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Speaker 1Thank you, God. Again, just calling out to be a good your father, and you know we don't understand all life's details and how all things work together. You do know that all things work together for good as we love you and called and called according to your purpose. I pray God that that purpose would just shine tonight and see it, know it, believe it, act on it. Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Speaker 2School or college, it was like a sit and sew. It's kinda like a natured about me and go to consumer and tell me. So I thought the Lord captured my heart. And I'm like, wait. You do a lot that I did.
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So I was teaching a Bible study for women, came across the verse in relation to the number of the four, and it's like a distinct kind of mark or kind of stuff. The four? Am I doing that? I don't know any four people. And then a few months into that, something at church was about kitchen in South Dallas, and it serves the homeless twice a week.
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So it turns about 180 folks. Actually, first time I went with my now husband, it's amazing. It's less than, like, 10 miles from our home, but I thought, wow. There's a different world out here. I remember kinda probably being wide eyed, you know, just I can kind of see if humanity was really frankly so close to home, but so far from my reality.
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Any little act of kindness really caused them to respond. And so I felt like asking their name kind of created a you care response. It's like, I can do this. This isn't about giving them a meal, it's about serving and respecting them. I was down in the kitchen serving about once a week for probably almost a year, and then one of the girls in the kitchen said, hey, why would y'all come to Bible study with us?
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And so now eighteen months later, I spend my Thursdays in Bible studies. Inner city, often past incarcerated, homeless, awesome woman. It's like crazy different than most Bible studies I've been in. Some of them walk as much as an hour, others need a ride, we just forget about basic resource. They don't have cars to get there.
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They don't come showered, they come hungry. Frankly, it's a tough relationally because, honestly, someone won't show up for two weeks, and we can ask someone where they are, and they might be able drink and then you need them. But it's a real fun place to just tell them, look, the door's always open no matter where you no matter what you've done, come back. We love you and welcome you. Like, their pain is such on a survival level.
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It feels like my pain is more kind of on the realm of desires, basic needs in life. I think of Diane. Just last week, Diane to that sweating and exhausted and tired and you know she's been in an abusive relationship and so just to have her broken and saying I don't wanna go back, I need help. With Sarah Mae, it's often taking her after Bible study to get her her medicine. Know when it's, she's 55 and it's a 100 plus degrees in August, a ride to Walgreens is a huge gift.
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Or for me that, think, you know, her mom died last year, but getting to Parkland to visit a mom in the hospital. Just ministering to them in those different ways, it seems like a one-sided relationship in the world's eyes. But if you really make it about loving them as Christ loved us, then we can stay down there and not know what you're gonna do again. But I feel like we're sisters in Christ sitting at the same table, studying the word of God, you know, coming to the word of God with very different issues and heartaches and heartbreaks, but same God as Lord God. I really tried to make some choices at work.
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It's maybe it at times not gonna be in a superstar where it's that some boundaries to be available for other things. I call it my less money, more life campaign, and that takes some sacrifices and a smaller house and a 11 year old car. Sweet work of the Lord is at heart of crazy realistic, and I really like nice stuff. So the Lord has done a sweet work to trade in some of those things that I once held high. It really is fun to develop the relationships with these women over a period of time and decided to show up.
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One of the fun things for Scott and I is we started living life down there and started thinking about our friends in South Dallas as truly our friends and not just kind of we step in to South Dallas and go back to our comfortable life. Scott proposed on the steps of the White House with and the White House is an old, actually, the colonial house we have Albany City. And so some of the first people to know were the girls in the neighborhood, and one of them walked several blocks over, and I was like, Sarah, how'd you know? Said a word travels fast good. Looking for it.
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Congratulations. And we're going burn our heart with Luke 14 just to pass. So my folks have paid me back. So we had a Luke 14 wedding and even the venue for a wedding would be a place that we welcomed in and lighting for them. And so it's been fun to truly share our lives and let them bless us, and we're willing to be blessed in life.
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Speaker 1Philippians two verses three and four, be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out for only your own interest, but taking interest in others too. Does that like not capture that that those verses or what? You know? Like, she was experiencing all the success and she had the things that she wanted and she was chasing that.
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Was still that missing piece. And I think every one of us run into it, there's that missing piece and you go, there's something, there's something more. And through for her, it was like it was through the the the studying the scriptures and the Bible study, hearing from the Holy Spirit. And and she came to the conclusion, I I've got more to give. I just have more to give.
