This message originally delivered May 19, 1991PM.
Philippians chapter two. Let's read this passage together. starting with verse one, and going down through verse eight Philippians chapter two starting with verse one. If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete, by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. But in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who been in the very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross, we know that it's right to say things like this. Keep your eyes on Jesus, don't look at men, or looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, or on and on we can go we know that it's right to say that we know that Christianity is keeping your focus on Jesus and following him. However, this passage has amazed me because this is the key to unity, to getting along with people, at home, at work in church, wherever you are, in any situation of life, one of the keys who would have guessed this, I certainly wouldn't have thought it up. But one of the keys to really be able to get along, is viewing the doctrine of Christ, viewing the doctrine of salvation, understanding who Christ is, who he was, before he came to Earth, what he was and what he became when he came to Earth. And considering what he did when he was here on Earth and how he humbled himself. In fact, this verse says, as Paul was writing to them concerning unity and getting along, it says this, here's the attitude you're supposed to have. You're supposed to have this attitude, what are you the same attitude Jesus had loyalty to Jesus have? Well, he had these types of attitudes. He said this, in regard to getting along with others have this attitude that Jesus had verse six, who he was before he came to Earth. Let's look at verse six, and see what it says again, a quick review, who being in very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped here he was, he was God. And he gave up willingly, he didn't grab on to the majestic Majesty in the glory of heaven, He willingly gave that up to come to Earth. And it says next, verse seven, consider what he became when he said or what he became when he came to earth. What did he become? Look at this, He emptied Himself, verse seven, or he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. Well, if we're supposed to have the same attitude, we're supposed to understand this. He started off as God. And He humbled Himself and took on the human nature became a man. And he not only became a man himself, he became a servant, a menial, one who would, who could be walked on one who would could easily be missed or unnoticed. You didn't try to come as as King Kong or you didn't come as as Arnold Schwarzenegger, or anybody. He came as somebody that could be walked over just just a servant, a mere man tech people despised and rejected him. Is this the carpenter son, they thought nothing about him. Consider this, you're supposed to think about what it must have been like for him to empty Himself. Remember, when he emptied himself, that doesn't mean that he gave up being God. He was 100% God, he can rebuke the winds and the waves. And yet he was 100%. Man, he needed sleep, he was hungry, he grew, he grew tired. And he left willingly all the glories of heaven. And let us let me remind you something we touched on last week and regards to submission. There is a tremendous movement today, especially among women, I must say that somehow submission is not necessary, or it's not really right or so now. it demeans you? Well, I want to make sure you understand this. We're supposed to have an attitude that Christ had Christ attitude, was submissive, and was submissive to the will of the Father, even to the point of the most humiliating death that could ever be had. Jesus willingly submit himself to that, remember something when it comes to throw do submission? Women I particularly say this normally, in Baptist churches, the women get pounded in the men get right Oh, once delivered, I don't want to I think we found out the men enough, but I want to make sure you understand this one more time function does not equal value. Please listen to me, when it comes to submission function does not equal value. Do you know what I mean by that? Jesus was as much God as God the Father, and yet he submitted Himself and for you To submit yourselves to your husbands as the Scripture clearly unmistakably teaches, then you've got to understand something, it has nothing to do with you being less human. It has to do with the order in the creative purpose of God. In this case, in the redemptive purpose of God, Jesus had to submit himself in order for the whole tribe, Trinity, to work, their purpose of salvation, and so on. This is an attitude that we're supposed to have. That's a little side note that's, that won't cost you anything. But notice this, we start off as rebellious sinners, he started off as God, what do we do? We started off as rebellious sinners, but what do we do? We demand our rights, we demand to be honored. What happens if someone doesn't notice you? Oh, you know, you really want to let them have it? What happens if someone doesn't go your way? And we're mad all the time. What did Jesus do? He sought