Stop Being So Selfish

The path to unity is not waiting on everyone else to align themselves with you. Fight against personal selfishness and work toward humble servanthood.

Philippians 2:1-4

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Reason to Fight Selfishness (2:1)

• “Encouragement in Christ” – You shouldn’t need the acceptance of anyone else if you are confident that you are in Christ.
• “Comfort from love” – Through the deepest suffering of this life, I am comforted by a God who maintains a mesmerizingly amount of love for me.
• “Participation in the Spirit” – Since all believers are indwelled by the same Spirit, we should not have opposing directions.
• “Affection and sympathy” – God showers us with steadfast affection and genuine sympathy to remind us He hasn’t given up on us.
• You don’t have to fight for your best interests because Christ has already died for them.

The Goal to Oppose Selfishness (2:2)

• As a church, our joy can’t be complete if we each believe it to be contingent on different things.
• Unity is not uniformity, but it is unidirectionality.
• A church will be united with one another when all are aligned with Jesus.

The Way to Stop Selfishness (2:3-4)

• If your greatest concern is your personal agenda, you are unable to experience God’s fullest will for your life.
• If you truly know yourself, humility should not be a difficult trait to pursue.
• Following Jesus means that I should live in such a way that every other person is more important than myself.

In Christ, I received what I didn’t deserve, so I should be able to give others what they don’t deserve.