Sermon Philippians 2:1-3

My last year in seminary I had the flu for a week. During that time, I read Here I stand: the
life of Martin Luther. I learned in that book the powerful effect that the Reformation had on
northern EuropeȘ there was glorious rivival, spiritual awakening, and reformation in every
aspect of life. It produced a tectonic shift in the lives of men and nations. Almost every
advancement in the fields of knowledge: politics, medicine, science, technology,
philosophy--can be traced back to the influence of the Reformation in northern Europe,
England and Scotland. What after I read the book I got on my knees and sang Amazing
Grace. I sang that song because I saw that without the grace of Jesus the church would not
have survived. During the time of Luther and Calvin the church was rocked by conflict and
heresy on the inside, and death and destruction from the outside.

It's the same for families and Christian institutions. Only the grace of God holds your family
together, your organization, your church. We need the grace of Jesus in our lives. How can
we experience this grace? That's what Philippians 2 is about. If you wanted to summarize
chapter 2 it would look something like this:
 Be on the same page
 Be humble
 Be like Jesus
 Be blessed
Today I want us to consider together the first 3 verses. These verses describe the problems
with which we are confronted and the solution to those problems. The three main ideas of
this passage are:
 What are the barriers to God’s grace
 What are the benefits of God’s grace
 How can we maintain the flow of God’s grace
Take time now to read Philippians 2:1-4.

What are the Barriers to God’s Grace?

The first thing Paul commands us is, “Make me happy.” Paul was their spiritual father. If
you have a father, or had one, you know how strong a tug that expression is on your heart
strings: make me happy! Paul also was our heavenly Father’s representative. If you are a
follower of Christ, then God is your heavenly Father. Do you want to please your heavenly
Father? Then do what Paul says. The first thing we need to do is to recognize the barriers
to God’s grace.

Look again at v.3. When Paul says, „Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,” one of
those is the source of the barrier to God’s grace. The other is the symptom. It is important
to deal with the source of the problem rather than the symptom first. If you don't deal with
the source of the problem first, then you waste a lot of time trying to put out the fires of the
symptom. The source is empty conceit. Paul wrote to them in the Greek language. He uses a
word that is actually 2 words put together: keno and doxian. Doxian is from the word doxa,
from which we get our word, doxologie. It means glory, weightiness, intensity, importance.
In this context it means that you matter, you are important.

The second word he uses with doxa is keno, which means empty—like an empty head, an
empty barn, an empty jar or stomach. When you put these two together to describe a

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person it has two meanings. One describes a person who thirsts for glory, is starved for
glory. The other means a person who is an empty suit; someone who is superficial. What is
ironic is the person who tries to be important, the more they try to be somebody the less
important they become. They become someone who people do not take seriously.

Here Paul strikes at the heart of the matter: what motivates us. Deep in our souls we want
to matter in life; we thirst for glory. As one pastor put it, the most frightening experience in
life is not to be hated but to be ignored. Madonna was a well-known pop star in the 1990s.
Her income for that year was around $39 million. In 1991 it had grown to $125,000,000. Per
musical tour, Blonde Ambition, sold out in 27 major cities. Her concert on HBO had the
highest ratings of any show outside of sports, ever. Her albums went double platinum. She
was at the peak of her success. The magazine Vanity Fair did an interview with her, and in
this interview she was very transparent and profound in her self analysis. Listen to what she
said:

“I have an iron will,… and all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling
of inadequacy. I’m always struggling with that fear. I push past one spell of it and
discover myself as a special human being and then I get to another stage and think I’m
mediocre and uninteresting. And I find a way to get myself out of that. Again and again.
My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing
me, pushing me. Because even though I’ve become Somebody, I still have to prove that
Somebody. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.” 1

Probably every person understands that feeling. Why do we live like that? Because once we
were full of glory. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were perfect and without fault. They
were the Crown of creation. They were full of glory but not full of themselves. Their focus
was upon God their creator. They were so not full of themselves that they did not even
know that they were naked! For the first 10 years of being a pastor one of my biggest
nightmares was to be standing in front of in audience preaching and suddenly realized that I
had no pants on! It's a silly dream, but it points to a reality: to be naked in front of others is
a great embarrassment for us.

Contrast that with Adam and Eve: they didn't know that they were naked! We know deep in
our souls that we should be more than we are. We know that we have lossed that glory that
we had at the beginning. From the time we are little children, we are always inventing ways
to make ourselves important. And this leads us to the symptom: selfish ambition.

