Humility

Support of all this, something, something doesn't matter whether you are a Jewish person. It doesn't matter if you are not. It doesn't matter if you're a slave penalty. Your son think about the laws that draws us to Christ as just know one thing we do all this over here lives, videos, and all this other stuff we do with what not doing this because the cross needs help. The cross is fine without any of this week. We do all this because he deserves our best titled humility. I pastor a church Anderson North Carolina making Christ from the way he worshiped to the server objects out at 3485 visit us online like joint Bibles with you, don't Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse five, and this morning I would actually read this passage from Philippi. Philippi is the place were Paul send this letter and to give you little background I'll be standing on the old pulpit of this ancient basilica at the site of ancient Philippi. More than likely more than likely not know for sure this letter was read for the very first time.

From this spot so let's all stand together.

Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse five and the start attention to the screen. Philippians chapter 2 verse five let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. More than likely the people in this church heard these words from Paul and that's where we are in Philippi, Greece, so Jesus came to serve by exchanging our burden for his but there is much more that he came to do. Go back to verse eight and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of dead medicine of this, even the death of the cross. What is the death of the cross wise it's so important that it was not just a death by beheading or a death by burning or a death by hanging.

It had to be a death of the cross. Why is that important to pay attention because the death of the cross was the slaves ultimate punishment the ultimate punishment is known as a server feels supplicate him means the slaves ultimate punishment when we think about the cross.

We have a very poor understanding of the cross really means. In fact, last night after our message Saturday evening lady walked out. I never thought that's what it meant just a few people were crucified. I didn't know what the cross of the crucifixion was all about this morning for the first few moments were to try to understand what the cross truly meant several things. The first thing is the cross or the crucifixion was wide spread in the ancient world wide spread. Sometimes we think only the Romans practiced crucifixion not true and if you grew up in church and Sunday school and he probably heard me say this to that is probably the Persians who invented crucifixion and that may be true but I believe we have hands in ancient sources that lots of people practiced crucifixion.

For example, in ancient culture like my own Indians had crucifixion, not Indians. In North America the Indians on the other side of the planet the Assyrians.

What we called today's modern-day Turkey.

That part of the world. They had crucifixion this get tensor the Skippy and see if you look at the map of Europe and look at places like Ukraine, southern Russia, because I can stand this part of central Asia.

These people had crucifixion.

Who else had crucifixion.

The Greeks really know about the Greeks being, you know, philosophers, and they care about human dignity and democracy and freedom is what they practice. Crucifixion Alexander the great and one time he had as many as 2000 people crucified because they dared to rebel against him to the Greeks had no problem crucifying people. The Carthaginians, northern Africa was his modern-day Tunisia that part of the world.

They practiced crucifixion ancient Phoenicians practiced crucifixion and more than likely historians tell is that the Romans learned about crucifixion, probably from these Carthaginians and by the way is not just men who were crucified men and women. Women who were women were also crucified. Probably more men than than women.

What else do we know about crucifixion. Not only was it widespread, but typically among the Romans. It was meted out to the lowest part of society specially the slaves Romans did not crucify their own citizens and assess now beheading value could be beheaded, but not crucify crucifixion was just so heinous, so gruesome, so typically this this punishment of crucifixion was reserved for the lower parts of society slaves rebels even in the in some parts of the world free people but not Romans could be crucified but specially slaves slaves what Chris Nagin crucified for well let's say you have slaves and you are the master, but you cannot control your slaves and this is happen again and again and they're doing things wrong. Guess what, the Roman government may do, they will step in and say we got crucify him or her. So if you are unable to keep your slaves and check that slave could be crucified by the Romans, who else will room slaves were not allowed to carry weapons.

So if a slave was caught with weapons. He could be.

Or she could be crucified, and many times a romance crucifixions. Remember last week and we talked about how Spartacus and how many slaves were crucified to general Roman general classes crucified. 6000 slaves all across all on that APN way leading to Rome on either side as he can just imagine this this this line of crucified slaves as you enter into room 6000 but slaves were the primary candidates to be crucified under the Roman something else about crucifixion is that it was very effective very effective for several reasons. It was effective because well it satisfied the human purse for revenge. It was the human person and one ancient writer called it resentful rage on you so mad for what he did and maybe even hard when your family members as he left. Maybe you stole all your money so you pour all your anger on that person and then you watch him writhe in pain and he said that's right. You deserve that Mr. human purse for revenge so it satisfied as it was very effective. What else would definitely put an end to that life so that slave or that person or that rebel could not do it again because he is now going to die soon.

The other says it was also effective because it ended that person. But her reason, which I believe is the major reason why was very effective is because as I mentioned to you, slaves were not crucified in someone's backyard. There were crucified out in the open, typically on a crossroads. How is Jesus crucified.

