The first question is very challenging in the second one equally so. First question, Philippians 1-6 seems to be recklessly quoted. As an absolute guarantee that God will perfect in every Christian, the work he began, is it not more accurate to apply this verse only to believers who are participating, quote-unquote, in the Gospel? I would certainly say that if you simply recklessly apply this verse and say, I can please myself, I can do what I want. God has begun a good work and he will carry it to completion. It's kind of an automatic foregone conclusion. I completely agree that is not the intent of Philippians 1-6. It is really an affirmation and an encouragement for those who are troubled in their hearts, who wonder, how will I grow in the Lord? How will this kind of maturing and steadfastness and humility happen? It is an affirmation for those not recklessly taking it for granted, but those who are searching for the ways of the Lord to say, God has begun a good work and he will bring it to conclusion. It's an affirmation. The second thing I want to say is this is formulated in the plural. God has, I'm confident of this, that he who has begun a good work in you, among you, among the group of you, will bring it to conclusion. So it's not I, but us. It is very much that partnership in the faith, but also the fellowship of growth, that he works among you and he will grow and bring that to completion, with perhaps the necessary exhortation or encouragement of one to another. So there's a lot more implied here and then also bring to completion lead you to the goal, literally, bring you to the goal. So I think with those points we should not just sit back and take God's work for granted, but as we are called to participate and as we search God's ways, this is a statement of affirmation and of encouragement. Second question is what does this partnership look like between churches with widely varying doctrines? I hope that nobody would ask that question. In other words, how much do we agree to disagree and still remain in fellowship with those we disagree with? I can hear the print, small print in between, all nice and fine to talk about partnership, but what happens when the rubber hits the road? And we actually are challenging this way. I would advocate as a rough approach to this, the pyramid of cooperation. I believe the more local you become in your ministry, the more you need to be partnering very closely. I see some of the division between Paul and Barnabas to be in some ways an acceptable separation. So if you work in a local church, there needs to be a high degree of really being able to partner together in terms of doctrine, in terms of clarity of what you understand from scripture. However, the partnership in the gospel is not only limited to that. We have had evangelistic outrageous in Germany where we work with various denominations in that city. So that's what I mean by the pyramid of cooperation on certain levels. You certainly can live together in prayer together in evangelism together and presenting the gospel because there's a broad evangelical consensus that you can find certainly for evangelism. And then if there are major outreaches of a social nature, that pyramid becomes even wider where you can cooperate and associate and be involved and be a salt and light in your community by acts of mercy, etc. So I would say that would be my answer to that partnership. It is not an absolute on every level in every situation type of a partnership. But it kind of grows out in this way. Just as we have it also in relationships, there are some partnerships that are very close and others that are little wider. And so I would say there is room for doctrinal difference when you evangelize, when you reach out. It is harder when you work together in leading a local church and there are these major differences. So that would be my simple answer although there's certainly need to become more specific there. Okay, let us turn even though you may be a little tired but you know that humble state of tiredness is actually a great precondition that you bring to the task of learning something about humility. You know now from the structure where this description of having the mind of Christ is located in Philippians. We have the section of 2, 5 to 11 in the second main exhortation area. And there is a phenomenon that we need to realize first as before we go into Philippians 2, 5 to 11. And that is this. Paul does not intend to teach us doctrine about Christ in chapter 2 verses 5 to 11. The teaching about Christ serves a paranetic and exhortational purpose. We need to understand that the description of Christ's deed on our behalf is in the context of exhortation, in the context of encouragement, exhortation not necessarily only in the negative sense of correcting something wrong but encouraging towards a certain goal. So it is in the context of a attitude, a mindset, an approach to life that Paul encourages the Philippians that we find the reference to the great deed of Christ on our behalf. I think that's very important that we realize and understand that and obviously we also need to think about the examples here. Let me read the introduction, the encouragement which actually was one of the central passages in when my wife and I got married in our wedding and we're still working on that. If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better or more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus and then Paul begins to explain what Jesus did on our behalf. So I think you see here in the challenge concerning humility this warning even here small but clear not to pursue selfish ambition and vain conceit, not to pursue yourself but to seek the antidote to seeking yourself and that is humility. So humility we already know and we will learn it even more as we look at what is called the hymn concerning Christ is not weakness, is not being a softy. Humility is a certain form of strength that has the courage and the ability to perceive and pursue the interest of somebody else. It's actually a great strength. Humility does not mean that you just kind of have your head slightly turned down and you just say please don't look at me I'm not really important you know that kind of visible stuff is not humility. Humility actually is not noticed. You just feel that somebody else is very interested in you not in the wrong way in a beneficial way