← Back to sermon library

into the to the house of the Lord for another worship worship service welcome to to ending all out there visitors especially we have for announcements so if you could listen carefully and we'll begin worship first of all number one is Lord suppers tonight this evening so if you're able to make it back this evening we will remember the word supper heritage village is this afternoon at two thirty so if you are free and able to to help with the singing the visiting of the old of the old folk that would be that would be great it looks like at this point there is no pianist no musician so it'll be a cappella and so the more the more the merrier ATS at Heritage Village at two thirty there will be a Bible study this this wednesday at December the seventh so that will resume we we thank the Lord that Pastor bottners feeling feeling better and able to back starting to starting to gear up towards full time in the in the coming coming days so wednesday this wednesday but there will be Bible study beginning at seven thirty and the last item number four is on the back table you may have noticed there are depending which door you came in there's a new list of resent as an old list of emails and telephone numbers we try to update that but once a year and there have been some additions to our congregation so if you are the are wanting to have your name at it and you've never been in in the email list or the telephone list and please put your name oh there's a piece of paper in the middle for new additions and could you also check the old your old telephone number old old email if you've changed for some reason just scratch out your old one puts new one in and if I could ask you to be clear try to do those in the past and sometimes people kind of chicken scratch their their emailed or they telephone number and so hard that a little hard to read so if you could in your best penmanship put your new email or telephone number that would be great we would appreciate that and and just just initial by the way if if it's currently correct if you wouldn't mind just stopping by sometime and just initial so we'll keep that therefore this week and maybe for two more weeks and then we'll publish a new one that will give to you okay so that's it for announcements I'll ask you to turn in your Bibles please to a psalm chapter 97 Psalm 97 as a call to worship a psalm of praise for the and Psalm 22 command us to rejoice and we serve a great god who actually commands us to rejoice and we have nothing to be sad about we have much to rejoice in as we come into the house Lord this day to worship our lord and savior jesus christ so psalm chapter 97 a song of praise to the sovereign Lord the Lord reigns let the earth rejoice let the multitude of Isles be glad clouds and darkness surround him righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne a fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about his lightnings light the world the earth sees and trembles the mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord the whole excuse me at the presence of the lord of the whole earth the heavens declare his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory let all be put to shame who serve carved images who boast of idols worship him all you gods the zion here's and is glad and the daughters of judah rejoice because of your judgments Oh Lord for you Lord are most high above all the earth you are exalted far above all gods you who love the Lord hate evil he preserves the souls of his Saints he delivers them out of the hand of the wicked light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart rejoice in the Lord you righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name amen well let's begin our worship this morning turning turning our hymnbooks to our first him and it's a hymn number 169 we'll be seeing it to a different tomb but it is him / 169 I'll ask you to please stand Oh Oh Oh I Oh Oh why Oh Oh let's go to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our our worship time this morning that's let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father it's with expectation that we come into your holy presence this morning here in this worship our we praise You Father that you have gifted the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ with with elders with with teachers those who are able to bring the Word of God we thank you for that word how we praise You Father for the fact that you look down upon this earth with with with great desire to to collect your your children and cause them to look upon the Lord Jesus Christ and to believe and to be collected here amongst amongst your people in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ thank you Lord that the church is universal that is not just this little body here before us but rather it's a it's it's universal it's all around this world you have promised to to to to seed your church and grow your church across this world and so lord how we praise you that that over the centuries that you have been pleased to to multiply and grow your church and how we pray Lord your blessing to be upon our meeting place here this morning we pray Lord that you would be pleased to forgive us of our many sins cleanse us and that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ how we praise you Lord that there is a that there is a fountain that is open for for uncleanness and for sin and how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to bless our time here this day present yourself here amongst us we do pray cause the Word of God to be preached with clarity and with with great hope and anticipation for for for causing us to be mindful of the things of Christ and we do pray Lord that as the word is opened up that you would add your blessing give to our pastor great unction and health month high to to bring that word and to make it powerful in the ears of your people and any are unsaved here this day Lord we pray that you would be pleased to save each and every one that that calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ thank you Lord that you do not deny any who call upon you but but but all who call upon you shall be saved we pray Lord your blessing this day to be upon those who are ill and sick amongst us we thank you that Tasha brother has been strengthened from day to day in week to week and we pray Lord that as he resumes work here back in the office that you would be pleased to bless that work in the coming in the coming days give him physical strengthen and mental tenacity and all that he stands in need of give me your spirit we do pray Lord we pray for others in our congregation who are not well who are sick either with us as they are not able to be with us we pray Lord that your grace would be upon them that they would know your help from on high that you would bless them this day even though they cannot be with us but father they would know of a truth that there was a God in heaven who cares for them who watches over over them who is a good shepherd to them we pray they might know that grace upon their lives even even this day on their sickbeds and how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to to bless them Lord we ask your blessing to be upon upon the church worldwide as well as we consider those who are persecuted those who have have great difficulty even in meeting together Lord we we know that there is great persecution of your church give them give them grace we do pray Lord we know that you have purposes in all these things and so let me just commit them into your hands and we remember them as though we're in Shane with them we pray that you would just strengthen this day strengthen them each this day and for those in prison father cause that it caused your grace to be upon them that they might be that they might be mindful of you this day that you would bring through the remembrance the Word of God in and that they might have the Spirit of God upon them and cause all these things to be done for your honor for your glory that the Church of Christ might might march forward we know it lord is it it is a triumphant church and so we praise you that you are working all things together for for your glory and for your purposes and we pray that those who are downtrodden those are discouraged this day that you would encourage them cause them Lord to be lifted up in their spirits by your gracious Holy Spirit so Lord we just ask your blessing now to be upon our meeting time we thank you for that that we get to worship the High King of heaven and earth and Lord give us a glimpse of yourself this day may we see less of ourselves maybe see that that great God for who you are the God of heaven and earth and may may may we be on cloud in our in our thinking on cloud in our inner understanding we pray the Word of God might speak to each and that the Spirit of God would would bless that word in all of our hearts and minds and we pray these things in Jesus precious name Amen excuse me please turn with me in your hymn books to suckin him hymn number 173 173 and I'll ask you to stand you Oh he did and please turn with me your Bibles to the New Testament Bible reading of Matthew Matthew chapter 23 will finish the chapter so Matthew chapter 23 beginning at verse 20 beginning of verse 22 and we'll go to the end of the chapter woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law justice and mercy and faith these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence blind Pharisee first cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish that the outside of them may be clean also woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outward ly but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men but inside you're full of hypocrisy and lawlessness woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous and say if we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets fill up then the measure of your father's guilt serpents brood of vipers how can you escape the condemnation of hell therefore indeed i send you prophets wise men inscribes some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of zechariah son of bar kiya whom you murdered between the temple and the altar assuredly I say to you all these things will come upon this generation o Jerusalem Jerusalem the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing see your house is left desk is left to you desolate for I say to you you shall see me no more till you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord amen well certainly Ezekiel the Prophet to whom we have been reading the Old Testament Ezekiel the Prophet 6 wrote about 600 years earlier than than this then Matthew here he prophesied these this very this very thing or these very things especially in verse verse 38 see your house is left to you desolate ultimately what that means is the glory of the Lord had departed from them they were still going through the motions they were still having their worship services they were still doing all the things that that that that worship entail the Old Testament worship entailed but they were doing it without the presence of the Lord the Lord had departed from their presence and ultimately that was the greater tragedy not that not the events that were to come in chapter 24 the pastor brother was preaching on before he left for his for his his surgery the real tragedy here in chapters 23 24 and what happened in 70 AD was the departure of the the the presence of God and so that's a it's it's something that we ought to take very seriously ourselves here in 2016 do we come to worship with expecting the presence of God have we prayed for that presence of God privately personally corporately as a church or is it something we just assume that God will be here God will be here in his church well we need to pray that we would have the real and true presence of the of the the God of heaven and earth here in our worship that we would not just be going through the motions and what a wonderful text is just the verse ahead of verse 38 Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem the one who kills the prophets excuse me it's halfway through that verse how often I want to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings that you were not willing there is the there's a demonstration of the gospel there's Christ with his arms wide open desiring that that they would come to him and we know that of a truth in the scriptures that anyone comes to the Lord will be received by Christ he will not cast any one help he will ever he will never stiff-arm anyone who comes to him but but rather he desires that said that we come to him for his grace for his mercy and all before for salvation so may we be warned that may we also be encouraged that is the Christ that we that we worship this day the Christ the Christ who welcomes sinners died for sinners and and has has invited all those who would who would come to to come to him well let's pray our gracious in our love and loving Heavenly Father how grateful we are father for such a wonderful Savior in the person of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we are grateful for the fact for the fact that that he invites all sinners to himself he invites all who who who see their own wickedness who see the end of themselves and and come to him with with desires to to find that grace and that mercy and not forgiveness and Lord we just praise you this day for such a savior as your son the Lord Jesus Christ and fathers were also reminded this passage how we praise we pray Lord that we would not come this day with with empty hands that we would not come this day on desirous of the glory of God the presence of God here in this place free grace baptist church this day Lord we desire to meet with you and we know that can only be by the by the presence of God Almighty so Lord we pray that you would come down now and bless them bless the preaching cause the Word of God as it as it comes from this pulpit father to be blessed of you that it might find its mark in each heart and each mine here in this place this day bless us with your presence we do pray in Jesus precious name amen well please turn with me your hymn books for the last him to him number 217 him to 17 and I'll ask you to stand Oh you Oh Oh Oh good morning everyone you can turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter two our last sermon in this passage Philippians 2 5 to 11 is him to Christ as to God we spent a number of Lords days walking slowly through the hem hopefully to open it up that we might better understand in a joyful way the reality of our Lord Jesus Christ fully God fully man yet one Christ who comes into this world sinners to save i'm going to read philippians 2 beginning in verse five let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father amen let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this time now together in worship we rejoice that we can engage in the preaching of the word we pray that you would help us now by your spirit to have our minds filled with Christ that we might rejoice in the king of kings and Lord of lords and we pray Lord for that Ministry of your Holy Spirit that your Saints here would be fed by your word we pray that sinners would be saved we pray Lord God that this exercise of worship would be done unto the praise of your most glorious name Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ well as we've been moving through this we've been noting and we've been using the language of a hymn to Christ as to God and for good reason if we we