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.
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
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