Powerful Humility

This last week's message was on the 6th prayer in the series "Dear Father... Pastoral Prayers for Mercy Hill" and it was the prayer of humility:

Dear Father, we pray this morning that we would turn away from spiritual pride. That we would be convinced of the destructive nature of arrogance in the heart of the believer and the life of the Church. May the image of Christ's humble Gospel inspire us daily to emulate his service and sacrifice. Father, may our deepening love for Christ produce a true love for others.

As we were studing the foundational importance of humility in the life of the believer and community of Christ that is expressed in Philippians 2 I was struck by Paul's emphasis on the depths of Christ's example of humility.

When you look at verses 1-4 Paul aggresively is calling the church to unity. He says if you have "any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy," then be unified. He is essentially saying if you get this "Christian thing" at all, be unified. Now, when you look at the state of most churches in this day and age, with the commonality of division and politics, you are immediately struck with what a large challenge this calling is for us as Christ followers. But as is often the case, Paul provides the means by which this is acheived; humility through a Gospel call that empowers us.

5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Paul is saying look to the example of Christ's Gospel humility, be conformed to that image and the church will find unity. But look at the intensity of humility to which we are called; "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS." It's like humility that causes death isnt enough, he has to remind us that it was a death on the cross.  For many of us, 2000 years removed from the ancient image of the cross, we might not understand the significance of that emphasis but I believe Paul is trying to call the church to a humility that is so counter to our humanity. You see, Paul is emphasizing the unfair brutality of Christ's humbling. A death on the cross was reserved for criminals, for those who's punishement was well deserved. It was brutal and painful and was meant for those who earned it. Christ humbled himself, preferred others, sacrificed his rights even when he didnt deserve it, even when they didnt earn it.

I can't tell you how many times I have been called into the middle of disputes between brothers and sisters in Christ and heard the defense, "I didnt deserve to be treated that way. I was nice and generous and he took advantage and mistreated me. He's the one at fault not me!" We as human beings, especially as Americans, are great defenders of our personal rights, advocates of personal fairness but when we are only willing to reconcile, to exercise humility, to prefer others when it fits into our sense of justice we will not find the unity to which Paul is calling us. 

May we be conformed to the image of a humbled Christ, even Christ on the cross.

Celebrating Five Years!

This past week, we celebrated five years since having launched Mercy Hill Church in Milwaukee. Five years! At Mercy Hill, there's something we say often, "We're not here to build a church, we're here to BE THE CHURCH."

Pastor Tommy preachead on the concept of "being the church" and what that means for us at Mercy Hill.

What Does it Mean to be "Yoked"?

 ¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

2Corinthians 6

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." What does that mean?

I know if you've spent any time in church at all you have probably heard someone say, "don't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever," and almost exclusively that reference is made in the context of dating or marrying a "non-Christian". But is that it? Although I think that it is Godly wisdom to avoid such relationships and that this concept is included in Paul's admonition I think when we limit it to this application we miss so much of what God's Word is trying to teach us. 

As is often the case context is everything. The historical context is that Paul is writing to the Corinthian church and he's not trying to confront some rash of devotionally "mixed marriages". He is writing to a church that has struggled with being sucked into ideas and practices that are counter to sound Gospel teaching. They are connecting with and adopting the belief systems of those around them who don't know Christ and have not conformed to Christ-like principles. As David Guzik says in his commentary on 2 Corinthians it is about influence:

It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we are joining together with unbelievers in an ungodly way. This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn't be in the ship! But if the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 

There is another interesting contextual note that leads us to an understanding that Paul is confronting the adoption of anti-Christian philosophy as the real issue. When Paul chooses the word "yoke" it carries with it, in a first century mindset, the idea of philosophical teaching. You see, as young Jewish men would come of age they would tend to find teachers, or rabbi's, who's interpretations of the Torah they would follow.  Each rabbi had their own added commandments and regulations and a rabbi's own particular interpretation of the Torah was called that rabbi's "yoke." When Paul makes this reference he's saying "you can't yoke the teachings of Christ to the teachings of those who are driven by a worldly philosophy, they are incompatible."

This teaching is not simply about being married to an unbeliever but it is a warning to all Christians to make sure we are not melding our Christ given "yoke" with a "yoke" born of worldly values. A Gospel born philosophy of selfless love and sacrifice with a "yoke" of greed, pride, self pleasure and preservation. This is a warning that I think is particularly poignent in our American church culture. May we adopt Christ's "easy yoke" and reject the corrupting influences of worldly philosophy that is found far too often in the hearts and churches of American Christians.