Relationship Attitudes

By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett @Asbury Free Methodist

January 23, 2022

Philippians 2:1-11

            I have spent a lot of time mentoring other pastors. One of the top five challenges pastors face is conflict in the church; Some people don’t get along with other people in the church. This is nothing new.

            As you probably know, we have been working our way through Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. There is conflict in that church too. A little later on in the book, Paul will write,

Philippians 4:2 (NIV)

I plead with Euodia, and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.

            In other words, ladies get along with each other in the Lord. That verse is written in a prominent place in the letter. We can suppose that their conflict with each other was heavy on Paul’s mind. But Paul doesn’t start by addressing their conflict; he starts by addressing the theology of unity.

***

            We live in a world that is politicized and polarized. Those attitudes have crept into the church. We have been blessed at Asbury, where, although there are different opinions on the issues of the day, there has been a spirit of peace. That is something to give thanks for.

            However, as in any church, we have to be vigilant about unity. We have to continue to guard our peace. So, when it comes to the passage that we are looking at today -we need to take it to heart.

            The theme of the verses that we are going to look at is found in verse 5

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

            These verses are about your relationships with one another, and our call is to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. With that in mind, let’s jump into the passage.

            Paul starts out by appealing to what the Philippians have found in their salvation through Christ.

Philippians 2:1 (NIV)

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

            Paul asks, “have you been encouraged from being united with Christ?” Christ is in you, and you are in him. The fact that Christ is in you that is your hope of glory. You are spiritually connected with Christ. God has adopted you. Paul says You are encouraged by that, aren’t you?

            Paul then asks, “Have you found comfort from the Love of God.” God could not love you any more than he already does because he loves you profoundly. He sent his son to die for you because he loves you. He has given you his great and precious promises because he loves you. He loves you on your worst day when everything has gone wrong, and you know that you failed him. You have found comfort from the Love of God, right?

            Paul then asks, “Have you experienced being connected to each other by the same Spirit.” You have been made part of the family of God. You have been ministered to by God’s people through the use of God’s gifts. You have ministered to others by that same Spirit. You have sensed that you have the Holy Spirit in common with other believers, right?

            Paul then asks, “Do you have any tenderness and compassion?” In your heart of hearts, you care for other people, don’t you? You have sensed the compassion of our heavenly Father, and that compassion is in you right?

            Paul says, “I know this is true of you, so make my joy complete by walking out the fulness of what you have experienced in Christ with each other.

Philippians 2:2 (NIV)

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

            Paul says part of walking into the full experience of your salvation is to be like-minded, having the same love, and being one of one mind and spirit. Your relationship with God was never meant to be divorced from your relationship with fellow believers. Part of walking into the fulness of your salvation is to learn to be in right relationship with others. This is what this passage is about – your relationship with others.

            Now when Paul says be like-minded, he is not saying that we all have to think alike. It is not saying that because I am cheering for Buffalo to win the Superbowl that you should cheer for Buffalo too. That is not what it means to be like-minded.

            He is not saying that what I believe about vaccinations or masks or politics needs to be the same. That is not what it means to be like-minded.

            It is a little difficult for us to get what Paul is saying in this particular passage because we are reading it in English. Being likeminded and being one in spirit and of one mind, are nuances of the same Greek word. And those words are verbs. Being likeminded is a verb. It is not some static thing that happens to us, but it is an ongoing action-oriented dynamic. It is also helpful to know that the word that is translated mindset in verse 5

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

            That world mindset is the same word that is translated like-minded in verse two. So, Paul is going to try and explain what he means.

            He doesn’t mean that we should all think the same on particular issues, but that we should all think the same in regard to the value of the other believers around us.

Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

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 the others.

            Selfish Ambition has the sense that you have a strong drive for personal success without moral inhibitions. You do things out of rivalry, and resentfulness and maybe even hostility.

