UNITY THROUGH HUMILITY

Philippians 2:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

BE LIKE CHRIST

2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

If there is ever to be real unity among believers, there first has to one central faith. We can not follow man, and at the same time follow Christ. Christ was ever at odds with the Pharisees, and the clergy of the temple worship. Why? Because the religion clergy was identified by their ritual and “the letter of the law,” and not by the Spirit. They had no true love for the people or the Lord.

Christ took on the bodily form of mankind willingly, knowing that he would die for all the sinners of the world; that is everyone. “All have sinned and fallen short,” but God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that we might be saved.God, the Father, knew that his Son, Jesus, would die, still sent him for our sakes. Yes, God knew that Jesus would arise from the grave, but that does not lessen the suffering of the cross and the burden of the sins of the world, both before and after the event.

This is our comfort, our consolation in this translation. No matter what sins may have been in our past, they can be forgiven, and Christ died for all of us. No matter how great a television evangelist may appear, he is only a man, and both he, and all men have one worthy head, one leader, and that is Jesus Christ. We can only be united with Jesus Christ, through the Spirit revealed in his word.    

(2 Corinthians 13:14, Colossians 3:12)

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Jesus told us that there is one thing that must set us apart, one thing that sets us apart from the Lost of this world, and that is our love for one another, being of one accord, and one mind. Love, not Law, will unite us with him and set us apart from the world. We just don’t have the same purposes in life, unless we learn to love as Christ loved, we will never attain that.  

(John 3:29, Romans 12:16, Philippians 4:2)

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

The UN will never solve this world’s divisions. Threats, or politics will never unite men. Laws, expressed in the Creeds of men, will never unite us. The fact is that these, merely define and create more divisions. Has the world’s sanctions brought unity? No!  

(Romans 2:8, Philippians 1:17, Galatians 5:26, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:21)

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

If there was ever a church which set a good example, it was the church at Philippi. It alone was named, The church of brotherly love. And it stood alone as the the one church for which there was no condemnation in the letters to the churches of Asia, in the book of Revelation.

(Romans 15:11)

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Paul went straight to the center of the problem. It is a matter of mind over matter. No matter how many times a man may be baptized, no matter how many gifts he gives, if he has not changed his mind from that of the world to that of Christ. James tells us that Faith without works is dead, but it is equally true that works without faith is also dead. “Let is mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.”

(Matthew 11:29, Romans 15:3, Philippians 1:1)

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(John 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 5:18, John 10:33, John 14:28)

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

That fact that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, was not his only act of humility. His entire earthly ministry was one of service and humility. When he  said “the birds have nests” and that he had no where that was his home was literally true. It is a humorous fact that the Evergreen apartments, which look very fancy from the outside and charge dearly to stay there, in the upper story have a problem with the birds that build their nests and roost there at night completely free. A plastic tree on the fourth floor has a nest in it.

(2 Corinthians 8:9, Matthew 20:28, John 1:14, Romans 8:3, Galatians 4:4, Hebrews 2:17)

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

When Jesus came to earth to offer salvation to man, he knew that those he loved would, most of them reject him and kill him by the most dreadful form of death they knew, crucifixion.

(2 Corinthians 8:9, Matthew 26:39, John 10:18, Romans 5:19, Hebrews 5:8, Hebrews 12:2)

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

(But, after that death, he would rise from the dead to live eternally in heaven, having completed his dreadful tash once and for all time.

(Hebrews 1:9, Matthew 28:18, Acts 2:33, Hebrews 2:9, Ephesians 1:21)

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

The time is coming when all creation shall see and bow the knee to Him, King of King, and Lord of Lords.

(Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Ephesians 1:10)

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Even the most evil atheist, will confess, at that time, that he is Lord of all.

(John 13:13, Romans 10:9, Romans 14:9)

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READ YOUR BIBLE THROUGH THIS YEAR

OCTOBER

6th Sunday  -  Jeremiah 11, 12, 13,    Philippians 4,    Psalm 118:1-16

7th  Monday  -  Jeremiah 14, 15, 16,    Colossians 1,    Proverbs 24:13-22

8th  Tuesday  -  Jeremiah 17, 18, 19,    Colossians 2,    Psalm 118:17-29

9th  Wednesday  -  Jeremiah 20, 21, 22,    Colossians 3,    Psalm 119:1-8

10th  Thursday  -  Jeremiah  23, 24,    Colossians 4,    Psalm 119:9-16

11th  Friday  -  Jeremiah 25, 26,    1 Thessalonians 1,   Proverbs 24:23-34  

12th  Saturday  -  Jeremiah 27, 28, 29,    1 Thessalonians 2,    Psalm 119:17-24

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MEMORY VERSE

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”  - Colossians 1:18

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REALLY?

On an African Safari, a missionary asked the guide if it were true that a jungle animal will not attack you if you are carrying a torch.

