WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.400 Okay, so very quickly we are going through Philippians, this great letter that Paul wrote 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:09.759 to the church in Philippi. 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:14.400 We said a little bit last week about the church, that we know some of the people who are members 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:20.719 in the church, the Philippian jailer and his family, Lydia, the slave girl, some of the 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.199 different elders and leaders that were appointed. 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:31.839 And we're just taking a whistle stop tour through this letter, the four chapters, obviously 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:36.920 not original chapter divisions because it was a letter, but we're using the chapter 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:38.759 divisions that we have. 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:46.079 And we're looking at different aspects of each chapter, taking one verse from each chapter 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.840 as a kind of theme for that chapter. 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:55.320 Now I do realize that this is probably one of the greatest chapters in the whole Bible, 00:00:55.320 --> 00:01:03.560 and so it seems a bit unfair and a bit harsh to just go through it in one evening, but 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.560 that's what we're going to do. 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:10.879 We're going to dip our toes into this passage, into this chapter this evening. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:16.719 And maybe particularly if we have a verse that's in the middle of it, it's the verse 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:21.920 that brings together what's before it and what's after it, it would be verse 5. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:27.799 And I'm using, okay, I'm an old person and I'm using the old version of the NIV this 00:01:27.799 --> 00:01:31.400 evening, okay, which is the NIV 1984 version, okay. 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:34.640 It's not the version you read, that's the modern one. 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:35.640 I'm a traditionalist. 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:39.439 I like the way things were in the old days, okay. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:43.359 So we're going to read, I'm going to be using that because that's the one I really know 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:48.319 and it's a beautiful translation of Philippians chapter 2. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:55.200 And verse 5 in Philippians chapter 2 says, your mind it says in the ESV or your attitude 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.239 and it's the same. 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:00.500 Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:04.560 So we're looking this evening at a brilliant attitude, looking at different brilliant 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:08.079 things from Philippians last week. 00:02:08.079 --> 00:02:09.960 We looked at a brilliant philosophy of life. 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:15.400 This evening we're looking at a brilliant attitude to life and we find that is explained 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:16.400 in this chapter. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:23.439 Obviously, we're not going to look at everything in this chapter, but I would ask that you 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:29.120 would pray for it to provoke you to look at the chapter a little bit more and to pray 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:35.400 over it and to inspire you to study it a little bit more and to luxuriate in a way that we're 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:37.240 not able to do this evening. 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:44.240 That is such a magnet verse, the verse 5 there that our mind should be, our attitude 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:46.840 should be the same as Jesus Christ. 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:53.719 So Paul's really wanting the people to learn from Jesus and to in their lives share the 00:02:53.719 --> 00:03:01.480 same attitude that he had when he lived on earth as our redeemer and our Savior as the 00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:04.800 Son of God and the Son of Man. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:11.439 What he's really encouraging the people to do is to live their lives reflecting who they 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:15.920 are, who they belong to, who their identity is in. 00:03:15.920 --> 00:03:22.280 The idea of attitude here, our mindset, mindset is probably a really good translation as well, 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:29.480 that it's the mindset we should have every moment or every day as that reflects our instinct, 00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:31.240 our spiritual heart. 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:38.400 The way we live from our heart that comes across in our attitudes, in our actions in 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:39.400 other words. 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:45.320 So it's the motive that comes from within us, the attitude that we have in all of our 00:03:45.320 --> 00:03:46.320 living. 00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:50.680 So, okay, it's the middle of the summer, you're tired and everything else. 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:56.160 But the great thing about that is it draws everyone in, okay, because we all have attitude, 00:03:56.160 --> 00:03:57.160 okay? 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:03.879 We all have degrees of attitude one way, oh, oh, it's losing my brain here, my brain is 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:04.879 falling out. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.800 Okay, my brain's back in and I can speak again. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:10.800 Attitude is something we all have. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:16.519 We all have some kind of attitude that we take into our work, into our relationships, 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:20.879 into the way we get up, what we think about when we get up, how we eat our breakfast, 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:28.079 everything that we do reflects the attitude that comes from deep within us in our lives. