June 05, 2023 | Be On Mission
Looking after Other’s Interests
Scripture: Philippians 2(NIV)
1 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, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore 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.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Devotional
The verses in Philippians 2:5-11 are known as the Christ hymn. Many scholars believe that this was actually sung in worship by believers in the early church. What does each of these stanzas of the hymn teach us about the character of Christ?
Verse 6: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage”
Verse 7: “rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Verse 8: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Verse 9: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,”
Verses 10-11: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Wow! And here is what’s amazing: our true identity is found in Christ alone! Just before the Christ hymn, Paul says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Just after the Christ hymn Paul says, “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
It is only by being in Christ that we can stop being self-centered and always be others-centered. Look at verses 3-4 and verses 14-15 again. Which of these admonitions do you need to offer up to Christ right now?
Poem
Wrap Your Mind Around This
The concept is hard to contain
So get out your spiritual
Saran-Wrap
And
Wrap your mind around this
The unimaginable humility of One
Who would leave
Abundance
Comfort
Status
Height
To stoop
To kneel
At dirty feet
To dip
To scrub
The stink of life away
Wrap you mind around this
The love-cup is spilling over
So imagine the breadth of the
Plate
And
Capture every drop
The unimaginable love obedience of One
Who would submit to
Limits
Accusation
Alone-ness
Death
To rescue
To buy back
An empty people
To cleanse
To amend
The immense gulf which separates
Capture every drop
The great day is dawning
So grab the largest
Microphone
And
Shout at the top of your lungs
The unimaginable holy news of One
Who would be
Unlimited
Gushing
Filling
Anointing
To conquer
To extinguish
Death forever
To reconcile
To breathe new life
The knees bend, the hands raise
Shout at the top of your lungs
