Today’s message is based on our reading from Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 to 11.
Now to understand this text a little clearer it is helpful to look at the few verses before hand.
We see that this text addresses the church,
the Body of Christ.
It addresses each one of us as members of the church and how we relate to each other.
And as disciples of Jesus Christ the context of this text is that we should consider not only our own interests but also the interest of others.
With this in mind let us reflect on these verses again.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature a God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature b of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
This reading from Philippians is one of this special verses for me from scripture.
It has had a significant impact on my Christian journey.
For at least 2 reasons.
The first is simple it was one of the first passages of scripture I read when I returned to the church,
when my relationship with God began to be renewed.
Secondly it answers a question that bugged me for years.
You see I was born into a Christian family, baptised only a few months after my birth.
I had heard repeatedly the Good News that Jesus died on the cross for me.
That God had done everything necessary to save me.
That Jesus had suffered and died for me.
However there was a question that kept bothering me.
And the question goes something like this.
So what?
How does this amazing action from God affect my life both now and in the future?
If I am saved what next?
Do you ever ask that question?
Well this passage gives us an answer to such a question.
The question of how does salvation affect my life now and in the future.
Well for a start this passage clearly indicates that Jesus guarantees eternal life.
That the action of Jesus of being obedient to his father even though it lead him suffering and dieing
Meant that me and you are guaranteed the benefit of eternal life.
But this passage says far more than that.
Listen again to verse 5
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
It doesn’t say we should do exactly as Christ does, but we should have the same attitude as Christ.
The NRSV bible says
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to have the same mind as Jesus in my relationships with others.
This is a mind that perseveres even when there are major difficulties.
A mind that doesn’t just do things for myself.
A mind that encourages me to be humble.
A mind that encourages me to put myself out so others can benefit, even it means encountering uncomfortable situations.
Now as I reflect on my own life I realise that I don’t mind encountering difficulties or challenges.
I don’t mind obeying others.
On one proviso, I can see that I will benefit.
However the call that each one of us has in being a disciple of Jesus Christ
Is to go through difficulties not only for our own benefit, but also the benefit of others.
To persevere through difficulties so others can benefit.
There is however one part of me that repels this wonderful piece of scripture from Philippians.
The piece of scripture that talks about obeying.
Fortunately it is only one part of me.
Why do you think this part of me responds negatively?
Well Psalm 51 verse 2 provides an insight
Psalm 51:5 says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
Scripture tells me that by nature I will not want to obey, instead I would rather rebel.
However it is not just scripture that tells me that without Christ’s involvement in my life I will resist obeying.
Experience tells me that no one had to teach us to disobey.
Put two young children in a room with one toy and see what happens.
Their response can probably best summed up by a recent comic strip of the Baby Blues
For those of you who haven’t seen the comic strip
It is about a everyday family.
Two young children,
Hammy and Zoe are the main stars of the strip.
In this particular comic Hammy goes to mum and asks, “can I have a snack?”.
Mum responds by saying “sure, what would you like.”
Hammy’s response, “Anything that we only have one of.”
pause
Mum’s response, “do you always have to do things to irate your sister?”
Hammy say, “No, only when there is nothing to watch on tv!”
No one had to teach us how to disobey,
It is something that we automatically do.
As people loved by God.
As people Jesus calls His disciples
We are called to be obedient to our heavenly father.
When I was reflecting on obedience this week something struck me.
It is not so much whether we obey or disobey.
But rather who are we obeying?
Are we obeying God?
Or are we choosing to obey society’s expectations, other people or another view point?
For instance are we choosing to gladly hear God’s word by attending worship and bible studies regularly,
Or are we listening to the person who says you don’t really need to do that.
We all obey someone.
When I was a young bloke I had the opportunity to either obey my parents or obey some of my friends.
On some issues there was very little difference,
but on other things they were completely different.
And often I chose to obey my friends over my parents.
So something for you to reflect on throughout Holy Week.
Who am I obeying?
Am I obeying God?
Or am I obeying someone or something else?
Obedience is not a popular word.
Eugene Peterson who wrote the Message bible also wrote A Long Obedience in the Same Direction where he writes, “It is not difficult in our world to get a person interested in the message of the Gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier Christians called holiness.”
And even in our own parish obedience at times is not popular.
Despite our mission statement coming from Jesus statements of the greatest commandments.
That we are to love God and love others,
the most popular common question that pops up around our parish is “do I really have to love everyone in our congregation.”
Now this is a sign of disobedience
However when we adopt the mind of Christ,
rather than looking at ways of how we can avoid loving others.
We look for ways to love others.
We go out of our way to love others, even difficult people.
There is one final thing about obedience that our reading from Philippians highlights.
That obedience leads to rewards.
All of us as believers in Jesus Christ, benefit from Jesus’ obedience.
Because Jesus remained committed to his Father’s plan to deliver salvation to the world
Because Jesus suffered and died we benefit.
We receive the reward of eternal life.
And our obedience to God introduces others to Jesus and gives them the opportunity to grasp hold of the reward Jesus offers.
When we love God and love others,
we don’t create enternal life for them,
we introduce them to Jesus who has secured eternal life for them as well.
Let us now spend some time confessing our sins,
for those occasions when we have failed to obey God.
Amen
