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e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God for our call to worship you can turn to Psalm 122 Psalm 122 I'll begin reading in verse one a song of asense and basically these songs of asense are 120 to 13 before the songs Psalms that were sung by the pilgrims as they went to the house of God to worship and this one is most appropriate for the Lord's day I was glad when they said to me let us go into the house of the Lord our feet have been standing within your Gates oh Jerusalem Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together where the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord to the testimony of Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord for Thrones are set set there for judgment the Thrones of the House of David pray for the Peace of Jerusalem May they Prosper who love you peace be within your walls Prosperity within your palaces for the sake of my brethren and companions I will now say peace be within you because of the house of the Lord Our God I will seek your good amen well please turn in your hym books to Psalm 32 Psalm 32 be as in bravo we sing the first three stanzas 32b stanas 1 to3 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together for him who s the of [Music] bless [Music] have whose heart is I my Str my my soul I my my from me when I th for me so [Music] sing shall their heart to in the Lord Mighty th sa Sal my [Music] heart let us pray our blessed God God and Holy Father we gather together again on your day in your house and it is a great privilege and a delight for our souls we pray that you would draw near to us at this time of worship you would Rend the heavens and come down and be found in the midst of this this local body we pray that you would encourage us and build us up in our Most Holy Faith but even more so we pray that you would be glorified and honored and worship that you would be enthroned upon the Praises of your people in this assembly and that in all things we would have that holy spirit to guide us to direct us to promote in us that reverence and that joy that is very necessary in the sight of a great God we confess to you now our sin our remaining corruption we know the Apostle tells us to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel and yet we have that that remaining corruption in us that he speaks of in Romans five or Romans 7 and Galatians 5 we confess that trusting in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanse us from all sin and all unrighteousness help us by your grace and by the power of your Holy Spirit to guard our hearts to guard our minds to to do those things that are in fact pleasing in your sight and God for any and all who've come here tonight dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them you would cause them to see Christ as altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 that he alone is the one in whom there is forgiveness and salvation and all of the blessings of God we ask that you would bless our children our young people we thank you so very much for all the the babies and our local body here we pray for your blessing upon the recent births these little ones that are still in the hospital we pray that they would recover and and and attain good full health and be able to return home we also pray God for your blessing to be upon our sister churches we think specifically of sui and Armstrong we pray for pastor Cam that he would preach well tonight to the Saints there in Su we pray for our brother Mike that you would restore unto him good physical health and strength cause him to persevere by your grace and For Your Glory and for the Saints and Armstrong we pray that as they gather together you would be pleased to bless them and strengthen them and and watch over that local body and may they indeed be useful in your hand in that Community bless Pastor Ryan and Huns and just cause these men to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with brethren in in uh Regina be with the brethren in pinoca and in medicon hat we thank you for these Association churches we pray for your continued hand of mercy upon each one as well our father we pray for the Saints and Elder and in kisumu there in Kenya we thank you for that faithful gospel testimony in that part of the world we ask God that you'd bless our brothers there who labor in the word and Doctrine and use them for your glory sake be with our brother in pet uh in May Mar even that that dear man Peter we pray for him and we know that his load is heavy we know that the resources are are slim we pray that you would provide food and shelter and clothing for Peter for his family for the orphans under his care and most of all we pray for a ceasefire in that land and we pray that there would be safety and some degree of stability there that the gospel would be proclaimed we think of our brethren in Cuba and God our hearts go out to the Saints there we know that in ter terms of temporal provision they are lacking much because of their wretched system of government there we just pray for your church that you would continue to bless the Saints you would bless the men who are preaching the truth we thank you for the good reports that we hear that your word is running swiftly and it is being glorified in that land and God we pray that you'd uphold the the the the brothers that Minister on a regular basis bless the Seminary training and equip more men for service in your hand as as well our father we pray all over the Earth that you would send forth your glorious gospel we have the promise in the prophet that your word does not return unto you void but it accomplishes the purpose for which you sent it and we rejoice in that fact we look forward to that day when every tribe or men from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation will be gathered Before the Throne before the Lord God and the lamb who sits upon the throne and our constant refrain will be that salvation belongs to our Lord we thank you that we are a small part of a much larger whole we pray God that you would cause us to keep that perspective in View and may we pray for the missionary Enterprise may we pray for the persecuted Church may we have confidence in the power of Jesus Christ to build his church such that the gates of 80s cannot