Joy from Humility (Part 2)

Joy from Humility (Pt. 2)

Philippians 2:5-11

-Philippians Series: “God-Intended Joy-Filled Living”

-One of the privileges of the Christian life is joy-filled living—but it’s also one of the most forfeited privileges in the lives of Christians—doesn’t have to be that way.

-Often, we discover that we’ve been placing the basis of our joy upon things that were never intended to be a basis of true joy.

-Remember: Joy is a choice to have a disposition of gladness because of your view of God and His provision—even if circumstances are humanly difficult.

-Today (2:5-11), we see our ultimate example from the Lord to follow in God’s plan for joy-filled living.

The 2nd key to humility that stems from and leads to God-intended joy-filled living is beholding & following Jesus as our: Example to Follow (Philippians 2:5-11)

-In vv. 1-4, Paul gave us a perspective shift with commands to interact with one another in humility—because we are in Christ, we responsively treat one another in the Family of God with humility with an avoidance of self-consumption.

-The Jesus-focused way to relate is with a denial of selfishness replaced with a selfLESSness that is reflective of the love Jesus shows us as His children.

-This undeserved display of love from Jesus Christ motivates us to love those God has placed around us despite the presence or absence of their deservedness or our desire or convenience!

-6 Follow-worthy thoughts to consider about Jesus and His Example:

1. There’s an attitude to change and Christlikeness is the goal. (Philippians 2:5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

-The inferred idea here is that there is a replacement that needs to happen in our thought process.

-If we are to relate to one another in humility, we must heed to call to look past self and toward the desires and welfare of those around us!

-This is a replacement of self-consumption with an others-mindedness, and v. 5 shows us where to look to find that replacement thought process = [the mind] which was also in Christ Jesus

-(hymn, Ada Whiddington) Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted; Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard; Not I, but Christ, in every look and action; Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.

Refrain: Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord, Oh, to be lost in Thee; Oh, that it may be no more I, But Christ that lives in me.

2. Humility neither devalues, nor overestimates. (Philippians 2:6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

-“Who being in the form of God” = a statement of Jesus’ diety…Jesus is God in every way.

-Notice why he said that: [even though He was God indeed, He], thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

-As humbly low as Jesus went for us, He never lost His God-ness., but He also did not walk around with a “SWAG” like He was “SOMEBODY.”

 –thought it not robbery to be equal with God = lit. He did not use His status of equality with God as something to His advantage.

-He was indeed God, but did not throw His deity around in order to manipulate people or to change His circumstances.

-Jesus set this example of maintaining WHO He was while never using that status in an inappropriate manner.

3. Humility does involve de-positioning (Philippians 2:7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

-3 angles of Jesus’ intentional choice to de-position Himself on behalf of our spiritual wellbeing and to set this example of humility:

A. Made Himself of no reputation – lit. He emptied Himself

-(A.W. Tozer) Jesus veiled His deity, but he did not void His deity.

-(CCEC) Jesus didn’t relinquish His deity, He surrendered His rights and prerogatives.

B. Took upon Him the form of a servant – “servant” = lit. slave

-Jesus surrendered His dignity and rights for us and, in the process, set an example to follow.

-John 13:3-5, 14-15 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded…If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

C. Was made in the likeness of men – “likeness” = appearance/form

-God, Himself, became a human being!

-It was quite humbling for the Creator to become as His creation!

*As we behold this Example of humility, we are motivated by this look at our Savior to empty ourselves of our natural inclination toward me-centeredness and self-consumption to seek to love those around us in the Body of Christ with a love that looks like Jesus’ love toward us.

4. Christlikeness often leads to personal sacrifice. (Philippians 2:8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

-There is no greater display of humility than one’s willingness to give their life for someone else.

-John 15:13, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

-Jesus willingly gave up His life in an extremely humiliating way for a world that had long turned it’s back on Him.

-How much we can glean and put into practice by following Jesus’ Example in making ourselves low!

-Remember, the call is to shift our perspective from self-consumption to others-mindedness.

-This certainly doesn’t come naturally, but it definitely comes with God-empowered enablement!

-Perhaps you’re thinking, “Why should I lower myself or let others walk over me…who’s going to look out for me?”

5. Humility trusts God with the results. (Philippians 2:9-11) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

-Yes, Jesus humbled Himself, but His day was coming! He was simply doing the work the Father sent Him here to do and trusting the Father with the results.

-Luke 22:42-43, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

-There was a bigger picture than simply the agony He was temporarily facing as He gave Himself for us—that bigger picture was obedience to the will of the Father, trusting Him with the results—salvation of mankind.

-“Humbling ourselves” is Christ-exemplified and God-honored when done from a Christ-centered motivation.

-1 Peter 5:5b, “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

-To interact humbly with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Jesus clearly exemplified, demonstrates a trust in God to take care of the end result.

Close:

-(CCEC) 4 simple applications for this section of Philippians 2:

1. Memorize this passage. 
2. Believe this passage. 
3. Follow the lifestyle presented in this passage. 
4. Tell the world about the message of this passage.