Phil 2,v3-end, February 15th 2026
Also John 13v1-17.
Introduction.
Exercise – who are you becoming?
Let me guide you in a short reflection exercise …
- Close your eyes for just a moment ….
- Take a few slow breathes …
- Ask God to direct your mind …
- Now, imagine yourself at 70 or 80 or 90.
- What kind of person do you see?
- Ask yourself: Who am I becoming?
Your Life
Paul writes to the Christians in Philippi.
Chapter 1, up to v27 Paul shares about his own struggles,
heart, perspective, joys, vision.
At v27 the letter changes. The language moves from I to
you. ‘’Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.’’
You could say – Paul asks : who are you becoming – are
you becoming someone who lives in a way worthy of the
gospel?
Now in the Greek, there is the word for citizen. The NLT
expresses this in v27 – Above all you must live as citizens
of heaven conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of
the Good News about Christ.
Philippi was proud of being a Roman colony – a gift given
to it due to historical events years before. The residents
enjoyed the benefits and privileges of being a Roman
citizen.
A couple of years ago I listened to a simple alternative
reading of Phil 1 – where Christ was replaced by the word
King. So for example To all God’s saints in Christ Jesus,
this becomes To all God’s saints in King Jesus. Try it. As
you read through the verses you get to v27 Above all
you must live as citizens of heaven conducting
yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about
Christ. Michael Gorman translates v27 as ‘’your public
behavior must match up to the gospel of the king.’’
Paul is asking: Who are you, Philippians, becoming?
Jon Tyson is a British pastor in New York, and he talks
about how New York forms you. He says he did not
expect it. He calls New York a formation machine – it
affects your attitudes and even, sociologists say, how fast
you walk. The stories of the city, the history, the
architecture works on you in a subtle way. And you return
home and they ask – what happened to you! – New York
happened!
He says – it formed him but he was not aware of it.
Tyson then goes on to say. People can around us can say
– I am not being shaped by anything. Yet we are being
formed. The point is not – shall I be formed. The question
is – who or what is forming you?
The question is not – what shall I become. The question is
– who am I becoming?
In Romans 12 Paul writes:
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good,
pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to recognize that
Rome was shaping them. The architecture, the practices,
the attitudes, the history. When Paul says – conform –
the tense means – it is already happening – they are
being conformed. And that would have been true for
Philippi. They were able to call themselves Roman
citizens and now Rome wanted to mould them into what
that looked like.
Today, what habits do you keep, daily weekly, how are
they shaping you? How are relationships forming you?
What stories have shaped the way you see the world?
What about the environment? What about life
experience? How are they forming you?
Who are you becoming? Pause.
The Christian family.
And who you are becoming affects not just your life out
there – where we study, or work or live. It affects our life
here among our Christian family.
V1-4 – Paul talks about their relationship with other
believers and then says:
‘’ in your relationships with one another, have the same
mindset or attitude as Christ Jesus.’’
Have the same attitude as King Jesus.
As he says to them – Christianity is about transformation
– or sanctification as other places call this.
What does that mindset or attitude look like?
He shares in v6-11 – the gospel – The God up there
becomes the God down here. God is in Jesus, fully God
fully man. But the gospel is more than just God
becoming man. It is about the God up there becoming
the God down here and that God suffering. And why does
that happen – out of magnificent love ‘’’taking the very
nature of a servant’’ – to serve humankind, each one of
us. As Jesus himself said – ‘’for even the Son of Man – a
title Jesus used for himself – did not come to be served,
but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.’’ That
is the example shown in John, where Jesus washes the
disciples feet.
To have your feet washed is a humbling experience.
I remember at our missionary school, at our final service,
we were invited to wash one another’s feet.
But it goes deeper. In days of Jesus foot washing was
seen as such a humble task, that even a Jewish slave was
not required to do it. And in those days, travelling around
in dusty culture with sandals – you know how your feet
get in the summer after a day of sandals – Jesus does
what his disciples will not do.
His footwashing has two things for us to learn from:
it signifies the washing away of sins through his death –
he washed us – how through his death on the cross – the
greatest of all, became human, and died in the worst way
possible – so we could be clean. He shows his love by his
death.
And Jesus then says : ‘’You call me teacher and lord, and
rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet you also should wash one
another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should
do as I have done for you.’’
He shows his love by his servanthood and humility. And calls on us to imitate him.
Who are you becoming? Paul says are you becoming a
servant like Jesus? To seek to love others by serving
others in the community, to put them first, over yourself
even if costly?
Work it out.
v12 he says ‘’’Therefore’’ it means – okay in the light of
what you have just heard me say about Jesus, who are
you to become – work out your salvation, seeking to
imitate Christ, in fear and trembling, for it is God who
works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good
purpose.’’
It is partnership. You are saved by Christ’s work. Your
make your daily choice – work it out what it means.
But God also works in you by his Spirit who indwells
every Christian believer.
We are intentional and it is the work of God’s
Empowering Presence.
What can help direct our choices?
Vision and Practices are the two words.
Vision.
Jesus gives us a very visual picture of washing feet. He
says ‘’Very truly I tell you no servant is greater than his
master.’’ That he the Lord, would do so, and as no servant
is greater than the master, so if he served so should I.
