Our sermon text for today is Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5.
For many it's the favorite part of the Bible.
In these first 11 verses, as someone observed,
they speak the soaring language of a musical piece.
Think of that favorite piece of music that you could listen to over and over again.
That's best understood by being heard out loud to the end
and then heard again.
So as I read our sermon text 1 through 5,
I'm going to read all the way through verse 11.
And I ask that the Holy Spirit will illumine to us His inspired word.
It's infallible, it's clear, and it's sufficient
only by the ministry of the Spirit to His people.
Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 11.
Even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him
and given Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven and of those on earth
and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
the word of the Lord for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
You may be seated.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Let's pray.
God, we ask that you please
will open our eyes to see your glory.
We pray that you'll
turn these words, Father,
that you breathed out.
You'll make them alive and active
to set forth Christ
before us, his people.
We need Christ right now, Lord, this hour.
We ask that you set him forth
to us through your word.
We ask for your Holy Spirit
to press home the truth
that our souls need right now, Lord.
I thank you for these dear brothers and sisters,
for each one that you brought here
by your providence this morning.
And I pray that your spirit will minister
and feed us.
You know what each one needs, Lord,
to keep going and to grow.
We trust that you will do this
because you are faithful
and you are faithful to your word.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Amen.
Well, beloved congregation
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
what I hope to do today
is to walk through these verses
and see together how
you and I magnify
the glory of God on earth.
How does the church
magnify the glory of God on earth?
this was how Paul described it in his own life in verses 19 and 20 he said I am this is chapter
one of Philippians 19 and 20 I am confident of this that through your prayer and the supply of
the Holy Spirit Christ will be magnified in my life and now he turns his focus to not his own
situation in life but to the congregation in Philippi and he says in chapter 2 verse 5 let
the mind of Christ be in you the mind of Christ and he rehearses for them in verse 6 Christ who
shares the essence of the holy holy holy God verse 8 he humbled himself and he became obedient unto
death verse 11 of chapter 2 he did all of this to the glory of God the Father so this is the concern
of this passage it's how God's glory is magnified on earth through you his church
a telescope magnifies a telescope takes something far away and brings it close makes it accessible
I looked up this morning we are in the Milky Way galaxy there's there's over I want to say
over 200 I think it's 200 billion stars in one galaxy but then how many galaxies are there in
the universe about 170 galaxies it's mind-blowing what God has created and he holds all the stars in
the palm of his hand so those things are glorious and the telescope helps bring those things that are
far away and make them accessible well what about the glory of the God who created these glorious stars
in galaxies he brings his glory to this earth on this planet in this galaxy through people like you and me
the person sitting to your right and your left the church four observations from this passage number one
God's glory is magnified on earth in his church look at verse 5 again let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus so who is it that shares the mind of Christ
well in chapter 2 he starts with the word therefore you've probably heard that every time you come across
the word therefore you have to ask what's the question what is therefore therefore so you go a little bit
and in chapter 1 verse 27 as heavenly citizens you could say as God's gospel colony in Philippi
who are sharing in the suffering of Christ that's his audience
and he says now in in verse 1 it's you who know what it is to be encouraged and exhorted in Christ
it's you who are comforted by his love it's you who know this fellowship of the Holy Spirit
it's the church it's impossible to be unregenerate to still have a heart of stone it's impossible
it would go against your nature if you're still caught in verse 3 of Philippians chapter 2 where it
says selfish ambition conceit see these are the words of those who don't know Christ who are not in him
who don't have the fellowship of the spirit that's not who brings glory to God it's impossible
and what a what a sting that would be because what he says in chapter 2 verse 3 that phrase selfish
ambition that's how he spoke of those preachers who preach Christ with bad motives now he's saying be
careful there's threats to the church from outside like those obvious ones but be careful your flesh is
