SERIES: Living Christ for Real
TITLE: Week #2 – “Have the Mind of Christ”
Philippians 2:1-13
Message Preview:
Pastor Brian continued our series in Philippians this Sunday as we studied 2:1-13. Here is a preview of the message called “Have the Mind of Christ.”
Introduction
- The United Stated desperately needs a church of Jesus who has the mind of Christ; thinking like He thinks and loving as He loves.
- Paul is writing to the Philippian church: a good church feeling the pressure from culture, society, and government. A church struggling with some divisiveness. He encourages them to have the mind of Christ.
- Let’s look at what Paul has to say to them about having the mind of Christ.
#1. Being in Christ Means “Being” Like Christ (2:1-2)
- (If) you have…
- Encouragement in Christ. (2:1)
- Comfort from the love of Christ. (2:1)
- Participation or “fellowship” with the Spirit. (2:1)
- Affection and sympathy from Christ. (2:1)
- (Then)…
- Be like minded. (2:2)
- Have the same love. (2:2)
- Be one in spirit. (2:2)
- Have the same purpose. (2:15)
#2: Have the Mind of Christ (2:3-8)
- Philippians 2:3-4 ESV “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…”
- He was God but did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.
- He made Himself nothing.
- He took the form of a servant.
- He was born in the likeness of men.
- He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross.
- Jesus was humble before God. He was obedient to the point of death. He was humble among men and women. Serving with a towel and the cross.
- Humble before God = obedience.
- Humble before others = service.
- i.e., Blessing the Bay Area – a little thing you can do. Don’t need a program to serve others though.)
- Imagine a church with the same mind, the same love, in one accord having the mind of Christ among themselves (which apparently is ours in Christ Jesus).
- 1 Peter 5:5-6 ESV “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…”
- Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
#3: We work out. He works in. (2:12-13)
- “Work out” your salvation with fear and trembling (our part).
- To “work out” is a Greek word originally meaning to “bear down to the ground. To accomplish.”
- Walk it out daily with “fear and trembling” – in obedience and humility before the Holy God.
- This is humility before God. Obedience.
- This is not to earn salvation, but to walk in the gift of it daily.
- There is something about obedience and proximity or nearness to God.
- To “work out” is a Greek word originally meaning to “bear down to the ground. To accomplish.”
- He “works in” you too will and to work for His good pleasure (His part).
- To “work in” is the Greek word, “energon.”
- It means to implement. This is where we get our word, “energy”.
- While we are walking out our salvation in obedience to Him, He is working His will through us for His good pleasure.
- The purposes of God happen through us as humble, obedience followers. What an honor – what a joy!
- To “work in” is the Greek word, “energon.”
- There is something about obedience and humility in a person that God honors and uses for His glory and for the good of people to accomplish His purposes.
Response – So What Now?
- Philippians 2:9-11 ESV “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.”
- We struggle with Jesus for the throne in our lives. We need to humble ourselves. We have so much pride, personally and collectively. We need to begin with “me”.
- Humility before God = Obedience.
- Humility before others = Service.
- Together, we pursue the same mind, same love, in one accord. This is the mind of Christ.
ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
One of the marks of a true disciple of Jesus is the commitment to hear and obey. Disciples listen to God’s Word and what God says to them though the Spirit, and then obey these things, applying them to life. At the end of each Life Group discussion, there are questions that challenge us to identify what God is saying and what we are committing to do in obedience. As you begin your group time this week, take a few minutes to discuss these two questions:
- What was the one take-away you identified from last week’s group study and discussion? Do you remember?
- What did you do to obey and apply this to your life last week?
Now, continue the discussion through sharing God Moments and prayer needs and requests.
- What are the “God moments” from this past week? How have you seen God at work that is unmistakably Him?
- How has He been working not just in your life personally, but in the lives of your family (spouse, kids, grandkids)?
- How did God speak to you through His Word this past week?
- How are you hearing and obeying?
- How can we specifically pray for you this week?
Pray as a group – thanking God for how He is at work and asking Him to answer the requests that were mentioned.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Ask and discuss the following questions.
Q: Read Philippians 2:1-2. Based on what we have in Christ, how are we to live?
Q: What does it mean for followers of Jesus to be like-minded, to have the same love, to be one in spirit, and to have the same purpose? What does this look like practically? What could keep us from achieving this?
Q: What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? (Philippians 2:3-4)
Q: Describe Christian humility. What is a great example of humility you have witnessed in your own life?
Q: What does humility before God look like in real life?
Q: What does humility before others look like in real life?
Q: What can keep us from being humble before God and others? How can we overcome these?
Q: Read Philippians 2:12-13. What does it mean to “work out” your salvation with fear and trembling?
Q: How does God “work in you” to will and work for His good pleasure? How is this evidenced in and through our life?
WRAP-UP
Paul tells the church in Philippi to have the mind of Christ. This is living in humility before God and others. It is “working out” our salvation and seeing God “work in” and through our lives for His good pleasure. The world needs the Church to have the mind of Christ!
Let’s discuss a few more questions as we end out time and look to living out what God has spoken to us this week.
- What did you hear?
- What is your one “take-away” from this week? How did God speak specifically to you through this week’s passage and study?
- What do you think?
- How did this passage and study affirm, challenge, or change the way you think about God and the truths shared?
- What will you do?
- What is your next step? How will you take the truth of God’s Word and apply it to your life this week?
Pray for any needs that were shared. Pray for the families represented in the group. Pray for the next steps shared by your group this week; that they would turn to God as their source of power and restoration!
SCRIPTURES FROM THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE:
- Philippians 2:1-13, 1 Peter 5:5-6, Ephesians 4:1-3
UPCOMING MESSAGES:
- Series: “Living Christ for Real: A Study in Philippians”
- November 7th: Philippians 2:1-18
- November 14th: Philippians 3:1-11
- November 21st: Philippians 3:12-21
- November 28th: Philippians 4:10-13