This Sunday we had the chance to hear from our Director of Connections, Sarah Snyder, as we continued in our series, Flip the Script.
Together, we dug into some key theological concepts relating to Jesus Christ and God the Father. We learned that we are called to have the same mind as Jesus in that we should take our advantages and power over others, lay them at the foot of the cross, and strive to act for the betterment of those around us.
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Sermon Notes
Check out some of the key takeaways from this past Sunday's Sermon.
This week's scripture was Philippians 2:1-11
Lenten Devotions
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11
"Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
According to some scholars, in this passage Paul quotes an early Christian hymn about Jesus which is composed of verses 6 through 11. There is much theology that can be mined from this hymn but I would like to first call attention to why Paul referenced it. In verse 2 Paul requests that the Philippians be of the same mind, keep the same love, be united in spirit and intent on one purpose. In verse 3 he proposes that the method to accomplish this is to choose humility. In humility “regard others as more important than yourselves” and “look out for the interest of others”. Paul’s argument to accept humility is the example of Jesus’ attitude found in verses 5-8. And I might add that verses 9-11 imply that if Jesus is your Lord, then adopting an attitude of humility is perhaps more than just a suggestion.
So now let’s look at this example of Jesus. The hymn states that Jesus existed in the form of God. It seems reasonable to assume that “in the form of God” refers to His possession of authority, divine power, and immortality. Yet something motivated the Son to choose to give that up. He emptied himself and became a servant, a man, and a man of humble means at that. In His humility he surrendered His will to the Father’s and obeyed to the point of suffering violent death. Let me point out here that the hymn and Paul himself seem to regard humility as a choice, not a personality trait. Paul pleads for the Philippians to choose humility just as Jesus chose humility.
What motivated the Son to choose humility and give everything up? Well, why did Paul say we should adopt the humility of Jesus? It was to promote unity by looking out for the interest and needs of others. That’s what love does. Love is not selfish or conceited, but instead empties itself to meet the needs of others. How amazing that God, the Son humbled himself and did that for us!
Seems to me, exercising humility by being attentive to the needs of others is not just being a good human, it’s being an imitator of God. Think about it. God could have chosen to exercise overwhelming power and even supernatural power to compel compliance with His will, to bring peace on Earth. He could have imposed His will on us over and against our own wills. But He didn’t. Instead, in His wisdom, the Son humbled Himself, emptied Himself, became a humble man, and sacrificed Himself. Toward what end? To invite us, by way of example, to be Godlike in emptying ourselves to meet the needs of others.
Prayer: Dear God, give me the strength to be humble so that I can love others the way you have loved. Amen
So now let’s look at this example of Jesus. The hymn states that Jesus existed in the form of God. It seems reasonable to assume that “in the form of God” refers to His possession of authority, divine power, and immortality. Yet something motivated the Son to choose to give that up. He emptied himself and became a servant, a man, and a man of humble means at that. In His humility he surrendered His will to the Father’s and obeyed to the point of suffering violent death. Let me point out here that the hymn and Paul himself seem to regard humility as a choice, not a personality trait. Paul pleads for the Philippians to choose humility just as Jesus chose humility.
What motivated the Son to choose humility and give everything up? Well, why did Paul say we should adopt the humility of Jesus? It was to promote unity by looking out for the interest and needs of others. That’s what love does. Love is not selfish or conceited, but instead empties itself to meet the needs of others. How amazing that God, the Son humbled himself and did that for us!
Seems to me, exercising humility by being attentive to the needs of others is not just being a good human, it’s being an imitator of God. Think about it. God could have chosen to exercise overwhelming power and even supernatural power to compel compliance with His will, to bring peace on Earth. He could have imposed His will on us over and against our own wills. But He didn’t. Instead, in His wisdom, the Son humbled Himself, emptied Himself, became a humble man, and sacrificed Himself. Toward what end? To invite us, by way of example, to be Godlike in emptying ourselves to meet the needs of others.
Prayer: Dear God, give me the strength to be humble so that I can love others the way you have loved. Amen
Coming up at LVfirst
Everything coming up at LVfirst in the next weeks.
Taste of Wesley (March 28, 2025)
Join us for Taste of Wesley, a special evening of fellowship, worship, and celebration as we share the impact of GGC Wesley and our mission to serve students at Georgia Gwinnett College!
Easter Festival (March 29, 2025)
Join us for a wonderful day of celebration and outreach to the families of our church & community at our Easter Festival hosted at Lawrenceville Elementary School! This is a wonderful opportunity for our church to welcome our community as we celebrate the Good News! Sign-up for one or more shifts and let us know how you would like to serve by registering now!
Next Sunday at LVfirst
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