We are so glad that you joined us today at North Main Street Church of God. At North Main, we exist to develop completely committed followers of Christ who...

Know Christ intimately,

Grow in Christ continually, and

Go for Christ daily

Paid in Full
We want to bless families in Butler who are in need this year for Thanksgiving. We are collecting 15 full turkey dinners with all of the fixings. Head to the Welcome Center to select a receipt, then fill a box, and bring it to North Main on Sunday, November 24th. PLEASE make each box personal by including your favorite family holiday recipes based on the items you put in each box!

Empty
(Philippians 2:1-11)
Yearly Theme: “Goodness is… Glorious”
Series Title: “Beyond the Noise”
October 20th, 2024

Something to think about:
Being empty is a scary thing indeed. Who are we when we’re empty? What defines us when those things we use to fill the void in our lives keep leaving us unfulfilled and hollow? Am I my occupation? Am I my gender, race, or ethnicity? Who am I when all that seems to define me are the external things in life – the labels the world uses to describe me? Why do I keep striving and searching for the perfect situation or thing to make me happy?

And what about the characters in the Bible? Why does it seem that more often than not, that GOD calls people in the Bible to the desert places – the wilderness places – that are barren, dry, and empty? Why does He call them to leave the things they know for the unknown? Why does GOD call people to barren places?

As we continue our series today on “Solitude and Silence,” we will be exploring what it means to be empty, and why it is important sometimes to be empty in the presence of the LORD.

The passage of Scripture that best illustrates emptiness with a purpose is found in the New Testament letter of Paul to the church at Philippi. He writes:

As Jesus most often did, He refocused the disciples' attention on the most important things in life. Whereas they were concerned about themselves and the benefits of following Him, the disciples needed an adjusted perspective. Being the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven was less important than entering the Kingdom of Heaven, and the entrance requirement was childlike faith.

Key Point: “Childlike faith and trust in GOD is the key to true contentment and soul rest.”

Childlike faith is not only the key to entering the Kingdom of Heaven but is also necessary for entering the presence of GOD in solitude and silence. This is where true rest for the soul is found. But how does one actually do this? What does becoming like a child really look like?...

Jesus emptied Himself to find us. Are we willing to empty ourselves to find Him?

Key Point: “We must be empty in order to be filled.”

Let’s take a closer look at who Jesus was and what Jesus did:

· He was ______________.

Philippians 2:5-6 (NLT), 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

· He ______________ Himself.

Philippians 2:7a (NLT), Instead, he gave up his divine privileges (other versions say, “he emptied himself);

· He was a ______________.

Philippians 2:7b-8 (NLT), …He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Something to take home:

This emptiness, this God-shaped hole, can never truly be filled apart from surrendering to GOD in solitude and silence. It’s in these moments of time spent with GOD that this empty space is filled with that which is truly freeing and satisfying for the soul.

Ruth Haley Barton writes, “While the experience of being empty is painful, emptiness is a prerequisite to being filled. As it turns out, the presence of God is poured out most generously when there is space in our souls to receive him. In the vast emptiness of the human soul, there is finally room for God.”[1]

Jesus emptied Himself to find us. Are we willing to empty ourselves to find Him?

Key Point: “We must be empty in order to be filled.”


[1] Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, (InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Illinois; 2010), 92.

In Philippians 2:1-11, the Apostle Paul describes the nature of Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice He was willing to make in order to become a human. In verse 7 Paul describes that GOD “emptied” Himself of “His divine privileges” in order to become a human being. Why do you think Paul thought this important for his readers to know?

Emptiness is a hard feeling to deal with. Have you ever felt empty? Explain...

Ruth Haley Barton in Invitation to Solitude and Silence, writes “The experience of our emptiness is so painful we will do almost anything to avoid it - and most of us do for a long, long time. But try as we might, we cannot escape the fact that willingness to walk into the empty places is a precursor to finding GOD in our own life.”So rather than being afraid of the emptiness of the wilderness of our souls, we should learn to walk in it knowing that it is the place where we ultimately find GOD.

In Philippians 2, Paul explains that in order for GOD to save us, He had to empty Himself and step into our wilderness as a human, and in doing so He showed us the depth of His love for us. How does it make you feel that GOD was willing to empty Himself in order to step into the wilderness of our brokenness for the purpose of saving us?

Barton goes further to suggest that it’s the wilderness that “...shatters the soul’s arrogance and leaves body and soul crying out in thirst and hunger. In the desert [or wilderness] we either trust GOD or die. In your emptiness/wilderness, are you trusting GOD or are you dying? Explain...

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