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Sermon Transcript December 5, 2021

Advent 2021 Journey to the Heart of Jesus

He Humbled Himself Philippians 2:5-8; Acts 16:11-40

'is message from the Bible was addressed originally to the people of Wethersfield Evangelical Free Church on December 5, 2021 at 511 Maple Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109 by David Rucquoi. 'is is a transcription that bears the strength and weaknesses of oral delivery. It is not meant to be a polished essay. An audio and video version of this sermon may also be found on the church website at www.wethefc.com

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Sermon Text Philippians 2:5-8

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Acts 16: 11-40

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “'ese men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit le> her.

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 'ey brought them before the magistrates and said, “'ese men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

22 'e crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 A>er they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 'e jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

29 'e jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

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31 'ey replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 'en they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 'e jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

37 But Paul said to the officers: “'ey beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

38 'e officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 'ey came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 A>er Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. 'en they le>.

Introduction

Last week Pastor Scott spoke about the journey of Christmas. Mary and Joseph’s trip, the shepherd’s trip, the Magi, and that greatest trip that Jesus took from heaven to earth. Our text for this series is Philippians 2:5-11. Last week highlighted v. 6, “who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…”. It’s not that Jesus couldn’t grasp equality with God; rather, He chose not to. Instead, considering the outer and inner glory of Jesus, He laid aside the brilliance of His outer glory to take on the form of humanity. 'us began His celestial journey, as Jesus le> heaven and came to earth. 'e next step in Jesus’ journey is revealed in verses 7-8, where we read, “…but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself…” In his commentary on Philippians James Boice refers to this as “'e Great Parabola” referencing a symmetrical curve to illustrate Jesus’ journey from the heights of heaven to the depths of hell, and back again. We might call this a “round trip.” In speaking about this passage Tim Keller said that one of the challenges of being a minister is the propensity to overstate the importance of a passage saying, “'is is the greatest” or “this is the most important,” but (he says sheepishly), this one really is. In keeping with our theme of a journey, I used to commute into New York City for work every day, by train. Occasionally, on the way home, I would be so tired I’d wake up not knowing where I was, how I got there, or where I was going. On a few rare occasions, I even slept through my stop. In

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a similar way, we find ourselves in the middle of one of the most profound passages of scripture begging the same questions: Where are we? How did we get here? And where are we going?

Where are we? How did we get here? 'e answer to these questions brings us to another journey of a very travelled man named “Saul.” He was a Hebrew by race, a Jew by faith and a citizen of Rome, who grew up in what is now modern Turkey. In his youth he studied at a prestigious Jewish school, in Jerusalem. By his early 20s he was a leading political and religious leader in Israel (a Pharisee), and was exposed to a radical cult that conflicted with his training (or so he thought). With great confidence, he vehemently opposed this cult; but, on a journey to the city of Damascus he was dramatically confronted by the awareness that his extensive knowledge was incomplete. A>er some self-isolated contemplation in Arabia, Saul returned to Damascus to voice his discovery. To his surprise, the very people he had intended to persecute ended up protecting him from his former mentors, co-workers and classmates. Alienated, endangered and confused, Paul went home (probably to live with his parents, in Tarsus), where he worked a trade while reconciling his education with his experience. It was likely here he concluded that much knowledge provokes pride. A>er about ten years a fledgling church in Antioch of Syria reached out to him. Apparently, they were struggling to reconcile their Christian faith with the written Word of God. Remembering Saul (who now went by “Paul”), they asked if he could come “on staff” as a “teaching Pastor.” He was so helpful in this role, they commissioned him to take his teaching to others. Traveling throughout the Mediterranean basin, Paul increasingly understood and taught the purposes of God from the Hebrew Scriptures. Eventually, he came to Philippi, a leading city of the Macedonian region of the Greek peninsula. While some embraced the gospel, others found it offensive. A mob was formed, and Paul was beaten and imprisoned (without trial, and in violation of Roman law), and spent a bloody night in prison, where he boldly sang praises. 'e earth shook, the prison doors opened, and Paul found himself leading the prison guard’s family to salvation in Christ, as the dramatic start of the church in Philippi. In Paul’s subsequent journeys, he would stop at Philippi, maintaining close ties with the church, who cared for him and supported his work. A>er many years of dramatic hardship in ministry, Paul now writes an intimate letter to them from another prison. One reason for this letter was to thank them for sending Epaphroditus (one of their

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members), to care for Paul. Long before Zoom, the way to communicate was by letter, and the most effective way was to send a person. So Epaphroditus was sent to help Paul (along with a gi>), but then Epaphroditus became very sick, and nearly died. As Paul nursed Epaphroditus back to health, they discussed the church, the people, and the issues they were facing. Now sending Epaphroditus back to them, Paul includes this letter. So, as we wake up on this journey and wonder “where am I?” and “how did I get here?” we realize we are in the classroom of a very well-traveled Apostle Paul, who has learned a great deal in his journey for Christ, that we find valuable this Christmas season.

