← Back to sermon library

everyone for our second worship service this evening um if you have a Bible you can open and please do the book of Psalms for our Cult of worship we'll read Psalms 24 and we'll read the whole chapter Psalms 24 a Psalm of David the Earth is Lord's and it all its fullness the world and those who dwell therein for he has founded it upon the Seas and his established it upon the waters who may Ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place he who has a clean he who has Clean Hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the god of his salvation this is Jacob the generation of those who seek Him who seek your face saah lift up your heads oh you Gates and be lifted up you Everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in who is this king of glory the lord strong and mighty the Lord Mighty in battle lift up your heads or you Gates lift up your Everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in who is this king of glory the lord of hosts he is the king of glory say Amen uh for first uh song we can stand together and sing number 164 in the large 164 [Music] Earth [Music] wor [Music] wor [Music] worr cre [Music] let's go to our Lord in prayer Heavenly Father Sovereign ruler and creator of Heaven and Earth Lord we come to you again the second time of this day with Thanksgiving and praise to thank you Lord for this privilege that we have to come to your house week after week month after month Lord we just thank you that we can come for the second time we just thank you Lord that from the beginning of time you have set apart this day this day where we can set aside our labors set aside our daily things Lord and not only rest physically but Also spiritually Lord that we can come to your house to worship you and to praise you Lord we just thank you for this great privilege we do thank you first and foremost Lord for your son Jesus Christ we do thank you Lord that he came into this world born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law we do thank you Lord that he fulfilled your law perfectly that law which we break day in and day out time and time again we thank you Lord that he bore the full weight of your wrath to the last degree that on the cross Lord his sacrifice was sufficient to satisfy your wrath we thank you Lord for so great a Salvation for so great a sacrifice we thank you Lord that in due time you've called us out of Darkness into that glorious light Lord that you've shown us our need of a savior that you've brought us to that cross that you've washed us and cleanse Us in his blood we do thank you for his righteousness that we are clothed with so that in that day of days Lord when we stand before that great judgment Throne it's not our own righteousness that we bring it's not our own works but it is our perfect work that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ Lord we do thank you for that salvation we do thank you Lord that we can come here to be uh just to be blessed by the faithful preaching of your word we just pray even this evening Lord that you'd be pleased by all that we all that we say and we do that you'd be pleased to send your spirit to minister amongst us Lord so that as your people we'd be strengthened that we'd be edified to go into this work to go to go into this week Lord with a renewed strength renewed Zeal for your kingdom and for your gospel we do pray for pastor Porter Lord as he brings your your words this evening Lord we just pray that he would not rely on his own strength but that you'd give him a measure of your Holy Spirit Lord and all that he says would be not only to your honor and Glory but that would be blessed by your Holy Spirit into our lives Lord we just thank you for the peace and the unity that we do enjoy in this church Lord we don't take it for granted but we just pray that it may continue to be that peace that is that peace and unity that is marked by Christ and founded in Christ alone we pray for those amongst us Lord who are suffering physically those who day in and day out have sicknesses or illness Lord you know each and every one of them we just pray Lord that even today you would just bless them with the measure of your spirit give healing where healing is required we pray for those who are suffering spiritually Lord that you draw nigh to them with your spirit that in these dark times they would find their comfort and their strength from you we do think of those around the world Lord who are suffering much persecution those who wake up each and every day Lord not knowing what the day will bring for fear of their lives for the testimony and their the testimony that they have in Christ Jesus Lord we just pray that through these dark times they would continue to be a light we do thank you that your gospel has gone gone forward to all the corners of the earth that you are that you have not left us alone Lord and that your church will continue to March forward as your word promises so Lord we just pray for your protection upon your Saints around the world those who live in such danger uh situations Lord that we have no idea we can't quite comprehend so we just pray for your protection upon them we pray pray for the um we just pray for their persecutors Lord that they would just see the strength of the strength and the perseverance of those that they persecute that they too would know that they too would desire something of the strength the strength that is found in Christ alone Lord we just pray for your guidance upon them Lord we do pray even tonight for the country of China we do thank you for the work that is going on there Lord we just pray especially for the Hamiltons even Lord we just thank you for their faithful Ministry year after year Lord in the face of such oppositions such difficulty even from the government and various health concerns Lord we just pray for their faithful Ministry there that they would continue to open doors there that they would continue to be a light even in the lives of all those children that they teach that those children Lord would know something of Christ at such a young age and that they too would go forward into this world and throughout the rest of their life Lord ministering for your kingdom and for your church Lord we just we just thank you again for this opportunity that we have to worship together we just thank you for the peace that we have that we can do this then Lord and we just pray even now in this evening Lord that we give all honor and glory to you we pray for those who are here this evening Lord who do not know you as Lord and Savior we do pray Lord that even tonight would be the day of salvation for them we do pray for that that Saving Grace Lord that you would you would bring that you would bring that to them that you would open their eyes open their hearts Lord that they to would leave this building singing your praises and that they TR that they would truly know the joy that is found in Christ alone Lord so we just pray for your blessing and we just pray for your ministry of your Holy Spirit Lord we don't lean on our own understanding we don't lean on our own works but we lean on the strength of the Triune God and In Christ Alone that we do pray amen uh for a second hymn uh this evening we'll sing number four 149 number 149 in larger Trinity himno Earth rece [Music] us [Music] mer for for [Music] [Applause] [Music] for evening scripture reading as we continue in the Old Testament we're in the book of Lamentations Lamentations chapter 2 how the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger he cast down from heaven to the Earth the beauty of Israel and did not remember his foot stol in the day of his anger the Lord has swallowed up and has not pied All The Dwelling Places of Jacob he has thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah he has brought them down to the ground he has profa profaned the kingdom and its princes he has cut off in Fierce anger every Horn of Israel he has drawn back his hand his right hand from before the enemy he has blazed against Jacob like a flaming fire devouring all around standing like an enemy he has bent his bow with his right hand like an adversary he has slain all