Mount Isa Baptist Church

DO WHAT JESUS DID

Philippians 2:1-8

Verse 5 sums up what it is that we are to do as believers. Paul says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Very simply put, DO WHAT JESUS DID. This gets to the whole heart of what we are to be about in the Christian life: we are to be imitating Jesus. What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? He is talking about our Lord's Attitude; His Spirit; His Demeanour; His approach to life and ministry. What was our Lord Jesus's approach to life? His approach to life was, “Others, others, others!” What is often our approach to life? Often our approach to life is “ourself, ourself, ourself!” Ourselves first, look after ourselves, do things for ourselves, whatever we do, it doesn’t matter so long as we benefit out of it. Our attitude toward others will determine how we see things in life and will also determine our usefulness to the Lord as we walk through this life. Every day and in every way, have the mind, the Spirit, the attitude of Christ. Paul's point in verse 5 is to point to the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ in becoming a man. Why? Because millions claim to believe in Jesus who don't have a clue what the Bible even teaches about Him. Nearly all the truth about Christ is found in these verses – He is the eternal pre-existence God, He voluntarily takes on the form of a human, His coming to earth is as a servant, His humiliating death on the cross, and His exaltation in heaven. If you are not yet a Christian, DON'T try to take this verse as your philosophy for life, by saying, “I will just imitate Jesus, and that's how I will get to heaven.” YOU in yourself, in your own humanity, CAN'T DO IT! What did Jesus do? Firstly, He came from heaven to earth. Secondly, He took the sin of the world upon Himself and paid the price that we deserve to pay, on a cruel Roman cross. You can't do it! We will fall short each and every time. That's why Jesus CAME in the first place: because we COULDN'T live the perfect life. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to “the poor in spirit” - the person who knows they have sinned and fallen short and don't deserve it. That's who He can forgive and take to heaven. The person He CAN'T forgive is the one who thinks they are somehow in and of themselves are “good enough” and that they have “earned it.” You can't earn your way to heaven by imitating Jesus. You get to heaven by admitting you AREN'T good enough and by asking Him to do for you what you can't do for yourself, and by His grace and mercy to save us. When you admit you've fallen short of it and ask Him to save you by His mercy, THEN you can start the imitation of Jesus, God intends for you, as a Christian who's been saved by His grace. THAT is what this verse is commanding us to do. Once you have been given heaven by the blood of Jesus on the cross, now imitating Jesus is to be your GOAL! And it is a much more achievable goal, because when you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes into your life and gives you the power to become like Him and to “have the attitude which was in Christ Jesus.” So now AS A CHRISTIAN, this is what your life is to be about: having the attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus. Your goal in life as a Christian is to imitate Jesus. God's whole goal for our lives is for us to become like Jesus.

vs.6: Paul began by stressing the eternal pre-existence of Jesus Christ as God. Before Jesus came to earth, He existed in heaven. Jesus was in all eternity past equal with the Father in all His attributes. He was not simply LIKE God; He was the very nature and substance - God. Whatever you can say about God, you can also say about Jesus. He WAS and IS 100% God and nothing less. But here is the remarkable thing: He did not try to hold on to His glory but willingly laid it aside when He voluntarily travelled the distance between heaven and the bloody cross. He did it willingly, gladly, and without hesitation.

2. What He Became vs.7- vs.8a: He “made Himself (nothing) of no reputation; some translations say, “He emptied Himself.” He became man! Christ surrendered that which He loved in order that He might serve those whom He loved. He did not try to grasp or hold on to the outward manifestation of His deity. Christ came wearing the uniform of a common man while bearing within Himself the high rank of Almighty God! Jesus was born as a man, He lived as a man, He suffered as a man, and He died as a man. He knew every aspect of human existence, yet He knew no sin. He was “found in appearance as a man.” He was as much God as God is God, and He was as much man as man is man.

3. What He Chose – vs.8b: The cross was the depth of Christ's humiliation. Jesus became obedient to His Father. It was God's plan from before the foundation of the world. Why did he die? He died to redeem sinners from sin and hell. When He went to the Cross, He had every person who would trust Him in mind. He knew them by name. He gladly humbled Himself, leaving eternal glory, to die a humble death. Why? Because He loved all those who would ever trust Him as a personal Saviour. There was no other way to redeem men. This was God's way, and Christ was a humble servant, giving His life as a ransom for many. There had to be a perfect sacrifice, an atonement of infinite value. What is the point for us Christians? Christians are to have a humble, submissive, self-sacrificing spirit towards one another, for Christ is the supreme example of humbleness. Because Christ came to serve and not be served, we Christians are to serve and not be served.

Pastor Erik Sitati – From Kenya – connected through our YouTube channel.

I received an amazingly encouraging email from Kenya, which I shared parts of at the church meeting, and I encourage you to be in prayer for this church and also our YouTube ministry that we have the privilege through it to reach people across the world. We serve an amazing God.

About my church and the ministry

It is called CHRIST FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. We are located in continent of Africa in a country called Kenya. We have a small ministry, but we thank God it is growing and touching lives of others in a mighty way. We are blessed serving God with my family and brethren here. We have a heart for the ministry, our heart's desire, hunger, and thirsty is dedicated in Christ work, and we are glad being Christ's witness and ambassadors. We don't preach about ourselves, but preaching only the message of Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of our faith.

I'm much blessed being in touch with you and your beautiful church family! I just want to encourage you that we are, and we have been praying for you all as Christ coworkers in His vineyard especially in these dreadful days we are living in.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

I replied to the email that was sent, and below are some prayer requests that he has asked for:

Pastor Erik Sitati - Christ Fellowship Church prayer requests,

(1) Pray for our ongoing door to door evangelism and outreaches.

(2) Pray for ongoing church construction, pray for open doors we need iron sheets.

(3) About my community pray for thousands who are in devastating situation and starving due to lack of food and water

(4) Pray for God to provide bibles so that we may give to new converts. Below photo show our outreach meeting held recently, and the hunger people have God's Word.