Let's go before the Lord as we want to hear from his word. Jesus, it is all about you. You always are our portion. Whether things are going well in life or they are not, if we have you, we have the most important thing. Indeed, Jesus, to know you and to know you more, that is the essence of eternal life. Help us to know you more, Lord, as we look at your word. Help us to know more of what you want us to do as your church. Spirit, do a great work in us. Lord Jesus, build up your church even through your preached word. And Father, be pleased to bring about a glorious work for your own namesake. In Jesus' name, amen. You know how it's funny in life that you can hear about something all the time but never really pay attention to it until life circumstances change and you suddenly have a reason to care. For me, throughout my life, I've heard many people talk about the triumphs and travails of home ownership. But it wasn't until I started looking to buy a home myself that I really paid attention to people's stories And you know what I've since discovered, listening to people, even many of you, talk about your homes, that if you own a home, it is not a matter of if you're going to have problems with that home, but when and what kind. After all, what's the one thing you must do to ensure the destruction of your home? Nothing. Nothing. Homes just seem to fall apart all by themselves, especially if poorly constructed. The roof develops a leak, a pipe breaks, the air conditioner stops working, a door starts coming off its hinges, paint starts to chip and peel, weeds overtake the yard, pieces of the driveway crack and break apart. So many problems appear in a home. And we no doubt would just like to ignore these problems, hope that they will go away, but what happens if we ignore the problems in the home? Do they get better or do they get worse? They get worse. Not only does the home fall into greater Disrepair and ugliness, but it becomes more uncomfortable, if not totally impossible, to live in. So unless you want your home to become a ruin, what does your home need from you? It needs work. It needs care. Homes take work if you want them to continue to have value and be enjoyable. You must invest your time, your energy, your resources in regularly maintaining your home if you want the blessing of comfortably living there. Now, of course, most homeowners are not simply interested in maintaining the homes that they purchased for themselves, but actually adding to those homes, beautifying, upgrading, expanding, making these homes more useful and more enjoyable to live in. This also takes considerable investment, doesn't it? And it doesn't usually happen all at once. You must, over many days, make plans, do research, learn skills, gather materials, contact vendors, secure approvals, pay money, and ultimately, do work. And then, little by little, that good home you once bought becomes a great home, a real treasure. something that is both a pleasure to look at and a joy to dwell in. In short, building and maintaining your home, it takes a lot of work, but it's worth it in the end. You actually gain joy by it. Now, we've been learning lately about the home that God is building and in which both He and we dwell. What special home is that? Well, it's the church, not the physical church building, but the spiritual building that is made up of all of those who have repented and believed in Jesus Christ and thereby have become spiritually one with him and with one another. As the Bible says, the people of the church, they are God's temple and dwelling place, and it's a good and holy home. but God's not done with it. This temple needs ongoing maintenance and further up building. And God has actually chosen for the building work of this home to carry on through the very stones that make up that home. He's actually chosen to keep building the church through its members, through us. And as with our physical homes, building and beautifying God's spiritual home, which is also our spiritual home with God, it will require from us ongoing and considerable effort. It will take discipline to faithfully take part in this work that is so necessary both for God and for us. Actually, this project is beyond our ability. But if we are humbly reliant on the grace of God through his spirit, and if we are equipped with the instruction that he gives us in his word on both why and how, we should discipline ourselves for the church. And we can not only do this work, but we can also receive the joy and blessing that comes in the work. We're continuing in our topical study of the discipline of the church today with The Disciplines of Grace, The Church, Part Three. That's the title of this message, Disciplines of Grace, The Church, Part Three. Though this series on the disciplines of grace, believe it or not, has spread out over the last six months, I hope you haven't forgotten what we've previously seen. We Christians are called, in 1 Timothy 4, 7, to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, discipline ourselves even as athletes do. That means saying no to sin, and yes to what pleases God and promotes our own spiritual growth. You must endure temporary pain in the flesh to reap lasting gain in the spirit and in God's kingdom. Now a key part of this disciplining ourselves for godliness is with what is called the spiritual