If we are Honest ... Often ... When we are shopping, ...... we will look for name brands that we know.
For brands ... that we ... trust.
We often recognize those products ... by their trademarks ...... or by ... their ... logos.
Companies spend millions of dollars on research ... in order that ... their trademarks ... and their logos ... will be recognized ......and associated...... with quality ... and with ... reliability.
And trademarks can ... at times ... affect us ... in the most interesting ... ways.
I read a story ... concerning a soldier ... who had been on guard duty ... throughout the night.
Early the next morning, ......this soldier ... reported to his commanding officer ... as he did ... after every shift.
Immediately the Commander ... Looked at him and asked, ... (Slow) "Did you sleep well ... while on duty last night?"
"What made you think ... I fell asleep... sir?" asked the surprised soldier.
"Private ... Look in the mirror behind the door," ... came the commander's reply.
As the guard stood before the mirror ...he saw on his forehead ......the imprint ... of the Mercedes Benz logo ...... from the truck's steering wheel. (Pause)
The presence of that trademark ... revealed something about the soldier ... as a person.
And ... In our reading from Philippians, ......Paul informs us ... that there should be ......a mark ... on us ... as well.
And that mark ... that trademark ... is that ... of the one we call savior and Lord ... Jesus Christ ... the Righteous.
And the trademark ... of the living Christ ... should be something ... that others ...... will clearly notice ... and readily recognize ... upon those ... that call themselves ... followers ... of the Christ.
Beloved ... Our mark ... Our life ... Our attitude ... should mirror that of Jesus ... the one we call not only our Savior ... but our Lord.
The Lord ... of our life.
And ... this new creation ... this changed life ... is a visible imprint...... of his glorious mark ... on our lives.
And that mark, ... that trademark ... should also reveal something about us ........ and about our life ... in Christ.
So... What should this mark ... this attitude ... "reveal"?
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior ... we are what?
We are a ... New Creation ... A new creation ... in Christ Jesus.
And this conversion ... should clearly reveal to others ... the nature ... of this ... new creation.
It should reveal ... what Jesus has done for us ... And how Jesus ... has transformed us.
Notice what Paul shares in our text ... to the Believers ... Yes, this letter is to the Believers ...gathered in ... the city of Philippi.
Hear God's Word: ...... BIBLE "So If there is any encouragement in Christ, ...any comfort from love, ......any participation in the Spirit, ... any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy : .........by being of the same mind, ...having the same love, ...being in full accord ... (Slow) and of one mind." END (Philippians 2:1-2)
Paul is in essence saying: ......What is the mark of Christ's ownership ... on you?
What difference has Jesus' ......made in your life?
Have you received encouragement ......due to Christ's presence ... in your life?
Have you been comforted ... by His love?
Have you sensed the presence ... and the fellowship ...of the Spirit?
Have you understood ......His tenderness ... and his compassion?
If so... If so ... then ........ reflect those benefits ...in your life.
Paul, ... in his letter to the Philippians ... is also instructing the church ... how they are to behave.
And He is clearly leading them ... to unity.
Hear God's word BIBLE " complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." END (Philippians 2:2)
Beloved ... when we follow these instructions from the Scriptures ... when we have the same mind ... when we have the same love ... then His church is united.
And when the Church is united, ... we will flourish and we will accomplish our purpose.
And There are three purposes for the church.
(1 Finger) To worship God, (2) to build up the saints, (3) and to spread the Good News. REPEAT
And unity is at the Heart ... of each of these.
And unity can only be accomplished ... when we trust and believe that each person in the body ... loves their Lord ...and is seeking His will ... not only for themselves ... but for the whole church family.
Beloved When we are united, ... we are unstoppable.
We are a force ... that the gates of hell ... will not prevail.
Jesus' exhibited the same characteristics ... that Paul is admonishing the church ... to also have.
To be in one accord ...and to do all things ... Quote ... "to the glory of God the Father."
When we follow the Scripture's command .... to think of others first ... well ... this leads to unity ... which in the end ... leads to the empowering of His Church.
And Jesus was clear.... On how you will recognize his true followers:
Hear God's Word BIBLE "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love ... for one another." END (John 13:35)
So, love, ... unity ... and reconciliation are in the DNA ... of all those ... who are true followers ... of the Christ.
And what Jesus did for mankind was often proclaimed ... or even sung ... when the early church gathered.
In fact, verses 6 to 11 from Philippians are an earlier hymn of the Church.
Hear God's word: BIBLE "Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 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 by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." END (Philippians 2:6-11)
Jesus emptied himself ... and took on the form of a Servant.
The people to whom Paul wrote ... would recognize this hymn.
They would already have known ... these qualities of Jesus ... from singing about them ... so often.
And now Paul is using this ... as a basis to teach them how they can live ... in unity.
And We too ... can glean from Christ's example here.
In fact, Jesus stated that to be the greatest in God's kingdom ... you were to be Servants of All. (Matthew 20:26)
Verse three from our text is a command to the Church then and now:
Hear God's word: BIBLE "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself." END (Philippians 2:3)
Our society ... the world in which we live ... is a self-first ... a self-oriented society.
The big question ... often asks by those in the world is ... "What's in it for me?" or "How will I benefit from this?"
However, ... we as followers of the Christ ... are a new creation.
The Church is not selfish.
Followers of the Christ are men and women who think of others ... first.
They regard others ... more important than self.
President JFK once said,...... "Ask not what your country can do for you, but you can do for your country."
And if that's true for an earthly political establishment, ... how much more ... it is true ... of Christians and the Kingdom of God!
Self is all about the .... individual.
But the Kingdom ... is about others ... it is about unity in the body of Christ.
The Church is not made up of a lot of disconnected people.
