When God became a manPhil 2:5-13

Christmas Trilogy

•When God became a man

•Why God became a man

•Emmanuel : God with us

Philippians 2

•Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross

5. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

AttitudeCareful thoughtImperative..Dominate

Christian Attitude

Attitude of Jesus

, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Zeus and Hermes..disguised

Likeness of man

Form of God..More than meets the eye

Morphe

Glory of God ,majesty, splendor, light

Form that expresses the being which

underlies it

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. Jn 17:5

, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

something to be used for his own advantage

Grasped ..arpagmon...leveraged

Dr Hassan Abdul Rahman

"As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be."

Lorenzo Snow5th President Mormon Church

No one goes in the opposite trajectory

, 6 , did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

something to be used for his own advantage

, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Because

Concessive or causal

, 6 who, because he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be taken advantage of,

Jesus not disguising...revealing who God is

Gods nature is to empty Himself to serve

Our concepts of God wrong..all powerful aloofWarriors, kings, Not one off unusual circumstance but part of his natureDivine selflessness..Affects culture , family

•And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Rev 5:5

•And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,Rev 5:6

•It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt 20:26-28

Incarnation

•7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross

Note the difference

He emptied himself

He humbled himself

God

Kenoo

•To make empty

Phil 2:17 Describes Paul's service

•Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,

•Christ poured out himself, putting himself totally at the disposal of people '.

He emptied himself .....incarnation

•by taking the form of a servant,

•being born in the likeness of men

•And being found in human form

authenticity

No rights,priv,humiliation

Identified, bapt,bodilyfunc

Docetists

•"By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4: 2- 3).

The humility of all bodily functions

•For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Leon Morris

•“The man who yields to a particular temptation has not felt its full power. He has given in while the temptation has yet something in reserve.”

He humbled himself ....service

•by becoming obedient to the point of death,

•even death on a cross

Divine scandal

Marcus Tullius Cicero

•The cross is "the worst extreme of the tortures inflicted upon slaves." "To bind a Roman citizen is a crime; to flog him is an abomination; to slay him is almost an act of murder; to crucify him is – what? There is no fitting word that can possibly describe so horrible a deed."

Gods reciprocal response ...reward or consequence

•. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He emptied himself

He humbled himself

God

Exaltation

•Given by grace

•Vindication

•Confirmation of true identity

Gods reciprocal response ...

•. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

spheres of the universe were under the control of invisible

spirit- powers

Refers to Yahweh

Is 45:23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousnessa word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow,every tongue shall swear allegiance. ’

Jesus is Yahweh!

Christmas Event

Lord sovereign

Slave submissio

n

Author of Life

Death on cross

1. Practice biblical humility

L Sermon..feel itJesus

Messiah..carpenter

Phil 2:3-4

•Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4.Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

trash yourselves..OTCar life grp

Not about you...about serving others

Christian attitude..self forgetfulness in order to serve

We emptied ourselves

We humbled ourselves

Current position

Enter globe

2. Practice incarnational servanthood

Within the cityBeyond your limits

Christian attitude

Incorporation

Service

Current position

Defense against

Anabaptists 16th century Purify from

Purify fromAmish

Mennonite

Hunterrian brethren

Turn society in the church. Win souls

Only bible study..train..elder

Relevant to

Jews in exile at Babylon

•Move into the city and loose your spiritual identity

•Stay out of the city and keep your spiritual identity

•Move into the city and keep your spiritual identity

Faithful presence within the community

5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and

eat their produce.......7But seek the welfare of

the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its

behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jer 29:5,7

Faithful presence within the community ..no sacred secular divide

What then is all our work to God whether it be in

the field or in the garden, in war or in

government but such child's performance by which He wants to give us His gifts. Therefore

our work, these are the masks of God behind

which he wants to remain concealed and

do all things.

•Your way was through the sea,your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.

Psalm 77:19

The first 300 yearsChristianity

ultimately survived and continues to

prosper, through the power of the personal

influence of the people who live according to its

principles, that is, normal lay faithful and families who aspire to holiness according to the model of Christ

Energy, purpose and love

•Support

•Education

•Practical help

Servanthood releases the transformative power of the cross

•“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. Mark 8 34-35

Bill Wilson co founder of Alcoholic Anonymous

In helping he received strength

Break addiction

Break addiction

•God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars.

•— Elbert Hubbard

David Cerqueira writes from Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

3. Our Hope is in final vindication

Serve bcos of who we are our nature not reward

Romans 8 :17

•and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Phil 1:14

•And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Fearless servants

Natalya Dmytruk

Viktor

YanukovychYushchen

koJudge