who were pleasing in his eye on the tent of the daughter of Zion he has poured out his fury like fire the Lord was like an enemy he has swallowed up Israel he has swallowed up all her palaces he has destroyed her strongholds and has increased mourning and lamentation in the daughter of Judah he has done violence to his Tabernacle as if it were a garden he has destroyed his P his place of assembly the Lord has caused the appointed feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion in his burning indignation he spurned the king and the priest the Lord has burned his altar he has abandoned his Sanctuary he has given up the wall of her palaces into the hand of the enemy they have made a noise in the house of the Lord as on the day of the of his set Feast the Lord has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion he has stretched out a line he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying therefore he has caused the rampart and the wall to lament they languish together her Gates have sunk into the ground he is destroyed and broken her bars her King and her palaces are among the Nations the law is no more and a prophet's final vision from the Lord the Elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground and keep silence they throw dust they throw dust on their heads and guard themselves with sackcloth The Virgins of Jerusalem bow bow their heads to the ground my eyes fail with tears my heart is troubled my vile is poured on the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the infants faint in the streets of the city they say to their mothers where is grain and wine as they Swoon like the wounded in the streets of the city as their life is poured out in their mother's bosom how shall I console you to what shall I liken you oh daughter of Jerusalem what shall I compare with you that I may comfort you oh virgin Daughter of Zion for your Rune is spread wide as the sea who can hear heal you your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive Visions you have not uncovered they have not uncovered your iniquity to bring back your captives but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions all who pass all who pass by clap their hands at you they hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem and is this the city that is called the Perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth all your enemies have opened their mouth against you they hiss and nash your teeth they say we have swallowed her up surely this is the day we have waited for we have found it we have seen it the Lord has done what he has purposed he has fulfilled his word which he commanded in days of old he has sworn he has thrown down and has not pied he has caused an enemy to Rejoice over you he has exalted the Horn of your adversaries their hearts cried out to the Lord a w of the daughter of Zion let tears run down like a river day and night give yourself no relief give your eyes no rest arise cry out in the night at the beginning of the watches pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord lift your hands before him for the life of your young children who faint from Hunger at the head of every street see oh Lord and consider to whom you have done this should the woman eat their offspring the children they have cuddled should the priest and the prophet Propet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord young and old lie on the ground and in the streets My Virgins and my young men have fallen By The Sword you have slain them in a day of your anger you have slaughtered and not pied you have invited us to a feast day the Terrors that surround me in a day of the Lord's anger there was no refuge nor Survivor Those whom I have borne and brought up my enemies have destroyed amen let's go again to the Lord in prayer Heavenly Father we do thank you for your written word Lord we do thank you for your faithfulness for your Covenant faithfulness from all eternity and even as we've just read Lord we see we see the destruction and anguish that you've brought upon your own people Lord that people that you have set apart that you've decreed to set apart and yet Lord we thank you that in the midst of such destruction in the midst of such Terror Lord that you have remained faithful that there was a a Remnant that there was seed pres preserved and so Lord we do thank you for your son Jesus Christ that ultimately did come come from Judah Lord From The Tribe of Benjamin Lord we do thank you that through him alone that there was that there was rest that there was Salvation And even Lord at this time of year when we when we uh celebrate his Incarnation as it were Lord we do thank you that he was born that you did fulfill your faithfulness that you did remain faithful that you did give us that Savior Jesus Christ so Lord we do pray now again and as we go into worship we do pray for the ministry of your Holy Spirit Lord that you'd uh that you'd be pleased to bless us even in this evening Lord as in Christ that we do pray amen uh for our last um hymn we'll sing number 151 [Music] Tri for of [Music] us [Music] us GL [Music] us [Music] us us CHR [Music] Angels Sing Sing [Music] s glor to the [Music] highest us [Music] GL glor Jesus of the [Music] us glr [Music] you can turn your Bibles to the Gospel of John John chapter 1 if you're here this morning you'll remember because it was just this morning that we looked at John Chapter 2 among other things the Angels announcing Good Tidings of great joy which would be to all the people that there was born in that day in the city of David savior who is Christ the lord we opened up if only briefly a couple elements with respect to Christ and his person so we're going to try to amplify that a little bit more this evening and look at a Theology of the Incarnation from the Gospel of John very often when uh preachers when theologians when Christians generally speaking uh speak about the Incarnation there are two texts that are often brought together from the Gospel of John and chapter one and those are verses 1 and 14 in the beginning uh was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us I'm going to read John 1 beginning in verse one and finishing at Verse 18 this is the word of the living and true God John 1:1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God he was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made in him was life and the light was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the Darkness did not comprehend it there was a man sent from God whose name was John this man came for a witness to Bear witness of that light that all through him might believe he was not that light but was sent to Bear witness of that light that was is the True Light which gives light to every man coming into the world he was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him he came to his own and his own did not receive him but as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth John bore witness of him and cried out saying this is he of whom I said he who comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me and of his fullness we have all received and Grace for grace for the law was given through Moses but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ no one has seen God at any time the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father he has declared him amen well let's go to our God In Prayer Heavenly Father we thank you for this text of Holy scripture we Rejoice again in the opportunity that we can gather together for the worship of our blessed God and we do pray that you would be hallowed in this place that you would be given honor and praise we Rejoice again that we have the Liberty to so gather and sing praises to our god to pray to read the scriptures to engage in the preaching of the word and uh might you by your grace and For Your Glory cause each and every one of us gathered here now to rejoice in Christ to sing your praises and to call it a high honor to gather to worship the Triune God and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen well hopefully one thing that we can recognize hopefully we recognize a lot of things as Christians but one of the things