If you have any encouragement If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…tenderness and compassion…

……then make my joy complete by then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit same love, being one in spirit and purpose….and purpose….

……Do nothing out of selfish Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better humility consider others better than yourselves…than yourselves…

……Each of you should look not only Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to your own interests, but also to the interests of others- to the interests of others- Philippians 1:1-4Philippians 1:1-4

Greek Culture:Greek Culture:

- Philosophy (Socrates, Plato, - Philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)Aristotle)

- Literature (Comedians and - Literature (Comedians and Tragedians)Tragedians)

- Sculpture and Architecture- Sculpture and Architecture

- Science, Astronomy, Math, Medicine- Science, Astronomy, Math, Medicine

- Government (early form of - Government (early form of democracy)democracy)

Roman Empire:Roman Empire:

- Conquered the Greeks- Conquered the Greeks

- Philippi- 200 yrs of Roman Rule- Philippi- 200 yrs of Roman Rule

- Not innovators, but imitators- Not innovators, but imitators

- Built great temples, but with - Built great temples, but with only a only a marble veneermarble veneer

- Emperor is a god and must be - Emperor is a god and must be worshiped worshiped on bent knee as suchon bent knee as such

Your attitude should be the same Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but something to be grasped, but made himself nothing…made himself nothing…

……taking the very nature of a taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death obedient to death— even death on a cross! on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…name that is above every name…

……that at the name of Jesus every that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father- Philippians of God the Father- Philippians 2:5-112:5-11

Your attitude should be the same Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus- vs. 5as that of Christ Jesus- vs. 5

Literally- Literally- among you as in Christ among you as in Christ JesusJesus

Mirror, imitate, be like, pattern Mirror, imitate, be like, pattern yourselves after Christ- be yourselves after Christ- be mirrors for Jesusmirrors for Jesus

Who, being in very nature God- vs. 6Who, being in very nature God- vs. 6

Morphe vs. schemaMorphe vs. schema

Very nature=Very nature= morphe- external morphe- external characteristics match internal characteristics match internal essence, unessence, unchangeablechangeable

Was Jesus just a “good teacher?”Was Jesus just a “good teacher?”

……did not consider equality with did not consider equality with God something to be grasped- vs. God something to be grasped- vs. 66

Grasped- Grasped- held onto for adheld onto for advantagevantage

Fame, power, wealth- all the things Fame, power, wealth- all the things we covet, Christ willingly laid we covet, Christ willingly laid asideaside

What I do with power, fame or What I do with power, fame or wealth- even how I view its wealth- even how I view its purpose- reveals the condition of purpose- reveals the condition of my hmy hearteart

Do nothing out of Do nothing out of selfish ambition selfish ambition oror vain conceit vain conceit- vs. 3- vs. 3

Mirror JesusMirror Jesus

made himself made himself nothingnothing, taking the , taking the very nature of a servant, being very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness- vs. 7made in human likeness- vs. 7

Kenosis= emptying- Jesus Kenosis= emptying- Jesus voluntarily set aside the voluntarily set aside the independent exercise of his independent exercise of his divine adivine attributesttributes

"I tell you the truth, the Son can do "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does- Father does the Son also does- John 5:19-20John 5:19-20

Very early in the morning, while it Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed- solitary place, where he prayed- Mark 1:35Mark 1:35

……taking the very nature of a taking the very nature of a servantservant- vs. 7- vs. 7

What do slaves exist for? What do slaves exist for?

……in in humilityhumility consider others consider others better than yourselves- vs. 3better than yourselves- vs. 3

And being found in appearance as a And being found in appearance as a man- vs. 8man- vs. 8

AppearanceAppearance= Schemati- form that is = Schemati- form that is subject to csubject to changehange

  

Why is Jesus only in the Why is Jesus only in the “appearance” of a man? What’s “appearance” of a man? What’s different about him?different about him?

……he humbled himself and became he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on obedient to death— even death on a cross!- vs. 8a cross!- vs. 8

CrossCross- reserved for insurrectionists - reserved for insurrectionists and untrainable slavesand untrainable slaves

Through the cross, god (Caesar) Through the cross, god (Caesar) carried out capital punishmentcarried out capital punishment

A god killed GodA god killed God

Why did Jesus do it? Why did he Why did Jesus do it? Why did he go to the cross?go to the cross?

Each of you should look not only Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to your own interests, but also to the to the interests of othersinterests of others- vs. 4- vs. 4

Jesus left fame, power and wealth Jesus left fame, power and wealth to become a slave, suffer torture to become a slave, suffer torture and die a sand die a scandalouscandalous death death

  

Practically speaking, how can we Practically speaking, how can we mirror Christ’s actions in our mirror Christ’s actions in our relationships?relationships?

Where I have attention placed on me, Where I have attention placed on me, look for opportunities to glorify God look for opportunities to glorify God and serve peopleand serve people

Where I have power, find ways to help Where I have power, find ways to help the powerlessthe powerless

Where I have wealth, discover how to Where I have wealth, discover how to manage it to God’s glory and other manage it to God’s glory and other people’s benefitpeople’s benefit

Sacrifice time and selfish desires Sacrifice time and selfish desires in order to be a good partner in in order to be a good partner in marriage, parenting, friendship marriage, parenting, friendship and all other relationships- and all other relationships- mirroring Christ to my family, mirroring Christ to my family, my friends and my worldmy friends and my world

Mirroring Christ means taking the Mirroring Christ means taking the role of a slave for othersrole of a slave for others

Therefore Therefore God exalted God exalted him to the him to the highest place and gave him the name highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ is LordLord, to the glory of , to the glory of God the Father- vs. 9-11God the Father- vs. 9-11

In the end, all will bow and all will In the end, all will bow and all will confess Christ’s authority and his confess Christ’s authority and his godhood. Will all be saved?godhood. Will all be saved?

What’s the best way to get my What’s the best way to get my needs met?needs met?

……if we love one another, God lives if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is in us and his love is made made complete complete in us- 1 John 4:12 in us- 1 John 4:12

Each of you should look not only Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to your own interests, but also to the interests of others- vs. 4to the interests of others- vs. 4

……let's not just talk about love; let's not just talk about love; let's let's practice real lovepractice real love. This is the only . This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-way to shut down debilitating self-criticism…And friends, once that's criticism…And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free we're bold and free before God!- 1 before God!- 1 John 3:18-21 (Message)John 3:18-21 (Message)

The greatest among you will be The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself and whoever humbles himself will be exalted- Matthew 23:11-will be exalted- Matthew 23:11-1212