MODGNIK

THE BACKWARDS KINGDOM OF GOD

“OTHERS COME FIRST”

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4

 

Last week we began a new sermon series about the kingdom of God that I am calling MODGNIK.  That’s a weird sounding word. Can you say it with me?  MODGNIK.

 

What exactly is a modgnik?  Modgnik is the word kingdom spelled backwards. 

In our MODGNIK series we are looking at the backwards kingdom of God.  We are looking at the upside down, inside out, backwards kingdom of God.

 

The kingdom of God isn’t backwards in that it is unrefined or unsophisticated.  It’s backwards in the sense that it is backwards from the culture and the values of our world.  The kingdom of God is different from the ways of the world.  Jesus said, “my kingdom is not of this world.”

 

Since God’s kingdom is different from the world, as kingdom people we need to be different from the world.  In fact, there is a Bible verse that calls on us to be different.  It’s Romans 12:2-“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

 

Each week we are going to take a letter of MODGNIK and spell out a kingdom principle or value for us to live by.  Last week, we looked at the letter M which stood for more is less and less is more.  We learned that the kingdom of God makes life better.  But not only does the kingdom of God make life better for us, it makes us better at life.  That leads us to the next letter.  The letter O, which stands for OTHERS COME FIRST.

 

I love Chick-Fil-A.  Anyone else like Chick-Fil-A food?  I could eat Chick-Fil-A 7 days a week, but it’s cool that they are closed on Sundays but do very well.

 

Give me a grilled chicken club sandwich, some Chick-Fil-A sauce and a Diet Lemonade, and I am all set.  And the long drive-thru lines are not a deterrent, because they move so fast.  They have got it down.

But there is a challenge when it comes to the double drive-thru lines, although it has nothing to do with Chick-Fil-A’s customer service.  Being human, I sometimes find myself looking at the 2 lanes, and try to get in the shortest line because I want to get through as quickly as possible.

 

But there’s the challenge.  Once in a while, I will get to the merge point at exactly the same time as the car in the other lane.  And I wonder to myself.  Should I let them go ahead of me?  Now, full disclosure, whether or not I let them go first depends on how hungry I am!  Isn’t that bad?

 

But, according to the MODGNIK, backwards kingdom of God, we need to practice the principle that OTHERS COME FIRST…..put others first….let others go first in the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru!

 

The OTHERS COMES FIRST kingdom principle can be found in PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4.

 

Now, putting others first goes against the grain of our culture.  People act from the motive of being selfishly ambitious.  We are driven to get ahead in life, to finish ahead of other people.  In our society, people don’t want to take a back seat to anyone.  We want to be at the front of the line, in the starting lineup, we want to be first-chair in the orchestra, land the lead role in the musical and be the head of the department at work.

 

This “ME FIRST” mentality can even creep into the church if we’re not careful.  In 3^rd John, the apostle John warned the church about a guy by the name of Diotrephes, whom John said, “loves to be first.”

 

So, practicing this principle of OTHERS COME FIRST doesn’t come naturally.  And that’s because of what Paul warns us to guard against in Phil. 2:3- “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.”  Here’s the challenge for us:

 

1.OUR SINFUL NATURE IS SELFISH AND CONCEITED

 

We were born with a sinful nature.  It is our default nature.  As a result, it is human nature to be selfish.  We have to learn to be unselfish.  Let me illustrate this for you.

 

Did you ever have to teach your children to be selfish?  Did you ever say to little Johnny or Susie:  “now when your little friend picks up your toy and want to play with it, go over, grab the toy and yell, “MINE.”

 

Of course you didn’t.  And our parents didn’t do it with us.  It just came naturally.  As parents we had to teach our children to share….to become unselfish.

 

Unfortunately, we still struggled with being selfish.  Even as adults, it’s hard to not live a “MINE” lifestyle. Paul wrote that we shouldn’t do anything  It’s all too easy for us to develop an “I” problem: I want it my way.  I want to do my own thing.  I have to take care of me first.  I don’t have time for others because I am too busy taking care of me.

 

The root cause behind a self-centered life is sin, which has the letter I as its middle letter.  Here’s the problem.  When we live life by the middle letter I, we start doing other things that have the letter I as the middle letter in the word.  We start to whine and criticize.  We become envious of others.

 

And we start to experience some very negative effects of the “I” lifestyle: guilt, fatigue, pessimism, hostility, and emptiness.  Conditions where the middle letter in those words are…..you guessed it……I.

 

Why do we tend to gravitate toward selfishness?  It’s because of another word that has the letter I in the middle: pride.  Paul warned us to do nothing out of vain conceit.  Pride and arrogance lead us to be selfish.  In our pride we begin to think that we need to come first; that life revolves around us.

 

Romans 12:3 redirects us away from Me-First to Others-First:

 

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning:  Don’t think you are better than you really are.  Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” – Romans 12:3

 

Other translations of this verse call on us to have a sane or sober evaluation of ourselves.  In other words, we shouldn’t get drunk on our own self-importance.  Paul describes conceit as being vain.  Pride is useless and meaningless.

