1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,840 It's so good to see each one of you here tonight, and I'm glad 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,080 to be back with you again. You know, the meeting is rushing 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:10,480 toward its conclusion, and of course, we're on a downhill 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,440 slide. And tomorrow, of course, we'll 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,920 have a couple of more services. But thank you for tolerating my 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,240 ramblings and my words on Philippians. 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,720 You know, there's so much there, as I mentioned last night, that 8 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,800 sometimes I'd like to bring out things and I forget what I want 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,480 to bring out. And, you know, it's kind of in a 10 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,000 swirl. But nonetheless, Philippians is 11 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,840 a great book. And I just hope that if you get 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,920 nothing else from our time together, you will at least take 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,840 this book home and read it and think about it because there's 14 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,800 such great encouragement in this book. 15 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,800 You know, in our lives today, in the world in which we live, it's 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,680 discouraging. It's very discouraging in so 17 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,560 many ways. As you get older, of course, 18 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,520 physically it's discouraging because you're going to face 19 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:00,120 hardship in health, you're going to face perhaps difficulties as 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,599 jobs end and maybe retirement looks, looks you in the face. 21 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,560 There's things that you know, again, just are difficult. 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,200 Your body hurts, you don't you just don't maybe feel like you 23 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,760 did. The world itself is a difficult 24 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,600 place. Temptations. 25 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,960 People, of course, you know, have different things they throw 26 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,680 at you. And even as you try to live for 27 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,160 Christ, people reject the message, the loving message that 28 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:28,680 we already go forth and preach. And so it's very discouraging. 29 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,360 But you know, one thing we have to keep in mind is that we 30 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,640 should never leave Jesus. I know there's some newer 31 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,080 baptized converts in this audience. 32 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,760 That's a wonderful thing. But never leave Jesus. 33 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,640 It's going to get tough. It's going to get hard, but 34 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,520 never leave Jesus. Why? 35 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,480 Well, for many reasons. Our salvation depends upon it. 36 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,640 But another reason is Jesus will never leave you. 37 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,480 Jesus will never leave you. He will never forsake you. 38 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,440 He will always have you on His mind, so to speak, and you will 39 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,120 be one of his sheep. You know, John 10 is a beautiful 40 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,600 chapter where Jesus speaks of himself being the Good Shepherd 41 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,360 and He speaks of himself as taking care of the sheep, 42 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,160 knowing them by name and protecting them and even laying 43 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,720 down His life for his sheep. We are the sheep of his pasture, 44 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,000 we are Christians, we are his followers, we are his, shall we 45 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,560 say, his beloved possession. Jesus will never leave us. 46 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:34,200 So let's not leave Jesus because as it was in John 6, after Jesus 47 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,320 had taught so many difficult things and people begin to 48 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,840 trickle away from him, having heard the sermons that he gave, 49 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,520 not understanding the depth and becoming discouraged that how 50 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,400 could this be the Messiah? They begin to leave. 51 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,920 And Jesus, you can almost feel the heartbrokenness in his words 52 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,720 as Jesus says to his apostles, will you also go away? 53 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,640 And I love what Peter says. You know, Peter was always 54 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:04,000 sometimes saying the wrong thing, but he says the right 55 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,040 thing here, just like he did in Matthew 16 verse 18. 56 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:13,360 He says, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal 57 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,280 life. Well, indeed, tonight we're here 58 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,400 to study the words of eternal life. 59 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,440 But before we do that, I want us to think about the comfort that 60 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,760 we have in Jesus, because one of the sections we're going to look 61 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,040 at tonight is about the comfort that we find in Christ. 62 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,800 Now, again, when you look at the life of Christ, he was a man. 63 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,360 He was a, you know, a savior of little comfort. 64 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,200 And he, you know, he had no place to lay his head. 65 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,200 You know, he said one time the foxes of of you know, of the 66 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,640 have their holes and their Burrows and, and the birds have 67 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,040 their nest, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. 68 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:58,520 Jesus would feel the the pain of those that were sick, those that 69 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,120 needed the gospel, those that you know, again, he he saw them 70 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,160 sometimes as sheep without shepherd, sort of harassed by 71 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,960 the leaders of the day. And Jesus was a man who did not 72 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,600 enjoy the comforts of life. Why? 73 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,120 Well, because he was here for a purpose and it wasn't to enjoy 74 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,519 the comforts of life. But nonetheless, he bestowed 75 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:24,640 comfort upon those that he touched, those that touched him, 76 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,840 like the woman who came through the crowd and touched the hem of 77 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:31,120 his garment. He bestowed comfort on people 78 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,080 such as Jairus and the wife and the the daughter that he raised 79 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,360 from the dead. He bestowed comfort in his 80 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,080 words. You know, Jesus would say things 81 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:44,480 like coming to me all you that labor and are heavy laden. 