reflect upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ if we repent reflect upon the historical out workings of the redemptive activity of the Lord Jesus Christ is it is as if we we move along the the reflection of his work when we rehearse the the doing and the dying and the rising again of Christ as we move through these various landmarks of the perfection of his work it is as as if new stanzas are being added to the hymn book of heaven believe it's a sermon on Philippians 2 14 where Spurgeon talks about the incarnation of Christ is as adding a new note or adding a new stanza to the hymn book of heaven the Angels had sung the glories of God throughout the history of of redemptive history prior to Christ's coming into the world they they sang the glories of God and at the incarnation of the Son of God a new stanza is added to 25 211 passage hopefully as we've been moving along we we see how new stanzas and new glorious melodies if you will are added to the hymn book of the saints so that we might behold our Victor the Lord Jesus Christ with all the more glory we've looked at a number of things as we've looked at this particular him we've moved from the loftiness of his pre incarnate glory his certain deity his equality with the father the the sons equality with the father we've moved into his incarnation where the lofty one now comes lowly in taking to himself man's nature that's where we were last week rehearsing hopefully if only for the the 57 minutes that we were here at for that part of worship noticing the glory of Christ noticing the glory of the Son of God in taking to himself our nature and we moved to the part of the him now where we he come to the purpose for that amazing stoop remember we used that language of John Gill last time take these two things together form of a bought form of God and form of a bondservant and admire the amazing stoop we now come in this him to the purpose for that amazing stoop notice we've we've worked through verses 5 verse 6 verse 7 notice the language now in beginning in verse 8 and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father hopefully repeating half of what we read the outset of preaching doesn't become tiresome but it's a glorious reflection upon the work of our Savior we want to do three things as we close out this him this morning observe three things and those three things are simply these the reality of Christ's obedience the crux of Christ's obedience and the result of Christ's obedience so first the reality of Christ's obedience notice the him here in verse 8 and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross clearly in view here is the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ the obedience of the Son of God as man in taking to himself the form of a bondservant the reality of Christ's obedience we didn't get to spend too much time on he humbled himself last time we closed with a brief reflection upon that language but this taking on of obedience unto the point of the cross death is the pinnacle of the humility that Paul is bringing before the eyes and the ears of of the Philippian Christians in order to exhort them to a humility of their own we see that Christ's obedience here is the unto the cross death is the the pinnacle of humility remember it isn't just the Incarnation that is the humility of Christ think of this for a moment it JC ryle makes this observation in his expository thoughts on I believe one of the narrative accounts of of Christ in in his coming into this world in the Incarnation and he uses the language of it still would have been an amazing act of humility an amazing act of condescension for the Son of God to take to himself man's nature and to live in a mansion in the hills of Jerusalem you see we have this language here he he made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant it's an amazing act of condescension to just consider this that the Son of God infinite eternal and unchangeable takes to himself man's nature were the him to stop there we still are to marvel at the amazing condescension of the Son of God but you see it continues and the humility doesn't just end with his taking on man's nature but this humbling of himself continues and we have this language being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient the son of god became obedient now remember that the proper location for the discussion of submission servitude subordination and obedience with respect to Christ is at the point of the Incarnation there is no eternal submission no eternal servitude no eternal subordination no eternal obedience but rather he becomes obedient in taking to himself man's nature in taking to himself our nature he yet without sin he becomes obedient now we want to do four things as we work through the reality of Christ's obedience first observe this Christ's whole life from cradle to grave is a life of obedience his his whole life from cradle to grave is a is a life of obedience and we'll get to this in a number of minutes but it's from cradle to grave the life of substitution ery obedience in obedience to the law of God in the stead of all those who believed to bring honor to himself and and to his father but Christ's whole life from from cradle to grave is a life of obedience we are to mark the cond the condescension it turned to John 6 for a moment because from the lips of Christ this reality is made known in John chapter 6 there are so many wonderful things spoken by the mouth of our Lord in this passage but notice with regards to this point the life of obedience that Christ has from cradle to grave remember we opened up by remarking what is the purpose of this amazing stoop what is the the purpose for Christ to come into this world taking upon himself man's nature notice John 6 verse 35 and Jesus said to them I am the bread of life he who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out now notice for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day you know well we should stop at verse 37 and Andhra market the glorious you know sovereignty of god and the perfection of saving his elect all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out the glorious reality that all who come to Christ in saving faith our Lord does not cast them out but afterwards we do have as well here the perp is for Christ's amazing stoop for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me his whole life from cradle to grave is a life of obedience secondly with regards to the reality of his obedience obedience to the Father according to the Covenant of redemption Christ's obedience as man in taking upon himself man's nature and the mission of redemption is in accordance to the Covenant of redemption remember that our God operates after an eternal plan our God does not stumble along throughout history bouncing from moment to a moment reacting and interacting and sort of learning as he goes along that's not the God we serve that's the god of the pagan we serve a God who has an eternal purpose and in the eternal perfection of His divine will before the foundation of the world he purposed to send forth the son to redeem many to redeem many sons to bring them unto glory he had a people given to Christ before the foundation of the earth there wasn't an eternal purpose when we sing about the glories of our God when we worship our God and praise in doxology and him we worship him for such things as these that before the foundation of the world there was an eternal purpose that's the language of of Paul in Ephesians 3 11 uses the language of according to the eternal purpose which he had in Christ Jesus before the world was language of eternal purpose that's the if we were to back up in Ephesians the book of Ephesians Ephesians 1 for just as he chose us in him in Christ before the