Philippians 2:1-13
"WWJD?"
Back in 1989, a youth group created the acronym WWJD?
The idea caught on and some advertisers made some serious money on the concept.
By the 1990's just about everyone was familiar with WWJD?
Bumper-stickers, Bible covers, tee-shirts, jewelry, and more came out of that idea.
Some say that the real message got lost in the marketing frenzy.
In Philippians Chapter 2 we come across a very moving passage in Paul's writing.
And in it, Paul says: "Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus..."
Kind of similar to the message of those "What Would Jesus Do?" bracelets.
It can be easy to forget that a lot of the Bible came out of a community of faith that was grappling with the down-to-earth question of what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
Philippians, along with many of the other Books of the New Testament are real letters written to particular churches in particular situations in particular time frames.
This doesn't mean that they are frozen in the past and have no value today.
The very fact that they are as applicable to the situations we find ourselves in 2,000 years later, speaks volumes about, not only how much we have in common with our earliest brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to the continuing and eternal message of the Gospel.
Recently, I remarked to Clair: "You know, if you pastor a church long enough, a fair percentage of folks will get mad at you at--at least one point or another."
And that's okay, I suppose.
Because when we live in community with other people there will always be some conflict.
It's a simple fact of the life we live together as a church.
And sometimes church members will have trouble getting along with other church members.
We all have different ideas, and misinterpret the words or actions of others.
We all have feelings.
We are all human.
The key to all this, though, is being able to work out our differences of opinion, or our misunderstandings.
Or to keep ourselves from holding onto a grudge, day after day, year after year to the point where it has eaten away at our precious time, energy, health, joy and ability to follow Christ and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
We all get frustrated at times.
And some of us might get frustrated with one another--but that doesn't mean we don't love one another.
We love because Christ first loved us.
There isn't a person here I don't love, and I feel as if you all love me as well...
...you might get frustrated with me at times, but I feel loved here.
I hope you do.
But look at what Paul says,
"Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.
Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others."
What in the world caused Paul to write such words?
How could he even think this way of life was even possible?
I mean, don't these words run counter to just about everything we naturally think, or to every inclination that naturally runs the daily operation of our lives?
Yes!!!
Yes, of course they do.
That is why Paul must add and we must add:
"Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus..."
That is the only way we can ever hope or dream of "doing nothing for selfish purposes..." but instead, "with humility think of others as better than ourselves"...and instead of watching out for numero uno-- watch out "for what is better for others."
Some churches today get messed up and off track due to selfish attitudes that lead to folks stomping their feet, gossiping behind the backs of others, arguing over issues of power, misunderstanding one another, getting mad at one another, hopping from church to church, having hurt feelings, sleepless nights--you name it!!!
Many of us have been there and it's not fun.
It's easy to forget that we are to be a reflection of Christ, not only to the world--but to one another as well.
So Paul says, "Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus..."
In a world that can be so mean.
In a life that can be so hard.
Those words can nearly bring tears to my eyes.
You know why?
They point to hope.
There is hope beyond the heaviness of heart which creeps in and pounds me down when I'm trying my best, but my best never seems to be enough.
There is hope, even though the world is at war, and our neighbors next door won't even give us the time of day.
There is hope when even America is divided up into red states and blue states--Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and those who don't even care one way or the other--and if you don't think my way YOU are evil, subhuman, no longer my friend!!!
There is hope even when we see, experience and read about the continuing racism, sexism, classism--you name it!!!
There is hope even though children bully one another in the hallways at school and adults bully one another at work, on the highway, in homes and even at church.
There is hope though "the world falls apart, when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea, when its waters roar and rage, and the mountains shake..."!!!
And that hope comes from the attitude of the One Who, "Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself"--imagine that!!!!!!!
"he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God highly exalted him and gave him a name above all names, so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
"Adopt that attitude," says Paul.
When Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians his life was in a tail-spin--such a tailspin that most folks would feel utterly hopeless and worthless.
Not only was the gospel that he had preached being threaten by money-grubbing, self-serving preachers, but he himself was in prison--facing death.
