If you would please open your Bibles with me to Philippians chapter two. Philippians chapter two. Our God in his kindness and mercy has given us his word and his word is all that we need for life and godliness. It directs us how to live, it directs us how to love, how to love God, how to love our neighbor. And as I mentioned last week in the beginning of this brief series in Philippians, that Philippians is in many ways a thank you letter from Paul to the church in Philippi, the saints in Philippi. It's full of encouragement in the Lord. It's a call to rejoice in the Lord. And so last week we looked at chapter one in its entirety, the call to rejoice with growing confidence in the sure spread of the gospel. And then in the evening we focused in on the end of the chapter, live as citizens worthy of the gospel. This morning we're going to consider the whole of chapter two and the call to rejoice, to serve, and then, Lord willing, this evening we'll take what you might think is a little bit odd message for your preacher to give you, and that's to fill up your pastor's joy, which you're already doing. But before we read chapter two, let me ask you to consider, perhaps imagine, that you're opening a care package. Maybe as a student, something from home or from the church at Thanksgiving time or from a close friend. And for some of you, it's not imagining, it's remembering. What did you get in that care package? One by one, you pull out precious gifts. Perhaps it's your favorite food or music or a book. or a movie, perhaps it's the letter enclosed with that care package that is the most precious at all, as it expresses from a friend or a family member, love and affection and care for you. At that moment, you would probably do just about anything for that loved one. Well, as we open our salvation care package, and we see the treasures inside, Is there anything we wouldn't do for Christ? Or to put it slightly differently, having been saved, rejoice to serve. So hear from the word of God, his inspired holy word, Philippians chapter two. So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, 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 rivalry 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 made himself nothing. 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 the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that 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. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, 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. Do all things without grumbling or questioning that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you, for I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ, but you know Timothy's proven worth. How as a son with a father, he has served me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me. And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. I thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier and your messenger and minister to my needs. For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he was ill, near to death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. This is the word of God, and having heard from God, please join me in your hearts as I lead us in prayer, that God would give us instruction by his word. Lord, we do ask that you would open our eyes, that we would behold wonderful things from your word. Lord, we pray that your spirit would grant unction to each of us, both speaker and hearer, that we would be carried along by these words that you carried along the author, and that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom we pray. Having been saved, rejoice to serve. Paul begins with an in, if this, then that, verses one to four. What is he getting at here? What are we called to? Well, we're called to rejoice in the blessings of your salvation. Rejoice in the blessings of your salvation. And though Paul uses the word if, He's not wondering if it's true. Really, it's translated correctly, but the sense of it is since. If this is true, then that, and because it is true, then this. And we know that from chapter one, verse six. I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Jesus Christ. So Paul hasn't all of a sudden gotten nervous about these Philippian sayings. He hasn't all of a sudden started wondering, are these things really true of you? But he is putting together an if, this, then, that sequence. So what are these ifs or senses? As you open your care package from your Savior, what did you get? Well, what does he describe there? You get help and encouragement and comfort from your vital union with Christ. Help and encouragement and comfort from your vital union with Christ. Christ in you. The hope of glory. You live in Christ. Christ, by his spirit, lives in you. You live for Christ and when you die, you will be with Christ forever. How are you finding encouragement from this vital union with your Savior? But not only this help, encouragement, and comfort from your vital union with Christ, but comfort from the love of Christ. You are loved by Christ. He loved me and gave himself for me. God had mercy on me, the sinner. Each of us who are in Christ can say that. And we know that God did not love you because of anything good in you, but God loved you because he decided to love you. And that seems maybe that it doesn't make a lot of sense and yet that's how God