The Scriptures are clear ... "There is one body ... and one Spirit." (Ephesians 4:4)
Imagine if your hand ... suddenly decided ... that it didn't want to work ... with your arm.
They both wanted to help you, ... but they had different ideas ... about how to do it.
So, ... the hand decided one day ... that it would just do its own thing ... completely separate ... from your arm, ... so it separated ... itself.
It would soon find ... that it was pretty useless ...without the arm.
In fact, ... if you had 100 hands, ... but none of them were connected to an arm ... they wouldn't be as good as one hand connected ... to one arm.
For your body to work, ... it has to work together.
And the Church ... the body of Christ ... is exactly the same.
I'm sure that each of us wants to fulfill God's purposes.
That we all want to walk ... in his will.
Yet if we allow ourselves to think of self-first ... well ...we play right into ... the devils hand.
During my morning prayer this past Friday the Scripture reading scheduled for the day was from James.
It was speaking of the tongue and how some in the body allow it to be full of deadly poison.
Hear God's Word. BIBLE "The tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and father and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. END (James 3:8-10)
We are a new creation in Christ Jesus ... filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Church must be one body, ... working together ... to accomplishing God's purpose.
Christianity is not about self, ... it is about being a servant ... a servant to those God places in our lives.
Beloved ... the measure of a life well spent ... is not what great things you've accomplished ... or how much "success" you've had.
What's important is ... was your life spent for yourself ... or for God.
Did you pour yourself into your own ambitions, ... or did you use your gifts ... to pour yourself into God's Kingdom?
In such a success-oriented society, ... it seems that everyone wants to impress others ... with their accomplishments.
We want others to be impressed with our accomplishments ... and often times ... with our sacrifices.
It's a basic part of ... the sinful human nature of man ... often called pride ... in the Scriptures.
And pride tries to creep into the church as well.
Yet normally ... the spiritually mature in the body ...will stand in the gap ... and not allow individual pride ... to rule the day.
And Paul did just that ... with the Church in Philippi.
We are a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Sanctified ... yet being continually ... Sanctified.
We ... As followers of the Christ ... are called to find a path ... to find a way ... to portray Christ's "trademark" ... and pour out ... sacrificial grace ... into the lives of others.
To share with others ......what Jesus has sacrificially done ...for each of us.
Beloved...The Scriptures are clear ...... to those who are in Christ Jesus (Pick up Bible)
Hear Gods word again to us ...this day: BIBLE "Each of you look Not to your own interests, ......but to the interests of others...... Let the same Attitude ... the same mind ... be in you ...that was in ... Christ Jesus" END (Philippians 2:4-5) (Long Pause)
What is this mark ... this "attitude ...of Christ?"
Well ... The attitude of Christ ... Is a changed heart ........a heart ... that has been transformed ...and is continually being transformed ... into the image of Jesus.
A heart ...that yearns to share grace ... with those ... that God has placed ...in their life.
A heart that yearns to be obedient to Christ and (Hold up Bible) and obedient to his word.
And this attitude ... of obedience ...... is shared in our text:
BIBLE "Your mind ... your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, 6 ...though he was in the form of God, ...did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, ... 7but (SLOW) emptied himself, ........taking the form of a slave," END Philippians 2:5-8
Jesus emptied himself ... to become a .... Servant ... a slave.
He humbled Himself ... even to the point of death ... death on a cross.
So... how does this all ... apply to us?
John Newton the reformed slave trader ... and the author of the Hymn Amazing Grace shares these insightful words:
"When people are right with God, ........they are apt to be hard on themselves ......and easy on other people. Yet when they are not right with God, ... they are easy on themselves ...and hard on others." REPEAT
So ... Where does your heart lie?
Beloved ... It is your choice ... will you choose God's path ... that of a servant's heart ... A heart of Grace ... Obedient ... even unto death?
Or will you choose ... to walk another path........ the path of ... self ... the path of self-satisfaction?
And so very many people ... even those who call themselves followers of the Christ ... struggle and battle with ... the self.
With self-satisfaction ... with selfishness.
Jesus shared ...... this truth ... with his disciples and beloved ... with each one of us who call themselves Christians.
Hear our Lords words: BIBLE "......I have given you an example, ...that you also should do...... just as I ... have done to you." END John 13:15
Just as I have done to you... not done ... for you.
It is an attitude ... of a true follower of Jesus ... Of an obedient heart.
A Heart overflowing ... with grace ... and strengthened ... by spiritual joy.
And beloved .... if you are truly full of spiritual joy ... (Slow) then try and remind your face. (Pause)
Let that joy beam ... from your very being.
Hear our Lords Words from the Gospel of Matthew:
BIBLE 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be a servant to all, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." END (Matthew 20:26-28)
Jesus is seeking disciples ......that have a servant's heart... a heart that is continually ... overflowing ... with grace.
And If we are going to be associated with Him, ... If we are going to ... follow him:
We must not shun ...our responsibility ... and we must diligently search for opportunities... to serve and to portray grace.
Jesus said: "Let your light so shine before men, ...that they may see ...your good works, ...and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER ...which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Beloved ... we are called to have the mind ... the heart ... and the compassion ... of Christ.
To be a transformed ... people. (Pause)
So, as you look at your own life:
Do you see Christ's trademark?
Beloved ... Our mark ... Our life ... Our attitude ... should mirror that of Jesus ... the one we call not only our Savior ... but our Lord.
Yield to the Holy Spirit ... allow him to mold you ... and transform you ... into the image of Jesus.
And Allow His Grace to flow freely and endlessly ... from your very being.
Amen!
I utilized a small portion of the Sermon by Stephan Brown titled "Unity in the Church" and I commend it to you.
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