Living The Jesus Life

I want to welcome you back to our teaching series “Living the Jesus Life”

We are in the midst of a 9-Week series, taking a deep dive into the book of Philippians and this is our 4th study in this letter.

We have covered Paul’s initial greetings and expression of his love and gratitude for his friends in Philippi. Paul has shared about his current imprisonment in Rome- No sad stories though, all the seemingly bad things are actually turning out to allow him to tell more people about Christ.

Last week we turned from his welcoming remarks and updates to practical exhortation or instruction for the believers in Philippi. The church was under pressure from the Roman empire, those outside the church. And it seems like that pressure was starting to endanger the relationships, the unity within the church.

Paul’s first instruction for them- “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

As we continue today in Verse 5 of Chapter 2, Paul will deepen his teaching with the pivotal text in the book of Philippians. What we’ll read today is the anchor of all of his other arguments in this letter.

To live the Jesus life, to be a follower or an apprentice of Christ- is to seek to have his mind.
- To speak as he spoke, to love as he loved, to serve as he served.
- To deal with disruption the way he did.
- To love your enemies, like he did.
- To humble yourself like he did
- To give up your rights, like he did.

To live the Jesus life, to follow after him, is to live like he lived.

For the Apostle Paul, there is an inseparable link between what we believe and how we live. You might call it the link between theology and ethics.

What we think about Christ, what we believe about him, cannot be separated from how we live our lives.

We cannot say that Jesus is Lord, then live any old way we want to. We can’t say that we believe in Jesus and continue to live in sin. We can’t say that Jesus is Lord, and continue to harbor un-forgiveness, jealousy, pride, or envy in our hearts.

To place your faith in Jesus as Lord is to model your life after his. That’s what it is to live the Jesus life. And that’s the central theme of Philippians

Does your life affirm you believe that too?

This isn’t just the Gospel presented in poetic fashion. It’s a call to us to live just like that.

- Jesus, by the very nature and essence of who he is, was God, and is God.
- And His Lordship, his status, he did not view as being for his own benefit.
- Rather than using his power and status for himself, he used that to serve others.
- Not only did Jesus become a man, but he also humbled himself as a man, becoming obedient, even to the point of death, and that of the worst kind- Death on the cross. This act of humility and obedience unto death, most vividly portrays the Love of God.
- God the Father has highly exalted Christ- the vindication or affirmation of his deity and expressed love through humbling himself in service to others.

Remember this beautiful description of Christ is centered in a letter written to a church that was having a few challenges, experiencing opposition and pressure.

It was important they had an accurate understanding of Christ and just who he was and what was accomplished on the cross.

But he also wanted them to know that this pattern of self-serving, self-giving love, was the model for them to live their lives after.

Today in response, I want to invite you to declare Jesus as Lord of your life.

To place your faith in Him, and to model your life after him.


"Jesus is Lord"