declares his care and his choosing of his people throughout the scripture. And as one children's writer has put it, the love of Christ is an everlasting love, a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love. You've likely known love lost. The love of Christ will never be lost to the people of Christ. Comfort from love. And then participation in or with the spirit. It's the third of those ifs or senses. You're not in this alone. At times we feel alone. At times we wonder, is there anyone else? You think of Elijah who wondered, is there anyone else who cares about God and the things of God? And God says, I've reserved 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. We feel that way sometimes. I'm alone in this work. Think of Jesus' disciples. As he announced to them that he would be leaving, they were filled with sadness. And Jesus said, it's better for you that I go. because I will send to you the Comforter, I will send to you the Spirit, and you and I get to participate in our salvation with the Spirit of God. And what does he do? He guides you into all truth. He reminds you of the teaching that you have received from Christ. He is the down payment of your eternal salvation. You and I, one of those treasures is participation in and with the Spirit of God. And then the fourth of these ifs, which really are given with confidence, is affection and sympathy. And the implication is that affection, that sympathy, comes from Christ again. Christ suffers with you. How was your week? Was it a good week? Was it an OK week? Was it not such a good week? No matter how it was, Christ was with you. And if you suffered this week, Christ suffered with you. And if you suffer in the week to come, Christ will suffer with you. And when you're tempted. And how many times we are tempted. Every time that you are tempted. Christ is willing and able to help you, because he has been tempted in every way that you are, but without sin. You have affection and sympathy of Christ. Comfort from Christ's love, union with Christ, participation with the Spirit, and affection and sympathy. And so rejoice in these blessings of your salvation. Paul was sure about these Philippians, I'm as sure as I can be as I'm getting to know you of the certainty of these blessings for you, but are these blessings yours in Christ Jesus? Do you know Christ in a saving way? If this, if salvation with all of these blessings, then that. Complete my joy by responding to the blessings of your salvation. Rejoice in the blessings of your salvation and respond in the blessings of your salvation. And really, the second main point is an elaboration of that second sub-point. Having been saved, rejoice to serve. How is it that you respond to the blessings of your salvation? You rejoice to serve Christ. And how are we called to do that in the text here? Well, verses two to four tell you to serve one another from the heart. Serve one another from the heart. We have experienced that in great measure in the short time that we've been here. And we've observed that in some measure as well. And what is the call here? It's to serve one another as you live with each other at home, face to face, side by side. And what is that supposed to look like? Well, it's supposed to look like harmony. Maybe you like to sing in harmony. Maybe you don't know what harmony is when you sing. That's okay. but may you live in harmony with each other. In a oneness, in the way that you think and love and act. What a great thing it is when the unbelieving world criticizes the church and say you're all alike. You're all alike. That's a great blessing. Rejoice if someone says that about you and the people of God. You're just all alike. That's what we're supposed to be as we live in harmony. And then as we live in humility, realizing the value in others and raising them up and lowering your view of your own self-opinion. Don't do anything out of rivalry. Don't do anything out of conceit. Paul said there were some in chapter one who preached the gospel out of rivalry and envy and conceit. And he was going to rejoice because the gospel was preached. But he's not rejoicing in rivalry and envy and conceit. He calls us to live in humility. Count others more important, raise them up even as you willingly lower yourself. Our world is all about self-worth and self-esteem. And we would do well to take that and instruct ourselves and our world by the word of God to esteem others as more important than ourselves. It's not all about you. It's not all about me. It's about how I can live in humility toward others. So harmony and humility, and then helpfulness, serving others. Don't just take care of your own responsibilities. Notice Paul doesn't say, don't worry about your own responsibilities. He says, don't only worry about your own responsibilities, but care about the needs of others. Don't look only to your own interests, but look also to the interests of others. Look for how you can help one another. And all of these expressions, if you pile them up, really I think can be summarized in the words of gratitude and humility. And it's gratitude and humility at home. Isn't it interesting how much easier it is sometimes to do the right thing when you're not at home? I suspect for some of you kids, if your mom or dad asks you to do chores, grumble, maybe one or two of you. But if you happen to be over at a friend's house