When Royalty Became Loyalty

Philippians 2:5 mLet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, nbeing in the oform of God, thought it not probbery to be qequal with God: 7 But rmade himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of sa servant, and twas made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in ||ufashion as a man, rhe humbled himself, and wbecame obedient unto death, even xthe death of the cross.[1]

I.   Honor

     A. Likeness

     B. Lineage

II. Humanity

     A. Likeness

     B. Lineage

III. Humility

     A. Likeness

     B. Lineage

 Introduction:  The letter to the Philippians from Paul is one of uplifting.  Someone else scribed the letter that Paul must have dictated.  We learn this as we read the end of the letter.  We also know that Paul was in Rome probably under house arrest.  Many in this world understand this thing of being locked in place at home today more than any other time at least in my lifetime,

We look for good news when we search the TV and whatever sources of current events but there is little good in the news.  The virus is still here without a way to immunize those who haven’t gotten infected yet and there is no real known cure yet for those who have been tested to positively have the virus.

If that’s not enough, now the media is hard at work again finding ways to alienate the races so that we are being told how bad one race is and how other races are not guilty when they violate the rights of others.  Our children are being taught that if you are of a certain race, you have no right of being prepared to better your chance of livelihood.

The government is getting more pervasive in our lives and individual rights are not permitted unless a person fits a certain mold.  Amazingly!  These things that are being shouted now are the things that the people who are yelling say that they disagree with for themselves but are OK for others they disagree with.

Paul certainly knew what it was like to be in such a mindset.  He could have had a big old pity party in that place where he was but God would not let him do that.  Instead, Paul encouraged those whom he could reach out to.  Some of his words seem to be commiserating until you get to the main point.  Paul understood that through all that God had brought him through, now he was in a place of understanding that nobody and nothing could come against him that Jesus would not take him through.  It wasn’t and never would be about where Paul was or had been, it is about where he would finally be.  In the presence of God!

It sounds as if this group from Philippi had somehow forgotten about Paul for a while but now their hearts turned back to caring for him again.  It is very hard to go through dark places alone.  It is impossible really.  Sometimes though it is necessary for God to allow us to know that no matter who abandons us, He never will.  When we realize that, often we receive back those whom we thought we had lost and the love is stronger.

Scripture:  The scripture is Philippians 2:5-8.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  One of the discipleship courses that I often suggest “The Mind of Christ.”  Our focal text begins with words that are familiar to those who have been through that study.  If we are Christians then we do have the thoughts that drive Jesus.  If we are indeed Christians, then when we pray we are praying those things that God has for us to pray so therefore they will be answered in the way we want because we are in step with God even before we utter the prayer.

Paul explains the Lordship or kingship of Christ.  Jesus was, is, and always will be in the form of God.  He deserves that place of honor.  He has the form of God or the likeness of God.  From Genesis 1:26 we know that we too were created in that likeness.  “And God said, kLet us make man in our image, lafter our likeness:” [2]

You and I have family lineage that we were either born into or were adopted into.  That gives us familiar possession.  No matter what this world does, I will always be my parents’ child.  Jesus is the only begotten Son of the most high Father God.  He is the royal of royals.  If you are truly a Christian, you have been adopted into the most high Royal Family and nobody and nothing will ever take that away from you.

In verse six Paul speaks of the humanity of Jesus.  He made Himself as we were created to be.  Though Jesus was in heaven with the angels He allowed Himself to become lower than the angels for a time.  Though Jesus always has had all the attributes that belong to God, He decided to not take advantage of the omniscience or all-knowing nature that He possessed so that he would be more like we are.  He went in faith for His Father’s will so that we could see that we too can trust the One who is only to be fully trusted no matter what this life affords.

John was a carpenter for trade.  In other words he served others with the skills that he acquired through natural ability and experience.  As Jesus’ earthly father, John taught Jesus those skills that Jesus would need to serve and receive a wage to take care of his earthly needs.  We learn from watching those who are in our lineage.  Somehow, my grandfather happened to be a blacksmith and for some reason, I can weld a little.  He didn’t teach me to weld because he died before I was born, but since that is in my lineage, I decided I wanted to know how.  I’m not good at it but I wanted to know what my grandfather knew.