Prevail against it and we ask these things in his Most Blessed name amen well you can turn with me again in your hym books to 294 hym 294 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together to set us free and the for salv he has rais God has his to redeem in the Pro he has spoken through his Pro from the has to save us from the Hat of [Music] our and his Mercy show Mercy in his to our to will to us has and and restore us to our in his andly all our [Music] will God you for the Lord toare his bring the of Sal to in [Music] their and by for his great Mery like a son sh in darkness to the of and [Music] you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of Judges Judges chapter 5 for our scripture reading this evening Judges chapter [Music] 5 judges 5 I'll begin reading in verse one then Deborah and baric the son of abinoam sang on on that day saying When leaders lead in Israel when the people willingly offer themselves bless the Lord hear o Kings give ear o princes I even I will sing to the Lord I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel Lord when you went out from seir when you marched from the field of Edom the Earth trembled and the heavens poured the clouds also poured water the mountains gushed before the Lord this Sinai before the Lord God of isra Israel in the days of shamgar son of anath in the days of Jael the highways were deserted and The Travelers walked along the byways Village Life ceased it ceased in Israel until I Deborah arose arose a mother in Israel they chose New Gods then there was war in the gates not a shield or spear was seen among 40,000 in Israel my heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people bless the Lord L speak you who ride on white donkeys who sit in judge's attire and who walk along the road far from the noise of The Archers among the watering places there they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord the righteous acts for his villagers in Israel then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates awake awake Deborah awake awake sing a song Arise baric and lead your captives away oh son of abinoam then the survivors came down the people against the Nobles the Lord came down for me against the mighty from Ephraim we were those whose Roots were in amalec after you Benjamin with your peoples from makir rulers came down and from zebulun those who bear the recruiter staff and the princes of issachar were with Deborah as isachar so was baric sent into the valley under his command among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart why did you sit Ong the sheepfolds to hear the pipings for the flocks the divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan and why did Dan remain on ships Asher continued at the seashore and stayed by his inlets zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death napali also on the heights of the battlefield the kings came and fought then the kings of Canaan fought in tanac By the Waters of megiddo they took no Spoils of Sil they fought from the heavens the stars from their courses fought against cicat the torrent of keson swept them away that ancient torrent the torrent of keson oh my soul march on in strength then the horses hooves pounded The Galloping Galloping of the steeds curse meos said the angel of the Lord curse its inhabitants bitterly because they did not come to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Most Blessed among women is jel the wife of Heber the canite blessed is she among women in tents he asked for water she gave milk she brought out cream in a lordly bowl she stretched her hand to the tent Peg her right hand to the workman's Hammer she pounded cicora she pierced his head she split and struck through his Temple at her feet he sank he fell he lay still at her feet he sank he fell where he sank there he fell dead the mother of cic looked through the window and cried out through the lattice why is his Chariot so long and coming why terries the clatter of his chariots her wisest ladies answered her yes she answered herself are they not finding and dividing the spoil to every man a girl or two for cicora plunder of dyed garments plunder of garments embroidered and dyed two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter thus let all your enemies perish O Lord but let those who love him be like the son when it comes out in full strength so the land had rest for 40 days amen well this is a song of praise to the Lord for his victory over the enemies of Israel it's similar to the song of Moses in Exodus chap 15 when a great Deliverance comes it's time for the people of God to respond with worship and praise and gratitude to God for that Deliverance now of course chapter 5 is intimately connected to chapter 4 and last week in the reading Pastor cam read it JL takes that tent Peg and drives it through the head of cicara I remember going through the Book of Judges we went through it on a Wednesday night bible study and I preached from it a few times in certain passages and the commentaries or at least some of them suggest that J was a murderer that when she took that tent Pig and drove it through the head of cicora that that was an act of murder it was not an act of murder it was Warfare and if you look specifically at Deborah's song language that is used of Mary the Mary of Joseph the Mary the mother of Jesus notice in 524 Most Blessed among women is JL the wife of Heber the kenite blessed is she among women in tents language that would be very strange if she was guilty of the crime of Murder She was engaged in Warfare took that tent Peg and drove it through the head of cicar now cicar for his own part definitely deserved that judgment if you look at verse 28 it says the mother of cisar looked through the window and cried out through the lattice why is his Chariot so long in coming why terries the clatter of his chariots now the wisest ladies in her own heart didn't say because JL drove a tent Peg through his head but you can see that in his delay in his delay and return she's wondering where is he why why isn't he back from the battlefield yet well notice in verse 30 are they not finding and dividing the spoil to every man a girl or two now Brethren these guys weren't taking these girls to instruct them in the ways of godliness they were probably violating them and treating them very