Preschool
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22
The Mind of Christ
Memory Verses
Primary
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
Junior
And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
Background Scripture: Philippians 2
Lesson Scripture: Philippians 2:1–16
Introduction
Jesus came to earth to bring lost sinners back into fellowship with their Creator. He left his rightful exalted place with his Father and came as a servant to do God’s will. In “lowliness of mind” He ministered to the needs of humanity, teaching the people the way of humble service. He then gave his life on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. This sacrifice secured our salvation and is a gift.
When we repent and accept this gift, our hearts are flooded with thanksgiving. We live and move in Him and do everything because of our love for Him. Christ’s way is not difficult to follow when we are thankful for salvation. Jesus gently leads, and we gladly follow Him because He has become our very life. Christ is our perfect example, and our greatest desire is to reflect Him to others.
Key Verse
The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations (Ps. 33:11).
Lesson Scripture
Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Studying the Lesson
Paul strove to portray the mind of Christ in all he did. In his letter to the Philippian church, he pled with them to likewise be of the same mind. Having the same love for everyone and being in one accord takes being united by the Spirit of Christ. It takes a humble spirit for us to esteem others better than we are. As we humbly accept each other’s gifts, we realize we are all much the same; others are as capable as we are or more so. This humility opens the way to function as a unit without anyone trying to outshine someone else.
Christ came to this earth, took the form of a man, and became our servant. He did not seek public esteem. God makes us joint heirs with Christ in his kingdom as we are obedient to the Holy Spirit.
When life with its hurts and difficulties wears on us, by the grace of God we can keep from murmuring and complaining. Murmuring is a low, indistinct, yet often continuous background noise. Such murmurings among God’s people are unsettling and a source of unrest—they should have no place among the children of God. Although much of the world lives in constant turmoil and strife, a true Christian can be at rest; he does not need to live with the drama of going from one perplexing problem to another. God’s people are united in the mind of Christ, and their unity shines as a calm, peaceful beacon to a dark and wicked world. It is imperative that we keep the right perspective and channel our labors in a proper way so those around us are drawn to Jesus Christ, the true Light that came to this world.
Practical Truths for Today
What does it mean to let the mind of Christ be in us? For our spirit to become like his, we will need to be in harmony with Christ through an experience with Him. We cannot get a Christlike spirit by only wishing for it.
The indwelling Holy Spirit who instructs and guides us is the Christlike spirit that defines the believer. To have a Christlike spirit requires obedience to the Holy Spirit; the more we are obedient to Him, the more we become like Christ. Our natural desire is to be noticed, but when we have the spirit of Christ, the virtues of Christ radiate from us, and those around us are drawn to Him. Some of the attractive attributes of Jesus’s nature are kindness, humility, unselfishness, gentleness, love, and compassion. People desire to be around those who have the mind of Christ.
We are blessed with a few glimpses of Jesus in his early years on earth. After a good account of Jesus’s birth and the events that surrounded it, Luke records of his boyhood that He “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). At twelve years of age, Jesus went with his family to offer the yearly sacrifice at the temple. Traveling home, his parents realized Jesus was not with them, and returning, they found Him among the doctors and lawyers. His mother asked where He had been, and He replied that He must be about his Father’s business. Then He followed them home to Nazareth, being subject to them.
Then we read, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). After this the Bible is silent about Jesus for almost twenty years until He is about thirty years of age. He went to be baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist. As He came out of the river, the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. And they heard “a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Soon after this we see Jesus at a marriage in Cana. When they ran out of wine, his mother thought Jesus should help them. Jesus told her his hour was not yet, but she told the servants to do whatever He told them to do. Christ in his humility instructed the servants to fill the waterpots with water, and He turned the water into wine. When God calls a believer to service, it is his opportunity to humbly exercise his gifts. When God asks us to help someone, we obey the Holy Spirit and help our fellowmen, praying they will feel the mind of Christ in us.
Just before Christ died, He prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42), revealing the nature of man (Heb. 2:16–17) as well as the heavy load of man’s sin. Jesus became willing to do his Father’s will and offered Himself completely. “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). When we are emptied of self and yielded to God’s will, the Holy Spirit ministers to our need. With the mind of Christ, believers walk together in unity, making the church a haven for those seeking a secure place for their souls.
In the past, trumpets were used to call or signal soldiers or to address an audience. First Corinthians 14:8 asks, “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” Thinking of the trumpet as the witness of Jesus in the people of God, questionable activities or things done covertly sow disunity and create uneasiness, giving the “trumpet” an uncertain sound. When we have a spiritual mind, our attitudes and actions witness to truth and bring unity in the brotherhood.
Relying on personal experience and intellectual knowledge for guidance in the Lord’s work is not spiritually safe. We must have the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to do his work. In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus told of all nations being gathered before the great Judge of the earth. One group had failed to follow Jesus in serving their fellow man. Their judgment was everlasting punishment. The other group had been obedient to the Holy Spirit, reflecting the compassion of Christ. They were granted eternal life.
Jesus said He must work the works of Him that sent Him (John 9:4). We too must follow Christ today. It is imperative that we follow Him in obedience, not questioning his authority.
Questions
- What are the greatest tests of obedience?
- When a relationship is strained, what are the steps to restoring it?
- What are ways for young Christians to gain conviction on what is acceptable for God’s people and what is worldly?
- Unsubscribe
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).