In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus. “These five fingers,” says Lucy. “Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.” “Which channel do you want?” asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his own fingers and says, “Why can’t you guys get organised like that?” (BOF p206)

Well, there we have one way of getting unity. How many of you have been on the receiving end of such an approach? How many of you have been the propagators of such an approach (i.e. threatening action of some kind if you don’t get your own way)? The truth of the matter is that unity is not the natural human way of life – it not our natural style. If we think about the history of the world going right back to Creation and all that happened in the Garden of Eden, we know that from the very inception of human life, humanity has always wanted to do things their own way and thousands of years has not changed this one bit!

To this extent, one writer suggests that we are all ‘self-addicted’ creatures – that is creatures who are addicted to ourselves. It’s all about what ‘I want.’ Yes, we’re happy to have unity, providing it’s done our way, and our way only. Since being ordained, I have discovered that people often request Sinatra’s signature song ‘I did it my way’ to be played at their funeral because they identify so strongly with the words that they too have lived their life their way! Interestingly enough, from Sinatra’s perspective, he himself didn’t rank it highly at all, yet people still loved it and continue to because it resonates with that which lies at the very heart of our humanity – and that is a desire to have things done own way – you could say that it’s part of our DNA!

How many of you know the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? 5 individuals get to tour Willy Wonka’s amazing secretive Chocolate Factory, yet 4 of them end up in all sorts of messes, all because they insist on doing things their own way. The exception is Charlie, and if you want to know why, you’ll have to read the book!

In a similar way, the good news (and there is good news) is that even though humanity possesses such a strong desire to do things its own way, God has provided an alternative way that can help us to live according to His ways which are so much better. As the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55: 8-9)

If we are willing to accept that God’s ways are infinitely higher and better than our own – if we are willing to listen to what God has to say to us - if we are willing to live life according to His ways and not our own, then we start to become the people that God ultimately wants us to be. People that will be, to use Paul’s words in v2, like-minded, having the same love, and being one in spirit and purpose.

And in case you’re thinking, Paul’s being rather general in these words, he then puts his finger on specific areas that are some of humanity’s greatest weaknesses – areas that need to be addressed and not swept under the carpet if we are going to achieve any sense of oneness as God’s people. So what are these things?

If we look at v3, Paul writes ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.’ Well, Paul certainly doesn’t beat about the bush here as he goes straight for the jugular – selfish ambition, vain conceit. Selfish ambition - when a person cares for nothing except themselves and where they want to go in life, is perhaps one of humanity’s biggest flaws and we only have to look at the state of the world to see what happens when ambition is selfishly exercised. Now, this is not to say that having ambition is wrong – what is important is how ambition is lived out. Let me illustrate it this way:

When I read music for my first degree, it opened up a number of different performing opportunities, including playing in our regional semi-professional orchestra. My aim was always to be the best violist I could be and to enjoy playing with others. I soon learned, however, that there were others who were out to advance themselves as much as possible, even if this meant backstabbing and trampling on others in order to secure this – and this was one of the things that put me off wanting to pursue this particular kind of music living.

To have the ambition to be the best at your job is one thing – to have an ambition that involves walking all over people is another. And so in response to such natural inclinations as this, Paul reminds us in verse 3 that what is needed is humility – humility where we consider others better than ourselves, and this is a tough instruction, because it grates against the very fabric of what society champions.

So, pausing for a moment, can I invite you to ask yourself, how good are you at considering others better than yourself? Do you need to ask God for strength to exercise more humility? Because when we do learn to exercise humility – when we do learn to consider others as being ‘better than ourselves’, our perspective changes and we begin to look outwards - to the interests of others and this is what Paul continues to say in v4: ‘Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.’

As a pastor I heard once said when seeking to address the interest of others, especially in situations where things had gone wrong - he made it a point to say ‘I’m sorry you feel that way – tell me more…’. Such an approach instantly assures the person that they do matter – that what they have to say will be listened to – and that their interests are important.

I think it’s fair to say that all of us at different stages in our lives have been and will at times still continue to be consumed by our own interests, so much so, that we will fail to show any consideration whatsoever towards the interest of others. Whether this is deliberate or not, we need to able to learn from it, and what Paul suggests to help us in this is that we need to focus on something other than ourselves. In fact, his something is ‘someone’ – as we read in v5: Paul says ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.’

Here Paul is giving us the supreme example of what it means to live out verses 2-4. Only when we look to Jesus and let his attitude influence, mould and shape our own, can we even begin to get close to Jesus’. In other words, we’re being called to imitate Jesus, and by imitation I don’t mean just copying what someone is saying or doing.

Let me illustrate it this way using an audio storybook I grew up with. Elmer Fudd is out looking for a rabbit to have for dinner. He comes across Bugs Bunny, who, not recognising that Bugs is a rabbit, asks him where a rabbit can be found. Bugs, who likes to have a bit of fun, decides not to tell he’s a rabbit and instead joins the rabbit hunt, asking different creatures they come across if they are a rabbit. At this point he asks a Mocking Bird (4:24-5:05):

It’s true to say that anyone can learn to imitate someone else’s voice. Here, the Mockingbird was able to imitate what Bugs Bunny said, but that’s where the imitating ended, because he would never have been able to live his complete life like Bugs Bunny.

In contrast, when we are called to imitate Jesus, it’s not just about the words we speak, but by the way we live our whole life – our actions too are part in parcel of this. This is what Paul is talking about – a lifestyle so radically and different that self almost no longer exists. The question we have to ask ourselves is do we want to live a life like this? - A life of humility – a life of self-sacrifice – a life that imitates Jesus. A life that is willing to set aside all rights for the benefit of others, after all, as the passage says in verses 6-11, Jesus had the right to grasp equality with God but He chose to make himself nothing. Of course that’s hard – really hard! But that’s the life Jesus calls us to.

So, how can we recognise situations through which we can demonstrate a Christ like humility to others? Here are a few scenarios to get you thinking:

Someone needs a lift home from your home group – it’s on the other side of Bedford to where you live and it’s already quite late. What do you do?

A group of you have gone to the cinema to see a new film release and there’s not enough seats available. What do you do?

You have a particularly important day at work tomorrow and a friend calls you at 10pm in a rather distressed state. You know that responding to this will result in not having enough sleep. What is your response?

During this week, you will face situations that will demand of you an attitude that gives up your rights for those of others. What will your response be? In the end, being Christ like as Paul encourages is difficult and costly. But it is what Jesus modelled for us when He gave up everything for us. As we close now, let’s remind ourselves of what Jesus did for us (vv5-11)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.