shamefully and very poorly cicora was a wretch who was Leading Armies against the nation of Israel and then if you drop down to verse 30 1 thus let all your enemies perish O Lord but let those who love him be like the son when it comes out in full strength when God's kingdom advances that means the destruction of his enemies it's just that simple God's kingdom does not Advance without the destruction of his enemies Paul in Colossians 1 says that we've been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of his love well when those rise up in opposition against ywe and against his Christ try to destroy the apple of his eye they will be decimated so Deborah not only does she not say that JL is guilty of murder but Praises God for the activity of JL in driving that tent Peg through the head of cicah well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for what it records concerning your grace and your mercy as well as your Justice and your righteousness and your your judgment of your enemies and in This Book of Judges we constantly see the the Lord God most high raising up saviors for the people those men that were about uh vindicating the cause of God and Truth on the earth and we thank you that it's typical we thank you that it prefigures we thank you that it shows forth to that blessed champion of the New Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ and his victory over all opposition to almighty God and we praise you through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn with me again in your hym books to 286 286 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together sing let pra the s he has the he has SL he hased us with his blood he has brought us to let us the US Us by his grace and us and us he hased us with his blood he our souls to God let us sing Sal to bear us down for the Lord our strong salvation hold the he us with his blood soon will bring us home to God let us father Grace and Justice joy and to Mercy through Grace CHR [Music] our and he us with his one our way to go and Jo s now their you have us with your blood you are worthy and our [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Philippians as we work our way through Paul's epistle to the church in Philippi one of the prison Epistles he's in prison according to Acts chapter 28 for about 2 years ad60 to ad 62 there he writes what we call the prison Epistles Ephesians Philippians Colossians and philimon so he's writing to the people of God and he wants to encourage them on a particular path and we see that in verses 1 to 4 and then he sets forth Christ as a supreme example of that mindset in verses 5 to1 but he also illustrates it with Timothy in verses 19- 24 and then aitis in verses 25-30 so there are examples for the people of God to imitate or emulate when it comes to the virtues that Paul uh commends in chap 2: 1 to4 so I'll read verses 1 to 11 we'll pray and then we're going to just focus on verse 7 and I'll explain more in a moment so let us read beginning in Chapter 2 at verse one therefore if there is any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any Fellowship of the spirit if any affection and mercy fulfill my Joy by being like-minded having the same love being of one Accord of one mind let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of Mind Let each others better than himself let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others 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 bonder servant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearances of 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 well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for the Divine scripture the word of God that that that gives us that knowledge of the Lord most high and we pray now that your spirit would guide us as we consider our Lord Jesus Christ that blessed savior for Sinners that word who became flesh that one who took on the form of a bonder servant may we stand in awe that what Christ did on behalf of guilty helpless and vile Sinners forgive us again for all sin and unrighteousness and anything that would darken our minds and understanding guide us again by your spirit we pray and we ask in jesus' name amen well in our Sunday night services I always try to try uh try to be somewhat practical in terms of our Christian Living so Sun morning we focus on the gospel narrative and the reality of Christ as the gospel authors present him Wednesday night we study the Old Testament uh tonight it's going to be more doctrinal and it's going to be a slow March through verse 7 because as I said this section is incredibly simple Paul wants specific cont uh conduct according to verses 1 to 4 he wants us to kill our selfish ambition he wants us to kill our conceit he wants us to consider others as better than ourselves and then he says in verse 5 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus so in other words he sets forth Christ in verses 5 to 11 as an example but as he sets forth Christ as an example he gives us some wonderful christology along the way so I want to walk slowly through verse 7 there's four statements that speak concerning our lord Jesus with reference to his Incarnation so verse five there is the exhortation to have the mind of Christ to be like Christ when it comes to others mindedness verse six focuses upon the Divinity of our Lord Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God so two statements there form of God nature of God essence of God and then this equal with God and then he moves on to the humility of Christ and he illustrates that in two ways first by the incarnation in verse 7 and then by the passion in verse 8 and so again in the context when Paul is telling us to to do nothing with selfish ambition or conceit but to consider others as better than ourselves Christ is a beautiful example of that very thing in fact as John Gil says put these two together the form of God in the form of a Ser servant and admire the amazing stoop the condescension of our blessed savior in the Incarnation and in the passion are the ex uh the examples for us in the way that we conduct ourselves one to another so as I said there are four statements in verse 7 the first he made himself of no reputation secondly he took the form of a bonder servant third he came in the likeness of men and fourth he was found in the