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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/william-lavery/christ-in-philippians-2-3/
Philippians chapter 2 verse number 5. Let or have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in the fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death or obedient to the father to the extent of death even the death of the cross wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Now chapter 3 verse 4 says though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh. I more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law a pharisee concerning zeal of persecuting the church touching the righteousness of the law blameless but these things but these things were gains to me those I count at loss for Christ.
Now go down to verse number 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death that by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Now one one more reading I think will suffice verse 13 brethren I can't not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of the prize of the calling on high of Christ Jesus.
We know that God will bless his word and there's not much time and I don't see oh there is a clock that I can see so I will close in time when I read these verses of course we can analyze them and try and win them.
I don't want to do that I just want to give you a few thoughts. When we read in Philippians chapter two we read of the Lord Jesus going down we usually count seven downward steps and then God exalting him seven upward steps.
When I think of him going down I think of David. David went down into the valley and he faced the enemy and he conquered the enemy. That was a wonderful day. Wonderful to to consider the Lord Jesus if you look at these passages you know in the form of God that would be the gospel of Matthew Emmanuel being God with us you know and he's seen as a bond servant that would be the gospel of Mark and of course he we look at the gospel of Luke and he found in fashion as a man.
It's a wonderful thing. And of course God and we have the son of God and the gospel of John thought of not robbery to be equal with God. I and my father are one. So it's a wonderful thing to consider the word of God and especially the gospels but you know it should have a definite effect upon us especially when we think of the the Lord going down to Calvary obedient unto death not unto death as a master but obedient unto God to the extent of death.
So it's wonderful to read these words and that would humble anyone have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus that would humble us when we think of the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ and his love this compassion that we read in the gospels.
You know David went down to the valley and he defeated the giant and then he he came up and after he defeated the giant you remember Jonathan. Jonathan was a man that came to him and he stripped himself of all his his sword and his shield and so on this beautiful garment he must have a lovely robe.
And he laid them all at David's feet. And you see the things that were so precious to him they didn't mean anything anymore. And why was that. Why did he do that. Well I think it was because he thought I should have been going down to fight the giant but I didn't have the courage and the ability.
But there was one who took my place. It's wonderful to think the Lord Jesus took our place by going down and defeating the one that had the power of death even the devil. So we have Jonathan and his heart was won.
Have our hearts been won by the Lord Jesus Christ so often Paul could speak of himself as a prisoner of Christ and a prisoner of the Lord even when he was a prisoner of Nero. And the thought I believe is that his heart was captivated.
He was a prisoner. His heart was captivated by the Lord. How about you. And how about me. Our hearts really captivated by the Lord. If they were there would be a tremendous change in each one of us. It would be a great testimony.
And and uh like Jonathan how he loved David. And how we love the Lord. Do we really love him. Well the more we think of Calvary and the more we think of the downward steps that he took to the cross seven downward steps.
And then here we have seven things that Paul counted but lost. He could pride in the fact that he was a pharisee. And you can go down these things. And you you might wonder he even said he was a benjamin.
Oh how could he be proud of being a benjamin. Benjamin is a ravening wolf. And that's what characterized Paul. Uh Saul of Tarsus. Really in his earlier days persecuting the church. Well you see benjamin was the only one of Jacob's sons that was born in the land.
So maybe he could brag about that. But you know he said all these things were gains to me. These were things I gloried in was proud of him. But he said I count them all but loss. They mean nothing. And you know anything that we could boast of in our earlier days when we think of the Lord Jesus these things just seem that that don't really matter.
All that we are and all that we have possessions or whatever they don't really matter. The only thing that matters is to be captivated by Christ. So here we have Jonathan. Now we come down farther down the chapter and verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death that by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
When I think of that I think of Mephibosheth when Absalom usurped the throne and David had to flee. And Mephibosheth it says he didn't wash his feet or trim his beard. I don't know. Maybe he was Irish.