that we ought to recognize is the absolute and high importance of knowing our Christ the importance of a knowledge of Christ is the stuff of the Holy scriptures bringing before us the reality that to truly have everlasting life to truly have eternal life is to know God and Jesus CH Christ whom he has sent the Clarion call of the Gospel is Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and so what does that mean but that we must take in what is true of Christ and Believe on it resting upon the truth trusting in that truth believing in the person and in the work of Christ uh we go to a passage like in Matthew 16 where Christ asks that absolutely vital question who do men say that I the son of man am very important question that he asks the way that we answer that question will truly speak to the condition of our souls for if we say that he is only Jeremiah or Elijah or some other Prophet then we speak ill of Christ and do not truly profess the Christ of Holy Scripture but if we say with Peter by the regenerating power of God and uh his efficacy alone that thou art the Christ the son of the Living God then truly we know our Christ believing upon the true Christ and having faith in life in his name at the point of the importance of a knowledge of Christ this is CH Spurgeon and his words are true the most excellent study for expanding the soul is the science of Christ and him crucified and the knowledge of the godhead in the Glorious Trinity nothing will so enlarge the intellect nothing so magnify the whole soul of man as a devout Earnest continued investigation of the great subject of the deity see we come as Christians to our Bibles and truly Christ's words are true this is eternal life that you may know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent when we come to the Gospel of John we find a mindfield of theological disclosure concerning the person and the work of Christ when we come to John's gospel we come to a gospel that has um as its purpose state stat M John 2031 remember what we find there John writes these things were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and believing you may have life in his name so if that is the purpose statement of John's gospel then in John 1 to18 we have the theological Lynch pin of that gospel because John brings out before us essential truths concerning that Christ who is to be believed that Christ who is everlasting life this is what sirel of Alexandria says on that particular point he's talking about the gospel writers Penning long genealogies concerning Christ which is right and fine and then the difference between them and John with regards to the beginning of their respective gospels one may see the other evangelists with great exactness giving the account of our savior's genealogy In the Flesh and bringing down step by step those from Abraham unto Joseph or again carrying up those from Joseph to Adam but we find the Blessed John not caring to be over studious about these but with the most fervent and Fire full motion of intellect endeavoring to lay hold of those very things that are above human mind and daring to explain the Unspeakable and unutterable generation of the word of God for for he knew that the glory of God hideth speech and greater than our idea and utterance is the god befitting dignity and hard to utter and most difficult of unfolding are the properties of the divine nature we come to John 1:1 and we have these blessed and high statements in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and that word verse 14 became flesh and dwelt Among Us Glory truths that John pens so we want to look at those truths under four considerations and those four are these first the eternality of the word secondly the personal distinction of the word thirdly the essential Unity of the word or we may say simply the full deity of the word and then lastly the true Humanity of the word remember and of course when we say the word we're talking about Christ John uses the language the word here in his gospel he uses it again in first John where he speaks of the Word of Life in reference to Jesus Christ he uses it again in Revelation 19 and verse 13 when he talks about that Rider on the White Horse that champion who has the sword protruding from his mouth and he says his robe is dipped in Blood and his name is the word of God so here we have set before us that Christ that the Angels adored in Luke 2 and we notice first off the eternality of the word in the beginning was the word he is from Everlasting to Everlasting it doesn't say in the beginning the word was created or in the beginning God fashioned the word or some Blasphemous notion with respect to Christ being a creature that there was a time when he was not and he was brought to be but rather in the beginning was the word as much as God himself was in the beginning God the father so too was the word in the beginning was the word from Everlasting to Everlasting is our Christ in respect to his deity he is from Everlasting even when we use that language Everlasting that's language that really is time filled that we use to apply to one who is timeless you see when we talk about when we talk about the eternality of the word when we talk about the eternity of God as it applies to the second of the Blessed Triune we don't use eternity as duration of time that's often uh how we think of Eternity and unfortunately often how many uh Christians and many Christian the theologians argue for eternity that it is an everlasting duration of time but you see God goes through succession in his life there is before and after in God but he just has before and after this unlike men he has it eternally let see that's incorrect we come to the scriptures and we find a god of aut temporal eternity he is not bound by time there is no before and after in the Blessed Triune magistrate there is no before there is no after but rather he is eternal he is timeless he is not bound to change and to time and to duration of succeeding events but rather is beyond time he is eternal he is a temporal Jesus Christ the word is in the beginning and that does not have have reference to the creation but rather as seral then the beginning is there nothing older he's saying in that sort of way in his own speech there is or the beginning there is nothing older than the beginning but he says then the beginning is there nothing older if it have retain to itself the definition of the beginning for a beginning of beginning there cannot be or it will wholly depart from being in truth a beginning if something else Be Imagined before it and arise before it otherwise if anything can precede what is truly beginning our language respecting it will go off to Infinity another beginning never cropping up before and making second the one under investigation there will then be no beginning of beginning according to exact and true reasoning but the account of it will recede unto the long extended and incomprehensive all of that to say Christ is the word is Everlasting he is eternal there is no beginning uh there is no before or after to the Eternal Word he is the Eternal Word Everlasting in life the second of the Blessed Triune who has no beginning who has no end who is from Everlasting remember that text that we quoted this morning Micah 52 we find that there don't we you see it's not just a prophecy concerning where Christ would be born to you Bethlehem EPA though you are the littlest of the nations of Judah yet out of you will come one from where one from of old from Everlasting Jesus Christ is eternal he is the Eternal Word you can turn with me to Proverbs 8 for a moment because this might not be an address of Holy Scripture that you often come to in your research and your studies of that blessed and highest science Theology and christology but nevertheless in Proverbs 8 we have the everlastingness of Christ the eternality of the word of God set before us in Proverbs 8 beginning at verse 22 this could be translated the Lord begot me the language in the new King James is the Lord possessed me but let's read the Lord possessed me at the beginning of his way before his works of old I have been established from Everlasting from the beginning