humiliation, he submits to the Father, even to the point of death, he made himself nothing he took on the form of a servant. And guess what, this is the attitude you're supposed to have. You're supposed to have a Christ like attitude. What is that seeking humiliation? I'm telling you, there is incredible freedom has come into my life in the last two weeks thinking about this. Do you know why? Because instead of people in Greco Roman Church, where I'm important, I'm going to make sure people knows we are going to mention, it's great to have the attitude of Christ. Seek humiliation, let god bring you the honor. The point is, if we will submit to God's will, if we will submit to doing things God's way. If we will say whatever it costs are, I will do things your way, I will have an attitude of humiliation, everybody, please look down to verse nine. Therefore, God exalted him to the place, you try to exalt yourself, you will never be able to do it. You try to say, I'm gonna make it my way, you'll never be able to do it. But you do it God's way. Seek humiliation, God will exalt you. But that's next week's message. I'm getting ahead of my place. We're just going to Verse eight, this week. So what's this attitude? Listen, I can just hear some of you is this. Seek humiliation. Realize that Jesus made himself nothing. So make yourselves nothing. become servants. Jesus said I did not come to be served but to serve. Lower yourself. Don't try to esteem yourself and exalt yourself as the world says and put yourself first but lower yourself. This is the attitude that Christ had. And guess what? You think now? Okay, stop, stop. That's enough. That's enough. You know what? We can't stop. We haven't hit bottom yet. Verse eight, takes us to the bottom. Look at the depths of humiliation to which he went. We're going to just stay now on verse eight, and squeeze the life right out of it. You can't do it out of the Bible. It continues to live. But we're going to squeeze verse eight, to learn more about what it has to say concerning the attitude that Jesus had. Look at this, verse eight, says and being, excuse me, Verse eight says, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even death on the cross, first off the first phrase, and in fashion been found. That's the way it's written the Greek and in fashion, being found in appearance, he was found not as the God man, but he was found as a man. What I mean to say by that is this, if you saw Jesus Christ, walking on the earth, the carpenter son, whose mother was marry, and whose stepfather was Joseph, you would say, he's completely human. He did not come. appearing with a halo above his head. It wasn't as the Apocrypha says, where Jesus was playing with his friends, and they didn't do what he wants to do. So we turn them into donkeys as a little boy. He was just completely human. When you saw him were that what is so staggering is this when you saw Jesus, he was absolutely completely human. Remember? Isn't this the carpenter son? Or even when Peter who who two men say that I am? Or some say you're this, some say, Peter, who do you say that I am? I say, You're Jesus, the Son of the living God. And what did? What did Christ say to him, Peter, flesh and blood did not reveal this unto thee. In other words, naturally just by your flesh and blood by the natural instincts, you did not notice that Jesus was the God man, you just noticed that he was a man. But my father wishes in heaven revealed the son of the outwardly considered he was not different from any other man, he was totally human in every way. That's what it means when it says in being found, or being found in appearance as a man, but please get the main idea here and that's right there. In the middle of verse eight. He humbled Himself He became a man, He humbled Himself. Listen to old man says it's very interesting. Cry He was not humbled by others. Rather, he humbled himself. It involves a voluntary submission of his will, to the directive will of the Father in the agony of Gus 70. Do you remember in Gethsemane, this is a picture of his entire life. He said this, knowing he was about to become sin, Christ pray to remember the Matthew, Mark and Luke talk about how with with the most strongest terms of the Greek you possibly can about the stress that he was under about the emotions that he was under, about the the turmoil that he was in. And he says this father, if it's any other way possible that I don't have to become sin and die a horrible, humiliating death on the cross? May it happen, nevertheless, not my will. But your will be done. He humbled Himself. He lowered himself. He he made himself like that you realize friends, have you ever been accused of something when you haven't been guilty? Come on. I have been accused of things which I was absolutely innocent of now 98% Of what I'm accused of that's usually right. All right. But there have been times when I've been accused of things that I was innocent of, do you know the anger and the self justification that goes on in my heart? I think, Oh, come on. Well, how would you like to have been Jesus? He was God. He comes to this earth. He humbles himself. He teaches people the way of God He does nothing but good all