Crushing the Kingdom of Me - Philippians 2:7-8

Bible records many times when Jesus teaching was received with animosity and resentment when Jesus finished his sermon there synagogue and down the special that was that. Hello I know from the early days when the animals all bow down as you walk by the know, the text says in the very following verse when he finishes sermon 1357 and they took offense at him being welcomed and received Christ was often received hostility people were offended by his teaching and rejected the message she came to deliver. He knew he would be despised and rejected. So here's a question for you. When was the last time you willingly gave up your rights if giving up your rights is something you struggle with Jesus is a great role model for you because he set aside his rights as God to come to earth and live as a man were looking at this example of Jesus today on wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Today's lesson is called crushing the kingdom of one of the ways our Lord enable the early Christians and us today to crush the kingdom of me mentality was to inspire an early church him.

In fact the church is been singing since its inception and that we saying today is one of the reasons we made.

In fact, Paul challenged the church to sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs to each other were about to expound. Once again on him. So if you're not there yet turned to the lyrics are found in Philippians chapter 2 being in verse five in the him runs through verse 11 in early church him. Paul quotes it back. So think that perhaps he even composed it were not sure there are scholars that believe there's good evidence to the hall to the fact that the martyr and early Deacon Stephen composed this hymn, all others believe that Paul is composing it on the spot and stamping it with divine inspiration him. Writing has been in effect since the beginning and it is used by the Lord to seeing truth to sing doctoral and practical truth is that we believe will Paul is effectively doing perhaps the same thing in composing this a lyric what it does is it rehearses the humility of Christ in his incarnation, and these personal rights that we been talking about Jesus voluntarily gave up when he came to earth.

That was go back here and and you'll look carefully with me and noticed the first two phrases in this hymn, beginning in verse six.

Refer to the Lord's essence is deity.

Verse six he existed since the statement in the form of God, that's not? That's a propositional statement.

It's a statement of truth in the verb we learn to exist actually takes you back in time to eternity past. So with that firm is actually saying Jesus preexisted as God the son in the nature of deity in the essence of deity, and so we provided in our outline the first right that Jesus Christ gave up in this incarnation, he gave up the right to live like God. In other words, he set aside the glory of his preexistence state majesty and descended to her and Paul writes in the next statement the truth that Jesus is the second statement about his deity that he has equality with God. Equality with God the father, but he doesn't clutch it doesn't grasp it. He empties his hands. Those divine right's prerogatives and so we set Alaina Jesus Christ secondly gave up the right to act like God words he never use the power that he had the attributes that he had for his own personal benefit for the benefit of others and only every so often. In fact, he made the comment last Lord's day that if you study his miracles. He discovered that those miracles most often made his own life more miserable, more difficult. Paul adds that Jesus didn't just surrender these rights. These equal rights with the father, but he goes on over seven say he emptied himself, taking on the form. The nature of a bondservant, so the one who was supreme and is still today but supreme from eternity past. Now comes to earth and becomes a penniless servant Jesus gave up the right to live like God and to act like God, he will as a servant borrow everything, virtually nothing he empties his hands of all of those divine rights and divine prerogatives becomes our servant Shepherd Savior is the only person who ever walked the face of the earth who had the right to own anything he wanted or desired, who had the right to do anything he wanted and he didn't clutch those rights.

He literally emptied his hands of for our eternal benefit and salvation is always saying Jesus saves with great joy that will Paul is going to do next. And this brings us up to speed here is going to add to these two statements Christ deity by giving us two statements on Christ's humanity in order to wrap these two statements into one right that Jesus gave up keeping and outlining only give up the right to live like God and to act like God.

But now I want us to see Paul delivering to us the news that Jesus gave up the right to look like God.

In verse seven we rarely think of this and I want to spend time this morning doing just that. Go to the last line being made in the likeness of men.

You can render this generically to refer to Jesus literally joining mankind. In other words, he becomes policy a member of the human race. He joins our race. He is found, as it were, in the likeness of men know the word Paul uses for like this is a careful word because he doesn't want to overstate something as I want to point out this this wonderful word what it means. This particular word is that he was made. Something else, not just in appearance, but in reality so that we know Jesus is the clown. He is in some kind of disguise alien.

The word Paul uses means that he had the same flesh and blood that we have.

He would experience the same limitations that we do, he would be subject to the same ups and downs emotionally life that we have. He would be subjected to all the emotions. In fact, all of the temptation that we are subjected to what interesting however is that this word for likeness informs us pending and he's careful to inform is that Jesus Christ is like us in that he is similar to us and all of those ways genuinely human but uniquely different.

One author said Paul's use of this word are translated likeness is meant to tell his readers that, while the Lord's likeness demand was real. It doesn't communicate everything about him. In other words, there is more than meets the eye. We've already discussed.