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:33.319 So if I gave you a minute or two, I'm not going to, but if I gave you a minute or two 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:39.959 to reflect on what your attitude is, what generally, your life's attitude, what would 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:40.959 it be? 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:45.519 You know, if you were to discuss with the person next to you for a few minutes, how 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:49.199 would you describe your attitude to life? 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:53.439 What is, how do you think other people would describe your attitude to life? 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.519 And that's maybe more telling, isn't it? 00:04:55.519 --> 00:05:00.120 We maybe have one image of what our attitude to living is, oh yeah, yeah, brava, but someone 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:04.079 else might have an entirely different attitude and that would be interesting. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:08.079 Maybe we'll do that sometime. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:12.480 Ask each other what kind of attitude we have in life, because the attitude we have, the 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:21.160 mindset that we have, it will reflect your priorities, it will reflect your faith, absolutely 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:26.920 will reflect your faith, and it will reflect how you interact with God as a Christian and 00:05:26.920 --> 00:05:29.360 also how you interact with other people. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:37.200 And Paul's very interested in both these interactions in this letter in Philippians. 00:05:37.200 --> 00:05:41.360 So really our attitude, in other words, should be as Christians, I'm speaking to as Christians 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:47.960 here, our attitude should reflect our identity in Jesus. 00:05:47.960 --> 00:05:52.600 So if we call ourselves Christians, we say that we are identifying, we are followers of 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:59.240 Jesus, therefore our mindset, our attitude should reflect that in our day-to-day living. 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:07.160 Now there's two extremes which may happen, which we might militant against or we might 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.520 be prone towards. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:15.719 If we have a similar identity to one another because we are in Christ Jesus, you may kind 00:06:15.719 --> 00:06:22.039 of react against that and say, well, I'm an individual, am I just a clone? 00:06:22.039 --> 00:06:25.879 I'm expected to come to church and say the right things and do the right things and stand 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:34.159 up at the right time, sit down and think the same way as everybody else, so that we militant 00:06:34.159 --> 00:06:39.279 against the idea of being the same because we don't want to be the same. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:43.519 We don't all want to be the same. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:47.879 On the other side of it, sometimes we struggle to cope with other Christians who are not 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:48.879 like me. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:53.639 We want every other Christian to be just like me, to think like me, to have the same attitude 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:57.639 towards me. 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:05.799 And so we struggle sometimes with the whole idea of are we conformist or are we individual? 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:11.560 Do I live for myself as a Christian or am I supposed to look like every other Christian? 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:13.120 What is my mindset? 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.639 Can I think for myself or do I simply need to conform? 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:23.600 Do I need to jump through hoops and just be like everybody else because we're all supposed 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:25.160 to be like Jesus? 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:32.759 Well, can I set a scene here in the chapter quickly by saying it's both and, okay? 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:40.959 Paul speaks about both aspects, we're both individuals and we're both at some levels, 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:46.339 as a rebel I struggle with this, but we are both, we're also conformists, but conforming 00:07:46.339 --> 00:07:47.339 to Christ, okay? 00:07:47.339 --> 00:07:48.339 There's a difference. 00:07:48.339 --> 00:07:50.800 But so there is uniformity. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:56.920 Our attitude in being like Christ means that in some ways as Christians there is a degree 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:58.560 of uniformity. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:05.360 There's a core to our lives and in our understanding of the text to which we will always return 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:11.280 that all of us, all of us as Christians should reflect the same attitude on the mindset of 00:08:11.280 --> 00:08:12.800 Jesus Christ. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:16.800 The same mind, like-minded in verse 2. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:22.920 Every tongue is to confess in verse 11, there's a corporate unified confession of Christ. 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:28.960 Yes, it's ourselves that are reborn, what we're born into Christ and our core being, 00:08:28.960 --> 00:08:35.639 and that means being transformed to be like Him and molded to become different from what 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:43.080 we are to become like who He is in our lives, like Jesus. 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:49.159 So there's a clarity and there's a unity and a uniformity which is different from our 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:54.759 natural broken and sinful self-identity that conforms to Christ. 00:08:54.759 --> 00:09:01.639 So we come together and there can be an element of conformity, of uniformity that's common 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:02.639 to all believers. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:06.639 And one of the good things about that is that people can come from all over the world and 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:12.279 we can go all over the world and we can immediately feel a bond and a unity with Christians who 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:16.039 we've never met before because there's a sense in which we're going the same way and 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:19.319 we're going the same direction. 