Once I was flying my eldest sister here from being with our youngest sister in Maryland.  It was at night in drizzling rain.  “Saint Elmo’s fire” is a phenomenon where static electricity sometimes dances on the wings and the propeller of the plane during drizzling rain when the conditions are just right.  We were experiencing that when I noticed the Air Traffic Controller had not contacted me for a long time.  I pulled the test switch on the radio that bypasses the interference filter so that I could hear more faint signals and called the last controller I was in contact with.  He told me that he failed to hand me off to the next controller and asked my present position.  Back then we had the old charts so I gave him the closest checkpoint and distance.  When we established communication with the next controller, my sister, Carol, asked to see the chart.  She pointed to the waypoint where we were near and said, is this where we are?  She knew!  How did you know that?  She took the ground school to get her pilot’s license as a continuing education course to continue her nursing profession.  Why did you take that course, I asked?  My brother’s a pilot.  I wanted to know what you know.

In the lineage of humanity we want to know what others in our family do.  Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant and looked like a carpenter.  There is an old saying, “To be one, ask one.”  Jesus knew that to understand what it means to be in our shoes meant that He had to walk in our shoes.  If we take that mindset with each other, there’s a real good chance we would not be so quick to think ourselves better than those who serve us.

That brings up the next verse and the last point.  Jesus humbled Himself.  Do you remember that crown He wore while He was on the cross?  Jesus deserves the crown of crown yet He chose and wore that crown of thorns that was shoved into His head.  Though He deserved being set on the highest pinnacle He was nailed to raised up on a cross between two thieves where He died the death of a criminal.  He is the likeness of God.  He took on the likeness of a servant.  He died in the likeness of thieves.

Though Jesus had the lineage of Royalty, He took on the lineage of loyal servanthood.  He was loyal to the cross.  He remained loyal and now He is back in His place of Honor and Royalty with our Heavenly Father.

Prayer:

Invitation:  How can we be Christians and not be loyal to the task that we are here to do?  How can we be Christians and not rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us as we follow in the lineage that has been placed before us?

We have been adopted into that Royal Family and we are children of the King!  Yes there is peril everywhere and things don’t seem so familiar here.  We are not for here.  He has prepared a place for us that will be so familiar we will wonder why it took such a short time to get there.

So what should we do here in this place before we get to our home eternal?  There it is in the next few verses, “10 That at the name of Jesus cevery knee should bow, of dethings in heaven, and dethings in earth, and dfthings under the earth; 11 And ffthat every tongue should confess that Jesus gChrist is hLord, to the glory of God the Father.” [3]  Let us be loyal to Him as we sing praise to His name…

m See Matt. 11:29. So Rom. 15:3.
n John 1:1, 2. & 17:5.
o See 2 Cor. 4:4.
p So Ps. 62:10 (Gk.).
q John 5:18. & 10:33. Comp. John 14:28.
r So Ps. 22:6. Isai. 53:3. Dan. 9:26. Mark 9:12. Comp. 2 Cor. 8:9. & 13:4.
s See Isai. 42:1. & Matt. 20:28.
t See Gal. 4:4.
|| Or, habit.
u 1 Cor. 7:31.
r So Ps. 22:6. Isai. 53:3. Dan. 9:26. Mark 9:12. Comp. 2 Cor. 8:9. & 13:4.
w Heb. 5:8. So Matt. 26:39, 42. John 10:18.
x Heb. 12:2.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:5–8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
k Ch. 3:22. & 11:7. Is. 6:8. So Prov. 8:12, 22, 30.
l ch. 5:1. & 9:6. Wisd. 2:23. 1 Cor. 11:7. Eph. 4:24. Col. 3:10. James 3:9.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ge 1:26). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c See Eph. 3:14.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
e See Eph. 1:10.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
e See Eph. 1:10.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
f So Ex. 20:4. Comp. Rev. 20:13, 14.
ff See John 13:13.
g See Luke 2:11.
h Rom. 14:9.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:9–11). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.