82 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:49,000 You know, I don't know tonight and not get too far, you know, 83 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,280 far afield. But I don't know tonight if we 84 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:54,920 fully realize the harassment and the difficulty that people had 85 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,160 in that day to live even under the Mosaic law. 86 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,000 The scribes and the Pharisees had made so many extra laws. 87 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,680 It had become a burden to the people to even try to follow 88 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,320 God's commands. They were very tired. 89 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,320 They were discouraged. And Jesus gives this wonderful 90 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:15,760 invitation. He says, come to me. 91 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,800 He says, yes, there's responsibility, but come to me 92 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,440 because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 93 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:24,480 Oh, there's a yoke, there's a burden. 94 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,240 You know, the old idea about getting in the yoke of, of, of, 95 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,000 of a, of a plow and pulling it was very, very relevant in their 96 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,560 minds. But Jesus said, come to me 97 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,840 because my yoke is easy and my burden is like, easy what? 98 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,960 Well, in comparison, you know, sin's yoke is a very, very hard 99 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,680 yoke to put up on our necks. It is something that's going to 100 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,000 bow us low. It is something that's going to 101 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,400 bring us down. Sin is and it's going to make us 102 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,880 feel guilty. It's going to take the joy out 103 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,040 of living. But when we have that 104 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,360 relationship with Jesus Christ, there is going to be hope. 105 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,600 First of all, there's going to be salvation. 106 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,520 There's going to be joy, there's going to be peace. 107 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,960 There's going to be all of those things that do and eat, as Paul 108 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,960 will even say in this book, surpass all understanding. 109 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,440 I think Jesus wanted his own people, just experienced that. 110 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,480 I think Jesus loved his people so much that he said, I want to 111 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,480 give you what you cannot get anywhere else. 112 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,600 Jesus would also comfort his apostles over and over, 113 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,520 sometimes even in a physical way. 114 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,560 You know, recall that time when they are on the boat. 115 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,320 The disciples are out in the middle of the ocean, out in the 116 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,600 middle of the Sea of Galilee, and there's a great storm and 117 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:37,640 they think they're going to drown. 118 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,200 And Jesus comes walking on the water and they're terrified 119 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,080 because they see Jesus and they think he's a phantom. 120 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,920 They think he's some sort of an apparition or a ghost or 121 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,000 something that is very evil, and they're terrified. 122 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,120 The storm, the lightning flashing around and here's this 123 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,800 white figure coming towards them and they cry out in fear. 124 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:03,240 And Jesus says be of good cheer, be of comfort. 125 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:07,880 It's I don't be afraid. And of course he steals the 126 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,080 water. He comes into the boat. 127 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:15,080 They're safe and sound and they see the comfort that Jesus 128 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,480 provides over and over in the ministry of Jesus. 129 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,400 He is providing comfort. He is providing comfort mentally 130 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,960 as he heals the demonics who maybe had made individuals 131 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,720 basically crazy. He takes over their their 132 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,160 illness and he he takes care of it. 133 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,720 And of course, then he heals those who are spiritually sick. 134 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,600 He comforts those who are physically sick. 135 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:46,560 Jesus was a savior of comfort. And really that's what Paul is 136 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,800 going to deal with tonight in his message to us from 137 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,120 Philippians, the second chapter. Now he's also going to talk in a 138 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,040 little bit later on in this chapter about Jesus Christ and 139 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,240 the mind of Christ and how we are to have the mind of Christ 140 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,160 as well. But before we do that, I want to 141 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,840 at least develop this comfort concept because you know, Paul 142 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,520 is over and over talking about the comfort that we have in 143 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,400 Jesus and we are going to need it tonight as we try and attempt 144 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,960 to live our Christian life. And so he says this in verse 1 145 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,360 of chapter 2. He says, therefore, therefore, 146 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,880 if there is any, if any consolation, if there is any 147 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,880 comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit in any 148 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,720 affection of mercy, fulfill my joy by being like minded. 149 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,120 Now let's go back up and sort of unpack this. 150 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,440 He says therefore, if there is any consolation, if there's any 151 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,960 sort of consolation, you know, when somebody is consoled, that 152 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,760 means that someone comes alongside and they say, I 153 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,600 understand what you're going through and I want to help you 154 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,480 with that, or I understand your feelings. 155 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,680 It's an empathy statement. And of course, Paul is Speaking 156 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,240 of the empathy that the Philippians could have in 157 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:02,520 Christ. Now, why would they need that? 158 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:03,720 Well, first of all, they're Christians. 159 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,520 We all need Christian empathy from Jesus because we suffer in 160 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,600 this life. But it's very possible that they 161 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,200 were at Philippi going through additional persecution much like 162 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,520 they had after the church was established back in Acts 16. 163 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,080 And so he says, listen, if there's any type of consolation 164 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,600 and the if there is not a statement of doubt, it's just a 165 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,440 way of saying there is consolation in Jesus. 