July 24, 2011
Evening Service

Philippians 2:17-30

 

Review:

1. The church at Philippi had a lot of paganism beliefs to overcome.  This Christianity was something very different than what they were used to. 
2. Paul is teaching them that humility, and being a servant to others are important characteristics in Christianity.  They were not used to this, so they had several in the church that would argue against these attributes.  They wanted to be served rather than serve.  They were struggling with the worldly attributes of selfishness, pride, arrogance, and self esteem.
3. So Paul is encouraging them to be humble, and to have a servants mind.  He reminds them of the humility of Christ.

Jesus taught concerning humility:

(Mat 18:4)  Therefore whoever shall humble himself like this little child, this one is the greater in the kingdom of Heaven.

(Mat 23:12)  And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he who shall humble himself shall be exalted.

(Jam 1:9)  But let the humble brother rejoice in his exaltation; Jam 1:10-11  and the rich one rejoice in his humiliation, because he shall pass away as the flower of the grass.  (11)  For the sun rose with the hot wind and dried up the grass, and its flower fell out, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also the rich one will fade away in his ways.

(Jam 4:6)  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

• Here we find that pride, or being proud is the opposite of being humble, or humility.
• 1Jo 2:15-17  Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,  (16)  because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

(1Pe 5:5)  Likewise, younger ones, be subject to older ones, and all being subject to one another. Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble.

 

Two of the best places in the Bible to learn concerning pride, and humility is the book of Proverbs, and the book of Psalms.  Also, many examples of these in O.T.

 

(Pro 8:13)  The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; I hate pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the wicked mouth.

(Pro 11:2)  Pride comes, then shame comes; but with the lowly is wisdom.

(Pro 13:10)  Only by pride comes argument, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

(Pro 14:3)  In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise shall keep them.

(Pro 16:18)  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

(Pro 29:23)  A man's pride shall bring him low; but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

 

Then humility:  or being humble.

(Pro 6:3)  My son, do this now, and deliver yourself when you have come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself and make your friend sure.

(Pro 16:19)  It is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.

(Pro 18:23)  The poor speaks humble requests, but the rich answers roughly.

(Pro 29:23)  A man's pride shall bring him low; but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

(Pro 15:33)  The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

(Pro 18:12)  Before shattering, the heart of man is proud, and before honor is humility.

(Pro 22:4)  By humility and the fear of Jehovah are riches and honor and life.

 

Now Paul will continue with other examples of people in the faith that have this humility.

 

Paul’s example of humility:

Phi 2:17-30  Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.  (18)  And you also rejoice in the same, and rejoice with me.

·     Paul speaks of his own example of humility.

·     If my prison stay takes me to my death, I will rejoice, and expect you to do the same, for my service to you.

Timothy’s example of humility:

(19)  But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, so that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state.  (20)  For I have no one who is like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. 

• Timothy has the same care for the church that I do.

(21)  For all seek their own, not the things which are of Jesus Christ. 

• Remember this morning, “(Phi 2:5)  For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
• If you have the mind of Christ you will be more concerned for others than yourself.

(22)  But you know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel. 

• The proof is in the pudding.  The life you live is the proof that you have the mind of Christ.

(23)  Therefore I hope to send him presently, as soon as I shall see the things about me.  (24)  But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

• Timothy is there in Rome with Paul, but not in bonds.

Epaphroditus’s example of humility:

(25)  Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and he who ministered to my wants. 

• Epaphroditus is the one sent by the church at Philippi to minister to Paul’s needs.

(26)  For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick.  (27)  For indeed he was sick, coming near death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 

• Evidently Epaphroditus had been very sick, but God healed him.
• Paul said it would have been very rough on me had he died, but God spared him and me this happening.

(28)  Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, so that you may rejoice when you see him again, and that I may be the less sorrowful.  (29)  Therefore receive him in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in honor, 

• Epaphroditus must have been well liked by the church.  Paul says, I sent him back to you as soon as I could.  He has done some wonderful work, so hold such as him in honor.
• As Paul finishes his letter to the church at Rome he mentions a lot of people who deserve the respect and honor of the church.   Very interesting to read.

(30)  because for the work of Christ he was near death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

• Many have given their lives for the faith of Christ. 

We must remember what was said concerning Moses, as he gave up his seat in Egypt.

Heb 11:24-26  Having become great, Moses by faith refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,  (25)  choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time,  (26)  esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

DOES LOOKING TO THE REWARD MOTIVATE YOU TO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST?