

don't have

to.

Him.

This is

Jesus' way

of thinking.

Isn't

He amazing?

God the

Father certainly

thought so.

Look at

verse 9.

One very

key word.

Therefore,

therefore,

God has

highly

exalted

Him and

bestowed on

Him the

name that

is above

every name,

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.

It's for

the very

reason that

Jesus chose

to lower

Himself that

God has

lifted Him

up.

God

exalts

the humble.

He looks

at His

Son and

says He

is the

greatest

person and

He is to

be worshipped

by everything

that exists

because He

humbled

Himself.

He is

truly

great.

He was a

slave in

service of

all, so

God exalted

Him to

rule over

all.

And Jesus

knew this.

He trusted

this.

He said

whoever wants

to be great

must be the

servant of

all.

He not

only chose

to lower

himself in

obedience to

God but

He trusted

in His

Father's

lifting Him

up out of

the grave to

the highest

place.

Selfish

ambition and

conceit,

they are

empty and

shallow.

Do you

want to be

great?

Do you

want to be

great?

Follow the

greatest

one.

humble

yourself.

God is

unifying

everything

under

Christ.

Everything

that exists

will one

day acknowledge

His

greatness.

He is

Lord and

He's great

because He

chose to

lower

Himself.

This is

the mind

of the

Son of

God.

Isn't

He

beautiful?

This is

why we

worship Him,

isn't it?

How do we

live worthy

of the

gospel of

Christ?

When we

are unified

in common

worship of

Jesus,

He is

great.

When we

worship Him

for the way

He humbled

Himself in

obedience even

to the

point of

death.

And when

we adore

Him and

cherish Him

for this and

count Him as

the greatest

because of

this, we

too will

choose to

be humble.

We won't

only have the

same goal of

wanting to

show the

greatness of

Jesus, we

will have the

same humble

way of

thinking.

thinking, we

will be

united with

the one

way of

thinking.

We will

even share

in the

Son of

God's way

of thinking.

We are

called to

live all of

our life

worthy of

this gospel

of Christ.

Christ.

How beautiful

our families,

how beautiful

our church

will be,

how strong

we will

stand against

all opposition,

how we will

live worthy

of the gospel

if we count

Jesus as

great, if we

think like

our humble

Christ.

let me

pray.

Please pray.

Lord Jesus,

you are

amazing.

Help us

treasure you.

help us

more and

more see

your

greatness

that you

chose to

serve us.

Please help

us love

you as you

deserve to

be loved.

Father, make

us like

you.

You are

amazing.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Amen.

Jesus is

great.

Amen.