The King who became a servant.

Steve Brown:
The king who became a servant. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
Key Life exists to communicate that the deepest message of Jesus in the Bible is the radical grace of God to sinners and sufferers. Because life’s hard for everyone, grace is for all of us. Our host is seminary professor and author, Steve Brown.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. Hope you had a great week-end, and I hope your pastor’s sermon was as good as my pastor’s sermon. This week, and probably next week, maybe even another week, we’re going to spend some time in one of my all time favorite texts in the Scriptures. It’s Philippians 2:1 through 11, and we’re going to see some amazing things about the Incarnation of Christ. Before we do that, it’s our practice on Mondays to pray, so let’s pray and then we’ll study. Father, when we come into your presence, there is a sense of being in the wrong place. You’re holy, and we’re not. You’re infinite, and we tarry but just a little while. You’re good, and we’re not. You’re sovereign, and we’re not. And yet, we’re here and at your invitation. Father, we praise you for that. Who would have thought it that you would invite us into the throne room of the universe? Father, we worship you because you are worthy. If you had never invited us, if you had never died for our sins, if you had never blessed us, you’re still God, and you’re worthy of our worship. Father, you know everybody who’s listening to this broadcast. You know the hard places and the soft places, and you’re sovereign over both and sufficient for both. And Father, as always, we pray for the one who teaches, that you would forgive him his sins because they are many, we would see Jesus and him only, and we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen. This is what Paul writes in the second chapter of the Book, or the Letter to the Philippians. And it is an astonishing text. Do you still, when you read the Bible sometimes are breathless? Are you sometimes so astonished you don’t know where to go with it? Do you ever say when you’re reading the Scripture, I can’t believe this. Well, if that never happens, you probably don’t understand. And I go for long periods when it doesn’t happen to me. Listen, I’ve been teaching the Bible for longer than most of you have been alive. I’m the most religious person you know. There probably isn’t anything in the Bible that I haven’t read and taught several times. And the danger of my life is the danger of boredom in the face of that which should be the most exciting, important news the world has ever seen. So. If you’re there sometimes it’s probably because you have been a Christian a long time. If you’re not there, it’s probably because you are a new believer and it’s going to happen to you. And when it happens, say, God, astonish me again. God, restore the joy of my salvation. That’s what David said in the Psalm of his confession. Father, remind me where you found me and let me see the excitement, the mind blowing message that you would have for me today. Well, this text that we’re going to be studying for the next few days is one of those texts that ought to do it for all of us. This is what Paul writes, and I’m starting in the first verse of the second chapter of Philippians.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Now, before we dig in, let me go down one side road, which is really important. Notice Paul’s call for unity, that the people to whom he wrote be of the same mind that he had. His putting that much importance on unity says something that is important about unity. We live in a culture that doesn’t like Christians. We live in a culture that now puts us down and makes fun of us. And if we don’t learn to be unified in the face of this culture, we’re going to be in some serious trouble. The culture that Paul faced in the New Testament is not dissimilar to the one we face, or the one we’re becoming. And it’s important that we recognize that everybody who belongs to Jesus belongs to everybody who belongs to Jesus. And there are places where there ought to be absolute unity on the verities of the Christian faith. We should all repeat the Apostles’ Creed and dance and sing for joy because every word of it is true. Paul knew that. He knew that in the face of a culture that was angry and judgmental and mean spirited, it was really important that the Christians hang tough and that they hang together. I heard somebody say the other day, in this cultural situation we’re facing, the most important thing that you can do to make a difference is to join a good church and support it. I agree with that. There was a day when that wasn’t that important, but today, joining a good church and supporting it is a statement to the world. And it fulfills what Paul called for in this text in Philippians 2. He calls for unity because he knew that without unity, there was no power. And then the apostle Paul, if you listen when I read the text to you, begins to talk about the astounding beginning of the Christian faith. It wasn’t when God gave the Ten Commandments, it’s when God gave His Son. It wasn’t when God said, this is how to live. It’s when his Son came and lived with us, being tired the way we’re tired, afraid the way we’re afraid, lonely the way we’re lonely. And having to face death the way we have to face death. The most important thing about the Christian faith is the identification of the God of the universe with his people. And this text stands up and sings the Hallelujah Chorus. Jesus had everything. Jesus was God’s Son, the second person of the Trinity. God himself and he did not count that something to be held to himself. And that’s what the word grasp means. Holding it to himself and you’ll never touch it. He emptied himself, he entered time and space, he became one of us, and over the next few days we’re going to be talking about what that means, and how important it is, and how important it is that we follow in his steps.

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ, who emptied himself.

You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve. That was Steve Brown continuing our journey through Philippians today, turning the page to chapter two, where we will be living for, you know, the next little while. Hope you’ll join us again tomorrow. Well, if you listen to this program, you likely know the name Pete Alwinson. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The guy from Friday Q&A. And actually he’ll be joining Steve all next week for Key Life too. Well, Pete has written a dynamite book called Like Father Like Son it’s all about what it means to be a man, but in a way you’ve probably never heard before. It’s an invitation to men to recover and reclaim an intimate, growing relationship with their Heavenly Father and to live out of that identity and their calling as sons, fathers, brothers, and friends. For a gift of $20 or more to Key Life, the book is our gift to you. Just call us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to order that book. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or simply text Key Life to 28950. And we say it every time and we mean it every time. If you can’t give right now, or maybe God’s just not calling you to do that, all good. But if you think about it, if you remember, please do pray for us, would you? Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.