Philippians - Serve and Surrender, Part 1

Whether we admit it or not, each of us likes to look to role models to show us how to accomplish something. I suppose as we were growing up, we looked at the role models in those areas where we were the most interested. Those who are athletically inclined look to the great athletes and try to model themselves after them. I can recall when I was a lad being interested in doing magic. In fact, I used to do gospel magic. And some of the great magicians were just idols of mine because they knew how to be so skillful in presenting these little tricks. Now that I'm a writer and a preacher, I have certain role models, men and women whose writing impresses me, and it helps me.

Well, we need role models in ministry. Not people to imitate like slaves and become carbon copies of them. No. Role models that point the way to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Philippians 2. You see, if we're going to have joy in our ministry, number one, we must have the right message. The message of our ministry must be Christ and the gospel. If you're preaching Christ and the gospel, then you ought to have joy in your ministry. That's Philippians 1.

Philippians 2 says that if you want to have joy in your ministry, you must have the right model for your ministry and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3 deals with the motives of our ministry and Philippians 4 the means of our ministry. Now if you're not having joy in your ministry today, it may be that you are not looking to the Lord Jesus Christ as your role model. Perhaps you're modeling yourself after some super saint, some super preacher who may not be modeling himself after the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read the passage. Philippians 2:1-11. "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfill ye my joy. That ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better or more important than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind, this attitude, be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery, something selfishly to be held on to, to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, literally he emptied himself. And took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul lays down three conditions that we must meet if we are going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ as our model and our example. Let me give you those three conditions. The first one I just read to you, Philippians 2:1-11. We must submit to the person above us. Even as Jesus Christ submitted to the Father and came to do the will of the Father, so we must submit to the person above us. That's Philippians 2:1-11.

In Philippians 2:12-16, the second condition is this: We must surrender to the power within us. It is God who works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. You see, by nature we can't do this, but we can do it only if we surrender to the power within us. And then Philippians 2:17-30, we must serve the people around us. Paul talks about his service, about Timothy's service, about the service of Epaphroditus, who had been sent from the Philippian church. Now can you remember those three conditions? If we're going to follow Jesus Christ as the model for our ministry. Number one, we must submit to the person above us. Number two, we must surrender to the power within us. And number three, we must serve the people around us.

Now we'll look at Philippians 2:1-11 and let's take a little inventory. Am I really submitted to the person above me? You see, all of us should be under somebody's authority. Children must be under the authority of their parents. Parents must be under the authority of the Lord and certainly of the church. I believe that every Christian ought to be a member of a local church and be under the authority of that church. Nobody should exercise authority who is not under authority. And the model here is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see, too many times pastors or elders or Sunday school leaders or church officers think that they are the authority. And as a consequence they become rather dictatorial. And this is why Paul points out in Philippians 2:1-11 that we must follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now there are four questions I'm going to ask, and I'm asking my own heart these questions. If I am really submitted to the person above me, the answers to these questions will reveal it. Number one, do I think first of others? In Philippians 2:1-4, he talks about that. Philippians 2:3, "Let each esteem others more important than themselves." Philippians 2:4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Throughout the New Testament, you find this little phrase, one another, one another. Love one another, minister to one another, forgive one another, serve one another. Others. That's a good word, others.

Do I think first of others? Here is the Lord Jesus Christ who had all of the privileges and glories of heaven, but He thought of others, didn't think of Himself. Am I thinking first of others? "Let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Now when we think of others, we're going to be a part of the answer and not a part of the problem. We'll be motivated by Christ.

"If there be therefore any consolation, any stimulus, any incentive in Christ. Any encouragement of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfill ye my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Don't do anything through strife and vain glory. Think about others. Oh, this is so hard to do sometimes. The privilege we have of thinking first of others.

Now there's a second question in Philippians 2:5-7. Am I a servant? You see, if I'm submitted, I have to be a servant. "Let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not something selfishly to be held on to to be equal with God. But He emptied Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant." That's remarkable. Here is Almighty God, the sovereign, becoming a servant, a slave.

Dr. Blaylock has made some interesting observations about slaves. You know, slaves, according to Dr. Blaylock, were really just like pieces of furniture. Let me read you what E. M. Blaylock has to say. "He was bought like a mule in the market, miserably clad, and miserably fed. His personality was not recognized. He was given a nickname. He had no right to a dignified marriage, to home or property, no appeal to a court of justice." That was a slave.