The Cross is a second picture Paul invites us to meditate
upon.
When he is seeking to explore the greatest definition of
what servanthood looks like and how we are to act
towards other believers – he describes the events of the
cross and what it cost and what servanthood looks like.
What is servant hood like – we hold before us the vision
of washing feet, and hanging on a cross.
Second tool is practices. SLIDE.
PtW identifies 9 of them, which we can see in the life of
Jesus – practices – he himself did. The Practices are
disciplines that create time and space for the Spirit to
transform us from the inside out. Prayer ; Scripture;
Fasting; Solitude; Witness; Service; Generosity; Sabbath;
Community.
Prayer and Scripture are essential, yet alongside those we
identify a few practices we can take on – in a way that
honestly reflects our season of life – and by doing so we
create space and time.
PtW will share much more about this. But can I say why
are we having this focus.
Two reasons to share.
- For some of us, this is your next stage of growth. You
are ready for this. I think about the tools of spiritual
formation I was given over the years. My friend Jessie
helped me discover those practices of prayer and bible –
quiet time – and helped introduce me into our Christian
Union -student Christian community – which had a main
gathering once a week and small groups. In that
community we were invited to serve in some way, a
number of months after having become part of the
Christian Union. The first way I served in a Christian
community – me and my great friend – Big Mat – we
called him that because well he was a big guy. We served
tea and coffee after each service for a year. I learned the
practice of service. And in that community I learned from
other Christians about spiritual gifts, about generosity re
giving, sabbath, and about witnessing.
When I joined Operation Mobilisation, I learned about
two other practices fasting and solitude. Solitude meant
dedicated time away with God eg on retreat for a day or
a few days. A few years later, when training to be a
minister, there was further teaching and emphasis on
those practices.
At different stages of my walk with Jesus, I have learned
about new practices, or put them into a new deeper
practice. I say this because maybe now, is the time to
take on a new practice or to do deeper.
2.. My role as a minister is described as ‘’equipping you
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be
built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’’
Eph 4. Part of my work is to help you, grow as disciples.
That does not mean tools etc only for now but for a
lifelong discipleship. I look back on what I received years
ago, that still helps me now. If we can play a role in your
formation now for your future in the future, that is
wonderful.
But these tools I think are important because we never
know what the future holds, we may reach a time when
we cannot easily gather as Christians, perhaps
persecution will come – do we have the tools to stand
and grow if we cannot meet others as often as we like?
Or perhaps God will calls us to a land where those
conditions exist? I remember a story Brother Andrew
told. In 2009 he was visiting Syria and he felt God laid on
his heart to preach and teach the Syrian church leaders
about persecution. At the end of the days, they said to
him – why did you do that, there is no persecution here
and all is well. Two years later, the Syrian civil war
began… They later said, they were thankful for what they
had learned and what Brother Andrew had shared. So
times can change and sometime the times change before
we know they will change…
Those around us.
Paul asked are you becoming more Christlike? Then Paul,
v18-end starts talking about Timothy and Epaphroditus.
Now in the past, for me, this seemed like a strange
detour by Paul – as if he has been distracted and now
talks about travel plans.
But he is not distracted. Paul talks about T and E because
they are examples of all he has been talking about. You
see, the Philippians could have said – well you ask us to
have the attitude of Jesus, and well that is Jesus and we
are, well we have not been Christians that long, and you
Paul – you met him on that road and have all that
knowledge, but we are ordinary folk.
So he points to Timothy. A young adult Christian.
And Epaphroditus – someone from their own community.
Someone they know, someone like them.
Paul describes Timothy.
‘’I have no one else who will show genuine concern for
your welfare, for everyone looks out for their own
interests but not those of Jesus Christ.’’ v20.
Paul said earlier: ‘’Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
vain conceit. Rather in humility value others about
yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of
you to the interests of others.’’v4.
Who are you to become? Timothy is an example of
someone who is becoming more like Christ.
It is possible. He is working out his salvation and God is
working in him by his Spirit.
And Epaphroditus. He is another example of Christlike
service. Hear how Paul describes him ‘’he almost died for
the work of Christ’’ which is similar to Jesus’ description
‘’he was obedient to the point of death’’ And second, he
faced the peril on behalf of the Philippians ‘’he risked his
life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give
me.’’ They had wanted to help Paul but they could not,
until Epaphroditus made it possible. Epaphroditus acted
on the behalf of others who were helpless…
So T and E both reflect Christ shaped, serve centred lives
and so are presented to the Philippians. Paul says – look it
is possible, learn from them.
As Christians, what helps us in our becoming are, are
those around us. Their examples. Paul could have said –
listen to everything I have said, read what I wrote, and
that will be enough. But he points to other believers as
examples.
We learn from other believers as we share life together
as we get to know each other, listen to their stories, learn
what has helped them etc. It suggests, quality time, spent
with other believers, talking about faith and swopping
stories about what helps, is part of our becoming more
Christlike. Paul points to that human example when he
says in 1 Cor 11:1 imitate me as I imitate Christ.
Conclusion.
Philippians is asking us
So who are you becoming.
Are you becoming more like Christ
And what choices will you make?
And who will you learn from?
Re-Read Phil 2:v3-end.