and their mom and dad ask them to do chores, you just gladly pitch in and help them. Or maybe some of you are like me, you've got your list of projects that aren't done at home, but if you hear of a friend who needs help with a project, you drop your unfinished projects and you go and you help him. And at home, we're not talking about merely our physical home, but our spiritual home, which is the church. We are here together as a family. And so how's your harmony with each other here in your home, your church? How's your humility toward others here in this congregation? How are you helping one another in this church? Think about that in particular ways. How can you serve each other from the heart? in greater measure. Having been saved, rejoice to serve, and the first way that we're called to do that in verses one and two is serve one another from the heart. And then secondly, in verses five to 11, you're called to exhibit the mind of Christ. Exhibit the mind of Christ. Philippians two, verses five to 11, is a detailed description of the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ. but it's not given to us as an abstract theological point. Philippians 2, five through 11, is a sermon illustration, if you will. It's an illustration to these Philippians, this is how you are to live. Have in yourselves the mind of Christ, which is yours by faith. Abstract theological constructs are not what God wants us to gain. What he wants us to gain is looking at Christ. You see what humility and harmony and helpfulness looks like. The one who identified himself as humble and lowly in heart. Now you might say, wait a minute, you mean to tell me that Jesus is just an example? No, that's the lie of liberalism. that Jesus is just our good example and if we follow him, we'll all be okay. Well, if we followed him perfectly, we would all be okay, but we can't. But let us never forget that Jesus is not less than an example. He lived on this life and it was recorded to us so that we might imitate him, so that we might follow him, so that we might think the way Christ thinks. And you and I are to have the mind of Christ. And so in this marvelous illustration, Christ is shown to us as our example, as our savior, and as our glorified king. And it's presented to you this way. This is Christ's mind, and this is what your mind is supposed to be like. You are to empty yourself. It's easy when faced with the call to humility and service, to think, yeah, I'm too good for that. No, you're not. No, I'm not. But Christ was. He really was too good for that humility and service. And yet he humbled himself. And he lived his roughly 1 3rd of a century life in this sin-filled world, and he got hungry, and he got tired, and he got hurt. God did this, God the son, very God of very God. He lived in this world for most of his life in obscurity but he lived a perfect life in this imperfect world. His life was hard and then he died. He died for me, he died for you, oh Christian. Sometimes heroes will die for someone they think is worthy to die for. And the story of such sacrifice in books and movies often moves us to tears. But God proves his own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Christ, the eternal son of God, died a painful, unfair, agonizing, obedient death for us, for us Christians. But he didn't stay dead. And so in this glorious illustration, we have not only the the unbelievable humiliation of Christ, but the glorious exaltation of Christ, as he is given the highest name, and we are to have the lowest knees, and we're told that every knee, in fact, will bow before him. Every knee, every tongue. As you have the opportunity to interact with non-Christians, and they may say, I will not bow my knee to Christ, if you have a relationship such that you can tell them this, tell them that their knee will bow to Christ. and your urgent appeal is that they bow their knee now, willingly, desiring his salvation and not that they bow their knee at the end when they will face him as their judge and will be cast into the everlasting fire for eternity in hell. Highest name, lowest knees, highest exaltation, Lord over all, to the glory of God over all. I mentioned this is a sermon illustration, really. Paul is giving this to the Philippians to illustrate how their mind is supposed to work. But what's the point of giving us this look into who Christ is? Well, you've probably noticed this. The more time you spend with someone, the more you become like them. We see that in old couples. They get more and more alike, and sometimes even their dog gets more like them, too. And we parents see that in our children sometimes, and we have to say, you need to stop spending so much time with so and so, because they are influencing you in an ungodly way. The more time you spend with someone, the more you become like them. And the call from God to us through his word is the more time you spend with Jesus, the more you consider the wonder of his work for you, the more you become like him. It's not just that you hear once about Jesus and you think, you know, I'm going to really try hard to be like Jesus. No, it's the more you learn who Jesus is, the more you learn what Jesus has done for you, the more you learn what the ifs are of the glory of your salvation, that you become more and more glad to do the thens. because you are becoming more like Christ as you consider