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Bro. Bill Nichols
Okay, we're gonna go ahead and get started. We will be in Philippians chapter 2 this morning we're going to drop back just a little bit into what we did last week in Philippians 1 because Philippians 2 begins with therefore and If you've got a therefore starting a passage you got to look at what the therefore is therefore.
But before we do any of that, let's pray most gracious Heavenly Father. Thank you for this day and thank you for giving us this place to come together to worship you and to study your holy word. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our understanding and To take us to the messages that you want us to have.
We know that each one of us has. You have for each one of us a different special message that you have Set aside for us today and regardless of how well I do my job I know that you will do your job and everybody will get the message that you want them to get.
Go through the service today. Bring us back again next time. In Jesus name we pray. So we're going to drop back to Philippians 1 verse 29. And This is a this is a kind of a difficult passage. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him But also to suffer for his sake.
That's really the first I wanted the the next verse having the same conflict. Which you saw in me and you now here to Be in me is the finish of that Chapter we spent a long time last week and we recognized that The suffering that is given to us by Christ is a gracious gift of Christ an unmerited favor not just our salvation but the suffering.
How can the suffering be an Unmerited favor. How can it be a good thing? Well, it makes us be more conformed to what he's like. It makes us be more like him and that's really after our salvation. The next step of all of our journeys is to become as much like Christ as we can.
So now let's go to verse chapter 2 verse 1. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ. If any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies. Fulfill ye my joy that ye being like-minded having the same love being of one Accord and one mind.
Well, we got both of you today. It is a delight to have you and so the question that I kind of prefaced this with was if there be therefore any consolation so what's the therefore therefore. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him But also to suffer for his sake.
That's what the therefore is therefore. Having that in mind if there is any consolation in Christ. Any fellowship of spirit? It's no accident. It's no accident that believers suffer. The question is and I'm going to leave this question for you.
What possible purpose could God have for our suffering? And How could it be? Viewed as an unmerited favor from God an Unearned blessing. Not our salvation. Our suffering, what do you think? I think that's exactly right and I don't think that I don't think it all of our suffering is To teach us a lesson.
And I don't think that it necessarily means that we've done something bad that we are that we suffer we can suffer. Sometimes we can suffer for doing his work. Sometimes we can suffer for what he has laid out for us.
It rains on the just and the unjust alike. But one thing we know for certain. If he didn't want it done, it wouldn't be done and we know that we are Chosen of God to be his children and that's our salvation process.
We are saved. We are saved by grace, but it doesn't end there once we have become saved. Once we are saved then our journey begins and it's our journey toward becoming more and more like Jesus Christ and that's our responsibility.
That's what we do. We don't work or do things in order to get saved. What we do is we work because we're saved. The word consolation Comes from the Greek word that means to come alongside to help counsel exhort and it can be translated encouragement.
So We should believe in Christ and if need be suffer for his sake. And my joy verse 2 Fulfilled ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind. Now that can be translated Make my joy complete.
Paul's joy was tied to his concern for the unity of his believers. He wanted all the believers to be like-minded. Now what does it mean to be like-minded. Do we all have to think we want to be exactly think exactly the same things.
We can we can we can all read the same. We can all read the same verse and get a different message from it. So so what does it mean to be of one accord? For our thoughts our burden to be Advancing the cause of Christ and conforming Ourselves more to his likeness.
Now if we are all of that accord if those are our two concerns to make ourselves more like Christ and to make Christ work be furthered. Then we are of one accord. Let nothing be done through strife and vainglory but in lowliness of mind.
Let each esteem each other better than themselves. So what's that a statement of say that again? There's no room for pride. That's the opposite of what I was going to say. It is a it is the keynote of humility.
Who was the most humble of all of? Everyone in the world of. Everyone of the one in the world that had the most to be proud of. Paul was proud of his at for a while. He always I think had a little bit of pride in his background.
He'd invite himself as a Jew Jews a Pharisee of Pharisees Jesus. Jesus was the Epitome of being humble of holding others in higher esteem Than himself. And that is so strange considering what he had going for him.
Strife refers to factionalism Rivalry and partisanship. It speaks of the pride that prompts people to push for their own way. You you go to a church and the big theme is what colors the carpet. The carpet color doesn't matter.
What kind of music. The music doesn't matter. But we strive for things because we have our own idea of what we want. And we don't really Put other people ahead of us. It's always really easy to put yourself first.
But that's not what Jesus did. Bang glory just tells you what your pride is. Empty pride bang glory empty pride. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ the ultimate example of Selfless humility.
Now, let's look at verse 6 who Being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal to God. 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 humbled himself and became obedient even death of the cross.
Wherefore God 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 the Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Verses 6 through 11 is what I just read. That's the classical passage in the New Testament dealing with the incarnation of Christ. With Christ becoming a man. It was probably sung as a hymn in the early church.
And it's a it is it would be a great thing for us to put the music and sing ourselves because that tells you just exactly What Jesus did for us. Jesus was God. Jesus was equal to God. Jesus was God. Jesus was in attendance with God and he gave all that up of his own free will.
And came to live in a man so that he could do the task of his father. We're gonna go back and take a closer look at that Verse 6 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. Dr. John MacArthur said this about that passage. This was a self renunciation. He did it himself.
He did it by his own volition. It was not the emptying of himself of deity. Nor was it an exchange of deity for humanity. He didn't give up his godness. He didn't trade his godness for madness. He did however Renounce or set aside His privileges in some areas, but not all of them.
One he gave up heavenly glory while he was on the earth. He gave up the glory of a face-to-face Relationship with God and with the continuous Outward display and personal enjoyment of that glory. So when he was on the earth, he had some glory.
He was not like us John. He was always a Special man, he was a special perfect man, but he was a perfectly total man. He was a complete man. He was totally man while he was here, but he was still totally God.
And that's something that's hard for us to understand. And what did he give up? He didn't give up his godness. He took on madness. He was like man and he was God. But he gave up some things he gave up.
The face-to-face relationship with God and he gave up the personal enjoyment of That glory and you know that he recognized that he gave it up. If you look at John 17 verse 4 if you want to go there.
One of them one of the Virtues of having a good Commentary is the passages the verses that it sends you to John 17 verse 4. I have glorified thee on the earth. I Have finished the work which thou gave us me to do.
So Jesus is praying to God the Father and now Oh Father Glorify thou me with thine own self. With the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Before the world was he was God and he was with God and he was with God all the time.
And he had that glory he reveled in the glory. He enjoyed that glory. He missed that glory when he was man and he gave up that Glory, you can see that he recognized that he missed it. Glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
The second thing he gave up was his independent authority. During his incarnation Christ completely submitted himself to the will of the Father. In John 5 30 it says I can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judge and My judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
So while he was on earth, he gave up his independent will Will do the will of my father which sent me a. Third thing that he gave up was his divine prerogatives. He set aside the voluntary display of his divine attributes and submitted himself to the spirits direction.
The spirit led him to the wilderness to be tested. The spirit guided him. He gave up Eternal riches. There was nothing that didn't belong to God. Jesus made everything Jesus if you thought Solomon was rich.
Solomon was a packer compared to Jesus. But Jesus didn't come as a rich man. Jesus came and While he was on earth was very poor. He owned very little. That was not so when he was in heaven. 2nd Corinthians Chapter 8 verse 9 Paul says for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That though he was rich Yet for your sakes He became poor. That ye to his poverty might be made rich. That was 2nd Corinthians 8 Verse 9 and 5 he gave up a Constant continuous favorable Relationship with God.
Had you thought about that when he was on the cross? What did he say? He Bore the sins of the world when he was on the cross and because he was on the cross He felt the wrath of the father and this he said.
Matthew 27 verse 46 and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lama Sabbath Anna. That is to say my God my God. Why hast thou forsaken me all of the time before he always? Felt the favor of God.
When he was baptized God the father said this is my son in whom I am well pleased. On the Mount of Transfiguration. When Peter said let's build a let's build a tent to all of all three. This is my son hear ye him.
He was always in divine favor. But when he took the work the sins of the world on us. Then he felt the wrath of God something that he had never felt before. Part of giving up that favored relationship was taking the form of a bondservant.
He didn't just come as a poor free man. He became as a bondservant and Paul uses the Greek word form which indicates an exact essence. He was exactly a bondservant. Another way of saying it is a bond slave.
Jesus submissively did the will of his father and Sometimes that came with the great price. Isaiah 52 13 is something worth looking at. Isaiah 52 13 Behold my servant shall do prudently he shall be Exalted and extolled and be very high.
And many were astonished at thee his visage Was so marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men. He was so brutalized at his crucifixion That you would not recognize the man. Christ became more than God in a human body.
But he took on all the essential attributes of humanity even to the extent that he was identified with basic human needs and Weaknesses. He became the God-man fully God and fully man Verse 8. And being found in the fashion as a man He humbled himself and became obedient unto 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 the earth and things under the earth and that Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
All he voluntarily gave up at his incarnation. He reclaimed At his resurrection and ascension. So all the things that he gave up while he was a man on the earth From the time he was born to the time. He was crucified Even to the time that he ascended.
He now in heaven has all of that back. Wherefore my beloved as you have also obeyed not only in my presence Only but all but now much more in my absent work out your salvation. With fear and trembling I highlighted that verse.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. What does that mean? Let me tell you what it can't mean. It can't possibly mean that you can do enough good works to earn your salvation. You know, how we know that Ephesians 2 8 for by grace, are you saved through faith and that not of yourself?
It is a gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. So what does that say? Salvation is the free gift. It's an unearned gift if it were earned. It wouldn't be a gift. If it were earned it would be a salary would be wages if I do something For you and say here it is.
You don't have to do anything to get it. It's a gift but if I say if you will give me $100 I Will spend an hour Teaching your son how to do math problems. That's not a gift. I didn't give your son the gift of the ability to do math problems.
That was wages that was what I earned and We know What the wages is to say? What would that say? We exist in a fallen world and We too are fallen and because we're fallen and we live in a fallen world.
