WEBVTT 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.919 You're listening to the road after teacher Steve Hall. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:18.239 I exhaust the humble, starting with deciding. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:25.760 Live to us who exhausted on the third day and have seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:29.039 Every one of us will bow the knees. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.520 Every one of us will bow down to Christ. 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:39.920 Even the most avid atheists will have to bow down to Christ. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:42.560 Why not start now? 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:44.880 Because you're going to do it anyway. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:51.200 At the road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:55.679 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:01:00.960 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:06.400 We are in the book of Philippians. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:08.400 If you have your Bible, turn to Philippians. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:14.159 You know that we are studying this idea of the leverage of joy. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:18.319 That the book of Philippians is Paul's manifesto on joy. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:24.480 If you don't have a Bible, there might be some in front of you in the slots in front of you, or you can just use your phone. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.159 And the app also has the notes on it, the Road app. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:36.879 But this manifesto of joy by Paul is talking about this leverage of joy, and that's what we've been talking about for about six weeks. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:38.879 And there's 104 verses. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:41.280 It's really, really a short letter. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:43.599 It's one of the shortest letters in the New Testament. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:47.599 But 19 times Paul talks about joy. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:54.879 And we are in Philippians chapter 2, and we're going to look at leverage number seven. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:13.520 Therefore, if there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:23.599 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:29.759 Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:46.240 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:55.039 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:12.080 Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:16.000 So even in hell, they're going to bow to the name of Jesus. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:22.240 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:26.639 So this is Paul's favorite church. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:31.199 He loves the Philippians, and he knows they've been under pressure, and there's been a lot of persecution. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:37.599 And he's talking about two areas of divisiveness that are hitting the Philippian church. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:54.800 One is from without, and that is persecution from the Jews, and even some from the Romans because of the province there in Philippi, and it was such a popular place for ex-Roman soldiers to go. 00:03:54.960 --> 00:04:02.960 It was populated with many men and women who considered this kind of like the second home away from Rome. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.960 So it was called the Little Rome. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:08.960 So there's persecution to this new faith coming from without. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:10.719 And chapter 3 covers this more. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:11.919 We'll get to that. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:20.160 But there was also some division within, and in chapter 4 it talks about two women who can't get along. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:24.319 And so he's now addressing this issue of unity. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:37.600 And he starts off by saying, therefore, if there's any consolation in Christ, and the key operable phrase here, prepositional phrase, is in Christ. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.639 And in the Greek, it doesn't say in because it almost sounds like it's conditional. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:05:03.519 He's actually encouraging them with four statements where if you look at your Bibles right now, it might say in, and he talks about if, if, if, four times being in Christ, if there's any consolation, we could translate that in the Greek to since there is consolation. 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:09.600 So it's actually an emphatic statement of encouragement, not a conditional statement. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:11.360 So here's how we might read it. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:33.600 Therefore, since there is consolation in Christ, and since there's a comfort of love, and since there's fellowship of the Spirit, and since there's affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, and being of one accord, of one mind. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:41.360 Now, there's a difference between uniformity and unity. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:49.439 Uniformity is pressure to be formed or to act like everybody else. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.319 And the church is notorious for that. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:55.199 Kind of this outward pressure to conform. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.839 But unity comes from the heart. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.360 Unity in a marriage comes from the heart. 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:05.040 Unity on an athletic team that's successful has to come from the heart. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:10.319 And unity in a church comes from the heart wherein there's a common mission. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:17.759 I'm not a believer in unity for unity's sake in anything. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:19.839 There has to be a common mission. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.639 That's why I love now, ladies. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:27.439 Listen to what I'm going to say all the way through. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:29.519 Okay, because I wrote a book on this. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:30.879 I have a chapter on it. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.800 It's called the S-word. 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:42.399 The reason I love the S word, which is submission, is not because I'm going to put women in their place or I'm going to put someone in their place. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:47.439 I love submission because of what it in its Latin meaning really means. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:51.839 It means subbed, sub, under, a mission. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:54.000 Sub to a mission. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:55.839 And I'll say to you, man. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:04.079 If you're having trouble with your wife submitting, then the question to you is, what's your mission? 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.160 So many marriages have no mission. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.519 There's nothing to sub to except you. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:13.600 And that's not good enough. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:21.040 God calls us to a submitted heart in the church, the mission of Christ, to a family, mission of Christ. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:23.839 To a company, whatever the mission of that company is. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:30.720 We submit because our heart is aflame and fired up for the mission. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:46.720 And so he's calling forth to the church at Philippi that let's be unified in Christ, submitted to Christ, because in Christ, he says, there's affection and mercy. 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:48.800 There's a fellowship of the Spirit. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:50.560 There's a comfort of love. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.920 And there's a consolation that comes in Christ. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:55.279 Isn't that exciting? 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.199 I mean, that's exciting stuff. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:59.600 So here's joy leverage number seven. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:06.959 Joy leverage number seven is this joy comes through selfless living. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.079 Joy comes through selfless living. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:14.959 The key phrase here is in Christ. 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:20.240 Philippians chapter one, our joy is found by putting Christ first. 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.720 And if you've been here, you heard my messages on that. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:28.079 But Philippians 2 is going to be about putting others next. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.800 So chapter 1, putting Christ first. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.480 Chapter 2, putting others next. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:41.679 Paul is the soul winner in chapter 1, but he's the selfless-minded in chapter 2. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.799 Joy leverage number 7 is the joy of selfless living. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:58.240 In the 16th century, the Renaissance astronomer Nicholas Copernicus challenged the belief that the earth was the center of the universe. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:06.720 Copernicus argued that the sun didn't revolve around the earth, but that the earth revolved around the sun. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:16.879 The Copernicus revolution turned the scientific world upside down by turning the universe inside out. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:26.960 In the same way, each one of you need a spiritual Copernicus revolution. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:34.559 The paradigm shift happens when we come to terms with the fact that the world actually doesn't revolve around you. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.440 News flash. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:40.320 You are not the center of the universe. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:57.279 But God is, and Christ is, and when we learn to walk in Christ, we can have a spiritual Copernicus revolution that can turn our world right side up by turning our heart inside out. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:01.120 To begin to dethrone ourselves and enthrone Christ. 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:09.360 To realize that our life revolves around Christ, not Christ revolving around us. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:16.480 When we begin to learn that, there's a new surrendered lifestyle, and that's where Paul takes us next. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:28.960 Let nothing, verse 3, be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:35.279 Let each of you look not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:41.279 So selfless living is the opposite of Lucifer. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.919 The opposite of Satan. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:46.720 And really the opposite of the culture that we're living in. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:51.120 So we know in Isaiah 14 that we had the first selfie. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:11:10.320 The first selfie is in Isaiah 14, verses 12 through 14, where Satan says, and scriptures say, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will exalt and sit on the mount of the congregation on the highest side of the north. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:13.120 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.159 I will be like the Most High. 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:19.679 God, here I am in heaven. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:20.799 Click. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:23.360 Selfies. 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:28.240 I was telling Liz this morning, I said, we should not call it selfish living. 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.000 We should call it selfie living. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:31.919 Selfie ish living. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:34.159 Selfie is living. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.639 So for guys, you know it's I was going through some of my pictures last night. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:41.759 I don't know why I was bored. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:50.000 I got back from speaking at a conference with the Air Force Academy cadets with their God chasers retreat down in Westcliff. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.519 Had a fun time down there. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.440 How do you like the title of my talk? 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.600 I am a Christian Hedonist. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:01.360 And um and so uh and I did do a selfie while I was there. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:05.759 With Ben Polk, who's leading it, and we took it for his dad. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.039 So um selfie is living. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.759 So guys, we kind of we kind of flex. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.039 But women, it's duck face. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.720 And it's this is this is how it looks. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:36.720 It's like hand on the hip, usually in front of a mirror or something, and it's like we call it in the whole, we call it pouty face. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:40.879 Now you might call it duck face, but listen to this. 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:49.039 Over 94 million selfies are taken every day and posted worldwide. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:56.080 The average millennial will take 25,700 selfies in a lifetime. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.639 Whoa, that's selfieish living. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:06.000 Females between 16 and 25 spend five hours a week doing selfies. 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:12.480 Well, it's not only selfish, but it's dangerous. 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:19.039 Do you realize there's more people killed every year to selfies than shark attacks? 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:24.879 And I don't understand that unless you're just getting too close to the cliff or something and you fall in. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:25.919 I don't know. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:37.919 But there's more people who die from selfies than shark attacks, and I think the TV world should realize that we need to stop having shark week and have selfie week. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:48.480 We are never more like the devil than when we practice selfish ambition and conceit. 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:58.799 We are never more like Jesus when we practice lowliness of mind and esteem others better than ourselves. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.919 And the key word here is others. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:03.519 So four motives. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:08.320 I see in our passage, four motives of selfless living that gives us joy. 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:16.320 And the first is this esteeming others better than yourself in your actions. 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:20.720 So not just saying it, but actually in your actions. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:27.279 And Paul gives us here in chapter 2 four examples of selfless living. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:48.720 Christ, in verses 5 through 10, in his giving of his life for us, Paul through discipleship and leadership, verses 11 through 18, Timothy in serving Paul, verses 19 through 24, and then Epiphroditus in ministering to others, verses 25 through 30. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:55.039 So Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:00.000 So you're not the center of the universe, church. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.720 The road's not the center of all churches. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:05.200 I'm not the center of all pastors. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:16.960 You are in a surrendered life going to find joy when we realize that the world that you live in can, if you allow it to, revolves around Christ. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:22.879 And so the more we live in Christ, the more Christ changes the motives of our heart. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:24.159 Here's what's interesting. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:29.840 Even psychology is realizing the healthiness of selfless living. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:49.919 Thomas Plant, PhD professor of Santa Clara University, an adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, found that people who serve others at least two hours per week over many years reduced mortality by 40%. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:56.080 That people who served others handle stress better than those who didn't. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:01.360 Especially when you serve people less fortunate than yourself. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:07.360 The levels of compassion and empathy rise and actually you become healthier. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:24.960 Quote: One team of sociologists tracked 2,000 people over a five-year period and found that Americans who described themselves as very happy volunteered at least 5.8 hours per month helping others. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:36.320 This heightened sense of well-being might be the byproduct of being more physically active as a result of volunteering, or because it makes us more socially active. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:47.039 Researchers also think that giving back might give individuals a mental boost by providing them with a neurochemical sense of reward. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:48.480 Isn't that exciting? 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.840 Studies have shown that selfless living, well, four things. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.320 It came out, I read five or six articles, and you saw this common theme. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:59.200 Number one, it decreases chronic pain. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:08.240 So if you deal with chronic pain, you might consider not just thinking about your pain, but thinking about others. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:09.920 Decreases chronic pain. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.720 Number two, it lowers your blood pressure. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:14.720 Lowers your blood pressure. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:21.680 Number three, for teens, it increases positive behavior in teens. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:27.599 And then number four, it gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction to one's life. 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:28.480 Isn't that exciting? 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:41.359 So, I mean, even psychology is realizing the kingdom truths of the way Jesus challenged us to live our lives for others and to give ourselves away toward others. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:48.240 Verse five, let this mind, so this first is a mental attitude, this is a heart attitude. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:18:02.400 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:03.759 So here's motive number two. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:08.079 Motive number two, loving Jesus by living like Jesus. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.319 Loving Jesus by living like Jesus. 