WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.080 You know, from the time we were born, we do whatever we can to get our needs met. 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:17.519 Now, as infants, it's just natural, normal for us to cry until mama comes to feed us or change us. 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:26.199 Well, as we grow up, become children, teenagers, we begin to think in terms of, 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:30.280 I'm going to get what everybody else is getting around me. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:37.740 And so as children, teenagers, we demand, we're going to get everything that our brother and sister gets. 00:00:38.519 --> 00:00:40.299 We're not going to be left out. 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:43.000 They're not going to outdo us. 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:55.659 As adults, we work, save, borrow, do whatever we can to get the best job, biggest house, newest car. 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:00.000 We can afford or get. 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.280 Now, I want you to think about that progression. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:09.799 We start out as infants just using our survival skills. 00:01:09.939 --> 00:01:11.159 That's the way God made us. 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:12.879 We cry out. 00:01:13.800 --> 00:01:14.879 We get attention. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:20.140 We let people know we have needs and they can come and meet our needs. 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:28.040 But it doesn't take long as we get a little bit older that our sinful, selfish nature begins to kick in. 00:01:29.140 --> 00:01:40.579 And we learn to push our way to the front of as many lines as we can with little to no regard for the people around us. 00:01:40.579 --> 00:01:51.159 Long before we ever reach adulthood, we become experts at being selfish and self-centered, don't we? 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:58.019 You know, that explains why we have trouble, at times at least, getting along with people. 00:01:58.179 --> 00:01:59.859 It's why we have conflict at home. 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.379 It's why there's sometimes conflicts at church. 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:09.859 Conflicts at work, at school, even out in the community. 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:26.599 Now, after we become Christians, we have the Spirit of God living within us to prompt us, cause us to desire and actually be able to please God. 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:30.319 We have the Word of God that tells us how we can please Him. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:39.900 So as Christians, with the Spirit of God and the Word of God, we have a lot of help to restrain our sinful tendencies. 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:45.859 We have a lot of help to become more self-giving, don't we? 00:02:47.539 --> 00:02:53.539 More looking out for the interests of other people in addition to our own. 00:02:53.539 --> 00:02:57.259 But it's hard not to be selfish, isn't it? 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:07.739 I mean, it's just hard every day to go all day, every day, and never be selfish. 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:14.459 Sometimes we just fall back into our old habits, even as committed Christians. 00:03:15.019 --> 00:03:20.719 We know better and we don't want to just ignore people, push yourself forward. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:26.979 But it's just hard not to look out for me first. 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:35.879 That's why we're commanded, as we saw last week in Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:44.000 We're commanded to be unified, to be humble, to be unselfish in our relationships with one another in the church. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:49.580 And we spend a lot of time applying that to relationships in the home. 00:03:50.379 --> 00:03:52.620 Well, today I want us to move on in Philippians 2. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.620 We're going to look at how Paul drives home the point of living an unselfish life 00:03:58.620 --> 00:04:07.120 by telling us to follow the Lord's great example of His unselfishness. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:12.340 And then we're going to look next week in verses 9 through 11 of Philippians. 00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:17.060 We can live an unselfish life. 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:27.519 It's costly, but the benefits one day will make all of our sacrificing worth it. 00:04:28.259 --> 00:04:30.319 But for now, let's look at Philippians chapter 2. 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:32.959 We're going to read together verses 5 through 8. 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:40.539 We're looking today and next week at the costs and benefits of unselfish living. 00:04:41.039 --> 00:04:42.180 Look at it in verse 5. 00:04:42.180 --> 00:05:12.160 We're talking about Jesus. 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:19.360 The life He lived before He came to this world and in this world. 00:05:21.259 --> 00:05:24.060 How do we go about living this kind of unselfish life? 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:32.519 Well, Paul tells us first, we need to look to Jesus as the ultimate model for what it means to be unselfish. 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:36.120 Jesus is the ultimate model. 00:05:36.420 --> 00:05:38.340 He may not be the only model in your life. 00:05:38.339 --> 00:05:47.979 There may be some people that live with you or just stand out to you as their real self-giving self, 00:05:48.979 --> 00:05:51.639 you know, go out of their way to help others all the time. 00:05:51.739 --> 00:05:52.259 That's good. 00:05:53.099 --> 00:06:00.319 But the greatest example of what it means to be unselfish is Jesus because of who He is as well as what He did. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:06.879 Living an unselfish life begins, though, with developing an unselfish attitude. 00:06:07.860 --> 00:06:09.180 I want you to look at verse 5 again. 00:06:10.099 --> 00:06:11.339 He begins this section. 00:06:12.540 --> 00:06:16.459 Have this mind, or have this mindset, some translations say. 00:06:18.379 --> 00:06:21.219 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.920 This phrase, have this mind, it means have this attitude. 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:27.320 The New American Standard translates it that way. 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:31.200 In fact, I want you to look at how the New Living Translation makes this statement. 00:06:31.880 --> 00:06:35.220 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 00:06:35.340 --> 00:06:35.960 Very simple. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:41.500 We're supposed to develop the mind, the attitude of Christ. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:43.380 Now, why would Paul say that? 00:06:43.440 --> 00:06:46.720 Well, there's many reasons, but I want to give you two very practical ones. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:51.120 Number one, attitude is a powerful force in everyone's life. 00:06:53.140 --> 00:06:58.980 Your attitude, my attitude, it is a powerful force because it determines how we relate to other people. 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:03.860 It determines how we approach our jobs, how we approach our schoolwork. 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:10.120 And then attitude is a choice that everyone makes every day. 00:07:10.460 --> 00:07:11.460 We choose our attitude. 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:13.200 A good example. 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:20.579 After serving three years in a Nazi concentration camp, or various Nazi concentration camps, 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:24.139 Viktor Frankl made this observation. 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:30.099 He said, we who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, 00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:33.939 comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. 00:07:34.779 --> 00:07:39.899 They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that, 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:41.959 and look at this next part. 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:46.919 Everything can be taken from a man, but one thing. 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:55.979 The last of the human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, 00:07:56.839 --> 00:08:00.179 to choose one's own way. 00:08:00.180 --> 00:08:10.740 Now, from a human perspective, there's, it would be hard to find a more powerful demonstration 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:15.540 than a Nazi concentration camp that attitude is a choice. 00:08:17.460 --> 00:08:23.439 Under the most extreme agony, hopelessness that you could imagine, 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:29.259 Frankl saw that people chose their attitude. 00:08:29.259 --> 00:08:32.120 And then actions follow our attitude. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.899 Now, before we go any further, I want all of us in this room to let this sink in. 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:41.980 Children, we're talking about attitude. 00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:44.639 Let it sink in. 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:49.620 Youth, teenagers, and adults. 00:08:49.620 --> 00:08:54.980 We are responsible for our attitude. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:00.860 Now, some people can provoke you. 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:08.860 And it's not good if you know how to pull people's chain in your life. 00:09:09.259 --> 00:09:13.000 There's some people you like to push your buttons, make them mad, get them all frustrated. 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:20.300 It's not good to do things like that, to provoke someone to get angry or frustrated or whatever. 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:25.240 But I want us to understand, even with that in mind, we choose our attitudes. 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:28.120 We choose our attitudes every day. 00:09:29.560 --> 00:09:33.840 Your attitude is not beyond your control. 00:09:35.779 --> 00:09:38.519 Everything about your situation at work may be. 00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:42.240 You can't do a thing in the world about it, but you can choose the attitude you bring to it. 00:09:42.299 --> 00:09:43.120 Same thing at school. 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:53.840 You can choose to develop a good attitude and approach things that way if you want to. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.080 It's a part of the human makeup. 00:09:57.780 --> 00:09:59.080 The way God made us. 00:09:59.660 --> 00:10:00.899 We can do that. 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:13.120 But if you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives within you, and He gives us the supernatural power to do everything that God calls us to do, 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:16.460 including developing the attitude of Christ. 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:29.240 So before we go any further, I want all of us to understand, we have no excuse for going around with a bad attitude toward anyone in our lives. 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:31.720 No excuse. 00:10:32.139 --> 00:10:33.560 No matter what they do to us. 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:43.779 And we have no excuse for going around with a bad attitude toward anything in our life, regardless of how they treat you at work. 00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:48.019 Regardless of how bad or hard school is right now. 00:10:48.019 --> 00:11:01.159 So as we get into this message, the first step in following the example of Christ and becoming unselfish is developing His attitude. 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:04.439 Now, let's look at what that attitude involves. 