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And And that life isn't just about sitting and soaking, it's about going and serving. And if I may, can I allow the scriptures to remind us that again tonight? Because this is so huge. Philippians two is very much about having the attitude of Christ by serving others. Why?
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Because Christ served us. That is the plain and simple message tonight. We have to serve others because Christ has served us. And and I want you to see just how he's done that. Let me say right out of the gate, my goal is never ever to guilt us into serving.
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It is not my style. It's never my intent. Like Ray said on Sunday, like everything we do, it's to love, to serve, to give, to forgive, it all comes as a response. Grace extended to us, grace extended out then to others. You know, fill that cup, pour it out.
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Fill that cup, it out. My hope is that the tender mercies of Christ, seriously, that the tender mercies of Christ would spur us on to love one another. Not because we're like, oh, I I I have to. I'm guilted in this. No.
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Because we're so grateful. We're grateful for how Christ has served us. In this passage that we're studying, it brings out how he served us, brings out why we have to serve one another. So will you be listening for that as I as I read it? It's Philippians two one through 11, and here's what it says.
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Having the attitude of Christ is the title. Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Is there any comfort in his love? Is there any fellowship together in the spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?
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Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with one another, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.
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You must have the same attitude that Christ had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to claim to. It's huge. Yeah. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges.
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He took a humble position as a slave and was born a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and he died a criminal's death on the cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of the highest honor and gave him the name above all names that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. In heaven and earth and under the earth and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Let's pray on that.
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Okay? This is big. God bless your word to us. I pray that we receive it with open hearts, with open with open minds. Really, you've you've set the bar high.
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You set the greatest example of love and service by looking out for for our interests, not just your own. You gave up your divine privileges. You took the position of a slave. You humbled yourself in obedience to God, and ultimately, you died a criminal's death on a cross when you did nothing wrong. With this in mind, again, would you just help us to see your example?
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Soften up, serve others without reservation. And but the thing is we need your help in this because this doesn't always come naturally. And we need your spirit to prompt us, to remind us, to to lead us into a life of spirits and of service. And we ask this. We're asking for your help in in the name of our gracious and and loving savior who who who served us.
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Amen. Got a lot to chew on here. A lot a lot of verses, but the opening of this passage really sets the tone, doesn't it? Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? I would ask the same.
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Church, any encouragement? Yes. Yes. Mhmm. I'm encouraged.
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It baffles me that God would draw us wayward sinners to himself. It I just it I I think about the things that are going on in the world right now and these attacks and like, why why does God why does he put up with us? Seriously. We we we are so sinful by nature and choice. I mean, as a whole.
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You know, those and and I just think, why have you done this? Why have you adopted us as sons and daughters into your family? A perfect savior giving his perfect life for our imperfect ones. That while we were still sinners, yeah, Christ died for us. That we're children of God through faith in Jesus.
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Yeah. We're his kids. That God in Christ, he reconciled. He brought the whole world to himself, and he's no longer counting our sins against us. I mean, if you haven't considered these things lately, just can I can I remind you of it?
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Take comfort in the fact that that through faith in Christ you belong to God. We pass from eternal death to eternal life. And and and boy, especially lately just thinking like, if this world is all there is, boy, that's that's tough. That's really tough and having eternity to look forward to. Is there any comfort in his love?
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Again, what would you say there? Yes. I mean, look at this. Nothing can separate us from God's love, life, death, angels, demons, fears, worries, powers of hell, earth, and the sky. I think that pretty much covers it all.
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Like, I was thinking, oh, that's that's that covers the that's the full glass right there. That nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that's revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loves you. Deal with it. Seriously.
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Nothing can separate you from his love. That's pretty comforting. Is there fellowship together in the spirit? Oh, wow. Yes.
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I'll share it with you. Like, what I love about being part of the church is this fellowship that we share together in the spirit. Like, we're we're different here. Like, we have a lot of different personalities. I was just talking to you guys about it.
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I grew up in Minnesota thinking that hot dish and jello were not a normal thing in life. That's it's not. Salad. But we share the same spirit. And, you know, whether it's when we're singing together or praying together, just taking in the word together or eating together or sharing each other's burdens or we meet at the grocery store and then the conversation just goes to Jesus and about our faith and about our hope in him, which I love.
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You know, the spirit bonds us together like like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. It is amazing how Christians will gravitate toward one another. Have you ever seen that? And Ray, would you say it's especially true on the mission field? It's crazy.
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The spirit bonds us together. And you know when I really become aware of it? It's when I don't have it. When I don't have it. Like when I'm outside the fellowship of the church and I'm wanting desperately to share in the spirit with unbelievers, but I can't.
