Monday, March 17, 2014

The Jesus Sandwich (but Jesus is the bread)



In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul throws down a challenge for the Philippians... but it is not in a vacuum, watch how the challenge is sandwiched with Jesus...

Jesus Our Motivation, 2:1
“If you have any encouragement from being in Christ …” Stop right there. Answer the question, do you? Have you been encouraged by your relationship with Christ? Has this union with Him impacted your outlook on life? What else has He done for you? Do you have any “comfort from his love?” Has there ever been a time where the love of Christ brought your soul comfort? Have you ever had “fellowship in the Spirit?” Have you had a moment where it occurs to you that you can fellowship with God, and with fellow believers, because He’s given you His Holy Spirit? If you answered no to all of these, it is because you either need to get saved, or you are still very young in your faith and have not learned how to recognize these blessings of being in Christ. If you answered yes to any of these… you’ve just been set up. With these privileges comes responsibility… “be like minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and purpose.”

The Challenge, 2:2-5
If you’ve been loved, then love. If you’ve been encouraged, then encourage. If you’ve been united with Christ, be united with each other… “being one in Spirit and in purpose.” Paul wants to see them united, not just to present a united front against opposition to the Gospel (1:27), but also to enjoy the benefits of unity – namely, looking out for one another, serving one another, loving one another. That is why they should “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit!” That’s challenging, but they have the motivation of being united with Christ, comforted by His love, fellowshipping with His Spirit. So they can “in humility, consider others better than themselves.” Practically, this will look like people looking “not only to their own interests but also to the interest of others.” And all of this behavior is motivated by Jesus – who provides “encouragement … comfort from His love … fellowship in the Spirit.” What Jesus provides gives security and joy to the one who believes in Him; this security makes one able to look outside himself … to the interest of others. That’s how Jesus motivates. But the Philippians may need more than just motivation for selfless living… they may need a model.

Jesus Our Model, 2:5-11
Who better to model selfless living than Jesus, and Paul wants them to have the same mindset Jesus had. You see even though Jesus was God, He didn’t play that card to His advantage, He didn’t demand God-like status or treatment while He was on earth. So also, the one who is living selflessly must not demand status or treatment that they may think they deserve. Jesus emptied Himself, made Himself nothing. The one who will live selflessly will do the same - emptying self-promotion, and self-centered agendas. Jesus took on the form of a servant, not because He was forced into servitude, but because He followed His Father’s will into servitude. The one who lives selflessly will serve others, willingly, following Jesus’ model. But how far should someone go in serving others? How far does the selfless living rabbit hole go? Pretty deep – Jesus humbled himself to the point of death, death on a cross… public humiliation. Not because He made poor choices and paid the consequence, but because His love for His Father, and for others was bigger than His love for self. We also see that God exalted Jesus. Jesus humbled Himself, but God exalted Him. Don't seek self promotion, trust God for how He will direct your life, as you humbly serve others, just like Jesus did. Getting ahead in life, being promoted, climbing the ladder - patiently put these in God's hands, recognizing your patience may carry you all the way to the end of your life. Expand your timeline beyond this life, and let your faith fuel your patience and humility in this life.

Monday, February 24, 2014

The Deception of Idols

There are many men today who struggle with sexual sin. If you're one of them I hope these 5 simple points will encourage you. If you are not, may God use these to equip you to encourage others, or apply them to another area of bondage in your life.

1. Come to a realization that the images you are viewing (or the over eating, over shopping, over body sculpting, etc) are a form of idolatry. God warns constantly against idolatry (Isaiah 41:29, 42:17, 44:9), but not because He's an insecure whiny God who gets His feelings hurt if you look elsewhere. It is because He sees things accurately. He knows that He alone is worthy of your worship, and He wants you to experience what He designed you to experience - satisfaction, in Him. Idols cannot provide satisfaction (ask Mick Jagger).

2. Come to a realization that idols lie. They promise satisfaction but cannot deliver. The do this by appealing to our physical senses - the things that we can feel most quickly. And they definitely deliver ... for a few moments. Then the lie sets in. And you realize you've been deceived... again. No matter how many times you try, an idol will never satisfy. It only deceives you into thinking it will.

3. Recognize that your faith, not your will power, can free you from bondage to idols. The foundation of faith will lead to your freedom. You must have a sincere belief that Jesus is better, that what He offers is better. Your faith must go beyond a simple belief in the existence of God, it must reflect the truth of Hebrews 11:6 "Those who come to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him." Not only is God real, what He offers is real - abundant life, joy, peace, purpose. Things that an idol can never offer you. So you must have faith that what God offers is better than what the idol offers. Once this faith is in place, your will can feel the power to say no to idols. But will power without faith is just law ... it doesn't work.

4. Fuel your brain with truth. There are many passages that talk about the importance of the mind (Colossians 3:2, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:5, I Peter 1:13, Ephesians 4:22-24). There is a reason for this - that is where the day to day battle is won. Faith must be the foundation, but truth must fill your mind in order for you to behave according to what you believe. What truth from God's Word helps you savor the beauty of Christ? Fill your mind with those truths. What truth from God's Word reminds you that you have been made new in Christ, and no longer have to submit to idolatry (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10, I Peter 2:9 are just a few)

5. Share your journey with someone else regularly, and invite them to ask how you are doing with the steps above. Don't let it devolve into a "did you mess up?" session... let it be a worship session - be honest about your struggles, but end with the beauty of Christ, a reminder of your ultimate satisfaction.