disciplines or the disciplines of grace, certain positive activities that cultivate our relationship with God. And we've looked at some of these already. We must devote ourselves to the discipline of the Bible. We need that spiritual food. continually. We must devote ourselves to the discipline of prayer. We need that spiritual communion continually. And we must also devote ourselves to the discipline of the church, because we need that spiritual up-building continually. Over the last two weeks, we've looked at the why of the discipline of the church. And we saw four main reasons from the Bible that we should devote ourselves to God's church. Number one, the church is God's precious mystery. It's worthy of our caring for it. Number two, the church is God's commanded commitment. God commands us to care for his church and love the people in it. Number three, the church is God's blessing place. We are rewarded when we care for God's church. And number four, the church is God's cosmic witness. We magnify God's glory when we care for the church. Now, it's one thing to know why you should do your part in building up God's church, but it's another thing to know how. Indeed, without proper construction knowledge, your efforts to build up God's church might actually do the opposite. You might misuse the building materials and end up damaging the home. or you might accomplish nothing at all. You don't know what to do, you don't know where to begin, so you just sit there with your hard hat on, looking at everything with a puzzled expression. Considering that God has called us to this important discipline of mutual upbuilding in the church, it sure would be useful if he told us how to do it. Well, guess what? He did, in his Bible, which in some ways is like a construction manual. So let's consider today what the Bible has to say regarding the how of the discipline of the church, that necessary discipline of grace. How should you engage in church to best please God, benefit the brethren, and bless yourself? We're going to split this discussion over two weeks. Today, we'll start looking at six principles from the Bible to maximize mutual up-building in the church. Six principles from the Bible to maximize mutual up-building in the church. Three principles today, three, Lord willing, next time. Where must we start in understanding how to maximize mutual up-building? Benefit for God's people, benefit for us in the church? Well, number one, We must engage in the church biblically. Number one, engage in the church biblically. There are all sorts of ideas today, some wacky, some seemingly wise, about how people should do church, be involved in church. But rather than simply proceeding based on how you feel or what you think is reasonable according to your own ideas, you need to start with God's perfect standard in the Bible. because it's not as if God took a hands-off approach to our church involvement, leaving us to figure things out for ourselves or to just do what we feel like. No, God explicitly claims in the Bible to show us how we, as members of his body, are to engage in the church. And let's look at this. Please take your Bibles and turn to 1 Timothy 3, verses 14 and 15. This is Pew Bible, page 1188, if you're using the Bibles in front of you or next to you. 1 Timothy 3, verses 14 and 15. I'll give you a bit of background here. This is the Apostle Paul's first letter to his young protege, Timothy. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus for ministry reasons. Whenever you're studying a book of the Bible, it's always important to find out what is that book's overall purpose. Why did the author write what he did to the original audience? It's important to find that out because the answer will affect your interpretation of the book. And it will also help you see how the different parts of the book fit together. Sometimes determining a book's main purpose takes a bit of digging. You've got to compare different things, see where the author is going. But other times, the author comes right out and tells you, in the book, why he wrote it. And such is the case in the book of 1 Timothy. Paul tells Timothy, and he tells us, why he wrote this letter. And that's in the text we're about to read. 1 Timothy 3, verses 14 and 15. Here's what Paul says. I'm writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long, but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. Well, that's nice and clear. Did you notice what Paul's stated purpose is? Paul writes to Timothy, so that Timothy will know, according to the revelatory authority of God's Holy Spirit, how one should act and lead in the church. In other words, it's the apostles' teaching that gives us the specific commands and overarching principles that show us how we need to engage in the church as God desires. You are not free to engage in church as you want if you belong to God. Rather, you must submit to the direction of your spiritual head, the Lord Jesus Christ, via his word that he gave to his apostles to pass on to us, which is the scriptures. Actually, Paul repeatedly exhorts different New Testament churches to follow the apostles' teaching and example when it comes to how they engage with one another in church. And I'll show you a few examples of this. You don't have to turn there. You can just listen. 1 Corinthians 11.2. 