Philippians 1:1-2 – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The average person checks their phone roughly 100 times a day. Why? Because it continually provides updated information through innumerable platforms. But, have you ever stopped to ask what, out of everything you could know, you really must know?
Perhaps the two most important questions are:
- Who is God? In Philippians, God is revealed as Jesus Christ. No less than seven times in the first 11 verses, and a total of 61 times in the 104 total verses, Jesus Christ is spoken of.
- Who are you? According to God through Paul, a Christian is both a servant and saint.
As a servant, we serve Jesus because He served and continues to serve us. Our God, Jesus Christ, is a servant. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapters 40-66 focus on Jesus coming as our “suffering servant”. Jesus taught those aspiring to be great in Matthew 20:25-28, “the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In the world, serving is not valued and those who do serve (e.g. baristas, bank tellers, contracted employees) are often mistreated and disregarded. In the church, serving is valued and those who serve (e.g. ministry volunteers) should be honored and appreciated. The values of humble King Jesus and His Kingdom are completely different than what proud world we live in which is why God’s people should live “Kingdom down” instead of “culture up” in how they view and live life.
In what ministry role has God called you to serve?