WEBVTT 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:05.599 Not long before he died, Bob Guffason was speaking 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:09.720 with one of his sons. And he said, you know, 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.660 we're all missionaries. We just don't get that. 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.640 But we're all missionaries. He said, too many 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:20.660 of us just don't really believe that people are 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:25.420 on the way to hell. What a powerfully convicting 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:29.379 song. Thank you. Let's open our Bibles together 00:00:29.379 --> 00:00:33.159 to A text that speaks of the Savior and of the 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:38.240 cross, his saving work. Philippians chapter 2, 00:00:39.780 --> 00:00:43.880 beginning with verse 1. If you have any encouragement 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:46.420 from being united with Christ, if any comfort 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:51.200 from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:56.179 if any tenderness and compassion, Then make my 00:00:56.179 --> 00:00:59.439 joy complete by being like -minded, having the 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:02.219 same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do 00:01:02.219 --> 00:01:07.000 nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:10.700 But in humility, consider others better than 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:14.420 yourselves. Each of you should look not only 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:16.680 to his own interests, but also to the interests 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:19.719 of others. Your attitude should be the same as 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:24.019 that of Christ Jesus. who, being in very nature 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:27.920 God, did not consider equality with God something 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:32.760 to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:36.400 the nature of a servant, being made in human 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:40.519 likeness. And being found in appearance as a 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:43.420 man, he humbled himself and became obedient to 00:01:43.420 --> 00:01:48.290 death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God 00:01:48.290 --> 00:01:51.290 exalted him to the highest place and gave him 00:01:51.290 --> 00:01:55.530 the name that is above every name, that at the 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:58.510 name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven 00:01:58.510 --> 00:02:02.450 and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue 00:02:02.450 --> 00:02:07.129 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory 00:02:07.129 --> 00:02:14.310 of God the Father. As human beings, we're reluctant 00:02:14.310 --> 00:02:18.629 to give away what is ours and what is precious. 00:02:20.129 --> 00:02:22.629 We're happy to give away the leaves that fall 00:02:22.629 --> 00:02:26.409 from our trees, but not the trees themselves. 00:02:27.569 --> 00:02:30.050 We may only have one or two of them in our yard. 00:02:30.150 --> 00:02:32.430 The leaves are nothing. The trees are precious. 00:02:34.909 --> 00:02:37.090 We're willing to give away the sand on the beach 00:02:37.090 --> 00:02:40.349 if someone wants a bucketful, but don't let them 00:02:40.349 --> 00:02:44.800 interrupt or interfere with our view of the lake. 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:49.539 Pictures of our family, we can duplicate those 00:02:49.539 --> 00:02:52.280 and give them to many, but we're not willing 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:57.639 to let loose of our children. What is precious, 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:02.379 we carefully preserve. And nothing is more precious 00:03:02.379 --> 00:03:08.759 than life, life itself. With its time, its energy, 00:03:09.389 --> 00:03:16.169 its influence and its relationships. We have 00:03:16.169 --> 00:03:20.370 to thoughtfully invest our lives so that our 00:03:20.370 --> 00:03:25.229 lives count for the very most. And we need to 00:03:25.229 --> 00:03:28.490 invest our lives in a way that is unselfish. 00:03:30.129 --> 00:03:32.590 The fact is that when you and I pass through 00:03:32.590 --> 00:03:36.689 adversity in life, it has a way of causing us 00:03:36.689 --> 00:03:41.300 to pull in. to circle the wagons, to hunker down. 