his days, he could say which one of you convicted me of sin, no one could convict him of sin. And yet part of this humiliation and part of this humbling of himself was an unjust trial. markings. Skirt jeans. stripped naked, in front of the entire city of Jerusalem, paraded around having been beaten 40 lashes save one. mocked, criticized, cussed at spit upon, laughed at scorned and he was absolutely innocent. If any of that happened to us, we would all say, Well, I partly deserve it because I'm a sinner. But Jesus humbled Himself, He emptied Himself. He lowered himself he esteemed others better than himself. Now listen. Consider that with Christian ministers and ministries today who just think of this. What do you see today? Well, just in our last few years, we've seen this air conditioned dog houses gold plated bathroom fixtures. The television coverage has resembled an extended episode of dynasty, focusing on Christian celebrities be decked in expensive jewelry, palatial estates, Mercedes limousines. The result is an extraordinary presentation has been to stereotype all Christians as flamboyant frauds. That's what Christianity is. Jesus humbled Himself. Listen to what one man said. The whole time of the soldier and on Earth was a time of self humiliation. He was being humiliated in the base instead of commanding and ruin and power and majesty and occupy a place of honor and authority and preeminence among men. From the manger to the cross, he tried a path of humiliation which culminated in the misery and suffering and reproach of a shameful death on a tree. Obedience in the garden surrender and submission to the will of God was maintained by him into the end, and the profoundness degree of humiliation was reached, in that his death was not to be natural or an honorable one. It was the painful and accursed death of a cross. He humbled Himself. But notice something humiliation coincided with something else. Look at verse eight, and it says this And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and I get this and became obedient to death. Humiliation coincided with obedience. He continually said, I seek not my will, but the will of the Father, that please get this to have the attitude Christ had is one of loneliness and humiliation crossed with submissiveness to the Father's will, no matter what, please get that. It's a cross of you want to be able to get along with people. You want to be able to have a good marriage and once you can get along then you know what you need to seek humiliation. You need to seek loneliness. You don't need to demand your rights in the man your ways to say you deserve to be somebody. You deserve nothing. Christ is our example. He went from God to the most humiliating death ever. If you don't think this way, my friends, I just got one word that word for it, you're not thinking Christian. This is Christian, it may sound radical, it may sound against How to Win Friends and Influence People. It may seem different than what we are taught today. But this is Christianity, I want to press it upon you till you don't miss it. Because I know this, if you get it, you're going to start thinking the way God wants you to think. And it will lead to joy and contentment in your life. When you start submitting to God's way. It's gonna be a little rough is going but it's worth it. No matter what, he obeyed God. Now, let me press upon you one more another way, Jesus said this, if you love me, you will keep My commandments. Ellison don't run from that. Jesus gives you a clear test for whether or not you love him or not. If a man says, I know him, but keeps not his commandments, he is a liar. The proof is not in what you say. The proof is not that you saying I love Jesus this morning, the proof is what you do. I'm not trying to add some burden to you, or as your pastor or a minister of the gospel tries to tell you the truth here. But the truth is how you behave. How you live. I have heard many people say concerning the clear violation of Scripture, listen, not something debatable, like whether or not you know the color of their clothes were proper. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about this concerning clear moral violations of Scripture. I've heard people rationalize obedience away by saying things like this. But doesn't God want me to be happy? Do you know why I bring this up, I bring it up. Because some of you are going to be saying that in the next few years, because the devil is so clever. He will get you this whole thing screwed around in your mind to where you think that's really what is most important that you're happy by saying that doesn't God want me to be happy, and so I can't obey God's will. Because if I do obey God's will, I will not be happy. You are clearly making an accusation against God's word, by saying that somehow by following God's word, it would not be best for you. Here's another one I've heard. I tell you, I say this, it makes me want to cry when I say it. And I'll tell you why. Because I have heard it and heard it and heard it from members of this church. I've only got two choices in regards to my marriage. Stay in a bad marriage, or get a divorce. Both are bad. So I might as well choose the bad