This article is part of the worship series
Whistling in the Dark
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
WEEK 2: THE KING AND I
Prelude (band)
"He Is Exalted," Paris, arr. by Chris R. Hansen (available from Fairhaven Ministries, 2900 Baldwin, Hudsonville, MI 49426; 616-662-2100).
Welcome, Announcements, and Prayer
Musical Call to Worship (Duet with Choir)
"Powerful Name," words and music by Claire Cloninger and John Mays, arr. David T. Clydesdale (David T Clydesdale Music; orchestration available).
This selection requires an excellent tenor and soprano vocalist. If you choose to use an orchestra, it also requires good horn players. The choir parts are moderate to difficult with difficult rhythms throughout the piece.
Greetings
Exaltation (Congregation)
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" Perronet
"Crown Him King of Kings," DaMazio
"Crown Him with Many Crowns," Bridges & Thring arr. Ron Ferlito.
A medley of the three selections can be found in the 1997 Celebration Hymnal (Word and Integrity Music).
A full choral version of "Crown Him King of Kings" can be found in the musical God with Us, an Integrity Hosanna! Music publication. This version offers a more complete accompaniment and also orchestration. Because the song repeats in three different keys, I normally choose the two keys that work best in the medley, A-flat and A.
Our Gifts of Tithes and Offerings
Ministry of Music (Vocal Solo)
"The King of Who I Am," words and music by Tanya Goodman and Michael Sykes; 101 Solos and Duets (Lillenas).
Message
“The King and I”
Scripture: Philippians 2:5–11
What does it mean for me to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is my Lord? In this famous passage from chapter 2, Paul reveals Christ's lordship as our ultimate motivation and his lifestyle as our ultimate model.
As Paul wrote this letter, the cult of the Roman emperor (in which the emperor was lauded in a manner approaching deification) was especially strong in the eastern provinces. This meant that in Philippi, every public event would have included a lofty acknowledgment of the emperor, and he would have been called "Lord and Savior." For a Philippian believer to acknowledge a different Lord and Savior meant placing his or her life on the line for the sake of Christ.
Though the threat of martyrdom is not as immediate for a believer in our late-twentieth-century North American context, following Christ still requires putting our lives on the line. As a Christian, I must submit to Christ's kingship. Submitting to him in such a way mandates that I follow in his footsteps. In chapter 2, you will remember, Paul teaches that a key to joy for the believer is having a lifestyle that reflects Christ in our relationships. We have already seen in the first five verses that such a lifestyle is costly to our pride, but it is also immensely rewarding. Obedience not only brings glory to Christ, but also results in joy-filled relationships.
If I am to follow Christ, I must follow in at least five of his footsteps of servanthood:
1. Self-denial (v. 6). I must give up my rights. From the moment of his birth to his crucifixion, Jesus continually refused to act selfishly. He calls us to follow him by relinquishing our "rights." That's not easy in a culture that is obsessed with the notion of entitlement. We are bombarded with the message that we have an inalienable right to be the center of attention. Our fallen hearts drift quite naturally and eagerly toward self-promotion, not self-denial.
The lies are loud and clear: the key to joy is getting, and the key to becoming somebody is to continually look out for "number one." Yet in Mark 10:43–45 Jesus teaches and models quite a contrary view: "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (See also Matthew 16:24–26.)
2. Identification (w. 7–8b). I must walk in the shoes of those I am serving. Jesus identified with us in our frailty, our temptations, our suffering, our disappointment. He calls us to align ourselves with those whom he has called us to serve. Without mimicking their flaws, we are to identify with their situation.
3. Obedience (v. 8c). I must be motivated by God's will, not my own. Only in the instance of a divine Person (who did not have to die) could death be described as "obedience." "Obedience" is a very appropriate term to describe the death of the infinite Son of God.
A great temptation in the arena of servanthood is to allow the agenda of those I am serving to become my ultimate concern. If Christ had adopted such a stance in his servanthood of us, he would have merely entertained the people with miracles and become a political messiah: that's all many were expecting. As I follow in Christ's footsteps of being a servant, my primary motivation must be his approval and not the approval of those I am serving. I must serve God's agenda for their lives. And though he will determine the path we take, we must never forget it will always be a downward one.
4. Sacrifice (v. 8d). I must "go the distance." Christ did not stop shy of the ultimate service of the Father's agenda: his death on our behalf. Paul's emphasis here is not on the sacrificial nature of Christ's death (though it is, of course, implied), but on his humiliation. The phrase "even death on a cross" emphasizes the immensity of the price and the depth of Christ's humiliation. The cross was not the way a Roman citizen reading this letter would have been treated. Because of its degrading character, the cross was an offense, a stumbling block.
You won't find it on a greeting card, but true love involves self-sacrifice! "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Authentic love that brings joy to both the giver (see Hebrews 12:2) and the recipient (see Psalm 90:14 and Philemon 7) does not stop short. It "goes the distance." It costs. Christlike attitudes and actions cost us our pride, our self-centered-ness, our life! In the words of Amy Carmichael, "Can he have followed [Christ] far, who has no wound, no scar?"
5. Satisfaction (vv. 9–11). I will know the Father's smile. Christ was exalted as a result of his obedience. Though of course not in the same realm, we can still enjoy the Father's exaltation. As men and women who already know salvation based on Christ's finished work of redemption, we can obey as a result of our salvation and thereby be exalted as his children. "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:11–12). We can know his pleasure and his blessing in our relationships as we follow in the King's footsteps.
As we follow in Christ's footsteps and reflect him in our relationships, the legacy of our lives becomes giving rather than getting, serving rather than being served, and obedience rather than indulgence. The result is the clear visibility of Jesus Christ's Lordship in our lifestyles.
Musical Response (choir)
"At the Name of Jesus," text adapted from Philippians 2:6–11, music by Cindy Berry (Word Music, SATB anthem; full orchestration available).
Closing Response (congregation)
“He Is Lord” Attributed to Vest
Parting Blessing
Postlude
"Crown Him with Many Crowns, " band arrangement by Chris R. Hansen derived from Michael W. Smith's adaptation.
Revised Common Lectionary
Year A - Season after Pentecost - Proper 21 (26)