It sounds a bit like that. I don't know. But uh there there he is here. Well maybe Canadian I should say might include others. So he said if David can't do this I'm not going to do it. David was away and yet Mephibosheth even though his servants misrepresented him.
David had a heart for the king and he said he's not reigning now. I'm not reigning. And this would the first Corinthians 4. You reign as kings. Those at Corinth were reigning while Paul was being persecuted.
They said I would to God that you did reign. In other words he was saying I would wish that the reign was here that the Lord was reigning the millennium and we'd be reigning with him. But you see we're we're.
We're associated with a rejected Christ. Maybe it doesn't look like that for most of us. And fairly well off. But the Lord. What was. Uh uh Paul rather was one that he said that I might attain unto the out resurrection from among the dead.
What was he saying. Was he afraid he wasn't going to be raised in the last day. Well you just read his writings and you couldn't go along with that. No he said the Lord Jesus didn't go on an easy pathway to his resurrection.
And he said I don't want to go on an easy pathway to my resurrection. He was so associated with Christ that I may attain. He wanted to be like Christ. He knew he wasn't like him completely. But but there's a day coming and you know I I thought wouldn't it be wonderful if you and I uh I know there's going to be a big change.
Uh at the at the uh resurrection. Tremendous change for for all of us. But wouldn't it be great if the change was a little bit less if we were becoming more like Christ now none of us can brag about these things.
And Paul couldn't either. But but he said I I want to be like him. I want to live like him. You know Balaam he said let me die in the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his. He wanted to be to die like a saint.
He didn't want to live like a saint. But you know these things should affect our lives. That's that's what the the our conference meetings are all about and these bible readings not to know how much somebody knows or some of us maybe how little we know.
Uh but it's that our lives might be changed and remember we're associated with the rejected Christ and we should keep that in mind. We're going to be like him going to be like him. Physically I would take it and morally uh you have that in this very book Philippians at the end of the chapter uh there's a change coming.
Our bodies will be like his body of glory. Not not wonderful. And the more we suffer now the more I think we're going to be like him in that day. So so these things should have an effect upon us. Now the last little section we read uh this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth onto those things which are before.
I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We're on a journey and I I think here I'll put Rebecca uh over this uh part. We can't leave the women out. You know so Rebecca and I remember how Rebecca was on a journey forgetting those things which are behind.
There was a man that was taking her to meet her husband and uh he's a nameless man. And nameless men in the word of God are always a little picture of the Holy Spirit. And they're going through a desert.
And uh if you were there what would you be talking about to this man. And uh you wouldn't be thinking about well what I left or what I had before and uh I I am I am a sanctified imagination. I believe she'll be saying tell me about my husband.
I don't think anybody here had somebody else pick their husband or their wife out for them. Maybe they did. I'm I'm kind of glad my mother didn't. I think I had different views than she had. But anyhow uh there's a husband that's picked out beautiful picture of the church and they're going through the wilderness and uh what is she talking about.
Tell me about the man I'm going to meet be wonderful. I thought we had that attitude and we were trying to learn more of the man and and he would say well you know my father has given all things into his hand and and the mother's gone.
She's a picture of Israel. Isn't she. And uh uh now the we don't believe in replacement theology but she's going to serve as tent. She's coming into the place of a blessing that Israel has lost. Uh today.
And and so are we. So tell me about Isaac. And he would tell him all about how wonderful a person Isaac was. And she'd say no no no no that's not what I want to hear. Tell me about when he was offered up.
Tell me when he was on the on the altar and and you see that we we we're going through this wilderness where it doesn't really matter who wins a big ball game you know or who greatest basketball player.
That doesn't really uh matter. Some of us were into sports when we were younger and a lot younger for me. And uh you know the uh you still kind of have a little interest in these things. I remember brother John Abernethy.
I don't know if you know him he was a preacher out west and God saved him and he was walking down to the shipyard like many of us did years ago. And he's reading the sports page and he didn't know. My father just came up behind him and just tapped him on that on the arm.