one. It's a little shorter, I'll get the divorce and we'll be over with I won't have to prolong. We just say this. If that is true, if there is no clear cut obedience, but you've only got two bad choices, then again, you're accusing God of something horrible. You're saying that God has put you into temptation in your path. And the Bible says, Let no man say when he is tempted, I'm tempted of God. But make sure when you understand that you're tempted, you're tempted by being drawn away by your own evil, lust and enticed. And it's going to lead to death, James 113, through 15. Something else, the Bible says No temptation has taken you but that which is common man, and God is faithful to provide a way out, there's always an obedient, it's sometimes creative, but creative, obedient. opportunity in marriage, I use that as a platform as an illustration, because of how much attack there seems to be going on these days in the area of marriage. And people rationalize and saying, oh, it's alright, you know, it's okay to disobey in this area. If you only knew how bad I had it, you will understand that it's alright to disobey. And just want to give a quick side note, if you are here and you are divorced, I'm not trying to add some heaping guilt upon your life. That's not what I'm saying. I'm basically talking to people that are married here. Please, friends, please don't rationalize this away. You can obey. Jesus obeyed you see, but it's so hard if you only knew how bad my marriage was, I want to tell you this, Jesus obey to the point of death. It's not going to kill you. Even Listen, even to death on a cross. But it's so humiliating to be in my circle says, hey, it was totally humiliating for the Son of God. One thing that I desire in my life very badly is this balance. I want balance. And everyone's criticized, for instance, formalism and casual as much as that. So if you've gone to churches where everything was very formal, and you sort of hate it, and then you can always find a church that's totally casual. And I really think that there is a balance between the two What about this legalism? And antinomianism? Some of you have gone to churches in the past, where you were told you had to do this, this, this, this and this need to be there all the services you had do all these things, otherwise you are no good. But you know what happens then? Sometimes you come to this church and you think, Oh, it doesn't matter if you go to church here, or no. See, you can just do there. My point is this brands, there's always a balance, we seem to want to run to the extremes go from one side to the other. Or how about this election and free will. We know it's all here, it's all here. And we and we start straightening the rope and missing the balance. Or you're in chapter two. Let me show you an illustration about sanctification. Go down with me, diverse 12 of that chapter. Here's just one more illustration of balanced look what it says. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence. Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Look at that you're supposed to work it out. But look at verse 13. For his God who works in you too willing to act according to His good purpose. Do you see my point? Here in verse 12, the command is you work out your salvation. Here in verse 13. The Scripture teaches God's going to work in you. The point is, I hear some people they say, Oh, let go and let God you're not supposed to do anything. They're just taking verse 13. Then I know some people I've been one of them in the past that has just taken verse 12. It's all up to you. The point is, there's a fine balance. But you wonder why in the world am I getting at? I'm getting something here. You need no balance when it comes to obedience. Always obey. Take it to the limit, stretch it as far as it'll go. You'll never be out of balance. If you obey God's word. I will tell you, and I'll tell you, I've taken grief and flak and criticism and all kinds of things. And I'm not griping and complaining about it. It's a badge of honor as far as I'm concerned. But I have taken it you know why? Because I say listen, obey God's word, no matter what. obey God's word, no matter what you understand, obey God's word, I will tell you always you will never be sorry for obeying God's word. The point is this sink, humiliation and be obedient. Even if it cost everything you have obey God's Word. We are so comfortable and so easy upon ourselves these days. You don't have to worry about being out of balance, when it comes to this area. Let me show you something here. Here you have here you are going down the path of your life TDD TDD TDD earlier, okay. You come up to a decision that you must make there is a wrong decision. And there is a right decision. Let me explain something to you about this. The wrong decision will be easy at first. It always is. To go the way of the flesh is always the easiest. But as you go down the road, it's going to become harder because the Bible says the way of the Transgressor is hard. Although it's easy at first, and first the Christian has been bottled up and head over restraints on them, and all of a sudden they're free for you. It seems like you're free. This lesbian, I feel