more and more what he is like. And the only way you'll be able to exhibit the mind of Christ is to keep more and more knowing Christ. And the more you know Christ, the more you know his mind, the more you can serve each other from the heart, the more you can exhibit the mind of Christ, and the more you can respond. And this is our third way in which we're to serve. Respond to God's saving work, verses 12 and 13. Respond to God's saving work. Your serving, because you have been saved, comes from God's work and your work. Your serving, because you've been saved, comes from God's work and your work. Because God is at work in you, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And again, notice, Paul told us in the last chapter, don't do it just when I'm there with you, do it even now, even more in my absence. you and I are called as Christians to work out. Now, the gyms are full in January. The pools are full in January. Everyone decides, maybe after too many Thanksgiving goodies and too many Christmas goodies, I'm gonna get fit, I'm gonna start working out. And January is the month in which gym memberships and gym facilities are overcrowded. And if that's your experience, just wait till the middle of February, because you'll go and there won't be anybody there. You see, it's easy to work out for a little bit, but the call is to continually work out. Kyle Sims, some of you might know that name. He identifies himself as the world's largest associate Reformed Presbyterian pastor. He's about six foot eight or nine, and not quite as wide as he is tall. He's a gracious, gracious, godly man. And he wrote an article a while back in the Gentle Reformation blog about starting to work out. And he described this sort of reasonable workout. He lifted some weights, his son spotted him, he did a walk afterwards. And he said the next day he could hardly move. He was so sore. And he says, whenever I start up exercising again, I think, why did I ever stop? And you and I are called not to start up exercising for a month and a half in our Christian life, but to never stop. Work out your salvation. Demonstrate your salvation. Build your spiritual muscles by exercising them. The spiritual exercise of worshiping together with the Lord's people each Lord's day. The spiritual exercise of speaking to one another about God after the sermon, throughout the week. The spiritual exercise of private Bible reading and prayer. The spiritual exercise of family worship together. The spiritual exercise of loving one another, of serving one another from the heart. And as you look at your life and you think, these are the kinds of things I'm supposed to be working out in, if you see areas of gap, then work on those areas because God is working in you. and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. What has God worked in you? He's worked in you to cause you to be willing to do his work. He's worked in you to cause you to be able to do his work. He's worked in you to cause you to be able to please him, to bring joy to your father in heaven. And much of your service, much of your spiritual exercise is toward each other in the church, in your spiritual home. And so you serve from the heart and you exhibit the mind of Christ and you respond to God's saving work. But some of your spiritual exercises is directed to the world outside. And so the call in verses 14 to 18 is to visualize God to this crooked world, visualize God to this crooked world. And what I mean by visualize is let the world see God in you. Now I want to tell you a very important way that you can witness to the world of unbelievers around you. And if I were to just say that without any context, what sorts of things might you think I was gonna suggest? Maybe giving out Bibles, or gospel tracts, or gospel books. Maybe memorizing so that you can present a gospel presentation. Maybe hospitality of inviting unbelievers into your home so you can share with them the word, food and the word. Maybe hosting an evangelistic Bible study so you can tell people about the message of the Bible, which is all about Christ. All of those are good things, and you could probably come up with some other good things, but what is it that Paul tells the Philippians they can do to witness to the world? Don't grumble and argue. Don't grumble and argue. And the sense here is questioning back and forth in a combative way, just think, Well, it used to be Twitter, now it's X. Or Facebook. Think about how much grumbling you heard this week. At work, at school, at the store. If you happen to be in social media, think about how much arguing and disputing you witnessed. Think about how much grumbling you did this week. When you and I don't do that, We're showing the world what our God is like. You see, the goal is not that you would live in such a way that people around you would say, wow, you are an amazing person. You never grumble. You never complain. That's not the goal. The goal is that people will look at you and say, wow, you have an amazing God. You have an amazing Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven is something and I would like to get to know him. And just a word about this crooked world. How many of us think the world is in good shape right now? How many unbelievers do you know who think the world is in good shape right now? I think we could probably get nearly unanimous agreement that we