Being The Church 10

Philippians 2.8-18

The purpose of studying the letter of Paul to the Christians at Philippi, is to help us understand what our church should be like. The church is not modelled on the world’s institutions or programmes. It is a spiritual entity – it is called the Body of Christ - more like a living thing than an institution. When you describe the church you are describing God’s family – a very different thing to describing an organisation, programmes, resources and strategies. Peter described it as a living building – each Christian as a living brick.

So far, in these studies we have come across the key concern that Paul has for these Philippian Christians – and for us, the Onehunga Christians. Only, let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.v27. Put negatively: Do not allow yourself to have a daily life that is a mismatch with the gospel of Christ. A life consistent with the good news of Jesus Christ must match Jesus’ life. And this is not mere copying – like little children drawing a person as a circle with sticks for arms and legs! It is receiving his life so we have his mind – his attitude. THAT is what our study focuses on this morning – the disposition – the mindset – the attitude of Jesus Christ that is to be ours. And it doesn’t become ours by imitation – it becomes ours through new birth – the spiritual infusion of his life into ours – made possible by his resurrection from the dead!

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Paul has been telling us that we need to have the same attitude and thinking as Jesus Christ. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. And it is plainly not just individuals he is talking to. Of course it must be true of us individually – but in this instance he says ‘have this mind among yourselves’. Obviously, he has in mind that this must be a shared mindset – something true of each of us but something true between or among us. It must be a characteristic of our church.

Remember that we are studying Philippians because we want to know how to BE the church and that this involves what we believe and how we behave. Paul declares that to be the church we must have the attitude and mindset of Jesus among us. He explains what that attitude and thinking is: v2-4.

“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

But he goes even further – right down to the root of this way of living – by describing what it meant for the Son of God to ‘count others more significant than himself’ and to ‘look not only to his own interests but to the interests of others.’ Here is the heart of the issue; this is how the church must BE: We must be like Jesus Christ. Have this mind! v5.