so good. But just watch what happens. It leads to hopelessness. Is that clear back there not? Because it leads to hopelessness and despair. But look at this the right way. It's hard at first, you know why? Self Denial may be involved? Say no to what you really want. But it's easier as you go down the path. Jesus said, If you know these things, Happy are ye if you do them. Blessing is the man who obeys God's Word, the Scripture says, eventually, it leads to joy and peace. Obedience is so important. And yet people are the most mixed up people in the world that I know of the press people in the world are Christians who are going down the wrong path and somehow saying, but I thought this was gonna be I felt so good when I got started. I want to show you again, I may have showed you some of this in the past, but I want to show you here's something concerning enemies of obedience. Mysticism, mysticism is this. Obedience is apart from the will and the intellect. In other words, I've heard this and I've heard this and I've heard this and I don't ever want you to say it. But you probably will. I know I've done this in the past. It's this, but I don't feel convicted about what I decided to do. Here you are clearly violating the Scriptures. And yet you're a mystic. Because you said, Oh, because I don't feel something. It must be alright. How about this? pragmatism? Pragmatism is this obedience is done as long as it works for me. Remember, it's harder at first to obey. And it's difficult times oh, but it just doesn't seem like it's working for me. Maybe that works for somebody else, but it's just not right for me as if what if it works is dependent or not upon whether or not you're supposed to obey? How about this one? You know, I'd have to throw this one in here, did you? Psychology? Obedience is good. Only when I figured out my past with his hangups, I'm going to read you a little article by Chuck Swindoll. On this point, listen carefully. This is amazing. During the visit to an Australian Parisian prison in November of 1986, I met a young man due to be released the next week. Are you going to stay out? I ask. Yes, the prison. Are you going to stay out of prison? Listen, he smiled, rolled his eyes and said, Well, it all depends on how they treat me out their surprise. I asked who they were, you know, mate, the people on the outside? I mean, why did they take care of me or not a job a place to stay and all that sort of thing? Do you mean that you're letting other people decide for you what happens in your life? I ask that you're not man enough to make your own decisions about what you're going to do next? The prisoner bristled. And then he relaxed and shrugged. Well, how am I supposed to make it on the outside if somebody doesn't help me? I explained that there are plenty of Christians to help. But I continue. You have to want to do it on your own, and realize that what happens to you is the result of your own decisions, not somebody else's. I explained that there are plenty Excuse me. Clearly, such thoughts have never crossed his mind. Sadly, I've seen the same attitude in every prison I visited. Many prisoners simply don't believe they're responsible for their actions. For years, experts have told them the crime results from poverty, from discrimination from unemployment. So their reasoning goes society, not the individuals that fall and must be changed. This enlightened view has perpetrated delusion that makes rehabilitation impossible. Did you hear me? My friends, you may think these are prisoners though. This isn't us. I'm a white collar worker. Hey, listen, you've been buying into it. It's your parents fault the way you are. It's somebody else's fault the way you are it because of this because that I'm really not responsible because of what these people have done to me. Let me tell you something you bought into a two prisoners like everyone else must first realize that they are responsible for their own behavior before they can change and they must understand that they need to change. Because of this, the counseling of prisoner demands compassionate confrontation, including the clear instruction from right and wrong. Listen, he says the church is the only thing that can do that, by the way. Then here's another little article this this just this a short one. In their book, the criminal personality, Stanton seminar and Samuel Hogen, or something like that. describe their careful study and you get this of 250 habitual criminals. When they began seminar on you, Halston held the conventional view that criminals were victims of abuse and deprivation, they were looking for the social, psychological or economic factors that could be said to cause crime. To their surprise, they couldn't find any. They did find one thing, get this that additional law breakers had in common, given a choice. They chose to break the law. The only thing they could find in common to one or two the prisoners they did a study on. Now listen. Another one we go down is this rationalization. Obedience must make sense. Or it's easy to excuse. disobedience, isn't it? We can excuse it all. In my case, it's gonna be all right. Or how about this comparison and blame shifting? Obedience does not