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:12.340 Number B, living an unselfish life requires that we not hold tightly to all of our rights. 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:14.100 I want to pause here. 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:20.220 I emphasize not hold tightly to all of our rights. 00:11:20.580 --> 00:11:24.279 We're talking about in this passage of Scripture, Paul is writing to a church. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:30.440 He's thinking about relationships between Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ in a church. 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:37.940 And as we go through this, the last three weeks now, counting today, three weeks, it applies to our relationships at home. 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:43.460 But even Paul the Apostle, he was a Roman citizen. 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:54.360 And there were times, you can read it in the book of Acts, where he insisted, he demanded that his rights as a citizen be respected. 00:11:55.779 --> 00:12:00.840 There were times when Paul, the only way he avoided a beating, he didn't avoid all of them. 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:09.560 The only way he could avoid imprisonment or death was to say, I'm a Roman citizen. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.680 I demand my rights. 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:20.000 There are times that we, as Americans, we need to demand our rights. 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:22.000 We don't need to back down, apologize. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:23.800 We need to demand our rights. 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:37.159 There may be things at your work that you need to demand your rights in the workforce in South Carolina or according to the policies of your company. 00:12:37.839 --> 00:12:45.039 We're not talking here about becoming a doormat to the world, giving up all your rights everywhere in life. 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:49.219 We're talking about relating to one another in the church and relating to one another in the home. 00:12:49.220 --> 00:13:02.320 And in the church and the home, we can't focus on, demand our own privileged rights. 00:13:03.220 --> 00:13:09.940 Now, as we go through these verses, think, let it just sink in. 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:25.440 The self-giving, self-humiliating, self-sacrifice that Jesus made to come into this world as a man and save us by dying on the cross. 00:13:26.140 --> 00:13:26.800 Let's look at this. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.060 First, Jesus has always existed as God the Son. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:31.580 Look at the first part of verse 6. 00:13:31.640 --> 00:13:33.880 We look at these verses phrase by phrase. 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.000 Who, though he was in the form of God. 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:38.740 Jesus has always existed. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:41.720 He's always been God. 00:13:42.539 --> 00:13:43.539 It's his nature. 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:45.120 It's who he is. 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:47.659 He's the eternal Son of God. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:51.360 He didn't begin at a stable in Bethlehem. 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:53.059 He's always been God. 00:13:53.399 --> 00:14:02.200 John, the apostle, describes this in his gospel, the first chapter, the first verse, and then verse 14. 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:02.740 Look at this. 00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:07.360 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:14:07.720 --> 00:14:10.480 In verse 14, he explains Jesus is the Word. 00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:15.159 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:22.639 And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.779 Jesus has always existed. 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:29.240 He's always been the Son of God. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.560 He's always been divine. 00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:34.860 But look how he viewed himself next. 00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:40.940 He did not consider that his divine existence was only for his own benefit. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:42.259 Look at the next phrase. 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:47.060 Did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:53.480 The NIV says he did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:57.379 He didn't consider his divine nature. 00:14:57.379 --> 00:15:13.700 He didn't consider the glory he had always known as something that he had to hold on to and use for his benefit, for his privileges, for his advantage. 00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:15.700 I want you to think about this. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:16.160 I want you to think about this. 00:15:16.160 --> 00:15:24.220 It has always been in the DNA of God the Father and God the Son to be self-giving. 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:28.440 It's one of the ways they demonstrate their love. 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:31.500 For God so loved the world. 00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:35.440 The verse that most people hear, if you know any verse of Scripture, you know John 3, 16. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:38.259 For God so loved the world that he gave his Son. 00:15:38.259 --> 00:15:42.399 It's in their DNA to be self-giving. 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:46.860 Number three, Jesus chose to lay aside the glory he had always known. 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:48.779 The phrase is he emptied himself. 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:55.580 He laid aside the glory, the honor he had always experienced in heaven. 