We Preach Christ
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Mark 15:12; Philippians 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 4:19; Galatians 5:22-23
There is no figure in history as written about, talked about, debated or argued about as Jesus Christ.
In the mid-1980’s the Jesus Seminar was convened to try and discover the “historical Jesus” - in reality this has never been more than an effort to humanize Jesus and strip him of His deity
He was the subject of the most poignant, important question ever asked in the history of the world
And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”
We Preach Christ
Who is the eternal Son
One in nature with the eternal Father, and the eternal Spirit - the Triune God
Who is the creator and life-giver as well as the sustainer of the universe, and all who live in it.
Who is the virgin born Son of God and Son of Man - truly divine and truly human
Who is the one whose life on earth perfectly pleased God, and whose righteousness is given to all, who by grace through faith, become one with Him
Who is the only acceptable sacrifice for sin that pleases God, and whose death under divine judgement paid in full the penalty for the sins of His people, providing for them forgiveness, and eternal life
Who is alive, having been raised from the dead by the Father, validating His work of atonement, and providing resurrection for the sanctification and glorification of the saints, to bring them safely into His heavenly presence
Who is at the Father’s throne interceding for all believers
Who is God’s chosen prophet, priest and king, proclaiming truth, mediating for His church, and reigning over His kingdom forever.
Who will suddenly return from heaven to rapture His church, unleash judgement on the wicked, bring promised salvation to the Jews and the nations, and establish His millennial reign on earth.
Who will after that earthly reign, destroy the universe, finally judge all sinners and send them to hell, then create the new heavens and new earth where He will dwell forever with His saints in glory, love, and joy.
This is the Christ we preach.
Tonight we’re going to look at this Christ.
Read Philippians 2:5-11
Pray
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Paul is reminding the Philippians that they are a new creation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
This is in counter-point to the condition of operating out of selfish ambition or vain/empty glory.
Notice though that this is only possible in Christ Jesus
It is a part of the riches that we inherit
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
It would be foolish of us not to recognize that part of these riches is the ability to be a humble servant
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
It is important to note of course that this passage is not prescriptive - meaning that while we are to adopt the humble mindset of our savior (even if we’re called to be martyrs just as He was)
We will never be exalted the way that He is as a result of our obedience.
We are humble and obedient because of what Christ did for us on the cross - not in order to earn anything either for ourselves or anyone else.
The text we’re going to study tonight is an ancient hymn about Christ
It is the most succinct and complete description of our Savior that has ever been written
In these 5 short verses we will find our
Eternal Savior
Obedient Savior
Exalted Savior
that is our outline for tonight
Eternal Savior
Eternal Savior
Philippians 2:6; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:2-3; Colossians 1:15-16;
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
In the middle of the 4th century Christianity faced one of its greatest Christological challenges in the form of Arianism
Arius claim was that God was immutable, unique, unknowable and only one - therefore His substance could not be shared or communicated or shared by another being
This belief threatened to sweep aside orthodox Christianity
Until the Council of Nicaea pronounced Christ to be “of one substance with the Father” - countering the belief of the Arian’s that Christ was of a substance like the Father or that Christ was a completely created being
By His very nature and innate being Jesus Christ is, always has been and always will be God.
He did not give up His existence as God during the incarnation - what He did was willingly subject His divine attributes to limitations as a man
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Early Church Christ Is One Person in Two Natures
He came forth then, as God, with that which He had assumed; one Person in two natures, flesh and Spirit, of which the latter deified the former. O new commingling; O strange conjunction! The self-existent comes into being, the uncreated is created, that which cannot be contained is contained by the intervention of an intellectual soul mediating between the Deity and the corporeity of the flesh. And He who gives riches becomes poor; for He assumes the poverty of my flesh, that I may assume the riches of His Godhead. He who is full empties Himself; for He empties Himself of His Glory for a short while, that I may have a share in His fullness.
He who gives riches becomes poor; for He assumes the poverty of my flesh, that I may assume the riches of His Godhead. He who is full empties Himself; for He empties Himself of His Glory for a short while, that I may have a share in His fullness. ~ Gregory of Nazianzus
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Nor did He think of His status as something to be held on to - as something to be grasped
contrary to the look at Satan in Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-20
but in obedience submitted to the will of the Father in perfect obedience
Obedient Savior
Obedient Savior
Philippians 2:7-8; Isaiah 50:5; Matthew 4:1-2; Matthew 4:3-11; John 7:3-5; Luke 4:16-22; Luke 11:14-16; John 6:66-67; Luke 13:34; Matthew 8:20; Luke 22:41-44; John 13:21-27; John 18:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:14, 19;
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
If the only deprivation that Christ’s obedience would have subjected Him to was the cross that would have been bad enough - but sometimes we forget or overlook the others that He was subjected to
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
Hunger
Matthew 4:1-2
Temptation
Matthew 4:3-11
Rejection
John 7:3-5; Luke 4:16-22
Ridicule
Luke 11:14-16
Discouragement
John 6:66-67; Luke 13:34
Homelessness
Matthew 8:20
Anxiety
Luke 22:41-44
Betrayal
John 13:21-27; John 18:1-3
Jesus obedience cost Him much both in life and death
And then His death - the Prince of Heaven, the Creator of the Universe hung on a tree like a common criminal his body ripped to shreds from the merciless beatings he had taken, his face bloodied from the fists of the soldiers and his beard having been ripped out, his brow pierced by the thorns of the crown
He who had the power to step down off that cross demonstrated the ultimate in humility and obedience by submitting Himself to the restraints of death
And if that were the end of the story - if His death were permanent - then we would have no hope.
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But that wasn’t the end. Christ has been raised and has been exalted. And Paul goes on to describe...
Exalted Savior
Exalted Savior
Philippians 2:9-11; Matthew 1:20-21; John 4:25-26; Revelation 1:13-16;
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
The Jesus that was exalted to the right hand of God we have spent 2000 years trying to bring back down.
We have been entreated to Heavenly visits and stories of what Jesus is like
From a kind young man who takes Colton Burpo’s hand to Kim Walker-Smith’s Jesus Culture lead singer’s testimony about Jesus being like stretch armstrong. We have made Him a best friend forever or a homeboy
Scripture gives us a vastly different picture of the exalted Savior
and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
It is important not to overlook the name which God has bestowed on Christ
Jesus, Jeshua in the Hebrew, was a common name and is not the name that has been bestowed upon Him
It was his human name given upon His birth
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Christ is not the name that has been bestowed upon Him
That is what His earthly mission consisted of
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
The name bestowed upon Christ is Lord - He is both savior and Lord - his death made Him our savior, His resurrection and exaltation made Him our Lord
so 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.
It is also important not to overlook the importance of the last words that Paul writes - to the glory of God the Father
If it were us who died and was resurrected we would be pumping our fist and pounding our chests - look at me, look at what I did
But notice what Paul writes - to the glory of God the Father
Everything Christ did was to bring glory to His Father - that is humility.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So the question is put to you tonight - What will you do with the man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ?