Think Like Jesus

Voices! Never in my life have I heard so many voices telling us how to think and therefore act in light of the crisis we are facing.  There are voices telling us how to think and therefore act in light of this coronavirus pandemic.  There are voices telling us how to think and therefore act in light of ongoing racial injustice.  And there are voices telling us how to think and therefore vote for who they think can best solve the problems we’re facing.  But the problem with all these voices, is that none of them speak for God.  So that begs the question: What does God’s Word have to say to us about how we are to think and therefore act in light of what we are facing today?

That’s what we’re going to look at from God’s Word today in Philippians 2:5-11.  If you brought a Bible with you today, please turn to this passage of Scripture.  For it is from these verses God reveals to us the mindset of Jesus that was behind everything Jesus came and did for us. And it is this mindset, this way of thinking that God wants us to embrace in how we live our lives today – especially with one another.

And so this passage actually follows verses 3 and 4, the very description of the kind of mindset God wants to develop in us.  In our relationships with one another we are to  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  Philippians 2:3-4

Two weeks ago we looked at what God was saying here.  We are to have nothing to do with selfish ambition– an attitude of self-advancement that seeks to get ahead, to get power or profit at the expense of others.  With this way of thinking people become tools to use or walk over on your way to getting what you want. So this mindset devalues people, disrespects people and abuses people and is has no place in the thinking of a Christ followers.  So we are to have nothing to do with this mindset.

We’re also to have nothing to do with empty conceit – this mindset that always has us trying to look good in the eyes of others. Conceit is all about appearances, it’s about saving face. It’s a pride that connects our feelings to our image.  It’s about comparing yourself to others and becoming jealous, bitter or angry when you don’t measure up. This is the kind mindset destroys relationships and so God would have us eliminate this kind of thinking.

Instead, the God wants us to think like Jesus: Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  This is how Jesus thought and how Jesus lived.  So now as we come to Philippians 2:5-11, Paul says, In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  So how did Jesus think?

The first mindset Paul shows us is this: Jesus emptied Himself   Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  Philippians 2:6-7  These verses describe the status of Jesus as he existed before the creation of the world. There never was a time when Jesus didn’t exist.  He had no point of origin.  He is Alpha and Omega.

John says of him in his Gospel: “He was with God in the beginning” John 1:2 Jesus has always existed as God.  And that means Jesus expressed the very nature and character of God.  He is equal with God, therefore before becoming one of us, Jesus was fully divine in every way, and He still is.

But in coming to us, he did not consider His elevated status as God as something to be used for his advantage.  He didn’t come to be one of us to get anything from us.  Instead, he emptied himself of all his divine advantages, privileges and rights, and made Himself nothing, by taking the form of a servant – a slave.

You see the defining characteristic of a slave is that they have no status, they have no advantage.  A slave has no power, no rights, nothing.  A slave is essentially a nobody.  Jesus emptied himself of every advantage he had as God, to become a nobody so He might serve everybody.

You know, THAT IS NOT HOW we have been taught to think.  We’ve been told all our lives to do whatever it takes to get ahead, to get an edge.  We’ve been told to look out for number one.  Use whatever means you can to win.  Get a good education.  Make good connections.  Work hard.  Be Smart. Invest shrewdly.  Take any and every advantage you can get.  It’s all about get, get, get!

But that’s not the mindset of Jesus.  Jesus who was the greatest somebody became a nobody so he could serve everybody.  Jesus emptied himself so he could put others ahead of himself.  He wasn’t here for what He could get but for what He could give. That was His mindset.  That’s what made him a servant.  And that’s the mindset God wants to develop in you, and in me.  Because its’ the kind of mindset that can nurture your marriage, create good friendships and bring blessing to a community.  Because it’s the kind of mindset that helps not hurts, that creates harmony, not division.

So how do we develop this way of thinking?  The same way Jesus did.  By dying to self.  For when you die to self, you give up your right to be somebody, you give up this drive to always prove yourself, defend yourself or get something for yourself.  So developing this mindset is hard. You can’t have this mindset if you are always looking out for yourself.  Remember what Paul said earlier?  Do nothing out of selfish ambition of vain conceit.   Perhaps a good place to start is to ask God to change your way of thinking.  Ask Him to give you Jesus’ giving mindset.  Ask Him to show you when you are being selfish, when you are demanding your rights, and your way.  And then Ask Him to help you empty yourself of self so you might become others oriented – like Jesus. He gave up His rights, His status, and His power, so He could serve anyone. This is how Jesus thought.  And because he thought like this He became a servant of all.

Well how else did Jesus think?  Once he emptied himself of self, the next thing we see is how Jesus humbled Himself  Now let me add verse 8 to what we just unpacked, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross. Phil. 2:6-8

Here now is the picture of Jesus’ incarnation.  In the process of letting go of all his rights, power and advantages as God, Jesus took on the fullness of human nature. Jesus became one of us.   But it’s important to note here, that although He emptied himself of His divine status, he did not empty himself of his divine nature.  So when Jesus took on humanity, He was both fully human and fully divine.  But as to his appearance, all anyone saw when looking at him was an ordinary Jewish man, just as Isaiah had predicted: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2)

So Jesus was born in human likeness.  He was just like us.  He was born subject to the Jewish Law and to his parents.  He did not have great wealth, breeding, privilege or position.  He was, instead, a poor carpenter living in a dusty town in the Roman-occupied territory of Galilee.  He got tired, hungry and thirsty.  He was like us in every way but one.  Jesus, though fully human, was without sin.