seem necessary for others. So why should I now quickly, but we're doing pretty good on time. Today, I'm happy to say let's move over to the First Samuel keep one finger there in Philippians. And go to First Samuel, I want you to see something illustrated in the life of King Saul. First Samuel chapter 15. Now in First Samuel chapter 15. What had happened quickly is this. The Lord came to Samuel and said, Go tell Saul to wipe out the animal guides, every one of them, don't leave anything, just wipe them out continually. And to tell you the story real quickly. What happened was this. Saul went and soundly defeated the MO guides, but he kept King egg egg alive and he kept the best of the sheep and the Ox. You got me now. He was supposed to obey and the obedience met wiping out completely, but instead he kept the king you know why? Because by parading around the king of Babylon honor to Saul, he was marching through the streets, usually naked and tied up and beaten. And so this is the king Look at, look how strong I am. I defeated this king, and also they kept the best of the sheep. Well, look what happens because of that. Look at the Lord's view, verse 11. actually started verse 10. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he is turned away from me and is not carried out my instructions. Samuel was troubled and cried to the Lord all night. So there we have two things. I am grieved. In Samuels view, the man of God he's crying out to the Lord all night. And by the way, years ago, I used to preach on this a lot in college, this passage and I remember that the Lord was greed that actually means to breathe rough breathe, to breathe, roughly. And it means this. The Lord was greed. The Lord don't like this about Saul. That's what means the Lord did. Saul is not following my command. Samuel was so upset. He's all up all night. But notice what Saul's do was rationalization. Look at verse 12. It says, early in the morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told Saul has gone to Carmel. There he is sort of a monument in his own honor. Here was so clearly violating the Word of God and guess what happened? He won the battle, you see, so he rationalized Allah. I didn't completely obey. But like we won the battle. Obviously, I'm right with God. Here's a minute in my honor. You know that if you study this guy's out, you'll find out he's putting out a big parade. He's going around showing off King a gag. But notice this pragmatism, verse 13, he says, When Samuel reached him, Saul said, The Lord bless you, I have carried out the Lord's instructions. Again, he's thinking this look, I follow the Lord. You know, basically, I almost did everything. You know, I mean, there's a few things I left undone, but basically, I didn't look at look at the blessing. Then the famous statement, what then is the bleeding of the sheep in my ears? And lastly, blame shifting Look at Verse 15. So answered, the soldiers brought them from the animal kites, and they spear the best of the sheep, and the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord, your God, oh, it's the soldiers. I won't name the soldiers. You say, not facing up to our disobedience. By the way, we're not done with this passage, I want you to see something. Three important points. Look at me to verse 22. And I want you to see something, to obey. Please get this to obey is better than all sorts of sacrificial activities. Get all kinds of sacrifice. It's better to obey than all types of going to church a million times over obey. How about this? Please get this powerful stuff here. Look at this rebellion or disobedience. Look at verse 23, is similar to involving yourself and determinism. But see some of you here today that are disobeying God, that couldn't be you? Could it? It is you. That's what I want you to see. You fool around. You're fooling around you don't why? Who show no respect for the word of the Lord Satan and the demons of hell? Who absolutely hate his commands. Satan, and the demons from hell. And so when you write off God's clear word and say, I'm not gonna have anything to do with it, guess who you're aligning yourself with? The demons of hell. My friends is a serious because there's arrogance is the culprit and you are actually committing idolatry when you disobey. Listen, I know this sounds strange to you. Some of you probably. I'm not saying this so I can keep you friends that I do. I love you. I want to stay friends with you believe me, I got enough struggles by myself. That's to have an enemies I do. But my point is this. I'm not trying to beat you down. I'm trying to tell you we have so lowered our standards to what pleases God that we're missing it. Jesus Christ is supposed to be the example. His attitude was this I will obey even unto death, I will obey into the most horrible, shameful death possible. Let me remind you of something. The writer of Hebrews says in the 12th chapter, as you're considering him, and looking into Jesus, the author of finish your day, this is this, you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin. You think you've got to toughen trying to live an obedient life? Have you shed any blood? You know what the writer there is clearly referring to