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Have you ever been there? And you want so bad that you're just like, I don't wanna share in this with you, but you can't because that there's not not there's not that connection. Because they're not seeing that grace, that peace, that love, that forgiveness, that kindness. They're not having it. Because I mean, does that ever get to you?
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Because it it really gets to me. And I want so badly to be able to share in spirit, we can. So the point is there, can I encourage us not to take the fellowship that we have together here for granted? It just struck me this week that how wonderful it is that we've got this You know, we've got Christ in common. He's our common body and the spirit is he's really connecting us together.
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That's a sweet thing. Are your hearts tender and compassionate by God's grace extended? I sure hope. I sure hope so. I really do.
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That little by little, you'd be chipping off those rough edges in us and then our hearts would become more and more tender so that we're living examples of verse two that we're agreeing wholeheartedly. You know? We're loving each other. We're working together, not just individually. We're working together through things.
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One mind, one purpose. And that purpose remember last week, it's Philippians one twenty seven that we're fighting together for the faith. That's the good news of the gospel. Fighting together to make Christ known. You know, that's what we're about.
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And verses three through eight are just they're gonna show us how that's done church. So please listen, pay attention. But I gotta warn you. If we wholeheartedly agree to do these things, this church can blow up. It's gonna it's gonna get big.
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And we are not gonna it's already full right now. Do know what I mean? That's a great problem to have, but if we're really doing these things, it's gonna keep getting bigger and bigger. We're gonna have to find some more space. So just I I caution you with that one.
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Okay? I really believe this. I really believe this wholeheartedly. Here's where it starts. Don't be selfish.
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Don't try to impress others. Be humble. Think of other people as better than you. Don't look only for your interests. How about the interests of others?
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Rick Warren, first line of his book, Purpose Driven Life. It's not about you. I think that's like the best opening to a book ever. It's not about you. That we must begin with God.
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We we we start, we typically begin with the wrong starting point ourselves. We ask self centered questions. And it's just true. I and you know why I say this? Because I do.
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Okay? What do I wanna be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals? What are my ambitions?
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What are my dreams for my future? That's the long starting point. It just is. It begins with God. And here's here's the kicker.
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Here it is. God sent Jesus to show show us how it's done. He sent Jesus to show us how it's done. Verse six. Though he was God.
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Okay. I had just exploded there because that's huge. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Said, I'm gonna hold that one aside. I put that in my back pocket.
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The one person who lived a perfect life, he could have bragged. He could have boasted. He could have truly made everything about himself, and he didn't. Totally didn't. Instead, he made his life on earth about loving God and loving other people by serving them.
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That right there is not just a clever slogan for our church that we made up somewhere. That's our goal. This is what we're striving for. And guess what? We got a long way to go, but this is what we're after.
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Two God the two greatest commands. Love God, your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Is this clicking? Is it resonating?
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Verse seven. He gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born human being. Consider that. He set aside his equality with God.
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He stepped down to live with us and dwell with us from heaven. Well, if I go to heaven, I don't wanna come back here. I'm telling you. Seriously. That's where he that's where he was.
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Step down and live with us. Took the position of a bond slave is a more accurate translation. That's a a person without any ownership rights of their own. They have completely laid themselves down to serve others. Have you ever asked yourself, why would God do that?
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Have you ever asked them like, why would you do that for me? God so loved the world. Will you finish it? Betty? He's in his own desire.
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And his son's service. Look at this beautiful example in John 13. It's Passover time. Jesus, no, he knew it. He knew that he would be betrayed and denied by his disciples.
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And look what he does. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. So he got up from the table, he took off his rub, he wrapped a towel on his waist, and he poured water in a basin, and he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying with a towel that he had around him. Wow. Like does that passage throw entitlement out the window or what?
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It just does. I look at that and I go, my entitlement, my feelings of being above anyone or really any active service, and it just smashes it to the ground. It it it totally annihilates any thoughts that I have that I'm bigger or better than than anybody else. Because if the God of the universe could step down while still being God, take the position of a slave and wash the dirty feet of some regular ordinary men, fishermen, whatever else, you know, just ordinary guys. What's my excuse?
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That's what that's what it was this week. Was like, what's my excuse? Believe me, I tried to think of one and I couldn't. Like I don't have a good excuse. We don't have a good excuse not to serve others because the God that we serve has served us.