And yet, despite all that, there is no depression, nor doom and gloom.
Instead, we find hope, joy and rejoicing!!!
And Paul's hope, Paul's ability to be hopeful is based on his own commitment to a set of values that so transcend earthly concerns that he can honestly refer to the things he has given up such as physical advantages, class, wealth, prestige, possessions, ego and so forth as "sewer trash" in Chapter 3:8 so that, as he proclaims: "I might gain Christ and be found in him."
Paul is so committed to values beyond himself that he can actually rejoice in his horrible circumstances because they have advanced the opportunity to share the message of Christ.
(Pause)
Again, Philippians was written to a Church--a group of people like you and me who were grappling with what it means to follow Christ.
And while Paul seems pretty happy with the Philippians, there appears to be some problem having to do with selfishness and arrogance.
And this selfishness and arrogance is causing internal conflicts which are threatening the love, unity, and fellowship of the church.
We don't know the exact cause of these problems, but Paul makes clear what the solution is in this: "Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other.
Don't do anything out of selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.
Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others."
They are to have a humility that comes from the very nature of being a Christian.
Do you have that humility?
Do I?
Or are we holding a grudge against another?
Are we angry because we didn't get our way?
Is there someone in this sanctuary or on the rolls of this church that we would like to push out of the way or put in their place?
Does it keep us up at night?
Or is there someone who is angry at us, and no matter how sorry we are...
...no matter how often we apologize or try and reconcile, they will have nothing of it.
It's as if they have written us off from their lives.
It almost seems as if they could care less whether we live or die.
It hurts on both ends, does it not?
Paul is saying to the Philippians and Paul is saying to us that if these things are going on in the life of the congregation, let both the one who is angry and the one who has somehow made the other person angry humble themselves, empty themselves, "Adopt the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
[Who] Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself...
...he humbled himself."
Have we emptied ourselves of all the junk which brings about pride, arrogance, a sense of entitlement, and the attitude of "Me first and the heck with anyone who gets in my way"?
If not, Paul is saying, DO IT!!!!
Stop tearing each other to bits and the gospel with it.
If you care about Christ at all, "if there is any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy"--DO IT!!!
"Though he was in the form of God...
...he emptied himself."
This is what Jesus did for you and for me.
Can we do any less for our neighbor?
Of this passage, one scholar writes:
"There is no room for triumphalism here!
There is no room for a feel-good religion that does not take its servant role seriously.
There is no room for a victory that does not first know the 'fellowship of his sufferings' on behalf of others; no room for piety that does not pour out, yes, even totally empty, oneself for the interests of others."
This is heavy stuff!!!
Do you think the kids who made those first WWJD? bracelets knew what they were getting into?
Jesus said: "The greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."
But for Jesus the path to that glory led through an emptying of Himself, through servanthood that led to a Cross.
For Paul, the path that led to that glory led through a prison cell, through a poured-out life.
And there is joy in this.
It's not some superficial joy that goes away as soon as we get a hang nail.
It is a joy that goes hand in hand with servanthood and sings in the face of death itself!!!
The Church is called to be the servant of humanity, the footwasher who shows his or her love by humble service.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
"The church is the church only when it exists for others...."
We live in a world dominated by anger and the attitude of "me first."
Instead of loving those who persecute us, we throw bombs.
Instead of forgiving we hold a grudge; we give little room for grace--little flexibility for human error--little room for love to flood in and take over.
What would Jesus do?
What did Jesus do?
As the Body of Christ, we are called to focus on Christian humility, unity, and fellowship.
We are to serve others, love others with actions.
An attitude of Christlike humility doesn't quarrel and fight.
It doesn't jostle for position.
It doesn't hold a grudge.
It doesn't say, "My way or the highway!"
The attitude of Christ seeks to serve.
Imagine what this Church can be if every moment of every day we pray to God that we will adopt the attitude of Christ.
There is a song that goes like this:
"Others, Lord, yes others!
Let this my motto be!
Help me live for others,
That I may live for Thee!"
Idealistic?
Yes.
But then, so was Paul as he wrote to the Philippian Church from his jail cell!!!
