David Miller: I want you to be finding the book of Philippians, chapter two. Now, look this way, please. Watch me. I am going to show you now, how to elevate your preaching. Some of you are slower than others.

In the earlier session, I had talked to you about five things that we do in exposition. We talked about explanation, and we briefly mentioned illustrations. The best place to get illustrations is from the Bible itself; however, don’t be reluctant to use personal illustrations. If you use someone else’s illustrations, please use the proper pronouns.

Number two, we want to say something about argumentation. Argumentation is when you are expounding a text, and you want to nail down a particular truth or principle. Here’s where you could reach out to another text in the Bible that corroborates what you are explaining in the text at hand. Now, a word of caution. Don’t use too many references. If you use more than two, you’ve lost the deacon body.

If you use a third reference, they’ll still be looking for it when you’re saying the benediction. Don’t be guilty of topical exposition where every word in every verse reminds you of a topic that you could expound. You’re reverting to topical preaching again.

And then, application. The pulpit is not to be used as a bully pulpit. However, we must not be guilty of neglecting to do the very thing we’re called to do. Not just to disseminate information, but to apply it to those in our audience. Did you notice how Hershael did that last night in that last illustration in particular? Brought it right down to where we live and move and have our being.

But now, I want us to talk about organization, and I want to give you a sermon. And what I want to do is to preach the text, but at the same time, I want to show you, as we go along, how we are using these five principles: explanation, illustration, argumentation, application. Now, I want to begin by giving you an outline of the text. Philippians chapter two, verses 3 through 11. At the top of your page, put “introduction.” Now, on the left margin, Roman numeral number one: “the exhortation and the means.”

Skip a few lines, three or four lines, and now we have Roman numeral number two, is “the example and the meaning.” This is verses five through eight. By the way, under the first Roman numeral, you have verses three and four. Now, Roman numeral number three is “the exaltation and the motive.” This is verses 9 through 11. Now he’s going to tell us to be humble and he’s going to tell us how to go about it. That’s the exhortation.

He’s going to give us an example. He’s going to say, “Look to Jesus, and here you will see the real meaning of humility.” In verses nine through 11 he’s going to tell us about being exalted. If you want to be exalted, you must be humble, and this will motivate us. Now, do you see the outline, the general outline, the three items?

We’re going to fill in the blanks now as we go along. A sermon outline ought to say what the text says. Now, you don’t have to be a homiletical magician to figure out these three divisions in the text. These are not original with me. Read a hundred commentaries on this text; 90 of them will refer to these three items: the exhortation, the example, and the exaltation.

Now, we’re preaching a sermon on the subject of humility. Christian humility. This is the title of our sermon. Now here is the introduction: if I were to ask you to give a simple, terse definition for humility, what would you say? I discovered when I first studied the matter that it was not easy for me to define humility.

I decided early on, however, that humility doesn’t have anything to do necessarily with the way a person looks, with his facial expressions, or physical countenance. Now, the reason I came to this conclusion was I had made the mistake on occasions of meeting a person for the first time, going away thinking to myself, now there was a humble person.

He looked humble. He had that mild and meek and mousey look about him. But when I had an opportunity to get better acquainted, I discovered he wasn’t humble at all. In fact, I discovered some of them that were meaner than the devil. A Basset Hound looks humble. Humility doesn’t have anything to do, necessarily, with the way a person looks.

You see my introduction to the subject. Now let’s read the text, and we’ll come back and expound upon it. Verse three: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than himself. And look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Oh my! We have before us now, what, in my opinion, is the greatest text in all the Bible on our subject of humility. Are you interested to know more? Let’s look at our first heading, the exhortation. There are two things here. One, there are negative statements. And there are positive statements.

He begins in verse three with these two negative statements. He says, “Let nothing be done through strife.” Now, this word, strife, means contention, or competition, or confrontation, and it can mean combat. Did you ever know of it happening in a Baptist church? Did you ever see it happen at a pastors conference? Contentious. He exhorts Euodia and Syntyche later in the chapter to quit their fussing.

Now, can I make a confession here? I’ve always enjoyed a good fight. I was born with my right arm only partially developed, and I always had something to prove. And if someone came along acting like they wanted to fight, I would oblige them. Bill Hill, who lived just across the pasture from me, he and I would fight with each other every week whether we were mad at each other or not. We just enjoyed the confrontation. We enjoyed the competition.