interested in your in your good in your growth that's where you feel or see or experience humility. Somebody who's not busy with him or herself so it's a strength humility is a strength it's already very clear from this contrast how is humility contrasted it is contrasted with seeking yourself with pursuing your own ambition and your vain conceit. It is demanding and emphasizing that you are somebody. It is based on a sense of the only way I can feel good is by you recognizing how important I am. That's when I will feel good and I'll make you to do that. For instance in Germany the culture that has been developed there is by titles watch out if you do not address the the right person with the right title so I need to be recognized you need to be made you need to feel your inferiority you need to feel that you are receiving something from my generosity etc it's that conceited blown up sense of self and here Paul encourages the Philippians to see something else to see the other and now comes the big question in what way does Paul employ and introduce Christ into this equation in your NIV heading for this you will see imitation or imitating Christ's humility I would sharply differ we are not encouraged here to imitate Jesus not at least in that unguarded sense are you God are you able to let go of your status as God of your place as God have you ever been incarnated to human flesh being God have you ever suffered to the point of death not only willingly but as a substitutionary atonement on behalf of mankind have you ever been exalted to the right hand of God is the purpose for your life that every knee should bow in every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father you're not to imitate Jesus we're thrown out of the street right from the beginning when we get into this text of what Paul says about humility and when he points to Christ so we need to get that curve as we say in Germany carefully we'll need to take that curve carefully from the admonition towards that kind of humility that has an eye for the other one that seeks the good of the other one that is willing to uplift the other one to see what Christ did many people have struggled with that enormously and we will need to struggle with that a little bit tonight let me read the text and then we'll try to get take the curve carefully I hope again I read but that still belongs to the admonition part in verse five your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to and I would tend to say something to be held on to not grasp but there's a great debate here but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross therefore this is the big 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 remember Lord to the glory of God the Father so here Paul breaks out into a description of what Christ did and the question is how does that description of what Christ did relate to the exhortation of humility that certainly should be part of the life and the growth of the Christian how does he relate those two is it imitation imitation means you look to the left you see Jesus do something you copy it is that really what is intended here what Paul is getting at we need to think carefully and listen carefully to the connection it says your attitude your mindset your approach to things should be the approach Jesus took to his particular and unique and unrepeatable deed on our behalf were not to imitate Jesus we are to have the attitude that led him to a unique unparalleled deed on our behalf so there's something of what Christ how Christ approached his unique task that is transferable that's different to imitating Christ I'm not speaking therefore about imitatsio kristi to imitate Christ I'm speaking with Paul here that we are to extract a mentality a principle of approach that is transferable from Christ to us I hope that is clear that we are not called to imitate Christ but we are called to have that same mindset and as a Jew as a Jewish teacher and preacher Paul would know that if this principle applies to the greatness of Christ it certainly applies to the smallness of my life from the greater to the lesser from the wide to the small and narrow if the one who is co equal with God who shares the divine nature with God the Father who eternally exists as the son with the Father if he does not hold on to his place and status as being God something as far as I can see and interpret something to retain not something to grasp for some people have interpreted that that Jesus was kind of grasping to be God to to stay to to come to that position no it is something to retain something to hold on to which you already possess and to to keep it if he being God released his privilege and right and place let go and empty it himself in the way of becoming a human being humbled himself not only of being becoming a human being but being willing to die in the cross and die on the cross on behalf of others for the sake of others how much more should you let go of the little petty status the little petty dignity the little petty greatness that you claim the little petty recognition that you push at your job new relationships just a little bit of somebody please finally notice me I'm somebody and maybe you need to stand up on a little podium to be noticed or something if he who is so great release that grip how much more for us to have that same mindset not to imitate Jesus but to have the mindset of whatever we hold on to whatever bone we still growlingly protect like dogs to retain some sense of place to defend our spot to work for the range of independence that we must have so nobody can really get too close to us etc etc how much more is that to be released and are we to let go and to take a place in our lives that is not so recognized that is not so noticed that is not so respected that is not so rewarded that does not promise a lot of payoff that is really only hopeful in one sense that God would need us in our vulnerability in our weakness there is no absolute guarantee here which must not make this into an automatic payoff of if you let go then God will surely bring you into a great place of righteousness into a great place of recognition etc but there is this assurance that God will be your portion in his time in his way on his grounds not on yours the therefore here is magnificent because at the very point of greatest vulnerability and greatest exposure the father enters and indicates the