00:09:19.319 --> 00:09:24.439 So there is uniformity, there is, that's true. 00:09:24.439 --> 00:09:32.959 But there is also individuality as we seek to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ. 00:09:32.959 --> 00:09:39.559 This passage speaks about, it says in verse 4 that each of you should work out not only 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:41.759 your own interests but also the interests of others. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:48.679 It says your attitude, your individual attitude, it says that we should look out for our own 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:52.559 interests, not only our own interests but we should look out for our own interests and 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:58.539 of course most classically in verse 12, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 00:09:58.539 --> 00:10:05.360 So there's throughout Philippians and throughout the word there's this affirmation of the individual, 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:10.639 of the responsibility of each individual, of your uniqueness, of your value, of your worth, 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:16.120 of your diversity, of your responsibility and of your mind and attitude. 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:22.360 So there is conformity but you will always have your own mind and I will always have 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:29.279 my own mind and I will always have my attitude will always be different from your attitude 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.759 no two Christians will ever be the same. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:40.319 And the challenge for us is to avoid extremism, to be people who resent any guidance and any 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:46.800 uniformity at all costs, I'm an individual, I'll do my own thing as Christians. 00:10:46.800 --> 00:10:53.240 But on the other hand to be people who judge other Christians who are different, who are 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:58.280 not like me or who we think of a different attitude or a different mind because we think 00:10:58.280 --> 00:11:02.960 they should all be exactly the same and jump through exactly the same hoops as we've jumped 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.000 through. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:12.240 So in terms of the conformity and the individuality, what is the binding characteristic briefly 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:13.600 this evening? 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:18.480 Well, it's humility. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:24.960 That's the binding attitude, that's the mindset that is summarized in this whole chapter in 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:26.080 verse 8. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:33.919 It said in the middle of this great hymn of praise, this great early creed or confession 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:40.519 of who Jesus was and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:41.519 to death. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.719 So verse 5 says your attitude should be the same as Jesus. 00:11:44.719 --> 00:11:51.039 Verse 8 says the attitude is that he humbled himself, he became humble. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:54.799 And that's the brilliant attitude that comes out of this chapter. 00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:01.240 So humility is the one binding attitude that we should put into practice in our Christian 00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:07.639 lives because that is what is the attitude that was common to Jesus Christ, the same 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:09.039 as Jesus Christ. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:13.480 And of course the opposite of that is pride. 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:20.279 In verse 3 we have these words, you know, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:22.240 conceit. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.879 And that's what we're not, that's not what we're not to live as Christians. 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:35.360 So selfish ambition, the word comes from the idea of working for hire, okay, became an 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:42.279 idea of being mercenary, not really working because you loved it or working for any noble 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:48.679 reason, but really just mercenary for self-gain so that you could get what you wanted and 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:52.200 that's where selfish ambition and pride came from. 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:57.800 And that, without reference to God in our lives, that's our natural inclination. 00:12:57.800 --> 00:13:01.759 And it is the ugly twins that we have here. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:06.240 So we've got ugly twins, we've got selfish ambition and you've got vain conceit. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:15.879 That is that groundless pride, that vanity, narcissistic sort of self-centered lords of 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:17.960 our own lives. 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:23.800 And we see other people as a threat, they may be their gifts or their talents and any 00:13:23.800 --> 00:13:27.160 challenges they make in our lives, we resent that. 00:13:27.160 --> 00:13:31.440 We resent being challenged, we resent being asked to consider who we are and what we're 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.440 doing. 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:37.240 We're unable and willing to conceive we might be wrong in any area. 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:45.000 Often we're really self-justifying and defensive. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:55.120 We're not humbly willing to be conformed to Jesus or even to be individualistic in His 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.440 name. 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:58.919 So that's the kind of opposite. 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:06.320 But Christ's mindset in this brilliant hymn is expressed or summarized by humility. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:11.399 You know, verse 6, who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God, 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:15.159 something to be grasped and so on. 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:21.000 Now this is a remarkable poem or creed. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:23.360 It's immeasurably deep. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:29.720 Verses 6 to 11, take time to consider it when it was used and recognized by the early church 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:32.639 as setting out the person and the nature of Christ. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.600 It's full of mystery. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:42.200 It's not easy to understand God in Christ making Himself nothing. 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:46.159 Can we understand, really understand the depth of that? 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:53.759 God becoming man, it all gives us an insight into His nature and to His character of humility 00:14:53.759 --> 00:15:02.040 that He was willing as a living God to empty Himself, taking the nature of a servant. 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:15.879 The King of Kings becomes a servant and what we have in that is a picture of His mindset, 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:20.240 a picture of His attitude, that this is the God who is willing. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:29.559 His desire is, His heart is a King of Kings becoming a servant, leaving glory and an eternal 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:41.079 home coming into a stable from a throne to a galley, a banqueting hall to a desert. 00:15:41.079 --> 00:15:50.079 From heaven to hell, the lawmaker becoming the lawkeeper, the author of life submitting 00:15:50.079 --> 00:15:57.599 to death, the one who's infinitely blessed, becoming a curse. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:07.399 And that mindset is one of humiliation in many ways, but humility unparalleled, voluntary 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.800 and motivated by great love. 00:16:09.800 --> 00:16:12.600 You know, if you have any encouragement, it says at the beginning of the chapter from 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:17.639 being united with Christ, any comfort from His love, any fellowship with the Spirit, 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:23.639 any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded. 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:29.600 It's a great challenge for us this evening to consider these things and be like-minded 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:30.600 ourselves. 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:33.240 That's what we are asked to be. 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:41.639 We're asked to be like-minded to this Christ in terms of humility. 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:47.799 So as those who profess and take the name of Jesus Christ as redeemed people, if we 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:53.120 understand ourselves and we understand ourselves when we think, when we're looking at maybe 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:57.240 when we look in the mirror, do a bit of self-reflection, okay? 00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:58.759 Do a bit of self-reflection this evening. 00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:05.359 When you think about your own life, think about the attitudes you have as you go about 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.519 your day-to-day living. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:14.759 You will see and I will see reflected in what we see, our understanding of what it means 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.759 to be a Christian. 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:25.200 So we will begin to understand, if we do really understand or not, the gift of grace by the 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:29.879 attitude of humility or pride that we show. 00:17:29.879 --> 00:17:35.200 In other words, humility isn't a kind of pleasant by-product that's nice for a certain amount 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:37.319 of people in the Christian life to consider. 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:38.319 It's not an option. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:39.720 It's not just a desirable trait. 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:43.559 It's not something we should aim for. 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:47.480 It's actually an essential mark of our identity. 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:53.440 It is essential if we have understood anything about our own hearts and about Jesus Christ 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:58.159 and who He is and what He's done and what He offers to us, then it's essential that we 00:17:58.159 --> 00:18:01.240 go, you go into your day-to-day life tomorrow. 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:06.559 And I go into mine humbly, as humble people. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:12.279 A proud Christian is an oxymoron, okay? 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:18.119 That word comes from two Greek words, meaning sharp and stupid. 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:22.639 It means two things that are complete opposites, oxymoron, okay? 00:18:22.639 --> 00:18:29.200 A dead living person, a happy sad person, a stupid bright person, an oxymoron, two things 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:32.039 that are complete opposites that shouldn't happen. 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:38.519 There's something far wrong if as you examine the attitude of your life and mind that we 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:48.000 find ourselves to be proud, independent, self-motivating, without the need for Christ, 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.000 Christians. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.319 It's moronic. 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:54.680 It is not right for us to think that way or to live that way. 00:18:54.680 --> 00:18:56.799 We have misunderstood something. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:58.720 Okay, so far so good. 00:18:58.720 --> 00:18:59.720 We're nearly done. 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:00.799 Not got much more to do. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:11.519 But Paul wants to state that, reflect that in his teaching as we imitate Christ. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:18.480 But he also wants to be practical in unpacking what it means and what it looks like then 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:22.319 to have this attitude and to be like Jesus. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:23.319 It's the outwork. 00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:27.000 It's Monday morning theology, in other words. 