An unexpected part of the journey As I prepared for this message, I found myself looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians in a very different way. Most people consider the theme of Philippians to be joy, where we read “…complete my joy by being of the same mind…” (2:2) or “…I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me,” (2:17-18), and the very familiar “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4). Personally, what has always stood out to me in Philippians was the theme of confidence. Paul opens with, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6). 'en Paul says, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (1:14). Paul challenges what their confidence is in saying that he puts “…no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more…” (3:4). From a man imprisoned, the book proclaims an unusual confidence. However, looking at this book from our key text I see it in a different light. In the gospels we learned who Jesus was, and what he did. In Acts we saw people’s reactions to Jesus’ teaching. In the epistles we read the implications of what Jesus taught, and in Revelation we see where this all leads us to. But, in Philippians we see the perspective of the very mind of Christ: what he thought. One summary statement can be found toward the end of the letter, where Paul writes, “'erefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Phil. 4:1). Notice here we see joy and confidence, but the focus is “in the Lord.” Previously I counted all the references to joy (there are 14), then the references to confidence (I counted 8, not including general discussions). But, then I counted direct references to Jesus, finding 48 separate references to Jesus Christ, in just four chapters. Among them are such memorable statements such as, “…whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed” (1:18), or “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21). Later he adds, “…whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my

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Lord” (3:7-8). And, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3 14). And the more I read and re-read the letter, the more I realized that Paul wasn’t referencing being “in Christ Jesus” as if he was a member of an organization. Over and over again he urges an intimate knowledge of Jesus saying, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings…” (3:10). Contrast this with what he refers to as “enemies of the cross of Christ” who have their “minds set on earthly things” (3:19). In these short chapters Paul is urging them to experience joy and confidence by adopting the very mind of Christ. And in the context of the joy and confidence, and discussing the mind of Christ, we see opposition. Of course, Paul is writing from prison, facing possible execution, but then he references fellow believers who jealously and competitively seek to afflict him. He talks about opponents, suffering, conflict, overcoming fear, injustice, evildoers, false teaching, all in the context of an overriding joy and confidence through the mind of Christ. And then Paul relates what he’s dealing with to what they are dealing with saying, “…let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that …, 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, and not frightened in anything by your opponents…For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (1:27-30). Apparently, they are facing hardship. 'is Advent passage, in Philippians 2, begins in the context of unkind opposition and conflict, where Paul says, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ [because they needed encouragement], any comfort from love [they were suffering], any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself…” Paul refers to humility as that which overrides our natural tendency to satisfy the self, contrasting it with “selfish ambition or conceit” (2:3), adding that we should “count others more significant than [ourself].” 'is, he describes, is the mind of Christ. Last week focused on Jesus in his deity. 'is week we see Jesus becoming a human. And not just any human, a slave. Elsewhere (2 Cor. 8:9), Paul described this transformation saying, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” In his

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profound book on humility C.J. Mahaney defines humility as “honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.” 'at’s exactly what we see in this passage, and to fully understand Jesus’ scope of humility we would need to understand the chasm between God’s holiness (on the one hand) and our depravity that Jesus bore (on the other hand). 'e point in history when that chasm was crossed was 2000 years ago, when a baby was born in a barn. 'e only event in history where God was more vulnerable; and more humble, was some thirty years later, when that baby hung on a cross. , which leads us to ask, “Where are we going?”

Where are we going? In our journey, we are in class with the Apostle Paul. “How did we get here?” 'is “classroom” is the culmination of Paul’s many journeys, and the lessons he learned along the way. Now we ask, “Where are we going? Is there a practical application? Yes, and the first is very personal to me. 'e record of Paul’s visit to Philippi confronts us with two categories of people: those who rejected Jesus, and those who embraced Jesus. Sadly, we see several ways people reject the gospel. 'ere were multiple religious women gathered to pray by the riverside that Sabbath day, and one named Lydia was a worshiper of God, whose heart was opened to the gospel and who, along with her family, was baptized. Other people heard an interesting message and calmly went home, unchanged. A fortune-telling slave girl followed Paul around, proclaiming his intentions, and she was right; however, it does not appear that she embraced the message, and her methodology likely turned others away. When Paul cast out the demon in her, she le> him alone; but then her owners took offense, as the light of the gospel grated against the darkness of the community. Her owners, community leaders, then a mob, harshly opposed Paul, and his message, without looking into the facts. Had they done so, they would have realized they were wrong, but they weren’t open to that, choosing instead to oppose. Multiple prisoners and prison staff witnessed the events that evening, but we aren’t told how they responded. We are told that the jailer cried out, “what must I do to be saved?” and Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” and that’s exactly what happened. Lydia, the jailer, and their families clearly embraced the gospel and were baptized to confirm their decision. Of those who rejected the gospel, some just walked away. Others overtly rejected the gospel to avoid change. Still others never considered the gospel, rejecting it on the basis of outspoken, uninformed, prejudiced opposers in their community. In every journey there is a point where we must choose our path. Lydia, the jailer and their families chose to follow Jesus, and as Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church, he thought of them. 'ose who chose not to embrace the gospel did so passively or aggressively, but the result was the same. By not choosing Jesus, they rejected him.

