Made New in Humility

Message Transcription

We're in the midst of our Lenten series called Being Made New, we started in week one, looking at Jesus temptations in the wilderness. His time spent 40 days before his ministry began. And each week after, we've been thinking about a different aspect of how we're being made new. A couple of weeks ago, Barry Stephens talked to us about being made new in our worship together, and that was a powerful lesson. If you haven't had a chance, I invite you to go online and you can listen to his exhortation to us there. Last week we spent some time thinking about how we're made new in faith. We were looking at the story of Peter walking on water and thinking together about not only how he was made new in his own faith and seeing Jesus walking, but also being made new in the faith that Jesus had in him to call him out of the water. And so we've been wrestling some and thinking about, I hope, this week about what it means to be made new in faith and being willing to get out of the boat. This week, I want us to think about what it means to be made new in humility. Let's look again at the words that Qinghai so beautifully read for us just a moment ago. Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. He starts with these words. Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ. If.

You have any comfort from his love? If you have any common sharing in the spirit, if you have any tenderness and compassion, you may see these words and hear them as familiar. You've read them a million times. We we study this passage just a couple of years ago. I wanted us to return to it because I think it's so important. At the heart of being made new is humility. One of the primary ways that God makes us new is in helping us become more humble people. Now, again, if you have your Bible with you and you didn't do so a couple of years ago, I invite you to to pull it out today and and circle these ifs. We're going to come back to them in just a minute. But there are a lot of ifs here, and it's interesting. I think it's part of what Paul is trying to do. He's using these statements to, to show, to invite the church to consider why they're living the way that they are living. If you have your Bible, then you can mark it right. So let's circle those ifs. Paul's using these conditional statements. They're used a lot in our culture. Whether it's programming for a new application that's coming out for your phone or your computer. Maybe it's in the world of finance, certainly, maybe the most primary place that you encounter these conditional if then statements is how many have you ever been a kid? And had a parent who used the if then if you don't get out of bed.

If you don't listen to me, if you don't finish those English peas and carrots, then you're not going to get dessert. Then you won't graduate. Then you won't get a good job. Then you you know, if then it's a powerful statement. Paul's using them. He puts four of them together right here in verse one of chapter two. If, if, if I think you get the sense of it, maybe even in a better way when you read the message. Translation, here's how Eugene Peterson writes it. If you've gotten anything at all and a following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life. If being in a community of the spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care. It's as though Paul would would naturally think that any of the Philippians and us today, that the answer to one of those ifs is yes. Yes that's true. Yes, Paul, that has happened. I have been blessed by the community of faith. I have been blessed by your love poured out into my life. God, if if yes. So let me ask you this morning as you think about your life and following Jesus, what if has been most powerful to you lately? Maybe it's having a community of faith. If you've been blessed by the spirits people. Maybe you've had a tough season and you've been thankful to have a friend come alongside you in faith and just encourage you, bless you.

Maybe God has helped you navigate a really tough situation. You've had a work circumstance or a health challenge or or something happening at school that that you needed God's Holy Spirit to kind of guide you through. If Paul says, if you've been blessed by if you've gotten anything out of following Christ, then he says, verse two, then make my joy complete by being like minded. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and in one mind. Now this is obligatory language. If then and we don't like that, it kind of works all over us in our culture that values independence and self-reliance. And and we've pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Or at least that's what we like to think. That's not the way of Christ, though. It's certainly not us in Christian community. We haven't done anything to deserve the love and the grace that has been poured out into our lives. We did nothing to deserve it. All we could do is receive it. Paul says if you have received anything, then don't be selfish. Share it. Share it with those who don't have. Share it with those who don't know, Paul says. Complete my joy. By having the same mind. It's the same phrase he used back in chapter one, when he opens up with this beautiful introductory paragraph where he says, and one thing I'm confident of that God who started a good work in you is going to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.

Right? And he says, and it's right for me to think this way, to have that kind of mind here again, he says, have that kind of mind, have the same mind. They have their minds set on. The way of Christ. Paul calls them to unity. But it's not just unity for Unity's sake. In fact, interact, I think, has a great way of explaining this. He says. Have the same mind, which for some of us may sound a little confusing. Well, so am I supposed to have Richard, who's supposed to have pamps, who's supposed to have gins? And then, well, who's well then who's? No, no, no, that's not what he's talking about. Unity is not us all thinking the exact same thing on every thing. That's uniformity. Paul says, no, no, no, it's unity. N.t. Wright explains it really well. He says, think of life as this play, right? There's an incredible drama that's unfolding in the world. God's kingdom is breaking through, and he's invited all of these people to be a part of it, to have a role. So when you're watching a play, one of my favorite things about Lubbock these days is the buddy Holly Performing Arts Center, where we get to see some pretty incredible shows. We've seen a few stinkers, but some pretty incredible shows, right? And each person in that show, they have a part to play.