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:32.160 What it means for us on Monday to understand and know and put into practice Jesus Christ 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.920 in our lives that we've maybe heard about on a Sunday or as we've opened God's Word. 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:39.000 And it's as radical as it gets. 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:45.240 There's nothing more radical than the outworking of this attitude tomorrow. 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:53.240 Because you will be asked and I will be asked to do something that we just don't do naturally. 00:19:53.240 --> 00:20:01.440 Consider others better than yourselves. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:06.400 That's the outworking of understanding what it means to be a Christian. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:12.640 It means that we consider others better than ourselves, middle of 3B. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:13.839 That's humility. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:17.240 That's the attitude of Christ worked out. 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:23.000 It's the opposite of our own natural mindset, which is to consider ourselves better than 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:24.000 others. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.920 Please consider that for a while. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:35.000 There was a while, don't get it now, there used to be an advert on TV where you were 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:37.640 a great, really amazing person. 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:43.319 You really loved someone if you're willing to give them your last role. 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:47.319 That was a great mark of sacrificial service. 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:50.480 You considered them better than yourselves. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:54.200 You would give them your last role. 00:20:54.200 --> 00:21:05.680 Now, that is kind of what's behind this, but we would give everyone our last role, our 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:09.440 last spiritual biblical role, whatever that might be. 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:10.559 I'm not sure. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:18.120 But this complete internal revolution that we don't simply give to people and consider 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:27.319 other people better than ourselves in an exclusive way, one or two people that we look up to, 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:30.759 in other words, not just the one or two we look up to that we consider better or more 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:32.759 gifted. 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:39.159 It's this attitude of life that says, wherever we are going, we value others as God-imagers, 00:21:39.159 --> 00:21:41.559 and we are not the center of our universe. 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:47.279 God is, and therefore we treat other people as if we only have one role left and we would 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:49.879 give it to them. 00:21:49.879 --> 00:21:54.160 We consider others better than ourselves. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:22:02.079 Think about that as you face conflict in your workplace or you go back to work or as Rowan 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:08.240 works with students and faces lots of different issues. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:14.359 Your boss, your teacher, your students, those who are isolated, maybe those who you would 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:22.839 not naturally consider them better than yourselves and serve them. 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:24.719 That's what we're called to do. 00:22:24.719 --> 00:22:27.159 We're called like Jesus Christ to serve us. 00:22:27.159 --> 00:22:31.879 We're not necessarily called to like them or to be best friends with people, but we 00:22:31.879 --> 00:22:36.839 are called to love them and to consider them better than ourselves. 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:40.639 And that's a difficult thing to do. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:45.040 I take off my hat to you if you find that easy. 00:22:45.040 --> 00:22:51.160 You will find the Christian life good and easy to follow if that's the case. 00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:53.360 But as we conclude, how do you do that? 00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:57.920 How do you consider other people better than yourselves? 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:03.600 And I've just finished really by looking at verse 4. 00:23:03.600 --> 00:23:07.080 How do we consider other people better than ourselves? 00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:14.519 Each of you therefore should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests 00:23:14.519 --> 00:23:15.679 of others. 00:23:15.679 --> 00:23:17.759 So we consider other people better than what? 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.399 By doing what? 00:23:19.399 --> 00:23:24.679 Firstly, if you break this verse down, by looking out for our own interests. 00:23:24.679 --> 00:23:27.199 It doesn't say don't look out for your own interests. 00:23:27.199 --> 00:23:31.399 It says each of you should look out not only for your own interests, but for the interests 00:23:31.399 --> 00:23:32.399 of others. 00:23:32.399 --> 00:23:36.879 So it's saying it's important to look out for your own interests. 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:44.760 That is where we will first have the foundation to be humble and to consider others better 00:23:44.760 --> 00:23:46.760 than ourselves. 00:23:46.760 --> 00:23:51.720 And this is getting back to your individuality and my individuality and our significance. 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:55.000 You need to look after your own interests. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:58.360 And I need to look after my own interests. 00:23:58.360 --> 00:24:05.040 Firstly spiritually, you know, we have that great and contentious verse, verse 12, my 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:09.559 dear friends as you've always obeyed, not only my presence, but much more in my absence. 00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:14.079 Continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.559 Spiritually look after yourself. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:20.759 Work out the gift of salvation that you've been given yourself. 00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:22.799 Don't resist the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:24.680 Don't quench the work of the Spirit. 