He was crucified on a hill and the hill was called Golgotha, which is skull in Hebrew and Aramaic old and in Latin to be called at Calvary, which is pretty much the same thing. It is skull means. Why was it skull not because the hill looked like a skull.

Probably there were a lot of skulls there.

Ladder Crucifixions Took Pl. in Hebrews tells us that this is a crucifixion probably will not probably really took place outside the gates of the city by the road so people who were walking by date they could see Jesus on the cross and many of them were wagging their heads and saying hey there you are. Look at you. You said you were destroying the temple and raise it up on the third day. Why would you save yourself and come down from the cross. So while you hang on the cross. People were taunting and the slaves get a funeral did the people who were crucified in the ghetto burial. Of course not. The victims were never buried.

The scavengers would typically come and eat the corpses in the courts would rot that's that's the end. So, day after day you're walking past the crosses which are widespread all over not just in Jerusalem but in Rome, Alexandria, all over the parts of the world at the time. You could see these crosses and criminal specially slaves dying the worst form of debt humiliation and dishonor the something else. How did the Romans.

See crucifixion.

It was shameful very shameful for you to die on the cross. Worst way to die is is did you know that I was studying for this message. Hardly any ancient writer describes how crucifixion actually took place didn't didn't talk about. They don't is it's a subject that was just people were crucified. End of story. The Bible, the Gospels are the only account of details about nailing him to the cross and hanging on the cross and asking for water.

We danced really coming straight from the gospel.

Underwriters talk about the cross, but is only simply hundred were crucified, 30 were crucified. 6000s were crucified, they did not look like to talk about because was so shameful.

The people in Philippi, to whom Paul is writing this letter when he says, he humbled himself to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Immediately, the emotions clicked on it with a shameful horrible heinous death. How did the Jewish people see the cross. Well, to them it was not just shameful, but it was accursed. Listen to what is says in Deuteronomy chapter 21 starting in verse 22. Listen with the Bible says if a man has committed a sin deserving of death, God is speaking these words and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree by the way, hanging someone on a tree. When the Bible says that it's really crucifixion because there is much evidence that hanging someone on a tree was, not after they died or hanging them in a news it was really nailing them to the tree and watching them die. Listen to verse 23. His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall bury him that day so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance inheritance. Listen to this for he who is hanged is accursed by God that were accursed is not curse curses like God is cursing you your personnel accursed means God hates it is detestable. Romans saw the cross as shameful the Jewish people saw the cross as person who is cursed and hated by God. Any wonder when Paul is writing to the Corinthians.

What is he safe.

We preach Christ crucified the Jews a stumbling block into the Gentiles. What is it Greeks what it foolishness if I were to go to a Greek or a Roman person and say hey the Savior of the world has come on really tell us more about them will he came he did miracles and then the people took him and crucified what crucified. I'm not interested crucified for your sins are on the what you said but not interested because that's rely talk about that if you went to a Jewish person and said, hey, the Messiah has come, as prophesied in the Old Testament and he came and he served the people he fulfilled prophecy and then he was crucified, crucified, crucified, you will crucify me that means that even God hated that person. We got receive a measure Savior. Not interested, not just using when you want tell people received Jesus as your Savior.

He died on a cross for your sins. That was the end of discussion. Not interested as shameful.

That would be pleased to present talk about why did Jesus choose this horrible slaves death because it was God's plan of redemption, something the Godhead prophesied and promised in the book of Isaiah 700 years ago I was leaving read those words starting in verse three of chapter 53, Isaiah 53 verse three what is a say he is despised and rejected by men, despised when you see someone across euros at all. I love you Joe uses like despised, hated, rejected a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and what we do with him and we hid as it were our faces from him. No one says wow there's a people hang on the cross. How great is that you would turn your head. We headed as it were our faces from him. He was despised, and we did not esteem him. He was despised.

He was accursed but why do you do this. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. He was stricken because I was supposed to be stricken because that's how God sees my sin.

He hates it verse five, but he was wounded for our transgressions means the nails went into his hands, not for his sins, but from my sins, he was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed. They flogged him before they took him to the cross. But every time to flog him. You and I were getting healed.

This is what saves you. This was what transfer you into eternity. If this bothers you, then you are in line of the millions of people who walk away from the cross and said let's not talk about all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all means we were busy wandering away from God and God was busy coming after us.

He was afraid up pressure verse seven and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Some of the other slaves would do as they were crucified as a master would taunt them as a that's right. That's what happens when you do this to me. What did Jesus do from the cross, father forgive them for they know not what they did and he never open his mouth.

He was lettuce lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation, for he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgressions of my people he was stricken so not just for one person or two people, for all he was being stricken means what he was going through.

