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Sheep, Not Peacocks

Sunday, March 19, 2023
Pastor Jojo Ma

Weekly Bulletin | Worship Lyrics

Philippians 2:1-4

 

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.

If our Savior was the ultimate example of lowliness and humility, then what does that mean for we who follow him? Should we not also be gentle and lowly, clothing ourselves with humility?

I.          An appeal for certainty [v1]
II.        An appeal for unity [v2]
III.       An appeal for humility [v3]
IV.       An appeal for charity [v4]

I.         An appeal for certainty [v1]
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy.

Since we have encouragement in Christ, since we have comfort from his love, since we have fellowship in the Spirit, since we have God’s affection and sympathy.

We need to remember the blessings of God toward us --- these gracious spiritual realities.

II.        An appeal for unity [v2]
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

True unity comes down to whether we have faith in the gospel. So we cannot compromise our convictions.

Truth matters, biblical convictions matter, and our unity stands or falls on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Get the gospel wrong and nothing else matters. Build churches around the gospel. Build families around the gospel. Build your lives around the gospel.

III.      An appeal for humility [v3]
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

To count others more significant is to add up their needs, subtract your agenda, and find a way to bless them, even if it is inconvenient or costly to you. This is gospel humility and care for others.

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

IV.       An appeal for charity [v4]
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The apostle makes an appeal to charity, to loving others by thinking about them and calculating how to bless them, even if it is costly or inconvenient to us.

C.S. Lewis: “Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: actually he will not be thinking about himself at all.”

So you can put on humility and count others more significant, and you can put on charity and look to the interests of others, with total joyful self-forgetfulness.