 

The DISEASE OF ME is something that we are naturally infected with at a very young age and sometimes, it takes a lot to be cured of it.  The antidote to the ME-FOCUSED life is to shift our focus away from ourselves and on to others.

 

We get help from the Holy Spirit because…..

 

2.GOD’S SPIRIT WITHIN US LEADS US TO BE HUMBLE AND CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS

 

Instead of acting from a selfish motive of personal ambition fueled by pride, Paul wrote that in humility we should consider others better than ourselves.  In other words, others come first.  Put others first.  That is humility in a nutshell.  Others come first.

 

In 1993, a large and diverse gathering of religious leaders from the world’s major religions met. 8,000 were in attendance.  This event resulted in the world’s religions adopting a collective agreed up Global Ethic on how people should treat each other. 

 

They chose, are you ready for this, the teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 7:12- “So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

 

A diverse group of religious leaders chose the teaching of Jesus as their Global Ethic.  We know it as the Golden Rule- “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

 

Practicing the Golden Rule is the way for us to practice the kingdom principle of Others Come first.  But, in our Me First culture, how well are we as human beings doing following the Golden Rule?  Look around you.  Listen to other people.  There are times, we can’t follow this one simple rule.

 

So, what can we do as Christians to make a difference in our homes, our church, our neighborhoods, our communities?  One way for us to practice the Golden Rule, and put others first, is to practice the ONE ANOTHER principles outlined in the New Testament.

 

The ONE ANOTHER principles are guidelines which lead us to put others first.  There are 59 such “one another phrases” in the Bible.  Phrases like, pray for one another; forgive one another; be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  These 59 one another phrases have been grouped together into 10 categories.

 

Now, don’t worry, I’m not going to go through all 59 phrases.  I’m not even going to attempt to talk about all 10 groupings today.  But in the time we have left this morning, I want to speak with you about just 3 of them that we can all put into practice this week.  These 3 will definitely help us to put others first.

Here’s the first one:

 

ENCOURAGE OTHERS FIRST.

 

Why do we put posts on social media?  It’s because we want encouragement.  We want people to tell us how good we look.  We want people to applaud us for our accomplishments.

 

But, what would happen, if we flipped that backwards?  Instead of seeking out encouragement for ourselves, we made it a daily practice to do what 1 Thessalonians 5:11 directs us to do: “Encourage one another and build each other up.”

 

Encouragement has a Michelangelo impact on others.  The sculptor saw the figure of David within the marble and carved it out.  Likewise, encouragement sees the potential in others and seeks to bring out the best in them.

 

Encouragement does what it sounds like it would do.  Encouragement instills courage in others.  Encouragement gives others hope and confidence.

 

Jesus did this for Peter.  Jesus was gathered with the 12 disciples at Caesarea Philippi.  That city sat on the boundary between Israel and the pagan world.  It attracted people from far south as Ethiopia and as far north as modern-day Turkey.

 

Religious temples were everywhere.  Religion was to Caesarea Philippi what produce is to a street market.  Every imaginable religion was practiced and every god a person could think of was worshiped there.

 

Against the backdrop of this smorgasbord of religion, Jesus asked his disciples 2 questions.  First, who do people say I am?   The disciples quickly replied to this first question. Rumors were rampant as to whom people thought Jesus was.  John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah.

 

But then Jesus made the question personal.  Who do you say that I am?  I can imagine some silence at this point.  Perhaps the disciples were shuffling their feet, clearing their throats and looking away from Jesus.  They didn’t know what to say.

 

But Simon knew what to say.  He spoke up and boldly declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.”  Upon Simon’s confession, Jesus went into celebration mode: “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah!”

 

Then Jesus changed Simon’s name to the name we know him by.  “I tell you that you are Peter.”  The name Peter comes from the Greek word, petros, meaning rock.  Simon, the man who expressed rock-solid faith needed a rock-solid name.  So, Jesus said, “Simon, you’re Peter.  You’re my Rocky.” Jesus was affirming Peter as someone whose faith was strong and someone upon whom Jesus would depend.

 

How do you think this burst of affirmation from Jesus made Peter feel?  Encouraged?  You bet your sweet tomorrow it did.  It built up his self-confidence and his self-esteem.

 

His given name was Joseph.  His nickname was Barnabas, which means, “Son of Encouragement.”  He encouraged Saul of Tarsus.

 

After his conversion to Christianity, the church kept Saul at arms-length.  After all, this was the man who had Christians arrested and executed.  They doubted that Saul’s conversion was genuine.

 

That is until Barnabas stepped up to the plate and told the church that Saul’s conversion was genuine.  We know Saul of Tarsus by his other name: the apostle Paul.  Paul was the greatest missionary the church has ever seen.  He wrote most of the New Testament. 

 

But if it had not been for Barnabas standing up for Paul and standing by Paul, would we ever have had an apostle Paul?  Maybe not.  But because Barnabas encouraged Paul, we have great verses from Paul that encourage us in our faith.  Verses like:

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

Everyone needs some encouragement along the way.  One great way to encourage others is with verbal praise.  Words of affirmation.  A little boy once said to his father: “Daddy, let’s play darts.  I’ll throw and you say wonderful.”