before before there was ever an earth when there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with water before the mountains were settled before the hills I was brought forth while as yet he had not made the Earth of the fields or the Primal dust of the world when he prepared the heavens I was there when he drew a circle on the face of the deep when he established the clouds above when he strengthened The Fountains of the deep when he to the Sea its limit so that the waters would not transgress his command when he marked out the foundations of the earth then I was beside him as a master Craftsman and I was daily his Delight rejoicing always before him rejoicing in his inhabited world and my delight was with the sons of men Christ speaking as wisdom declaring his everlastingness his eternality from the beginning before there was ever an earth when there were no depths I was brought forth Christ is the word is he was in the beginning he is eternal he is Everlasting Christ himself speaks this you see if someone was to charge us because they don't believe in the inspiration of scriptures and and those sorts of things that we're just importing Micah we're importing uh Proverbs into something that John never intended to mean well we come to the words of Christ in John's gospel in John 8 and we do find otherwise John 8 notice what we find there from the lips of Christ himself in John 8 and verse beginning in verse 54 Jesus answered if I honor myself my honor is nothing it is my father who honors me of whom you say that he is your god yet you have not known him but I know him and if I say I do not know him I shall be a liar like you but I do know him and keep his word your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad then the Jews said to him you are not yet 50 years old and you have seen Abraham Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was I am wow what a powerful statement you see the reason that we know that this is Christ speaking to his eternality but even more to our third Point his full deity is that he doesn't say most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was I was it's not just claiming that he is older than Abraham you know he could be a created angel but he's older than Abraham no it's not before Abraham was I was it's before Abraham was and then the Exodus 3:14 name of Yahweh I am before Abraham was I am you see this is why why we have verse 59 next in our Bibles then they took up stones to throw at him they knew what he was saying they didn't believe him they knew what he was saying remember what Christ says in verse 54 you say that he is your god and then he identifies himself as their God before Abraham was I am what a powerful statement Christ is the word is Eternal the eternality of the word secondly the personal distinction of the word notice that's what we have next clearly in the text of John 1:1 the personal distinction of the word in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God the word God here referring to the person of the father in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God there is personal distinction in the godhead we uh we do not have a monad in our God but a Triad we have the Triune God the Glorious magistrate is trinal there is essential Unity but there are three Father Son and Holy Spirit and here we have the personal distinction of the word he is or he was with God he is uh um he is distinct from the father ever since the outset the Advent of the Christian church this has been the repeated credal stress of men who have come together to formulate confessional statements to glory in their Christ rehearsing Doctrine and to rail against the opponents of so blessed a revealed truth you see throughout the ages men have strived they have striven I think that's a word is it they have they have endeavored to with great apologetic and pmic vigor Endeavor to defend this very truth that in this Divine and infinite being which is God there are three subsisten is the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit of one substance power and Eternity the father uh the father is begotten by none he is unbegotten the son is eternally begotten of the Father the spirit proceeding from the father and the son all infinite without beginning glorious historical credal theology proper there is one God how many persons are in the godhead there are three persons in the godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one God the same in substance equal in power and in glory and here we have this distinction brought out in the beginning was the word and the the word was with God there is something that we need to appreciate lest we slip into heresy and that is that Father Son and Holy Spirit the difference between the three persons of the Triune God is not just at their names Father Son and Holy Spirit why is the Father the father is he father in name only no why is the Father the father because he is the eternal eternally unbegotten begetter of the eternally begotten son he is the father because he is the eternally unbegotten father too the son who is eternally begotten why is the son the son is he the son in name only no is he the son by virtue of his Incarnation uh in time and in history well sometimes he is referred to the son in that way but with respect to christology and theology proper why is the son the son because he is eternally begotten of the father eternally generated without beginning as the nyine Creed said and as our last hymn uses the language appropriating the nyine Creed he is God of God light of light true God from true God begotten not made one in being with the father who for us men and for our Salvation came down from heaven why is the spirit the spirit is he spirit and name only the Holy Ghost in name only no it is because he eternally proceeds from the father and the son he is eternally breathed out if you will by the father and by the word or son personal distinction the word our Christ the son of God is distinct from the father and John 1 brings that out with a raging Clarity and the word was with God there is personal distinction and notice the language the word was with God there is personal distinction but there is an intimate Unity an indivisible and eternal Unity between the persons of the Blessed Triune in fact Jesus speaks to this himself in two places in John 10 in John 10 and in verse 38 where we read but if I do though you do not believe me believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him the father is in me and I in him uh theologians speak of this as the paracesis the mutual indwelling of the persons of the Trinity John 14 has the same truth John 14:11 believe me that I am in the father and the father B in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves the mutual indwelling of the persons of the Trinity we come to John 1:1 Brethren and it's rich with Theology and I hope that you would never want to roll your eyes at a rehearsal of blessed theology proper specifically for our case this evening at the point of christology who is this Christ who was that savior born in the city of David who was that that savior who is Christ the lord who now is still Christ the Lord he is eternal he is personally distinct from the father he is though and thirdly essential he has essential Unity with the father or we're rehearsing now and thirdly the full deity of the word the full deity of the word he is with God distinct from the father but then we note and the Word was God he is is the same in substance equal in power and in glory it's the beauty of the text in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God in just a handful of words the Blessed John takes pen to parchment and he dashes christological heresy jettisoning it from the Earth every heresy that has arisen in the church with respect to Christ at at the point of his full deity and his full humanity is dashed to pieces in John's prologue a beautiful language in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and we could even translate it literally and God was the word but the language is and the Word was God and we need to understand from that and gain this understanding that he is and he always