BIG IDEA
JOY IS FOUND IN PUTTING OTHERS FIRST
MESSAGE NOTES:
WHAT:
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor (in NIV it translates this section as Paul saying ‘make my joy complete’): Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
In the NIV version it says this: ...but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others” Philippians 2:1
“For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
SO WHAT:
The actions that Paul is describing to the Phillipians about being like minded, in agreement, and deep spirited friends; those things are invitations for us. We are being invited to have joy in our lives by putting other people above ourselves.
NOW WHAT:
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Philippians 2:5-8- MSG
“I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”
Philippians 1:23-24 NLT
How far are you willing to go to love other people?
How far are you willing to go to be obedient?
How far are you willing to go to put others first knowing it will produce joy and a really beautiful life?