appearance as a man or found in appearance as a man so four statements with reference to the Incarnation of Our Lord that hold forth great christology we've seen some of this much of this in our studies in John's gospel so I did want to focus in on these things and hopefully sort of round out our understanding of the person of Christ the one person two Natures the hypothetic union of our blessed Lord so look first with me at this statement he made himself of no reputation so after stressing highlighting underscoring and demonstrating the Divinity of the savior in verse 6 he now points to the humanity of the Savior specifically in the Incarnation so it says but made himself of no reputation that's the way that the King James translates it the new King James as well the ESV and the nasb translate it but emptied himself but emptied himself not a bad translation in fact a very literal translation because the word used simply means to make empty or to empty but when we come to this particular passage there is a cautionary reminder that we need to have the translations both are correct I think the King James and the new King James give us an interpretation but I would suggest it's a very good interpretation the ESV and the nasb again it's literal and with reference to this concept of emptying himself it doesn't necessarily uh involve heresy the idea of emptying himself does not necessitate heresy zanki in his commentary which I commended probably 10 times yesterday in our Saturday morning theology study he uses that language and as long as you understand what you're dealing with with emptying himself then it's okay but there is a potential for abuse and this is called canotic christology canotic comes from the Greek word that Paul uses here which means to empty himself and so kaotics or k those who who hold to a canotic view of christology have the idea that he emptied himself of divinity he divested himself of the Divine attributes that his emptying of himself was such that he was no longer God In the Flesh and so when we come to this particular passage we need to understand that's not what Paul means we need to remember that the Divine attributes are essential in God all that is in God is God if Christ were to divest himself of divin uh Divine attributes he would divest himself of being God it's an impossibility he cannot do it as well the Divine attributes in the Earthly Ministry of Our Lord John 1:14 the word became flesh a passage we'll refer to again later and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the the father full of grace and truth they beheld his glory on the Mount of transfiguration they beheld his glory when he forgave sins they beheld his glory when he exercised Divine functions in their midst in fact Matthew chapter 9 when Jesus heals that paralytic it is to demonstrate that the son of man has power on Earth to forgive sins so emptying himself in this passage does not mean that what was true of him in verse 6 was laid as side completely in fact go back to 2 Corinthians 8 two other Incarnation texts that I think help us as we navigate through verse 7 2 Corinthians chapter 8 specifically at verse 9 the point is not that the humility of Christ is seen in the divestment or putting aside of his divinity but rather is seen in the Incarnation the one who never stopped being God the one who never stopped being in the form of God equal with God took on what he was not he assumed our Humanity 2 Corinthians 8:9 for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich a canotic reading here would say he became poor by divesting himself of divinity but as dolal points out and I think he's absolutely spoton we don't want want Christ to give up his riches we don't want him to divest himself of his riches we don't want him to lay aside his divinity we need the unique savior of Sinners that mediator who is the god man that Divine word who took takes to himself a human nature that one is the one that is's equipped to do the work of redemption so he never ceased being rich when he took on our poverty and if you go back to John's gospel again another passage incarnational uh uh an incarnational themed passage John 1:14 the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us who's the word it's the word of verse one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and then in verse 14 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 it is not the case that when Christ comes in the Incarnation that he gives up Divinity to take on Humanity the glory of the Incarnation is that the Divine son takes on our Humanity without ever ceasing to be what he's always been as aquinus says but since he was filled with the Divinity did he empty himself of that no because he remained what he was and what he was not he assumed the glory of this particular phrase is seen in this reality the one who was was in the form of God made himself of no reputation the one who was equal with God made himself of no reputation this is the perfect argument in Paul's uh appeal here to the Philippians to get rid of their own selfish ambition and their own conceit look at the Savior who being in the form of God who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God the one who was equal with God nevertheless made himself of no reputation he emptied himself and again not of divinity but that language is perfectly appropriate if it's explained and understood well the one in the form of God and equal with God as well notice voluntarily o uh uh uh humbled himself or voluntarily uh made himself of no reputation so the the argument in the context we're going to continue to insist on our superiority over our fellows our selfishness our conce becomes the the overarching factor in the way that we treat one another no Brethren if you look at verses 3 and 4 when you've got this prohibition and then you've got this positive exhortation and then he points to the Lord Jesus Christ if you continue on in a path of selfishness or conceit or you're not others minded you're not like the Savior it's simple if you're not the way Christ is then you need to repent if I am not the way Christ is then then I need to repent let nothing be done with selfish ambition or conceit look at Jesus form of God equal with God and yet he makes himself of no reputation how many arguments would be would be just completely