has eternally existed in the very nature of deity the word the son the one who came into this world Sinners to save when we talk about the deity of Christ when we say as Christians we believe in the deity of Christ what do we mean and what are we saying well hopefully we've had a little bit of it already but to rehearse first off what we don't mean when we say the deity of Christ for those who were in the uh chapter 8 studies a year and a half ago or whenever we did this you might recognize some of this but it is good to rehearse and right to rehearse what do we not mean when we say the deity of Christ well first we do not mean that he is one God among many in a Pantheon of deities right he's not one God among many in a Pantheon of deities he's not a god a small G God the father being if you will the chief God in Christ being some sort of lesser deity that is of course not what we're saying for that is heresy of heresies and blasphemy of blasphemies we are not saying secondly that he is of a similar or derived substance as the father you might say well why are we rehearsing this can't we just you know can't we just bask in the in the you know the descending Petals of a mysterious knowledge of God and never actually dive into the text of scripture to understand our God is Christ of course we can bask in the effervescent pedals of an incoherent mystery we need to dive into mystery it remains a mystery but we can nevertheless know the incomprehensible God by coming to the pages of scripture and adoring this one who is absolutely and eternally Majestic who is Father Son and Holy Spirit that son who came into this world Sinners to save he is not of a similar or derived substance as the father he does not have a shaved off or carved off or multiplied or divided essence or substance he is essential he has essential Unity with the father as much as the father is God so the word or son and so the spirit the essence undivided and unmultiplied father Son and Holy Spirit co-eternal co- glorious having the same substance thirdly we are not saying that he is divine in the sense of being filled with the Holy Ghost ghost that's not wherein his divinity lies as a man filled with the spirit another heresy of heres he is eternally God he has always existed as such in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God now the holy spirit is given to Christ as denominated by his Humanity he's given the spirit without measure the text says but his deity is undiminished deity his Humanity gains the sending of the spirit beyond measure for his Earthly Ministry we are not saying at the point of the deity of Christ that he is an exalted man his divinity being a result of being in some way chosen or honored by the father there are some out there who believe all of these things Brethren I'm not just you know a Preacher Man you okay how is he not well he's not no there are people out there that believe all of these things he does not gain his deity by being chosen or honored by father that's not wherein we discuss the deity of Christ his divinity is not that he merited Divinity by virtue of his obedience the Mormon Church the Mormons believing that Christ was a man who merited Divinity divinization by virtue of his obedience and lastly though we probably haven't exhausted the heresies but we've spent the time on most of them here when we say the deity of Christ we're not saying that as the personification of an impersonal logos or word he was an INF fleshed agent of God and so can be called God in some sort of ambassadorial way Heretics of old believe this Heretics of new believe this there's a man that James White debated who believes this very thing that the word or logos was just an impersonal principle in the Divine mind that was animated in time and in history and flashed and dwelt Among Us that is not the deity of Christ so then what do we mean when we say the deity of Christ well you know but a good summary is 82 of our confession the Son of God the second person in the Holy Trinity being very and eternal God the brightness of the father's Glory of one substance and equal with him who made the world who upholdeth and governeth all things he hath made which person is very God that's what we mean when we say the deity of Christ full and essential deity and unity with father and spirit all three having the whole Divine Essence and the essence undivided where do we see this in the Holy scriptures we don't have time to exhaust the text um but we have time to spend time on a few and one of those we've already looked at John 8:58 a similar text John 85 to8 this is the deity of Christ proved by his own self-identification Jesus Christ fully aware that he was God of course John 18 notice what we find there in verses 5 to8 no doubt you know the occasion they answered him Jesus of Nazareth the answer to the question whom are you seeking Jesus said to them I am and Judas who betrayed him also stood with him now when he had said to them I am they drew back and fell to the ground then he asked them again whom are you seeking and they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus answered I have told you that I am therefore if you seek me let these go their way you see he uses the same language as John 858 I am that Exodus 3:14 that isaianic Declaration of Yahweh an ascription of deity that he ascribed cries to himself his deity is proved by his equality with the father if you're making a note you can note John 5:17 John 8:38 John uh 10:15 and 30 John 1410 John 175 but brothers and sisters if there's a text that encapsulates rich christology we have spent some time in John 1:1 already but notice Philippians 2 and no doubt you know this passage well because I've probably preached from it at least five times and Pastor Butler has more than one occasion as well but this is one of those places in the Bible Brethren Philippians 2 where we have an encapsulation of the biblical message set before us in only a in only a handful of verses glorious glorious theology set before us which could have been an early Christian hymn appropriated by Paul or it could be Paul himself Penning this hymn aresh nevertheless what we have is a glorious credle if you will statement concerning the full deity and full Humanity of Christ but notice at the point of his equality with the father in verse 5 of Ephesians 2 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus verse 6 who being in the form of God did not consider consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bonder servant and coming in the likeness of men see that language there who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God we could perhaps translate it this way who being in the very form of God did not consider that subsequent equality with God something to be held on to at at all cost costs in other words he has essential Unity with the father eternally of the same substance equal in power and in glory yet he did not consider it uh he did not hold on to that at all costs but condescended in the Incarnation taking to himself man's nature to die for Sinners and to rise again you might say well why didn't Paul just say instead of who being in the form of God why didn't he just say who being god well he's doing a parallelism between Divinity and Humanity you see he's writing 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 bonder servant so he uses form of God in order to really communicate Eternal identity with God essential Unity with the father and yet distinction but he's doing it to parallel form of a bond servant he is fully God and he is fully man he is in the form of God he is in the form of a bond servant Christ's Divinity is proved by explicit statements of his divinity we're bouncing around to texts but hopefully this never gets old as the saint of Christ to rehearse that that one wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a feed trough it's God most high Eternal Everlasting notice what we have in John chapter 2028 John 20:28 his deity proved by explicit statements of his deity John has already given one given us one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God here at the end of the Earthly Ministry of Christ in fact this