1 Corinthians 11.2, and this is in the context of talking about maintaining proper outward symbols of gender and spiritual authority in the church. In that context, Paul says, 1 Corinthians 11 2 now I praise you because you remember me and everything and hold firmly to the traditions by traditions means apostolic teaching an example just as I delivered them to you commends them for holding on to what the Apostles passed on and at the very end of that section 1 Corinthians 11 6 in response anyone who's might disagree with the Apostles approach he says 1 Corinthians 11 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God." Sorry, this is the way to do church. It applies to all the churches. Or another example, 2 Thessalonians 2.15, Paul is writing and reassuring the Thessalonian church that what they previously had heard from him about the end times is true and accurate. And then he says this in 2 Thessalonians 2.15, So then brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. If you wanna know how to do church, it comes from the apostles. And then Philippians 4.9. Philippians 4.9, where in this context, Paul is talking about a situation of conflict in the church and how to bring peace to that discord. He then says this, Philippians 4.9. the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things and the God of peace will be with you." So then, if we want to build up the temple of God in our common spiritual home in the right way, we cannot improvise building techniques or just put forward our own plans Rather, we must follow the blueprint of God as handed down to us by his apostles in the Bible. Maximizing mutual upbuilding means engaging in the church biblically. But what are some of the specific ways the Bible teaches us to engage in the church? Well, let's explore some of that apostolic tradition, that teaching, with our second principle. Number two, engage in the church comprehensively. engage in the church comprehensively. When building a home, there are, of course, a lot of tasks that need to be done. It's not as if someone who's going to live there can just stand up and say, I'm going to paint the walls. He does that job and sits down, assuming that all the work of maintaining and building the home is now finished. Clearly, it's not. Now, while it's true that we each may have specialties unique giftedness, unique emphases when it comes to building up God's house, the church, properly ministering to and receiving ministry from the church requires a broad engagement and a number of activities. It requires comprehensive engagement. After all, let's just look at one description of life in the first local church in history. Please take your Bibles and turn over to Acts chapter 2. It says Acts 21 on the slide, but Acts 2, Acts 2 verse 41 to 47. This is Pew Bible page 1090. Context here, this is the day of Pentecost, the Old Testament feast that became a unique day for the New Testament church, because the Holy Spirit arrived. The Lord sent the Holy Spirit, it arrived on Pentecost and empowered the disciples to speak in new languages, which they didn't know before, but that people could understand. Peter also delivers a powerful message to a group of diverse Jews there in Jerusalem. And at the very end of that sermon, we get a description of the outcome. Listen to the outcome of Peter's preaching and what a new assembly of saved persons began to do. So this is Acts 2 verses 41 to 47 So then those who had received his word were baptized and that day there were added about 3,000 souls they were continually devoting themselves the Apostles teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer and Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common. And they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day, continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart. praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day, those who were being saved. Now this is remarkable. We won't try to break down this somewhat large text. And we should note that this is descriptive literature rather than prescriptive literature. It's telling us what the early church did rather than exactly what we should do. Nevertheless, since the various activities that the church is doing here correspond with what is commanded of the church and of all believers in the New Testament epistles, then this church, this Acts 2 post-Pentecost church, is an instructive example for us. You can see very valuable principles here. What do we see new believers doing in this passage to build up one another in the church? Just one activity? Of course not. We see many activities. We see comprehensive engagement by the people of the church as they devote themselves to God and one another. I mean, just look, going back through the verses. We see baptisms in verse 41. We see the receiving of apostolic teaching in verse 42. We see fellowship in verse 42, which is a word in Greek that means close association involving mutual interests and sharing. We're living life together. We see breaking of bread in verse 42, which is probably a reference to celebrating the Lord's Supper. We see corporate prayer in verse 42. We see signed gifts and miracles being done by the apostles, verse 43. We see the giving up of possessions to meet the needs of fellow saints in verses 44 and 45. We see gathering together frequently. It