are living in a crooked and perverse generation. We might get disagreement about who the crooks are and who's twisted, and sadly, we're living in a generation in which those who live by the gospel are more and more being identified as the twisted ones. But I think universal agreement, that the world is crooked and twisted. And the reason the world is crooked and twisted is because men and women, boys and girls rebel against God. I had a friend in our first pastorate, I met him knocking on doors, I was 32 and he was 64, and we shared a birthday. And I witnessed to him for years but I could never convince him, not that any of us can convince anyone, though we labor to convince others to believe in Christ. And he would often say things like, why is the world such a mess? And I would say, Jerry, it's a mess because people reject God like you are and they live their own way. We live in a crooked and twisted generation but we have the answer. the answer from our Father in heaven, that a just and compassionate and merciful God sent His only begotten Son into the world to live a perfect life, to die an unjust death so that the sins of all who would believe on Him would be covered by His death. He was raised from the dead, ascended to the very right hand of God where He now rules as King. And we have an opportunity to show the world that this king, Jesus, is worth submitting to. To live in such a way that the world sees God in how we live. And if you haven't come to believe that, I urge you to repent and believe the gospel. Serve from the heart, exhibit the mind of Christ, respond to God's salvation, visualize God to this crooked world, and then in the last several verses, elevate and emulate Get two E's on that one, elevate and emulate Christ-like servants in verses 19 to 30. I don't have time to go into details of these two godly servants. One fairly well known to us, Timothy, one whose name we can't even pronounce, Epaphroditus, I think is at least the English way I would pronounce it. But let's look briefly at their lives. Timothy, genuinely concerned for the interests of others, like Christ, like you and I are called to be. But notice what Paul says, and it's a bit of a slap in the face to us. Certainly would have been to the Philippians. I don't have anyone else like him who cares for the interests of Christ. They're all caught up in their own interests. What would Christ say about us? If God had his servant write a letter about Springs Reform Church, what do you have to say? There's nobody there that cares about the interests of Christ like Timothy. May it not be. May he who began a good work in us complete that work in us so that we can be like Timothy, that we can be concerned with the interests of others. And in Epaphroditus, we don't know much about him, but we know that he risked his life to serve Christ in his church. And the call is to hold such servants in high honor. And there's a wrong way to do that. It's to look around at people in the church, and you see God at work in them, and you say, I could never be like that person, like him or her. And so I'm gonna put them on a pedestal, and I'm gonna live in awe of them, and I'm gonna let them do all the serving in the church, because they're so good at it. And I'm just not very good at it at all. That's the wrong way to lift up Christ-like servants. The right way is in humility to say I'm not sure that I could live like them but I will honor them and part of my honoring them will be to seek to live like them, to imitate them as they imitate Christ. serve one another from the heart, exhibit the mind of Christ, respond to God's saving work, visualize God to this crooked world, and elevate and emulate Christ-like servants. Why? Because you have received a wonderful salvation care package. and never stop taking out and examining from the word of God the treasures that Christ has given you. Union with Christ, love from Christ, the spirit of Christ, encouragement from Christ, citizenship with Christ in heaven, participation in the body of Christ, and that's just from Philippians 1 and 2. And as you get to know better and better these amazing treasures, is there anything that you wouldn't do for your Savior? Or as I said at the beginning, let me say it again at the end. Having been saved, rejoice to serve. Please pray with me that God would make it so. Our Father in heaven, how can we be like Christ? We look at ourselves, we look at your word, we look at your son and we despair and yet may we not despair. May we instead delight in our savior, in the blessings that he has given us and one of the blessings that he has given us is to respond to our salvation. And so Lord work in us in ways that you already are doing in Springs Reform Church. But not one of us can say, I'm there, I've arrived, I've already obtained it. Paul can't even say that as we'll see Lord willing next week. But Lord, because you are at work in us, may we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Would you cause us as this body of your church to live in humility and harmony and helpfulness, to serve one another and to serve you from the heart. enable us, having been saved, to rejoice to serve. We pray in the name of Jesus who said, I have come not to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many so might we live our life to serve. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.