He said you'll not get anything for your soul out of that. Are we really really those things that are past should mean nothing to us. And that's only an illustration. There's other things people can go in for entertainment.
It seems today that many don't know really what the world is. They're going to help you uh sitting in the movie theater. I used to go to the movies uh after God saved me all that was finished when I come to a little drink or anything like that or cigarettes that all vanished away.
Those things were nothing. They meant a lot to us. In that day I I had a secretary and I sat at my desk and all I did was lift my cup and she was out getting coffee and get the cigarettes up. You know all that's in the past.
All those things that you enjoyed some some were even harmless. Mr. Alec Joyce son of Albert Joyce he was studying to be a chemical engineer. I heard him say this himself so he wouldn't mind he's gone anyhow.
But uh he uh he said he was going to get a book to study for an exam. And and and he said he uh he went to a little shelf and he saw Winston Churchill's memoirs. I don't think it'd be a big sin to read that.
I haven't read them. But anyhow he he got those and he flunked the exam. He was occupied with the wrong thing even though it was something that was was innocent. Thankfully he passed the other exams. He ended up the head of the paint division of General Motors.
So he must have read a few other books too. But anyhow all those things are passed. Are they passed for you. Are they passed for me. We all we're all of the flesh. And these things can be stirred up and we can just uh well just ask yourself will I get something for my soul out of this.
Not just to be a help for others. We we we we like to try and help others but get something for ourselves something that we ourselves enjoy. And and I think this little story what would be. You could use it very well as a picture of the rapture.
We're going to meet him. Do you want. Are we learning more about the man we're going to meet. What a wonderful person. The one that was on the altar. And a little picture of really of resurrection in the old testament.
A I am the lad who go yonder and worship come again to you now. Wonderful to read that. And they'll say you know Abraham Mr. Paisley used to say he had the knife. He couldn't bear to look at his son. And he looked away and he saw the ram caught in the thicket.
What a beautiful picture of substitution. Oh you say it was a burnt a burnt burnt offering. But burnt offerings in those days covered all the offerings. Really. And and they found her caught in the thicket.
That's horns. You say. What does that really mean. It means the body of it was perfect. Wasn't caught by a body. If it had been it wouldn't have been suitable for sacrifice. The Lord Jesus perfect caught.
But by the thicket you could apply the crown of thorns if you want. There's lots of things you can do and you can enjoy these little things when you find them out. There was a perfect sacrifice. Found one who could take his place.
My what a what what must Isaac have thought. Well I tell you what I would have thought that the man I'm glad for the ram. Well there was one to take my place and I'm sure it had a great effect upon him.
Does it have an effect upon us. So these are just a few little thoughts to think of the Lord going into the valley and then see when you go to the book of Exodus and you read about the law. And then it immediately speaks of an altar.
No man's hand not laid upon. So. But there's no steps. This is nakedness. Be seen. But there's steps here. The steps are downward and the steps are downward. And the Lord Jesus took those steps. So he might die for you and die for me.
Are you so grateful that all other things that you bragged about and thought about are absolutely nothing that I may win him. I want to be with him and I want to be like him. That is that all our attitudes.
Do we realize that he did. He took my place just like David took Jonathan's place and just like bishop. And he's in complete sympathy. Could you say with the king. David had won his affections. He could sit at the king's table and here he is.
The one that he loved is absent. And he said I don't want to settle down here in this world. I want to be associated with him in his rejection. And then to think that the Lord is coming and we're going to meet him.
And we want to learn more about him and more about his sufferings on the cross when he took my place. You can say when he took your place you can enjoy the fact that you're going to meet him and you're going to see the marks of the Calvary.
Not amazing. Even unsaved people are going to see that at the great white throne judgment. But I'm glad I'll see crowned with glory and honor. And I know I'll be occupied with his glory and with his honor.
But I think I'll be occupied maybe a little more with the marks on his hands and the marks on his feet. One that loved me unto death. The march of love. How wonderful it's going to be. So we trust that God will encourage uh to Gwen for learning more of the one that has really captivated our hearts.