bent in that direction even if you're regenerate your pride is going to want to steal some glory for
yourself that word is best translated I think as vain glory vain glory to pursue your own prestige
one commentator called this vain glory that strangely addictive and debasing cocktail of vanity and public
opinion it's strange how our flesh will even want that why would you want to keep drinking that
and conceit it's to be puffed up it's to view reality in a distorted way it's to be out of touch with
what's real and true conceit is what Satan brings that's how Satan thought and how Satan and all those under
the pagan spell of the demons think that way Satan thought that equality with God could be grasped
and it's the way of the world it's a threat to the church he also warned the church in Galatia
Galatians 5 26 let us those within the church those hearing this reading let us not become conceited
that's the word of Satan provoking one another envying one another to the church in Corinth 2 Corinthians
12 20 he warned them of this danger your church could become marked by here's the list contentions
jealousies outbursts of wrath selfish ambitions backbitings whisperings conceits there's the same
word again and tumults he says be careful it's possible to claim the name of Jesus to minister in the
name of Jesus even to say the right message in the name of Jesus but it's a counterfeit that does not
bringing glory to God you can use the name of God but you can have the mind of Satan
if you're doing this for selfish ambition or vain conceit or you can even have the right message
but do it for man's glory those are counterfeits
Jesus prayed in Matthew 11 we heard this I thank you father lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden
these things from the wise and learned and have revealed them to babes for so it seemed good in
your sight so the question I'm trying to answer is who is it that truly does magnify the glory of God
it's the answer is it's not everyone who claims the name of God it's not that it's more narrow
he says in verse one again if there is any consolation in Christ how much any if there is any comfort if any
fellowship of the spirit if any affection and mercy who magnifies the glory of God you who have tasted
even the smallest amount of how good God is in Christ you magnify his glory on earth
is there anyone here today who needed to be consoled spiritually and you were comforted and exhorted
and encouraged in Christ then you are the one he's talking to you're the one who will bring glory to God
on earth is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone here is there anyone
whose soul was once so hollow you thought you were going to die and if you died won't even make a difference
and then Christ poured his spirit into fill your heart to overflowing then he's talking to you
you are the one who will bring glory to God on earth if there's any of us who have felt very lonely in this world
we all have we have enjoyed now through Christ the fellowship of his spirit well then you're the one
through whom he will bring his glory on earth if you can think back to that time when your heart was still
ice cold toward God and his love melted your heart then you're the one through whom his glory will be revealed
on earth if you're a much forgiven sinner who's been surprised by God's own mercy now in your heart
toward his people where did my love for his church come from I I love his church where did that come from
that's not natural he says if this is true of you then let the mind of Christ be in you you've gotten a
taste of it you've gotten any amount of it want more and more and more and more do this to the glory
of God the Father verse 11 so God's glory is magnified on earth in his true church you who have
tasted any of his love number two the more you experience Christ's goodness the more you desire
to magnify his glory the first question is who who are we talking about the next question is why the
motive behind it but why look at verse two he uses a personal appeal he says fulfill my joy so don't
do this because it's it's like a law or someone's regulating or forcing you no fulfill my joy do it do it
to make me happy and proud by being like-minded having the same love being in one accord of one mind
in the fourth chapter of Philippians we learn of a conflict between two very influential women in
this congregation in Philippi now it's interesting in this whole letter Paul never says who was right
or even what the conflict was about it's as if that doesn't even matter he does not take sides
he does not call the church to erase their differences nor pretend like their differences don't exist
and we can give gain some other insights there was this threat of of bad teachers all around them but
also internally within the congregation there's going to be diversity of opinions and values and
things that will be put into collision one with another among true Christians who have shared any of
God's love and shared any of his fellowship there will be conflict and difference remember in Acts there's
there's these examples we have Paul and his team traveling with him Paul is a Jew and then we hear
