Being Like Jesus

Introduction

We begin today a series designed to help us discuss our Vision and Mission Statement. Over the next several months we are going to apply texts to help us flesh out the statement and to understand the spiritual principles which serve as a foundation for the statement. I would encourage you to once again retrieve the statement and reread it. It is challenging, ambitious, and has the potential to help guide our thoughts and actions as a congregation over the next several years. It isn’t scripture but it is based upon scripture and for that reason alone, you are encouraged to read it and to think through it.

Our world rarely appreciates sacrifice. While there are times that it is highlighted in a news story, the passion of the world is to accumulate more. There is little doubt that this mindset is partly to blame for the economic downturn that we are experiencing. But this culture’s mindset isn’t just about accumulation of wealth. There is a philosophy which exists that is selfishly driven. “Get what I can get while not worrying about others” or at best to given only a token nod toward others. This cultural view can spill over into congregational life. Elders can be driven by a philosophy of power; individuals can be driven by preferences assuming their view is better than another.

Such a selfish philosophy is in stark contrast to the mind of Christ. Today we are going to look at Philippians 2:5–11 and allow this text to serve as a springboard for this series. Listen as this text is read. I have been struggling with this text for over 2 months now. I know what it says. I know what it means. Carrying it out is another thing altogether. This text is challenging. This text is convicting. This text can be transformational. Allow yourself to be challenged, convicted, and to begin the process of being transformed to more closely reflect the mind of Christ.

The Text

The apostle Paul had a special relationship with the church in Philippi. This congregation had often supplied for Paul’s financial needs as well as trying to provide encouragement at various times in Paul’s ministry. Even as Paul is filled with joy and expresses his desire that the believers in Philippi share in this same joy, he writes this letter to deal with some special circumstance within the body of Christ. There is disharmony. 4:2 tells us that Euodia and Syntyche are at odds and their strife has spilled over to the other believers. Additionally, in 2:2, the congregation is challenged to think about their unity and that such unity will lead to a common mind, love, and purpose.

In 2:3–4 Paul instructs the believers to take a position of humility in reference to others. It is this humility which will secure the unity that Paul and God wants. To illustrate the depth of this humility, Paul uses Jesus as the example. Some believe verses 5–11 is one of the early hymns of the church. Whether it is an early hymn or not does not change the intent of the illustration.

Verse 5 tells us that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ. The language here is very intriguing. The word translated “attitude” is the word “think.” Paul is instructing the readers to think like Jesus thinks. Think like Jesus thinks. We could spend much of the rest of our time together trying to get our mind around this kind of thinking. While this is somewhat off subject, let me suggest to you that the only way we are going to think the way Jesus thinks is to spend time with him. How? The gospel accounts. Read the life of Jesus. Put yourself next to him. See people the way he sees them. Think the way he thinks.

But Paul quickly moves into verse 6 and tells us how Jesus thinks. Verses 6–7, Jesus in his equality with God; in all his divine glory chose to empty himself or as the NIV says made himself nothing. And it is this idea of “emptying” self that has captured the attention of so many throughout the centuries. But notice the result of Jesus’ choice. When he emptied himself and chose to become human, he did not come as prince or king; he did not come as wealthy nor even as well off. No. When he came he chose to be servant. From equality with God to equality with the lowest. From exalted to abased. From heaven to earth. From life to death. He chose this. He emptied himself.

Application

The point of the text is to illustrate through Jesus how we as believers are to think. Think like Jesus thinks. How does Jesus think? He thinks about emptying himself. To empty oneself is to seek to do God’s will at all costs. This is what Jesus did. He became servant and obeyed God even to the point of death on a cross. We must see this. Jesus emptied himself not so that he can demonstrate abased living but so that in emptying himself he encouraged and provided for relationship with God. To be self-abased because one feels unworthy is not emptying self. It is the intent to give up self for the benefit of another that exemplifies what Paul is discussing. Emptying is recognizing what you have and giving it up for another.

This is where we have the hardest time thinking like Jesus. To empty self means to take a lower position—to serve another—in order to deepen relationship. To think like Jesus means putting our preferences on the shelf. It means thinking of another before we think of self. What does this look like in a congregational setting?

Congregationally, it means allowing a variety of music to be enjoined because when we empty ourselves we want others to be edified. It means understanding that our role in the body is to benefit another not to receive recognition. It means that different practices which do not violate the will of God must not be held hostage by my likes and dislikes but are seen through the eyes of another so that relationship can be deepened.

In the community, it means giving up your rights so that another may be served. It means not demanding your way. It means to reject the basis of relationships in our world—power and control. It means to be compassionate, identifying with the pain of a needy world, and then being ready to suffer with it. This is what the text means. Think like Jesus thinks.

Have you heard the phrase “he is full of himself.” It is a phrase meant to capture the arrogance and pride one possess about self. The phrase means that the person sees life only from his vantage point and believes that life should revolve around him. Here is the reality. There is no room for God and his will when one is full of self. And what Jesus demonstrates is that when one chooses to empty self then there is room for God’s will and purpose. Think like Jesus thinks.

In the very first paragraph of our vision statement are these words, “we have a vision that captures the heart of God and more closely identifies with the ministry of Jesus on this earth. This vision we believe will challenge us to leave our comfortable routines and to move toward touching the lives of others in ways that Jesus did.” This isn’t scripture, but it reveals the direction for us. If we are serious about touching lives the way Jesus did then we must think as he thinks. Our world has seen and heard the voices of believers came to be like Jesus. What our world needs to see is that we empty ourselves to make relationship possible.

Follow Jesus

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