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What's On Your Mind? · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

• 0:00
  We can turn back then to our reading in Philippians.
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  We're going to be looking at verse 1 to 4 of chapter 2.
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  !
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  It speaks about standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side.
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  You see it in verse 2 of chapter 2.
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  Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love.
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  And then you see it in verse 5.
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  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.
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  The word we see repeated there is mind.
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  It's talking about how we relate to the Lord and how we relate to one another.
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  And so tonight, what's on your mind?
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  I'm sure you could say there's plenty.
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  There's plenty maybe going on in your mind.
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  Plenty of things that you're thinking about, that you're wondering about,
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  that you're looking ahead to, looking back to.
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  Our minds can be busy places.
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  They can often take over.
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  Our minds can take over our lives in many ways.
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  But is Jesus on your mind?
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  So in everything that you're thinking about, everything that you're doing,
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  does Jesus come into that?
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  Is Jesus on your mind?
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  Well, that's what Paul is asking about here in this section,
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  as he's speaking to the church at Philippi.
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  He's really trying to guide them along the way, to help them along the way,
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  living their lives in the midst of persecution, in the midst of suffering,
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  but in the midst of challenges among themselves as well.
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  And so he's trying to direct their minds.
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  Have this mind.
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  So that you strive with one mind side by side.
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  So that your mind is focused.
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  Being in full accord of one mind.
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  So that you're all going forward together.
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  But it's all leading to that point in verse 5, where it says,
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  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.
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  So it's directing our minds, but focusing our minds on the Lord Jesus as well.
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  And there are many great high points in this letter to the Philippians.
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  Many great verses you can maybe pick out as wonderful encouragement,
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  the way that they strengthen us, the way that they help us.
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  The way Paul speaks about his own life in chapter 1, verse 21.
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  What does he say?
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  It's like he has a motto for life there.
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  As he's speaking about his own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  He says, For me to live is Christ.
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  For me to live is Christ.
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  And with Christ in mind, then he's able to say, To die is gain.
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  So whatever he has in life, his focus is on Christ
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  and the benefits that he gives in life and in death.
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  So there's many high points.
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  You think of verse 5 onwards of chapter 2 that we've read.
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  That mind of Christ.
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  What did he do?
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  His humiliation, if you like, is coming down from God.
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  That equality with God that he had was not something to be grasped,
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  but he made himself nothing.
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  He emptied himself.
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  And he bore that cross.
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  He died that death, even death on the cross.
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  That humiliation of the cross.
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  But yet God highly exalted him.
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  So there's these wonderful verses.
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  There's other ones like in chapter 4.
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  It speaks about doing all things through Christ who strengthens me
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  and rejoicing in the Lord always.
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  There's many different verses you can go back to.
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  There's all these high points.
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  But these high points remind us that they are there to lift us up.
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  But to get there, there has to be a climb.
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  We have to come through the valley, if you like.
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  It's not always that sense of rejoicing or delighting or all of that,
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  that there are times of great struggle,
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  times when we just have to try and press on.
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  We're walking through the valley.
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  We're climbing up to these high points.
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  And so Paul is writing in a way where he's not just talking out of context
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  and saying, don't worry about all these things that are going on around you.
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  He's very much writing to them to see how they live
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  in light of all these challenges that they are facing.
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  That's what he's saying there in verse 27.
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  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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  Let your life be worthy, lived in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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  So what he's talking here about is the reality of living in a sinful world,
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  a fallen world, and yet keeping on living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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  How can we do that?
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  Not just for the people in Philippi, but for ourselves tonight.
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  How can we live a life worthy, in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ?
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  Well, part of it is by thinking about our minds.
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  Have this mind in you which is yours in Christ Jesus.
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  Be of one mind.
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  And so he focuses here on ways that we can fill our minds.
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  Fill our minds with what is good.
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  Have Jesus Christ on our minds at all times.
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  For me to live is Christ.
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  It's a wonderful way to live.
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  In a manner worthy of the gospel.
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  But what are we actively doing to live that kind of life?
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  Are we passive?
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  I'm just thinking it'll happen by itself.
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  Or are we actively pursuing that?
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  Are we actively engaging ourselves in pursuing a life worthy of the gospel?
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  There's a church that has membership bows.
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  And one of them says this.
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  Every member who comes into this church and becomes a member has to bow this.
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  It says that we resolve and promise in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit.
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  That we will endeavor to live as becomes followers of Jesus Christ.
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  If you had taken that vow.
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  If you had taken that vow joining this church or whatever church.