166 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,960 There is hope. There is power in his blood and 167 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,000 in that relationship. So he says if there's any 168 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,120 consolation in Christ, if any, a comfort of love. 169 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:44,280 Now this idea of comfort is very interesting because when we look 170 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,000 at consolation and comfort, really what we're talking about 171 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,200 is a very interesting Greek word. 172 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,800 The interesting Greek word is the word paracoleo. 173 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,360 Now this word, if some of you may recognize, is a word that is 174 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,160 used by Jesus in John 1415 and 16. 175 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,360 Para means beside. In other words, para. 176 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:10,640 We've talked about para church organizations or para this that 177 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,520 that means beside. And then the kaleo is a Greek 178 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,200 word that means to call, to call to one side. 179 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,680 It's a term of endearment and really kind of camaraderie. 180 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,200 You know, before Jesus went back in John 14 and 15 and 16, he 181 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,160 promised to send what the translators call the comforter, 182 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,800 the Holy Spirit. Well, that term in Greek is 183 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,200 paracaleo, the Paraclete, you may have heard it said. 184 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,680 In other words, the Holy Spirit was going to come. 185 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,520 Jesus was not going to live leave the apostles as orphans. 186 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,240 He was going to help them. He was going to send the Holy 187 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,440 Spirit to guide them into all truth so that they could have 188 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,120 power in their ministry as they went and fulfilled the Great 189 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,920 Commission. But that word deals with the 190 00:10:54,920 --> 00:11:00,080 idea of the Spirit coming as a friend and being next to them to 191 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,960 call to one side. You know, sometimes maybe we're 192 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,360 struggling and maybe a friend comes and he kind of puts his 193 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,640 arm around us or her arm around us and they kind of call you 194 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,440 through your side and they say, listen, I just want to encourage 195 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:13,600 you. I just want to tell you that 196 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,480 that that I'm on your team. That's what Paul is talking. 197 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,120 That's the same word. And of course, he's not talking 198 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,400 here about the Holy Spirit per SE, but he's talking about 199 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,280 Christ. Christ is not only on our team, 200 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,920 he's the leader of our team and we follow him, but he's our 201 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:30,960 coach as well. And I'm not a big sports fan. 202 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,840 I don't know much about it, but I know coaches have a tremendous 203 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:38,160 impact on their players because they're positive or hopefully 204 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,920 are a positive influence and they encourage their players to 205 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,280 give their very best. Well, Paul says, listen, if 206 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:48,120 there's any of that in Christianity, if there is any of 207 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,320 that in Christ, he says, and there is of course, he says 208 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,480 fulfill my joy. And then he says, of course, be 209 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,200 like minded. Now he talks about this idea of 210 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,000 fellowship. You know, fellowship is also 211 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,360 another interesting word. And not to give you just a word 212 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,160 study tonight, that can be rather dull. 213 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:08,120 But the word fellowship is the word Koinonia. 214 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,080 It's the idea of a joint participation. 215 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,680 Now in the morning in our worship service, we're going to 216 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:16,880 assemble around the Lord's Table. 217 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:22,160 Now the word supper is also compared to a fellowship. 218 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,640 We partake of the loaf, we partake of the bread, we partake 219 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:31,400 of the fruit of the vine, and we share together in that memorial 220 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:33,720 feast. It's one of the most intimate, 221 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,600 beautiful times in all of Christianity. 222 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,480 Well, that's the same word that Paul is Speaking of here, and he 223 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,360 speaks of the term fellowship. And the word fellowship can be 224 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,440 used of the Lord's Supper as it is. 225 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,920 It's also used of our relationship with one another 226 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:49,040 and our relationship with Christ. 227 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,600 And it's also used, of course, even of our giving that is also 228 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,720 called a fellowship. But nonetheless, it denotes a 229 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,240 relationship, a close relationship with one another. 230 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:02,640 But he says if there's any fellowship of the Spirit. 231 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,960 Now again, we mentioned last night, and there's so much about 232 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,400 this that I don't know to be honest with you so much. 233 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:10,480 I've been decided about really to be honest with you. 234 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,960 But you know, the Spirit was so vibrant in the 1st century, it 235 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:19,040 provided the holy, the miracles rather to confirm the word. 236 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,440 It inspired the apostles into all truth. 237 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,200 The Spirit again seems to be the life force, just as our Spirit 238 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:30,560 is in the early church. And Jesus or Paul says here, he 239 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:33,600 says, you know, if there's any fellowship of the Spirit, in 240 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,360 other words, joint participation. 241 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,920 Now, again, it doesn't really matter to me for the purposes of 242 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:42,920 this study, how the Holy Spirit jointly participates with us. 243 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,920 Now, I do believe that the Holy Spirit is an intercessor. 244 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,200 It's not our mediator, by the way, but it's an intercessor. 245 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:52,800 We can have many intercessors. We can intercede for each other, 246 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,800 but there's only one mediator. Paul says in first to be two, 247 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,720 and that is Jesus Christ because he is the God man, as we're 248 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,840 going to notice in a moment, He stands between US and God, and 249 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,840 he, as it were, is our mediator. He mediates for us. 250 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,720 But Paul uses this idea of the fellowship of the Spirit. 