The Christian Attitude
Philippians 2 

I. The attitude of the Christian Congregation.

            A. The attitude of the Philippians

How important is attitude?  When a football coach prepares his team for the big game, he knows that he must do more than just be sure that his players know all the plays and signals.  They can have the best plays and the best players, yet without the right attitude, they will not be able to win.  It is important to have a winning attitude if your team is going to win. 

Last week, we looked closely at chapter one of Philippians and we learned something about Paul's attitude.  Paul's attitude was characterized by joy. Paul was able to rejoice in prison, among jealous preachers, in the face of his own death, all because he saw God's hand at work in his life to open hearts. 

Now in Chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to the attitude of the Philippian congregation.  He begins by asking them to consider the benefit package that they have as Christians.  “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..."  (vs.1) 

Here is a benefit package that is paid for entirely by the owner and the head of the Church - Jesus Christ.  They are available to all who are "in Christ" no matter how long you have held that status.  Paul lists five benefits that the Philippians are currently enjoying: 

-         Encouragement: comes from the reality that the risen Jesus Christ is present in every minute and activity of your life.  His presence with us reminds us that all things are possible to him who believes.  

-         Comfort:  comes from knowledge of the crucified Jesus Christ who died to take away all of our sins and who has prepared a special place in heaven specifically for each one of us. 

-         Fellowship: comes from participation with brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ in the Holy Supper of our Lord's body and blood. There is no closer fellowship that exists than between those who communion together.  

-         Tenderness and Compassion: come from the way in which the Christian congregation cares for each other in response to the encouragement, comfort and fellowship the have received from Jesus Christ. 

            B. A united attitude.

Now, Paul has established the foundation for the rest of the chapter.  Based on all of the benefits that the Philippians have received from being "united in Christ,"  Paul says, "Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (vs.2).  In other words, Paul is saying, "You have been united to Christ and enjoy tremendous benefits because of that union.  Now as "little Christ's" which is what Christians are, you are to be united in your mission to offer these benefits to others. 

The union that exists between Christians is a unity of mind, love, spirit, and purpose.  That is, Paul wants the members of the Philippian congregation to be united in what they want to do, what they find joy in doing and what they believe they are meant to do.  And what we have already learned from chapter one, is that that one purpose that unites Christians is the mission to Open Hearts.  The mission to Open Hearts is to be the thing that congregations want to do, find their joy in doing, and believe that they are meant to do. 

            C. A selfish attitude.

Now there are attitudes that surface within congregations that tear down this unity of purpose and Paul warns against them before going further.  "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." (vs. 3).  Two dangerous attitudes for any congregation.  Let's look briefly at each one. 

First, the selfish attitude.  When the children are very little, they like to hold onto the toys that belong to them.  If another child comes along wants the favorite toy, the grip tightens and the screams build.  Little children have to be taught that it is better to share than to be selfish. 

Since a congregation's mission is to share the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ it cannot be selfish.  A congregation has to be less interested in keeping what it has and more interested in sharing the most precious thing that it has. 

The most precious thing that a congregation has is the Word of God and the Sacraments of God.  These are the treasures that a congregation has been entrusted with.   It is the purpose of every congregation to not only hold fast to these treasures, but also to hold forth these treasures.  We must hold fast to the Word of God and the Sacraments of God so that we may continue to receive the benefits that they provide.  Yet we must also hold them forth so that they may provide their life giving benefits to as many others as possible. 

We are told that when the Titanic sank there were many life boats in the water with only a few people in them.  Those in the boats could here the cries of those in the icy water yet they did not go to their rescue for fear that the unknown swimmers would rock their boat and maybe even swamp it. 

A selfish attitude likes the boat the way it is and is not interested in rescuing dying people.  