blown away not blown away in a bad way but not not having to have not having to take place if we all kind of just made ourselves of no reputation if we all actually humbled ourselves how many times a husband wife relationship if we actually IDE what Paul is saying here could we diffuse the arguments could we diffuse the problems could we diffuse the sorts of situations that we find ourselves in because we're driven by selfish ambition or conceit Brethren let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus our lord who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God and he made himself of no reputation he humbled himself voluntarily he took this upon himself now notice secondly he took the form of a bond servant he took the form of a bond servant again the translation here is good it's a good translation that we need to make sure that we get our minds wrapped around notice in verse 7 he made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bonder servant now when we talk about the Incarnation of Our Lord we need to make sure that we understand that he doesn't assume a person it's not like there's a person out there somewhere a babe in the womb and Jesus says I'm going to take that one no he assumes a nature to the Divine person now when it comes to this taking on and assumption is the biblical language turn to Hebrews chapter 2 Hebrews chap 2 same language used in verse 16 and pride of place here for English translations goes to the King James version notice in Hebrews 2 at verse 16 Hebrews 2:16 the new King James and the margin has what the King James has we need to move it out of the margin and into the text verse 16 for indeed he does not give Aid to Angels but he does give Aid to the Seed of Abraham or he does not give help to the angels but he gives help to the Seed of Abraham that's not the point of the passage he doesn't take on an Angelic nature he takes on the nature of the Seed of Abraham King James version says for verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham and again that's in the new King James margin take on the nature of and take on same idea as in John 1:14 the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us 2 Corinthians CH 8 though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor he took to himself a human nature he took to himself into that Union with the Divine in the person that human that Humanity now there has been a tendency in theology to overcorrect kenoticism I hope everybody's still with me because this is great stuff I probably am not explaining it as greatly as zanki or anywhere near that but this is great stuff and and just by way of a practical observation if you've ever talked to a Jehovah's Witness and and youve brought up the Trinity what's kind of their default position well you know that was CU of Constantine in in the in the 4th Century the the the Council of NAA there were political ramifications there's politics in everything you you can't walk in and out of a church building without some degree of Pol politics is everywhere it's just there I don't doubt that there were politics at NAA but you know what the naan Christians did they carefully articulated what the Bible clearly lays out and what Paul is clearly laying out here is codified in the nyine Creed in the calcedonian Creed those are good theological articulations good theological summaries of biblical truth just just like the second London in Chapter 2 with reference to of God and the Holy Trinity and chapter8 of Christ the mediator as I mentioned this morning in our confession study in fact in chapter two of our confession they reach back into NAA and bring that stuff into their discussion of God and the Holy Trinity when they're dealing with Christ the mediator specifically the hypostatic Union in paragraph 2 of chapter 8 guess where they go they go back to Caledon in 451 and bring that information to to bear in their confession it's not that this is extra biblical addition formulation they made up the doctrine of the Trinity know these Creeds and confessions protected what the Apostle Paul reveals to us so absolutely positively clearly In this passage and elsewhere so when it comes to this we use the language of taking on or assumption so remember canot ism is an emptying of the Lord and his divinity some have come along and say well he added that human nature the language of addition now I don't think that's necessarily damnable heresy it's not addition is not damnable heresy but assumption and taking on is much better because addition can suggest not necessarily but it can suggest a change to the divine nature and we want to protect against that because the divine nature is immutable it is impassable so therefore it cannot be changed cannot be added to so addition while not heretical strictly it's not the best use taking on because that's biblical and assumption it's interesting biblicists use addition and the Bible uses taking on it's kind of an interesting juxtaposition there little joke for the theologians among us but the use of addition lends itself to the possibility of change in his divinity zanki says this assumption was not affected by any change either in the person who assumed or in the nature assumed or any blending mixing or confusion it was instead in affected by a true personal Union namely whereby the thing assum was United in such an intimate bond with the assuming person that the person just as he previously subsisted in the form of God now also subsists in the form of a servant a bit shorter and a little bit easier is Augustine he emptied himself not by changing his own Divinity but by assuming our changeableness and taking upon him the form of a servant so if you go back to the text and you look at what's going going on here the one who is in the form of God who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God took the form of a bond servant and form there is very intriguing he doesn't say took the bond servant as if there was a bonder servant already existing a baby in the womb that was destined to be a bonder servant so Christ assumed that person and he took the form of a bonder servant he assumed a human nature he didn't assume a human person there was a heretic named noorus that taught a two-person christology and that is heretical and so Paul's language here is beautiful but the Highlight is