But the dear Lord has taught me a lesson. He’s taught me, “David, if you’re going to fight in the church today, you ought to have something worthwhile to fight about.” And, brethren, I wouldn’t spend five minutes of my time, not five minutes fussing and fuming and fighting over 95% of the things Baptist preachers fuss about. Don’t bother me with it. I’d rather go deer hunting. Quit talking to me about superfluous matters. That if both of us had our way, it still wouldn’t be worth a plug nickel to the kingdom of God.

Now, what have I done so far? I explained to you what the word, “strive” means. Did you see that? And I illustrated it. And I argued it a little further by referencing Euodia and Syntyche, and I applied it. Did you see that? Do you see how these four principles, explanation, illustration, argumentation and application, can be used at every point in the sermon? What would that do to the average sermon that folks endure on  Sunday mornings? That would elevate preaching all across the land if we just explained the text, illustrated it, argued it, and applied it.

Well, let’s look at the next statement. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.” Now, sometimes you might explain a text by illustrating it. And so I would say something like this: I don’t know all that this phrase, vainglory, could mean, but I remember something my mom used to say about certain people in our community. She would say, “I wish I could buy her for what she’s actually worth. I’d sell her for what she thinks she’s worth, and I would make a million.”

Did that help you get at the meaning of this statement, vainglory? You want me to apply it? You ought to sit up here with me on Sunday morning in 40 to 50 different churches every year and watch the saints enter the sanctuary. Such pomp and circumstance you’ve never seen in your life. Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like some of these. I’d like to buy a bunch of Baptists for what they’re actually worth and sell them for what they want folks to think they’re worth. I’d make a million.

Are y’all getting any of this? I’m trying to help you to see how to preach. I’m trying to help you see how these four principles, explanation, illustration, argumentation— hey, and in your church, you might want to argue that further. You may have a contentious crowd. You may have folks who are too proud to serve. Would you say? Did any of you notice my wife serving last night? Did any of you notice Dr. York’s wife, Tanya, serving last night? Look, don’t be puffed up. Don’t have this syndrome that you are to be served. Well, got off the preaching there. Didn’t mean to. It’s one of the reasons we invite the women to come to these conferences. Want to example and model for them how to serve.

 Now, let’s move from the negative. You like my transitional statement there? Now, Hershael can be so smooth in his transitions, you don’t even know he’s moved to the next area. But for a country preacher like myself, it’s not a big deal. I just announce it. I’m done with that now. I’ve talked to you about these two positive statements, and now I want you to see— or these two negative statements. Now, I want you to see the two positive statements. Let’s look at the next statement.

“But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than himself.” Oh my! You want me to esteem the other person better than myself? You’re kidding me! My momma taught me this little slogan when I was five years old, when I was about to go to school. She said, “You are as good as the best, and by George, you are better than the rest.” She did that. Now, I don’t know if that motivated me any at all, but I know this: I know that philosophy, I know that mindset among the saints will not work. The truth of the matter is, you and I are no better than the worst were it not for the grace of God. Are you getting this? You see how I illustrated that to explain it?

Now, we’re going to skip the next statement because of the time. I want us to go to the second major item in the lesson. The example: verse five says, you want to know what humility’s like? Look to Jesus. Have the same mindset. Have the same mental and spiritual disposition that He had. You’ll see the real meaning of humility. And he points out three items for us. First, this is A) under Roman numeral two: “It is His condescension.” Christ came down. Look at what that statement says in verse six.

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Oh my! Has ever a more profound thought come to the mind of a mortal man than the condescension of God from Heaven’s glory to Earth’s shame? This statement in the form of God is an all inclusive, comprehensive statement relative to the attributes and the nature of diety. And what it is saying is that in His essential nature, Jesus Himself posessed all of the attributes of diety. Think about that. Hershael mentioned aseity, the self-existence of God. Jesus in eternity past was God. The self-existing independent, dwelling in unapproachable light, enjoying the fellowship of His Father, in need of nothing.