foundation of the world Christ comes and he is obedient as the son of god he is obedient in taking to himself man's nature according to that covenant of redemption that pre temporal compact between the person's a father son and spirit to save a people to the glory of God you know whenever we reflect and hopefully hopefully it doesn't it doesn't land upon your ears in your hearts as just reflection upon contemplative theology when we talk about the Covenant of redemption this pre temporal compact between father son and spirit to redeem of people that's the stuff of praise brethren that's the stuff of of doxology and the stuff of Christian hymn that our God infinite eternal and unchangeable purposed in his love grace and mercy to stoop down touch this world and redeem sinners to himself glorious truth of our word of God the glorious truth of father son and spirit his obedience is according to that covenant of redemption that eternal purpose thirdly his obedience remember that's where we are in Philippians 2 became obedient thirdly his obedience to lawful authorities it's an aspect of his obedience and it's something that he renders as the only one who has ever rendered perfect obedience to the lawful authorities you know he's lawful or he's obedient to the civil authorities he's obedient to even the ecclesiastical authorities in so far as they are serving God properly he's obedient to his parents and we're going to get to an application later but why not do this right now our Christ kids his obedient to his parents adults our Christ was obedient to his parents we remarked that earlier as we opened up that Christ's life of obedience from cradle to grave is a substitution aerie obedience kids you know that when you are disobedient to your parents you have violated the law of an eternal and unchangeable and a holy God and that the punishment for such violation of that law and don't bring that obedience to parents that law of God down to some low place remember this is the law of our eternal God Christ comes and he is perfectly obedient to his parents and this is in the stead of all those who believe who never were perfectly obedient to their parents kids reflect upon your lives even however young you are you know in your hearts that you have disobeyed your parents that incurs the eternal punishment of a righteous God to violate his holy preset where he says obey your father and your mother it is right and you have broken that day upon day we all have broken that day upon day christ's obedience didn't start at the advent of his adult earthly sojourn at the age of 30 from cradle to grave and he was obedient to his parents reflect upon your horrific career of violating that law and then move with glorious praise to the reality that this Christ condescended to obey that in your stead if you are a believer in him he was obedient to the to the civil authorities you know this it's always remarked me as startling and hopefully you the same in passages such as first Peter to you can turn their the 1st Peter chapter 2 speaking of the obedience of Christ the reality of it in the fact that it's comprehensive he's obedient to the civil authorities look at 1st Peter 2 beginning in verse 18 and this is in the context of Peter exhorting various sorts of persons to be a submissive and he's speaking with regards now to servants unto masters and first Peter 2 beginning in verse 18 notice that servants be submissive to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh for this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one indoors grief suffering wrongfully for what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently but when you do good and suffer if you take it patiently this is commendable before God for to this you were called because Christ also offered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth who when he was reviled did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously you know very often this is an address of scripture where people perhaps fast forward to verse 24 you see what we have there the the Blessed substitution ery atonement of Christ who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree but spend time in the verses prior to that to that verse what do we have there the the glorious condescension of Christ and the perfection of his obedience such that when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten you know our saviors obedience is seen sort of twofold here obedience to the Father and undergoing the mission that he was tasked with and there's this reality where he's even obedient to the civil authorities even though the civil authorities themselves are bringing a charge against him that has no merit whatsoever when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten you know we are to remark after the the amazing condescension of Christ here he created and gave breath to the very people that were reviling him with every reviling word Christ himself was upholding those revilers by the word of his power every word they spoke they spoke those words by virtue of the Christ who upheld them by his sovereign and creative and providential power and yet he having taken to himself man's nature when they're revealing them he does not revile in return his lips were silent like a lamb before its shearers his side so he opened not his mouth when he suffered he did not threaten he was not like Peter who lopped off the ear of Malkus but rather when he suffered he did not threaten but abandoned himself committed himself unto him who judges righteously we are to remark after the amazing condescension in Christ's obedience that we see time and again back to Philippians 2 though as we continue through the / the reality of Christ's obedience notice fourthly and finally under this point substitution ery obedience to the law of God for all who believe again the language of the him to Christ as to God is and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient the heart of that obedience at the the very heart of that obedience is the substitution ery obedience to the law of God in the place of all those who believe we have each and every one of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God you know one of the things that that a rehearsal of the obedience of Christ is to do is that it's too it's it's to lay us low and it's to lift Christ hi you know hopefully brethren a rehearsal of the the obedience of Christ in fact in this case really almost just one word that we have at the center of this him is a rehearsal of something that brings cheer to your heart because this is at the very heart of Christianity the obedience of Christ if it is the case to use Pink's language that Christ is the the sum and substance the center and circumference the light and life of Christianity then obedience unto the cross death is at the very is the very lifeblood and at the very center of that truth in that maxim the obedience of Christ he this obedience of Christ was for our recovery out of a state and can mission wrought by man's disobedience the very reason that Christ comes taking to himself the form of a bondservant taking to himself our nature is for the purpose of saving disobedient ones such as ourselves we're to glory in the obedience of Christ you know it is such an affront then isn't it to the obedience of Christ and the glory of Christ to have any system of religion that says that we can merit salvation by our own obedience isn't it first off because of the fact that we can never render perfect obedience in the first place we've sinned we've fallen short of the glory of God try as we may we can never render perfect obedience to God but secondly it's such an affront to the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory in coming down from heaven to render a perfect