again zanki just as form of God indicates the divine nature and Essence not nakedly but dressed in all its essential properties so form of a servant indicates the human Essence in nature not nakedly but joined together with all its properties as well as all of its weaknesses except for sin like our confession speaks of the all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin he assumes a human nature so that when we look at the person of Christ we've got the verse six reality and the verse seven reality in the one person The Taking of the form of a bonder servant again in the context will hopefully deal a death blow to our pride to our self selfish ambition and to our conceit when the Lord Jesus Christ at the the the the the the Last Supper in that context washes the feet of the disciples Brethren there is no place for us to be Lords and Kings over others there is no place for us to insist upon our priority to insist upon others serving me in his Earthly Ministry the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many this is what Paul is saying the one in the form of God the one equal with God humbled himself made himself of no reputation emptied himself not of divinity but with reference to this taking the form of a bonder servant it is glorious now notice thirdly he came in the likeness of men and coming in the likeness of men the meaning here is not likeness of men kind of similar kind of a bit kind of almost likeness of men means men again accepting sin consider Genesis 5 1:3 this is the book of the geneology of Adam in the day that God created man he made them in the likeness of God he created them male and female and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created and Adam lived 130 years and begot a son in his own likeness he beg got a son in his own likeness so is his son kind of like a man no this is the language that demonstrates or exemplifies the reality of manhood Christ in the likeness of man does not mean that he's kind of somewhat it means he assumed our Humanity it means he is a man as well consider the parallel with the image of God Colossians 1:15 Jesus is called the image of God are we not to conclude that he's actually God Paul's point is is that he's actually God same with this particular phrase Paul's point is that he's actually man the one who was in the form of God who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation he takes the form of a bonder servant and he appears or rather is in the likeness of men what's Paul's emphasis he's actually true man that's what he's saying go back to Hebrews chapter 2 Hebrews chapter 2 where we see that taking on or assumption language in verse 16 there's other good stuff there in verse 14 and verse 17 in terms of true Humanity of our savior 24 in as much then as the children had partaken of Flesh and Blood he himself likewise shared this shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil as the church fathers would say whatever is not assumed is not healed whatever is not assumed is not redeemed if he does not become true man there is no salvation for you and I it's the glory of the Creed for us men and for our Salvation he came down from heaven praise God Almighty for the Blessed realities of a Philippians 26 and 7 and 8 through 11 that section is goodness with reference to Christ notice in verse 17 therefore in all things he had to be made like his Brethren notice he had to be made like his Brethren Westminster larger catechism questions 38 and 39 we're probably not going to have time to read that tonight but why was it requisite that our that our mediator was God why was it requisite that our mediator was man and it gives a great summary statement as to why it was essential that the mediator be the word who became flesh for us men and for our Salvation so verse 17 Again therefore in all things he had to be made like his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people I alluded to our confession earlier second London 82 the Son of God did when the fullness of time was complete take upon Him man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities of it yet without sin so when Paul says what Paul says here in Philippians chapter 2 when he says coming in the likeness of of of men I want to remind us the glory of the Incarnation is not that the son kind of became like man not that the son kind of assumed our flesh there's an older heresy called do do dotism which means it just seemed like he just appeared to be a man kind of had that that appearance that's wrong Brethren doesn't John condemn that kind of mindset if it wasn't a full-blown dotism John was speaking to there were seed forms of it the idea that the gnostics that the flesh or the the external was bad what does John say whoever denies that Jesus came in the flesh is Antichrist you can't make that denial you can't just say he was seemingly a man he appeared as a man you can't do that that's bad christology that's that's heresy and that's exactly what Paul is saying didn't happen he was true man the glory in the of the Incarnation is not that the son renounced his divinity but that he assumed our humanity and the glory of the Incarnation is the union of the Divine and human Natures in the one person hypostatic Union one person of Christ not two persons like noorus one person two natures and those two Natures are not confused the Divine doesn't divinize the human the human doesn't humanize the Divine it's a union of natures in the one person without confusion without mixture without producing a a a third thing and then the final statement this is in verse 7 in the Greek text he was found in appearance as a man and again this appearance as a man I think speaks to the witness and the testimony that persons had in the life and Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ the emphasis again is on his true Humanity not his apparent or seemingly Humanity but on his true Humanity the appearance of true Humanity was evident to those who saw and interacted with him he wasn't a phantom he didn't you couldn't put your hand through him like he was just some ethereal being that's not it consider the statements of Holy Scripture the reality of his flesh and blood 1 John 1:1 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the word of life this is why John goes on to condemn as Antichrist those who