WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:03.759 We're gonna be in Philippians chapter 2 this morning. 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.959 If you don't have a Bible, we would love to get one to you. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.359 Just raise your hand and we'll bring one right to you. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.560 And uh if you don't have one, uh that's your gift. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:15.039 You can keep that and take that home with you. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:17.839 But we'd love for you to be able to follow along. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.239 And you know, this is a family service. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:23.920 I understand that, so we're gonna try and keep it a bit on the shorter side. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.440 Uh, I'm gonna be asking the kids some specific questions here this morning, uh keeping them engaged. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:43.280 But as adults, I want to encourage you uh to not tune out during those times because really the message of Jesus coming to this earth and the purpose behind why Jesus came is very simple. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:51.520 And sometimes as adults, I think we need the reminder as well of the simplicity of the message of Jesus Christ. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:56.560 But there's gonna be things for all ages as we as we jump into this passage here this morning. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:03.200 So as you turn there to Philippians chapter 2, I want us all to start out by picturing something. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:14.719 You know, Jesus, before he came to this earth, I want us to picture what things must have been like for him before he came to dwell among us. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:18.000 You know, before he was born in the likeness of man. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:28.319 You know, so picture Jesus outside of time, fully God, you know, since eternity past, living in the glory of heaven. 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:28.879 Okay? 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:34.799 So, as best as you can, with what little knowledge we have of what that looks like, imagine that. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:37.359 And why am I having you imagine this? 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:53.840 Well, we just read through the Christmas story as we were doing those worship songs here this morning, and we were talking about how Christ came to this earth to live among us, being fully God, but also being fully man. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:02:03.120 Because he desired to do something for us that we could not do for ourselves, to save our souls from the path that we were heading down. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:07.599 You know, a path of sin that Scripture says leads to destruction. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:18.639 And in that process of coming to earth and living in the likeness of humankind, scripture tells us that Jesus became our compassionate high priest. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:27.120 Meaning he's actually able to not just have compassion on us, but empathy as well. 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:34.560 You know, the ability to understand firsthand what we are going through, you know, as humans. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:40.000 Jesus can now say, I know what you're going through. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:42.719 He can say, I know how it feels. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.439 He can say, you know, I know the pain that you're feeling. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:50.960 I know the sadness of your loss. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:55.280 I know the emotions that you are experiencing in this moment. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.960 I know the temptations, even, that you're dealing with. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:04.080 You know, by Jesus coming to earth, he knows what it's like to be hungry. 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:12.960 He knows what it's like to be tired, to be frustrated, or even angry, yet without sin, he was able to do that. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:18.560 We have a God that knows exactly what we are going through right now. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:24.319 Because he chose to come down from his position in heaven and to dwell among us. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.560 You see, Jesus is God, and he always has been. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:32.960 He didn't become God or become an extension of God when he was born. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.360 Jesus was there at creations. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:37.919 At creation, one creation. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.240 I gotta mess that one up. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:45.039 Colossians 1:15 through 17 talks a little bit about this. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.240 It says, He is the image of the invisible God. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:52.319 This is all speaking of Jesus, the firstborn over all creation. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:06.560 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:12.639 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:16.160 You see, he has always been God. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:28.319 Yet he made a choice to step down from his glory in heaven, to go through childbirth, and to walk among us for 30 plus years on this earth. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:29.759 Now, think about this. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:37.600 He started personally sacrificing from conception. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:46.160 You know, as you read through the accounts of Jesus in the Gospels, those are the first four books of the New Testament called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:51.600 You know, one of the big things that always stands out to me is the humility of Jesus. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:05:02.079 He had so many opportunities to not be humble in the Gospels, and I don't think anyone would have blamed him in those moments for not being humble. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:03.439 Yet he was. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:08.399 And this is what our passage here this morning is all about. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:21.439 The God of the universe that stepped down from his heavenly position and humbled himself to take on the likeness of humankind, to live a perfect, humble life with us. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:26.079 And that's what Emmanuel means, as we just say, God with us. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.519 So if you're able, would you please stand with us for the reading of God's word? 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:33.680 Philippians chapter 2, we're going to be reading verses 5 through 11. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.600 Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:51.600 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:58.879 Instead, he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:07.519 And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even to death on a cross. 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:26.399 For this reason, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.680 Because you loved us so much. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:59.920 Help us to understand that, and I pray that hearts of gratitude would well up within us this morning in appreciation for you. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:01.759 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.279 You may be seated. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:12.800 You know, when I look at that passage that we just read, the words and the phrases about Jesus that stand out to me, there's four of them. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:23.600 This that he emptied himself, that he was a servant, that he came in the likeness of humanity, and that he humbled himself. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:25.360 Think about this. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:40.399 The God of heaven, since eternity past, Jesus Christ, embodied these phrases that we're talking about here this morning as part of the sacrifice that he made coming down to dwell among us. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:42.560 Look at verse 5 with me again. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:48.560 At our church, we go verse by verse and we and we look at what each little part has to do. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:49.600 So start with verse 5. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:53.439 It says, adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:08:02.560 So Paul is the author of this book in Philippians, and he's talking to this Philippian church, and he's telling them that we need to act like Jesus. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:08.079 You know, this is how we need to think, this is how we need to be, this is how we need to act. 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:13.839 And we find in verse 6 this attitude that we need to adopt through Jesus' example. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.600 So look at verse 6 with me. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:23.120 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:29.439 So I have a question for the kids this morning, and the adults can answer this as long as well. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:32.240 But before I ask it, I want you to picture one more thing. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:36.879 Picture that you are a king or that you are a queen, okay? 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:46.879 And you're sitting on your throne with servants all around you, where you could just say, you know, bring me a cupcake and a hot cocoa. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:57.519 And they had to just bring it right to you because you wanted to drink that and eat that while you're playing your favorite video game, or you're watching your favorite show or movie. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:03.360 And then you point to another servant and you say, Hey, you, come over here, rub my feet. 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:06.960 And then you, you know, over there, go clean my room. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:08.159 Wouldn't this be nice? 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:08.720 Huh? 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:17.039 And then you over there, you know, go to In N Out, bring me back lunch, make sure you're back before the fries get soggy, you know? 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:20.399 How would you like that? 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:22.480 Doesn't that sound pretty good? 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:25.519 So here's the next question. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:35.759 Would you be interested, if this was your life, in trading places and becoming one of those servants that you just got to boss around? 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.799 Did you know that Jesus had to make that decision? 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:45.679 And I don't picture Jesus just bossing people around like that, by the way, that's just an example. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:51.840 But he chose to come to this earth for over 30 years to be a servant. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:55.039 Because he loved us that much. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:59.519 And then verse 6 says something that might be kind of hard for us to understand. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:04.799 It says, He did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.039 Your translation may say something to be grasped. 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:12.000 You know, this isn't saying that Jesus is less than God. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:16.879 We have to look at this phrase with all the surrounding verses as well. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:27.120 You know, it's saying he was willing to deny his magnificent heavenly glory for a time, to come to this earth in the likeness of humankind. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:34.879 It's saying he didn't cling to that heavenly glory that he shared with God since eternity past. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:38.879 He didn't grasp onto it and hold on to it and refuse to let it go. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:44.159 For a time, he was willing to step into time onto this earth. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:54.320 And look at verse 7, it says, instead of grasping on and holding on to those things, it says he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:59.279 There's that word, servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:03.039 Jesus emptied himself. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.480 And all of this, remember, he never lost his divinity. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:08.639 He never stopped being fully God. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:13.840 But he voluntarily accepted the limitations of a human body. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:19.919 He allowed his glory to be veiled, to not be seen as brightly for a time. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:28.559 Or you could say he allowed his glory to be hidden for a time from the people on earth, except for a few occasions like the transfiguration. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:42.799 And regarding this word servant that we're looking at, we see here in verse 7 that we can look at the words of Jesus from Luke 22, 27, which we have a slide for. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.240 And it Jesus himself talks about what it looks like to be a servant. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:49.679 He says, and he's talking to his disciples, for who is greater? 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:52.960 The one at the table or the one serving? 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:55.840 Isn't it the one at the table? 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.519 But I am among you as the one who serves. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:08.399 He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.960 Look at the end of verse 7 and verse 8 with me. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:20.559 It says, And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even to death on a cross. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:22.879 So I have another question for the kids. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.759 What does it mean to be humble? 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:31.919 Or maybe a better question is, what does it look like to not be humble? 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:48.000 You know, if I said that I am the greatest player of Minecraft that ever existed, you know, what if I said no one can build with the skill and the speed and the precision that I can in Minecraft? 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.000 Would that sound very humble to you? 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:51.039 No. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:57.120 Have you ever thought about what it would have looked like if Jesus wasn't humble? 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:02.879 You know, at any point, Jesus could have looked at us humans and said, I want to go back to heaven. 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:06.720 Where I don't have to deal with all of you ungrateful humans. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:09.919 You know, he could have said, you guys aren't worth it. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:11.600 Good luck on your own. 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:14.559 I did my best, but you're past hope. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:17.840 But thankfully, Jesus never did that. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:21.279 Instead, it says right here, he humbled himself. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:28.799 You know, when people gave Jesus a hard time and they tried to bully him, he could have said, Do you know who I am? 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:31.840 Do you know who I am? 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:37.519 I created the earth that you walk on, and I hold it all together. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.919 You know, how dare you talk to me like that? 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:45.039 And he could have called down fire from heaven and destroyed all of these people that were coming against them. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:46.240 But he didn't. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:53.600 He humbled himself to the point that he willingly died the death that we deserve on the cross. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.799 But because he did all of that, it says in verse 9, look at that with me. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:05.600 For this reason, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:15.840 So in Israel, when uh at the time that this was written, in the time of Jesus Christ, your name was so much more than what people just referred to you as and called you. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.279 Your name encompassed everything about you. 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:23.519 It was much more a part of your identity at this time. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:32.240 This is what's called an honor culture that Jesus grew up and lived in, and most of the surrounding areas were at this time. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.000 And your name meant everything about your honor. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:42.639 So Jesus humbles himself, comes to earth, dies a sinner's death on a cross. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:47.039 You know, something that is all the opposite of honor, isn't it? 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:53.360 He allowed himself to be humiliated so that he could pay for our wrongdoing. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:15:04.399 To pay for every wrong thing that we've done, all of those things that we've done that keep us up in the middle of the night, and all those things that we struggle with regret over. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:12.000 And God tells Jesus that he's gonna exalt him and give him the name above any other name ever. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:17.440 All of that honor and glory is for Jesus Christ. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:25.440 And now Jesus sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, Scripture tells us, in all glory and honor. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:27.679 But there's something still to come. 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:35.600 You know, the Christmas story is about Jesus' first coming to earth, but the Bible talks about a second coming of Christ to earth as well. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:46.799 You know, Israel waited in eager anticipation for the Messiah, as we just sang about, you know, his first coming, just like we wait in eager anticipation of his second coming. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:48.960 Which is what verse 10 is about. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:50.240 Look at that with me. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:16:03.039 So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:12.320 When Jesus comes back, as we see in the book of Revelation, everyone, whether they believe in him or not, are gonna be standing before God. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:18.879 And at that point, nobody will be able to deny that God is God and that Jesus is God. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:25.600 But Jesus invites and he encourages us to do that now. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.240 To recognize that he is the name above all names. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:40.159 To recognize and believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead for the forgiveness of our sins. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.919 When you think about it, we're gonna be doing it one way or another. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:48.720 Confessing that Jesus is Lord. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:54.960 So I want to encourage you all to do it now if you haven't. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.720 We're all in need of a savior from our wrongdoing. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:02.320 We are all in need of a savior who is with us. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:03.919 Emmanuel. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:12.079 You know, we don't get to see him in the flesh yet, like those that did 2,000 years ago when he walked on this earth. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:21.599 But he's just as present with us now when we invite him into our lives and allow him to sit on the throne of our life. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:26.880 He is still Emmanuel that didn't go away when he ascended into heaven. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:32.319 And we get to experience God with us, God inside of us now. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:52.319 And to think of how our Savior loved us so much that he humbled himself to step out of the glory of heaven, to be born of a virgin in a manger into a sinful earth that would ultimately reject and kill him. 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:58.400 And that he did that willingly to save us from the curse of sin and the grave. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.160 You know, this should be mind-blowing to us. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:07.599 That he loved us this much, that he would go through all of that for us. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.559 That's what the Christmas story is about. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:24.799 That God loved us so much that he gave us his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, will not die spiritually, is another way of saying that, but we'll have everlasting life with him. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:26.559 That's why he came. 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:38.240 To make salvation for us everlasting, that everlasting life we're talking about, to make that salvation for us a free gift that we just have to accept and say yes to. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:44.640 To say yes, you know, I accept the sacrifice that you made for me in my place. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:54.720 You know, Scripture says, as I already mentioned, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:02.720 You do that, and you will have everlasting life in eternity with Jesus Christ. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.839 You can do that this morning. 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:09.519 You can do that right now. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:14.400 You can do that after the service and come talk to anybody that you've seen up here this morning. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:18.240 Or maybe just tell the person that that brought you or invited you. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:19.599 And it's not weird. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:26.559 We want to celebrate with you and encourage you on this new journey that you are choosing with Christ. 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.039 So I invite you to do that here this morning. 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:31.039 Would you please pray with me? 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:34.880 Jesus, we thank you for your humility. 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:41.279 We thank you that halfway through the process of being on this earth, you didn't give up on us. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:46.640 That halfway through the process of your ministry that you didn't give up on us. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:55.039 Or that halfway through the sacrifice and the pain and suffering that you made going to the cross that you didn't give up on us. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:02.000 But in humility, you allowed yourself to go through all of that because you loved us so much. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.559 But I pray that we wouldn't take that lightly. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:10.400 And I pray that we would bend our knee to you before every knee bows and every tongue confesses. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:17.839 But we would do that right now, accepting you as our Lord, as our Savior, and allowing you to be on the throne of our life. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:22.880 Lord, to guide us as we become more and more like you. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:25.039 Would you show us how to do that well? 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:52.160 Lord, and for all of us that have been walking with you already and made that confession long ago, I pray that as we celebrate you on this day, even though we know it's not your actual birthday, Lord, that as we choose to celebrate you on this day, um, that we would have those hearts of gratitude, that we wouldn't become calloused to what you did for us, but we'd be so thankful that your sacrifice started from conception. 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:55.440 Lord, and you never gave up on us. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.400 And you died the death that we deserve for us. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:04.559 We thank you now for the birth of Jesus Christ and all that that means for each one of us. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.000 In Jesus' name. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:06.880 Amen.