Philippians two, eight, and Jesus died on the cross. Jesus obey to the point of death. It is a rebellious, arrogant thing to say I will not obey you. My friends, I'll tell you. It puts a little bit of fear in your heart. If you start to see clearly the lines are being drawn. Good because that's what I've been praying for. Let's go back to Philippians and to the second chapter. And the next verse says this even death on the cross, hey, do you know where we get the word excruciating? Guess where we get the word excruciating? X out of crucifixion, out of crucifixion is where we get the word excruciating. He became sin. He was separated from the Father, all the horrors of disseminate all the horrors, the only time Jesus ever called God God was there on the Cross are really tiny. He called him father. But but there was a separation between the Trinity we can't even our minds are too frail to imagine all this, but the horrors that Jesus went through, but you know what? I've always been one like this, I must admit to you, I've always been one that certainly in all this stuff about Jesus physically dying, that isn't the point. And I've seen that clearly. And in my studies the Scriptures, the real, most horrible sacrifice, the the most horrible pain, the toughest part of all of going to the cross for Jesus was this, my friends, it was that he was going to become sin, the sinless Son of God was going to be made sin according to second Corinthians 521. That was going to be awful. But you know what I've been wrong. Talk about balance. Because the scriptures also indicate big sections of Matthew talking about the crucifixion. And also here, it says this even death on a cross. The B, C, being God becoming sin was so deplorable. But being man dying on the cross was so deplorable. I must refer to you to our Georgia Sunday school class, I would say here, if you want something that will sober you up and help you live a better Christian life, get his first message is on tape, you can order it back here for $1. And then you get your dollar back when you turn your tape on or something like that. However, they do it, but you can get it for free. He explains he takes 145 minute message, and he explains what it meant to be scourged. And he shows it from the New England Journal of Medicine, and many other places. And I'm telling you, if you don't have a strong stomach, you've got to realize a lot of people die just from the scourging and humiliation, and the horrors of going to death on the cross. And my friends, Jesus said this thought, do you think Jesus wants to do that? You think Jesus sorry, I guess it's time for the crucifixion. Let's go with the party. Now. It wasn't, it was deplorable and hard. And if you would have said, Are you living the abundant Christian life, Jesus, if you could have heard him cry in the garden, and plead with the father that this cup may pass for me, you would have realized that part of real Christian living is excruciatingly difficult times because that's what happens when you obey you say, but how could I ever really do it? It seems so impossible. How can I ever really obey in this area it just Jesus did, even to the point of death. You don't have an excuse. I know that they bristle you up a little bit it bristles me up if someone were telling that to me, because I want to be comfortable with my rationalizations. I want to be able to say in defiance, I just can't do that. But Jesus said, obey no matter what, even to the point of death, always obey Jesus example, have this attitude that Jesus had. You know what? AW Tozer said this. To his congregation, pray that I will not come to a weird end. And exhausted, tired old preacher interested only in finding the place to roost. Pray that I will let my Christian standards and he didn't mean standards in the bad sense. But come up to the Word of God cost me something right down to my last gasp. The cost of obedience, the cost of sacrificing the cost of being uncomfortable in order to obey God. I'll tell you, I think that this church needs to hear this message. You know what it is? It's too much for me to consider sacrifice. I need to be home with my family. I can't really go to church. I can't ask someone to make a commitment. You're asking me to sacrifice. We've approached people to work in the nursery and they are appalled. Husband, either them or they're beneath them. Or it's something I don't know what how it is. But there's something wrong with it. We've, we've talked about getting involved and sacrifice and everyone wants to sit back and be comfortable and just give me a Christianity it makes me feel a little good. And make sure that my finances are up to date, and I'll keep serving. Listen, God has called us to sacrifice. And we need to understand this in this church, that the balance is gonna be that we understand it the mind that we're supposed to have in a church attitude, the mind that we're supposed to have at a home attitude, the mind we're supposed to have at work or whatever is this an attitude that says I lower myself before others, and I obey the Word of God no matter what, no excuses. But the friends, listen. It doesn't end with just some determination of the will. And that's it. There is a motivation Given right here in this chapter. Look at verse nine. Therefore, God exalted him once therefore, therefore, therefore is therefore the refer back to verse eight. Because Jesus lowered himself because he obeyed. The point is in the future, there will be great reward. Paul said this, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith I have finished the course Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give you that day. Oh, Paul, you're so unspiritual you were looking for rewards? Well, I do it just because I love God. Well, if you know just because you love God and you're unbiblical and you're thinking again, because rewards is a key constant theme throughout the scriptures. It's something that you're to strive for. In other words, you say, but it's so painful now it's so excruciating. It seems like others can get away with it. How come I can't you obey God now there's a day coming when you'll be rewarded about the use of your money just for an illustration, Luke chapter 16. Hey, there was a steward, you see a manager of a rich man, and he found out he was getting fired. So we went to a guy says, Oh, you're a master 1000 bushels? Make it 800. Oh, you will so much oil, cut the bill in half. He did all that. Because in those days, after he got fired, he could go live six months with that guy until his what he saved him was up, he go to the oil man and live another year, do you go around and live with those people? In other words, he is commended by Jesus because he took care of himself in the future. And the point is, he says so Jesus turns around says so you use your money. So that in eternity, you will receive a rich welcome. And that's just one illustration of this. What's that rich welcome. Well, this as you give sacrificially now, and maybe sacrifice a few things, so that you can give sacrificially, now what happens? You may not get it necessarily back. Now. Maybe you will. Maybe one of the big teaching today on channel 40, is you get it all back. Now. You may or you may not, but the point is in heaven, you'll be richly rewarded. All through the scriptures. There's this area of rewards. I tell you, Kim Kaufman is so bad at this, I need to see this. You need to be more than that. We're in next week's sermon already. Okay, so you don't even come back next week. All right. But the point is this. I shouldn't have said that one. All right. Got that off the tape. Anyway, the point is this. If we, if we keep this in mind, Kim Kaufman looks around, he tries to serve the Lord. He thinks he's doing a good job. He feels sorry for himself because people don't appreciate him like he should. And he's seen this. You know, what, if you obey with all your heart and say, I Yeah, other people are all that God judge them, I don't need to judge them. I don't quite understand why they're doing what they're doing. But I'm gonna follow God with all my heart, I'm gonna obey. And guess what, there'll be a day when you will be richly rewarded. That's the promise over and over. I challenge you, even though where you work. Colossians chapter three. The Bible says don't work with a service. That guy can just reward you with a paycheck, you work because you can be rewarded by God Almighty. What's he talking about? In the future? Even in the way you work? In everything you do, we obey God, because there's gonna be a great reward coming. Now, last thing I've done. So, those being our goals, let me say this to you. If you had to break down obedience to the most bottom level, what is it? Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Will Love your neighbor as yourself. Right? You know what that is? Unity. What's the theme of the passage? Unity? If you had to say, but there seems like there's so many things for me to obey, probably, you're listening to the dark side, because the First John says, His commandments are not burdensome. But if we love God with all of our heart, and love our neighbor as ourself, we're following the example of Jesus, of lowering ourself and becoming obedient at all cost. Let's pray. Oh, Father, would you help us? Help me? To keep this I'm so afraid that a few weeks from now, I'm going to forget the series on Philippians, two, five through 11. I'm afraid I'm going to drop back into the syndrome that Kim coffin often has of exalting myself demanding my rights and my ways. In thinking of how to exalt myself, instead of seeking humiliation and lowering myself. We need your help this, this is beyond us. We want to do all that we can in our own strength to follow you. But at the same time, we absolutely must have your Holy Spirit to lead us and to guide us and help us to do this. And I would pray that Christians that are here this morning that are living in disobedience would be convicted by your Holy Spirit. I know I can't bring it upon them. I pray that you would convict them. You know the hearts of all men? I certainly don't you know exactly what needs to be prodded and worked on not me. And I beseech you, in my own life, and in the life of the people that are listening right now. That you would cause a desire to obey no matter what even to the point of shedding blood. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.