Being Around People-While Still Being Sane! - Part A

You can away from people you might feel life those people to get away from people. I suppose you could become a recluse and bought a house in the middle of nowhere. People live off Amazon prime guarantee at some point you to be staring another human in the eyes and have to have a conversation where you gel together.

So let me throw this out at you as we read through our verses and we consider these things together. Imagine this. What if you were to decide to become really good at interpersonal relationship. What if you thought to become an expert at getting along with people, relationships with others have a profound impact on your life. So how can you build strong, healthy relationship today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip gives you some insight from Paul's life on how you can have truly great relationships before we begin, here's a resource that will nourish your soul with God's amazing truths times you hear a sermon that really speaks to you almost as if the pastor knows what you personally going through and he teaches a message like you're the only one listening. Well it's not that the pastor knows you personally. God knows you personally here.

Skip, I think in nearly 40 years of expository teaching.

I still love hearing that one of my messages spoke to someone better for them on to know God better or become more like but that's not because of me that's just the power of the word of God doing the work of God in the hearts of the people get to know the God who knows you pastor Skip text a collection of some of pastor skip's most memorable teachings, including the rapture. Real and overcoming an anxious mind this for DVD collection is our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help keep this ministry connecting more people to Jesus. Call now to request your copy of pastor Skip text 800-922-1888, or get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer. Okay, let's dive into today's stage will be in Philippians chapter 2 begins the study begin by asking you a question.

If you look up at the screen.

Do you ever feel like this. I love mankind is people I can't stand so this comes from a Peanuts cartoon where Lucy says to Linus you a doctor that's a big laugh. You could never be a doctor you know why because you don't love mankind. That's why, to which he replies. I love mankind. It's people I can't stand so the reason I think that that was a successful cartoon and why people resonate with that is because we've had our own frustrations in life from time to time with people will even say things like those people or you people. We understand that people can be hurtful.

They can be prideful, they can be spiteful. We understand that people can be careless they can be heartless, they can be thoughtless, they can be tactless, we discover that many of our problems in life come from our interaction with people so that it's a threat to our joy people can rob us of joy. We have discovered that the book of Philippians is about joy. It's done. The epistle of joy. Paul uses a joyful tone throughout the entire book.

Even though he's in jail, he says, circumstances cannot rob me of joy. Even though people talk smack about Paul and try to ruin his reputation. He is said they can steal my joy, but he also knows that people can be the biggest challenge to our joy. Having said that, we must also quickly turn the page and realize that were part of the problem because more people to so we might save those people. These people you people people rob my joy were people where a person and have you ever thought that you might be the person robbing somebody else of their joy so we all have to realize we are all fallen creatures and we are part of the greater problem you may have heard of the psychiatrist who walked into his patient's room during morning rounds. The psychiatrist found two of his patients in the room.

Patient number one was sitting down on the ground, pretending to saw board in half and patient number two was hanging from the ceiling by his feet and he said the patient number one.

What are you doing patient number two spot patient number one said what can you tell I'm sawing this morning that and then he said what's he doing referring to patient number two patient number one said oh he's my friend, is a little crazy. He thinks he's a lightbulb and so the doctor looked at patient number two, hanging upside down notices face is getting redder and redder and he said to patient number one well if he is your friend, you better tell him to get down soon because he's going to hurt himself and patient number one looked up and said what and work in the dark, so, so, like he had the problem. They both have some issues. So what's a person to do with problem people. In fact, what is a Christian to do.

The reason I asked that question is because sometimes we think. While I thought Christians should be different than just people. Christian people should be much better at getting along with others, then outsiders and they should be, but often we are not, and here's what because a Christian is somebody who is going through an internal struggle with the flesh. That's what a Christian is is going through. She's going through an internal struggle with the flesh member Paul said that the flesh wars against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh do remember the Paul said I know that I should be doing things but I'm not always doing them and there's other things I shouldn't do, but I find myself doing those things. So were in this battle with the flesh and sometimes the flesh wins and when the flesh wins relationships get strained, now Philippi.

The church at Philippi to be church growing church a loving church a mature church. Paul had a very close intimate relationship with the Philippians, perhaps greater than any other church however there were tensions within this church, as we will see going through the letter and is not the first time that there are tensions among God's people. Remember the 12 apostles that they always get along with each other.