251 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,800 You know, I've read something very interesting today as I was 252 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,720 sitting out on the porch and, you know, just kind of musing 253 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,960 over notes and, and looking at a couple of old commentaries on my 254 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,640 phone and that sort of thing. And Jameson Fawcett and Brown, 255 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,920 which may not mean anything to you, but it's kind of a go to, 256 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:29,320 easy go to sometimes. But they suggest that this idea 257 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:34,200 of fellowship is the idea of what went on in ancient 258 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,960 villages. Now, of course, Paul is writing 259 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:38,960 to people who at one time they did pagans. 260 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,080 And according to Jameson Fawcett and Brown and I haven't had 261 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,880 really had time to, you know, confirm this, but I'll just 262 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:48,280 share it with you anyway. You know, the Pagan concept 263 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:52,080 comes from people who are country people in a village. 264 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,800 We typically think of pagans as people who don't worship God or 265 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,360 whatever. Well, initially, apparently the 266 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,360 word carried other connotations. Rather than being a city person, 267 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,160 they were pagans or they were country folk. 268 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,720 And country folk in those villages would usually have a 269 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:11,760 single well, maybe a single fountain, a single spring, maybe 270 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,800 it came by enough aqueduct, as we noted the other night from 271 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,240 the mountains that the Romans had built. 272 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:18,360 Well, they didn't build the mountains, but they built their 273 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,680 aqueduct. But anyway, but they would drink 274 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,600 from that same fountain. And so you would go to that 275 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,800 fountain and it was like the local watering hole, if you 276 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,880 will. That's where maybe you get your 277 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,440 water. That's where you would talk to 278 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:31,720 your friends. That's where you would have some 279 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,000 fellowship, some camaraderie. And much like in John 4, 280 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,960 remember in the Samaritan woman in John 4, when Jesus comes to 281 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,720 Sycar and and Jacob's well, that's a similar situation. 282 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,280 That village had one watering source and people would go there 283 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,560 and they would drink of the same life giving water. 284 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:51,880 Well, that's kind of the illustration here. 285 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:53,680 According to Jameson Fawcett Brown. 286 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:58,520 It's the idea of of Christians imbibing and drinking from the 287 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:03,040 same spiritual source of life. You see, we're partners 288 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,160 together. We share together. 289 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,520 And how then is that made greater? 290 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,680 Well, it's made greater by having the same mind. 291 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,840 He says fulfill my joy, verse 2, by being like minded. 292 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,040 This idea of the mind is found over and over in parts of 293 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,200 Philippians. And when Paul's Speaking of the 294 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,040 mind, he's not just talking about our brain. 295 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,640 Now the brain is kind of the equipment. 296 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:26,840 The mind is something that I don't know that even 297 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,080 psychologists or scientists understand. 298 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,720 You know, the brain adder that we have is just physical stuff. 299 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,120 But somehow in that with the spark of life and with our 300 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,320 spirit that God gives to us, we're able to make decisions. 301 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,040 We're able to think, we're able to interact, we're able to 302 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,960 anticipate, we're able to have these emotions in our mind. 303 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,960 And of course, Paul in Romans chapter 12, we mentioned that 304 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:55,280 one time in this meeting talks about the renewing of our mind, 305 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,080 renewing of our thought patterns and our process, the things we 306 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,760 process as we go through our Christian life. 307 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,319 But he says, I want you to be of one mind. 308 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,319 You know, this reminds me a lot. And we won't go there for time's 309 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:13,359 sake of Ephesians chapter 4 verses one through 4. 310 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:16,560 Now Ephesians chapter 4, you know, that's the great chapter 311 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,079 of 11 Lord 1 faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is 312 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:21,480 above all through all and in you all. 313 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,880 It's the great chapter of once the unity of the Spirit, and 314 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,440 that begins. That chapter begins by Paul 315 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:32,280 talking about keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of 316 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,760 peace. Now, of course, he's writing 317 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,200 there to a congregation that likely had some division and 318 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,280 difficulty in it. But you know, again, that's a 319 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:45,200 human problem. But being like minded is so 320 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:50,400 incredibly important, and being like minded allows us to think 321 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,480 on the same things, to make the same decisions together in a 322 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,200 peaceful way and to comfort one another. 323 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,080 And so you see Paul is talking here about things that are very 324 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,680 practical. We don't even need to learn to 325 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:06,480 think together. You know, I think a good example 326 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,600 of that is marriage. You know, when I got married, of 327 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,720 course, I have my own individual will. 328 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,880 I had my own individual thoughts and also expectations of 329 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,360 marriage. Now that they were good, 330 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:22,600 unfortunately they weren't hers. And so she had her own thoughts. 