Literally it means to serve for hire , in particular political party or faction. To stir up trouble
for the other side. It's what Nikolai Lenin was very good at. It means to have a factious or
contentious disposition. You live to fight, not fight to live. It's what adolescent boys do. This
selfish ambition is not governed by the truth or reason , but prejudice in preoccupation with
the self. When you try to gain glory for yourself selfish ambition pushes you to take things
personally. You don't have a sense of humor . You can't laugh at yourself, because
everything is about you!

1
Vanity Fair, „Madonna Interview,” 1991.

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Don't forget the context in which Paul writes this. The philippian church was one of the
healthiest churches that Paul planted. It was small but healthy. It was one of Paul's favorites.
What can we learn from this? Even the best church can be dominated by rivalry, posturing,
hyper fighting, if the members are not villigen to put to death the desire to be important.

Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa. He wrote, “No one is born
hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.
People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love
comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela was not a
very good student of history. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite. For example, after the
fall of communism in 1989 many leaders and journalists said it is the end of conflict. It is an
age of peace. It was called a new world order. But in the last 30 years we have seen some of
the most bloody conflicts in history. Longstanding hatreds that were suppressed during the
time of the Soviet Union raise their ugly heads. Soon after the revolution Bosnia and Serbia
were at war with one another and thousands were murdered. Radical Islam rose to
prominence. In Rwanda, A Christian nation, there was a civil war between the Hutu and
Tutsi tribes. In 100 days the Hutu military attacked the Tutsis and approximately 800,000
people—men women and children—were slaughtered.

This does not happen just between nations and people groups. It also occurs between
husband and wife, between partners in business. Our hearts are idle factories, pumping out
idols that make us feel like we matter that were worthy, that were glorious. And if anyone
threatens our idols we attack them. It doesn't matter if it's our husband or our wife with
whom we made a covenant to love and to cherish until death do us part, we war and fight.

When we see these conflicts from the outside, the answer to the problem is easy. But when
we're in the middle of it the conflict is complicated. What kind of solutions does the world
offer? As Nelson Mandela said, it's education. Others say it's economic advancement. We
need to be taught not to hate but to love. This idea is as old as the Greeks. The problem is
that some of the most wealthy, some of the most educated people on the planet are some
of the most evil. For example, the people who planned the murder of over 3000 New York
citizens on 9/11 we're rich (the Bin Laden family was estimated to be worth around $7
billion). Many were well educated with doctorates in psychology, biology, physics and
sociology.

Again, when we see these conflicts from the outside , the answer is easy. But when we're in
the middle of the conflict it's complicated. It's complicated because we refuse to recognize
the conflict for what it is, what the source is: it's the sin of pride. It is that constant effort to
make myself important. It is that continual thirst for glory, that hunger to matter in this life.
The Apostle James tells us, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you ? Is not
the source your lusts that wage war in your members? You lost but do not have; you
commit murder but you cannot obtain it; you quarrel and fight…” Jeremiah put the
problem and the answer to the problem in a powerful and poetic way. Speaking on behalf of
God he wrote:
“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,

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To hew for themselves cisterns,

Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
We leak!

What is the solution? It is found in verse one: we need to go to the fountain of living waters.
We need to go to Jesus, who is the only one that can make us matter in this life. You need to
experience the grace of God in Christ and the benefits of that grace.

Look again at first one. When Paul says “if,” he uses a word that means “if—and of course it
does.” read that verse again. All of these benefits Paul talks of are found in Christ.
Encouragement – when your soul is wounded, where do you go for encouragement? Paul
went to Jesus. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our
affliction…” Another way to translate that is encouragement.
Consolation of love – a gentle cheering and comfort found in love. One time when I was at
a prison I spoke in front of an audience of hardened criminals. These were tough men who
didn't cry. I got up to speak to them after a movie. As I walked up to the stage most of the
men got up to leave. I don't know what possessed me, but I said, “You are not afraid to
listen to what I have to say are you?” They stopped, turned around, and sat back down. And
I began to share with him my testimony. I began with my earliest memory in life: Every
Sunday morning is a small boy I would jump out of bed run into my parent’s room and jump
into bed with him. I would snuggle in between them. I remember that memory vividly. And I
felt very loved and safe. As they as I shared that testimony with these hardened criminals all
of them listened intently. Why did they stay in listen? Because every person once someone
to love them. And there is no one who will love you better then Jesus.
Fellowship of the Spirit – Harry Nilsson was a genius at poetry and music. Some of his songs
were sung by some of the most famous pop stars of his day—The Beatles, Three Dog Night,
Badfinger, David Bowie and others. One of his most famous songs is sung by Three Dog
Night: One.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,
Two can be as bad as one
It’s the loneliest number since the number one, ohhh!