Are you aware that our Lord did not have a vacuum in His heart that could only be filled by you? Are you aware of that? He was in need of nothing. He was not psychologically and emotionally in need of anything. He was God in eternity past. Now, can I tell you that one of the things that expository preaching will allow you to become is a pastor theologian?,

When you come to one of these texts, for heaven’s sake, preach it. Don’t be reluctant to tell the folks about the hypostatic union of the divine nature of Christ with his human nature. Don’t be afraid to speak of the mystery of the incarnation. Herein is humility modeled and demonstrated; that Christ did not divorce Himself of his deity, but rather of His glory, of Heaven’s splendor, and God came down. Came down to where you were. Came down to meet needs. He condescended, do you see it?

Well, how might we apply this? Beloved, if the church experiences revival in our day, some of you, some of us might have to come down off our high horse, come down where the people are. Come down, where the sin is. Come down where the filth, and the ugliness and the messiness is. Come down. Come down and rub shoulders and elbows with men and women who are dead in trespasses and sins, who are defiled morally and dominated satanically and debilitated volitionally and damned eternally. Come down to where they are. And following the example of Christ, minister the gospel. Come down, not to be ministered unto, but to serve. Is this making any sense? What have we done with this text? With this statement? We’ve applied four items. We’ve explained what it means.

Look, your people can learn if you’ll teach them. We’ve illustrated, and we’ve applied. Are you seeing these items? You see how we started at the top of the text, how we’re working our way down, except for that one statement that we skipped on purpose for the time? Look at the next thing about Jesus. Look at how He modeled humility.

See it not only in His condescension, but His conduct. “He made himself of no reputation, but took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” This statement, the form of a servant, summarizes, characterizes the conduct of Christ. He got down on His knees with a pan of water and a towel.

And He said, “If I, your Lord and master have washed your feet, how much more ought ye to wash one another’s feet?” The lesson wasn’t on foot washing; it was on serving. The children of God ought to learn how to serve. You ought to go out of your way to serve. You ought to be looking for opportunities to serve. Baptist preachers ought to do more than just preach.

They ought to serve. Don’t be too proud to help mow the yard. Don’t be too proud on the work day to come and illustrate and model for the saints genuine humility. Are y’all getting any of this? Number three: see the humility of Christ in His crucifixion. Verse eight says, “And being found in the form of a man or fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Notice the connection of these two words: humbled and obedient. Ultimately, humility boils down to a matter of being obedient to the authority of the Lord.

I learned how to plow a mule when I was 12 years old. My uncle Rufus Clark taught me. Uncle Rufus had a natural aversion to see and his grandsons and nephews enjoying themselves after school. And he’d call us up, and he’d take us out to the field and have us plow his standing corn. And I learned how to plow a mule. And Uncle Rufus would stand in the shade of a tree, and he’d snort when we would come by, and he’d say, “I hope you boys realize that I’m not charging you anything for this valuable training that I’m giving you.”

And we’d laugh, and neither was he paying us any. And I learned to plow a mule. I learned something about mules. I learned they’re not all good mules. Some of them are heady and haughty and high-minded. And when you say get up, he’ll balk or back or turn to the right or left and plow up standing corn in high-handed rebellion against authority. But Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient even to death. Death on the cross.

What an example. We ought to follow in His steps. Now, did you know that sometimes you have to summarize a sermon? Sometimes you have to abbreviate. I have learned in 54 years that the mind can only absorb what the rear end can endure. Did you know that? And so, don’t be afraid to do what I’m doing in this sermon. Just abbreviate along the way.

Let’s look at this last statement. See the exaltation and the motive. Wherefore, because of this, with reference to the previous statements, God also with highly exalted Jesus has given Him a name that’s above every name. A name at which one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

God exalted His Son because of the condescension, because of the conduct, and because of the obedience of Christ. Even under crucifixion, God has received Him into the heavens. God has seated Him at His own right hand, a position of veritable, providential  government over the affairs of the universe in general and over the affairs of men in particular.

That’s who Jesus is. That’s where He is. That’s what He’s doing. He’s in session. God has exalted Him and given Him a name, Jesus, a name at which one day every knee shall bow. Kings, princes, prime ministers, potentates, shall all bend the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord. Hallelujah. Glory to Him. Let’s bow and pray.

Father, would you be pleased to enlarge our capacity for such things? May we follow the example of our Lord in humility. May this statement, being in the form of God, linger in our innermost recesses. May it stir us to further contemplation. May it awake us in the night hours to rejoice in our God, to be stirred with inspiration, to serve Him more. For Christ’s sake. Amen.