The Difference He Makes:

Philippians Chapter 2  Have This Mind In You

Chapter 1 Actions to take to have joy: Partner, Proclaim, Prioritize the Gospel –

Chapter 2 Attitude to have joy.

KEY Verse:Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

1. Gratitude: ENTRANCE into Humility. v.1-2

–Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.  ~G.B. Stern
–There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed.  If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.  ~Robert Brault

–The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.  ~John E. Southard
–As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

2. Pride: ENCUMBRANCE to Humility. v. 3-4

Pride is measuring others by ME. Life is EGO-centric

Humility is measuring me by CHRIST. Life is Theo-centric, Christo-centric

James 4:6 ; 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

Fear of “doormatting?”

1. Never do something for someone that they should be doing for themselves–that’s enabling.
2. Never enable someone to do something for which God will judge them. Don’t empower sinful behavior.

1. Christ Jesus: EXAMPLE of Humility.  v. 5-8

Mark 10:45

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon. It was an unprecedented human achievement. Millions remember the words of Neil Armstrong:

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

President Nixon declared

“All humanity is one in their pride.”

Two thousand years earlier, the Creator of the moon made a giant leap of a vastly different kind. He descended from heaven to earth (Phil. 2:5-8). God the Son, (John 1:1, JOHN 1:14), stepped down from heaven to become fully human, while remaining fully God. It was an amazing “leap,” which showed us God’s heart of love. He became one of us to die on the cross for our sins.

Please take some time to read the attached commentary on Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Philippians Commentary

Below you will find the study/listening guide for this week’s message.

Philippians Chapter 1 Individual Study Guide

Opening thoughts: Think about the concept of partnering with someone or with a group of people: Have you ever “partnered with someone”  i.e. business, time shares, marriage, ministry–missions?

What are some of the pros and cons of partnerships?

How did the Philippian Christians partner with Paul?

For additional understanding read the commentary on Philippians at biblegateway.com or you can go to the church website and find additional commentary on the blog page.

Key Verse: 1:21    For To Me To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain.

1. Partner the Gospel.

1. 3-11

Every person is at one of these places in regard to the Gospel.

1. Preventing,
2. Perusing,
3. Partaking—
4. PARTNERING

Where are you at this point in your journey?

Re-read these passages and see:

How did the Philippians partner?

They partnered with God in their spiritual growth. v. 6 cf. 2:12-13

They partnered in provision. “sharing grace.” ch. 4:10

They partnered in prayer v. 3, 9, 19

2. Proclaim the Gospel without fear. v. 12-18   Notice in particular  v. 14  “dare all the more” “Dare to Share”

His chains didn’t stop him v. 12-16 and

His critics didn’t stop him. v.17-18

What’s stopping you? What stops us from sharing our faith? How can we change that?

3. Prioritize the Gospel.

v. 18-26

Paul is facing possible death…but he is not afraid! Why not? …

Philippians 1:18–26 (NIV)    Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.  (NIV 2011)

Paul is not afraid of death because he has prioritized the Gospel. He hasn’t wasted his life on trivial pursuits. Everything he does in his life is for the glory of Christ! Can you say that about your own life? What changes do you need to make in order for the Gospel to be your priority?

Conclusion

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

Fill in the blanks yourself. “For to me to live is money and to die is to leave it all behind.” “For to me to live is fame and to die is to be forgotten. ” “For to me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.”

No one and no thing, no circumstance can steal your joy if you can truly say this morning “For to me to live is Christ …And to die is gain.”

Over the next several weeks, we will be studying the book of Philippians.  We will be focusing on four “gems” from this letter, one from each of the four chapters.

Week One:  ”To Live is Christ” -Philippians 1:21

Week Two: “The Mind of Christ” -Philippians 2:5

Week Three:  ”I Want to Know Christ” -Philippians 3:10

Week Four:  ”I Can Do All Things through Christ” -Philippians 4:13

Here is an invitation to Philippians from Biblica’s The Books of the Bible, New Testament. Take a minute or two to read this introduction to this wonderful letter from Paul to the Church at Philippi.

On his second journey to bring the good news about jesus to the people of the Roman empire, the apostle paul helped establish a community of Jesus-followers in the city of Philippi.  The people of that community became his friend and supporters for the rest of his life.  When they heard he’d been taken to Rome as a prisoner, they collected money to assist him and sent it with one of their members, a man named Epaphroditus, who stayed in Rome to help take care of Paul.