obedience in our stead what a-what violence it is to the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ for any professor of Christ to say that we can somehow merit everlasting life by our deeds whether in the weather in whole or even to the smallest degree that our obedience somehow contributes to our own salvation if righteousness then comes through the law then Christ died in vain and his obedience his act of obedience his doing the law of God perfectly in our stead is in vain if obedience comes from our own law keeping substitution Airy obedience to the law of God for all who believe do you know that the obedience of Christ is spoken of as a gift in the Holy Scriptures you know when when the preacher perhaps you know within a dearth of attractive words to keep a congregation attentive fails at the topic of obedience brothers and sisters we are to come to the scriptures and we are to see that obedience is at the heart of the gospel and it's spoken of by the word of God as a gift to his people turn to Romans 5 for a moment and we want to spend some time here for this reason the gift of Christ's obedience but also for something that is replete throughout the hymn of Philippians 2 5 to 11 and that is the theology of the two atoms notice in Romans 5 though at this point of the obedience of Christ being a gift we don't want to read all of it we don't have the time to necessarily read the entirety of the context but remember what's going on here in Romans 5 Paul is spending time to highlight the glory of justification by faith alone all men have sinned whether jew who have the law or the heathen the pagan the Gentile who were not given the Oracles of God all men every hair all men everywhere have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God and so how are we then to be justified before a righteous God well we're justified solian alone by faith in Christ Jesus the Lord and notice the language of gift attached to the obedience of Christ in Romans 5 17 and following for if by the one man's o fence death reigned through the one much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ therefore as through one man's offense judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous see the glorious reality of the obedience of Christ as a gift this is a free gift that comes to us Christ's obedience is a gift when we talk about the obedience of Christ we're not just waxing in a category of theology we're speaking of the glorious center of the gospel that the Son of God descended from on high to take upon him self our nature that he might be obedient in our stead even unto the cross death and it's a free gift that obedience is a is a gift the blessed thing you know this him to Christ as to God at the point of obedience it isn't just at the point of obedience that we have this reality of two atoms remember what the first Adam did in fact I'm just going to read a quote from John Owen and then we'll spend some time talking about the glory of Christ in the context of the Bible's witness to the tale of two atoms we have a lot of tail of tues in in the Bible a you know a tale of two cities the old jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem which which is from above we have a the tale of two lambs the the lamb of the Passover that pointed forward to the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world the two covenants we have the two atoms replete throughout the Philippians to him listen to these words of John Owen on the theology of the two atoms completely from verse 52 verse 11 of Philippians 2 Adam being in the form that is the state and condition of a servant did by robbery attempt to take upon him the form of God or to make himself equal unto Him the Lord Christ being in the form of God that is his essential form of the same nature with him accounted it no robbery to be in the state and condition of God to be equal with him but being made in the fashion of a man taking on him our nature he also submitted on to the form or the state and condition of a servant therein he had dominion over all owed service and obedience unto none being in the form of God and equal unto him the condition which Adam aspire done to but he condescended on to a state of abs lutz objection and service for our recovery this did no more belong unto him on his own account then it belonged on to Adam to be like unto God or equal to him wherefore it is said that he humbled himself unto it as Adam would have exalted himself unto a state of dignity which was not his due to hopefully some all that up do you see what he's saying here this the entirety of the him is a reversal of Adam you see Adam was in the form of a servant and he sought to to eat to mount unto the form of God in in in following after the deceit of the serpent through his wife Eve he was in the form of a servant and sought after robbery to be equal with God but Christ to reverse the curse incurred by Adam was in the form of God being an absolute equality with the father takes upon himself the nature of the Fallen sons of Adam in order to redeem them you know we could almost think if we could we could maybe pen if one of you wants to do it you could pen pen what a hymn to Adam would look like it would be a hymn of lamentation would be a reversal of the him to Christ as to God that we have in Philippians 2 5 to 11 Adam rather than gaining the glory of life promised to him for his obedience by his disobedience cursed his progeny all of those who follow after him rather than reached the pinnacle of glory by his obedience he sought to snatch after glory by the Serpent's way and plunged man into sin into depravity Christ comes as the second Adam bringing the gift of obedience to his people by doing that which Adam failed to do it's absolutely beautiful the reality of Christ coming into this world to reverse the curse to undo the curse to restore the blessings lost by Adam who sought by robbery to snatch after form of God equality with God Christ who add that who didn't have that equality by robbery and didn't seek something to be held on to to grasp it but rather came in the incarnation he restores the blessings lost by Adam in a much more excellent way and we haven't got there yet but he bears the curse incurred by that self-same Adam brethren I read it on your own the preacher with lack of eloquence perhaps can impress upon you the genius of the word of God and the glory of God and His Christ and redeeming the Fallen sons of Adam this this rich to Adam theology that we have in our Bible and it is replete throughout the him of him to Christ as to God you know we noted last time when we were talking about the condescension of Christ and the Incarnation some of those things that that ought to to fill the pages of our hymnbooks that we might Marvel more you know the reality that the one who who hung the stars in place is hanging upon a woman's breasts the one who fixed the stars in place ultimately is fixed in place upon a tree the one who created the dust of Jerusalem we noted it the one who created dust and brought forth man out of the dust and breathed life into him now takes upon him that very same nature and those sorts of things while at the point of obedience consider this for a moment at the point of obedience the very lawmaker the very lawmaker takes upon himself the role of being the Lawkeeper in order to make all in order to make all believing lawbreakers to have a righteousness that avails with God the lawmaker becomes the Lawkeeper in order to save lawbreakers its glorious the the Covenant making Lord the Covenant Lord condescends to be the Covenant keeper in order to reverse the curse of the Covenant breaker so that all of us like covenant breakers can have communion with the everlasting God brethren the him to Christ as to God is