Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20081005.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Philippians: Living God's Great Calling Of Godly Servanthood
Part III: Following Christ's Perfect Example Of Godly Servanthood
(Philippians 2:1-11)
  1. Introduction
    1. In view of the rise of many abusive parties in our world, people who were predicted to appear in society in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, a danger exists for believers to think God is calling us to succumb to abusive parties, to grovel in emotional weakness and the absence of self-respect in order to become a godly servant.
    2. Though Paul urged those in the Philippian Church with contentious attitudes to be godly servants in meeting the needs of others, he certainly did not urge them to grovel beneath abusive folk, but to heed Christ's healthy, perfect example of godly servanthood from the high spiritual pose of God's edification.
    3. We thus view Paul's call to understand how we are to minister in godly servanthood to meet others' needs:
  2. Following Christ's Perfect Example Of Godly Servanthood, Philippians 2:1-11.
    1. Philippians 2:1-4 is the Apostle Paul's formal call that his Philippian readers practice godly servanthood, and Philippians 2:5-11 is the perfect example of Christ that forms the basis of this exhortation.
    2. As such, Paul urged his readers to godly servanthood based on four edifying certainties they had in Christ, and from which they had the means to attain that calling, Phil. 2:1; Bible Know. Com., N. T. , p. 653:
      1. The Philippians 2:1 "'if'" clauses are "first-class conditions in the Greek," meaning they "speak of certainties", and can actually be translated "'since'", Ibid.
      2. Thus, Paul's call for his readers to attain godly servanthood arose from these four edifying conditions:
        1. Godly servanthood arises from one's encouragement of being united with Christ, Phil. 2:1a NIV.
        2. Godly servanthood arises from one's being comforted in Christ's love, Phil. 2:1b NIV.
        3. Godly servanthood arises from one's enjoying the spiritual fellowship of the Holy Spirit, 2:1c NIV.
        4. Godly servanthood arises from one's enjoying God's tenderness and compassion, Phil. 2:1d NIV.
    3. Being thus edified, the believer is to have a ministry of godly servanthood in (1) being like-minded, (2) having the same love, (3) being one in spirit and (4) in purpose with one another, Philippians 2:2 NIV.
    4. With this approach, Paul's readers were to avoid strife and vain conceit, but in an attitude of humility, to consider each other better than themselves, Philippians 2:3. Indeed, Paul called for his readers to look out for the interests of others rather than for their own interests, Philippians 2:4.
    5. Lest we might think Paul's Philippians 2:3-4 admonition calls for the believer to view himself as worthless and so to grovel in painful weakness under abusive, godless folk, his reference to the example of the Lord Jesus counters this misconception as follows (Philippians 2:5-11):
      1. Paul clarified that his call for the Philippians to godly servanthood was to be fashioned after the mind of Christ in His earthly ministry, Philippians 2:5.
      2. Now, though Christ was in the very nature of God the Father, He did not consider "this something to be exploited to His own advantage," Philippians 2:6 NIV; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 2:6.
      3. Rather, He made Himself of no reputation in His earthly ministry, taking upon Himself the very nature of a slave to be made in human likeness as a man, Philippians 2:7.
      4. Then, as a man, the God Incarnate Lord Jesus further willingly humbled Himself to obey the Father's will of partaking of death, even the death of the cross, a death typical of vile criminals, Philippians 2:8.
      5. Due to this self-humiliation in view of His infinite innate greatness, the Father highly exalted Christ so that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess He is Lord to the Father's glory, Phil. 2:9-11.
      6. In summary, then, Paul held that Christ did not serve from a position of weakness, groveling beneath abusers, but from a position of infinite divine station, making His service praiseworthy!
Lesson: To attain the ministry of godly servanthood, God does not want his people to grovel in painful weakness before abusers, but, like Christ, to stoop to meet the needs of others from the spiritual station of God's EDIFICATION of his spirit in union with Christ, and in God's comfort, fellowship and love.

Application: May we fellowship with God in His spiritual power as the basis for stooping to serve the needs of fellow believers so that we serve in healthy, edifying inner strength in the example of Christ!