says day by day, verse 46. We see sharing meals together, practicing hospitality at home, verse 46. We see praising God, verse 47. And we see making new disciples in verse 47. That's a lot. There's a lot happening in this brand new church as part of the people's mutual up-building. Yet even this is not an exhaustive list of all the ways the Bible commands us to build up one another in the church. To give you a little bit fuller of a list, not an exhaustive list, I did a bit of brainstorming and looking at different parts of the Bible, and I came up with a list of 20 ways. 20 ways that the Bible calls us, God calls us to give and receive ministry in the church. Now you say, 20 ways? How long is this sermon going to be? Don't worry, I'm just going to list them for you, give like one or two sentences in description. This is just a quick list to give you an idea of what comprehensive engagement in the church according to the scriptures looks like. How are we to engage with one another in the church? Well, number one, and you want to separate these from the other numbers in the sermon outline, use Roman numerals. All right, Roman numeral one, gather, gather. We are to join our churches different weekly gatherings to give and receive upbuilding. That's something the church should do. You should do as part of the church. Roman numeral two, talk, talk. So much ministry in church begins with us simply sharing our lives together by talking to one another. Roman numeral three, pray, pray. Bible commands us to pray for one another, and that often happens best by praying together. 4. Sing. Sing. Bible commands us to sing together, to praise God and encourage one another. Yes, you sing to one another when you sing to God. 5. Steady. Steady. We are to learn the Bible together, especially as led by gifted and qualified teachers. Roman numeral six, confess, confess. We are to confess our sins to one another, to obtain help and accountability to overcome those sins and also reconcile breached relationships. Roman numeral seven, confront, confront. As necessary, we are to confront one another in the church over sin. Following the process Jesus gave us in Matthew 18 verses 15 to 20, This is to help our brethren repent, come back to the Lord, but also to protect the church. Roman numeral eight, counsel, counsel. We are to share wisdom and encouragement from the Bible with each other as we face the problems of life. Roman numeral nine, sympathize and empathize, sympathize and empathize. Not every circumstance or trouble needs some way to fix it. Sometimes there is no way to fix it. And we should instead just listen, weep with, or rejoice with our brethren in the church. Roman numeral 10. Use your gift. Use your gift. Every believer has a gift from the Holy Spirit given to build up the church. Use yours. And if you're not sure what it is, just keep trying out different things until you find your specialty. Romans 11, serve, serve. Yes, I know that overlaps a little bit. But not all service in the church needs special gifting. You might say, I don't feel a gift for a nursery. Look, the church has needs. You, as a member of the church, should seek to meet whatever physical or spiritual need arises in the church. And the children definitely have important needs. Romans 12, give, give. We are to give of our resources to meet our brethren's needs and to support the church's ministry. Roman numeral 13, nurture family. Nurture family. Though one should never withdraw from the church for the sake of family, we indirectly serve the church by serving and providing for our families, even freeing them up to serve in the church more and better. Roman numeral 14, Practice hospitality, practice hospitality. We are to welcome each other into our homes, share meals together, and provide temporary places to stay. This is all part of doing whatever we can to demonstrate a love of strangers and guests, which is what the New Testament word for hospitality means. Room numeral 15, visit, visit. If they can't come to us, we go to them. who go to our sick, imprisoned, or needy brethren to minister to them. Roman numeral 16, practice ordinances, practice ordinances. In the church, we were given the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper to remember, and so we must do that. Not only is that obedience to the Lord, but it's also something that promotes our oneness and it builds up one another. 17, Roman numeral 17, Practice discipleship, practice discipleship. We are to invest in each other's lives by one-on-one and small group interaction. Roman numeral 18, evangelize, evangelize. We are to pray together, strategize together, and also go out together to reach the lost. It's remarkable that a lot of the evangelism you see in the New Testament is not people alone, but at least with another person. Roman numeral 19, submit, submit. We are to honor and bring ourselves under the elders' spiritual authority and direction in the church. And then number 20, Roman numeral 20, commit, commit. We are to make clear our commitment to our brethren in a particular local body, to attend, to serve, to hold accountable and be held accountable, and also to come under the shepherding of that church's elders. Common way to express that commitment today is by becoming an official member of the church. So that was just a quick list. It's