God's Word for Me Today
Thursday, October 11, 2001
Focus: Our Mission: Equipping Christians in Western Pennsylvania
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, so often I come to You demanding that You answer my prayers, calling on You to meet my wants and needs. Today, I come humbly, even as Jesus came to the earth. Today, I ask you to forgive my pride, and to fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit that I may be empowered to live as a servant to You and to those around me. As I read this powerful message from the Apostle Paul, engrave both the message and its meaning on my heart that I may live fully and completely for You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Philippians 2:1-11
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. 3 Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. 5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Questions for Reflection
Of all the people You have ever known, who do you respect the most for the servant heart they display? How do you suppose that person came to be such a serving person?
What forms the attitudes of your life? How do you adjust attitudes that you don’t want to have?
Of everything that Jesus has done, what is the single thing that most draws you to Him?
Questions for Exploration
What are the benefits of belong to Christ? (2:1-2)
What are the attributes of Jesus that we are to model in our lives? (2:5-8)
What is the ultimate result of Jesus’ humble obedience to God? (2:9-11)
Questions for Understanding
What is the main point, the “punch line” of this passage?
What separates Christians out for non-Christians according to this passage of Scripture?
What is the benefit of bowing down to Jesus here and now, as opposed to on that day when “every knee” shall bow?
Questions for Application
The whole point of this text is that those who would be equipped for ministry in Jesus’ name must be humble servants. What specific attitudes and activities in your life are keeping you from living as a humble servant? List them. What will you do to address each one?
“Commit” one “random act of kindness” today for someone who either doesn’t know you are doing it, or doesn’t have the ability to pay you back!
The Attitude of Jesus Christ!
THE one identifying characteristic of the life wholly devoted to Jesus Christ is the attitude of a servant. Jesus was God! Think about that – Jesus was God. He needed nothing. He lacked nothing. He, God the Father and the Holy Spirit lived in perfect harmony and oneness. Jesus had nothing to gain and everything to lose by coming to the earth to redeem humanity from our sin. So what did Jesus do? Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied Himself.” In the New Living Translation we read, “Jesus made himself nothing.” Nothing. He who was everything, became nothing for you and me! Better news has never been heard! Jesus became nothing, so that we could receive everything He came to offer—life, eternal life, in all its abundance!
The Apostle Paul tells us to have this same attitude. When someone offends us, we are called to return love. When someone infringes on our rights, we are called to return love. When we have given everything we have to give—we call on God to give us the power to give more. The attitude of Jesus was humble servanthood. This is the opposite of everything our culture tells us to be. We’re told to look out for #1 (meaning us) and Jesus says, “I am #1 and you must be willing to give up everything for me. Not only that, but every other person is to be treated as better than we are! The world says the one with the most toys wins! Jesus says, “The one who serves the most people wins!”
The true dividing line between Jesus Christ and the world is an attitude of humble service. Wherever we go as Christians we go as ambassadors for Jesus Christ, which means we go humbly, as servants. If we are to equip others to receive the transformation Jesus offers, the best possible tool for accomplishing that goal is an attitude of humble, submission to the will of God, and to serving others to His glory. In a world where everyone is looking for their rights. Jesus says, “Give up your rights and follow me.” Who has offended you? Right now ask God to forgive them, and to give you the power to forgive, that you may be freed to an attitude of loving, joyful, service!
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