            Vain Conceit is the idea of having a cheap or empty pride. It is pride without a proper basis. It is like an actor feeling like they can make authoritative statements on medicine because they played the role of a doctor.            

            Paul says, don’t even think of acting out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. Those are things that should not be found in us or in our relationship with one another.

            Then he says, Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

            This is where it gets tough. Like-mindedness does not mean holding the same opinions about the things around us. It means holding the same opinion of the value of those around us. In humility, value others above yourselves.

            The reason why this is so difficult is that we tend to value people based on what they do or don’t do. Or we may value people because of their status or popularity. I hold the status of pastor at Asbury. Does that make me more valuable than a small group leader or a custodian? The answer is no. As a pastor, I am to count the custodian in the church as more important than me/more valuable than me.

            I have found that we all have reasons for thinking that we are special. And you are special. You are unique. You all have different gifts and graces and backgrounds that make you special. It is not wrong to value yourself. But when it comes to your relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ, “in humility value others above yourself.”

****

            One of the remarkable things about Asbury is the number of people connected with our church that are on the autism spectrum. If we read this verse correctly, then we need to regard them as more valuable than ourselves.

            I know that this will grate some of you the wrong way, but Paul gives us this illustration.

Philippians 2:5–8 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset (some translate this as attitude. As I said before it is the same word as “like-minded) Have the same like-mindedness as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

-I may think I have status as a pastor, or you may think you have status because of who you are – and how you think about yourself – but that doesn’t come anywhere close to Jesus’ actual status – He was in very nature God. But he…

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

If anyone could have a claim to put himself ahead of others, it was Jesus. If anyone could have valued themselves more than others, it was Jesus. But he didn’t do that.

Verse 7

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

            So, when Paul says,

Philippians 2:3 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

            He is saying, “Be like Jesus.”

            Here is the question. Do you value others above yourself? I know that some look at this and think, “in order to do this, I would have to devalue myself. I would have to pretend that I have less value than I do.” That is not true. It is not about valuing yourself less; it is about valuing others more. Jesus didn’t value himself less by serving. He chose to take the lower position to show how much he valued others.

            What would it look like if you valued others more than yourself?

****

            Back to verse 4

Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

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 the others.

            I think the NASV gets the sense of this verse a little better. It says

Philippians 2:4 (NASB95)

    4      do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

            We all naturally tend to look out for our own interests. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t work. We wouldn’t eat. But our call is not to merely look out for our own interests but look out for the interests of others.

            I know this is countercultural, but it is Christian. Remember that Paul was writing to Christians about their relationships with each other, so I will limit my illustrations to church life.

            Much of what churches tend to fight over falls in the preference category. We all have our own tastes and our own preferences, and we want the church that we go to to cater to the things we like.

            We have preferences about music, preferences about decorating, preferences about the colour of paint on the wall. There is nothing wrong with having preferences. Some of you enjoy hymns, others choruses. There is nothing wrong with having preferences. But here is the thing. Your preferences are not going to be like your neighbours.

So, hear God’s word,

Philippians 2b:3–4 (NIV)

In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

            One of the challenges of church is that different age groups need different things. Kids need something different than youth, which need something different than young adults, which need something different than young families and so on. If we don’t do what the scripture says, we get annoyed at babies crying in church, Youth being rambunctious around the church. Young families being tired. Seniors being limited.

Philippians 2b:3–4 (NIV)

In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

            In a church, the most challenging places to find volunteers for is children’s ministry, youth ministry, and prayer ministry. Those ministries are about others. Other people’s kids, other people’s requests. They take time. They take energy. All of us have a limited amount of that.

Philippians 2b:3–4 (NIV)

In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:5–8 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset (the same attitude) as Christ Jesus: (be like-minded with Jesus)

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

            Jesus humbled himself. When you value others above yourself, you are humbling yourself. When you look to the interests of others, you are humbling yourself.

            That is exactly what Jesus did. He did take advantage of the fact that he was and is God. Rather he valued others above himself by becoming human and taking on the nature of a servant. He put others’ interests above himself. He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.

