May 7, 2006
"What Makes A Great Church?"
God's Not Finished With You Yet—Part 3
Philippians 2:1-11
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
—Philippians 1:21
The big idea:
There is an incredible corporate life when Christians are connected together in Christ.
Question #1: Have you ever wanted to know what life in the church of Christ is really supposed to be like?
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion...
—Philippians 2:1
The church is to be an encouraging, loving, including, gentle, forgiving family.
Question #2: Have you ever wondered what is needed for a church to achieve greatness?
...then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
—Philippians 2:2
Greatness is achieved through unity!
Question #3: Have you ever wondered how to make your church a great church? (What's your part?)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
—Philippians 2:3-4
Become a servant!
The great example:
Our Lord is a servant, who calls us to be servants. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 2:5
A. Jesus thinks of others, not himself.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
—Philippians 2:6
B. Jesus serves others.
...but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
—Philippians 2:7
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.
—Mark 10:43-45
Our Lord became a servant and still serves you and me! Therefore, He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
—Hebrews 7:25
C. Jesus sacrifices for others.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
—Philippians 2:8
"Ministry that cost nothing accomplishes nothing."
—Dr. J. H. Jowett
D. Jesus glorifies God.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
—Philippians 2:9-11
"Jesus actively embraced a life of giving, serving, losing and dying."
—Bill Hybles
Lifework
Most of us want to serve by choosing when, who and how we will serve. We want to stay in control. Jesus calls us to be servants and when we make this choice, we give up the right to be in control. In the process, we lose our fears and gain His joy. The paradox of the Christian Gospel is that the last become first, the humble become exalted, the servant becomes Lord, and the poor become rich.
Question: Is it costing you anything to be a Christian? Are you willing to let God remake a servant's heart in you? Are you willing to take up His cross?
"God Is Not Finished With You"
Personal and Small Group Study
Getting Started
- In what situations are you most likely to think of yourself and your desires more than others? (Driving, cleaning house, watching TV, financial transactions, family life, church life, hobbies, sports, etc.)
- What is the lowliest job in your home and who does it? How did they get selected for that job?
Digging Deeper: Read Philippians 2:1-11
- In verses 1-11, Paul makes a point and drives it home with an illustration. What is the point He is seeking to make? What possible problem might Paul be dealing with in the church at Philippi?
- What is the result or fruit of our common life in Christ? What is Paul asking Christians to do that will produce this result?
- Describe the type of service Paul is calling us to in verses 3 and 4. What is the major difference in the way Christ served and the way most people serve? (See Mark 10:43-45) What are the characteristics of a true servant?
- Some scholars have asserted that Jesus emptied Himself of his divine nature to become a man; others say he gave up His equality with God. What evidence from the Bible do you have that neither of these is an accurate explanation of this passage? (Look at John 1:14 and Colossians 1:15-20) List the ways Jesus made Himself nothing.
- What do you learn about humility and exaltation from this passage? How does this compare to the world's view of these things? What is your practical experience? How does this coincide with what Jesus taught in the Beatitudes? (Matthew 5:3-11)
Applying It To My Life
- After completing this study, is there anything you understand more fully about the deity of Jesus? Did it raise any new questions? Can you describe what the disciples might have felt as they came to a growing realization of who Jesus actually was? Do you think that Jesus is the one person you can trust your life with for all eternity?
- How prepared are you to answer people's questions about the deity of Jesus? The new Da Vinci Code movie could make this a topic of popular conversation. Check out www.rbc.org for a great article titled, "The Da Vinci Code: Separating Fact From Fiction."