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:00.419 But he did not lay aside his divine nature. 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:03.019 He didn't cease to be God. 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:09.100 When Jesus came into this world, he was born in the stable in Bethlehem. 00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:15.039 That little baby in the cradle, he was still God. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:19.059 But he had become also a man. 00:16:19.179 --> 00:16:20.879 He'd taken on human form. 00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:23.819 He became the God-man. 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:26.179 God in the flesh. 00:16:27.439 --> 00:16:29.860 That's who Jesus is. 00:16:29.860 --> 00:16:35.060 Who he's always been, since he was born in the stable, the God-man. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.899 He never ceased to be God. 00:16:38.460 --> 00:16:39.820 The NIV translates this. 00:16:40.340 --> 00:16:41.659 He made himself nothing. 00:16:42.580 --> 00:16:46.580 And we can move on next and see what that involves. 00:16:47.180 --> 00:16:54.500 Number four, Jesus willingly stepped down from his position as the ultimate somebody to become a nobody. 00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:55.019 Look at it. 00:16:55.580 --> 00:17:03.779 By taking the form of a servant or bond slave or bond servant, some translations will say. 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:05.640 Some will just say plain slave. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.660 By taking the form of a slave. 00:17:07.140 --> 00:17:08.880 Being born in the likeness of men. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:10.880 Jesus came to this world as a man. 00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:18.980 I mean, Jesus was as real a human being as you and I, as well as having his divine nature. 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:20.380 He was the God-man. 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:23.059 But he was a human being. 00:17:23.059 --> 00:17:24.220 He would look. 00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:25.259 He thought. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:26.119 He talked. 00:17:26.220 --> 00:17:26.559 He drank. 00:17:26.639 --> 00:17:26.879 He ate. 00:17:27.139 --> 00:17:28.159 He was like us. 00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:29.879 Except for he did not sin. 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:34.779 But this passage is saying he became more than just a man. 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:35.579 He became a servant. 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:37.179 A bond servant. 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:38.179 A slave. 00:17:39.639 --> 00:17:40.399 Here's the point. 00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:41.980 A slave has no privileges. 00:17:43.259 --> 00:17:43.720 None. 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:47.779 That's what made Jesus a nobody. 00:17:49.500 --> 00:17:50.359 He was nothing. 00:17:50.359 --> 00:17:58.740 He came to this world and became the lowest form of humanity that humanity can be. 00:17:59.619 --> 00:18:00.500 A slave. 00:18:01.639 --> 00:18:02.919 Not to serve himself. 00:18:03.959 --> 00:18:05.319 Not to be served. 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:07.139 But to serve others. 00:18:07.219 --> 00:18:07.819 We'll see in a moment. 00:18:08.659 --> 00:18:09.539 Now, I want us to pause here. 00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:20.639 We cannot compare ourselves with Jesus in any shape, form, or fashion with his preexistence as the son of God. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:27.140 If we think about being like Jesus, we don't start out like this. 00:18:28.180 --> 00:18:28.780 Divine. 00:18:29.560 --> 00:18:30.800 Son of God. 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:33.640 Divine nature. 00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:40.640 And we'll never, because of that, even come close to demonstrating his level of unselfishness. 00:18:42.380 --> 00:18:43.920 Of humility. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.820 The Lord's attitude. 00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:48.840 From where he was to where he became. 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:53.320 His attitude and actions of becoming humble. 00:18:54.340 --> 00:18:55.080 Lowering himself. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:55.940 Humbling himself. 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:57.500 It can never be matched. 00:18:58.600 --> 00:18:59.519 And so we're not going to try. 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:11.400 But what we can do is put it in more simple terms so that we can evaluate ourselves and our attitude. 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.400 So let's say this. 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:18.580 Jesus had the attitude, I will not demand my rights. 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:25.519 I will not hold on to what I have had in heaven. 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:31.220 I will not hold on to what I have just for my personal enjoyment. 00:19:32.320 --> 00:19:34.759 Just for my personal well-being. 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.740 Jesus had the attitude, I will give up my rights. 00:19:39.740 --> 00:19:44.640 Or I will use my rights to benefit others. 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:51.700 Now, do you have that kind of attitude toward other people in this church? 00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:57.140 Do you have that kind of attitude in your home? 00:19:58.480 --> 00:19:59.880 Toward members of your family? 00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:08.760 Or, as I said last week, do you think of yourself as a king? 00:20:10.340 --> 00:20:11.540 As a queen? 00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:14.220 As a little princess? 00:20:15.540 --> 00:20:16.640 Or prince? 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:22.540 Do you think of yourself in one of these elevated positions in your home with your family? 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:28.460 And you expect everybody to treat you like you're something special? 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:38.299 If you're truly a follower of Jesus, you cannot live that way. 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:42.839 You can't demand your rights. 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:47.779 You can't come in here and be a member of this church and think, I'm something. 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:49.720 I'm special. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.519 And when I say something, you better listen. 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:55.980 If you have that mentality, you're crazy. 00:20:56.879 --> 00:20:59.240 And we are going to look at you funny, different. 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:04.500 You are going to be special in terms of lunatic special in this church. 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:07.500 And I want you to understand something. 00:21:09.980 --> 00:21:11.640 You may have little children at home. 00:21:13.299 --> 00:21:14.700 And they're impressed with you. 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:20.539 But as time goes on, and they get older, and they get more mature, 00:21:21.299 --> 00:21:24.460 and they really see the reality of who you are, 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:28.180 that you're just a man or a woman, imperfect man or woman, 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:35.920 they're not going to look at you in that king-like or queen-like way anymore. 00:21:38.299 --> 00:21:45.920 So what we need to do, men, do you really think I am the king? 00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:48.060 I know some of y'all talked to me after the service last week. 00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:50.259 I talked about that, about joking and carrying on. 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:51.940 Fun's fun. 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:57.019 I like to have all kinds of fun about things like that. 00:21:58.180 --> 00:21:59.340 We're talking about being serious. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.380 If you really are, put yourself on some kind of pedestal as a king or as a queen. 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:07.519 Or as a little prince or princess. 00:22:09.600 --> 00:22:11.519 Step down from it now. 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:16.380 Give up those rights. 00:22:18.380 --> 00:22:19.600 Be like Jesus. 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:22.620 Choose to be a servant. 00:22:24.100 --> 00:22:26.320 And serve the other people of your home. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:31.679 Serve your brothers and sisters in Christ here in this church. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:39.220 Don't demand that anyone serve you. 00:22:40.740 --> 00:22:42.839 If we're going to have the attitude of Christ, look at this now. 00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:44.460 Jesus made this clear. 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:45.220 This was his attitude. 00:22:45.679 --> 00:22:48.659 The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:52.079 And to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:58.259 And this leads us to the final and greatest act of self-giving we can ever see. 00:22:58.419 --> 00:22:58.819 Look at this. 00:22:59.259 --> 00:23:03.079 Living an unselfish life requires that we humble ourselves and obey God sacrificially. 00:23:04.159 --> 00:23:04.639 Verse 8. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:10.319 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:15.740 This entire passage we've been looking at this morning reveals how Jesus humbled himself. 00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:20.240 The whole passage could be described as Jesus' humility. 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:21.519 He humbled himself. 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.039 The point here is how Jesus humbled himself. 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:29.120 He humbled himself by dying on the cross. 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:36.059 He humbled himself by submitting to God's plan that he suffered that way. 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:42.200 The emphasis really is on, look at this in the phrase, death on a cross. 00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:44.579 And what that meant in Jesus' day. 00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:47.740 Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians. 00:23:48.179 --> 00:23:51.019 It would have been read by leaders in the church, the congregation. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.899 When they heard death on a cross, they would have been horrified. 00:23:57.099 --> 00:24:03.460 They would have thought, should this even be said in polite company? 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:16.019 Death by crucifixion was something that was reserved in the Roman Empire for slaves, for rebels, for anarchists. 00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:24.779 Unless you were an anarchist, unless you were trying to bring down the government, 00:24:24.779 --> 00:24:29.220 a Roman citizen couldn't be executed by crucifixion. 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:39.539 The Romans considered it too cruel and shameful for a Roman citizen to die this kind of death. 00:24:40.539 --> 00:24:49.259 So what Jesus did was submit himself to the most revolting, humiliating death possible in his day. 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:52.980 That's how far he went to humble himself. 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:58.879 That's how far he went to obey his heavenly father's will. 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:09.920 And that is the attitude that we're called to have if we're going to be followers of Jesus in this world. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:18.440 I want to ask you, are you willing, are you seeking now, 00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:23.879 to consider yourself above no one? 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:33.279 Are you now or are you willing to consider yourself above no form of service 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:36.339 to any of your brothers and sisters in Christ? 00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:41.539 Is that your attitude here as a member of this church? 00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:47.599 Is that your attitude at home with your family members? 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:50.339 Let me ask you this. 00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:56.839 Is there anything about your attitude right now that you need to change 00:25:56.839 --> 00:26:02.279 in order for you to become a better member of this church, 00:26:02.460 --> 00:26:06.819 a better brother and sister to the rest of this church family? 00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:14.119 Is there an attitude that needs to change about your involvement, participation in this church? 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:18.959 Does your attitude need to change about or towards certain people? 00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:28.279 Or does it need to change about the way you serve the Lord in some kind of ministry of this church? 00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:35.079 And then, is there anything about your attitude that you need to change or improve 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:37.799 as a member of your family? 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:42.000 Or does it need to change about your family in the way that you talk to 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:52.980 and treat your spouse or your parents or your children? 00:26:54.059 --> 00:26:56.899 And even your brothers and sisters? 00:26:57.419 --> 00:27:03.180 Does your attitude need to change or improve 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:10.500 and the way you serve one another in that home. 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:15.759 I want us all to ask God to show us 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:20.200 if we need an attitude adjustment right now. 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:25.920 You know, there's times, think about being a parent, 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:30.860 there's times when every child needs an attitude adjustment. 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:33.459 And you know, as a parent, 00:27:33.779 --> 00:27:36.219 how to go about adjusting the attitude of your child. 00:27:37.899 --> 00:27:39.039 Well, as children of God, 00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:44.859 there's times we all need an attitude adjustment. 00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:48.779 So let's just be still in just a moment before God 00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:50.439 and ask Him, 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.079 are there sins I need to confess? 00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.539 Are there people that I need to go to and say, 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:00.500 I was wrong? 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:05.259 Will you forgive me in this church or at home? 00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:14.480 Are there some lifestyles that you need to change? 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:20.440 It's the way you're approaching being a member of this church 00:28:20.440 --> 00:28:22.259 or being a family member at home. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:25.579 I want us to bow together and pray, 00:28:26.399 --> 00:28:28.500 ask God to show you how you need to respond, 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:30.519 and then make the commitment 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:32.640 that with God's help, 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:36.079 you'll change your attitude. 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:42.119 You'll be the self-giving, 00:28:43.460 --> 00:28:45.420 sacrificial follower of Jesus 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.380 that God's calling us to be. 00:28:48.619 --> 00:28:49.019 Let's pray. 00:28:49.740 --> 00:28:50.140 Dear God, 00:28:51.140 --> 00:28:53.759 help us to see right now 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:55.359 how we need to respond to you. 00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:01.119 Lord, we confess we don't always have the right attitude. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.919 We don't always have a Christ-like attitude for sure. 00:29:05.899 --> 00:29:07.919 But help us not to be content in that 00:29:07.919 --> 00:29:14.799 and help us not to defend bad attitudes. 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:26.579 Father, show us how we should respond to what you've said in this passage. 00:29:28.879 --> 00:29:31.379 Show us how we should respond to be more like Jesus 00:29:31.380 --> 00:29:34.000 and laying down our rights 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:37.440 and serving others 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:42.720 and especially dear God 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:44.860 here in this church and at home. 00:29:46.540 --> 00:29:47.720 Let's just in an attitude of prayer, 00:29:47.820 --> 00:29:48.460 listen to the Lord 00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:50.300 and you respond to Him. 00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:51.600 So, 00:29:52.600 --> 00:29:54.420 talk to God and respond to Him 00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.840 that you walk out of here 00:29:55.840 --> 00:29:57.600 with the kind of attitude 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:00.980 that I want to be a true follower of Jesus 00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:03.899 and live an unselfish life.