not simply a rehearsal of some words with a measure of superficial meaning at the surface but it's deep with theology it's deep with glory and it's rich with triune salvation the substitution Airy obedience to the law of God for all of us who believe you know this is to one of the things this is to do we'll start from the low and work up to the high this is to arouse us unto self sacrifice for others benefits what's the what was the point of the him how did this exhortation begin let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus shame on us shame on us if we think it's below us to stoop down and to put other's interests before those of our own especially in the Church of Christ and that's the point at at Philip I that's what Paul's getting at in this em if if the Son of God can descend from so great a a height to use Calvin's word then is it words isn't it absolutely unreasonable that any of us who are nothing should be lifted up in our human pride we are so self-serving and we we can so much as our as our first father be marked by a by a self exaltation rather than to follow after the second Adam and be marked by a self-abasement a self-emptying a self humiliation to put others interests ahead of those of our own you know in your in your family lives a husband's instead of seeking your own goods and your own interests and your own likes and in your own everything how about condescending and giving your wives sometime wives the same reciprocally we are to think of others interests ahead of those of our own that's the language of the Apostle Paul prior to verse 5 in verses 12 for children think of your parents instead of always getting your own how can you serve your parents the ones who who gave you life in the in the human way God gives you life and breath and all things but you know what I mean serve your parents parents has serve your children in the life of the church though and that's Paul's point brethren condescend look at your master Christ behold the glories of the condescending Christ and ask yourself what are you doing for the church do you roll into church and you just want everything your way and you just want things to be you know the way that you want them just give me give me give me or do you want to give to serve to love to submit to put others interests before those of your own you see we have in Christ a chief exemplars ago four weeks ago we noted that's not the primary point of Christ's doing and dying and rising again it's for the salvation of sinners but Paul uses the glory of that gospel in order to set Christ high in order to lay menlo that they might cast up at the glory of that Christ their eyes of faith to see the perfect example for humility humble yourselves so we get to the glory of Christ the the point is and it's Christ's own words he who humbles himself will be exalted moving on then to the crux of Christ's obedience actually sorry that the other thing we learned before we move on to point number two of course is to rejoice in the obedience of christ i know we've already mentioned that but what what what delights your heart christian you know the things that you contemplate throughout the week what what is it that really lifts your heart you know there are a number of things that that you know don't touch upon everlasting life that you know can warm our hearts I had a i delighted in something the other day that isn't the the stuff of high and holy things but the high and holy one gave it to me a lamb chop and went to a restaurant and I had a lamb chop and it was delightful it was I don't know what they did to it I've had lamb before and lamb is good but there's something especially delightful about this land and there's a cement sauce you just cut it off and it came off nicely off the bone and it was I think I used the word delightful at least 17 times as i was eating the first bite you know there are wholesome things that delight our hearts in this lower world but do you spend time to reflect daily upon the obedience of Christ it's not just a category of theology in the saving work you know you know it's not just a chapter in Tura 10 or a chapter and involving it is to be a glorious central chapter in our own hymn books of joy as we go throughout the week reflecting upon things that delight our souls we are to rejoice to delight in the obedience of Christ why because it is that obedience that avails with God not our own but that righteousness that obedience have imputed to us and received by faith alone the crux of Christ's obedience then notice the him moves along if you find your way back to Philippians to the hymn is moving along the the notes are being mounted upon notes and the crescendo is building here and notice what we have again reading verse 8 and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross there is a decisive sort of changing point here if you will in this passage in this him to Christ as to God that the crescendo has been building the volumes been lifting to this very point being became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross there is a high point here this is the crux of Christ's obedience you know what crux means kids maybe you've heard that word I think I've used it a lot over the last the last four weeks but crux actually literally means cross it's the the Latin for cross but it also has taken on the the weight of parlance to mean a decisive or a pivotal point this is a decisive and a pivotal point a central aspect of this him this crescendo builds to this point we want to note simply two things here the necessity of death in the course of Christ's obedience and the glory of the cross as the pinnacle of Christ's obedience but notice the the necessity of death in the course of Christ's obedience he became obedient to the point of death there was something wrapped up in the obedience of Christ remember he comes in accordance to that covenant of redemption there's something wrapped up in this package of obedience that he needed to execute in his messianic work that included the necessity of death you can turn to the book of Hebrews for a moment we see the language of the necessity of death here in Hebrews 9 a lot is going on in Hebrews 9 in fact one of those famous verses in Hebrews 9 three guards to the forgiveness of sins is found in Hebrews 9 22 and according to the law almost all things are purified with blood and without shedding of blood there is no remission rehearsal by the Christian upon the glories of the forgiveness of sins often lands upon reflections of that verse the precious blood of Christ for the remission of sins but notice in notice beginning in verse 11 of Hebrews 9 remember what we're doing right now the obedience of Christ had a necessary component of death Hebrews 9 beginning in verse 11 but Christ came as high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God now notice here and for this reason he is the mediator of the New Covenant by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance for where there is a testament there must also of necessity be the death of the testator for a testament is in force after men are dead etc but notice the necessity of death first the language of by means of death and then for where there is a testament there must also of necessity be the death of a testator and notice in the context this is connected with the eternal the promise of eternal inheritance in order for all those given to Christ in order for the elect to receive the eternal inheritance the promise of the eternal inheritance there must be the death of a testator those who the one who has this eternal inheritance in their possession the rights the legal rights to give this inheritance it is not in effect until the death of the testator until the death of the one possessing the legal rights