No is the saddest experience you’ll ever know,

Yes, it’s the saddest experience you’ll ever know
Because one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever know.

Those words resonate with us because it’s true. We were created for relationships. Good
relationships tell us that we matter.
Affection and Compassion - Again this experience communicates to us in a powerful way
that we are important ; That we matter. Think about the first time you were in love. Those
happy emotions were like a powerful drug . You walked on air! And why is that? Because
there existed someone who believed you were wonderful! You were very important!

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All of these experiences you can get a taste of in human relationships, but all of them can
only be found in their fullness in a relationship with Christ. A beautiful example of this is
when Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria. Read John 4: 3 -14. Jesus is that fountain
that overflows in your life and spills onto other people with blessings! It is a powerful
example of how Jesus can satisfy our deepest desires and liberate us from the phobias they
come when we seek value in some other place.

The lengths to which Jesus went to accomplish this for us is powerfully described in Isaiah
53:1-6. Read it out loud and listen to the words as you read them:

Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
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For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
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But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
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All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

Everyone works furiously to matter in life. Jesus became of no value so that we might have
value. He took all our awful sin and ugliness and gave us His righteousness, His value.

Encouragement, comfort of love, fellowship of the Holy Spirit, affection and compassion—
why do you seek for these things somwhere other than Jesus—who offers you the fullest
expression of these experiences?

Do you want to stop conflicts and fighting? Look to Jesus. He is the fountain of life. He alone
can fill you up. And you experience this when you become a follower of Christ. The
challenge, though, is that it is not just a one and done experience. It is a battle that
confronts us almost every day. Is Jeremiah says, we are leaky vessels that need to constantly
be filled up but the fountain of life. So how do you maintain that flow of God's grace in your
life? Look again at verse 3: Paul says in humility we are to consider others more important

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than ourselves. We are to esteem, we are to regard, we are to show respect and value. In
other words, we're to value others by our words and actions. Or tendency is to devalue
others who or a threat to us. The way we do it is usually not very obvious; it's rather subtle.
Our body language or a remark or the tone of our voice--it tells them, “You do not matter
much!” When you see this attitude in yourself look to Jesus. Receive again his love and his
grace. Then, by his grace, purpose to be a blessing to others. Not the minimum, but the
maximum! And do it in a way that does not make them feel awkward but appreciated. Join
and I had a friend, Carol Hoffman, who fell in love with and married one of the guys in our
small group. His name was George. Georges mom thought that her son was too good for
any woman. That included Carol, and she expressed it in various ways. So, what did Carol
do? Return evil for evil? She made a rug by hand and gave it to her mother-in-law as a gift.

Paul says we are to consider others in humility. Humility doesn't mean you beat yourself
down. You don't say, “They are better than me!” Where is the focus in such a statement?
It's up on the person who says it. Humility doesn't mean that you think less of yourself.
Humility means that you think of yourself less. Jesus is a great example of this. In John 17
Jesus is praying to his father. Is one of the most profound and beautiful prayers ever spoken.
In the middle of this prayer he expresses a burning desire when he says to his father,
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them…” Jesus was pleased to give his
glory to us. When you esteem others, when you put others first, you put to death self
glorification, self veneration. You go to Jesus for comfort, for love, for fellowship and
encouragement, for affection and compassion. When you do this you are more than filled
up . You are filled to overflowing! He fills you with his love so that you can give others the
glory. So that you can concentrate on the needs of others.

Do you know what the most beautiful words are that you will ever hear? They are what
Jesus will say to you when you are face to face with him: “Well done! Enter into the joy of
your Master!” What would be the most terrible words that you could ever hear? It would
not be “I hate you.” It would be if Jesus said to you, “I never knew you. Depart from me!”

What will it be for you? A life like Madonna: chasing after significance and value? Or will you
drink from the fountain of living waters where you will discover value , importance, love,
fellowship, encouragement, affection and compassion? Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of
this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up
to eternal life.”

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