Show one another humility with the love of Christ as he loved you!

Thank you, mom and dad, for your love, support, patience, food, shelter, teaching me about Jesus, etc. Thank you, teacher, for giving me the skills to read and find a job. Thank you, coach, for your encouragement and athletic skills. We thank those in our lives who set aside their needs to serve our needs.

Instead of giving thanks to Jesus, some people challenged him. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus’ authority to teach, heal and call out sin was questioned by some of the religious leaders. Jesus told them that he would tell them by what authority he carried out his ministry if they could tell him whether John the Baptist’s baptism was from heaven or man. After talking amongst themselves, 27 … they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” The religious leaders did not want to admit that John the Baptist or Jesus was sent by God. Their sinful, unbelieving attitude affected their actions. So, Jesus did not tell them by what authority he carried out his ministry. Instead, he ministered to the religious leaders by calling them out for their stubborn, sinful challenge saying, 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. John the Baptist’s message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins was rejected by the religious leaders, but many who lived sinful lives did repent and believe his message. So, those whose lives were characterized by sin now walked in the way of righteousness, while those whose lives looked good on the outside still walked the way of unbelief and were lost in their sins.

Our New Testament reading from Philippians 2 encouraged those walking in the way of righteousness. God works through the message of the Bible to lift people off the way of sin and unbelief. Then, he puts them onto the way of righteousness and faith, saving them from sin, giving them a home in heaven and helping them fight against sin and temptation to live good, godly lives. At the end of chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi, Paul moved from talking about action to attitude. Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned for preaching about Jesus. He gave us a window into his thoughts, which revealed his attitude toward his situation,

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Paul’s attitude was hopeful and filled with purpose because of Christ whether he lived to serve or died to see Christ in heaven. He encouraged the Philippians to have that same attitude while they faced persecution for their faith. With a Christ-centered attitude, they would also endure persecution; their attitude directly affected their actions. As Paul began chapter 2, he moved from encouragement for outside persecution from unbelievers to their attitude toward one another.

Paul’s message serves as a warning to all believers. Paul wrote, 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Paul praised the Philippians for enduring persecution for their faith. They were a tight knit group of believers suffering together. We are a tight knit group of believers. We may not be facing prison or physical harm for our faith, but we endure both active and passive from the outside for our faith. And now Paul warns us that amongst ourselves, between believers and in congregations, the devil tempts us to become too confident. We selfishly minimize our weaknesses and overestimate and overstretch ourselves among one another. We pursue our pet projects and downplay other ministries. We focus on what makes us look like the good, godly gifted, and ignore the needs of others. These attitudes create divisions in a congregation, division among brothers and sisters in Christ, even division from Christ because a self-centered, unconnected attitude toward others is sin. It is not the way of righteousness; it is unloving and even unrepentant. Your selfish ambition, vain conceit and self-interest walk you away from others and away from Christ.

Christ took the difficult walk to save you from your selfish sinful path. Paul established the basis for his encouragement to all believers by pointing them to what Christ has already done for us in Philippians 2,

5 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Your foundation is Christ. Christ humbled himself with selfless love looking to your needs. He used his advantage as God to be righteous, perfect in love and without sin. He also became a human being to sacrifice his life to save us.

Christ’s attitude of love for you and the world set the course for action in his life. His heart and mind were made up, so that nothing would stop him from rescuing you from the path of sin and unbelief to put you on the path of his righteousness. Our Old Testament reading from Ezekiel 18, shows us God’s attitude, 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! God wants us to live, so he sends us his word to call us to repentance and life. God called you to repentance and life, so Paul’s description from Philippians 2 describes you, 1 “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.” Through Jesus, you will always be found good, godly, perfect and righteous. Through the Holy Spirit, you have the gift of faith, guaranteed hope of eternal life in heaven and a new heart of tenderness and compassion. Thank God that Christ humbled himself even to death on the cross with selfless love to serve our greatest needs.

Our thankful attitude in Christ leads us to action for others. With his confidence in what Christ has done, Paul encouraged the Philippians, 2 “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Since, Christ has done for the Philippians what he did for us as well, we are also called to live out these encouragements. Humility in these verses is active thoughts, words and actions for the good of others. Humility with love looks beyond what benefits us to what benefits others, and acts.

In your home, humility with love looks like listening to how one another’s day went, to hopes, dreams, frustrations, communicate and praying together. Listen and put aside your excessive time on pet projects and selfcare. Humility with the love of Christ is also going to work to provide food, shelter and so many other blessings that make life possible, even fun. It is taking the time to read, teach and apply God’s Word, the message of Jesus, law and gospel, sin and grace, Old and New Testament, to one another, all ages and stages, and to your own life.

In your community, humility with love looks like learning your child’s teacher’s name, watching school board meetings and volunteering at after school events. Kids listen to and respect your teacher, ask questions and let your parents know what you are learning and who your friends are. It looks like learning your child’s coaches’ name and being at games. Kids, listen to your coach and thank them for all their time in helping you develop athletic skills. At work, work efficiently and faithfully, learn the names of your coworkers, respect and pray for your boss, look for opportunities to connect with coworkers outside of work to find out how you can support, serve, pray for and even share Jesus. Take your opportunity to understand and vote more often than once every four years and pray for those who serve. Support, volunteer and pray for local non-profits, police, fire, rescue and healthcare.

In your congregation, humility with love looks like serving as greeters to welcome guests, ushers and worship space coordinators getting the worship space ready, helping with Kingdom Kids set up or teaching, or donating items, even before Sunday cleaning the church or serving on the maintenance ministry to prepare the campus to look inviting and show our thanks to God for a place to gather to worship, bringing donuts for Bible study or food for the fellowship meal, learning one another’s name to pray for one another. And you can be here in worship and your presence alone is an encouragement to someone else. Those are just things for the few hours we are together on Sunday morning, but you are the church, the body of Christ, outside of Sunday morning at home and in our community. Outside of Sunday our Personal Member Ministry Coordinator helps each of us better understand our spiritual gifts and other ways we can serve one another on or off this campus, in our communities and in our home. Another opportunity to attend a S.H.A.P.E.D. workshop is coming up on October 14, where you can learn about the unique ways you are equipped to show others humility with the love of Christ.

There are so many ways to show humble love for others that seeks to serve their needs above your own. And our desire to keep looking to the needs of others always rests on the foundation of Jesus. His humble love saved you. His humble love flows through you to other to the praise of God.

We thank those in our lives who set aside their needs to serve our needs. We also thank God. Thank you, God, for giving me life and creating all things that keep me alive, for saving me from sin and giving me your righteousness by faith and working through me to show love to others. Show one another humility with the love of Christ as he loved you. Amen.