Did they not argue from time to time more than once as to who would be the greatest in the kingdom and they have a disagreement is when the Messiah sits in the kingdom of his glory was going to be at his right hand, he's gonna be at his left hand and then Paul and Peter. They had a disagreement about the law and then the Council of Jerusalem didn't agree on the requirements for salvation. There was a disagreement between them so pretty quickly when we read the New Testament, we discover that the church is not a perfect people. They are a redeemed people working through all of their imperfections that are a part of their fallen human nature. The Bible recognizes that this can sometimes be tough. In Romans 12 Paul writes in I love how he writes it. If it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. I'm glad he said if it's possible because frankly sometimes it's impossible. There's some people who just don't want to be gotten along with they make it impossible, but as much as is possible.

As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men, so sometimes we feel like Linus in that cartoon.

That's why I've given this message title being around people while still being seen. Being around people while still being sink. As you know what you can't run away from people you might feel hurt in life and you decide those people. Madison to get away from people. I suppose you could become a recluse and buy a house in the middle of nowhere not deal with any people live off Amazon prime your whole life.

But I got a guarantee at some point you to be staring another human in the eyes and have to have a conversation where you gel together. So let me throw this out at you as we read through our verses and we consider these things together.

Imagine this. What if you were to decide to become really good at interpersonal relationship. What if you thought him to become an expert at getting along with people.

It is possible you know now as we consider our tax and would you look at Philippians 2 verses one through four. You may want to just glance at them. This paragraph verses one through four of Philippians 2 has several sentences in English. But here's what's interesting it's one single, long, complex sentence in Greek. In fact, if you have a literature background you will recognize this. It is written in a literary format called Protestants and a pot assists where you have a conditional clause, followed by a main clause and if then relationship. If this is true, and if that is true, and that the other is true, then this to be the result.

That's how it's written. It's a very long, complex sentence that forms the basics of relationships and the basis for good relationships. So let's look at Philippians 2 and read verses one through four. Before we jump in. Therefore, verse one.

If there is 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, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others know what I'm going to do and every tax sort of demands its own approaches own outline. I'm in a look at this by beginning with verse three and four because that's the main clause and I'm to go back to verse one and two so I would begin with the basics. Here's the basics of getting along with people the basics of great relationships.

Think of it as the do's and don'ts and we can begin with the don'ts and then go to the dues and there are two don'ts, and there are two dues things you audited would begin with the negative. These are things not to do and you make an interesting discovery right off the bat. The two things he says we shouldn't do are the same two reasons why Satan got kicked out of heaven. The very reasons Satan didn't get along with God was because of selfish ambition and conceit. Remember, perhaps in Isaiah 14. It tells us that the devil Satan, Lucifer said I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

I will be like the most that selfish ambition and conceit. So think of it this way, you are never more like the devil.

Then when you display the first two negative characteristics we cover and you are never more like Jesus than when you display the second two positive characteristics.

So the first two will ruling the relationships the second two will remedy relationships so let's look at what not to everyone.

Don't be selfish. Don't be selfish. Verse three let nothing be done through selfish ambition or you could just translate that selfishness now. I think everybody understands what selfishness is and if you don't is because you're really selfish, but I think everybody here understands what it if you have kids you understand what selfishness it's worth your parents you understand what selfishness is, if you know any other human being. You understand what selfishness is interesting quip I found from Newsweek magazine. They said and I quote.

If Americans could have their wildest dreams come true. 38% would choose to win the lottery and only 1% would pick world peace as part of our nature. We want our lives comfortable and laden with good things only a world PCA selfishness. Don't be selfish.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition of a popular form of photography these days is the cell fee 24 billion cell fees were taken and uploaded to Google last year, 24 billion of them did you know that in 2015 – by selfie was greater than death by shark attack worldwide know if shark week every year they could've selfie week every year will be just as dramatic, if not more so. So the idea is that people are taken selfie's are not always aware of their environment. They might get too close to the edge of something and fall down death by selfie greater than death by shark attack cc selfishness is at the very heart of our fallen human nature and it's the root of every other sin.

Satan placed his will above God's will.

That's where it all started itself. Business and then Adam placed his will above God's will.

Selfishness. Then he placed her will above God's will, selfish, and every time you and I place are well above God's will is what that is it selfishness. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition. Selfishness is the me first philosophy that that seed is implanted in every single child who is ever born and it grows with that child until one day the child becomes a full-fledged adult who, unless checked or redeemed that adult would be very very self centered and every person there was a mom.