is post-resurrection we have this reality brought forth to us in this blessed Declaration of Thomas beginning in verse 26 and after 8 Days his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them Jesus came the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace to you then he said to Thomas reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it into my side do not be unbelieving but believing and Thomas answered and said to him my Lord and my God so beautiful what a declaration what a personal connection Thomas has with his Lord and Brethren Thomas is prototypical of each and every one of us because like him like so many thomasi we can say my Lord and my God you see it's a clear explicit statement of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ Heretics are they who come to our doors Sharp Dressed knocking on our doors on a Saturday when we just want to be left alone doing you know work in our house whatever we're doing just you know mind you that could lead to a good occasion to bring them the Evangel the true and saving one but those sharp-dressed cats who come to our doors and and wrap on them and spew out the garbage of a created Christ they come to the text of Holy Scripture and they're dashed to Pieces dashed to Pieces by the rock that is the Declaration only of Thomas here my Lord and my God but everywhere else in the Holy scriptures notice what we have and this is just by noting the text Romans 9:5 Titus 213 2 Peter 1:1 the texts multiply that speak of the Divinity of Christ explicit statements concerning that this is Raymond on Thomas's confession Thomas's confession of Jesus as his Lord and God is the Supreme christological pronouncement of the fourth gospel here within a week of jesus' Resurrection in the presence of the other disciples who would surely have learned from Thomas's words and jesus' favorable favorable response the appropriateness of doing so a disciple for the first time employs Theos as a christological title this demonstrates that there is no basis in fact for the view of some form critical Scholars that the church only gradually came to the view of of an incarnational christology Christians virtually from the beginning believed that in Jesus they had to do with God incarnate my Lord and my God blessed declaration closing off his full deity we would want to note that his deity is proved by Old Testament Yahweh verses applied to Christ the Hebrews 1:10 to12 Romans 10:13 and Acts 2 Revelation 1 8 11 2822 12-13 and of course John 20 40-41 we keep coming back to our gospel under consideration to note these things and Brethren this is one of those beautiful ones as well notice in John 12 in John 12 at verse 40 what do we find there we find this blessed Revelation given to us by the Blessed John with regards to the deity of Christ and it reads this way be backing up in fact to verse 37 but although he had done so many signs before them of course speaking of Jesus they did not believe in him that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke Lord who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord being revealed therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again he has blinded their eyes and Harden their hearts lest they should see with their eyes lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them these things Isaiah said when he saw his glory that is Christ's glory and spoke of him you've heard this before and hopefully it never gets old Brethren John is saying that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ when he would later pen recording that event in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord Christ high and lifted up the train of his robe filling the temple the seraphim flying with two Wings covering their eyes uh with two flying with two covering their feet holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory these things Isaiah said when he saw Jesus glory and spoke of him the Blessed truth were we to go on we would want to note that his deity is proved by verses ascribing to Christ those things which can only be predicated of God the forgiving of sins the hearing and answering of prayers accepting praise and worship and the possession of sovereign Divine prerogative but we want to close by noting the true Humanity of the word we have the eternality of the word the personal distinction of the word the full deity of the word and now the true Humanity of the word if you backtrack to John CH chapter 1 there we find again reading verse 1 and verse 14 in the beginning was the word word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us everything that we've just rehearsed about this blessed word this blessed Christ this son of God everything we've read about this glorious one we now come to this and it says and that word became flesh and dwelt Among Us and Brethren hopefully uh just before we move on we should take pause here for a moment to Marvel in The Amazing humility of Christ The Amazing humility of Christ if you're here and you're a saint in Christ you're a believer in the Lord Jesus you're here because of the amazing humility of Christ so it is our requirement our joyous our our cheerful compliance to pause on these occasions and reflect upon on the amazing condescension and humility of the Lord Jesus Christ do you understand what we're reading here the word became flesh the one whose subsistence is in and of himself a most pure Spirit without body parts or passions immutable most absolute most perfect Most Holy most loving who commands by virtue of his Divine Excellence the Praises of angels and Men he comes down to our lower ignominy our lower shame he puts on man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin what what an amazing stoop that's what John Gil says at the point of Philippians 2 in his commentary take these two phrases form of God and form of a bonder servant and admire the amazing stoop the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us God for that anyone would ever say well yeah because we're so great I mean why wouldn't he want to come and dwell among me he takes on man's nature with all the essential properties and com and common infirmities thereof yet without sin common infirmities he takes on the common infirmities of men he was he would get weak he would get tired he would get hungry he would get thirsty might have got sore feet I don't I don't even think we should say might have a common infirmity he took upon himself man's nature he had feet and he used them to walk and he used them to walk far distances he would become weary he would need to rest his head that one who is infinite Eternal and unchangeable in all his glorious Perfections came down and took upon himself man's nature we we would exhaust the the the opportunities and the the necessary Reflections whereby we should dwell upon the condescension and the humility of the word becoming flesh what an amazing thing notice that it was the word that became flesh the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us it was not the Trinity that became flesh it was the word that became flesh it was not the father nor was it the spirit that became flesh it was the word that became flesh it was not the essence of divinity that became incarnate but the person of the word who has the whole undivided Essence that became incarnate God manifested In the Flesh and the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us amazing stoop and notice that the word be became flesh I'm doing a little bit of emphasis on certain parts of the statement there the word became flesh and now the word became flesh what that doesn't mean what this doesn't mean is that he cast off his deity to become man that's not what that means when we read the word became flesh that he cast off his divinity in order to become man no how God couldn't do that God can't stop being God we can't unra Ravel the Trinity and pull the second of the Blessed Triune out of the godhead in order that he become flesh for a while the father and the spirit without their Mutual indwelling One the Son of God who has the essence unmultiplied undivided co-eternal co- glorious of course not when we talk about the word becoming flesh let us never say or entertain that he cast off his deity to become man nor are we saying that he for a Time emptied himself self of deity common error when people come to Philippians 2 is that for a time he emptied himself of deity so only for a time was he was he not deity he emptied himself he divested himself and cast off his deity for 33 some odd years before he regained it again that's Madness John Owen uh speaking with regards to that uh know notes that such a such an approach uh such an approach to uh the condescension of God or the Incarnation of God uh destroys the Trinity and brings Madness to the doctrine of theology proper what we do have or as well what we don't have we don't have when in the word become flesh that he took on only a body this is important to know brothers and sisters sisters because throughout the history of the church men have parted from Orthodoxy at these very points we are not saying that when the word became flesh that he took on only a body one man has called this flesh suit christology that the word or son the one who is eternal and unchangeable in all of his Perfections uh came down and he just put on a flesh suit he took on only a human body it's a heresy in the early church that the Creeds of the early church opposed in their formulations of blessed Christ christology from the word of God we are not saying that he only took on a body and lastly we are not saying that it do or what it does not mean the word became flesh that the Divinity was in intermingled and confused with the humanity that the deity was intermingled and confused with the humanity so that have something of a pouring over Divinity into humanity and Humanity into Divinity the humanity is divinized and the Divinity is humanized no that's not what we have and in fact when we come to the doctrine of the Incarnation and Mary being overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit the power of the most high overshadowing her we don't have some Divine material intermingling with the human material this is bobing scripture attributes the conception of Jesus to the Holy Spirit or to the power of the most high the Holy Spirit the author all physical psychic and pneumatic life is the efficient cause of the conception the activity of the holy spirit with respect to this conception did not consist in the infusion of any Heavenly or Divine substance in Mary but in a demonstration of power that made her womb fertile in the act of overshadowing that's very important that last statement what wherein uh consisted the Incarnation at the point of the conception only in a demonstration of the power that made her womb fertile in the act of overshadowing there was no Divine material for there is no Divine material he is a most pure Spirit without body parts or passions and so what do we mean then when we say the word became flesh we're saying that without ceasing to be what he always was eternally the word or son took on man's nature our confession words it this way the Son of God the second person in the Holy Trinity being very and eternal God the brightness of the father's Glory of one substance and equal with him who made the world who upholdeth and goverthana sin being conceived by the Holy Spirit In the Womb of the Virgin Mary the Holy Spirit coming down upon her and the power of the most high overshadowing her and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah of the Seed of Abraham and David according to the scriptures so that two whole perfect and distinct Natures were insep inseparably joined together in one person without conversion composition or confusion which person is very God and very man yet one Christ the only mediator between God and man oh but I'll never understand such language hopefully Brethren you'll come to the scriptures and you'll try to comprehend so that you might not entertain heresy that he is truly God and that he is truly man and in becoming man he didn't put off deity he didn't just put on a flesh suit but took to himself man's nature he didn't mutate into man God is immutable he's unchangeable God didn't change into man when we read the word became flesh and when we we read God was manifested in the flesh we're simply saying this that the second of the Blessed Triune remaining always and ever what he always and ever is took to himself man's nature with all the common uh uh Properties or essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin we find this in the Holy scriptures in a couple places Hebrews 217 Hebrews 4:17 those texts and following we must note that this truly truly did happen Luke Chapter 2 John 1 14 the word became flesh and and dwelt Among Us in Christ's Earthly Ministry you can go to Hebrews 21:17 and 4:17 on your own time talking about Christ taking upon the uh the the nature natur of Abraham the nature of men in order to be uh the high priest the perfect Savior for Sinners it's interesting in in Luke's gospel in Luke chapter 24 the study of christology at the point of his true Humanity should land us there what is going on in Luke 24 but it's the post uh resurrected Christ he's been raised from the dead in power and in great Victory and he comes and he gives a Bible study to his gathered disciples and there's doubt in the disciples they cannot believe for joy that it's him and he says he says to them look it is me look at the you know the print of my nails look it is it is me and they they still don't believe so he says come and touch me and handle me they they still don't believe so he he eats broed fish and honeycomb with them to show them Brethren among other things that he really was Christ the second of the Blessed Triune God come in the flesh manifested in the flesh that the word became flesh he lets them touch him put your fingers in The Print of the nails he he says he he says to them give me the broiled fish and honeycomb that you've been making to eat I will eat it I am truly man and it is truly I that have resurrected from the dead and am here before you in my glorified body Luke 24 speaks to this and this is a doctrine of the absolute and utmost importance when we come to John's Epistles specifically 1 and 2 John we come to Epistles where the one of the emphases is this that if you do not believe that Christ Has Come In the Flesh then you are Antichrist you are Antichrist I I've said it before and I'll say it to again and I don't want to tra trample on anyone's eschatology but far from the mind of John in his Epistles is some 2,000 year in the future bad guy who will come on the scene means and do bad things immediate to his mind are christological Heretics they are Antichrist who say that Christ has not come in the flesh in first John 1 we are moving to an end we're going to close with some application here in a moment but turn to First John for a moment notice what we have there at the point of antichrist and the absolute necessity that we believe in the Incarnation of Christ that he did take to himself man's nature notice in 1 John chter 4 1 John in chapter 4 beginning in verse one beloved do not believe every Spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the World by this you know the spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world in 2 John 1:7 notice there for many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh this is a deceiver and an antichrist look to yourselves that we do not lose those things which we have worked for for that uh but that we may receive a full reward you see the importance of this doctrine that the word truly did become flesh and Brethren when the word became flesh he did not cease being that which he was you know it's interesting our human language and how we have to employ it and to use it when we speak of our God and when we speak of God uh Jesus Christ the the second of the Blessed Triune God when we say Christ the son of God came down from heaven he didn't actually leave Heaven because God is omnipresent he's omnipotent omnipresent omniscient he fills the Heaven and the Earth we didn't have a time where the Son of God spatially left a location and came to a place where he was not before the Son of God fills the heavens and the Earth so when we say the Son of God came