not everything the Bible says, but it's a lot of those things. And I share it with you, not so that you can just go down a checklist every Sunday and be like, did I do that? Did I do that? Did I do that? Neither is it a pick and choose list, like, hmm, I like that activity and that activity, but the others, I'm not going to do those. No, actually, these things, they are for each of us. These should characterize all of our engagement in the church. We may do some activities on the list more than others, or we may do some activities in a better quality than other activities on the list or that the Bible commands us, but they are all commanded of each of us. God gives these directives to us so that we may glorify him and build up others and ourselves in the church. We need a comprehensive engagement. So let's just pause and ask, is this the way that we do church? Is this the way that you engage in the church? Is it a comprehensive engagement? Now, attendance in the main Sunday service is a good thing. Please don't stop doing that. But that is just a start. God has much more for you in his blueprint to fulfill besides Sunday service attendance. The necessary mutual upbuilding that you need and other people need in the church, it requires more than that. God calls you to comprehensive involvement. And beware, beware of pulling out the busy card. Pastor Dave, I'm so busy. I've got this, I've got that, I've got this, I've got that. I understand that you're busy. But what are you going to do about that? You might be busy with other things, but God commands you to be busy with these things. So what are you doing to bring yourself and your life more in line with the directives of your spiritual head? Jesus Christ. Now I know, certain life circumstances might prevent you from engaging more in church or engaging in a certain way in church. But don't just passively accept that. Well, you know, I got this thing, guess I can't do that anymore. What can you do to go around that? I mean, really, if you love the Lord and you want to serve the people, aren't you going to see what you can do? Do whatever you can to free yourself up for what God called you to be and do in the church. After all, it's for your own blessing and for your eternal prophet. A seminary professor once said, if you find yourself too busy for people, you are the wrong kind of busy. I think that's true. You don't want to be too busy to enjoy the mutual upbuilding with God's people in the church. To maximize mutual upbuilding, make sure that you engage in the church comprehensively. A third principle, and the last one we're going to look at today for maximizing mutual upbuilding, is number three, engage in the church humbly. Engage in the church humbly. When it comes to building the church, a proud church member is the worst kind of construction worker. He doesn't want to do any kind of work that is beneath him, or that is particularly difficult. He's not concerned, really, with following the blueprints as given to him, and he never accepts correction. He's more concerned with fulfilling his own desires than building a good house, and he generally just causes problems with the other workers on the construction site. Can't seem to get along. But a humble church member is the best kind of construction worker. No job is too menial or too difficult for him. He will do his best in any kind of work. He is especially careful to follow the blueprints as given to him, and he is eager to improve his work by correction. He regularly sets aside his own desires for the good of the house and the good of the team, and rather than causing conflict on the work site, he diffuses conflict and helps promote peace. Considering how valuable humble workers are to a building project, it's no surprise that the Bible regularly mentions humility as a necessary mindset for believers to have in the church. And let's look at some of this ourselves. Please turn to the book of Philippians. Back to Philippians. Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 to 4. This is actually where we were earlier. Page 1175. Bruce read this earlier in the service. In the letter of Philippians, Paul is writing to the beloved church, a beloved church in Macedonia. And he writes primarily to reassure them about his circumstances of imprisonment, and also to thank them for the gift of support that they sent to him. But Paul so all has a secondary purpose in mind. He wants to address an ongoing conflict in the church of Philippi. He deals with it directly in chapter four, verses 2 to 3, but even in chapter 2, he's already got that in mind as he gives a general exhortation to the church to move toward peace and mutual up-building. What virtue is at the center of this chapter 2 exhortation from Paul? It's humility, as we'll see as we reread. So listen to, or look at, Philippians 2, verses 1 to 4. Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 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. We're focusing on just verse three here, but do notice how in verses one to two, Paul makes an appeal to the Philippians. On the basis of the great and undeserved blessings they've received by salvation in Christ, by are on the basis of their introduction into Christ's one body, the church, and the blessings they now experience together. In that body, and on the basis of their friendship and the received ministry and the love of their friend Paul, Paul asks the Philippian believers that they maintain a spirit of united love for one another in the church. Make my joy complete by being united in love and in purpose. And in verse 3, as the follow-up to that request, Paul commands them to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. That is, do nothing from an attitude that only considers the self and not others. Do nothing from a mindset that seeks to only puff oneself up in vain glory. No, instead, what should they do? With humility of mind, with a cultivated attitude of lowliness and self-forgetfulness, Each one is to regard others as more important than himself. And I think we all know that humility is not our natural bent in the flesh. We are not born humble. We are born believing that the world is all about us. Perhaps we remember this from our toddler days, or people just told us about it. We see it certainly in other toddlers, stealing toys from other kids, whining for our parents' attention, crying when we don't get our way. That's the way we came into the world, and you know what? We stay that way, even as adults. Just we act it out in more subtle and sophisticated ways. Still all about us, if we're living in the flesh. And this is why we sometimes can even get offended in church by our brethren. We can become upset with them. We can get in conflict with them. We can complain. We can fall into self-pity. It's really because we have that all-about-us, proud mindset. Even thoughts like these come to mind. Why did they choose these songs for Sunday worship today? I prefer different songs. Why aren't the weekly church ministries more convenient for my schedule? Ugh. Why am I not more appreciated and recognized for the ways that I serve in the church? Why can I never seem to find people to help with my ministry? Why does so-and-so's kids always seem to kick the back of my pew? Poor me. Suffer under such circumstances? I deserve better than this. I'm not picking on anybody if that's the way you feel. My heart has been there too sometimes. But these are proud thoughts, and they do lead to conflict in the church. And they also prevent us from experiencing the mutual up-building that God really designed for us to experience. But how do we move from proud thoughts in the heart to a humility of mind, a true humility of mind? I think the most fundamental answer is that we must encounter or re-encounter Christ and the gospel. When you see and remember what you were and are without Jesus Christ and what He has done for you, it's humbling. It should bring you back to a place of humility. So let's consider that now. Without Christ, before you were saved, and in the times when you are not walking with him, what's the reality? That you are a terrible sinner, practically the worst. You are so unloving, so ungrateful, so untrusting of him, so discontent, so angry, so complainy, so exalted in your own thinking, so committed to the idols of the world for your satisfaction instead of God. Even after you became a Christian, you are frequently these things. You fall so far short of the glory of God. You fail to live like Christ has called you to live. But how has God treated you? In response to this, we know from the scriptures how he ought to treat you. Should have dealt with you a long time ago, eliminated you. But how has God treated you? Not the way you deserve. He showed undeserved kindness and patience towards you by allowing you, first of all, not to be destroyed by his wrath, but second of all, by experiencing great good from him in your life. Even good leading you to salvation. But to take it a step back even earlier, God showed you good in that to save your life, to save you from the wrath, do your sin. Even the sins that you still commit as a Christian. God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, he did exactly what Paul writes a little bit later in this chapter. Philippians 2 verses 6 to 11. The son of God set aside the full and constant manifestation of his divine glory, which was his right, he set that all aside to take on human flesh, your flesh, and to live the life that you ought to have lived but didn't. He took up both the form and the function of a human slave. And he did this to serve you, who didn't earn it, didn't deserve it, could never earn it. He did this for you. But that wasn't the full extent of what he did. He didn't just live as a humble yet perfectly righteous slave for you and for mankind. He actually humbled himself even further. He who is God himself humbled himself to the point of death. Even death on a shameful, excruciating Roman cross. He was betrayed by his own people so that he might suffer and pay once and for all, the debt of your sin. You're falling short of God's standard. All the wrath due you, He, if you believe in Him, He paid that all off on the cross. And He did this without a single complaint, without any sin in His life or in His mouth. Actually, He did this with joy. He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, but he was also one who was full of joy and fulfilling whatever the Father gave for him to do. The Father gave him the task of redeeming a bride for himself, which he was glad to do for the sake of the Father, which he was also glad to do for enjoying that bride as she is saved