            If you want to look at what it means not to do anything out of

Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

…. 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 the others. Take a look at Jesus. What he did was the definition of humility.

            Here is what the apostle Peter says.

1 Peter 5:5b–6 (NIV)

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.” 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

            James 4 says the same thing. Humble yourself. Clothe yourself in humility. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If you want grace, value others above yourself. Look out for other people’s interests.

            Peter says, If you humble yourself when the time is right, he is going to lift you up. He is going to exalt you.

            Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death. Let’s go back to our passage in Philippians and look at what happened to Jesus.

Philippians 2:9–11 (NIV)

Therefore (because Jesus humbled himself) God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

            That is just like God. He is consistent. Peter and James tell us that if you humble yourself, in due time, you will be exalted. Jesus humbled himself, and God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every other name.

            I would love to take time to tell you about our glorious Lord, but I don’t want you to miss the point about our relationships with one another.

            But indulge me for a few moments while I talk about Jesus. This passage of scripture describes the Jesus of today. He has been exalted to the highest place. There is none that rank above Christ. He is the head over all. All authority, power, and dominion are his. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

            His name is above all names. That is not referring to his title. The name encompasses the person. He is above all else. The person behind the name is all-powerful, and when we call on the name of the Lord, we bring all of whom Christ is to bear on the situation.

            In the name of Jesus, light is brought into darkness. In the name of Jesus, there is healing and wholeness and life. In the name of Jesus, there is hope, and there is peace.

            And Paul tells us in Philippians that there is coming a day when:

Philippians 2:10–11 (NIV)

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

            There is coming a time when the exalted Lord will be seen for who he is. He is the king and lord of all. The only response, when we see who he really is, is to worship. We drop to our knees and say, you are Lord. You have risen from the dead, and you are Lord. Worthy are you, our Lord, to receive glory and honour and power and praise.

*****

            When I am reading this passage, I sometimes get so caught up in who Jesus is, that I miss the point that Paul is trying to make. In your relationship with others – be like Jesus. Humble yourself. Don’t merely look out for your own interests but also for the interests of others. That is the life God blesses.

            How about you. Is this an area of transformation for you? As I have been speaking, has God been convicting you of an attitude or an action. If he has, then you know what to do. Repent. Confess your sin and turn back to God.

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

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 the others.

            Can you imagine a church full of people who were like-minded in this way? Now that would be a community worth being a part of. I see inklings of this all over Asbury. But I believe this attitude can be multiplied.

            We started off today by talking about conflict in the church. There was conflict in Philippi. To address that conflict, Paul started off by talking about the theology of unity.

            Paul says, Philippians 2:2 (NIV)

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

            I will tell you what he was telling them. Be like Jesus.

Sermon Questions – January 23, 2022

Relationship Attitudes – Philippians 2:1-11

Connecting

1. What are you giving thanks for this week?

2. What are you praying for this week?

Digging in

3. Read Philippians 2:1-11 –

4. The theme of this passage is found in verse 5. Compare that to Philippians 4:2. What does this tell you about the church in Philippi?

5. Reread verse 1. What are the four benefits of our salvation that Paul highlights, and what do they mean?

6. Read verse 2. What are the three things that Paul highlights about being a fully functioning community of Christ? Does this mean we have to think the same?

7. How does Paul say we are supposed to function in community? (Verses 3-4) Define the terms Paul is using. What would it look like if we were to live that way?

Reminder-  The word “mindset” (NIV) in verse 5 is the same word as “like-minded” in verse 2.

8. How does Jesus illustrate verses 3-4? (See verses 5-8)

9. Paul, in verse 5, is telling us to be like Jesus. What does this mean for our lives?

10. What is the promise in 1 Peter 5b-6? How does Jesus illustrate this? (Verses 9-11)

Bonus Question

What do verses 9-11 tell us about who Jesus is?