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  Have you honored that vow?
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  Have I honored that vow?
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  In humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit.
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  That I will endeavor to live as becomes followers of Jesus Christ.
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  We fail.
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  We often do.
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  But we rely on grace and the Holy Spirit.
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  And endeavor to live as become.
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  As is right.
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  As is true.
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  As obedient followers of Jesus Christ.
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  And the word of God here tells us that a day will come.
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  When every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
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  That Jesus Christ is Lord.
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  He will reign over all.
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  But that leads to that question.
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  Well is he reigning now?
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  Is he reigning now in your life?
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  So that your mind is filled with him.
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  So Paul here is looking for this life worthy of the gospel.
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  What are we filling our minds with?
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  Are we keeping Jesus as the center of our focus.
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  And seeking to live and endeavor to become as becomes followers of Jesus Christ.
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  Some methods today say that in order to find peace and a place of rest.
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  You have to empty your mind.
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  Empty your mind of everything.
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  But what we are being taught here is the very opposite.
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  To find contentment.
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  To find peace.
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  We are to fill our minds with what is good.
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  And all that is Jesus Christ.
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  And so we want to see here three things.
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  That we think about when it comes to our minds being focused on Jesus Christ.
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  And what Paul is trying to put to them here.
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  To keep them living this life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  We see them in verse 1 to verse 4 of chapter 2.
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  In verse 1 it says,
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  If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind.
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  What's Paul saying there?
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  If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort, any love.
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  He is asking about motivation.
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  What motivates you in your mind?
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  What keeps you living a life worthy of the, in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
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  Am I motivated by the love of Christ?
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  Paul says in one of the letters to the Corinthians, I think it's in the King James Version, it uses the way of saying it,
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  The love of Christ constrains me.
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  I think the ESV uses the word, the love of Christ controls me.
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  I prefer the love of Christ constrains me.
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  It's what keeps me going in that sense.
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  It pushes me in the right direction.
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  It constrains me, not just in a controlling manner, but it leads me on.
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  And that's what he's kind of saying here in the letters to the Philippians as well.
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  If there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy.
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  He's talking about their motivation.
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  Is it the love of Christ what motivates me?
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  Is it the love of Christ what fills my mind that leads us to have that one mind going forward together?
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  And why is he writing this?
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  Because he knows the challenges that they face.
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  He knows that one of the devil's greatest joys is to see the fellowship of believers turning one against the other.
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  He knows that there are these threats all around them, as there is among the believers to this day and will always be.
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  The word of God tells us that there's blessing in unity.
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  But what happens if that unity is lost?
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  The blessing is lost.
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  And in Philippi, in this place that Paul was writing to, the unity of believers was being threatened.
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  They were persecuted.
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  They were suffering for the sake of the gospel.
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  And this was happening from the outside.
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  There were plenty of enemies all around them.
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  But it was also happening within.
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  We know that because that's what he is warning against here.
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  In verse 3, it's quite clear there.
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  This was among them.
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  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
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  There was tensions coming in to their midst.
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  And so he's writing to warn them against this and to help them through this.
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  And the way to help them through this is to focus their minds on Christ.
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  So the starting point is not to say focus on your relationship with one another,
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  but first of all to focus on your relationship with Christ.
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  And so the question that he would have here is,
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  how is your relationship with Jesus Christ?
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  That's the question for ourselves.
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  When we look around ourselves and we think of all the different relationships that we have with one another,
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  whether it's family, church, community, whatever it is,
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  it's easy to start looking on the horizontal.
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  It's easy to start looking at one another.
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  And we can find fault with one another quite easily.
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  But Paul here is writing to them to instead, first of all, consider what is your relationship with Jesus?
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  How is your focus with him before you start looking anywhere else?
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  Because as we look at Jesus, instead of seeing the faults of others, we begin to see our own faults.
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  Because we realize we fall short with him so often and again and again.
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  And then we recognize that, well, it's not all about me.
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  It's all about Jesus Christ.
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  And so our minds are then focused on him.
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  And if it's the love of Christ that motivates us,
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  when we look to him, we see, well, I was not worthy of his love.
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  And yet he loved me and gave himself for me.
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  And if he did that for me, what am I to do for my brothers, my sisters, and the Lord?
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  He is leading them here to have that one mind, that one spirit, that unity together.
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  And it's found by focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ, by being in him.
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  If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit,
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  any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind and having the same love,
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  being in full accord and of one mind.
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  Does the love of Christ constrain us?