son who has let go of everything all dignity on our behalf and he exalts him raises him up and gives him a place of honor and plays of love plays of significance now we must be careful that we don't automatize this but if you remember the story of Joseph it is a type of Christ it is an illustration of a man who is willing to count on God when he is being sold into slavery is a man who counts on God when he is tempted by an attractive woman is a man who counts on God when he is forgotten in jail is a man who counts on God when he is forgotten by people he helped once they got out is a man who is then vindicated and brought to a place of exaltation of dignity of honor but I think we would get humility completely wrong if we had this eye on the payoff and said you know what I think that's the greatest deal possible I'll let go for a while and then I'll be even better I'll be more recognized I'll be more dignified so I'll pay the price for the sake of having it you've lost it you surrender unconditionally you let go you are vulnerable you don't depend and define and determine and demand your position let go and then it's God's God's part it's God's way it's fantastic in this hymn that there are two major active verbs attributed to Jesus and two major active verbs attributed to God the two major active verbs attributed to Jesus are that he emptied himself and we we can reflect a little bit on that perhaps and that he humbled himself there are two terms of letting go two terms of surrender two terms of giving over not up giving over see the humility of Christ is never in empty space it is always based on the fact that he serves and obeys his father and then the two verbs the major two verbs attributed to God is he raised him exalted him and gave him a name above all names exalted him and gave so here's this verb cluster this verb pair of letting go and this verb pair of exaltation and raising up I think it's the most beautiful testimony that I can hear and that you can hear that a person was vulnerable and exposed to God and that God met in his way in his time in his circumstance that kind of openness and humility you see when we defend ourselves when we pursue ourselves when we push our way through either in a legalistic way of look at me or in an untenopian way but particularly in this sense of look at me we rob ourselves and God of the wonderful fruit of his intervention that which he promises namely that he will exalt the lowly as we have in this wonderful hymn of Mary in the beginning of the gospel of Luke that beautiful fragrance of God meeting humble heart is robbed and so what Paul is saying here is not do as Christ did but have that same mindset that is transferable have that mindset to approach your situation and I want to say it again I fear that humility is a sense of weakness that you kind of giving up the battle before it starts that you kind of say okay drop my arms you want but I think humility is not that it is I am focused on you I am focused on a group of people and I want to serve them I want to do them good because you see Christ did not humble himself just to look humble he did it for the purpose of reaching you and so there is a relational there's an outward bound vector to that letting go process you're you're looking out you're pursuing the good of somebody and or of a group of people as you learn that humility and you seek in that situation that there would be something good coming for that person for that situation for that church situation so it's anything but weakness it is no has nothing to do with just surrendering and giving up it has the sense of concentrated strength to pursue the other pursue the relationship to pursue that which is painful that which is difficult and to count on God's intervention well let's look a little bit at the details here in this wonderful him who being the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped says the NIV and I've already mentioned that I think it is better to say something to hold on to something to retain that verb here that reference is very difficult to interpret that I think that is perhaps the best something to be retained but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant this made himself nothing actually literally means he poured himself out and many people have debated in many ways what that really refers to it is for those of you who like fancy terms the Kenosis the emptying of Christ actually the Greek verb is connected to that what is it that Jesus emptied himself off many people ask and so throughout the history of interpretation some have said that Jesus emptied himself of certain attributes of God the so-called relative attributes of deity such as omniscience omnipresence omnipotence but that he retained the essential attributes or the communicable attributes of holiness love and righteousness so he emptied himself of the relative attributes of God that is possible I do feel however that the Philippian him is not as specific as that and I think from what follows after he emptied himself taking the very nature of a servant being made a human likeness that the emptying is not so much emptying of something but emptying into something namely he confined himself to being an incarnate human being with real flesh and blood you cannot read this as a seeming looking in the form of man but not really being a form of man there is this word Morphae used in Greek but it is very clear that a Morphae can't die if you take it in the sense of just some form you must understand this as a real incarnation real human being so the emptying is more emptying into into the confinement into the fact that he is living as a human being although he is God so it's a description of the unimaginable that creator God the creation mediator Jesus the son of God would actually become a human being it is the stone of stumbling it's the challenge of all belief that Christ would actually become a human being but I think that's the the aim of emptying himself not emptying himself from something but into that he let go of the privilege of the right of the status and state of being God for the sake of us in the end I don't think we can fully understand what is being described here except that we do have a sense of fitting into some confinement that is so alien to him being God infinite to have power over everything to have wisdom over everything and to be willing to confine himself