of the conversion of three other people Lydia was from Asia and she was of the wealthy class the slave girl
that was demon-possessed and freed and converted she was most likely Greek and definitely of lower class
she was a slave and then there's the Roman jailer who you know historians do their best guess to say that he
was most likely a Roman soldier so you've got Jew Asian Greek Roman all together in this little church
and this verse this passage verses one through four it's in Greek it's one continuous sentence that only
has one verb and the verb is right here in verse two being like-minded being of one accord that's the verb
this verb is plural so it's saying you or ye in the plural be this way and that phrase like-minded it's
it's really literally translated this way may you plural all of you together may be being disposed
it could almost be like have a shared mentality a shared mindset an attitude collectively that defines you
you're not all bound to hold the same opinions that wouldn't even be good for a church
but you are to be of one accord he says of one mind literally one sold like one shared personality
one shared identity who are you I'm a member of this church that's who I am above everything else
because I'm in Christ you have a shared mission and you're a team one commentator pointed out
uniformity comes from pressure without but unity which is the need of the church in Philippi
is only possible by the work of the Holy Spirit within internal divisions can only be resolved
when our minds get filled with Christ over and over again by the Holy Spirit
and this is a gift to the church to share a mind focused on Christ and his glory despite all of our differences
and then our differences actually are a source of strength for the body for the congregation
the more you experience Christ's goodness the more you desire to magnify his glory the hungriest
people to lift that trophy that world cup trophy when you get the shot every four years
biggest sports tournament in the world are those who have tasted it before that's why Brazil has won the
world cup five times more than any other country they've tasted it the whole nation behind them
rallying with them and so Paul's words here where he says if if if if if then make my joy complete
and be like-minded it's like an old coach and it's his last season before he's going to retire
and he sits down all these young guys and he says if that crest over your heart the emblem of
our nation if that stirs up any patriotism inside of you if your family name on the back of your jersey
makes you willing to sacrifice for something greater than you as an individual then you will
leave it all on the field if those great players who wore that number that you now carry on your back
if that means anything to you and you have any respect for them then you'll dare to achieve
something great with this team that most players would never even dare to dream of that's what he's
saying to the church fulfill my joy do this for the old coach don't play for yourself for your stats
do it for my joy do it for the team do it for the legacy play our game for one another and we'll share the cup
see this is the pattern of christ with his disciples isn't it it was for the joy set before christ that he endured the cross
to share this joy with you to share his crown with his church
paul says following christ's example fulfill my joy by being like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind
see what you feel on the inside these are all emotional personal appeals someone said it's like it's like a rope with
all these different hooks anything inside of your heart or your soul that he can hook on to and pull you toward christ
he's appealing to it our faith can't just be a desire or a feeling it's a feeling that christ by the power of the holy
spirit pulls into action with his church spurgeon commented on this principle he said if your religion
can live and die within your own hearts nowhere else then you have not any that is worth having
if you would adorn the gospel you must love others love them intensely and make it one objective of yours
in your life to make other people happy for so you will then be acting according to the spirit
and genius of the gospel you will be adorning the doctrine of god our savior in all things
so if you've tasted any of god's goodness church then let the mind of christ jesus be in you also
to the glory of god the father we do this day after day and the more we experience christ's goodness
the more we desire to magnify god on earth don't we
number three that god's glory it's magnified on earth when the minds of god's people get filled
with christ that's how he does it we saw who we saw why the motive and now it's how how does god do
this through his church it's by filling our minds with jesus christ
in verse three he says negatively let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit
number verse two he had said being like-minded of one accord of one mind sharing that mind of christ
and that's why his example the first example he gives in this chapter is jesus christ verse five