They have songs to sing and lines to give and and action to direct, but they all have their mind set on where this thing is going, and they all have an understanding of where this play is leading them to. Right. So to Paul says church have the same mind. He's not saying literally think the same thing, right? Literally every one of you has to vote the exact same way. Every one of you has to take an issue and think the exact no, no, no. He's saying God's kingdom is breaking through, and he's invited each and every one of us to play a part, and he's given each and every one of us a mind and a will and a spirit right in a heart. And he's poured his gift through his spirit into your life. And he wants you to use every single thing, every one of them, to begin thinking about how would Jesus live my life if he were me? If he were living in me, how would he face this situation at school? How would he handle that difficult, challenging student or that difficult or challenging professor or friend? Or child or parent or grandparent. Naipaul says, we want to have the same kind of mind that pursues the kingdom breaking through into our midst. So he says, excuse me, verse three, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of others. See, the way of Jesus is the way of humility putting others first. He says, stop building or excuse me, stop tearing down others to build yourself up. Do nothing out of vain conceit. Now, how many of you use vain conceit in your normal, everyday language? Right? So vainly conceited of you? It's just not a phrase, right? So one of the ways we think about it is, um. How many of you get a chocolate Easter bunny on Easter Sunday? Nobody. Oh, you poor souls. Well. So I'm just going to have to ask you to imagine opening up a little chocolate Easter bunny and thinking, oh, wonderful, I'm going to take a bite and you take a bite and it's hollow. Wait a second. I thought this was going to be a rich, you know, tasty bite of chocolate. And you only find out it's this mostly air. Paul says, don't. Don't be like that. Don't be mostly air this veneer of chocolate around you, but as soon as somebody pokes a little hole in, it all collapses around you. Paul says do nothing out of vain conceit or selfish ambition. Instead, he says, value others more highly than yourself. How do we do that? I mean, Paul, how do we do that? Especially in our day where where so much is built on? You've got to get yours while you can.

Our culture does not often value the the quality of humility. It's seen as as meek or weakness. How do we do this? Well, Paul anchors us back again to Jesus. He says, let the same mind be in you that was in Christ. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. And again we come to this word again. Paul has used it twice already, the same mind. It's right for me to think of you this way. Have the same mind here again, he says. Have that mind. That way of viewing the world, that way of seeing that life is more than just my own personal just event happening to me. But there's this cosmic story that's unfolding, and God's invited me to have a part in it. He says, I want you to have the same mind, the same heart, the same mindset, the same focus that Jesus had. Well, what is that mind, Paul? What is that heart? What is that focus? Well, Jesus being in very nature God did not consider equality with God. As something to be used to his own advantage, rather. He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being made just like humans. And when he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself. By becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. See, Jesus didn't take his power and his privilege, his position for granted.

He didn't take it as some opportunity now to show the world who's boss, right? Instead. Instead, he humbled himself. Now, even as I speak these words, I can't help but think about the season that we're in, right? How many do we see in our world that are taking advantage of their their privilege and their power and their position to be used for their own advantage? Now, before we get too far down that road, let's stop and turn the mirror on ourself. How easily do you take your power, your position and your privilege to use to exploit for your own advantage? At this. This weekend I had a chance to go see a baseball game, and a friend of mine said, I will leave you some tickets at will call. Let's do this. I walk up to the gate and they say, uh, what's your name? I said is Karl Eyth. And they said, you're not on the list, bro. Oh. No, no, no. Check the list again. I'm on the list. Right? I know somebody, and I'm going to use that knowing somebody to get my body in the baseball game. And they said, sir, you're not on the list. And I could see their little kingdom flare up. And at one point she says, well, you're not on the list, and we're not adding any more names to the list. Touché. It doesn't take much power, does it, church, to start wanting to use it to your own advantage, right? It doesn't take a lot.

And yet somehow it's almost this. Like I didn't do anything to deserve that ticket other than I just knew somebody. But I so wanted to use that to my own advantage. The self-righteousness, right? It doesn't take much. Jesus didn't do that. He had all the power. He had all the privilege. He had all the position, and he gave it up. Now, this problem isn't just unique to us in our day, is it? Maybe you remember the story in Mark ten where James and John come to Jesus and they have this great question Jesus, when your kingdom comes, could I be on your right and your left? And the disciples find out about it and they go, oh, dude, you guys are so smart. I should have thought of that. No, no. They go, hey, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, what are you talking. Why do you. And this fight breaks out? So much so that Jesus says, hey, guys, what are you. What are you fighting about? Why? Because when power and position and privilege are at stake, people get a little upset. Have you noticed that? If not, just watch the next couple of months when there's this sense that power is at stake. People get upset. The disciples get angry, just like we get angry. Notice how does Jesus respond to this situation? He says. You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. You see, Jesus didn't Lord his power, position, privilege over them. That's not how he responded, though he was equal to God, he did not exploit that for his own gain. You see one of the temptations Gary mentioned just a moment ago on our community meditation. One of the temptations that Jesus faced was, was that last one, right where he takes him up to the highest place and he shows the Satan, shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and he says, hey, buddy, this is all yours. All you got to do is one thing, one little thing. Just about out of worship. And it's all yours. Jesus wouldn't bow. Jesus didn't bo. Rather, rather than having his fill of the world, he emptied himself for you and for me. Rather than seeking power for himself, he used his power to help and to serve others. Rather than demanding his own way. Instead, he submitted to the will of the father. All the way to the cross. Jesus did not consider himself better than others, but he served others.

