The High Value of Humility Philippians 2:1-11 A. Contrary to popular opinion being a Christian is NOT about believing ourselves to be one, it is about thinking like the Lord -- in order to live like Him. 1. Paul said in Phil 2:5, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. a. Solomon taught that we become what we think about the most (Prov 4:23). - Tell me what kind of person you want to be, & I ll tell you what you need to think about to become that person. 2. To be a Christian, we must think as Jesus did (as He does); then will we ll be able to live like Him. 3. In Romans 8:5, Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. a. Why do people live according to the flesh? They set their minds on what the flesh desires. b. The reason we teach what Jesus taught, is so we can think & live like Him. B. The church in Philippi was having a problem with unity (4:2-3; 2:14, implied). 1. Paul didn t offer them a set of communication skills --- or, conflict resolution techniques. 2. He simply told them, You need to think like Jesus (Let His mind be in you). 1
C. What does it mean to think like Jesus? 1. You might assume that it requires great intelligence, creativity. 2. But no! Thinking like Jesus is within the grasp of every one of us. 3. However, we don t often want to think like He did, because He had humble thoughts. a. How astonishing it is that the mind of God who created the universe; whose wisdom & knowledge is unsearchable & beyond understanding; should be governed by humility! b. If anyone ever had good reason NOT to be humble it was Jesus. - As the Creator, He was superior in every way to everyone around Him & He had no fault or weakness, no reason to feel ashamed. And yet, Scripture holds Him before us as the prime example of humility. D. There are few attitudes are more despised in our modern culture than humility. 1. Today the attitudes that are praised & admired are based on pride, selfassertiveness, speaking your mind, refusing to let anyone run over you. 2. Humility is not used to sell products -- except for babies & pets. 3. And yet, despite all of that, we must be a humble people to have the mind of Christ. Matthew 18:1-4 18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus & said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And He called a child to Himself & set him before them, 3 & said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted & become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 2
[What does it mean to be humble? There are a lot of misconceptions about this word. Humility is not self-loathing, or just having a quiet personality. In this text Jesus shows us that humility is about making three decisions in your life.] I. Humility Means Giving Up Your Rights. A. Though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself (2:6-7a). 1. He didn t grab on to what was His right to have (which was) His place of equality with God, where He lived in unbounded glory, & separate from all evil. B. But what were the specific choices He made that proved Him to be humble? 1. He chose to be born into very humble circumstances. 2. He chose to be born into a despised race. 3. He chose a mother & an earthly father who were simple working class folk (Luke 2:24). 4. He chose a barn as His place of birth, a feed trough as His crib, & shepherds as His first visitors & evangelists. 5. He chose to grow up in a town so despised that a proverb asked, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? AND WHY? a. Humility chooses to yield its rights & take the lowly place for the good of others. 2 Corinthians 8:9 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 3
C. If the Philippians were going to enjoy the unity God wanted them to have --- they were going to have to individually give up their rights. 1. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (2:3-4) 2. Paul offered that same advice to the Corinthian church & the Roman church when they struggled with unity. a. He never say, Let the smartest man rule. Let the alpha personalities prevail. b. The main point of (1 Cor 8-10; Rom 14) Gladly give up your rights instead of making a brother stumble. c. Though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more (1 Cor. 9:19). d. I do not see my own profit, but the profit of many that they may be saved. Now, imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (1 Cor. 10:33 11:1). 3. Humility chooses to put the needs of others ahead of its own privileges & pleasures. a. At home this begins w/ Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church & gave Himself up for her (Eph. 5:25). - Some men leave their families behind & do what they want to do. Many of the women (wives) have responded by doing the same thing. So what do you think the children are going to do? With everybody doing what they want to do, the needs of others get pushed aside; especially the spiritual needs (Eph. 4:32). [SO TO BEGIN WITH, humility begins with what we are willing to give up for another s spiritual benefit.] 4
II. Humility Means Taking Up The Place Of A Servant. A. Jesus took the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7). 1. Jesus gave up the greatest place in heaven, to take up the lowest place on earth the place of a servant. B. Consider the humble service of Jesus. 1. He began by working with His hands as a carpenter (Mark 6:3). 2. After He began to teach He owned no home or mode of transportation (Luke 9:58). 3. Despised & rejected of men, a man of sorrows & acquainted with grief (Isa 53:2). 4. He associated with those who were least esteemed by His people: Samaritans, Gentiles, poor & downtrodden, sick & handicapped, publicans, women & children. a. He never left the impression that He was above them, or that they were beneath His dignity. 5. Jesus had no ambition for titles. a. He had every right to demand that people call Him The Son of God, but He referred to Himself as the Son of Man. 6. 60 years after the cross, John still marveled at the humility displayed by Jesus at the last supper (John 13:2 5). a. He laid aside exaltation & He took up humility. That s the mind of Christ. 5
C. And what Jesus took up was the position of a servant; the word Paul used refers to a slave or a bond-servant. 1. This was the person at the extreme bottom of the ladder when it came to rights, because he had none. 2. He didn t have a right to his own time, even his own life. 3. Jesus renounced all self-will when He came to earth, to think like a slave. a. This does not mean we become slaves to everyone s whims or desires. b. Jesus was obedient to the Father, not to what others thought He should do that s how we need to be. Luke 17:7-10 7 "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately & sit down to eat'? 8 But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, & properly clothe yourself & serve me while I eat & drink; & afterward you may eat & drink'? 9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'" 4. True humility means lowering yourself to lift others up. a. If you ever find yourself thinking, That task is beneath me, you better think again; think Christ-like. [Most of us don t mind serving other s needs if we are properly thanked for it & it turns out to be a positive experience. Nobody likes to be treated like a slave, where the service is expected & the person is often ignored. However, the person with humility chooses to serve anyway, because people s souls are worth it. 6
Humility is about making choices that any of us can make: 1) To give up our rights. 2) To take up role of a servant -- to do the lowly & difficult tasks to help others get along in life & to see Jesus better.] III. Humility Means Being Obedient To God. A. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). 1. Jesus was humble because He chose every day, from an early age to obey God s will above His own. a. At the age of 12 He was already about [His] Father s business (Luke 2:49). b. Doing His heavenly Father s business meant being subject to his humble earthly parents throughout His early years (Luke 2:51). c. Through all His life, He never failed in His perfect submission to God (John 5:30). CLOSING A. Do we have the mind of Christ? 1. Have we given up our rights? 2. Have we taken up our service? 3. Are we obedient to God? B. Why did Jesus make the sacrifices that He did? 1. To purchase our redemption. Yes. 2. To do the Father s will. Yes. 3. Because He wanted to go back home & receive His glory again. 7
Philippians 2:9-11 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, & bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven & on earth & under the earth, 11 & that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Glory, for the people of God follows the suffering for His Name. Romans 8:16-17 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 & if children, heirs also, heirs of God & fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:29-30 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 & these whom He predestined, He also called; & these whom He called, He also justified; & these whom He justified, He also glorified. 8