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:47.000 Our problems cause us to breed caution so that 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:50.800 we don't have time or energy or resources for 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.199 others and their problems. We're overwhelmed 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:56.919 already by the demands that are made upon us 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:01.979 in our own set of circumstances. If you and I 00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:04.300 give in to that kind of thinking, we will seldom 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:10.430 find much joy in our adversity. The focus on 00:04:10.430 --> 00:04:14.810 ourselves will become suffocating and stifling 00:04:14.810 --> 00:04:19.649 to our souls. The world in which we live cries 00:04:19.649 --> 00:04:25.449 out, please me, serve me, give me, notice me, 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:31.670 pay me, worship me. Everything is pointed inward. 00:04:33.389 --> 00:04:37.889 But God calls us in Jesus Christ to live with 00:04:37.889 --> 00:04:43.769 our lives pointed outward toward others. To experience 00:04:43.769 --> 00:04:48.730 joy in life and especially in our adversities. 00:04:49.490 --> 00:04:53.550 You and I need to commit ourselves to seek to 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:58.449 give of ourselves to others unselfishly. That 00:04:58.449 --> 00:05:02.709 is where we find joy. Our text today contains 00:05:02.709 --> 00:05:06.430 an exhortation to that end in verses 3 and 4. 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:08.970 What is to be the Christian's attitude toward 00:05:08.970 --> 00:05:13.850 life and its opportunities? We are to seek the 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:18.389 good of others. He says, do nothing out of selfish 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:25.589 ambition or vain conceit. Selfish ambition comes 00:05:25.589 --> 00:05:30.129 from a noun that originally meant a day laborer. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:32.779 And then it came to mean what the laborer was 00:05:32.779 --> 00:05:38.300 paid for his work. As time progressed, the word 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:43.180 came to refer to that which is sought for oneself. 00:05:45.379 --> 00:05:49.399 It meant to jockey for a place of importance 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:56.120 or power or position. It refers to the ambition 00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:00.439 which has no conception of service. and whose 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:06.160 only aims are profit and power, selfish ambition. 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:11.060 And he links that together with vain conceit, 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:16.040 empty glory that we're tempted to seek for ourselves. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:22.379 Paul says, do not do anything in life motivated 00:06:22.379 --> 00:06:28.800 by those two things. And today when you and I 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:30.860 pick up our newspapers and we read about the 00:06:30.860 --> 00:06:35.800 leaders of our nation, and we see too many of 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:38.560 them motivated by the very things that Paul says 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.399 to avoid, we understand that to live this way 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:46.500 is to live distinctively in the world. To not 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:53.500 allow our lives to be motivated by selfish ambition. 00:06:55.079 --> 00:07:00.800 or the pursuit of empty glory, but rather to 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:05.339 be motivated out of a heart of service for others. 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:10.839 He says to us that we are to weigh carefully, 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:19.800 we are to consider this fact, that others are 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.939 better than ourselves. What does he mean by that? 00:07:24.490 --> 00:07:27.649 He's not talking about an inferiority complex 00:07:27.649 --> 00:07:32.230 He's not thinking that we ought to believe evil 00:07:32.230 --> 00:07:36.029 things about ourselves at all But he's saying 00:07:36.029 --> 00:07:39.509 to us that we're not to think of ourselves more 00:07:39.509 --> 00:07:43.610 highly than we ought to think There is a proper 00:07:43.610 --> 00:07:48.730 healthy self -esteem we understand that But we're 00:07:48.730 --> 00:07:50.910 not to think of ourselves more highly than we 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:54.420 ought to think I heard about a gentleman in the 00:07:54.420 --> 00:07:57.540 military who was given a promotion to major. 