I was supposed to go to because that's how God sees me and my sin and then verse nine and they made his grave with the wicked, what is either they made his grave with the wicked, but the rich at his death that what I tell you about how they treated the body of the person crucified to give them a honorable burial note no family doesn't get the body because it is Isco loses the fact is supposed to be effective in meeting the body down. That is an empty cross along the Jesus hung on the cross six hours at the end of that two men came one was Joseph of Arimathea and what is Joseph do with his body he puts it in his own tomb that was never used and by the way he was a rich man. Nicodemus also part of the Sanhedrin who did not agree with the crucifixion he did not agree with the kangaroo court and said that is wrong, what you doing for this man. He does not deserve that death, Nicodemus came to remember he came at night when he came at his death with aloes and murder to anoint the body of Jesus to Richmond showed up. Why because go back to verse nine was a Bible says and they made his grave with the wicked means they were they were getting him ready to give him his slaves and but the rich at his death.

Why, why did Jesus continue hanging on the cross until the scavenging birds and animals ate them up because even though he was slave, yet he was also the king of the world. He was hanging on the cross, not for his own sins for your sins and mine and he did not deserve to rot on that cross. He deserved a royal burial because he is the King of Kings and Lord of lords about the two men who were hanging on either side of Jesus. There were two thieves member that one on the right on the left and one was mocking Jesus and how how depraved can you get your hanging over their regular God how much do you care about this meadow here, but he's mocking him and the guy on the other side of Jesus that hey, stop it, man, were here because we deserve this.

This man did not do anything and then he asked Jesus something, but he ask him, remember me when you come into your kingdom in the midst of his suffering and not just physical suffering. The sin of the entire human race is poured upon Jesus.

What did you say to him today you will be with me in paradise. But who else was standing by the cross was was standing across a Roman centurion who watched his whole thing happened, and how Jesus died. What is he say, surely this man must be the son of God was the point of all this is something about the cross.

There's something about the cross. It doesn't matter whether you are a Jewish person. It doesn't matter if you are a Gentile, it doesn't matter if you're a slave deserving of your death penalty. There is something about the cross that draws us to Christ post is just know one thing we do all this over here, lied sin videos in and all this other stuff we do with work.

Please listen please listen were not doing this because the cross needs help. The cross is fine without any of this week. We do all this because he deserves our best go with me, so don't you walk away thinking of their target all his stuff to go attract people now we do this because he gave his ultimate sacrifice, but the cross needs no help.

It has an amazing power to draw people. Did you know this is the third message today. Last night a person got sick, afraid with them.

Family been brain 20 some years right after the first service this morning 930 lady came to me with tears you please pray with me so I can get saved doesn't need my help is the greatest magnet in the world.

It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter what you've done but you get a glimpse of what the cross is all about. It will change a lot or even Walkley going is foolishness, it will change your life. What did Paul say again in Corinthians, Paul says when I came to you I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God because I'd already decided I would know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We began this message talking about humility.

If you want to be humble.

Don't don't don't hold someone up as your example hold Christ on the cross as your standard. He died a slaves death that he didn't have to die so that you and I could go free. He gave the ultimate sacrifice. He who knew no sin became sin for us before you go out and start saying who is arrogant and who is proud, you examine your heart, and said doesn't match up with that were so quick to say he is arrogant and he is full of himself and she is sold she thinks he's all that really standard is Christ on the cross. Where do you match up if you're not forgiving someone in your life is pride if you're resentful, that's pride if it all is about you and thereby has to rotate in and encircle you and is about your needs and is about your post is about you you you as pride, folks. He gave it all up so you and I could go free and this morning what needs to happen is for you to come and say godly it all down at the foot of the cross. You cannot stand erect, you have to bow you have to humble yourself and for those of you who have never received Jesus as your Savior one day you're going to meet him, but he is not to be a slave dying a slaves ultimate death. He is going to be the king of kings and the Lord of lords in every knee will bow and every tongue will confess you will accept you can be saved now. Getting saved happens here who never done that you come you give your life to Christ and ask him to forgive you of your sins, because he has earned the right to forgive because he paid the price is time to leave your hangups behind and hold onto Christ is about. I grew up thinking this rock I heard this and I don't know what someone you highly esteem in your life told you about Christianity in the message like this it is is what comes conservatives preaching. That's what just fundamentalist free dresses with Baptist safe folk. This is the gospel. If you don't believe this, you will die in your sins for ever and ever and ever. God is calling you the wall behind and come. That's a standard. Thank you so much for joining this message. Christ humbled himself ultimate sacrifice dying on the cross for me. Christ is in need our help, but understanding what Christ is sacrifice for us and inspire us to give our all service is your life honoring the cross of Christ. For more information visit us online@clearview.org for the sermons, notes, check out Pastor Shah's blog and a bit on shop.com