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  Are we motivated by the love of Christ?
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  Well, that asks the question first, are we in Christ?
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  Are we focused on him?
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  Are we trusting in him?
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  Some ships and oil rigs now have, instead of a lifeboat that's more gently lowered down the side,
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  they instead have lifeboats that just launch away, either from the rig or from the ship.
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  So what you do is you climb into this lifeboat, and it's often sitting at an angle.
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  You climb in, you go into your seat, and you have to put on seatbelts to tie yourself into the seat,
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  otherwise you'll be thrown around.
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  And once everybody's on board, and once the entry port is shut,
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  then the release handle is pulled, and you just shoot off,
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  away from the boat or away from the rig, and shoot into the water.
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  It can be quite a frightening thing, but yet you know that you're in a safe place.
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  But you have to be in, and you have to be strapped in to be safe.
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  That's very much the way it is with our Christian life as well.
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  First and foremost, we have to ask, are we in Christ?
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  Are we trusting in him?
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  Is it the love of Christ that constrains us, that controls us, that motivates us, that fills our mind?
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  Look at all that there is in Christ.
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  Encouragement, comfort, love, participation in the Spirit, affection, sympathy.
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  Where does it come from?
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  It comes from being focused, our mind fixed on the Christ.
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  That is where we are to begin.
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  So is that our motivation?
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  Is the love of Christ what motivates us first in our minds?
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  The second thing we see here is, what is my desire?
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  Am I seeking my way or the Lord's way?
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  And again, it's seen clearly here how that relates to our relationship with Christ as well.
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  It's by putting this into practice, what is it going to look like?
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  People need to look and fix their eyes on Jesus.
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  Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind.
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  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit.
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  There was tensions in their midst.
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  People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
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  It's a quote from a man called Isaac Asimov.
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  A professor of science and a writer of science fiction.
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  But can we not relate to it ourselves in some ways as well?
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  People who know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
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  That's the kind of attitude that we can so easily have.
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  That's the kind of attitude that Paul was seeing here as well.
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  That's why he's saying do nothing out from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
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  But many would see Paul here as almost having that kind of attitude.
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  That people who think they know everything are annoyance to him because he does.
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  That's the way Paul is often portrayed.
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  As if he couldn't be turned in any different direction, that he knew it all.
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  But as you're reading through Paul's letters and as you're reading about his life, what is it that controls him?
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  It is the love of Christ.
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  And his desire is to live for him.
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  First and foremost, he goes on in this letter to talk about everything else he counts as done
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  compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord.
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  That was what motivated him.
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  That's what his desire was.
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  To live for Christ in everything.
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  So he's saying there, make my joy complete by being like-minded.
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  The same love will accord one mind.
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  All of these things.
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  That's what he is talking about here.
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  His desire is that they live as one.
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  Going in the same direction.
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  He's talking here about their attitude.
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  Not everyone would think the same way.
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  But they would have the same goal in mind.
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  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
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  He's focusing their minds on going forward with the same goal in mind.
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  The same focus on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Paul was one who throughout this letter speaks of joy.
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  Of rejoicing.
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  And what makes him rejoice is that they are going on in faith.
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  He's writing here from prison.
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  But what he longs to hear is the mindset of the Philippians.
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  That is towards Christ.
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  Towards loving him.
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  Towards serving him.
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  Towards the spread of the gospel.
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  I have the same mind here.
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  He's talking about think in the same way on these things.
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  That are so precious.
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  That are so important.
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  It's not that we see every matter in exactly the same way.
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  And agree in every little detail.
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  But that we have that same mind.
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  That our desire, our longing is for Christ to be made known.
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  Not setting aside truth.
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  That's what he's mentioned in verse 27 here.
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  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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  So that whether I come and see you or are absent.
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  I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind.
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  Striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
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  Our minds are geared towards serving Christ.
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  And our desires in our mind are that Christ be glorified.
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  Christ be preached.
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  Christ be proclaimed that sinners be saved.
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  That is what his longing is.
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  Is that yours?
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  Is that mine?
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  As we seek to serve him in every way we can.
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  Is it our desire that Christ be made known?
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  We see that need all around us.
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  We see opportunity all around us.
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  We see a people all around us.
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  A people who need Christ.
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  A people whose minds are full of everything else that this world has to offer.
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  Minds cluttered with ideas and thoughts and all kinds of things that take them away from Christ.
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  But here Paul is asking that they strive side by side with one mind for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  Christ.
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  And so is that our desire.