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In our passage Paul mentions both Jesus’ birth and Jesus death. I was ten years old when I first understood that the baby in the manger (at Christmas) was the man on the cross (at Easter), and why. 'at was when I made the same decision as Lydia and the jailer. At Christmas, it never occurred to me that Jesus came to die. He knew it and referred to it o>en saying things like, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came to give his life as a ransom for me, and for you, because our sin separates us from God. Jesus’ determination was such that on his final journey to Jerusalem, knowing what He would face, He walked in front of the disciples, fully aware, fully committed. He was the gi> that very first Christmas (and still is), explaining that “… God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And, as with any gi>, this gi> must be received to be claimed. Paul later states, “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved [that’s what the jailer did]. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom. 10:9-10). 'e first practical response to Jesus’ humbling himself is to receive His gi> of salvation and confess Him as your Lord. As with any journey, this is a fundamental choice of which path to take. And, should you find yourself on the wrong path, don’t be duped to believe you cannot get off of it. A thief on the cross next to Jesus, as his wayward life was ending, called out to Jesus. If we could have seen a GPS indicator of his future, we would see the spinny thing turning, with the words, “Recalculating,” as his life was transformed, even in his final moments. We’re told “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 'e old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Your heart can trust Him. Receive His gi>, choose the path of Jesus. 'e second practical response to Jesus’ humbling himself, as summarized in Paul’s letter, is to “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (2:12). 'e first response is a point in time decision that quickly becomes history. It is the choice of which path to follow. 'e second response, to “work out your salvation,” must be done now, and continuously repeated throughout your future. It is an intentional, ongoing effort, comparable to how we drive once we’ve chosen our path. In the first response we observed the contrast of those who accepted Jesus with those who did not. In this second response we observe the contrast between “selfish ambition” and “humility” (2:3). Tim Keller points out this contrast, which I will embellish, saying, “Let each of you look only to his own interests, don’t bother with others. Have this attitude, though you are not in the form of God, consider equality with God something to be grasped. Exalt yourself to being pre-eminent.” 'is sounds repugnant, doesn’t it? With all our subtle human disguises removed, it sounds awful; but Keller points out that every time we choose to make

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ourselves happy in contrast to God’s word, this is exactly what we are doing. We are placing ourselves above God. John Stott states, “pride is … the essence of all sin. For it is the stubborn refusal to let God be God, with the corresponding ambition to take his place. It is the attempt to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves. Sin is self-deification. But God says that since he is God and he alone, he will not share his glory with any other (Is. 42:8).” C.J. Mahaney drives the point further saying, “the real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it’s where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life.” Last week I gave a 'anksgiving message at our sister church in Windsor Locks. Given the occasion, I pointed out how the early Pilgrims saw each other as equal before God. But it is not natural for us to consider others. 'ink about it. From the womb our perspective is derived from our own senses sending signals to our brains based on our experiences, prompting instinctive responses; but, life is not about the self. My comfort, my pleasure, my wants and needs must not dictate my priorities, because all of life is not about me (or you). 'us we see Paul’s admonision to “count others more significant than yourselves” and “look not only to [your] own interests but also to the interests of others.” “But,” the Lord states, “this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). In fact, listen to these promises from Scripture for those who are humble: “… you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down” (Psalm 18:27). “ He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Psalm 25:9). “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2). “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (Prov. 18:12). “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you” (James :10). Scriptures promise honor, wisdom, God’s grace, God’s leading, and God’s salvation to those who are humble. If this sounds like a plea to be passive and religious, think again.