We sin. Even those of us who are saved sin. It would be wonderful if when we were saved, you know, it would it would be wonderful. Just exactly like it is that the Lord give us gives us our salvation and then he Conforms us to be like him and he allows us to become more and more like him this working at your salvation.
It's not working out Justification it's working out Becoming separate becoming like and we talked about it before confirmation being conformed to Jesus Christ so we sin and we know the Wages that we earn when we sin Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is death.
So if it's what we earn if it's not a gift It's death. But it is a gift. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord not what we did what he did. Are you saved by works? Every last one of you are saved by works as am I but we're not saved by the works that we do.
We're saved by the works that he did. For we are whose workmanship he is workmanship not our workmanship. It doesn't say we are our workmanship says we are his workmanship. We're created in Jesus Christ unto good works.
Whoa. Why did he why did he save us? Created in Jesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So it's exactly where it Should be. Our salvation is a gift of God and we are conformed after that To be like him.
How long is our confirmation problem? Process, how long do we spend in our life? Conforming becoming more and more conformed to what God is Jesus is like. The answer is all of our life from the time that you are saved.
To the time that you're taken away you are. Your job is to walk in his ways. To become more and more like it it's here what we do our work. We do not work to be saved. We work because we're saved for it is God which worketh in you.
Both to will and to do his good pleasure. And of course, it's not we who do the work anyway. It's God that does the work through us any good work that's done that we do. It's not the result of what we did.
It's the result of what he does through us. Verse 14 do all things without murmuring and Disputing that you may be blameless and harmless. The sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.
Among whom you shine as lights of the world. That's all that's hard for me. It's hard for me to do the things that I do without murmuring and disputing. Without complaining and quarreling, but that's what we're asked to do.
Do all things without murmuring and disputing that you may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation if you do that way. Then you will be lights to the world.
We're told to be salt and light to the glory of God. Matthew 5 13 says you're the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its savor. Wherewith shall it be salty? It is dense good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under the foot of man.
Well, that's one thing that we're told to be be the salt of the earth. But if you've lost your saltiness, you're no good. So if you're murmuring and complaining You can't be much good to God the second thing he says you are the light of the world.
A City that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel. But on a candlestick and it giveth light and to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven.
So what's the purpose for your good works? To glorify God. Verse 16 holding forth the Word of life. That I may rejoice in the day of Christ. That I have not run in vain neither labored in vain part of our work.
Working out our own salvation with fear and trembling is helping to spread the word of life. His gospel helping to spread the gospel. Yay, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I joy and Rejoice with you all for the same cause also.
Do you joy and rejoice with me, but I trust in Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you that I may also be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state.
For all seek their own not the thing which of Jesus Christ. But ye know the proof of him that as a son with a father he hath served me with the gospel Him therefore I hope to send presently. So soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
Now pop all saying is as soon as he knows what the outcome of his trial is going to be. He'll send Timothy to them and he hopes that he'll be able to accompany him. But I trust the Lord that I also shall come shortly.
But as he waits for more information, he's going to send another messenger. Verse 25. Yet I supposed it necessary to send unto you Epaphroditus My brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered unto my wants if I said it right just a second ago Epaphroditus was a Messenger of the church in Philippi.
This is a church. He wrote the letter to. This man came from that church. Sent to Paul with gifts of money. Paul is sending him back to the church. That he came from and he wants to make sure that they don't misunderstand the fact that he's sending them back.
He's sending them back not because He failed to do what he wanted of what they wanted him to do, but in fact because he did. Paul sending them back with this letter needed an explanation. Paul did not want the church to misunderstand.
He wanted to make sure that they understood that he had served Paul. Well. So he goes on to say for he longed after you and was full of heaviness because he had heard. You had heard that he had been sick.
He worked himself to death almost Taking care of Paul. He was more concerned about the Philippians worry for him than he was about his own situation. Even though he'd been sitting here to death. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death.
But God had mercy on him and not on him only but on me also. Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. And I sent him therefore more carefully that when he you see him again You may rejoice and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Paul had a great burden for all the people in the churches and he was concerned here because the Philippians were distressed about Epaphroditus. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation.
Receive him gladly and hold him in high esteem. He has done and will continue to do great work for the ministry. Because the work of Christ. He was nigh unto death not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me.
That's an awkward translation. All that's being applied is Epaphroditus was working so hard even to the point of risking his own life because he did not concern. Consider his service to Paul finished.
Nor did Paul consider his service finished only the location of the service had changed. Paul Timothy Epaphroditus all continued in faithful service to God and his church. Now that couldn't be said for everybody that had dealings with Paul as he is in this his Prentice and ministry a lot of people Move away, but Timothy never did.
Paul never quit serving and a pop Epaphroditus never and that's the end of Chapter two and I want to apologize to you. I've kind of wandered around a little bit. But I know that the Lord can bless whatever I do and make it have value to you.
Whether I do a good job or not, and that's true for all of us. Our job is just to do the best that we can do spreading his word and Let the Holy Spirit take care of the rest.