He humbled himself and it impacted the lives of his followers. And it still is impacting the world today. Peter, one of his first disciples, who was just a wild character. If you've not read about Peter, I encourage you. You need to read about Peter. This guy was incredible. He was incredibly a lot of things. Well, he wrote to the church that he helped start, and this church was wrestling with leadership, like, who's in charge and who gets to say, go and and how are we going to lead this thing? And so he writes this letter, and this is what he says to the elders, to the to the leaders of that church. He says, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness to Christ's sufferings. Right. Another way to say this to Christ's humility. He says. And I will also share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God's flock that's under your care, watching over them. Not because you must. But because you are willing. As God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve, not lording it over. Where do you think he got that phrase? But entrusting or being, not lording over those entrusted to you, but being an example to the flock. Now, where do you think Peter learned this? Mark chapter ten, where Jesus says, we're not going to. We're not going to lead that way. We're not going to take our power and our position and our privilege and just lord it over people.

Instead, we're going to humble ourselves, and we're going to serve, and we're going to give even when it's hurt. You see, in our world and in the Ancient One as well, the temptation for those of us, even with just the smallest bit of power, it's to lord it over. Right? And we've all been in that situation, right? We've all, in one way, shape or form, have been standing at the Will call booth demanding our ticket. Right. And maybe it's for you. It's at the grocery store, or maybe it's in line at at the outlet malls. Or maybe it's when you're driving your car. Or maybe it's in that conversation with that person who just constantly wants to show you that they have more power than you that they're in charge of. I mean, we all know this, don't we? Jesus says we're not going to lord it over one another. And Jesus humility slowly began to catch on with the disciples and it started to take root. And it's spread into the world. It's still spreading today. And so as Jesus hands and feet, as the ones that he has called and gifted to be his people here in Lubbock, Texas, the question is, will we humble ourselves? Will we allow him to make us new? To remember it's not about being in charge. As good as that can feel, it's not about being in charge.

Will we serve? Because God can do amazing things through through a humble servant. And Paul goes on to to quote this beautiful hymn. Therefore God exalted him and gave him the name above all names, so that at the name of Jesus, everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus is Lord. So what does humility look like for you this week? Maybe for some of us, it's humbling ourselves before God. We've reached out and grabbed control again, and we're in charge. And I'll. I'll let you know when I need your help. Maybe it's this reminder of God. I'm not in control and I can't be in control. God. But you do for me what I can't do for myself. Maybe it's a relationship, a spouse, a child, a parent, a coworker, a friend. You're holding on to some anger or some resentment or some. Some inattention. And so humility for you this week may look like forgiveness. Either asking for it or. Or giving it. I'm not sure how God is calling you into the way of humility, but I'm praying that you'll answer that call because. Because in doing so, you'll be made new. God, thank you for the gift of your word that speaks to us in and empowers us. It shows us the truth about ourselves, but it also invites us into a story that we never imagined we'd be a part of.

Yeah. Would you help us all to have the same mind that was in Christ? The same kind of heart. The same focus. God. May we hear the call that that Paul gave to this church in Philippi. Not just to them, but to each of us to be united. And you haven't called us to be uniformed. You didn't create us as little robots to march around and have the same response to every situation. Instead, God, you you gave us a family. And a place and a time. He gave us each gifts and minds and hearts and passions and joys and hopes. And he called us to to see all of those in light of your son Jesus. That you would help us to be the man, the woman that you created us to be right here, right now. Not not someday. Far off from now, but but beginning even today to take our next step. God, would you humble us? Would you help us to be humble just the way Jesus became obedient? Giving up his power, his position, his his influence, not exploiting it, but instead turning it into a tool that he could use on the benefit of others. Yeah, we're praying this next year that we would see that kind of leadership rise up in our in our country. We got even more. So I'm praying that we would see that rise up in us, each one of us.

That we becoming become the kind of humble servant. To the people that you've placed us in relationship with. Yeah. Would you help us to be humble students and humble teachers and administrators? Would you help us to be humble bosses and workers and co-workers? Yeah, but you help us to be humble parents and kids. Humble grandparents. And God made that that way of life. May it be so bold that others see it, and they stop and they ask, what is different about you? Yeah. Do you do amazing things through those who who humble themselves? In fact, as we sang just a little while ago, that you you lift up. You lift up the humble. God. May we remember that this call to discipleship and following you, it's not intended to be on our own, that you call us to do it together as your church. And it's not something that we can power. We can manufacture our own willpower to do it. God, we're going to need your Holy Spirit flowing in and through us, empowering us. So, God, would you flow again today? Would you help us, Lord, in whatever way it needs? Maybe it's to humble ourselves before you. Maybe it's before someone else. Maybe it's in the way that we treat others. Maybe it's the way that we drive God, whatever it may be. Would you help us to take our next step? And God, would you make us new in humility? I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.