to that the pain the limitation the confinement that this brings with it only for you and me for the sake of reaching I am sometimes amazed what rigors astronauts go through we don't know half of the problems they go through to be able to swing around the earth a few times and do a few tricks out in space it's enormous I've seen one program and it's just incredible just to think about the whole question of how toiletry is handled in space it's enormous all science it pales completely when you think of the confinement of the exercise of letting go that Jesus the son of God undertook on our behalf it is the most eloquent description and presentation of what humility means of letting go of greatness in order to reach someone else and I venture to say that none of us have ever exhausted that kind of a dimension when we were asked to reach somebody we think in some situations we're really crawling very low and we're really willing to connect and not to put ourselves into the into the way but I'm afraid I have not really begun to know what humility is I have not begun to see what I should be willing to let it cost me in order to reach really reach somebody else or to reach into a church situation or whatever the challenges of looking out word but as I reflect and meditate on that type of mentality that brought Jesus to be the incarnate son of God on my behalf and on your behalf I start to see that what I do and what I'm asked to do is pretty pretty meager pretty simple pretty small and so Paul brings in not Jesus to be imitated we can't but to see his mindset of letting go and of confining himself of taking on the limitations for the sake of reaching out somebody much more than an astronaut would ever take on limitation that we would be willing to take on limitation for the sake of reaching somebody rather than pursue what we please to pursue recognition to pursue our ways of pursuing the ways of God some people have noticed that this process of humility echoes John 13, 3 to 17 the foot washing where Jesus arises and takes off his outer garments he takes a towel and wraps it around himself takes some water and he washes his disciples feet and once he is finished he takes his outer garments and sits again on the table and says you address me as teacher and lord curious and rightly so for that is what I am there's a certain parallel structure here to humbling himself serving to demonstrate and illustrate that which marks his entire life his entire perspective on becoming a human being so I think that certainly helps in to see that it is not only taught about Jesus it is done by Jesus and it's demonstrated in terms of the foot washing and so I believe that this is so significant for us to see what aspect of the mentality of the mindset of Christ is found here but it is true that we have the hope of vindication and I think that's where we have great challenges because God does not seem to meet us in the way we would expect him to meet us even concerning Jesus it says in Hebrews 5.7 that God heard his prayers after death he heard his prayers for deliverance he raised him from the death from death so there's a mystery here to how God lit the gates and we can see the life of a Joseph we can see what God has done with his son and we can see that he will vindicate the ones who are surrendering to him and who seek his power in their willingness to let go but I think we need to be very careful that we do not attach specific expectations there on to because really what we see from the hymn is that our goal in our service is that he would be glorified that he would be exalted that he would be honored so that whatever confinement we find ourselves in that the honor of Christ would grow and would be visible and that every tongue would confess so that we would be part of the movement of worship of God of Christ to the glory of God the Father as the culmination of this whole event so really that should be our driving force not that we would be recognized that we would be vindicated but that the honor of Christ would be a growing and expanding as we let go as we serve as we live out this consider each other more important than yourself be be a outward bound be aware of somebody else another situation rather than to be so busy with yourself this is a challenge this is a challenge for every single one of us and I think we are asked to lean into this encouragement this exhortation of Paul this partnership in the gospel lean into it and trust the Lord as he would lead us into knowing where we need to let go where we need to be humble in this sense that we have defined it tonight and where we need to trust that God will lead us that he will see us through that he will uphold us that he will give us the strength to hold still I think that is a humongous challenge and also an opportunity therefore my dear friends as you have always obeyed not only in my presence but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose here there is the challenge of seeing that this exhortation to steadfastness and particularly this reference to humility is part of the process of sanctification as far as I can see here with working out your salvation with fear and trembling not with scaredness not trembling that you perhaps may lose your salvation but with a sense of awe and respect for God for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose so it is very real it is very practical very down to earth it has nothing of this esoteric sense of this elusive humility sense very simple very practical and I think we are challenged in our own lives to reflect on what areas am I holding on to where do I seek my own and I think I can think of ten right now and twenty more in a few minutes so I don't think we have to look very far to be very esoteric I think it's very simple and very close to our own lives and our own experience which Paul puts his finger on with this church that is in a wonderful way growing but Paul has led by the spirit of God put his finger on an area that is common to the Philippians where they need to grow they are very willing they're very serving they're growing wonderfully but they need to continue to grow in that humility and I'll just dismiss you with that encouragement and exhortation and perhaps for you to think about the last question how does that message relate to your personal and professional life may the Lord bless you and strengthen you thank you