The Lord Jesus Christ came down here, not as a sovereign in a great chariot of gold. He came down as a servant, and He served others. Am I a servant? You know, it's interesting to compare what our Lord Jesus Christ did to what Satan wanted to do. Remember, Satan wanted to be God. Satan wanted to grasp for himself the glory and the power of God. Isaiah 14. Now Jesus had all of this and laid it aside. Satan wanted all of that and he said, "I will be like the Most High." And as a consequence, Satan was cast out.

The Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant. He picked up a towel. He washed His disciples' feet. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He was constantly on call. He was a servant who served and He served because He loved people. Am I a servant? That's a good question. If I'm really submitted to the power above me, the person above me, then I will think of others, Philippians 2:1-4, and I will be a servant.

It's the hardest thing in the world to let other people tell you what to do. Now I don't mean we should be a doormat. I don't mean that every time the phone rings, we should jump and just do whatever anybody wants us to do. Oh no. Paul wrote and said, "Ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." You see, what Jesus did, He did to the glory of God. And we're going to see that in just a little while. Question number one, am I thinking first of others? Question number two, am I a servant? Question number three, am I sacrificing? Philippians 2:8, "Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself."

What is humility? Humility is not thinking poorly of yourself, humility is simply not thinking of yourself at all. Humility is serving without expecting to be served and rejoicing in it. Now, obedience without humility could make a person a tyrant. I've met some Christians who want to be obedient to the word of God, but there's no humility. Now, if there is humility with obedience, then you are a true servant. A servant realizes he simply must obey.

Now Jesus humbled Himself, became obedient. How far? Unto death, even the death of the cross. Remember, Paul was writing to Roman citizens in Philippi and no Roman citizen could be crucified. In Rome, crucifixion was called "the slave's punishment," says Edith Hamilton, the great Greek scholar. In fact, nobody mentioned crucifixion in polite society in Rome. And so when Paul wrote to these Philippians who were Roman citizens, and he said he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, he was saying, nobody could go any lower than this to be a servant. Am I sacrificing?

You see, sacrifice and service are all a part of ministry. I'm talking to a missionary now who says, "I'm making a lot of sacrifices for the Lord." But you don't mind doing it. We're serving a wonderful Savior. Sacrifice and service are a part of the ministry.

Philippians 2:17, Paul wrote, "And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith." Timothy, Philippians 2:22, "You know the proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel." Down in Philippians 2:30, Epaphroditus, "He was near unto death to supply your lack of service toward me." Jesus was a servant. Paul was a servant. Timothy was a servant. Epaphroditus was a servant, and all of them sacrificed to do what God called them to do. Am I sacrificing?

John Henry Jowett used to say that ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. There is always a price to pay. But my friend, don't despair. Don't say, "I can't make one more sacrifice." Yes, we can. He sacrificed Himself for us even unto the death of the cross, which leads us now to the fourth question. Question number one now, am I thinking first of others? Am I a servant? Am I sacrificing?

And now Philippians 2:9-11 is God being glorified. You see, it's possible to sacrifice and serve and get all the glory. But in our Lord's case, the glory went to the Father. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Now he talked about vain glory back in Philippians 2:3. "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory." What is vain glory? Man's glory. The glory of man is like the grass that grows up and it's gone. But the glory of God lasts forever.

Is God being glorified? Not am I being praised? Not are they giving me some special award or recognition? Now it's it's right to honor the servants of God. Nothing wrong with that, but we should never give the glory that belongs to God to any human being. That glory belongs only to the Lord.

And you know, when you become more and more, and I become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ, there'll be a price to pay, there'll be a cross for us to bear, there'll be a Gethsemane for us to go through, but one day God will bring exaltation and glory and praise and God will be glorified. One of these days every knee is going to bow. One of these days every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And all the ministry that you have done in the name of the Lord Jesus to the glory of God is going to get its reward and it's going to last forever.

Well, these four questions help us to examine our own hearts to find out whether or not we really are submitted. Are you under authority? Now if you want to have joy in your ministry, get under the authority of God. Be submitted to the person above you. Don't resist God's authority, just submit to Him.

