Yield by Pastor Abidan Shah

YIELD by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: When the kids were little, they would try to help me around the yard and fix things in the house. I am talking about very little! I remember this one time one of them was trying to help me dig in the flower bed with a shovel. She was way too small to hold the shovel and way too weak to push it in the ground. But every time I said, “let me help you.” She’d say, “No. I do it.” Finally, somehow, I convinced her to let me help her and sure enough it was much easier. So also, in the Christian life, many Christians have the “I do it” mindset. I can change my life. I can live for God. I can serve God. I can please God. It works for a little while and then they quickly realize that they can’t change on their own or live for God. In fact, they end up making a big mess and get discouraged and disillusioned. Christian life is learning to yield to God and his work in our lives. Don’t misunderstand. Yielding does not mean being neutral. It is cooperating with God in transforming our mind.We’re in our series called MIND (RE)SET from Philippians 2and our message today is titled YIELD.

Philippians 2      5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: How is your Christian life? Is it filled with disappointments and failures? Are you ready to cooperate with God? Are you saved? Do you have the mind of Christ?

Context:  Listen again to verse 5“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” You may not be aware of it but there has been a big debate over this simple verse in the past 50 years. Is Paul calling us to imitate Christ or is he calling us to celebrate Christ? If you think it is imitation, think for a moment – can you truly imitate Christ in this passage?Can you truly humble yourself like Jesus did? Can you truly become obedient to the point of death? Then, there is a bigger question – Will God really exalt you like he exalted Jesus? Does that mean that your enemies will bow before you? Will he give you a new name like Jesus? Absolutely not! To the contrary, some scholars have claimed that this is simply a celebration of Christ and that it is “kerygmatic” not “exemplary.” That’s where the idea of Philippians 2:5-11being a hymn comes from. It is very important that we understand what Paul really meant here because it makes a profound difference in how we see God’s work in our lives. I want to give you 3 words that will help you:

1. Possess – If you are saved, you already possess the mind of Christ.

Let’s back up for a moment: The Mind is the immaterial part of us and the Body is the material. Both are equally important. Both are equally affected by sin. Both are redeemed by the work of Jesus. The redemption has already begun and will be completed one day in the future. Since this passage is focused on the Mind, I want to set the Body aside for the moment. What makes up our mind? God made our mind. It is a product of the genetic combination of our parents/grandparents. Hence, it displays their characteristics in how we think, feel, and behave. It also brings through them our sin nature, coming all the way from our first parents Adam and Eve. Our mind is also shaped by our worldview, how we grew up. Finally, it is shaped and reshaped by our circumstances and the choices we make. We accumulate certain assumptions in life, good and bad. They can be about money, success, sex, people, self, past, future, etc.

What happens when we get saved? God gives us a new mind. Ephesians 4:23-24 “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Does that mean that we are walking around with 2 different minds trying to choose between them? The new is not like a new computer without any problems. It is actually the mind of Christ. Listen to I Corinthians 2:16“For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”The Mind of Christ is the mindset of Christ, his disposition and character. Paul tells us in the verses leading up to verse 16 what it’s like:

1. It is given to us by the Holy Spirit– 10“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”
2. It can only be received by those who are saved–14“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
3. It gives us spiritual discernment– 15“But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.”

Application:If you are saved, then you have the spiritual mind. Listen carefully: If you think of the mind of Christ as something external that you have to create or aspire to or imitate, it will never happen. You will fail and fail miserably. If you are lost, you only have the natural mind. Do you have the mind of Christ?

2. Passive – Your role in appropriating and imitating the mind of Christ is passive.

Listen again to verse 5“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” When I was studying that verse in the original Greek, I noticed that a wide range of Greek manuscripts use the word “phroneistho” instead of “phroneite.” The first is present passive imperative third person singular and the second is present active imperative second person plural. I believe that the present passive is better represented and fits the context and theology better. The translation is not “have this mind among you” or “think this way” or “set your mind.” It is “let yourself so think” or “let this be thought in you” or “let this mind be in you.”In other words, cooperate with God in having the mind of Christ. Go back to the beginning of this letter – Philippians 1:6“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will completeituntil the day of Jesus Christ.”The “good work” that Paul is referring to verse is God’s work of salvation and the “day of Jesus Christ” is the day when he will return for us. Again, Philippians 1:11“being filled with the fruits of righteousness whichareby Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Does a tree stress and struggle over bearing fruit? Of course not. If the conditions are right, the tree cannot help but bear fruit. Then, after having gone before the passage, we need to read after Philippians 2:11. Listen to verse 12“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do forHisgood pleasure.”

Application:Are you cooperating with God? Are you allowing him to make the mind of Christ real in you? It’s an A-B-C process:

• ACKNOWLEDGE that there is a transformation that has taken place. Romans 12:2“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
• BEWARE of old thoughts. Colossians 3:2“Set your mindon things above, not on things on the earth.” 2 Corinthians 10:5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivityto the obedience of Christ,
• COMMIT to the renewal of the mind. Colossians 3     9“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the newmanwho is renewed in knowledgeaccording to the image of Him who created him.”

3. Plural – The Mind of Christ is not developed in isolation but in community.

5Let this mind be in you (you all) which was also in Christ Jesus

Invitation:Do you have the mind of Christ? Are you cooperating with God in his work in your life? It is in community that the mind is shaped? Are you involved? Are you saved?