            B. Vain Attitude.

The second dangerous attitude that Paul warns against is the attitude of vanity.  When we think of vanity we think of the wicked witch who spent time in front of the mirror, mirror on the wall.   Vanity likes to look at itself and admire what it sees.  It considers where its been and where it is now and says, "I must be pretty good to have gotten here."  It wonders what the problem with so many others is that they don't smarten up and get religion.  It's an attitude that is not so afraid that those who are drowning will rock the boat. Rather it is slight bit scornful that they didn't have the common sense to get into a boat when they had the chance. 

God has provided a mirror especially for vain attitudes.  It's the mirror of His perfect law.  When we look into the perfect law of God, which Jesus sums up for the Pharisees by saying,  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all you mind and Love your neighbor as yourself" we are likely to have the same sobering experience as the woman who confessed to her pastor that she had been guilty of the sin of vanity.  "What makes you think that, " asked the pastor.  "Because every morning when I look into the mirror, I think how beautiful I am."  "Never fear," said the pastor, looking her over carefully, "that's not a sin, it's a mistake." 

II. Have the attitude of Christ.

            A. Acquiring a new attitude.

Selfishness and vanity.  Two attitudes that come perfectly natural to human beings, even those who are "united in Christ."  Natural because we are all sinful by nature.  If we are to lose our selfishness and vanity,  it will only be because a parent tells us that it is not right and shows us what a proper attitude is.  That parent, of course, is our heavenly Father.  He has "united us in Christ" in the moment of baptism.  As long as it took the pastor to say, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" is all the longer it took for you and I to go from being apart from Christ and in the dark to "united in Christ" and in the true light that gives life to every person." 

But to lose the attitudes of the natural man and acquire the attitudes of  Christ, that takes a lifetime.   It happens almost like absorption through osmosis. It's like two people who fall in love and spend a lifetime together.  More and more they think alike, sound alike, and even finish each other's sentences.  They know what the other will order for dinner and what the other will need when they are sick. 

This is what is behind Paul's statement in vs. 5, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."  We should have the same attitude as our Lord.  But that doesn't just happen.  It comes as we spend time with him in the Word;  Communing with him in His Supper.  Talking to him in prayer.  Talking about him with one another in a study of His Word.  More and more, we lose ourselves and we become more like Him.  Eventually, you begin to see Christ in your life rather than just yourself.  Eventually, our thoughts, our desires, our joys are united to His thoughts, desires, and joys.  We even begin to dream his dream for your life. 

            B. Service.

Paul writes about the attitude of Christ. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  Who, being in  the very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 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." (vs. 5-8). 

The first new attitude that we learn from Jesus Christ is "service."  Christ "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant"  The Son of God because a servant.  So must we.  He did not hang onto his divine power and prerogatives as God, but emptied himself instead. 

The Son of God because our servant.  This willingness to leave his life of glory behind and serve another is one new attitude Christians receive from their Savior. 

            C. Humility

The second new attitude we receive from Christ is humility.  "He humbled himself."  We resemble Christ when we put the welfare of others who do not know Christ above our own welfare. 

            D. Obedience

The third new attitude we receive from Christ is obedience.  "He humbled himself and became obedient to death."  He made the Father's mission, His mission.  He carried out the mission he was sent to carry as the perfectly obedient son.  

We are like Christ when, despite all the risk and anxiety, we live to carry out God's mission in obedience to Him.  

            E. Sacrifice.

The fourth new attitude we receive from Christ is sacrifice.  Christ "became obedient to death, even death on a cross."  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, once and for all establishing peace between sinful man and the God who created us in His holy  image. We who have everything because of his sacrifice know that whatever we give up is no sacrifice at all, for we have lost nothing of value, and in Christ we gain treasures that are invaluable.  

            F. Exalted.

Christ was exalted at the end of his mission as humble, obedient servant to save the world.  "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." 

We too, who have the attitude of Christ will be exalted.  For now, though, we have before us a lifetime of opportunities to see things as Christ would see them, to think as Christ would think and act.  To experience the joy that comes from being united in mind, spirit, love, and purpose - to Open Hearts.   Amen.