00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:25.920 Don't be unlearned. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:27.319 Don't be lazy. 00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:28.319 Know Him. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:29.319 Worship Him. 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:30.319 Love Him. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.000 Nobody else can do that for you. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:33.799 Get to know Him. 00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:35.079 Listen to Him. 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:36.079 Listen to Him. 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:38.079 Think about Him. 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:40.559 And be someone who works out your salvation. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.839 It's like working out. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.440 It's like someone giving me a gift to the gym, a gift membership and a trainer to go with 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:48.440 it. 00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:51.240 And you've got the gift. 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:52.240 You've been given that. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.240 I can go in any time. 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:54.240 It will be free. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:25:00.759 But if I don't go, if I don't use the gift, if I don't develop myself by going to the 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:04.799 gym and using the expertise of the trainer, then it's of no value with. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:08.119 And that's what it's saying about working out your own salvation. 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:11.920 God has given us the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:17.400 But we have to exercise and train ourselves under Him and with His strength and with His 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:19.879 cooperation. 00:25:19.879 --> 00:25:20.879 Look out for our own interests. 00:25:20.879 --> 00:25:27.720 It's not just in kind of quote or pure spiritual terms, but also our life. 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:30.119 Generally look after yourself. 00:25:30.119 --> 00:25:34.959 Look out for your own, care for your family, care for yourself, enjoy God's creation, develop 00:25:34.959 --> 00:25:41.279 your gifts and talents, acknowledge Him and His pleasures, food and drink and society and 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:42.279 culture. 00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:50.879 Give thanks to Him for these things and remember them as being significant in caring for yourself 00:25:50.879 --> 00:25:53.879 and looking out for your own interests. 00:25:53.880 --> 00:26:00.160 Do so in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to Jesus and therefore also look out for the 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:01.160 interests of others. 00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:06.760 That's how we consider others better than ourselves, is that we have a different mindset 00:26:06.760 --> 00:26:12.360 that we don't only look out for our own interests, but the interests of other words. 00:26:12.360 --> 00:26:21.080 In other words, take that same interest you have in your own life and that same concern 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:27.159 you have in your own life and that same love you have and apply that to other people as 00:26:27.159 --> 00:26:28.720 well. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:30.480 Look out for their interests. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:36.720 Appreciate this dual responsibility, not just to look after your own self spiritually 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:39.480 and in every other way, but also other people. 00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:45.399 So you have a responsibility to consider other people spiritually, to consider their needs 00:26:45.399 --> 00:26:47.439 spiritually, like Timothy. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:52.960 I don't have time to look at Timothy as explained in this chapter, but Timothy was great and 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:59.799 significant and important to Paul and Paul uses as an example, you know, Timothy, I have 00:26:59.799 --> 00:27:06.000 no one else like Him who takes a genuine interest in your welfare, for everyone looks out for 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:09.120 their own interests, not for those of Jesus. 00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:10.680 Timothy was a great guy. 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:18.000 He looked out for not just Christ in his life, but he looked out for other people, had a 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:23.880 spiritual concern for them and not just Christians, but other people. 00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:27.680 And I'm saying if you have a spiritual interest in other people, it will take you to places 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.680 of risk. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:34.080 It will take you because you love people, you don't love them, you're not interested 00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:36.960 in them as evangelism fodder. 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:40.440 You love them and you'll go with them and you'll befriend them and it will take you 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:45.480 into places of risk because you have a spiritual concern for them, just as it was for Jesus 00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:48.680 who went places and did things that everyone was horrified by. 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:54.640 He's a friend of tax collector and reciters, he eats with in the houses of prostitutes 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:59.440 and everything else like that and he did it because he had this great spiritual concern 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:02.680 for their souls and he lived humbly among them. 00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:07.640 And that's what we need to do with our non-Christian and our Christian friends, you know, these 00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:18.040 early verses, tender, compassionate, trinitarian love and unity, not complaining, not arguing. 00:28:18.040 --> 00:28:25.880 These are how we practically have the same attitude as Jesus. 00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:29.120 This isn't all, it's not really optional stuff. 