Unfortunately, Epaphroditus became very sick and nearly died.  When he recovered, Paul decided to send him back to Philippi because he knew how concerned his friends were for him.  Paul sent a letter with Epaphroditus to thank the Philippians for the friendship and support they’d always shown him, and particularly on this occasion.

In this letter, Paul also offers some challenges and encouragement.  He knows that the Philippians are experiencing a lot of opposition, just as he is, so he appeals to his own life as an example of how they should respond.  he reports that throughout the whole palace guard – that is, right in the center of Caesar’s realm – he’s been able to make the royal announcement boldly that Jesus is Lord.  Paul’s desire that the Philippians will be encouraged, like most of the brothers and sisters around him, to become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

Paul also know that some people in the commmunity at Philippi are having trouble getting along, so he urges them to stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. Composing or quoting an amazing song of praise right in the middle of his letter, Paul urges the Philippians to have the same servant attitude that Jesus had.  Jesus didn’t use his high position for his own advantage, but humbled himself even to the point of death – all for the sake of others.  This is the new way of life in God’s kingdom.

Paul reminds the Philippians that they don’t need to be circumcised, as some people were apparently teach they did, and he warns them that they shouldn’t live like those who are controlled by their desires.  All of these themes are interwoven throughout the letter, which doesn’t develop systematically the way some of Paul’s other letters do, but flows freely, as one friend writes to another.

The dominant note in this letter is joy.  Even though Paul is a prisoner, and even though he and his friends are experiencing strong opposition, he’s rejoicing.  So he urges the Philippians to rejoice, too, in the partnership they have in helping others meet Jesus and in the reward they can anticipate when their work is finished.  Our citizenship is in God’s realm, Paul says, and so we eagerly await the Savior’s return to us.  Then he will transform our lowly bodies to become like his glorious resurrected body.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 5:16-26; John 15:5
 
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
 
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
 
Devotional Thought:
 
The story is told of a soldier who lay dying and the preacher who came to attend him.
 “Can I help you in any way?” the young preacher asked.
“I’m cold,” snapped the dying man. In silence the minister took off his overcoat and spread it over him.
   The dying man glared at him for a while. “My neck is hurting,” he snarled in pain, and off came the minister’s suit coat as a pillow.
   A few more moments of glaring and then the voice came in a softer tone: “I’d sure like a cigarette.”  The preacher found a cigarette, lit it, and put it in the soldier’s mouth.
  Finally the soldier said to the compassionate preacher, “Mister, if you’ve got anything in that Bible that makes you act like this, read it to me.”
 
Like the preacher, do your actions and words make people want to know about Jesus?
Realize that the Jesus in you may be the only Jesus someone ever meets.
 
Stay close to Jesus, abide in Him; then the “fruit of the Spirit” will be the hallmark of your life fleshed out as you with compassion serve others.
 
In His Majesty’s Service
Donnis Pallaoro 

Just a few thoughts . . .

Biblical Requirements of servants

Reverence: Ps. 2:11, “Serve the Lord with reverence.”

Loyalty: Matt. 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; either he will hate the one and love the other, or his will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

Regeneration: Rom. 7:6, “…having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

Diligence: Rom. 12:11, “not lagging being in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”

Paul’s example: Acts 20:19, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me…”

Love: Gal. 5:13, “…through love serve one another.”

Selflessness: Phil. 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

In England it is written on the tomb of an unrepentant sinner, “Here lies a man who in all his life never worked one hour for God.” How is that for a final epitaph?  Let it not be said of us!

It is amazing how many servants God has in the world and yet how little service.

I have noticed that the older I get, the harder it is to stay in shape—the extra energy and quick recovery ability of my youth is greatly missed! If you want to stay in shape physically you’ve got to exercise regularly—a hit or miss approach won’t cut it. The same is true of getting and staying in shape spiritually. As you serve God by serving others you develop spiritual muscles. Spiritual growth produces serving and serving produces spiritual growth. God does not want you to stay where you are in your spiritual development. God wants you to grow spiritually and to demonstrate that spiritual growth through serving.