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:00.680 He was very excited about that. He received a 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:05.040 new office. And in the office was a big desk 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:11.600 and a leather chair. A flag was hanging behind 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:14.959 him. He had an intercom on his desk and a secretary 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:18.220 on the other end of it. And he was just in his 00:08:18.220 --> 00:08:21.040 glory as he thought about his new position and 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:24.399 the intercom rang. And he said, yes. And the 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.639 secretary said, sir, there's a soldier here to 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:31.720 see you. The major said, well, send him in. And 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:33.679 he quickly picked up his telephone. And as soon 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:35.740 as the soldier came in, he began to speak. And 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:39.600 he said, why yes, General Schwarzkopf. Yes, sir. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.379 Yes, sir, any time you feel like you want my 00:08:42.379 --> 00:08:45.669 advice, you feel free to call. And by the way, 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:48.149 General, my wife and I really enjoyed the time 00:08:48.149 --> 00:08:50.230 with you and your wife last weekend in your home. 00:08:50.389 --> 00:08:53.710 Yes, sir. And yes, sir, we are. We are looking 00:08:53.710 --> 00:08:55.850 forward to your visit to our home in just a couple 00:08:55.850 --> 00:08:58.509 of weeks as well. Thank you, sir. It's good to 00:08:58.509 --> 00:09:01.090 talk to you too, sir. Thank you." And he hung 00:09:01.090 --> 00:09:04.409 up. And he turned to the young private who had 00:09:04.409 --> 00:09:06.289 just come in. He said, well, private, can I help 00:09:06.289 --> 00:09:09.690 you? The private said, no, sir. I just came in 00:09:09.690 --> 00:09:18.840 to hook up your telephone. We are not to think 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:21.899 of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:27.399 How do we flesh that out? Verse 4 says, each 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:30.519 of you should look not only to your own interests, 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:34.320 but also to the interests of others. That's how 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:40.399 we flesh it out in life. Day by day in our discourse 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.899 with people as we interact with them, and deal 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:46.559 with them where to look out for their interests 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:50.679 also. Years ago I heard that little acrostic 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:56.759 joy, J -O -Y, Jesus, others, yourself. When we 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:00.080 keep it in that order, we experience joy even 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:03.840 in our adversity. Imagine the kind of revolution 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:09.440 that might bring to your relationships. If you 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:12.799 could actually implant in your heart and practice 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.580 in your life what the apostle says here regarding 00:10:16.580 --> 00:10:20.759 how we're to serve others. It gives us a wonderful 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.399 example. We may wonder, can anybody really live 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:30.000 that way? Well, someone did. His name was Jesus 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.960 Christ. He embodied this principle of selfless 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:38.360 living. The apostle tells us regarding his existence 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:42.259 that he was eternal God, that he was in the form 00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:48.539 of God, he was by very nature deity itself. But 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:51.600 the expression of his selflessness was found 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:56.679 in his attitude that he did not consider equality 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.700 with God something to be grasped, to be held 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:05.519 onto at any cost. He took action. based upon 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:10.679 that attitude. He emptied himself. He made himself 00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:16.159 nothing. In other words, he set aside his visible 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:22.100 glory of God and he took upon himself the very 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:27.340 nature of a servant and was made in human likeness, 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:31.899 all of this, the story of the incarnation. The 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:35.440 language here means that Jesus Christ, though 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:39.659 God was truly human, but it also leaves room 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:43.879 for him being more than merely human. As others 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:47.500 saw him on the exterior, he was indeed a man, 00:11:48.139 --> 00:11:51.019 but he was more than a man. He was God himself. 