Humility and Obedience

Philippians 2:1-18

John Farmer started this series in Philippians last week and today I am going to continue where he left off.

First let’s pray and ask God to glorify Himself and bless us through His Word this morning.

Just for the benefit of you who missed John’s message last week, he talked about Philippi being named after King Philip, Philip the Conqueror, who was Alexander the Great's father. So the Philippians had a prestigious name from a prestigious heritage and really proud men who went on to conquer the world. But Paul wanted to address some of that pride in his letter to the Philippians.

Now let’s look at Philippians 2:1-2

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

It goes without saying that if you don’t have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if you don’t have any comfort from His love, if you don’t have any fellowship with the Spirit, if you don’t have any tenderness and compassion then, you are probably not one of God’s children and you are falsely referring to yourself as Christians and your name is probably not yet written in the Lambs Book of Life. If that is the case, then you need to see your present state of sinfulness and accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness and eternal salvation and His payment with the shedding of His blood and His body being put to death on the cross for you and get your name written in His Book of Life before it is too late.

However, even for those of us who do have these spiritual qualities abiding in us, we still may have bad attitudes towards each other or toward other Christians. That is why Paul exhorts us to make his joy complete by being likeminded and having the same love and being one in spirit and purpose.

Remember, Jesus said in John Chapter 13 verses 34 and 35,

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Now Satan, the great deceiver of the brethren, loves to get us upset and angry with each other and to get us to have bad thoughts, attitudes and actions toward one another and toward God so that the unbelievers won’t be able to distinguish us from other unsaved sinners. This was the tactic that he used with Job. I don’t know if you remember the story of Job, but Satan attempted to dilute and negate Job’s effectiveness. And he attempts to dilute and negate the Philippians effectiveness and our effectiveness the same way.

Paul knows that even with the encouragement from being united with Christ, and the comfort from his love, and the fellowship with the Spirit, and the tenderness and compassion that accompanies our salvation, we still have a free will to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit or to ignore them. Now God would not take that free will away from us because He does not desire robots to serve Him. He desires His children to serve Him and He desires them to serve Him willingly. So the same Satan who put the thoughts in Job’s wife’s mind to get her to tell Job to curse God and die, also puts thoughts in our minds; thoughts of anger and bitterness and envy and strife toward the other believers. That’s why he is called the accuser of the brethren. But we have a choice we can listen to the Words of Jesus who said “Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another” or we can listen to the words of Satan it is our choice. God’s not going to take that choice away from us. We will have to live with that choice each day.

Next let’s look at verse 3

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.-Philippians 2:3-4

Why do you think Paul chose the word humility here? Could it be that he knew that the Philippians were proud and selfish and conceited? I think so. Even though, as John said, he was only there for a short time, I think he kind of got the understanding of their ways and he was trying to help them out.

I asked myself the following question “What do you think God’s response will be if I humble myself and consider others more important than me and look out after their interest?”

In order to answer that question a little more fully I looked at God’s Word and God’s response to humility from His recorded actions toward other sinners who have humbled themselves and repented.

First I looked at the story of the worst sinner I could think of apart from Satan. That sinners name is King Manasseh and his story is found recorded in the following passage.

2 Kings 21:16-17

Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?

So I looked at Chronicles to try and fine out about his events and his reign and I found that in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 it says,

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.-2 Chronicles 33:1-3

Think about that. Here’s the temple of the God where He said His name was going to dwell and he builds an altars to the starry hosts.

He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger. He took the carved image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and ordinances given through Moses.” But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.-2 Chronicles 3:4-13

Did you hear all the stuff I was telling you this guy did? I mean he filled Jerusalem from one end to the other with innocent blood shed. He’s sacrificing in God’s temple and worshiping the starry hosts. And this guy has the audacity to pray to God. And yet it says, he “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.”

Note the following spiritual transformation of Manasseh after he humbled himself and God restored him.

Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel. His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—all are written in the records of the seers. Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace. -2 Chronicles 3:14-20

And that story has never ceased to amaze me because it doesn’t tell so much about Manasseh, but it tells me a lot about God; how forgiving and merciful He is and how long suffering He is. Well, so that’s how God handled Manasseh case. Now you might be tempted like I was to say that Manasseh’s case was a one time special exception to God’s rule.

However, I saw God’s same attitude toward the repentance of King Nebuchadnezzar i.e., he restored him to his former position of authority as King over Babylon. We went through that story you know, about how God drove him from the palace and made him eat grass and become like a wild donkey.

It is found in Daniel 4:33-37.

“Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.34“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’“At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

And that was Paul’s point to the Philippians; that they were proud. Wow! That sounded like the same story I read about King Manasseh just a different sinner. Is this just a coincidence?

No. I saw the same story played out again in the story of Jonah when the King of Nineveh repented and God relented of His plan to destroy him and his city. If you look in Jonah 3:6-10 you will find it.

When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. “But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”-Jonah 3:6-9

The Ninevites and this king didn’t have the luxury of the historical records that I just read of these other kings. I believe this was even before that.

Continuing in verse 10,

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.-Jonah 3:10

There seems to be a theme of mercy following humility here. I don’t know if you caught on to that our not. I saw it again in the story of King Ahab humbled himself before God and God relented of His plan to bring about the evil that he had promised in his day.

1Kings 16:29-34

Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

Now we pick up the story of God’s reponse to king Ahab in 1 Kings 21:17-29.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. "You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’” Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. “Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin. “Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.’ “The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.” Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

I am awestruck by this. King after king does evil after evil and God just shows mercy after mercy because of what, because of their humility. They humbled themselves before God.

