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Sermons

"DOING IT CHRIST'S WAY"
Part 1 of 2

A SERMON MESSAGE DELIVERED AT
LOS ALAMOS 1st UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2007
by DR. DAVE RING, PASTOR

SCRIPTURE LESSON: Philippians 2:5-11 (New International Version) -- "5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

PRAYER: "Lord Jesus, help us to probe deeply this morning. Lower our barriers of comfort. Touch us, Lord. Change us. Mold us more closely -- into Your likeness. Amen."

MESSAGE: Today's text is one of my personal favorite passages of Scripture, and one of the most oft-quoted, yet least put into practice, paragraphs in the entire Bible. The wisdom found in these verses is as deep as can be found anywhere in all the Holy Word of God. Therefore, I'm going to explore it with you in a way that I don't often do - via a "two-part" sermon, the twin subjects of which are discipleship -- and witness - for the Lord Jesus Christ.

When you hear the word "Christian," what does it say to you? Most of the time that I hear "Christian" used these days, it's as an adjective. There's Christian television to be watched. There's Christian literature you can read. There's Christian music to listen to. Here, today, we're participating in Christian worship.

The first usage of the word "Christian" was as a noun. In Acts 11:26, the Word of God tells us that, in a city named Antioch, the disciples of Jesus were first called "Christians." Flesh and blood men and women--ordinary human beings all--were called "Christians"--because something about the ways they talked and acted, the manner in which they lived--spoke to those around them and said, "Christ-like." Human beings whose lives reminded others of a special someone -- one whose name was Jesus and whose title was Christ. Christ-like people. Christians.

I'll wager that, if I stopped and asked each one of you here today the question -- "Are you a Christian?" almost all of you would respond in the affirmative. At one time or another, you've accepted Christ as your Savior, maybe even joined the Church. You've gotten involved in the religion called Christianity. Thus, you're a Christian.

But is it really that simple? A one-shot decision made, perhaps years ago, a name on a roll book in a church, an hour or two weekly in a pew. Christians -- do you really know what your name means? Do you understand what it implies to be considered "Christ-like?"

Today, knowing full well that most of you who are present have already taken the entry-level step into the Christian faith by accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, I'm going to invite this congregation to move a step further -- past chapter one, lesson one of Christianity. Today, I'll be trying to serve up for you, spiritually, some New Mexico brisket, not minestrone soup. So let me invite you to "chew," with me, for a few minutes now, on the issue of Christ-likeness. We're going to stick fairly close to our text from here on out, so you might want to keep your Bible open for a while -- remember, it's Philippians 2:5-11.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." What's an attitude? I don't know how to define attitude precisely, and I didn't take the usual easy way out and grab my Webster's Dictionary. But try this for a working definition: "Your attitude is the overall face you put forward to the rest of the world." There's a commercial that was widely aired a few years back for a dandruff shampoo that said, among some other very silly things, something reasonably profound: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." That's true --sociologists and psychologists tell us that the initial minute of interaction, when two people meet each other for the first time, will condition any continuing relationship between those two people for years to come. In one minute after meeting someone, you'll have made some profound assumptions about their attitude, and they about yours. Attitude is basic -- it's how each of us relates to the rest of humanity.

When the apostle Paul, writing at the inspiration of God, says to those who would be called "Christians," -- "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..," we need to pay close attention. Because our attitude is our basic witness -- the first impression we make on those we meet, and the lasting impression we make on those we know over a period of time. Does your attitude remind others of Jesus when they first meet you? Does your attitude say "Christ-like" on a continuing basis to your family, friends, co-workers?

What was the attitude of Christ Jesus -- the attitude that we're supposed to model as Christians? Read on -- "...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." Now, certainly, none of us is co-equal with God -- so we don't have to face Christ's problem in that regard. But the point is clear. Christ, who was great -- deliberately made himself small. He reversed the normal progression of human ambition, and chose to climb down, rather than up, the "ladder of success." He chose to serve, rather than be served.

The servant nature of Christ is something that is very, very difficult for us to comprehend -- because it absolutely reverses the basic direction of virtually all modern-day human cultures. It used to be that we could make a sharp distinction between American -- or Western -- culture, and the cultures of Eastern, or Oriental peoples. But that's not so true anymore. The world has become virtually a single culture -- at least in regard to the aspects I'm about to point out.

Consider this: More, bigger, better, stronger, richer -- those are positives to all of us. Nobody deliberately wants to grow poorer these days! Am I telling it like it is? Virtually no one, in Korea, or America, or Botswana, or Syria, actively seeks to grow weaker, or lesser, in the eyes of their fellow humans. Is that not true for you? The whole world values growth, strength, power, wealth, increase. But -- less, smaller, worse, weaker, poorer --those are the virtues which Christ chose to demonstrate -- as models of Christ-like-ness. To Christ, less is often more. Weaker may be stronger. Poorer is probably richer. And so the world -- and the Christian -- are moving in absolutely opposite directions. Or at least they should be, if we really mean it when we say we're "Christians."

Let's bring this down to earth, and consider a simple example, from the kinds of lives we live today. Suppose one of you men, a mid-level manager, is up for a promotion. You've done the best job, produced the most -- you deserve the boost. You've earned it and just about everybody in your company realizes it. And it's offered -- but you say "no." Why? Because there's another person in the company who needs the job worse -- one who has greater financial burdens and needs in supporting a family. And you can get by handily on what you're making already. Sound crazy? Probably so -- but I've known Christian businessmen -- and women -- who've done exactly that. The world will never understand such logic -- because it is truly out-of-this-world. It's Christian.

I'm going to leave you with this strange concept - "Christian" -- to further ponder on your own during the week ahead. And we'll continue to explore the topic of "Doing It Christ's Way" next Sunday. There's no "Amen" on today's message, because it's not yet complete. I invite you to be here next Sunday morning - same time, same place - for its planned finish.

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