He was without a sin nature, so he is unlike us, and that he was tempted like us but he was sinless, which is unlike us, he was fully a member of the human race but retained being a member of the eternal God had, so depending on the text that you're studying Jesus sound like an ordinary genuine man which he is in another type is going to make these audacious claims of being God, which is depending on which text you're studying. You have to be careful understand he has both a human nature and date divine nature and the Jewish people and leaders fully understood the audacity was God word claim when the Jews on one occasion picked up stones to hurl them at him. Kilo he'd been performing miracles and pulling back the veil to show what only God can do for God someone God empowered and and that they were going to stone him. And Jesus says because he was the plot of the nurture motive of which good works are works.

Are you wanting to stone me and they said to him, well, the Jews assured him we are not stoning you for good works, but for blasphemy. John 1033 records because you being a man make yourself out to be. They called it. This isn't something the church made up over centuries. They got it here but they couldn't understand it any more than his own disciples any more than we really care even though will spend a few Sundays expounding that he was both God and man, the God man. Here Jesus is in another text absolutely exhausted.

He sleeps through a hurricane while about carrying him and his disciples is going to capsize season fishermen are fearing for their lives and Jesus is just sleeping absolutely worn out and they finally wake him up as a going to charity.

He wakes up and gathers himself and then he stands up and he commands the CN and to literally punish to hash and immediately the choppy turbulent sea is his glasslike in the wind settles down and the disciples whisper to each other in Mark four. Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him problem as Jesus is given of the right to look like who he is. He looks like an ordinary member of the human race. And then he does something like that was an ordinary member of the human race doing saying harsh to win the end waves and domains you can get one child – he does this to the wind and waves are the problem and challenged… The Jesus was made in the likeness of men being God.

Paul is going to drive the community of Christ home even further with his second descriptive phrase notice verse eight being found in appearance as a man the way being found simply means being recognized being observed as an authentic man in hours when people met him he would be like that in a fictitious character. Spock with pointy ears in the personality and you know immediately he's from a different planet, know that it was happening with people met Jesus talk to Jesus.

They observed they found him out to be an ordinary man, a normal human being being found in appearance as a man in appearance that Paul uses a different word here is the word's game.

It literally reinforces the idea that that that God the son is actually a a a physical man. This is the amazing reality of God the son God the glorious, preexistent creator, second person of the Godhead becomes Jesus a Jewish baby boy who grows up to be a normal Jewish man that just can't be can be positive not to know if you if you follow him around you and observe. He is very real, authentic, genuine human medieval Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church after they split couldn't stand the threat of Mary being a normal human beings are the result of her centuries, but certainly Jesus, he would be subjected to the ordinary rigors of humanity, even from his birth, so we typically never think of Jesus the baby crying or soiling a diaper and he certainly didn't do that.

We did the apocryphal writings and legends were raised historic cleanup and sanctify the whole story.

Make Jesus anything but normal or human friend since one church furnishings that soon after his birth. Joseph and Mary and and and the baby are traveling toward Egypt.

They sought refuge in a cave overnight and it was very cold out there was frost on the ground it went into the cave to spend the night and it was so cold, but fortunately his spider at the entrance of the cave recognize the holy baby and so spiderweb so thick that it hung like a curtain in the cave became warm and cozy. Certainly the family of Jesus and Jesus are going to sleep out as they traveled another church tradition said that Jesus commanded the trees to bend over, so Joseph could pick the fruit more easily.

He will order a spring of water to gush from the roots of a tree family*seasonal have water acting one night.

One tradition says Mary was having trouble sleeping. Like any normal mother will but angels arrived with violins and played music and sooth her to sleep. Others would be wonderfully angels arrive drown out the screams of your little pagan church tradition said as Jesus grew up in Nazareth, the little boys in the neighborhood further cloaks on the ground and see Jesus mother cloaks is royalty and it would put on his head and reads the flowers we know. I could believe that that really makes a little more sense that immediately everybody knows that he's different. Paula say no that's not what happened. He was an ordinary human being subjected to the human experience. No one in Nazareth knew he was special. In fact, the proof of that is when Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth, he preached in the synagogue in his hometown and when he finished the people said with amazement. According to Matthew 13, whom you see who is his carpenter son is not his mother, Mary, and his brothers James Joseph lists them in his sisters are they not all of us. Another thing on the entire family all their lives anew the names of Jesus as half-brothers and half-sisters born to Mary and Joseph after Jesus's birth to Jesus can be burgeoned when Jesus finished his sermon there in the synagogue in his hometown. Nobody in the synagogues is that I know your special. I know you were different.

That was something about that halo I knew him from the early days when the animals all bow down as you walk by the strict provisions of the know, the text says in the very following verse when he finishes sermon that you 1357 and they took offense at him tonight so I'm saying they were saying.

Do you think you are Jesus had given up the right to look like being made in the likeness of men means he joined the human race being found in appearance as a man mean chose human face became one of us really before his incarnation Jesus was clothed with the glory of divine splendor that we cannot even begin to imagine invisible to the human eye, as is the father to this day of the spirit by pulsing closet. He embodies deity when we see God. We will be looking in the face of a Jewish man, God. Now God then is taken on the flesh and blood and we don't think about it was his mean immediate looks like any human male of Jewish descent.