00:11:52.580 --> 00:11:55.720 And he says that his action of self -renunciation 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:59.179 was so complete that he humbled himself and became 00:11:59.179 --> 00:12:04.730 obedient to death, even the cross death. He was 00:12:04.730 --> 00:12:10.370 willing to put aside his personal rights and 00:12:10.370 --> 00:12:16.570 serve us. The Son of God condescended to the 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:20.750 depths of sinful humanity, being without sin 00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:25.710 himself, and embraced humanity with its death 00:12:25.710 --> 00:12:30.250 and its judgment, becoming on the cross sin for 00:12:30.250 --> 00:12:34.429 the sake of those whom he would redeem. You see, 00:12:34.450 --> 00:12:38.070 He considered the interest of others as more 00:12:38.070 --> 00:12:44.850 important than His own. Self -renunciation, on 00:12:44.850 --> 00:12:47.809 your part in mine, even in the midst of adversity, 00:12:48.870 --> 00:12:51.529 and the seeking of the good and the welfare of 00:12:51.529 --> 00:12:56.009 others frees us to experience the kind of joy 00:12:56.009 --> 00:13:01.509 that Jesus knew, who for the joy before Him endured 00:13:01.509 --> 00:13:09.840 the cross. But we wonder, can I really risk this? 00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:14.000 If I live the way the Bible tells me to live 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.460 here, who is going to meet my needs? Who's going 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:22.940 to look out for my interests as I look out for 00:13:22.940 --> 00:13:27.480 the interests of others? How do we handle that 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:31.539 fear? That fear in our hearts that says, if I 00:13:31.539 --> 00:13:34.820 look out for their interests, somehow mine are 00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:40.080 going to get lost. in the process. I believe 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.519 that's how the Apostle begins this chapter with 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.100 this word of explanation about how we can actually 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:49.820 live this way. He says in the first place, you 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:53.360 are united to Jesus Christ. You're one with Him. 00:13:54.980 --> 00:13:59.000 And you are the object of His eternal affection, 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:05.799 His love. He has gone so far as to give you the 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:12.639 Holy Spirit to live in you. And with those blessings, 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:19.220 He has given you encouragement and comfort, fellowship, 00:14:19.539 --> 00:14:24.379 and compassion. And out of all of those gifts, 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.159 He says, now experience a oneness of mind with 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:31.649 other believers. What is that oneness? What is 00:14:31.649 --> 00:14:34.830 that oneness that He tells us to strive for? 00:14:35.570 --> 00:14:39.370 I believe that that oneness of mind is this attitude 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:47.690 that we are all seeking the good of others. As 00:14:47.690 --> 00:14:50.210 you and I practice that in the church of Jesus 00:14:50.210 --> 00:14:52.330 Christ, it means that as I'm looking out for 00:14:52.330 --> 00:14:55.289 your interests, you're looking out for my interests. 00:14:56.570 --> 00:15:00.019 And God is looking out for all of us. It's a 00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:05.500 wonderful thing. He says we are to have oneness 00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:09.860 of mind. Being like -minded, having the same 00:15:09.860 --> 00:15:13.360 love, being one in spirit and purpose. What is 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:17.759 the purpose? To seek the good in your life as 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:23.360 you seek the good in others' life? And he says 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:30.009 that that unity affects our decisions. We're 00:15:30.009 --> 00:15:35.070 like -minded. That unity affects our affections. 00:15:36.169 --> 00:15:39.730 We have the same love. It impacts our disposition. 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:43.690 We are one in spirit. It impacts our intentions. 