down from heaven it's our human language encapsulating the condescending Act of humility to take take upon himself man's nature the Son of God God himself can't leave Heaven he's everywhere he's omnipresent he is immense Eternal infinite this is two witnesses whenever we come to establish a thing we should try to bring two witnesses this is first Cel the Eternal Word subjected himself to birth for us and came forth man from a woman without casting off that which he was although he assumed Flesh and Blood he remained what he was God in essence and in truth for although visible and a child in swaddling cloths and even in the bosom of his virgin mother he filled all creation as God and was a fellow ruler with him who begat him for the godhead is without quantity and dimension and cannot have limits and Calvin another absurdity namely that if the word of God became incarnate he must have been confined within the narrow uh prison of an Earthly body is sheer impudence for even if the word and his immeasurable Essence United with the nature of man into one person we do not imagine that he was confined therein now notice this here is something marvelous the Son of God descended from heaven in such a way that without leaving Heaven he filled he willed to be born in the virgin's womb to go about the Earth to hang upon the cross yet he continually filled the Earth even as he had done from the beginning Brethren what an amazing Doctrine we have in the Incarnation we don't have to have some sort of conception a Greco Roman conception of one deity among many who actually spatially leaves a place to come to another place where he was not before and go about and do certain things but rather we have one God the living and true God in three persons one of those persons who has the the essence undivided the whole Essence co-eternal and co- glorious with the other two comes down from heaven but in such a way that without leaving Heaven he takes upon himself man's nature you you research the world's religions you go out on a journey to to to scan the religions of the world and you do not come to a religion as glorious as Christianity where we have a God uh immense Eternal in infinite infinite Eternal and unchangeable in all of his Perfections who fashioned uh as we read this morning fashioned planets between his palms who set galaxies in their orbits who fixed the stars in place and yet Brethren that one who fixed the stars in place the Son of God is found fixed upon the breast of an Earthly mother glorious glorious Incarnation and fixed upon the breast of an Earthly mother in his act and his state of humility so that what so that he might reconcile God to men so that he might save us from our sins from his own lips the son of man did not come to be served but to serve to give his life a ransom for for many this Doctrine is absolutely important for as John of Damascus said in the 8th Century for the whole Christ assumed the whole me that he might Grant salvation to the whole me me for what is UN assumable is incurable another one man put it another way if Christ is a phantom then so is our Salvation Christ is a phantom then our Salvation is a phantom as well but it's not because Christ the living and true God the second of the Blessed Triune the brightness of his father's glory and the express image of the father's person who upholds all things by the word of his power came in time and in history took upon himself man's nature in such a work of humility so that he might go about the work of redemption that you might have everlasting life what a what a hero to believe in we read this time of year when we come to the scriptures and we read of this babe wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a feed trough remember those words of of cill let our minds not stay there but Mount up to the Pinnacle of his glory and as well condescend to the to the the bottomless of his lowly ignon ignominy that we might lay hold of this blessed Christ believing on him for all things all spiritual blessings everlasting life perfect Redemption if you're here tonight and you know this Christ continue to know this Christ hopefully Brethren a a a BRI a brief study some of you saying brief well we could probably debate about that but a brief study in christology hopefully will encourage you to go from outside of these doors and fill your minds with more of Christ you would eat up the word speaking of one who is fully God Eternal glorious and yet fully man coming in the fullness of the times to give himself for guilty Sinners rejoice in this Christ and bring glory to this Christ in this lower World bring glory to this Christ you believe on him do those things befitting your belief so that others might cast a world worldly and an Earthly eye upon you that you might have opportunity to Proclaim to them the riches and the excellencies of So Glorious a savior he's worth proclaiming he's worth proclaiming to all men his full deity his full Humanity his glorious person might we all know him more if you're here tonight and you don't know him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved again sometimes a cresting mouth can actually Veil and regenerate heart whether it cresant or it doesn't it either veils a regenerate heart that rejoices in Christ or it veils an unregenerate heart that can't wait to get out of these two doors if you maintain or if you uh are are kept in that state until the end of days this babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a feed trough remember he didn't stay there men opposed to his Reign and his glorious Majesty want to keep him there but he grew he was the one who stood before his opposers and said woe to you brood of vipers he was the one who uh is spoken of in the Book of Revelation is the one who kills the children of Jezebel with death he is the one in Revelation 19 who is riding upon a white horse you see he did at one time R upon the a coal the the full of a donkey but now exalted in his glorious resplendant Majesty he rides upon a white and glorious Steed and he Treads The Wine Press of the fierceness and Wrath of almighty God you do not want to be found on that last and final day breathing words of blasphemies before you're cast into the Lake of Fire reserved for the devil and his angels believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he will be to you yes that that same white Rider but you will be following after him in the Robes of righteousness the armies of the most high king and you will know everlasting life you'll know spiritual benefits and blessings unsurpassable his Praises forever more with the angels let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in our savior the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for what your word discloses to us concerning his eternity uh his uh distinction as that one who has a full Divinity yet is the son to the father and and you to him uh to the son a father with the spirit we rejoice in our Triune God and we pray that we would know more of our Christ we pray that we would know more of this king of kings and Lord of lords we pray that we would know more of this blessed savior and we pray as we go about our lives in this church that we would uh rejoice in this Christ that we would know him more and more each and every day and that we would sing his Praises that we would bring glory to him in this lower world and Lord that you would by your grace and For Your Glory bring before us many opportunities to Proclaim him to men to Proclaim and and speak of his riches and his excellencies and his perfect salvation go with us now help us in this lower world to bring honor to you and to our Christ and might you save Sinners to the praise of your most free Grace and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen well let's stand and sing uh our hymn is going to be it's a doxology that we're going to sing it's hymn 35 we'll stand and sing 35 stanza 1 as our doxology to [Music] close our blessed glorious the anent of daysy vior oface brought Jus from the thater of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen well you may be seated we'll have a brief time of prayer and then you'll be dismissed e e for