deny that Jesus came in the in the flesh John understood this great Incarnation theology that Paul is putting forth in Philippians 2:6 to8 because John puts it forth in the prologue John puts it forth from 1:19 all the way to the confession of Thomas my Lord Lord and my God John the Theologian understood this all too well and so he condemns those who deny that Christ came in the flesh and here he speaks positively in terms of their witness consider Luke 24:39 behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself handle me and see for a spirit does not have Flesh and Bones as you see I have it's not an apparition it's not an ethereal spirit it's not a floating body it's not something you can pass your hand through it's Jesus consider the ordinariness of his appearance he didn't walk through the streets of Jerusalem with a Halo on with flowing white robes 18inch guns glistening ABS the he didn't do that it's very ordinary very common in fact the prophet tells us he has no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isaiah 532 other words he looked like everybody else he looked like everybody else in fact he may have even looked a little bit more Haggard than everybody else and I say that with all due respect but that's scene in John 8:57 the Jews said to him you are not yet 50 years old and have you seen Abraham he was 32 33 you ever had that where somebody guesses your age and they add almost 20 years ladies would you like that no listen to Gil he was not much more than 30 not above two or three and 30 years old the reason of their fixing on this age of 50 might be because Christ might look like such and one being a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with griefs as well as of great gravity so there was nothing about his appearance that signaled that he was not a normal man consider the normal childhood of Jesus the normal childhood of Jesus Luke chap 2 you remember the scene Jesus stays behind to talk with the doctors of Theology and his parents find out and they come back why aren't you with us and we've got this then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them he was in the form of a bonder servant willing submission in the economy not in theology but in the economy he willingly submits to his father he willingly submits to his Earthly parents he willingly submits to the civil government he willingly submits that marked the Savior according to his Humanity so then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them but his mother kept all these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and Men normal childhood true Humanity there was an increase there notice as well the regular functions of true Humanity he ate Matthew four when he goes out to the Wilderness he fasted for 40 days what does fasting imply non-fasting in order for him to fast he would have had to give up food he eats even post Resurrection fish and honeycomb if you're in the King James tradition if you're not just fish as well he drank he drank water he drank fluids necessary to sustain true Humanity he slept remember that scene in Mark's gospel especially in Mark 4 Jesus took a nap in the boat with a pillow pillow Mark 4:38 he had a pillow that's true Humanity Brethren doesn't true man like to put his head on a pillow he isn't it's a bench that's okay I'm not a true man no everything in scripture displays to us true Humanity the appearance as a man to those around the the the one in the form of God who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God that one made himself of no reputation that one took the form of a bonder servant that one was in the likeness of men that that one appeared as man and it culminates in his suffering pain and death which is indicative of true Humanity again zanki says the true and complete human nature not a part or merely the appearance thereof along with all the properties of body and soul were assumed into the unity of the person by the Son of God and that without alteration without confusion without division without separation those statements go back into the tradition go back into the history of the church and are necessary in a discussion of the hypothetic Union without alteration without confusion without division without separation for in the likeness of men he became like us other men in all ways except for sin that's Paul's point in Philippians 2 verse 7 the one in the light form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation took the form of a bond servant was uh came in the likeness of men and was found in appearance as a man and then when we get to the next statement in verse eight God willing in a couple of weeks being uh uh uh he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death so the Apostle's argument as I said is very simple don't do this verse three do this verse four verse five consider Jesus who didn't do that and who did do that and how does he display that from the heights of divinity to the humiliation of our savior the state of humiliation and that state of humiliation is seen in the Incarnation and in the passion so verse 7even deals with the Incarnation and sets us up for verse 8 which is the passion he humbled himself to the point of death and it wasn't just death it was the death of the Cross so back to the prohibition of verse three do nothing with selfish ambition or conceit to the positive exhortation in verse four treat others as as better than yourselves because this is what Jesus did for us men and for our Salvation he couldn't have given a stronger argument for the church to pursue love and unity he couldn't give a stronger argument for the church to kill selfish ambition and to kill conceit he couldn't possibly give a more powerful argument Timothy's going to function that way to some degree so is apodius but not like Jesus Divinity Humanity the the the cross itself well in conclusion let us not forget the nature of Paul's argument he wants us to kill the things he mentions in verse three and he wants us to put on the things well verse 3A and then the things of verses 3 3 be and for in terms of the way that we live toward one another I would suggest the clarity of Paul's words here you cannot come away from verse six and conclude that Jesus isn't Divine unless you're a heretic or you've got a prejudice against this or a predilection you you just can't