331 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,000 She had her own expectations of marriage and we didn't have the 332 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,680 same. We weren't on the same page. 333 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,440 We weren't of one mind together. And I'm telling you what, you 334 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,640 know, I talked to Tranky I think or somebody this week. 335 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,320 I said, you know, it's like iron sharpening iron. 336 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,000 You're going to get a lot of sparks because that's what 337 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,720 happens when you get 2 people together and you're trying to 338 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,640 come to a meeting of the minds again. 339 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,680 I was thrown out of the meeting a lot, but nonetheless, the 340 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,440 meeting of the minds is so important in the Lord's body. 341 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,040 And what is the source of being able to have minds that are the 342 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:01,200 same? It's having a central authority. 343 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,400 It's having something that is a non negotiable that we both will 344 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:06,640 agree on. But what is that for the 345 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,640 Christian? Well, first of all, there's many 346 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,240 things, the love of Christ, the authority of God's Word, God's 347 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,720 power, all those things, but especially the authority of 348 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,200 God's Word. You know, I've said in business 349 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,800 meetings, and I don't have any inclination if that ever happens 350 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,400 here, but we are human. But I've seen people argue, I've 351 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,200 seen people almost come to blows over things. 352 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,600 And I'm like, why? Because that's not, that's not 353 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:33,440 the, that's not the unity of the Spirit. 354 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,720 That's not the unity of the mind that God wants. 355 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:41,400 He wants us to put him first, put his word first, filter 356 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,120 everything through that word and then make decisions. 357 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:47,560 Sometimes we're going to have to give, sometimes we're going to 358 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,400 have to take and sometimes we're going to have to be the bigger 359 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,800 person. But nonetheless, Paul here is 360 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:58,880 very concerned and very, you know, very insistent that they 361 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,440 have a mind that is peaceful. Now, how's that going to happen 362 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,680 besides what we've already said? Well, he says this, he says, but 363 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,200 in loneliness, let now let's look at our seat. 364 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:13,040 He says let nothing be done through selfish ambition. 365 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,160 You know, when we have selfish ambition, and this is where I 366 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,000 think it gets really practical in any group, in any 367 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,920 organization where they're talking about the church or the 368 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,880 family or school or business or whatever. 369 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:27,280 When we have selfish ambitions where we don't care what others 370 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,760 want, we don't care what others need and we just are going to 371 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,640 have it my way or the highway, that's going to be hard. 372 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,120 In other words, when you get the stubborn will, which we all have 373 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:45,920 involved in decision making, you have a real potential for 374 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:49,280 volatility, marriages, young marriages. 375 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,840 Again, as I mentioned, you have a real potential for difficulty 376 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,840 because both of these minds want to have it their way. 377 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,320 But this isn't Burger King. Burger King used to have a 378 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:02,680 commercial. Have it your way. 379 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,520 Or is that McDonald's? Nonetheless, it was one of 380 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,200 those. But we can't have it our way. 381 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,920 The only way we can have it is Christ's way. 382 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,840 And then try to conform our will to Him. 383 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,840 And so he says again with lowliness of mine, we esteem 384 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,960 others better than ourselves. That is so hard. 385 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,920 Why? Because within the human 386 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:27,240 condition is self preservation. Now that's a good thing. 387 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,720 In other words, God gave us the desire to live and preserve our 388 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,600 lives, fighting for our life, but that, when it's not taken in 389 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,920 the right context, can cause us to not only fight for our life 390 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:44,280 in good ways, but to also demand our rights in other ways. 391 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,120 And so we're willing then to let others become subservient or run 392 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:51,720 over others simply to get our way. 393 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,880 And that's not to diminish rightful headship issues, 394 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,920 whether it's at the workplace or the home place or whatever. 395 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,160 We know Paul talks a lot about headship, even in First 396 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,680 Corinthians 11, First Timothy 2. He speaks with the headship and 397 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,400 the responsibility of the husband in the home in Ephesians 398 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,440 5. But nonetheless, we need to 399 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,440 defer to one another. You know, Jesus did that. 400 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,360 Jesus even deferred to his apostles. 401 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,200 You know, he was with them. He gave himself to them. 402 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,360 He gave himself for us on the cross. 403 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,880 That is the greatest difference you can perhaps exhibit. 404 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,000 So he says again, let each other esteem each other better than 405 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,040 himself. You know what I think about 406 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:35,600 that? I think about the parables that 407 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,920 Jesus told. You know, Jesus would talk, for 408 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,680 example, about going to a feast and how the religious leaders of 409 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,160 his day, they wanted the best seats. 410 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,920 And Jesus says don't do that. Don't go and send the best 411 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,440 seats. He says let others take the 412 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,840 better position. And that way if you are moved 413 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,880 up, so to speak, at the table, hey, it's going to be a good 414 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,240 deal for you. Don't put yourself in the 415 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:02,040 position where you're assuming that you're better than others. 416 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,040 We're not better than others. You know, again, even when we 417 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,560 have found the Christ, even when our sins have been washed away 418 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,640 in baptism, we are not better than others. 419 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,520 We may be saved, we may be, but, you know, sanctified. 420 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,080 But we're not better inherently than others. 421 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,840 We are all God's children. And so Paul says, listen, put 422 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,400 each other first. Then he gives us the prime 423 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:29,680 example. And this is where we're going to 424 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,240 focus the rest of our thoughts tonight. 425 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:37,440 In verses 5 through verse 11, he says, let this mind be in you, 426 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,000 which was also in Christ Jesus, the mind of Christ. 427 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,720 You know, again, we want to be like Christ, and that starts in 428 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,520 the mind. Christ had a mind that I don't 429 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,400 think we can fully comprehend, but we should try. 430 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,240 The mind of Christ was a loving mind. 431 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,720 It was a submissive mind. At the same time, it was a mind 432 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,720 that understood the nature of humanity, understood the nature 433 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,440 of God, and yet He loved us despite the fact that he was 434 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,760 from heaven. And so he says, let this mind be 435 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,240 the example. Let Jesus be the pattern. 436 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:13,800 In fact, that's really what he's talking about. 437 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,600 He's talking about the pattern of Paul's life, which was Jesus 438 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,760 Christ. He says, let this mind be in 439 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,080 you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 440 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,800 And then what did Jesus do? It says who be in the form of 441 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,800 God. Now what does he mean by that? 442 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:33,080 Well, we know that Jesus from eternity past was with the 443 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,880 Father, what we call the Godhead, God the Father, God the 444 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,960 Son, God the Holy Spirit, really in some ways a great mystery 445 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,880 that theologians have never quite been able to figure out. 446 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:46,040 You can't quite diagram it. You can't quite put your head 447 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,400 around it, but we know it's true. 448 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,600 Jesus was with the Father, He was deity. 449 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:53,280 But now Jesus gave all of that up. 450 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,800 Now he didn't give up his Godhead because when he came to 451 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,280 the world, he was still the God man. 452 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:06,280 He was Emmanuel, which means God with us, but in some way, though 453 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,960 a man of flesh and blood and fully the Son of David, fully a 454 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,120 human. And that is seen in the 455 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:19,200 genealogies of Matthew and Luke. He is deity combined and infused 456 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,720 together in some, you know, wonderful plan. 457 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,800 Jesus is the God man. Now think about that. 458 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,880 Jesus, according to Colossians, was the very source of creation 459 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,480 for us, for humanity, for the world. 460 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,080 In fact, Paul says that everything was made through him, 461 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,080 and without him nothing was made that was made. 462 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:48,680 In other words, Jesus was the, as it were, the divine Logos, 463 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:52,800 the instrumentative tool by which the universe was made and 464 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,920 everything else. And so here's Jesus and we'll 465 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,680 sort of, you know, personalize this or or personify this, which 466 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,120 is sort of inaccurate. But here's Jesus who has 467 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,920 understood this perfect relationship with God and had it 468 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:10,560 from eternity past. And now he finds himself born in 469 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:15,720 a Manger, born of a poor family, born in flesh and blood. 470 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,200 He is a human and yet he's still fully deity. 471 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:21,480 Now, I don't understand all of that. 472 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:24,440 In fact, Luke 2, you know, talks about Jesus after they come back 473 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:25,920 from the temple where Jesus was lost. 474 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:27,400 You remember that story? Neat story. 475 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,840 You know, He is submissive to His parents and grows and in 476 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,720 knowledge and wisdom and in favor with God and men. 477 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,520 Jesus still had to grow. I don't quite understand all 478 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:41,760 that, even though he's deity, but nonetheless, Jesus gave up, 479 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,960 shall we say, the portals of heaven. 480 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:46,440 Now I don't know what heaven is like. 481 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:48,800 I don't know. We get these glimpses from 482 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,280 things that the Book of Revelation and maybe John 14 483 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,280 say, but I don't know what it's like. 484 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:55,880 But I know it's better than this world. 485 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,400 I know there's no sin there because apparently when Satan 486 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,280 sinned and the angels, he cast them out. 487 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,000 We know that God is perfectly holy and perfectly pure. 488 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,960 And I don't know all about heaven, but there's no impurity 489 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,920 up there. Well, Jesus left that place. 490 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:16,080 He left, as we sometimes say poetically, that place of the 491 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,960 pearly gates, and came to a low land of sin and sorrow. 492 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,920 This world is filled with sin. This world is filled with 493 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,840 sorrow. And He came here voluntarily to 494 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,560 live for us, but also to die for us. 495 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:38,200 And so he says then in verse 6, who being in the form of God, 496 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:42,320 did not consider it robbery to be equal to God. 497 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,600 Now that verse is sort of an interesting verse because 498 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,640 various translators have translated it very various ways, 499 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,560 and some have said he did not count his Godhead something to 500 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,680 be held onto. In other words, Jesus was 501 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,800 willing to give it up. Now we know he didn't give up 502 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,480 being deity because that of course, was his inherent nature, 503 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,240 but nonetheless he gave up at least the prerogatives of being 504 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,600 the Son of God. He came and humbled himself to 505 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,760 the Father. In fact, again, even as he was 506 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,880 in the garden before he died, he said, Father, not my will, but 507 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,920 thy will be done. And so he says He made himself 508 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,960 of no reputation. He took the form of a bond 509 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,320 servant. You know, when we read maybe the 510 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,720 myths and the legends of other supposed gods, and you know, 511 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,240 some of those Roman and Greek gods and goddesses, you know, 512 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,200 they're not servants, they're tyrants. 513 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,720 They're not servants who come to serve mankind. 514 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,760 They come to use mankind and abuse mankind, not Jesus. 515 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,400 That's what make Jesus so different than all of those 516 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,960 other, you know, stories about supposing gods and goddesses and 517 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,120 all that. You, Jesus came to serve. 518 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:59,240 He came to take the very creation that he created and 519 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,080 made and say I'm going to be not only become one of you, I'm 520 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,760 going to serve you. I think the greatest example or 521 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:08,960 one of the greatest examples just in his ministry was when he 522 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,280 washed the disciples feet. Now we don't understand that 523 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,800 either because we don't do that as a custom, but that was a 524 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,600 lowly job of a servant. And Jesus here the master of all 525 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,360 is stooping as a servant and washing people's feet. 526 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:28,160 Like Peter who would deny him and Judas who would betray him. 527 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,960 That is incredible. You see, that's the mind of 528 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,560 Christ. You know, really what Paul is 529 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,600 saying here is get over yourself. 530 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,640 Get over yourself because, you know, we think we're so great. 531 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,880 We think we sometimes have so many talents. 532 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,840 And man, you know, the world really needs me. 533 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,160 Well, yeah, because you're in Christ. 534 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,680 But really, you know, if I died tonight and guess what, what 535 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,280 happened, the world would continue. 536 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,360 You know, again, a couple generations, they wouldn't even 537 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,680 know who I was. We overestimate our own value 538 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:00,000 when it comes to worldly type perspectives. 539 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,920 Of course, in God's eyes, we're extremely valuable because we've 540 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,520 got a job to do, we go forth and we take the gospel. 541 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:12,920 But nonetheless, Jesus humbled himself to be a servant, A 542 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,200 dulos, A bondservant, a slave if you will. 543 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,520 And what happened? Well, he took the form of a 544 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,720 bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 545 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,520 In other words, he looked like you and I. 546 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,400 I don't think Jesus was anything special as far as his looks, and 547 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,880 I think even when he came off the cross, he was even less 548 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,680 special beaten, as no man had ever been beaten before and 549 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,280 crucified. It's just that being found in 550 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,400 this appearance, he humbled himself and became obedient to 551 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,920 the point of death, even the death of a cross. 552 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:44,920 Now, why does Paul say that? Why does Paul say, well, he 553 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,800 died, he died on a cross because, you know, many people 554 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,800 die. Many people die in many ways, 555 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,400 some more horrific than others. But the death of a cross in that 556 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:01,400 day was not only horrific physically, all you have to do 557 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,520 is read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but it was 558 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,280 also horrific in a very emotional way. 559 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:11,840 It was degrading. It was the common way to, you 560 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,760 know, to execute a a common criminal. 561 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,120 And yet Jesus went through that for us. 562 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,800 He took upon himself a servant. He came in the likeness of men. 563 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,960 He humbled himself. He became obedient to the point 564 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,560 of death, even the death of a cross. 565 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,400 Now, as we sum up, because this is the last little section I 566 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:37,000 want to look at tonight, God was pleased with that. 567 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:42,320 It pleased God to bruise him. Isaiah says what? 568 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,240 What? What kind of God is that? 569 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:49,520 What kind of God is pleased to take his Son and put him on a 570 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:52,520 cross? It sounds so sadistic. 571 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:59,920 No, it's necessary because you see, there was a broken trust. 572 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:05,520 There was evil in the world. Man had participated in that, 573 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,920 and somebody needed to pay the price. 574 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:15,520 Jesus willingly came and God willingly gave and said they are 575 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:23,200 worth it, we are worth it. And so Jesus died for us and God 576 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,000 was pleased with that. Now on the cross, it may not 577 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,080 look that way. In fact, on that six hours that 578 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,920 that, that you know, that that Friday or whatever day it was. 579 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:34,200 Some scholars disagree with that. 580 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,760 But nonetheless, the darkness just encompassed Jesus. 581 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:45,320 It looked as if God had turned his face away from Jesus, and 582 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,120 maybe in some ways metaphorically, he had. 583 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,600 And that's when, of course, as Jesus is about to die, he quotes 584 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,400 Psalm 22. My God, my God, why have you 585 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:56,120 forsaken me? Now, before we get too involved 586 00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:00,880 in, you know, God leaving Jesus. And that poses a whole lot of 587 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,560 theological problems and questions about how deity can 588 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,520 separate itself from deity since they're one. 589 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:11,120 But nonetheless, Psalm 22, yes, it starts out in darkness, but 590 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,560 it is a solve of messianic victory. 