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  Are we putting others before ourselves?
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  Christ.
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  Just as it's asking of us here.
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  Have this mind among yourselves.
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  Sorry.
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  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit.
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  But in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
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  Christ.
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  Christ.
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  Christ.
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  Christ.
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  Christ.
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  So precious.
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  So important.
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  And the cause of Christ being our desire.
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  Our longing.
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  Filling our minds with Christ.
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  Can help us overcome anything else that fills our minds.
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  And clutters our minds and distracts our minds in so many different ways.
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  But to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  That should be our desire.
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  And the third thing and the final thing we see here is.
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  What do I put first?
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  What do I put first?
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  When you look at these verses.
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  In verse 4 it says.
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  Let each of you look not only to his own interests.
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  But also to the interests of others.
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  What do we put first?
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  Who do we put first?
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  The common question that we can often ask is.
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  What's in it for me?
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  That's the kind of world that we live in.
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  What's in it for me?
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  If I am going to do something.
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  If I am going to do a job.
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  Or whatever it is.
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  What's in it for me?
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  Seldom is it.
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  What am I offering to others?
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  What am I offering to Christ?
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  But what's in it for me?
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  Well in contrast to these ways of the world.
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  Paul is saying that Christians must do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.
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  But instead humility.
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  Lowliness of mind.
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  To have our focus.
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  Our minds fixed on Jesus.
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  Let each of you look not only to his own interests.
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  But also to the interests of others.
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  What occupies your mind?
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  What motivates you?
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  What's your desires?
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  What are we putting first?
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  Our minds can so easily be cluttered in different ways.
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  So that our attentions are drawn into one place and everything else suffers.
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  Think for example of a man called Paul Mershon.
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  He's a retired footballer.
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  Now a pundit on television.
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  But if you've heard anything of his story.
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  It's not just about a football career.
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  It's about the struggles that he had in life.
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  The struggle of addiction.
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  And not just one.
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  Drink.
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  Drugs.
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  Gambling.
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  They all consumed him.
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  So his mind was just focused on that.
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  His next bet.
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  His next drink.
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  His next hit.
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  Whatever it was.
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  His mind was just consumed.
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  His family life deteriorated.
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  His career spiraled in so many different ways.
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  He was just consumed.
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  His mind was consumed by these things.
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  They took over.
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  Now we don't have to end up in that situation.
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  But we know how easily it is for our minds to be filled with the wrong things.
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  So it takes us away from what is right and what is good.
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  It takes us away from our focus on the Lord Jesus.
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  But what's interesting with Paul Mershon is that for the last seven years he's been doing well.
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  And he speaks about what helped change him.
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  Going to places like AAs and things like that helped him.
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  But he also speaks about recognizing a higher power.
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  That there is a God.
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  And he speaks about prayer.
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  And a need for faith.
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  Now I don't know where he is.
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  But I know his mind has been changed in so many ways.
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  And that's what he needed.
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  A mind that was so focused on everything that was wrong and just consumed by self and his own addictions.
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  That only a greater power could help him overcome.
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  And so as Paul is writing here.
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  He's saying we can so easily be consumed by everything else in this world.
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  Our minds can be filled.
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  And sometimes it's with what is right.
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  We have to consider things.
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  But it's asking the question.
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  How are we with the Lord Jesus in it all?
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  Are we putting him first?
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  Are we the most important thing in life?
• 27:10
  Or are others and above all a relationship with the Lord?
• 27:14
  And so to find ourselves in that right place is to come to that point where we see that we have to be in Christ.
• 27:26
  Because when you look at verse 5 here.
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  Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.
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  We see where our thoughts are taken.
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  Away from self and unto him.
• 27:38
  Who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a theme to be grasped but made himself nothing taking the form of a servant.
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  And so it goes on.
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  Is that our desire?
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  Is that what our minds are filled with?
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  That desire to serve the Lord Jesus in humility and in every way.
• 28:08
  Somebody once put it like this.
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  Let the mind of the master be the master of your mind.
• 28:16
  Let the mind of the master be the master of your mind.
• 28:22
  And that's really what Paul is saying here.
• 28:25
  Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.
• 28:30
  The mind of the master be the master of your mind.
• 28:34
  Our minds can be so cluttered in so many different ways.
• 28:39
  Busy in different directions.
• 28:43
  But may our minds become more and more focused on the Lord Jesus.
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  So that he is front and central in everything that we are doing.
• 28:54
  That we are putting him first and foremost.
• 28:58
  So tonight and in the days ahead.