“Well,” the guide responded thoughtfully, “It depends on how fast you are carrying the torch.”

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FROM EXPERIENCE

I know you don’t ever back up your car to get a more exciting picture of an elephant bull which has noticed you and spread his ears widely ready to charge, nor to come between a lion sleeping near his kill!

BONDSERVANTS

Ephesians 6:5-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

Bondservants and Masters

Just the word “Bondservant” brings different meanings to everyone. In the culture of the Greeks and the Romans it was an unpaid servant in the household. If a country was conquered in warfare, the best educated, and the leaders of the land were taken and they became the teachers in the homes of the conquerors. Several Biblical examples come to mind. Immediately we think of Daniel, and Joseph, but there were others. It is really almost limited to our own generation that the conquerors restore the devastated lands, then buy the products they then produce in competition with their own economy.

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

In the Biblical sense of a bondservant or slave, let us see to it that the Lord is given our full- hearted service. Scripture tells us that we can not serve two masters. When we try, we will find that one of them is given the “short end of the stick.” Our Lord deserves our best.  

(Colossians 3:22, 1 Timothy 6:1, Titus 2:9, 1 Corinthians 2:3, Ephesians 5:22)

6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

There is no such thing as hiding anything from God. There is no such thing as “His time,” and “Our time.” His time is all the time, and he wants us to remember that. In Roman ages, there was no such thing as ‘the games” as we think of them. In the arena, Christians were the mice in the game, of the cat and the mouse. The cat is just toying with its snack. The cat often does not want the mouse, it just chews off the head and brings the rest as a gift to its master.

  

( Colossians 3:22, Galatians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Mark 3:35)  

7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

We serve the Lord and not men, and there are no exceptions. What we do with our lives is important, and our entire lives are an open book to him.  

(Colossians 3:23)

8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Our Lord knows the extent of our giving of ourselves and our income to Him. Realizing this, let us give freely beyond that which is reserved by him as His own. He will see to it that we receive back in some form from him, not necessarily in cash.  

(Colossians 3:24, Mark 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Colossians 3:241 Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 3:11)

9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Paul is not hesitant in writing to slave owners that we have all be bought by the blood of the Lamb, and we are, therefore, the property of Christ.

(Leviticus 25:43, Job 31:13, John 13:13, Colossians 4:1, Deuteronomy 10:17, Acts 10:34, Colossians 3:25)

As the property of the Lord, we can depend upon Him to see that we have all that we need to do whatever he sends us to do. In Malachi 3:8-9 If we, shall we say, buy a season ticket to something we just enjoy doing, you bet, we are probably stealing it from Him. We are the servant, not the master.

At this point, Paul changes the whole scene from giving to receiving; receiving the protection of God.

  

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

All our strength comes of Him.

1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Timothy 2:1, Ephesians 1:19)

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Armor is protective in purpose. Even the best suit of armor has weak sides or you would not be able to move. In the days of the covered wagons, for protection, they formed them into a circle and used them as a shelter. The Armadillo rolls itself into a ball with it’s plated side out, the turtle or the snail close themselves into a shell.

But armor has weak spots. Men’s armor was on the front side, and the back was weaker, or it would be impossible to move. We must be strong in the Word, but the word is no protection to the fearful in full flight. Stand fast in the word.

(Romans 13:12, Ephesians 6:13, Ephesians 4:14)

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The enemy comes from every direction, rulers, authorities, spiritual forces of evil.  Since the enemy is evil spirit guided, Christians must be armed with the Word of the Lord and train to become masters in it’s use. Christians are God’s army.

(1 Corinthians 9:25, Matthew 16:17, Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 3:10, John 12:31, Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:13, Ephesians 3:10, Ephesians 1:3)

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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH THIS YEAR

SEPTEMBER

29th  Sunday  -  Micah 6, 7,     Ephesians 5:17-33,    Proverbs 23:28-35

30th  Monday  -  Nahum 1, 2, 3,    Ephesians 6,    Psalm 115:1-9

OCTOBER

1st  Tuesday  -  Jeremiah 1, 2,    Philippians 1:1-14,    Psalm 115;10-19

2nd  Wednesday  -  Jeremiah 3, 4,    Philippians 1:15-30,    Psalm 116:1-11

3rd  Thursday  -  Jeremiah 5, 6,    Philippians 2:1-13,    Proverbs 24:1-12

4th  Friday  -  Jeremiah 7, 8,    Philippians 2:14-30,    Psalm 116:12-19

5th  Saturday  -  Jeremiah 9, 10,    Philippians 3,    Psalm 117

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MEMORY VERSE

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  -  Philippians 2:10-11

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OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

A third grade religion class was reviewing the Ten Commandments. The teacher asked one youngster, “If mother told Johnny not to tease the dog and pull his tail and he did anyway, what commandment would he be breaking?

The child replied, “I don’t know the number of the commandment, but it says, ‘What God has joined together let no man pull apart.’”

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