He looked like a man so bad about was so humbling about that. We we look pretty good. We really see anything humbling about choosing to join the human race take on a human face because we we know hardly anything's preexistent glory. Every time I come to this text I want to illustrate it with us. I share this several years ago you were there. You may remember, probably enjoy hearing it again, but I think of this Martian I moved here, we moved into a rented house in West Raleigh will actually she that she was in Atlanta with her boys, who were about three months old.

The twins and I came to find a place and found this little house about 900 ft.². I went to see if the landlord bite me in the family was gonna leave my when arrived, it was actually I think three families living in the house packed in there and among them literally work dozen plus Just all in this house and you know how much I love cats and wanted to immediately rent this place actually, the opposite is true. It was cheap. The families moved out so the cats I moved in couple of days beforehand before Marshall arrived back in my younger brother came down from Virginia and we painted cleaned and vacuumed was a few weeks after we all moved in Martian.

I began to notice.

We're discussing scratching an angle red spots.

One night we had our five month old at that point time, but for five months old boys on their blanket on the carpet in the dining room area and just watching because they're better than TV ever has been, and I reached down to brush away a black speck from the cheek of one of my sons, just as I reached it.

Joe fully that house was infested with fleas consistently from those lovely Call the carpet cleaner became please enjoy the bath, evidently because it didn't go away called the exterminator and did nothing. So I decided to take matters in my own hands.

Somebody told me about these these exterminator bonds with Ace Hardware and bought one. According to the directions on the box the size of our house.

One bomb would take a letter. Often we took a hike to the park came back a couple of hours later, they were still alive and well mocking me from there caves. So I decided it was time to get tough, often we we few days later we were planning to leave for a couple of days and I would like to Ace Hardware and I bought not one but I bought six Michael when every little room bundled the family up first and then look that fuses whatever was let them all off and ran on the car drove away hoping nobody call Raleigh department because I just imagine smoke billowing out of the windows we got back a couple of days later and they were they would die don't hate fleas. I really hate cats you know that don't you. You really don't. Do you I just like you poking at you little bit.

I don't really care if fleas are dead or alive.

I was doing in my house to get the message to them that flee bomb day is coming that they're in danger they're in great trouble. They may need to be saved from the wrath of the man who owns the house the wrath of this man mean how can I ever let them know was only really one way to become a flea. That would be humiliation that would be humbling. Think of the restriction of how we live with that lifestyle. The unrestricted glory of God the son, and now the limitation that he voluntarily accepted is to give up the right when he choose to look like with C. He descends even further than we typically think because the only description we have of him is from the prophet Isaiah who put it this way he has no stately physique. He has no personal charisma that his Majesty that we should look on him to watch this nor appearance that we would attract. He actually chose to look like an ordinary run-of-the-mill Jewish man truly gave up the right to look like one of the writers were going to do with.

I want to take time just to do that and my next discussion. Jesus will give up the right to be treated like before we wrap up our study today were nearly out of time. But let's keep the exposition and context right this hymn of the early church was not just a reminder of Christ's incredible sacrifice. It is a command to imitate him. Remember back to verse five is where begins have this attitude in you yourselves so so don't be tempted to think, you know he's just so wonderful glad Jesus did, because I can't. Don't be satisfied with things going a little hard to do that surely understands why I can't. I stand up for my rights to defend my little kingdom of me but me to be passed over or stepped on the pushover doggy dog world out there somebody does me wrong, I just wait on him to vindicate myself.

Jesus provides the example of surrendering our desire to vindicate ourselves and defend ourselves and hide behind the walls of our own little kingdom called me to do something Christlike. Grace, like as we demonstrate to our world.

Beloved into each other.

This kind of humility laying down of our rights. We actually validate the gospel and we saw our Lord's Jesus Christ is a really helpful reminder. It's not an easy thing to hear, but living with that selfless attitude is the best way to live. This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen pastors Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. You can learn more about our ministry and access all of our resources@wisdomonline.org.

We posted the complete archive of Stephen's teaching ministry to that website. All of his Bible lessons are there as audio files that you can listen to, as well as his printed manuscripts. Those resources are free of charge and you can access those anytime@wisdomonline.org. There are also available on our smart phone app install the wisdom for the heart To your iPhone or android device were always delighted when we hear from our listeners, and I want to share a note that came in recently to Stephen. I listen to your podcast all the time. I cannot tell you how much your teaching and reading materials have helped me develop a better relationship with God. Your ministry is in my prayers to continue to grow and impact people around the world that came from Jane here in North Carolina and Jane is correct, God is using this ministry around the world continuing to provide this teaching ministry in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and all of our other languages is only possible because of your prayers and financial support. So thank you when we come back tomorrow. Stephen will continue through this series from Philippians.

So join us at this same time right here on wisdom for the heart