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:25.839 Jesus had a mindset that though he was God, fully God and fully human, that he was willing to leave heaven and leave all the benefits and rewards of heaven to come to this earth because of his love for us. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:34.160 Even says that for the joy, Hebrews 12, 2, for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:43.039 He came with joy, and I was, when I was sharing with the guys yesterday at the retreat, I was saying, you know, you realize he was scourged? 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.839 Jesus was scourged? 00:18:46.160 --> 00:19:13.359 Thirty-nine lashes with a cat of nine tails, that means nine leather straps coming off this stick, this post that the Roman soldier would carry that had metal slithers in it and stones that ripped the flesh that caught the back of Jesus in the top part of his neck, and then they just ripped it down his back. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:30.799 Most men going to crucifixion died because of the scourging alone, ripped down through the flesh and the outer areas of our skin down to the very organs being exposed. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:36.880 Ripped that way, and to such an extent that Jesus couldn't even carry the cross the entire way to Calvary. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.200 Someone else had to carry it for him. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:43.119 For the joy set before him, he did that. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:54.559 And I think it's why Paul says it in other places you haven't even resisted sin to the point of the shedding of blood like Christ. 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:55.839 I'm reminded of that. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:57.599 I couldn't sleep last night. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.240 I woke up. 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:00.319 I have struggle sleeping right now. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.400 I think my adrenals are all messed up. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:21.279 And um and so I was uh Liz and I were talking, and the thing that got me to sleep is wait, these little dinky struggles you have, and I couldn't help but be reminded of what I just preached a few hours before. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.279 Just being scourged. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:25.279 Nothing. 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:54.720 To actually carry the pressure of this church and many of you and your struggles into my life is only just slightly, in a tiny way, comparable to the sin and the burdens and the pressures that Christ carried for the joy set before him. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:59.680 Church, as we begin to love others, we're gonna carry their burdens. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.079 You're supposed to. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:13.839 We carry those burdens and then we hand them back to Christ, and then we carry the burdens and we hand them back to Christ, and we carry the burdens and we surrender them back to Christ. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:28.000 That was the mindset of Jesus who left his heavenly home for us for seven, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:37.359 Motive three, for the joy of selfless living, serving others like Christ. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:40.880 And this church is full. 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:43.279 Unbelievable. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:50.319 Never been around an organization of so many people serving as this church. 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:59.759 I mean, I come here on a Tuesday or a Wednesday or Thursday, and people are coming in and they're coming out and they're coming in and they're coming out and they're fixing this and they're fixing that. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:07.920 Steve Clark and his team of volunteers are just a little starting to grow this little army. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.000 Little army starting to happen of people serving. 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:14.400 And how about those donuts? 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:16.880 How about that coffee out there? 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:18.799 And somebody put it together. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:22.640 Daryl and Della do that, and we've got a roadmap. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:24.240 I'm going to come in and speak. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:27.759 Everything else has been done by volunteers serving. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:28.799 And guess what? 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.960 They're all happy. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:33.279 They're happy. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:34.480 There's joy in that. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.759 We're going to do spring's initiative. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:37.359 We're going to do springs initiative this summer. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:39.599 We do spring's initiative every summer. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:44.160 We had twice as many people serving in Springs Initiative last summer as we did the summer before. 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:45.440 We had twice before that. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:47.440 And we go and we paint a house. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:49.039 Fix up a house. 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:52.319 We got a group going to Guatemala in the first of June. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:52.880 And you know what? 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.559 They're going to all do it joyfully. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:57.119 And they're the happiest people on the face of the earth. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:02.480 The happiest place on the face of the earth shouldn't be Disneyland. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:06.240 It should be right here in the local church. 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.680 We should be happy. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:14.000 We have Christ, but also loving and caring about others. 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:26.799 It's interesting that Paul speaks of himself as a forerunner so many times in his letters, but here he calls Jesus the first forerunner of being a bond slave. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.319 Of being a bondservant. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:33.599 That's why Paul says again numerous times in his letters, I'm a bondservant of Jesus Christ. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:39.440 James names himself as a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:43.119 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:47.680 Jude begins his short letter with a bondservant of Jesus Christ. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:55.839 And a bondservant was one who was a slave who had been set free by his master, and then he chose to be a slave. 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.279 Again, Deuteronomy 15, because he loved his master. 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:03.920 Men and women, God's called us to be bondservants. 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:11.279 Not because of duty, but because of devotion and love for Christ. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.920 And it's the greatest joy, it's the greatest happiness of our lives. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:20.559 That's why I loved giving that message yesterday, being a Christian hedonist. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:25.359 That our greatest satisfaction comes in Christ. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.519 Nothing compares with it. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:39.200 And being found an appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:25:14.400 Therefore, God also has highly exalted him, given him the name which is above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:19.519 Motive number four, God exalts the humble. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:33.359 God exalts the humble, starting with his son, who died for us and was exalted on the third day and now seated at the right hand with the Father. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:36.880 Every one of us will bow the knee. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:40.880 Every one of us will bow down to Christ. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:47.279 Even the most avid atheists will have to bow down to Christ. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:49.759 Why not start now? 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.319 Because you're going to do it anyway. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:56.400 Why not begin eternal life now? 00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:07.519 And the big reason is because many of us think that eternal life is out there someday when we physically die, and yet the scriptures are clear. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:12.079 Christ said, I came that you might have life and might have it abundantly. 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:14.640 Eternal life can begin right now. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:26.240 This abundant life can begin right now by bowing our knee to Jesus, to giving our heart to Him completely. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:28.559 That's the joy. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:34.240 The most unhappy people in the world, I believe, are not unbelievers. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.359 Because many of them are just ignorant pagans. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:41.599 The most unhappy people in the world are those who know Christ. 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:47.759 They've given their heart to Christ and they choose to go back to selfie-ish living. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:27:10.640 And so they've got this selfie life, and yet they know, and there's this tug of something greater, but they won't dive in because they've still got this way of thinking that it's between me making myself happy or Jesus making my life boring. 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:13.039 That was my story. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:18.319 I thought about Jesus and I went, man, I want to do this and I want to do that. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.640 I'm going to have to quit doing that if I do this. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.720 And Jesus is boring. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.319 And then God brought a Copernicus revolution in my life. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:31.039 And I realized, wait, wait. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:32.640 And that's the reason John 10.10. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:43.119 To me, John 10.10, he said, I came that you might have life, might have it abundantly, was so much more powerful in my heart and in my life than even John 3.16. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:49.119 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:50.160 Great verse. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.200 Love it. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:28:01.279 Many of us memorized it as kids, but it was what caught my heart was abundant life in Christ. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.279 Joy. 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:08.720 Everlasting joy found in him. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.200 It's what Pascal discovered. 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:14.480 It's what Aristotle discovered in his own way. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.759 I believe he did. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.400 It's what Augustine discovered. 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:19.200 It's what C.S. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:20.319 Lewis discovered. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:24.559 It's what many of the great philosophers, it's what they discovered. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:37.200 And in so discovering, they surrendered everything to Christ, and their life became not easy, but an inward joy. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:50.400 So, church, there's joy and selfless living when we surrender everything to Christ, and he lives his life through us in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:57.440 James says, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. 00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:00.480 Humble yourself, and he will lift you up. 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.000 Peter says it this way. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:05.920 Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:15.759 Yes, all of you, be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.119 Anybody here need more grace than what you got right now? 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:24.079 Walk in pride, God resists you. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:30.079 Walk in humility and selfless living, and God will lift you up. 00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:32.880 And I want to be in flow with God. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:34.079 It's hard enough. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:40.400 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:43.599 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:47.599 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:51.680 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:58.880 Go to the road.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:07.039 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.