and beautified. And he also looked forward to the restoration of his exalted position after his resurrection and ascension, and the full glory which would be unveiled when every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, for the glory of God the Father. If you are in Christ by repentance and faith, which itself is a gift from God, you didn't generate that either. If you're in Christ, Jesus did all this for you. And more. Because he also gave you his spirit and made you part of his body. He's giving you the blessing of being a part of his church, so now that you can worship and serve and enjoy Christ, a long redeemed brethren. He's serving as the head and high priest of the whole arrangement. Why? Why should you be given this blessing? Of all people, there's plenty who don't have this blessing, who haven't experienced this gracious salvation that you have. Why should you? You're a nobody sinner. So am I. Yet Jesus in kindness has saved us and poured out every spiritual blessing on us in the heavenly places, Paul says in Ephesians 1. Think of just different metaphors from scripture. We are like the lepers. There's no reason that God should come to someone unclean and outcast like us, but he not only comes to us and touches us, but he heals us and he brings us into a place of honor. We're also like Mephibosheth in the Old Testament, who as a member of the house of Saul, had every reason to be considered an enemy of David. But for the sake of David's love to Jonathan, he said, where is Mephibosheth? Bring him into my house, bring him to my table. I want him to be treated like a prince. Mephibosheth couldn't understand it. He said, I'm a dead dog. Why do you want to show such kindness to me? Do you realize that's each of us? Mephibosheth, a little hard to say, he was also lame in his feet. Isn't that a fitting metaphor for us? This guy couldn't even walk. And yet God, metaphorically, does the same thing for us by taking we who are lame and unable to help ourselves and putting us into the exalted position. If we have all this, if we've received all this good from the Lord, then there is no legitimate place for pride in our hearts. No place for pride in the church, but abundant reason for humility, for lowliness, for a sober regard for what we really are, how gracious God has been to us. Instead of asking, Why am I not experiencing more of the good that I want right now? We should be asking, why do I experience any good at all? Christ has shown me an abundance of good. Sure, I might wish things to be a little different in my life, maybe things to be a little different in the church, maybe this person wouldn't be such a bother. But considering what Christ has done for me, all the encouragement and consolation and fellowship and compassion and affection I have in him and in the church that he's made me a part of, what do these little things matter? What does that person's actions matter? I can be content. I can be content in any situation. I can remain teachable. I know I don't have it all figured out. I don't have to be stubborn. I can be gentle. I can be patient. I can be forgiving toward others because Christ is that way with me. He was and is that way with me. In fact, our heart should say, I gladly imitate Christ in his slave-like humility because I love him. Perhaps you notice that there's a connection between the passage we've looked at, Philippians 2, 1 to 4, and the passage I referenced in Philippians 2, 6 to 11. These are not arranged haphazardly. Actually, verse five tells us what the connection is. The attitude of humility, that proper way that we are to engage in church, it is the way, it is the attitude that Jesus himself had in his incarnation. It was the very same mindset of the Lord, humbling himself to the position of slave to the point of death. He did not hang on to his own rights, privileges, and preferences, but for God's sake and for love's sake, in faith that God would vindicate him at the proper time, he gave up himself totally for others. Paul says we ought to have that same mindset in ourselves. So do we? Do we indeed live as self-sacrificing slaves toward one another? That's the way Jesus lived for us, and he calls us to do likewise. Jesus didn't merely look out for his own personal interests, but he took interests in us. And he made our interests his own. We're going to do the same thing for one another. That's what it looks like to engage properly in church. And there are some other applications we can make regarding humility. This same faith-filled attitude of humility, it's part of what Jesus was teaching when he washed his disciples' feet. I mean, talk about serving and gifting. I don't know if Jesus had a particular spiritual gift for washing the feet of his disciples, but he, the master, took the lowest place. as an example for them and for us. Humility is the reason why, according to James 1, 19 to 21, we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry as we receive the Word of God taught. Certainly, that's good advice for just interactions with one another, but in context there, it's actually about the Bible's teaching. Sometimes you hear something that's different or strange to you, and you don't want to listen anymore. You're angry, You have an objection. God says, wait, be humble, listen, receive the word. Humility is the reason why young