"Looking Out For Number Two"

Sermon by Pastor David Layman

January 30, 2005

Philippians 1:3-7,2:1-5

Toby Keith had a hit song where the singer has a girl friend, who is constantly talking about herself. In frustration, the singer sings

"You, you, you you you 1 want to talk about me, I want to talk about

"my", I want to talk about number one, oh me oh my... You just talk about you you you you usually, but occasionally, I want to talk about me!" It was about 30 years ago that sociologists started to describe those in the 1970's as the "me generation". People were pulling away from community, and focussing in on their own, self centered pursuits. Have things changed, as we've now entered the year 2005?

Self-centeredness did not first appear in the 20th century--it's been around forever! Genesis tells us that God decided it was not good for man to be alone, and so woman was created. At first, Adam's reaction was pure joy. But when sin entered the picture, Adam was quick to blame Eve and God, saying to God "The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit, and I ate." We talk about the joys of family life, but that joy doesn't come naturally. Genesis shares that the first child recorded in the Bible, Cain, wound up killing his younger brother, Abel. It's not at all unusual for a first born child to hold some resentment when a younger brother or sister comes into the household. After all, it's no longer all about one child. It's not easy to share the limelight!

One finds similar challenges in the workplace. Employees may find that certain fellow workers don't have much interest in working in harmony with others. It's all about them! They're "looking out for number one". The letter of Paul to the Philippians, however, describes a happy community of the faithful that looked out for number two--others about them! The Philippian believers loved and supported one another and the Apostle Paul. Even though Paul wrote this letter from prison, he felt other believers in Philippi were at one with him. Paul wrote "You hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus." In chapter two, Paul encouraged the Philippians to be "in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." And as the supreme example ofthe One who looked out not for his own interests, but to that of others, Paul pointed to Jesus!

Today, some neighborhoods have "Neighborhood watch" signs posted. In a world where robbery is all too common, neighbors agree to look out for one another. While we were traveling, on more than one occasion, total strangers asked us to watch their bags while they went away for a few minutes. Sad to say, I was surprised by their trust! We've learned to be very careful in the world in which we live. The Christian community truly needs to be a place where we look out for one another. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others."

Many times, I have been blessed by others looking out for me. When I came to Richmond to candidate for pastor of Second Presbyterian, my parents had good friends, Jim and Mary Elizabeth Kayler, who invited me to stay in their home. When I moved here, I needed a desk, a filing cabinet, a chair for an office, and Jim simply gave me those things. They had me over for meals. Jim even got tickets for an IV basketball game, right behind the IV bench, and invited me to attend the game with him! "Greater love has no one than this, that one would give a great basketball ticket to a pastor." You will find that verse in the "Layman's Paraphrase of the Bible"! The Kaylers weren't looking out for themselves, they were looking out for me.

I'm especially happy to be here this morning, because I almost got run over by a car at the comer of North 9th and A Thursday afternoon. The stoplight said "Walk", but I guess the woman in the car was very eager to turn left on red. She looked to the right and saw no cars coming, but she forgot to look to the left for pedestrians. She was looking out for herself, for number one, but not number two, not for others.

Albie and Aileen are having their son baptized this morning, and having a baby is an enlightening experience as to who is really number one! A man and woman marry, and each may still hold in their own mind that they are to be number one in their relationship. But when a baby is born, suddenly, everyone's schedule is changed! A baby's needs become number one, and all other priorities must be rearranged! Becoming parents can become good training for the Christian life. It's a humbling experience, that's for sure. It's an experience that demonstrates to us we indeed are not number one, and that we need all the help from God and others we can get!

The Christian community is to be a place where people look out not for number one, but for one another. Sometimes, it's the loving thing to do to warn or correct someone. We may have people looking out for our homes when we're away, or watching our bags when we travel. But do we have anyone looking out for our soul? Our soul is more important than our "stuff'! Are we really a friend to another, if we see them veering off course, wandering into temptation, and are afraid to caution them, for fear they'll get upset? When we drive a car, there are always "blind spots" that we can't see. Perhaps we don't realize someone's starting to pass us. Or we're glancing one way, and a car's pulling onto the road from the other direction. My mother used to be good at pointing out potential dangers. Sometimes, she'd almost scare me or Dad by gasping at something she wasn't sure we saw! But it's a good thing to have someone else looking out for us!

We need people looking out for us in life. And at times, it can't be the person riding beside us. They can't tell if one of our taillights is out. But a person riding behind us can. Do friends let friends walk around with lipstick on their teeth, or chocolate on their chin? If! have any chocolate on my chin, I want to know about it, so I can eat it! We need others about us to lovingly point out our flaws, and the chocolate we've missed!

Rick Warren tells of a man who used to come to the Saddleback Church by himself. He never got involved in a small group or any church activities. Rick was the only person in the church he knew. Once when Warren was gone, the man had a heart attack, and spent two weeks in the hospital. When he got better, the man came back to church and announced to Rick, "I'm leaving the church." Rick asked "Why?" and the man responded "Because no one visited me in the hospital." Later on, Rick thought to himself "I should have said to the man "It's your fault. You don't have anybody to blame but yourself. You never even took the time to get to know anybody else in the church. You never reached out to visit anyone else." (paraphrased, "Why We Need Each Other", Oct. 2-3, 2004 sennon, p. 16)

Ifwe spend our lives just looking out for "number one", sooner or later, we'll regret it. Jesus founded the church to be a community of believers that cares for, loves, supports, at times challenges and corrects other members of the body. Paul urged each believer to "look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." He urged them to become like Jesus, who not only taught and corrected, but gave his life in love for others. That is our calling as we begin to observe our "40 Days of Community"--to grow closer to one another, to care for one another--and together, to care for the greater world beyond us!

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