00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:32.400 It's not just, these are really important. 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:35.600 And do these things characterize our lives? 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:42.240 Do we have the great concern for other people's lives, both spiritually and practically, as 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:48.279 we also care for our own life, you know, that's what God wants from us. 00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:55.399 Does it characterize your life, my life, our attitudes with family at home, you know, at 00:28:55.399 --> 00:28:56.399 work? 00:28:56.399 --> 00:28:59.399 Home is the place where it's exposed most, isn't it? 00:28:59.399 --> 00:29:05.519 Our attitudes exposed most at home when we're relaxed, when we're not with anyone else. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:13.440 However, and that matters because we don't want to run in vain. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:17.480 Paul says that in verse 16, I don't want to have run in vain. 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:20.440 I did not run or label for nothing. 00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:27.759 We don't want to run in vain by being proud, individualistic, unwilling to conform to Jesus' 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:28.759 people. 00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:34.400 We want like Him to shine as stars as we hold out the Word of life. 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:38.960 God leaves you and leaves me in the dark spiritually. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:48.560 And that then helps us to understand rejoicing and gladness in our life that spreads out 00:29:48.560 --> 00:29:54.000 to the community, to the family, and to the church. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:00.640 And even people outside will be singing, probably not that particular song, but one day maybe 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:07.880 they'll do one of these tours with Sam's or something, all with their headphones on, 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:11.600 singing Sam's all down the high street, and him's and everything good. 00:30:11.600 --> 00:30:13.080 So it's great, isn't it? 00:30:13.080 --> 00:30:18.759 Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ, who humbled himself and became obedient 00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:20.480 to death, even death and the cross. 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:26.680 I didn't even get into that whole glorious section of the crucified Savior. 00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:35.560 Do take time to consider and think about this great Redeemer who has made our life real. 00:30:35.560 --> 00:30:36.560 Let's pray. 00:30:36.560 --> 00:30:47.039 Father God, we ask and pray that we would really hear your Spirit convicting us to consider 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:56.640 our attitudes, our mindset, that it's something that sometimes we feel is just set in stone 00:30:56.640 --> 00:31:01.000 as it were and we can't change, and it's just who I am. 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:07.440 But enable us to remind ourselves that our hearts and our lives and our attitudes can 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:13.520 be changed through Jesus Christ and through His greatness and through imitating Him in 00:31:13.520 --> 00:31:15.400 the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:18.720 Be with everyone today as they go into their working week. 00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:19.720 We pray for them. 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:21.520 We pray for the city. 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:27.599 We pray for our church plants in Cornerstone and in Esk Valley and in Hadington. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.359 Remember them today. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:30.359 Bless them, we pray. 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:36.240 We pray that we'll be able to help Hadington with teachers and helpers for Sunday School 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:37.240 and Cresce. 00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:41.720 We remember Christian heritage that will be in the building this week. 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:47.279 We ask that you would bless the opportunities they have to humbly share the truth of God 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:49.639 with others who come in. 00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:55.640 We pray for the two performers and the stewards who come and sit in this building and rest 00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:56.640 and relax. 00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:59.680 And we know that there are Jesus booklets that they can take and look at. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:04.680 We pray that you would be working in the hearts of some of them because it will be a long 00:32:04.680 --> 00:32:08.520 time, three weeks, where they're performing every night. 00:32:08.520 --> 00:32:10.160 Can be lonely, can be isolated. 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:15.560 We pray for them and we ask that you would be close to them. 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:21.359 We pray for Jared and Elo who leave us on Saturday to go back to the States. 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:22.559 We thank you for them. 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:27.639 We thank you for the year they've been here, for the pleasure it's been to have them, for 00:32:27.639 --> 00:32:32.879 the way they've involved themselves so much in the work and in the life of the church. 00:32:32.879 --> 00:32:37.319 And we pray your blessing on them as they return to the States. 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:41.359 And we ask and pray your blessing on us now. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:50.039 And we also pray that you would be close to Rowan as she goes out to serve you with other 00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:52.000 really workers at UCCF. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:54.199 We thank you for the great work they do. 00:32:54.199 --> 00:32:58.000 We pray that you would encourage them, that you would build them up, that you would supply 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:01.279 for all her needs and for all of their needs. 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:08.559 And that it will be a special and powerful year for the gospel in our universities and 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:10.839 colleges for Jesus' sake. 00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:11.240 Amen.