And then in his humanity, He humbled himself by submitting fully to Father’s will.  Jesus not only let go of his rights, power and privileges, but He obeyed God in every aspect of his life.  True humility is seen in His complete obedience. This was Jesus mindset.  He wanted to please the Father in everything.  And we see this mindset throughout the gospel of John:

John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself, he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

John 6:38, “For I have not come down from heaven to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.”

John 8:28-29, “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.  The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”

I love this attitude of Jesus.  What this tells us is that Jesus humbled Himself voluntarily.

T. W. Hunt in his book, The Mind of Christ, writes about this tie between humility and obedience that was demonstrated by Jesus. He makes some valid contrasts between humble people and people who are full of themselves: Humble people fear the Lord
  They look up.  They cannot look down on others, for they consider themselves to be at the bottom.  Proud people disregard the Lord, for their look is always downward.  They always feel superior to others.

Humble people are open to the Lord and to others  Jesus always listened to other people.  He was especially sensitive to those in need.  Proud people are closed to others; because all their attention is on themselves.

Humble people want to encourage others
 They enjoy seeing others blossom. Proud people discourage others.  Their stance is to threaten.

Humble people enjoy seeing others succeed They are generous and generosity is the mark of greatness. Their generosity provides more occasions of joy as they see God bless others.  Proud people only rejoice when they themselves succeed.

Humble people depend on the initiative of God  Since God dwells with the humble, they are in constant contact with Him.  They know when He speaks and are quick to obey.  If God chooses to delay, waiting is not difficult for them.  Proud people want to obey only their self-exalting impulses.  They cannot hear God, for God opposes to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

This is the mindset that allowed Jesus to lay down His life for you.  This is the mindset that allowed Jesus to love you when you were unlovable – when you were at your worst.  And this is the mindset God wants to grow in us.  Why?  Because with this mindset you make yourself available to God to do what He wants through your life.  So this mindset is the opposite of pleasing ourselves.  For this mindset is all about pleasing God.  The closest comparison to this mindset is the one most of us have in marriage:  we do things for our spouse because we want to, not because we have to.  And so it is this mindset that separates Christians from everyone else in the world.  For with this mindset we are living for someone far greater than ourselves.  With this mindset we want what God wants for the world.  We want people to experience His grace.  We want people to know His forgiveness, His peace, His love and the hope we have in Jesus.  This is what it means to think like Jesus.  Obedience is no longer a burden to fulfill, not a have to, but an opportunity to please the Father. This was Jesus mindset.  Is this yours? Is it yours?

It was this mindset that led Jesus to a give His life on the cross for you. Jesus humbled himself before the Father, so He could go to the cross for you. 

In this brief passage we’ve looked at how Jesus thought and how His thinking made him The Servant of all and the Savior of all.  Jesus made Himself a nobody so He could serve everybody.  Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.  So then, how did God respond to his Son’s total giving mindset?

God Exalted Jesus 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

Because Jesus willingly set aside his glory to totally obey the Father’s will, God highly exalted him.  This phrase “highly exalted” means to super-elevate.  No one else is exalted like Jesus.  Jesus is in an exalted class by Himself. He has no rival.

God did not leave Jesus in the grave but raised him from the dead, brought him back up to heaven, and glorified him.  God gave Jesus all authority in heaven and earth, gave him authority to judge, made him the Lord of both the dead and the living, and “seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the age to come.” Ephesians 1:20-21

And God gave Him, Jesus, the name that is above every name.  He is now “Lord.”  And one day every knee will bow before Him and every tongue confess him as Lord.

Some will confess Him as Lord with great joy and humility.  Others will confess Him as Lord with despair and anguish.  Pilate, Caiaphas, Stalin, Hitler and every other evil dictator will confess him as Lord.  Everyone from every age will do the same.

You may confess Jesus as Lord now, but if you understand what God has done in exalting Jesus to the highest place, you also look forward to the day when you can confess Jesus as Lord, face to face.  That’s the beauty of God exalting Jesus.  For there will be a day when Jesus will reign over every heart and every mind.  And that gives us hope. You see, you may think that history is moving forward with no certainty, no clear direction, or even no hope.  But here God SPEAKS into our present moment:  GOD HAS ALREADY EXALTED JESUS! Jesus is sitting right now at the right hand of the Father.  And one day JESUS WILL RETURN and when He does everyone will bow the knee and confess Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God!  What a day that will be.

But until that day, we live in this world that will continue to tell you to exalt yourself – to get for yourself, look out for yourself, please yourself.  And look where that’s gotten us.

But as we have seen here this morning, Jesus has shown us another way:  He lived to serve others and to please the Father.  And it all started with His mindset. His mind was set on how he might give of himself not on what He could get for himself.  And so he became a Servant of All and the Savior of All.  And because of this, God made Him Lord of all.

So let me ask you this morning:  Is Jesus your Lord?