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Here's what he did. He used his free will to humble himself in obedience to God. He said not my will, but yours be done. He died a criminal's death on the cross and he did nothing wrong. And if Jesus could humble himself and he died for us when he didn't do anything wrong, trust me, I've done lots wrong.
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The very least that I can do, the very least that we can do is look to the interests of others and think of them as better than ourselves. Would you agree with this? Really? It's like the very least, again, it's compelling, it's persuasive, it's motivating. It doesn't guilt us into service.
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It's not a you must. And then he didn't, you know, he's back here somewhere. It was like, no, he stepped down, lived among us, did all these things, showed us, gave the example. That's compelling. That's persuasive.
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That's motivating. That's not guilt. It's like, I better do this now. Has this been done for me? As I as I thought about us, I I thought about a church body and your your names.
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Trust me. During during the week, your names, your faces, just they're swirling in my head. And I start thinking about you. I start thinking about us. And I start thinking about all these opportunities that we have to serve.
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In our homes, in our workplaces, in the church. And I want to commend you because like I look around and I see some of you, you've given it. You're really given it. And I just I'm proud of you. Can I I'm just gonna tell you that?
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I'm proud of you and I love you and I want to spur you on to keep to keep doing this. To keep doing it. You're not doing it in vain. Keep an ear to the ground. Pray on it.
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Continue to ask the Lord. God, where can you use me? Where can you use me? Because trust me, on this side of heaven, there's always gonna be needs that have to be met always. Have you seen it?
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Do you know it? Do you experience it? There always needs that have to be met. And I promise you, he'll open your eyes if you ask. Be careful because if you start going, God, how can I serve?
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It's gonna blow up in your face and you're gonna find people and places and things to do. It's gonna happen. That's right. It really is. Last night, our family, we're around the table and we're discussing, talking through these verses.
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And and and everybody gave examples of how we could serve. And and then my little daughter, my daughter, Addie, she goes, you could give up your I'm sorry. I'm a I'm a crybaby. She goes, you could give up your swing for somebody on the playground, and she would because that's what she's like. You know?
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But in our world, that's a big deal. Here's the question. What does service look like for you? What does it look like for you? Have you considered it?
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I know you are because a lot of you are doing it right now. Imagine with me just for a moment. If every one of us, before our feet hit the floor in the morning, we we clothed ourselves with Christ and we consciously decided and said, you know what? Today's not gonna be about me. Woah.
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It's gonna be about serving God first and foremost. I just I wanna please God. And then I wanna love others. I wanna love my family better. I wanna love my spouse better.
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I'm gonna intentionally lay myself down for my friends, for my coworkers, for my church, and even know what? For people I don't even know. I'm still gonna love the tar out of them anyway. Can you imagine what a compelling case it would make for faith in Christ? Can you imagine that?
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Again, try it. This place will blow up. I promise. See following Jesus loving one another. Look at all these things that this passage just brought out just right here.
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Humbling ourselves, looking out for each other's interests, giving up some of our privileges. Believe me, we've got privileges, friends. We do. Laying aside our preferences, loving one another, agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, and working together with one mind and pearls. Looks a lot like that.
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And that's how the gospel advances. It does. It takes off. That's what draws people to Lord. And I know we got a long way to go, and I know that we've messed up.
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And here's the deal. This doesn't have to be something we just imagined. It doesn't. It can be a reality. It can.
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But like Jesus submitted his will to God day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Like he submitted his will, it is it requires us to do the same. Remember, please remember, you've got the spirit of God living in you. Don't forget that. He's living in you.
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You've got Jesus, his example to remind you along the way. Yeah, Jesus did that once. You've got one another. You've got each other here to do this, to spur each other on to love and good works. Like this is possible.
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Okay? We can really do this. Again, whole point of the message. We have to serve others because Christ has served us. His example, it's compelling.
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It is persuasive. It is motivating. It doesn't guilt. It lovingly draws us in his service. Would you agree?
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I agree. So that is the message tonight. Keep on serving, guys. Keep on serving. If there's encouragement from the longing of Christ, if there is comfort from his love, if there is fellowship in his spirit, and if your hearts are truly tender and compassionate, give it up.
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Keep serving. Keep drawing people toward Jesus. That's all I got. If the band come back up, I'll sing one more song. One of the lyrics is song.
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How you love, I love, how you serve, I'll serve. We'll make that our prayer. But can I give you just a moment on your own, just in silence? Maybe something got you. Maybe something grabbed ahold of you.
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You pray. Can I give you a moment just to pray on it? And then and then we'll sing again. Okay?