00:15:43.870 --> 00:15:49.769 We are one in purpose. If you and I want to find 00:15:49.769 --> 00:15:54.269 joy in life and even in the midst of heartache 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:58.590 and sorrow. We find it in seeking the welfare 00:15:58.590 --> 00:16:05.950 and good of others. Selfless living is a fountain 00:16:05.950 --> 00:16:12.350 of joy in the midst of adversity. I asked permission 00:16:12.350 --> 00:16:20.509 to share this with you this morning. Two weeks 00:16:20.509 --> 00:16:28.389 ago this weekend, Bob and Lee Gustafson had a 00:16:28.389 --> 00:16:32.870 free weekend on their calendar It was the only 00:16:32.870 --> 00:16:38.409 one for weeks and weeks a free weekend When the 00:16:38.409 --> 00:16:41.470 two of them could go off and just be together 00:16:41.470 --> 00:16:50.590 And to make that possible to provide the resources 00:16:50.590 --> 00:16:57.659 for it Doris Anne and Moody Stewart gave them 00:16:57.659 --> 00:17:04.759 a gift. In the midst of their own heartache and 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:12.660 the years of decline in Moody's condition, in 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:15.279 the midst of the last few months when Doris Anne 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.960 has said God has been preparing her since November 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:23.269 for Moody's departure. But of course not knowing 00:17:23.269 --> 00:17:25.450 when it was going to be not knowing that it was 00:17:25.450 --> 00:17:29.569 going to be less than two weeks away And no one 00:17:29.569 --> 00:17:33.349 knowing that Bob was going to be called home 00:17:33.349 --> 00:17:37.930 Out of the midst of the adversity and one family 00:17:37.930 --> 00:17:42.829 a gift was given selflessly to another couple 00:17:42.829 --> 00:17:48.750 So that they could enjoy a weekend together The 00:17:48.750 --> 00:17:58.069 last one they had like that Do you think that 00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:01.549 there's any regret today of that selfless gift? 00:18:03.329 --> 00:18:08.029 It provided joy then. It provides even a greater 00:18:08.029 --> 00:18:13.630 joy now. We cannot live our lives any better 00:18:13.630 --> 00:18:19.569 than to lay them down unselfishly. And to live 00:18:19.569 --> 00:18:22.410 so that we consider the interests of others. 00:18:23.650 --> 00:18:28.569 as well as our own. When we live like that, we 00:18:28.569 --> 00:18:35.809 live like Jesus lived and died. You say, I'm 00:18:35.809 --> 00:18:40.309 not sure I can do that. Yes, you can. If you're 00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:44.109 a Christian, you can. If you're not in Jesus 00:18:44.109 --> 00:18:46.269 Christ, then you're correct. You cannot live 00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:49.049 that way because only God's people can really 00:18:49.049 --> 00:18:53.950 live this way. But if you're in Jesus Christ, 00:18:54.190 --> 00:18:57.990 you can live this way. In your worship folder, 00:18:58.009 --> 00:19:00.230 there's a little chorus I would like us to sing 00:19:00.230 --> 00:19:04.490 as we bring this service to a close. It says, 00:19:04.829 --> 00:19:13.890 I am loved. I am loved. I can risk loving you. 00:19:16.509 --> 00:19:18.430 Let's sing that together. Just remain seated 00:19:18.430 --> 00:19:35.680 as we sing. I am loved, you I am loved I can 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:45.099 risk loving you For the one who knows me best 00:19:45.099 --> 00:20:11.279 Loves me most You see that truth? I am loved, 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.200 I can risk loving you. We are loved by God's 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.980 love. His love fills our hearts. We don't have 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:21.450 to be afraid to love others. and to love them 00:20:21.450 --> 00:20:26.029 without any thought of something in return is 00:20:26.029 --> 00:20:29.910 to give of ourselves unselfishly. Therein is 00:20:29.910 --> 00:20:39.369 joy. Let's sing it again. I am loved, I am loved 00:20:39.369 --> 00:20:49.089 I can risk loving you For the one who knows me 00:20:49.089 --> 00:21:01.319 best loves me most. I am loved, I am loved. Would 00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:09.119 you please take my hand? We are free to love 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:17.420 each other. We are loved. Let's bow our heads 00:21:17.420 --> 00:21:21.049 together. In just a moment we're going to sing 00:21:21.049 --> 00:21:24.849 another hymn, 443, but before you look to that, 00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:31.589 let's look to our Lord. Lord Jesus, you gave 00:21:31.589 --> 00:21:39.650 of yourself so completely, so unselfishly. Teach 00:21:39.650 --> 00:21:47.420 us to live that way. Free us from fear. Teach 00:21:47.420 --> 00:21:50.279 us to know that because you love us we can love 00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:57.259 others without any thought of self Lord lay in 00:21:57.259 --> 00:22:00.319 our hearts right now people around us in the 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.240 family of God and outside the family of God who 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:10.599 need our love Thank you for the benefit and the 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:16.650 byproduct of this kind of life joy Joy even in 00:22:16.650 --> 00:22:22.230 our own pain, in our own heartache, our own problems.