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  What's on your mind?
• 29:06
  What are you filling your mind with?
• 29:10
  Is it your motivation?
• 29:12
  The love of Christ?
• 29:14
  Is your desire to see his name glorified?
• 29:18
  And you're putting him first in all things.
• 29:21
  That's what Paul is asking of us here.
• 29:25
  What's on your mind?
• 29:30
  We need to be active in living a life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
• 29:37
  Not just by sitting back.
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  But by pressing on.
• 29:42
  By looking to God's word.
• 29:43
  By drawing near to him.
• 29:45
  By calling upon him in prayer.
• 29:47
  By seeking his glory and his presence with us in all things.
• 29:51
  That we might be in Christ.
• 29:54
  And that Christ may be in us.
• 29:57
  Fixing our minds on him.
• 30:00
  And serving him for his glory.
• 30:04
  Let us pray.
• 30:07
  Lord our gracious God.
• 30:09
  We thank you that you can transform the minds and hearts of so many people.
• 30:15
  And even ourselves.
• 30:17
  That you can take all the things that are wrong within us.
• 30:21
  And that you can fill us with what is right and what is good.
• 30:24
  So often Lord we fill our minds with so much that distracts us and takes us away from you.
• 30:30
  But let our minds be in one accord with you and with one another.
• 30:35
  Let us serve you in humility and serve others in humility as well.
• 30:39
  That we would find ourselves with that longing.
• 30:43
  That desire.
• 30:44
  To the love of Christ constraining us and motivating us.
• 30:49
  For his glory.
• 30:50
  And for his good in our midst and all around us.
• 30:54
  Lord hear our prayers and continue with us.
• 30:57
  Pardoning us in all our sin as we confess anew before you.
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  And all for his sake and for his glory.
• 31:04
  We ask it in Jesus name.
• 31:06
  Amen.
• 31:06
  Amen.
• 31:10
  We're going to conclude by singing together in Psalm 63.
• 31:18
  The Scottish Psalter version.
• 31:23
  Psalm 63.
• 31:24
  We'll sing verse 1 to 4.
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  Three stanzas.
• 31:28
  The tune is Weatherby.
• 31:30
  Lord thee my God I'll early seek.
• 31:33
  My soul doth thirst for thee.
• 31:34
  My flesh longs in a dry parched land wherein no waters be.
• 31:39
  That I thy power may behold and brightness of thy face.
• 31:43
  As I have seen thee heretofore within thy holy place.
• 31:47
  We'll sing verse 1 to 4 to God's praise.
• 31:50
  Lord thee my Lord.
• 31:51
  The Lord is here.
• 32:04
  My soul doth thirst for thee.
• 32:12
  My flesh longs in a dry parched land.
• 32:13
  My flesh longs in a dry parched land.
• 32:16
  My flesh longs in a dry parched land.
• 32:22
  May no waters be.
• 32:29
  My soul doth excitied the Lord.
• 32:31
  My soul dothleiche.
• 32:32
  My soul doth tend to make me more to know.
• 32:33
  My soul doth wish.
• 32:34
  My soul doth drink.
• 32:35
  My soul doth near you.
• 32:35
  My soul doth ans with my faith.
• 32:37
  My soul doth history.
• 32:37
  My soul doth billed in a dry parched land.
• 32:39
  My soul dothить in a dry parched land.
• 32:40
  My soul doth tempered in a dry parched land.
• 32:41
  My soul dothole not remember.
• 32:41
  My soul doth trip to my dead.
• 32:42
  My soul doth alive and grace.
• 32:42
  My soul doth bear in a dry parched land.
• 32:43
  My soul doth bun right.
• 32:44
  My soul dothlie down.
• 32:45
  My soul doth bear in a dry land.
• 32:46
  My soul doth guard in a dry land.
• 32:47
  My soul doth bomb like me.
• 32:47
  As I must hear thee here to go,
• 32:59
  Where there my holy place.
• 33:07
  Since better is thy love from high,
• 33:17
  My mercy grace shall give.
• 33:25
  I am, I am, I lift my hands,
• 33:35
  And bless thee while I am left.
• 33:44
  After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my left.
• 33:47
  We'll close the benediction.
• 33:49
  Now may grace, mercy and peace from God,
• 33:52
  Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• 33:54
  rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore.
• 33:58
  Amen.
• 34:05
  Good night.
• 34:14
  Good night.
• 34:17
  Good night.
• 34:20
  Good night.
• 34:24
  Good night.
• 34:27
  Thank you.