In this Christmas Eve sermon, Pastor Mark uses Philippians 2:1-11 to tell how Jesus left heaven and humbled Himself to serve people and how people will be most blessed if they follow in this example.
Find Joy Even When You Feel Low: Philippians 2:1-11 December 24
- Jesus = Joshua (God is salvation)
- Christ = anointed Messiah
- 2000 yrs ago, mom, dad, brothers, 30 years, 3 yrs ministry
- Resume simple
- No book, political office, company, wife, kids
- No travel more than few hundred miles
- Started 11 + 1 & faced constant opposition
- More books written about, paintings painted of, song sung to
- Measure time BC/AD
- Christmas – biggest holiday on planet earth BILLIONS
New Millenium Newsweek cover story “By any secular standard, Jesus is also the dominant figure of Western culture”
- Religions – holy place headquarters vs Holy Person Head
- Only founder of any religion who claimed to be God
Jesus Makes Selfish People Servants
Philippians 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
- Culture = selfish
- Kingdom = servants
- Mark 9 & 10 – “who is greatest” & “right & left”
- Mark 10:45 – serve & life as ransom †
- Jesus is our servant
- Jesus did what was in our best interest at His expense
- Jesus wants a relationship with you that is the template for all your relationships
3 Kinds of Relationships
Selfish + Selfish = competitive relationship
Selfish + Servant = cruel relationship
Servant + Servant = close relationship
Jesus Makes Proud People Humble
Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Pride
- Self-esteem, self-improvement, self-actualization
- West – Book of Virtues
- James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5 “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humility
- Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less
- Because of our sinfulness and fallen world pride is like gravity we have to fight
- Jesus Christ greatest Person in history because He’s the most Humble.
- Jesus Christ is the most beloved Person because He’s the most humble.
Pride Humility
Our greatest enemy Our greatest friend
Compares to others Compares to Jesus
Criticizes others success Celebrates others success
About me About Jesus & others
Arrogance Confidence
Independence Dependence
A destination A direction
We don’t become humble by focusing on our pride
We do become humble by focusing on Jesus’ Humility
- Heaven – earth
- God – man Humble incarnation “in flesh”
- Worked job, lived poor, died
- 2 Cor. 5:21
- God-man mediator Fully God Fully Man to reconcile us & God
Example – Soren Kierkegaard prince parable and peasant
Jesus Makes Dead People Alive
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Jesus day
- Nero was high on a throne as “Lord”
- Jesus was low in a manger, homeless, cross, grave
Today
- Nero is low
- Jesus is high
- Today you are low
- Tomorrow you will be raised up high with Jesus! = Joy!!!