Serving involves placing the needs of others before your own. To be other-centered is to follow the example of Jesus and to give evidence of spiritual growth. Serving is a process of allowing the life of Christ to be realized through your life to others. One of my favorite tests of spiritual fitness is found in Philippians 2:3-4

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:3-4 (NIV)

If I find myself looking down on others, or putting them down with my words or thoughts, then I know I need to “hit the prayer gym” and ask my Trainer (The Holy Spirit) to give me a serving exercise to get my heart back in shape. Selfishness is an indication of spiritual immaturity. Selflessness is an indication of spiritual maturity. What will you model today, selfishness or selflessness? Will you diligently serve others today or persistently seek to be served by others?

Spend a few moments right now expressing your availability to God for His use. Allow Him to have His way in your life today. Even when you don’t feel like serving others, faith it until you feel it. If you keep following this approach, in no time you will see your spiritual “flabbiness” begin to disappear and your spiritual strength and energy increase!

Give ‘em Heaven,

Coach Mike 

John 13: 8  “Jesus said, “Unless  I wash you, you won’t belong to
Me….since I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to
wash one another’s feet.”

One of my  favorite pictures of the Lord’s servant heart is when he
washes the feet of Peter. Here is a man, with all of his fleshly warts
and insecurities sitting before his dearest friend….having his feet
washed by the One who created him. I can’t possibly imagine what was
going through Peter’s mind. And why did the Lord choose Peter to
record, from all of the disciples? Certainly for our sake as well as
his disciples. What an act of humility. What a foreshadow of his
sacrifice on the cross for you and me. If I had been Peter, I would
have been screaming on the inside, “I am not worthy!” There would be a
lump the size of a baseball inside my throat and a cistern of tears
ready to roll down my face from embarrassment. And yet……..Jesus does
this for me every day. Every time I slide into pride or selfishness,
He lovingly yet firmly corrects me and shows me the higher way of
holiness and offers the choice and grace to change. When I try to
justify my unforgiveness or greed, He guides me in the path of
righteousness until I yeild to  His Spirit and do what is right and
true and pleasing to His heart.  While I worry about whether I am
serving Him enough, He serves …me…with all the grace and promise that
He is. Like Isaiah, “I am undone” How can I not serve my Friend, my
Savior, My King?

Carolyn

Supernatural Service

1 Corinthians Chapters 12-14 (optional reading)
 

Have you ever felt tired, listless, and increasingly lethargic in service? Perhaps you often feel like you’re the only one serving?
 
Well… have I got the cure for you! Yes, step right up and receive a dose of Dr. Jesus’ Miracle Elixir. That’s right folks; you too can enter into the joy of servanthood on steroids!
 
Warning may cause serious side effects, such as: speaking in strange languages, prophesying without warning and uncontrollable bouts of compassion. Available only where propitiation of sins are accepted. Ingredients: contains fruit such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Have you ever wondered why God offers us spiritual gifts? In today’s reading you may have noticed the spiritual gifts are not for ones own edification (14:4), they are an act of love (13:1-13) for the edification, exhortation and consolation of others (14:3). In essence, spiritual gifts are for supernatural service to unite the body of Christ for the glory of God.
 
What should we do about it? The scripture says: “Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts….” Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to “earnestly desire” to serve in the supernatural power of the Master Servant, not from our own strength. If that is your desire, ask God today, He will gladly fulfill your prescription!  
 
Ed Herford

TODAY’S READING: James 2:14-26
 
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds….Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 14, 18)
 
Do you ever wish the world around you could see the genuine commitment of your inner heart to God?
 
Do you wish those around you could see the intent of your heart?
 
I do!
 
But alas!  All that the world really knows of us and our claim to faith is what they see!
 
Does the world see you impatient and critical in the grocery store, hostile or unapproachable during a challenging time on the job or in an office situation, pouting when you don’t get your way, and downright unreasonable or oblivious to others on the highways and the city streets – just to name a few?
 
The lost people around you will never really hear the Good News of Christ when you tell them, unless your life, your actions and your responses clearly show that
knowing Jesus does, indeed, make a difference.
 
Dear “servant of God” will you remember your words are usually superseded by you actions. Now go out into your day and by your words and actions show people Jesus.  
 
In His Majesty’s Service,
Donnis Palloro