Then you'll start thinking first of others. And then you'll become a servant. And you'll find that service will lead to sacrifice. And through your sacrifice and your service, God will be glorified, and the church will be built up, and you will be a joyful Christian because you'll be living and serving just like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now in Philippians 2:12-16, the second condition is, we must submit to the power within us. You know, by nature you and I don't want to be servants. We're born into this world screaming and grasping and we want everybody to serve us. And for those first few years, people do serve us. And then we have to learn that we have to serve others. And so by nature we don't want to serve. By nature we don't want to sacrifice. We are grasping and sometimes covetous. How in the world can we ever follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Well, Philippians 2:12-16, we must surrender to the power within us. Then Philippians 2:17-30, we must serve the people around us. And here we have three examples of that service: Paul and Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Now we focus on Philippians 2:12-16. Let me read these very rich verses. "Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, without complaining. That you may be blameless and harmless, children of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain."

Now there's some fundamental principles here that we need to follow. We need to learn how the power of God works in our lives. Notice that first word in Philippians 2:12, "wherefore." You see, Paul laid down a doctrinal truth. Jesus Christ came to be our Savior. He is the example of a servant. He humbled Himself. He died on the cross. He was raised from the dead. God exalted Him. And one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Wherefore? Wherefore because God is to be glorified. That's the future now. Wherefore? Because Jesus Christ did what He did on the cross. That's the past. You and I today should live a certain way. You see, you and I are living today between two very marvelous events: the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. Now, we should govern our lives in the light of these two events. I fear that many Christians live as though Jesus never died and as though He's never coming again.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 that God works in us, and as we work out, He works in. And as He works in, we work out. Now, he's not talking about salvation by works. We all know that. He did not say work for your own salvation. This word "work out" means to bring to a conclusion, like working out a geometry problem or working out a mechanical problem on your car. It means to bring it to a glorious conclusion. "Now much more in my absence, bring to fruition, bring to completion your own salvation." By the way, that word "your" is plural. He's talking about the entire church. He's talking about the whole assembly in Philippi.

You see, there's a tendency today among churches to copy each other. There's a tendency that if a certain church does it a certain way and it works, we should do it that way. And so instead of churches being unique and individual, the way they're supposed to be, so many churches become cheap imitations of each other. "Work out your own salvation" means, those of you there in that Philippian church, you work together with God, working out the ministry He wants you to have. You are in Philippi. You're not in Colossae, you're not in Rome, you're not in Jerusalem, you're in Philippi. Now work out the ministry God has for you.

Let me say a word to my preacher friends. Don't get envious or don't get all wrapped up in the way somebody else does something. I've pastored three churches, each of them was different, and each of them was in a different kind of a location with a different kind of a congregation. And what worked in one church didn't always work in the other church. Now the principles are always the same. The word of God is always the same. But people are different, and churches are different, and locations are different. And I've seen men go to churches and just try to duplicate what they did in a previous church. Doesn't work that way.

Each church must work out its own salvation. Now, this is done when each Christian works out his own salvation. We must allow God to work in us. Otherwise, we cannot work out. You see, we do not manufacture our ministry. If I thought that I had to manufacture my ministry, I would quit. Nothing is more debilitating, nothing is more eroding to the personality, nothing tears the spirit down more than trying to serve the Lord in your own strength. It doesn't work. The joy of the Lord is our strength. And we have this joy if Jesus Christ is the model for our ministry.

How did Jesus minister as a servant? Through the power of God. The Spirit of God filled Him beyond measure. Now, this is what he's telling us in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God who worketh in you." First He works in your will to make you willing. Then He works in your body to be able to do of His good pleasure. We don't just simply do the work of God or the will of God, we seek to please God. Now how does God work in us? What tools does God use? Well, of course, fundamentally, He works through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "Now without Me you can do nothing. I'm the vine, you're the branches. Now if you abide in Me, then the life is going to flow through you, and you're going to bear fruit." Oh, my friends, don't try to serve the Lord in your own power. You say, "Well, I've got a good mind." I'm glad you do. But your intellect apart from God's Holy Spirit cannot do the job. Oh, you say, "I have 30 years experience." I'm glad you do. But your experience apart from the power of God will not produce fruit. We don't depend upon our training, we don't depend upon our talents, our abilities, our experience, our expertise. We must depend upon the power of God.

My friend, work out your own salvation. God has a specific plan for your life, for your church. And if you'll surrender to Him, if you'll surrender to the power of the Spirit within you, then God will work in and through you, and you will have tremendous joy in all of your ministry.