591 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,000 And I think Jesus was preaching A sermon saying, listen, you're 592 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,720 killing me, you're crucifying me. 593 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,120 But God is going to have his final stay. 594 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,560 So even in that and even in his death, burial and then 595 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:33,160 resurrection, God was pleased and demonstrated that by his 596 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:38,000 raising his son from the dead. In fact, it's said that that 597 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,240 the, that the, the, the resurrection was kind of the 598 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,880 exclamation point in the Gospel message. 599 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,800 You know, it's the I am pleased. And of course God had said that 600 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,920 at other times. This is my son in whom I'm well 601 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,760 pleased. He said that in his baptism. 602 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,280 He said that in Matthew 14 or Matthew 17 on the on the Mount 603 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:00,640 of Transfiguration. And he said it toward the end of 604 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,600 his ministry. And so then God was pleased. 605 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:08,239 And So what did God do? God exalted him and gave him a 606 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:16,080 name above every name. I love that the name of Jesus is 607 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:20,920 the most powerful, the most beautiful name that could ever 608 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,000 be given. The Son of God, Jesus said many 609 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,239 names, by the way, Lamb of God, John 129 Behold the Lamb of God 610 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:28,560 that takes away the sins of the world. 611 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,880 He's called the Savior, He's called the prophet, He's called 612 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:32,840 the priest, He's called the King. 613 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,480 Jesus had many appellations, He had many names, if you will. 614 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:41,400 But Savior, Redeemer, that's about as good as he gets. 615 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,920 And so he says, therefore God has given, has highly exalted 616 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,800 him, and given him the name which is above every name, that 617 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:55,560 at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven, 618 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:00,720 of those on earth, and of those under the earth name, which is 3 619 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:04,240 things here, those in heaven, who are they? 620 00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:07,280 Well, the angels, the heavenly host, those up there, the 621 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,480 seraphim, and all of those heavenly beings that also are 622 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:14,560 created beings by the way they look down and they see the 623 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:18,480 magnificent work Jesus did on the cross and they're just 624 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:22,800 praising God. I'm convinced of because God has 625 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:29,000 shown to them through his actions of Jesus what he had in 626 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,280 mind. You know, we have that passage 627 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,840 over in Peter that talks about angels longing to look into 628 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:36,440 ultimately what's the scheme of redemption. 629 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:40,240 They didn't quite understand it, it seems to me anyway, but in 630 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:44,160 Christ, and then I think even in the church today, we are still 631 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:48,400 showing the heavenly hosts what this whole plan of redemption 632 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,600 means as we live our godly lives. 633 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,960 So instead of those again in heaven, then he says those on 634 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:58,800 earth, who's that? Well, it's those we contact. 635 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,000 It's those that you see the gospel, see the light of Jesus 636 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,920 in us. It's maybe our fellow brothers 637 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:05,360 and sisters. It's all of those who are 638 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,960 living. And then he says those under the 639 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,120 earth. I take that to mean those who 640 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,240 have died, those who are in the Hadean realm or in the spiritual 641 00:36:12,240 --> 00:36:13,680 realm that have already departed. 642 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:20,000 They also apparently have some inclination of what Jesus did. 643 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,720 And so in other words, Jesus's influence is pervasive. 644 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:31,200 And that's because Jesus, God exalted Jesus because of what he 645 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:32,840 did. And where did it all begin? 646 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:39,160 He began with Jesus having a mind to serve, a mind to come, a 647 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:46,160 mind to humble himself, a mind to die, and a mind to turn his 648 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:51,480 entire being in faith to God the Father. 649 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:56,320 And so then, what's the result? Verse 11, That every tongue 650 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:01,320 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the 651 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:04,120 Father. And so, you know, it's just 652 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,520 beautiful really. It's really brilliant when you 653 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:12,560 think about it, that Jesus came, did all of those things to show 654 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:14,720 us how to do all of those things as well. 655 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:18,680 Because when we come to the point where we can humble 656 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,880 ourselves, we can have the same mind as our brothers and 657 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,240 sisters. We can, as it were, wash their 658 00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:26,160 feet, so to speak, or we can humble our will to theirs. 659 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:28,360 Guess what? God's going to exalt us. 660 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,360 In fact, many times Jesus said, you know, if we humble 661 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,520 ourselves, God will lift us up. And James said that too. 662 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,760 And so again, the point of this particular section in 663 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,840 Philippians is listen, serve one another, help one another, love 664 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,600 one another, and never leave Jesus. 665 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:49,200 Use him as your example. Well, those are the thoughts 666 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:50,880 tonight. If you're here and we can assist 667 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,160 you in some way in obedience to the gospel, either through 668 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:58,680 baptism or through just your life that may need comfort. 669 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,640 That's our job tonight as Christians, to help one another 670 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:04,320 while we stand and while we sink.