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In Jim Collins’ best-selling leadership book, Good to Great, Collins employed a team of researchers for five years, evaluating eleven top corporations that stood out as making the shi> from being good to being great, seeking to identify what they had in common. Among these great companies, Collins found their CEOs possessed two common traits. 'ey were all driven, strong-willed people. 'is was no surprise, but the second character trait they all had in common was humility. 'eir co-workers described them as “quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated…” Similarly, through his many imprisonments and hardships we see Paul as determined, tough, and extremely focused (“I press on toward the goal for the prize”), yet adamant about humility. 'e constant emphasis throughout Paul’s letter to be “of the same mind” or “Have this mind among yourselves” or to suffer “the loss of all things … in order that I may gain” urges us to understand and embrace this point. Mahaney refers to this as “greatness redefined,” referencing the story of James and John ambitiously pursuing public affirmation of superiority from Jesus, only to be told, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). In his teaching on Phil. 2 Keller asks the question, if Jesus is God, how does this influence how we think? To which he makes three conclusions. First, if Jesus is God we should be more optimistic about our future. Second, if Jesus is God the only way to respond is “extremely,” to which he illustrates how no one reacted to Jesus in moderation. And, third, if Jesus is God we are challenged with a whole new dynamic for how to love people, as we emulate him. Humility is not non-aggressive. It is simply focused on the goal not the self. Humility in leadership demands the same priority from others, listens to input, shares decision-making, reproves in private, praises in public, accepts responsibility for failures, credits others for successes. Keller adds that, in Christianity, the way to go up is to go down. We don’t become saved by proving our own righteousness; rather, our salvation comes through acknowledging our unrighteousness and accepting His gi>. And we don’t become great by exercising authority; rather, we become great through serving. What was it Jesus said? “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and [what?] dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” One final point of application, and then we’ll close. If you haven’t noticed, in our capitalist culture we expect to be served, and served well. And if we don’t like the service we receive, we go elsewhere. 'is may be our model for capitalist enterprise, but it should never be the model for the local church. 'e Bible doesn’t refer to each other as “clients” or “patrons.” It refers to us as Brothers and Sisters. We are family. And if there is a need, we own it. If we have a problem, we address it. And we do so in a way that embraces a total commitment to each other. Mahaney states, “Our culture daily celebrates those who are clearly not great in the eyes of God.” He says that, by God’s standards, “greatness doesn’t equal success, or talent, or ability, or power, or applause. It

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equals servanthood. And it equals humility.” He encourages us to recognize greatness by breaking out in celebration when we see humility and service practiced, and that the greatest areas where we can find this are in the home, and in the church. In fact, he adds, “It’s true that one reason the local church exists is to equip your family, but” he adds “your family’s ultimate purpose is to serve in the context of the local church for God’s glory.”

Conclusion: Our first response, to having the same mind as Christ, who emptied himself in humility, should be to receive Jesus’ gi> of salvation. Choose that path. Our second response should be to emulate Jesus. Follow Him. Paul’s primary message to this church, as they faced various forms of opposition, was to keep their focus on Jesus and strive to be like Him. Our focus on Jesus should override any fear, opposition, or suffering. Dear church, as we face this historical journey of global difficulty and local tensions, we should not perceive the hardship as threatening. God is bigger! And the hardship or conflicts are the place where the light of the gospel shines the brightest. 'us, Paul could sing in the Philippian jail. And, in this way, following Jesus’ journey of humility we will find ourselves experiencing both joy and confidence.

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James Montgomery Boice, “Philippians: An Expositional Commentary” (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), 125. Timothy Keller, “Imitating the Incarnation,” Series: Philippians, presented July 2, 1995, accessed Nov. 30, 2021, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Tim+Keller+on+Philippians&t=osx&kp=1&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https %3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcuE1l7JAl4g. 1 Cor. 8:1. Acts 16. C.J. Mahaney, Humility: True Greatness (New York, NY: Multnomah Books, 2005), 22. Mark 10:32. Timothy Keller, “Imitating the Incarnation.” See earlier footnote. John Stott, David Holloway ed., “Pride, Humility and God,” print&audio.org, March 2019, accessed December 2, 2021, https://www.printandaudio.org.uk/app/resource/3676. Mahaney, 29. Mahaney, 17-18. Matthew 20:25-27. John 12:24. Mahaney 159-165.

© by David Rucquoi - All rights reserved

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Sermon Title: He Humbled Himself Sermon Text: Philippians 2:5-11; Acts 16:11-40 Sermon Date: December 5, 2021

1. Who is the most humble person you know, and what do they do that makes you see them as humble?

2. In what area do you feel your own pride is most manifest?

3. Read Philippians 1:27-30.

4. What can you glean from this passage what reasons explain why Paul starts Ch. 2 saying, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ…”?

5. How would you apply Paul’s subsequent discussion on humility to these reasons? 6. How could you apply this in your own life?

7. Can you make a connection between what you discussed (above) and Paul’s subsequent themes of joy and confidence in Philippians?

8. Continue to pray for the list of people you created that you would like to see turn in faith to Jesus.

Getting To Know Me Questions

Diving Into The Word

Taking It Home