 

Everyone needs to hear a “wonderful” from time to time.  That’s because there are so many discouraging messages sent our way that make us feel bad about ourselves.

 

We are bombarded with advertisements that chip away at our self-esteem.  For example, for a face cream company to get you to buy their product, they first must convince you that you have wrinkles.  Everyday, companies selling products tell us that we are wrinkled, gray-headed, old, chubby, ugly, bald, and smelly.

 

We live in a culture of constant criticism in America.  People are verbally abusive of one another.  People tear people down with hateful, spiteful words all the time.

Let’s you and I be different. Let’s you and I build others up with praise.  Let’s be generous with our praise.  Identify someone who needs some encouragement and become their cheerleader.  Here is the second one another principle:

 

SERVE OTHERS FIRST

 

Relationships for a lot of people are transactional at best.  It’s a “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” arrangement.  You might ask someone for help, and they’ll want to know, what’s in it for me?

 

Instead of taking this worldly approach of what can you do for me? Kingdom people approach relationships on the basis of what can I do for you?  We put into practice Galatians 5:13-“serve one another in love.”

 

Jesus served others in love.  Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick.  But Jesus is up in heaven now.  There are still hungry people to feed and sick folks to visit.  How can Jesus serve others today?  Through you and me. 

 

In the Parable of the Sheep and Goat Judgment, Jesus taught that those who belong to him will do things like give clothing to people in need of them; visit the sick; feed the hungry and give the thirsty a drink.

 

Today, you and I are the hands and feet of Jesus who can make a difference in the world.  I didn’t like everything about the tv show, New Amsterdam.  But there was one thing that I thought was worthwhile.  Dr. Max Goodwin sought to save the future of the hospital by changing the culture of the hospital.  He changed the culture by constantly asking patients, fellow doctors, nurses, staff, and administrators, how can I help?

 

How can I help is an excellent approach to life in general and ministry in the church in particular.  When we approach life from the standpoint of wanting to serve others, that life-shift will be life-changing.  It allows each and everyone of us to be a part of the bigger story of what God is doing in our world.  Here is the third one another principle:

 

HONOR ONE ANOTHER FIRST

 

Romans 12:10 says:

 

“Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

 

Honoring others means that we show respect for others.  We offer up our seat to an elderly person or a lady.  We go up to a veteran and thank them for their service.  We hold the door open for others.  Respect is such a simple, everyday thing that all of us can do.

 

But honoring others above ourselves also means that we recognize people who have helped us along in life. 

 

Some of us will recognize the name Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,  a PBS children’s program that ran for 31 years.  Mr. Rogers was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Daytime Emmy Awards.

 

During his acceptance speech, Mr. Rogers gave audiences 10 seconds of silence and encouraged them to use the time to think about someone who had impacted their life.  Then he honored those who had impacted his life by thanking them.

 

None of us have gotten to where we are in life all by ourselves.  There was someone who helped you along the way; someone who made a positive impact on your life.  One way to honor those people is to acknowledge how they have helped you.

 

One time I sat down and made a list of all the people who had made a difference in my life.  Although it wasn’t all-inclusive, in just a few minutes I had jotted down a list of over 40 people who have helped me grow in my faith.

 

 Although I am sure that my list is far from complete, my list includes Dawn, my parents, my grandmothers, my children and grandchildren, an aunt, my in-laws, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, church members, youth ministers, preachers, college professors and friends.  All have made significant contributions to my life and my faith.  I am grateful for each and every one of them.

 

I am sure you can come up with a list.  Once you do, honor those people by reaching out to them and thanking them for how much they did for you.

 

One of the people I reached out to was an elder in the church where I grew up.  His name was Dick Walkden.  Six years ago, I went to Michigan to visit my mom in the nursing home.  I found out that Mr. Walkden was also in the nursing home.  It was a Saturday morning, and I stopped by his room.  I reminded him of how he took an interest in me and helped me as I was preparing to go to Bible College to prepare for the ministry.  I thanked him and I prayed for him.

 

Little did I know that just a couple of weeks later, Mr. Walkden would pass from this life and pass on to heaven.  I was so glad I had the opportunity to honor him for his contributions to my life.

 

Maybe this week, you could reach out to someone who has made a difference in your life.  You could text them, send them an email, give them a phone call, write them a letter and honor them by thanking them for what they did for you.

 

And in the words of the late Mr. Rogers, It’ll be a wonderful day in the neighborhood when we honor others first.  When we serve others first.  When we encourage others first.

 

Who could you encourage this week?  Who could you serve this week?  Who can you reach out to and honor this week?  Just think of the positive difference it would make in our marriages, our families, our church, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools, and our communities if we each took it upon ourselves to encourage others, serve others and honor others.

 

As the praise team comes to lead us in our commitment song, will you commit this morning to practice the kingdom principle of OTHERS COME FIRST?