Hello, all.
My name is Andrew Stubblefield, and I have the honor of preaching at LifeWay this Sunday. I’m sure some of you might be thinking, “Wait, that Andrew Stubblefield?” Yes, this Andrew Stubblefield! Pastor Billy reached out to me in August asking if I would like to preach, but after prayerful consideration, I realized that I didn’t have time to properly prepare given how busy my life was at the time. So when work slowed down in November, I prayed some more and then told Billy that I was available. He said that New Year’s weekend was open, and I said that sounded great! Only one questioned remained: What should I preach on? Again, I prayed about it and decided on Philippians 2:1-11. Why? Because it is one of the most beautiful passages that describes the excellency of Jesus Christ and one of the greatest exhortations to humility and love in the entire Bible.
Humility.
It’s something that doesn’t at all come naturally to us as humans. Yet it is something that God constantly calls us to as Christians. We are called to live as servants of others and to live with a humble mindset. After all, that is precisely what Jesus did for us. He came to Earth not as a king, but as a servant, a humble carpenter, born in a manger.
Examine the following verses and see what God’s Word has to say about humility:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3
“A dispute also arose among them [the disciples], as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And He said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” – Luke 22:24-27
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7
One of the themes we see throughout the Bible is the idea that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. And there is no greater example of this than Jesus Himself. He lived His entire life with a view to love and serve others before Himself, and even did so to the point dying on a cross for the sins of the world! And that’s what we’ll be focusing on this Sunday: humility and love for others.
In preparation for Sunday, I would encourage you to read Philippians 1 and 2. I know that two chapters is more reading than what is usually asked, but it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes, and I think it will greatly benefit your preparation for the sermon this Sunday.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and I sincerely look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!
In Christ,
Andrew Stubblefield