to dispense the promise of the eternal inheritance so when we read in this him to Christ as to God that he was obedient to the point of death our minds are to land upon such considerations the necessity of the death of Christ in order to dispense the blessings of eternal salvation the promise of the eternal inheritance the necessity of death in the course of Christ's obedience and of course that language leads to the glory of the cross as the pinnacle of Christ's obedience remember the languages that Christ became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross you see how this builds you see how it's its obedience and then it's obedience unto death and then it's obedience even unto the cross death it is to be thought of as a him building in our wholesome contemplations this note upon note mounting to this point where it is the death of the cross the glory of the cross as the pinnacle of Christ obedience kids pinnacle simply means the high point you know the high point the top and that sort of thing Doug Luiten could probably tell you what it means in architecture but I don't know there is a pinnacle of the temple in fact the word pinnacle is used twice in the New Testament least the the english word pinnacle is used twice in the New Testament in the Gospel accounts when the devil takes Christ in the desert temptations to the pinnacle of the temple 22 to tempt him unto disobedience but anyway the glory of the Cross is the pinnacle the high point of Christ obedience it's a it's quite a thing isn't it the low point of shame is the high point of glory so glorious not contradictions but glorious things to wrap our minds around in the Bible where cleansed in the blood of the Lamb where we're cleansed white in the blood of the Lamb our robes are dipped in the blood of the Lamb and they come out white as snow glorious things that we have Christ is the the Lion of the tribe of Judah and he's also the the Lamb of God we have the language of peace being made by the blood of his cross here were reflecting upon the fact that the lowest point of shame with respect to Christ his low point of humility is the highest point of glory chrysostom rights for this is the cross for this is the sum of the divine love toward us you see when we get to this point in the him all of the the glorious perfections of God as it were come to this glorious this terminus and just cause us to sing as Saints to his glory the love the mercy the grace the the the Justice the holiness all of these things converge before our eyes when we see and we contemplate the word it's the pinnacle of the glory of Christ's obedience it was eternally purposed by god it was promised in the Old Testament the New Testament narratives build to this point remember Christ himself from the outset of the from the outset of the gospel narratives the cross is in view you will call his name Jesus where he will save his people from their sins as Christ is going about his earthly ministry he announces time again the necessity of death by way of the cross the Son of Man must be delivered by wicked hands go to Jerusalem and be crucified but he'll rise again the third day Christ himself knowing his mission marches with a resolute determination to this high point this pinnacle of his obedience you know it's interesting at the point of of Pinnacle said that word too much but I'm going to say it more it's interesting at the point of Pinnacle when Christ is being tempted when when the devil takes Christ or when sorry the spirit drives Christ into the wilderness into the desert but when the devil is tempting Christ in the desert with his wicked ploy and his wicked intentions he brings Christ to the pinnacle of the temple in in order to offer him if you will or in order to tempt him to snatch after the pinnacle of glory prematurely if we can use that language but you see Christ knew that the pinnacle of shame the cross must precede the pinnacle of glory the pinnacle of the cross the pinnacle of glory the highest point of humility the highest point of Christ's obedience is when he's upon that tree giving himself for guilty sinners hopefully the glimpse of the pinnacle of humility shows us the severity of sin you know this him as it builds to the cross as it builds to that point and then lands there it is to cause all those with regenerate hearts to reflect upon the verity of sin and hopefully those unregenerate those in unbelief those here this morning who don't know this Christ to to catch a glimpse of the severity of sin what is sins penalty it's it's born here by Christ in the stead of all those believe it's death and for Christ it's the cross death in order to reverse or in order to answer for the curse incurred by Adam Christ goes to the cross and he takes upon himself the penalty for sin the consequences for the transgression of the law of God in the stead of his people in the stead of all the elect in the stead of all those who believe and this is to cause us to reflect upon the seriousness of Stan what is sins and it is death it is consequence it is condemnation and entering into a reflection upon the cross the death and the cross death of the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring us to the reality of brothers and sisters in Christ of of reflecting upon our own transgressions again not some sort of sick reflection of rehearsing every transgression that we've ever done but as Spurgeon says you know remember roll around in your minds peruse the diaries of your memories for their the witnesses of your guilt have faithfully recorded their names and then consider this Christ this glorious pinnacle of shame which is the high point of his obedience and reflect on the glory of salvation knowing that the horror of sin the depravity and the shame of sin for all those who believe is answered by this Christ this obedient Christ's glory of the cross and the folly of following after any other way of salvation the madness of going after any way that is not this way there is only one way this way through this one Christ but the following the folly of seeking any other religious answers any other piece for the soul any other answer for sin save for the glorious Redeemer of the sons of men the Lord Jesus Christ glorious gospel blessed Redeemer the way for Adam was to pass the probation in the garden he had the law written on his heart and a particular precept given to him to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he thrusts by his disobedience man into sin and depravity judgment and condemnation but the way for Christ the second Adam was to pass the probation given to him in order to restore the blessings lost by that first Adam but in a much more excellent way the language of turrets on and also to bear the penalty and curse incurred by the first Adam redeeming all those who believe the gospel it's a blessed story it's a blessed truth this is our confession at this very point the work of christ in his obedience the lord jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up unto God have fully satisfied the Justice of God procured procured reconciliation and purchased in everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the father had given unto Him blessed truth and blessed him to Christ as to God well lastly then and finally the result of Christ's obedience notice the language that we have here at the closing of this him to Christ as to God he's obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross and then verse 9 therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father first of all we have the reward for Christ's obedience make no mistake that's what we have in verse 9 the reward for Christ's obedience the reward for Adam had he obeyed would have been life he disobeys the particular precept given to him and by virtue of