There seems to be a definite pattern here and these guys were not even Christians. They were just sinners who decide to repent in sackcloth, pray and fast out of fear of what God on a remote possibility that God might change His mind. Well God did change His mind.

That being said what’s God’s attitude be towards one of His Royal Family like you and me? If God can show mercy and show blessing toward these evil men, what can he show toward you and me Christian? When we humble ourselves and put away our pride and put away our selfishness. And we start thinking of others and putting others first and start serving them and start thinking of them as more important tan ourselves.

The flip side of that question is “What if someone doesn’t humble himself?”

I didn’t read it earlier but the rest of 2 Chronicles 33:20-24

Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt. Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace.

Instead of God blessing him, like I think God would have desired to bless Amon, just like He desires to bless us, He didn’t. Amon refused to humble himself just like we refuse to humble ourselves.

Are these passages just applicable to Biblical time or is God still demonstrating His actions and attitudes toward sinners in our time who refuse to humble themselves and repent?

It wasn’t long ago that we saw the president of Iraq Suddam Hussein captured and later executed.  In January of this year we saw Ben Ali being removed from power in Tunisia. In February of this year we saw Hosni Mubarak being removed from power in Egypt. In May of this year we saw the dead body of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden who was responsible for the September 11th 2001 Aerial attacks on the World Trade Center. And this past Thursday we saw the former Libyan president Moammar Gadhafi captured and killed.

Based on the recent events I would say that these passages are just an applicable today as they were in Biblical times. God is merciful and He is patient. But if you refuse to repent you’re going to suffer the consequences of your pride as these men did and their countries will suffer also.

So how do I humble myself? Well Paul tells me in Philippians 2:5-8

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

That is interesting. Paul did not say our attitude should be like his he said our attitude should be like Christ attitude. We need to become humble by becoming obedient to death.

How do we become obedient to death? According to Paul we do that by letting go of our selfish ambition and our vain conceit and considering others more important than ourselves; by looking out after their best interest. We put the old self to death. We become obedient to put the old self, the sinful self, to death and we start putting on Christ.

There is a verse in Galatians that says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.” We need to let Christ live in us.

However, if we merely try to copy Paul we will come up short.

If you get a key duplicated the duplicate key is not always an exact copy. It will work but if you make another duplicate from a duplicate and you continue to make duplicates from duplicates then sooner or later the final duplicate will not work. That is why you always make duplicate keys from the master key and if you need another duplicate you get the master and make the duplicate from it. In the same way Paul urges the Philippians to have the same attitude of the Master i.e., Christ Jesus. Paul was wise enough to know that Christ was the master and the perfect example to follow.

We need to copy the Master in this area of making ourselves nothing and serving. If we do we will experience the praise and honor from God the Father as Christ His son experienced.

Take a look at Philippians 2:9-11. We see what happened after Christ made Himself nothing and became obedient to death.

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 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.-Philippians 2:9-11

So what have we learned so far from these verses in Philippians?

• Humility moves God to change His mind about destroying people.

• God is opposed to the proud and they will be judged and sentenced for their sins not only in this age but at the Great White Throne of Judgment when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

• God gives grace to the humble. Even to the humble wicked, worst sinner imaginable God will give grace if he humbles himself before Him. Sometimes I can’t believe how good God is. I mean I just can’t believe it. I couldn’t do it myself and it’s because of my sinful nature. I can’t even do that. But I want to do that. I want to be more like Christ. I want to extend the right hand of forgiveness to people. And I can only do that by letting Christ live thought me.

• Christ’s actions and attitude should be our template.

So what else does Paul, and Christ, want us to learn from this section in Philippians?

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.

Notice obedience is also tied to work. Most people’s attitude toward work is negative. Most people do their best to get out of work and if they can’t get out of it they do the next best thing i.e., argue and complain about it. This brings us to Paul’s next piece of advice.

Philippians 2:14-18

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation…

Would you all agree that we live in a crooked and depraved generation? I don’t think there is any doubt in anybodies mind that this generation is crooked and depraved.

Continuing in verse 15,

…in which you shine like stars in the universe…

That is God’s purpose for you and for me. If we are here in this crooked and depraved generation our purpose is to shine like the stars in the universe.

...as you hold out the word of life…

What is the Word of Life? Is it not the Gospel, the good news that people don’t have to pay the penalty for their sin? The good news that Christ died for their sin if they would only accept His free gift of eternal life. All we need to do is hold out the Word of Life to the world and we will shine like the stars in the universe.

It will be work. It will not feel good on your pride. You may be mocked by the unbelieving world, you may be mocked, but you will shine. You will shine like the stars of the universe.

Continuing in verse 16,

...in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Do you want to become blameless and pure? Do you want to shine like the stars in the universe?

• Stop listening and obeying Satan and start listening and obeying Christ. Let Christ live in you.

• Be of the same mind with your fellow believers and be an instrument of encouragement to them. I have been praying every night at dinner that my children would encourage each other, even at dinner. It’s starting to have and effect. But we need to be encouragement to the believers.

• Humble yourself and become a servant of Christ.

• Use Christ’s actions and attitude as your template.

• Consider others more important than yourself.

• Do everything without complaining and arguing.

• Hold out the word of life; share the good news of the Gospel with everyone that you meet. Not just our friends or the people we think are safe, the people we think won’t look down on us. Those people may be saved. But with the people who will look down on us, the people who will mock us, because those people are definitely lost. We need to hold out the Word of Life to everyone we meet.

Let’s pray and ask God to glorify Himself and bless us as a result of our humble obedience to His Word that we have heard this morning.