men who are often filled with new knowledge and new zeal for the Lord, they must still subject themselves to church elders. That's 1 Peter 5.5. Humility is also the reason that we are not to overestimate our spiritual status, our spiritual strength, or our spiritual abilities. Romans 12.3 and 1 Corinthians 10.12 emphasize those truths. Rather, we must utterly depend on God for the Christian life and all aspects of church and gospel ministry. You don't have the strength in yourself for this work. Above all, humility is the only way to maintain the supernatural peace and unity that has been given to us by God through His Spirit in the church. Paul says this in Ephesians 4, 1 to 2. I mean, it's just like Philippians, but listen to Ephesians 4, 1 to 2. Paul says, therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. I don't know if we think about that command so often, but we really need that exhortation because the members of the church are not yet fully sanctified. I mean, you know that because you're one of them. We still also live in a vaporous, not yet redeemed world, so there will inevitably be misunderstandings and provocations that occur even among the church brethren. Yet for Christ's sake, and for your own sake as a member of the church, do not respond to those provocations with sin. Rather, respond with patience, gentleness, with humility, with godly tolerance toward one another in love. The world is all about tolerance. They don't understand what godly tolerance is. This is godly tolerance. proceeding humbly, gently, patiently with your brethren in the church. Jesus says in Mark 10, 43 to 45, Mark 10, 43 to 45, I'm just paraphrasing here. If you want to become great, what must you do? Take the lowest place. Take the part of the slave. Be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. There is more to say regarding the Bible's teaching for maximizing mutual upbuilding in the church, but this will do for today. Let's review what we've seen. If we really want to fulfill God's design and see both others and ourselves benefit from church participation, then we must be resolved Fundamentally, to number one, engage in the church biblically, not according to our own notions. Number two, engage in the church comprehensively, not simply according to what is convenient or culturally accepted. And number three, to engage in the church humbly, remembering Christ's own humility on your behalf and taking his same attitude so that you treat others as more important than yourselves, just as Christ did. I think now for a moment, Where you can already start applying this teaching from the Bible, this word from the Lord. Where do you need to make adjustments in your approach to church life? Where specifically might you be able to serve and show that you indeed have the humble mind of Christ, that you seek to treat others as more important than yourself? Oh, no, don't make him do that difficult job. Let me do it. Nobody else wants to take that job? Let me do it. I want to be like my Savior. Do you and I really believe that the way to true greatness is by becoming a slave? That's what's valuable in the Lord's eyes. You might not get praised by men. You might not get recognized. Nobody notices. doesn't seem to make a big splash, but the Lord sees, and what does Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount? The Lord sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you. Understand that disciplining yourself for the church this way, even humbling yourself to the point of serving as a slave, it's gonna cost you. It costs Jesus. But it's worth it. God's glorious temple will be built up And God's people, including you, will be blessed. Now, just because we must engage in the church humbly doesn't mean that we shouldn't also engage in the church courageously, even full of faith that God is going to do something great. We'll talk more about that idea next time. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, When I think about what we've heard from your word today, I'm reminded of what Paul says in 2 Corinthians. Who is sufficient for these things? We cannot muscle or by mere willpower do what you've called us to do in the church. We know it's for our own good. We know we have every reason to obey it, but we cannot do this unless, Lord God, you provide the strength for it, unless you work in our hearts, unless your spirit empowers us. But God, you've promised in the scriptures that you will empower us for this work. Even in the passage of Philippians, Lord, that we read earlier, It says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Lord, if you've called us to it, we will go to it, trusting that you will provide. You'll provide the strength, you'll provide the endurance, even past what we feel. Surely, God, it's the case that so many times in the Christian life we say, I can't take any more of this. Lord, I just feel like I can't do it. But if your word says it, and if your promises are there with it, then we can do it. And if we're willing to trust you in that, Lord, we know there is reward. So God, may we trust you. Help us to trust you. Help us to be like you, Lord Jesus, in humbly serving the brethren, not asking what's the bare minimum, but what more can I do? Let that be true of each person who's heard this sermon today. And true of me, in Jesus' name, amen.