She was driving her five-year-old son to McDonald's and there was a traffic accident as they were getting closer to McDonald's and mom always taught the kids in the family whenever we see an incident or an accident by the side of the road. Let's just stop and pray for those people in the very least, let's just pray that God would send somebody protect them, etc. so she sees the accident and she says we ought to pray. So from the backseat little five-year-old boy could be heard praying please God don't let those cars block the entrance to the McDonald's. Amen. We understand that that's human nature. And yet Paul says on the don't list, don't be selfish is the second thing we should do if you want a great relationship. Don't be prideful. You'll notice the word conceit in verse three let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. Now if you happen to have brought with you and old King James version of the original King James. Probably few of you have it of any but if you have one. It's a different word is translated vain glory and I remember I was weaned on that translation. So I remember reading this text, but nothing be done through in the said vainglory and I remember going what is that while they've updated it since then and now is translated here conceit, but I discovered that vainglory is actually a better and more accurate translation is the original Greek word Kenna Doxey comes from putting two Greek words together can switch means empty and docs which is glory so conceit means empty glory or vain glory and it was a word that was used to describe a person who had exaggerated ideas of his or her own import. They puff themselves up, awesome. That's can see that's Kenna Doxey and that's vainglory empty glory, exaggerated ideas of one's own import. If you ever gone fishing in the ocean, you know, to blow fishes of puffer fish. So in its unexcited status is sort of a blobby little thing very unattractive with the big mouth, but if you get close to this fish.

If it gets threatened, it will itself up fills itself up and it becomes really this empty but round spiked creature in the ideas size is important. I am going to ward off any creature who wants to get me with my size and my spikes will there are people who like that puffer fish blow themselves up with pride there conceded that his vainglory. This is why Paul writes in Romans 12 three that we should not think of ourselves more highly then we ought to think. But soberly I said before that there's always two ways to enter a Room Way, #1 is the common room with the attitude that says, well, here I am. That swagger of self-importance. The other way to minor room is with the attitude there you are. Question, how did Paul enter the room. The second one he introduces himself in chapter 1 verse one polyp bond slave of Jesus Christ on the servant of Christ. Thus, your servant, so on the negative side, don't be selfish. Don't be prideful.

Let's flip the coin on the positive side, the duties of the things we ought to do in relationship is this. First of all to be humble, for he says let nothing be done through some selfish ambition or conceit. Now he turns the coin to the positive side, but in lowliness of mind stop right there. Lowliness of mind. That's humility. One translation says with low thoughts of yourself with the low thoughts of yourself.

I don't like the translation presented think humility is having low thoughts of yourself. I think humility is having no thoughts of yourself. See humility is in thinking badly about yourself are thinking poorly about yourself for thinking mainly about yourself. Humility is not thinking about yourself. You come humbly so this secret to having joy in spite of people who are problems around us is humility. So he talks about unity but he talks about humility in her life because you unity is always born out of humility. That's the secret. Do be humble when some pride will make God your enemy want to think about that statement.

The quickest way to get God against you is puff yourself up with pride. You will have God set against you quicker than any other way and if you want to get God on your side. Quickest way to do that humility is a preacher. Can you prove that yes twice in the New Testament. Once in the book of James. Once in the book of Peter. They write this God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

So if you want the resistance of God in your life be prideful if you want the favor of God in your life. Grace of God in your life. Be humble lowliness of mind lowliness of mind that here's an interesting little addendum to that 2000 years ago, when this was written there was the Roman culture. But then there was the Greek culture. They been around a little longer in the Greek culture lowliness of mind or humility was not of virtue to be desired.

It was a bad quality to be dispensed with. Pushed away, the Greeks really thought they were superior to everybody else in the world everybody who was in the Greek was called by then a barbarian, and slaves. Once you grovel in the dirt and gravel on the ground.

Those were the ones they said were humble minded, so when the Greeks would take over somebody in a battle they would turn those into humble minded people make them into slaves. Isn't it interesting the very quality that the Greeks thought was so bad.

The Bible says is so good in the Bible pushes up and extols and says you want to do that you want to know why is that's what Jesus that's with the message from the series Technicolor joy Skip to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way to help connect others to God's truths through Jesus Christ, you have the privilege of being in a relationship with God and the secure promise of a life with him forever.

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He writes things like this.

I am the least of all the apostles and I am not even worthy to be called an Skip presentation of connection occasions to go through ever-changing time