escape the form of God equal with God you just can't escape John 1:1 and John 1114 you you just can't escape the entirety of John's gospel you can't escape Thomas's confession my Lord and my God isn't that intriguing in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God the end formally of the Gospel of John there's an epilogue in chapter 21 but chapter 20 is kind of the crescendo I mean John at the end gives his purpose for writing these things uh many other signs Jesus did but these are given so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing in his name you may have life but right before that we've got that confession from Thomas and isn't it intriguing that Thomas was the most Dead Set against this he takes the chief doubter and I've preached that passage before Thomas wasn't just doubting well I'm not really sure no unless I see unless I touch he says I will certainly not believe and that brother sees Jesus and says my Lord and my God you think John has a purpose in the gospel yes the Divinity of Jesus is not made up the Divinity of Jesus isn't based on some Eastern religion and some similar no the Divine word became flesh and dwelt Among Us that's the glory of Christianity that's the glory of our religion that is the beauty the sum and substance other religions boast virtue other religions boast good works other religions might have some things that yeah it's okay but no one no other religion has the Son of God who assumed our humanity and lived for us and died for us and was raised again for us verse six Divinity I don't even like saying true Divinity you don't modify Divinity there's not gradation of divinity he's kind of like no he's Divinity Divine God true humanity and I do modify that Humanity so that we're not dossus so that we don't think that he's kind of like a man but he's not really no true Humanity verse S and then the passion in verse 8 underscores that as our confession says at 82 so that two whole perfect and distinct Natures were inseparably joined together in one person remember I said that zanki reached back in the tradition and picked out these words listen that our our confession does the same without conversion composition or confusion which person is very God and very man yet one Christ the only mediator between God and man based on what Paul says in verse 6 based on what Paul says in verse 7 when we come to verse 8 we ought to stand in awe at the reality that he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross and then I want to just end by reading I think a wonderful statement concerning the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ this is from Caledon we then following the holy fathers all with one consent this is just a good compendium of of of christology and again they didn't make it up they didn't you know go off to a room with you know robes and you know secret society type thing let's really confuse the world no they did to Jesus they interpreted John 1 1:18 they interpreted the rest of John's gospel they interpreted Philippians chapter 2 they went to those Christo christological passages and they understood what the apostles what our Lord was teaching our our Lord taught this also before Abraham was I am that's why they picked up stones to throw at him so we then following the holy fathers all with one consent teach men to confess one and the same son our Lord Jesus Christ the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood truly God and truly man of a reasonable soul and body consubstantial with the father according to the godhead and consubstantial with us according to the manhood in all things like unto us without sin begotten uh begotten before all ages of the father according to the godhead and in these latter days for us and for our Salvation born of the Virgin Mary the Mother of God Brethren I know that's offensive to some Protestants oh it sounds popish it is not a statement about the Dignity of Mary it's a statement about the Dignity of Jesus the one born by Mary is God that's the emphasis here not oh we should worship Mary no that's not it at all according to the manhood one in the same Christ son Lord only begotten to be acknowledged in two Natures unconfused unchangeably indivisibly insep separably the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union but rather the property of each nature being preserved and concurring in one person and one subsistance not parted or divided into two persons but one in the same son and only begotten God the word the Lord Jesus Christ as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us and the Creed of the Holy fathers has handed down to us that's good theology that's good exod Jesus that's good reflection upon passages like Philippians 2: 6 to8 like passages like John 1 1-18 again the rest of John's gospel it's good reflection upon the promises concerning Jesus in the old test the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your foot stol Psalm 1101 I uh Micah chapter 5 the one whose goings forth are from of old from from Everlasting he's called Everlasting father in Isaiah chter 9: 6 not that he is the father in terms of the Trinity but he's the father to the church in terms of his connection to us the old Covenant prophesied a Divine Messiah and lo and behold the word 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 that one has beg graced us if we are saved tonight it's because of his life his death his resurrection and we owe praise worship adoration and glory to him and if you are not a Believer Look to Him in faith he took the form of a bonder servant he does all that verse seven does not to not save people from sin but to save his people from their sins well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of Paul's words here concerning our blessed savior and we thank you that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ we rejoice in your loving kindness and in your mercy we rejoice in the mission of the Savior on behalf of guilty sinners and we Rejoice that one day we will be in his presence we will be in heaven in Emmanuel's land to stand in awe of our great God World Without End and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen well let us stand and sing 572 as we close our service this evening 572 [Music] to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen Let us be seated e e e