that the law written upon his art and so by that disobedience kurd curse Christ though being perfectly victorious as the second Adam perfectly obedient unto the cross death is now therefore given the reward for his obedience therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name isn't that glorious that song that we just saying highly exalted our melody raises to him that's a paraphrase but that was the him highly exalted now that the melody of the saints the the lips of the saints from their lips come this melody of glorying in the victory in the conquest of this christ perfectly obedient unto the cross death isn't it wonderful to see our Christ there you know he is with crown of thorns still our Blessed king that ought to bring tears to our eyes or whether inwardly or outwardly at least tears glorying in in our Christ as he's got the crown of thorns as he's being beaten and bruised as he's as he's lifted up upon Calvary's cross we look upon this one who's marked at this point by shame and ignominy of the highest order but you see he's glorious to us there this isn't it a measure of Glory's it at a measure of praise that comes to the heart to see Christ now here therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name what a blessed thing the reward for his obedience Christ is given Dominion and glory and a kingdom Christ is given the glories that follow his suffering you know there's a there's a that passage that we read very often when we when we observed the Lord's Supper which we are doing tonight and there's the passage prior to Isaiah 53 in Isaiah 52 that promises the exaltation of the suffering servant before before opening up his substitution aerie death behold my servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high after that the Isaiah 53 rehearses the this one this man of sorrows acquainted with grief who takes upon himself the crushing xand the bruisings of the father in the stead of all those who believe what's the what's the point there it is through that suffering that Christ achieves the reward of glory if you're here this morning and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that reward of glory is dispensed to all of you the eternal inheritance that the testator gives to all those who believe in him blessed inheritance of everlasting life the reward for Christ's obedience is the exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on high and then secondly under the result of Christ's obedience and lastly and will close with this the doxa logical purpose of the reward for Christ's obedience notice there's a deliberate purpose here for the reward that's given to Christ after the culmination of his saving perfection verse 10 there's a VAT so there is a therefore after the obedience unto the cross death the reward for that obedience and then there's a purpose that verse 10 at the name of Jesus every knee should bow there's a this doxa logical purpose to this whole complex of Christ truth this whole you know rich him of Christ as to God is mounting to this purpose and it is that Christ would be praised unto the glory of God the Father every that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father you know if you think about this for a moment we've often landed at this observation whether preaching on this text specially or just generally preaching about Christ there's a double nature to this reality where where every knee is bowing and every tongue is confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father you can make a note on your own because we have to close now but you can make a note on your own Isaiah 45 verses 22 and well actually verse 20 through verse 25 this is in view the Lord God as the only Savior Yahweh as the only Savior and that every knee should bow and every tongue should make an oath unto his glory this is being now ascribe to the Lord Jesus Christ but remember there's a double nature here at a two-edged sword this is comprehensive every knee boughs and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father not just the knees and the tongues of the redeemed but the knees and the tongues of each and every one those above the earth on the earth and under the earth you know that you know this that Philip the second of of Macedon and Caesar Augustus who sought to be exalted to the place of deity self exaltation they will be raised to dishonor in the self-same bodies that entered the grave and they will be forced by the glory of Christ to bend a knee to the true king of kings and the true Lord of lords they sought in their earthly conquests and then the sinfulness of their own arts to enshrine before the eyes of men their own glory in brick and in stone this Christ who is truly worthy of glory condescends to take upon himself man's nature to do to die to rise again to give an eternal inheritance and this is the one exalted and this is the one who is to be enshrined not in carved images but in the hearts of his people and he will be owned as Lord owned by the lips by those not own savingly but recognized as king of kings and Lord of lords even by his enemies if you're here this morning and you don't know this Christ understand that he is king of kings and Lord of lords he has Universal and sovereign rule he came into this world to take upon himself our nature so that he might redeem the Fallen sons of men he might redeem his people he might redeem those who are found under the curse and under the condemnation of sin not only that but who course live day in and day out transgressing against the Lord our God he gave himself that he he gave His life of obedience unto the cross death to redeem guilty sinners the Bible says all those who look to him in faith all those who believe will have everlasting life do you want to fall under the wrath and the right and wholesome severity of that one who now has been exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high who will come again to judge the living in the dead Benden Ian saving faith confess with your tongue the glory of Christ and he'll be your your hero King gives you a blessing of inheritance and everlasting ownership of eternal blessing and salvation for eternity and saints rejoice in Christ know him love him you know we've gone we've talked a lot about Jesus and hopefully that never gets old but know him in his person perfect in Godhead perfect in manhood yet one Christ who truly took on humanity came into this world to live a life of perfect obedience to die a death perfect in obedience to the Father as a substitute for all those who believe glory in this one now exalted believe on him and you shall have everlasting life and be delighted by the King of Kings and the Lord of lords let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for our Christ we rejoice in this him to Christ as to God we thank you for where you take us by this revelation of the doing and the dying and the rising again and the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ that you take us to too high reflections upon the glorious work of our Savior we do pray that you'd help us to delight in this Christ of perfect obedience to delight in this one truly God and truly man yet one Christ who came into this world to redeem guilty sinners go with us into this week that we might sing the praises of Christ help us to reflect daily upon his riches and his Excellency's and might you Lord by your grace and for your glory it cause us to live in light of so great a savior we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord amen well let's stand and sing the docks ology then as we close out our worship that's Roman numeral 16 and your hymn books let's stand and sing the doxology the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen we'll have a brief time of prayer and then you're dismissed