Prayer is Love

Philippians 2:5-11

Purpose

: To demonstrate that the biblical attitude toward finances is one of stewardship rather than ownership

Introduction

It is at this time of the year that we realize the impact of money on our lives. There is an increased demand on us to spend during the time of the year that has just passed. Even if one budgets carefully for any spending during the holiday season, there are additional demands made. As a congregation you were asked to provide additional funds for our missionaries and to assist with an effort to provide for the homeless and now to give further assistance to the Whaleys as they begin their work in Australia.

This says nothing about the cost of everyday living. With gas prices coming down, we have experienced some relief but there are still the expenses of food, house, utilities, and entertainment. And most of us want to contribute to the work here. Today I want to talk about money and our attitude toward it. Before you come to any preconceived conclusions, let me absolutely clear – our study time together is not about denouncing wealth or trying to guilt you into giving more. Our time will focus on attitude toward wealth and if we understand the biblical view toward money then as God’s people we will come closer to what God wants from us.

Scripture

Preaching forces the one speaking to not only prepare a lesson for others to hear but to be forced to think about that lesson in a very personal way. The better lessons are those in which the speaker is challenged along with the hearers. Such is the case today. Let’s start with our text. As Dwight and I have tried to flesh out our vision statement the past several Sundays, this text has served as a springboard for our thinking. Thinking like Jesus thinks is never easy. Over the next several weeks, we will try to demonstrate how Jesus’ thinking impacts several areas of life. How did Jesus think? He emptied himself. He chose to limit himself for the sake of others.

To think like Jesus means to choose to limit self. Jesus had ultimate power and control, but he chose to limit himself. While we do not have the same kind of level of power and control as Jesus, we do have power and control. In Genesis 1:28 as God completes his creation, he gives human beings the power to rule over the earth. This power illustrates the dilemma. God grants us power. What do we do with that power is the question? Some believe this idea of ruling over the earth is indicative of authority and ownership. But what we fail to see is that this “rule” was given to us by the ultimate ruler. By his gift, God limited himself. He gave to his creation power and control; thus, limiting his own power and control for our sake. The earth, however, didn’t become ours but a place for us to utilize God’s gift.

In other words, God’s self-limiting gift provides the insight we need to understand our own view toward this earth. We imitate God in limiting our power as well. But this is not just my thinking. Notice that in Genesis 3, we have human beings trying to become like God. Instead of imitating God in limiting self, they chose to ignore God and become their own god. The result was clear – the ground become cursed and grew thorns and thistles. The point – to see our existence on this earth as more than gift is to do so to our own detriment. The earth is not ours. We have been granted an opportunity to enjoy and have dominion over this earth but not to be used selfishly. Instead, like God we are to limit ourselves for the benefit of others.

This is what Jesus did. To think like Jesus means that we like him learn to limit our power. Jesus limited the use of his power although that power was available to him.

In his temptations, he could have turned stones to bread or had all nations bow to him. But he limited his power for our benefit.

He didn’t heal everyone although he could have.

He limited his ministry to three years although he could have lived longer. But his mission was not to relieve human suffering but to make it possible for all to be in relationship with Father.

He didn’t call a legion of angels to set him free although he had the power to do so. He limited himself to increase relationship.

If we understand the intent of God, then limiting our power in relationship to this world is done for the opportunity to engage others. We do not seek the accumulation of things in order to become self-sufficient; we no longer have to be anxious and worried about having enough; we can learn to be content because God has provided and we limit our use of those provisions.

Concrete

Let me make this concrete. In the parables of Jesus an idea is found again and again. It is the idea of stewardship. In Matthew 25 in a set of parables designed to make the point for God’s followers to be constantly ready for God’s return, Jesus tells the parable about the talents. Three men are given a sum of money and when God returns an accounting is demanded. This is the idea of stewardship. The money was given but accountability was demanded. The money was given. Each man knew it was a gift. Each man knew there was responsibility associated with this money. And each man knew that when the time came they were to be prepared to explain how they had used the money. This is stewardship.

In Luke 12, the master leaves and places much at his manager’s disposal. The wise manager uses the master’s wealth to help those who are need. The foolish manager uses the master’s wealth for his own benefit. When the master returns, the foolish manager is punished. The master is not pleased when the manager uses the master’s wealth for his own benefit. The wise manager did not use the master’s wealth for self but instead limited its use to increase relationship. This is stewardship.

Stewardship is recognizing that material things are gifts from God. They can be used for self or we can limit our accumulation and access to these gifts in order to increase relationship with those who do not have the same access to these gifts. The danger of possessions is that a person will tend to trust them and not God. This was the issue for the rich young ruler in Luke 18. Stewardship is about our attitude toward this world and the master who gives us his gifts.

The story of the Rich young ruler demonstrates that it is our attitude which is at stake. Nothing in the story is said about the poor’s needs. What is stressed is that the ruler needs to change his attitude toward wealth. There are two ways in which a Christian may view his money–”How much of my money shall I use for God?” or “How much of God’s money shall I use for myself?”

This world belongs to God. Ownership has never been the issue except in our own minds. How do I know that God owns this world? He sent his ultimate servant, Jesus, to this earth. By doing so he not only revealed that he owned the earth but once again demonstrated how he thinks about this earth and how he wants us to think. He limited himself. When we act like the world is ours, then we lie to ourselves and develop an attitude which does not reflect the thinking of Jesus. As Jesus limited himself for the sake of others, then we limit ourselves for the same reason. The result – exaltation. Not in this life but in the life to come. Just as every knee will bow down to Jesus as we have shared in his thinking so shall we share in his glory. We will all have be held accountable for our use of God’s wealth. Let us limit self for the sake of others.

Philippians 2:5-11

Purpose

: To begin the process of developing the mind of Christ

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. 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.

Vs. 5 – 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.