the trinity father son and holy spirit the creator of all is self-existent self-sufficient holy good
loving glorious and his eternal decree before time and space are created the holy triune god says
let's magnify our glory to our creation well how
and the answer is in verse six jesus christ god the son being the essence of and equal with god
verse seven he made himself of no reputation hebrews 10 5 and 7 says when christ came into the world he said
a body you have prepared for me behold i have come to do your will oh god as it is written in the bible
here are the disciples now with the lord jesus christ incarnate clamoring to have a position of honor
and power in his kingdom and as alistair beg pointed out the same god creator who that said let's make water
be h2o that's what water will be that same designer and creator put a towel around his waist and took the
water he created and washed the dirt off the feet of his disciples bringing their dirt unto himself
this is what it means to have the mind of christ
and jesus said to his disciples and all who will follow him
john 13 a new commandment i give to you that you love one another how just as i have loved you
you also are to love one another by this all people will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one another by this the creation the earth will see my glory
when my love is inside of you for one another just as i have loved you
titus chapter 2 verse 9
paul writes specifically to bond servants slaves within the church and he says
be obedient to your masters to be well pleasing in all things not answering back but showing all
good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of god our savior in all things how much ought we to
serve one another even as a slave serving another master because it adorns the doctrine of our salvation
it expresses to the world it makes it visible this is how glorious our god is who took on flesh and came to save
sinners like us
let this mind be
in you that was in christ jesus he says in verse 5
and do this to the glory of god the father
when christ fills your mind
with himself
there's no space left for our pride
there's really no target left for satan
when our mind is full of christ there's
really nothing to be baited or tempted with
when our mind is full of christ his love will ooze out
as if it were jewelry on us
it's his love
john chrysostom made that observation he said
as the children of the wealthy have an ornament of gold around their neck
and never take it off because it exhibits a token of their high birth
so
compassion
and mercy
are our status
symbol
as citizens of heaven
god's glory is magnified on earth
the more
your mind
and mine
get filled with christ
fourth and final observation for today
is that god's glory is magnified on earth
as christ's people learn his humility from him
god's glory is magnified on earth as christ's people learn his humility from him
moises silva
commented that the true obstacle to unity
is not the presence of legitimate differences of opinion but self-centeredness
in verse 3 paul cautioned
he says
don't let conceit creep in or vain glory
but instead verse 3
in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself
verse 4
let each of you look
not only to your own interests
but also to the interests or rights
of others
let the mind of christ jesus be
in you
we know that philippi
in act 16
is described as the foremost
colony
the imperial colony
in macedonia
the citizens of philippi
they would have assigned a high value
to questions of roman
social status
and rank
and so when he says in verse 3
in lowliness of mind
or in humility
let each esteem better than himself
this would have been a shocking word for him to use
in the Hebrew faith and religion
humility was a virtue
but in the Greek word
it was a derogatory term
so if you look in secular Greek literature
nowhere will the word humility
in this sense be used as a virtue
it's rarely used
and then only to push someone down
to denote them as a servile
beast
like a
a person that's extremely weak
and dumb
they're like a donkey
that's just meant to carry
carry something from one place to the other
to say a person is
low-minded
that's what you're calling them
and he says in verse 3
be that
be humble
this word if you break it down
it has a base
and an adjective
the base of this word
humility
or low-mindedness
it's the mind
the faculty of perceiving
and judging
and the adjective is
not rising far above the ground
very low
in spirit
deferring
servilely to others
and he says
learn
from Christ
how to be
humble
how to be low
minded
our Lord Jesus Christ
was
humble toward his father
the opposite would be
to be proud
before God
to be unyielding
but Jesus Christ
he was
here to obey his father
to do his father's will
he was always content
and he never complained
about God's providence
in his life
be
like Christ
have the mind
of Christ
think of a child
in a household
how powerless
especially in the ancient world
the child's completely
at the mercy
of the parents
decisions
and Jesus said
in Matthew 18
for whoever
humbles
himself
like a child
is greatest
in the kingdom
of heaven
someone had pointed out
I think very wisely
that true humility
biblical humility
like Christ
is not to think
less of yourself
but to think of yourself
less
such humility
I apologize
such humility
as Christ provided
with his own life
it's not a sign
of weakness
but a sign
of strength
Christ lived
to save
others
he lived
to obey
his father
he put his own
rights
aside
to accomplish
the mission
that God called him to
someone concluded
that there can be
nothing
so foreign
to a soul
that is united
to this
humble Christ
as arrogance
it's impossible
and I was so encouraged
to see
what does this look like
when this mind of Christ
this humility
like Jesus had
when that slowly
works its way
into all of us
I was encouraged
to see how this
actually becomes
a protection
for the church
from the attacks
of the enemy
John Chrysostom
pointed out
when there is a
mutual
unselfishness
a mutual
both looking out
for the interests
of one another
and the rights
of one another
he called it
a double wall
of gentleness
that Satan
can't penetrate
Satan wants to
accuse us
one to the other
he wants to
divide and try
to conquer
and God puts
in the Christians
by the Holy Spirit
in each of us
a gentleness
toward one another
that we learn
from Christ
a humility
to serve one another
and this puts up
a double wall
against the attacks
of Satan
to penetrate
and try to
break up his church
Polycarp
similarly
he said
this is like
it's participating
one another
by the gentleness
of the Lord
it's his gentleness
and kindness
in us
and we participate
for one another
to protect the walls
of the church
for the glory
of God
it's to walk
in Christ's
meekness
and humble
footsteps
Jesus said
blessed are the meek
for they shall
inherit
the earth
you know
how this looks
in our lives
I think it can take
a variety of forms
really small tasks
we do every day
one another
you all do here
on a Sunday
and it can also take
really colorful expressions
different parts of the world
that we would never
even be aware of
so we share this
as a testimony
to God's faithfulness
one example like that
is from an evangelist
in China
named Watchman Nying
and he told about
this Christian
who was a farmer
and he had a rice plantation
and because it was
on the mountains
you had to create a terrace
and you have different levels
of rice plantation
and when you irrigate one
you have these little
dikes that open up
the water
and it can flow
to the lower fields
well this Christian
happened to live
way high up
on the mountain
and he had access
to water
and he would do
the hard work
of getting up
every morning
and letting that
water flood
his rice plantation
but he noticed
the pattern
that his neighbor
who was not a believer
kept opening up
the dikes
without permission
and draining out
the water
so that the Christian's
crops start to get dry
and he couldn't
figure out why
and this neighbor
that was further down
with the help of gravity
was stealing his water
so the Christian
did not know
what to do
and he went to his church
and they prayed together
they searched the scriptures
and the church
encouraged him
his fellow brothers
and sisters in Christ
encouraged him
to be like Christ
be humble
think of your interest
but also the interest
of others
and with the power
of the Holy Spirit
and the example
of Jesus Christ
this believer
started getting up
two hours earlier
and he would first
fill up his neighbor's
field with water
take care of his needs
and then he would
keep working
and fill up his own
field with water
say well hold on
in this example
this is dealing
with the church
it's talking about
unity within the church
serving those
within the body
brothers and sisters
we don't know
which souls
Jesus died for
and it's whoever
will believe
will reveal to us
who it is
well in this example
in China
this evangelist
shares this story
that that neighbor
who was stealing water
and then got served
so generously
and humbly
by this Christian
he wanted to see
if this is real
he wanted to understand
why
and he came to church
and became friends
and got saved
he's part of the church
now
he was one for whom
Christ had died
all along
and this was the means
this suffering
and this sacrifice
of the Christian
looking out for the
interests of his neighbor
was the means
God used
to bring another soul
into his family
Romans 14 19
says let us pursue
what makes for peace
and for mutual up building
how do we do this
what Jesus said
in Matthew 11 29
learn from me
we learn from Jesus Christ
he says I am meek
and lowly in heart
learn from me
and there's no striving
you will instead
you'll find rest
for your souls
so church
God's glory
is magnified on earth
as you and I
learn
the humility
of Christ himself
from Christ
by the work
of the Holy Spirit
in us
so let this mind
of Christ
be in you
more and more
and that's how you
and I get to magnify
the glory
of our creator
right here on the earth
where he's put us
to the glory
of God the Father
let's pray
we confess
this is all your work
from start to finish
and you who began
a good work
you will see it through
to completion
we ask that your Holy Spirit
illumine to us
how it is you want
to apply this truth
for your glory
in our lives today
amen
oh my God
then