For Us & For Our Salvation

Lead Vocalist (Joel)

Welcome & Announcements (Mike K)

Good morning family!

If you received a connect card, please fill it out and put in offering plate

Announcements:

1) Discover Class

2) __________________________________________

3) __________________________________________

4) __________________________________________

Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Isaiah 12:2-6)

Prayer of Praise (Daphne Brewton)

The Lord My God My Salvation

In Christ Alone

Prayer of Confession (Pride), Stephen Keatts

Assurance of Pardon (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The First Hymn

Stricken Smitten and Afflicted

Nicene Creed Reading

Pastoral Prayer (Mike K)

Prayer for PBC—Biblical understanding of church membership

Prayer for kingdom partner—Reformation Christian (Kenny D'Auria)

Prayer for US—Against pornography

Prayer for the world—Andorra

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

In the year 270 AD, a baby boy was born in a small town in what is now Patara, Turkey. Raised by devout Christian parents, he was steeped in the Scriptures from a young age. When a plague swept through his town and killed his parents, he inherited their wealth—but instead of clinging to it, he used it to serve others.

One of the earliest stories told about him demonstrates his generosity. Three poor sisters faced a desperate future. Their father was planning to sell them into slavery just to survive. One night, when not a creature was stirring, the young man tossed bags of gold through their window—one for each daughter—rescuing them from a life of slavery. No fanfare, no recognition. He just loved people, because he loved Jesus.

He later became a bishop, known for his generosity and courage. During the persecution under Emperor Diocletian, he was arrested and tortured for refusing to renounce Jesus. But he endured—and when Christianity was finally legalized, he emerged a respected leader in the church.

At age 55, he was summoned to a council in the town of Nicaea. Emperor Constantine had invited bishops from across the known world to respond to the teaching of a pastor named Arius.

His name? Nicholas. Saint Nicholas. Yes, the man who inspired the legend of Santa Clause was believed by many to be present at the Council of Nicaea.

But that’s not the most interesting part of this story.

According to legend, Arius decided it would be more convincing if he sang his theology rather than give a lecture, so at some point during the council of Nicaea he began to sing:

The uncreated God has made the Son

A beginning of things created,. . . .

The Son is not equal to the Father,

Nor does he share the same substance. . . .

The members of the Holy Trinity

Share unequal glories. [1]

At some point, Nicholas had enough. Ole’ Saint Nick was not feeling very jolly, listening to Arius speak against his Savior. And so, when Saint Nick could take it no longer, he stood up, walked across the room... and slapped Arius in the face.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! You got Kris Kringled, Son!”

Now, as awesome as that story is, I’m not recommending you slap people who deny that Jesus is God.

However, the deity of Jesus is worth fighting for.

That’s the Big Idea we’re going to discuss this morning.

Turn to Philippians 2:5

If you don’t have a Bible, you’ll find it on page 1165 of the black Bibles underneath your seat. And if you don’t have a Bible, please take that copy of God’s Word home with you. We want you to have a Bible of your own.

About 260 years before the original slap heard round the world, the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to a young church in Philippi (a city in modern-day Greece, about 400 miles west of Nicaea).

Despite writing from prison, Paul writes with joy and affection, exalting Jesus as the one who humbled Himself, became obedient to death, and was exalted as Lord over all.

Philippians 2:5–11—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 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. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 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.

This passage, which many believe contains the words of an ancient hymn sung in the early church, clearly teaches that Jesus is truly God.

From this passage, and from a portion of the Nicene Creed, I want to show you Three Reasons the Deity of Jesus is Worth Fighting For:

1) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His INCARNATION Means Nothing,

2) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His CRUCIFIXION Does Nothing,

and, 3) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His RESURRECTION Proves Nothing.

If you’re not a Christian, my prayer for you is that you would see and believe that Jesus was more than a man. He is the eternal Son of God.

If you are a Christian, my prayer for you is that you would be stirred up to see the deity of Jesus as something worth fighting for.

Let’s begin with the first reason the deity of Jesus is worth fighting for...

1) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His INCARNATION Means Nothing

It’s sometimes tempting to imagine that debates over theology are insignificant.

Like the legendary debates about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

The Council of Nicaea wasn’t that kind of debate. The debate with Arius over the deity of Jesus wasn’t an ivory-tower debate. It was immensely practical, because what Jesus did is inextricably linked to who Jesus is.

After a section explaining Jesus’ deity, which we studied last week, the Nicene Creed says this about Jesus...

who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man;

If you’re not familiar with the terms “incarnate” or “incarnation” they refer to the eternal Son of God taking upon Himself a true human nature [2].

The word is based on the Latin word carnatus, which like the Spanish word carne and the the English word “flesh” can refer to the meat of an animal.

So, as Philip Carey writes, “if we wanted to be hyper-literal” we could use the term “fleshified” instead of incarnation. [3]

But this truth only means something IF Jesus is truly God.

Philippians 2:6–7—… though [Jesus] was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Notice, Paul says “Jesus was in the form of God.” “

The word “form” here means the true and exact nature of something, possessing all the characteristics and qualities of that thing. Therefore having the “form of God” means Jesus is God. [4]

But even though Jesus was and is eternally God, He was willing to hold the full exercise of His Deity with an open hand. He was willing to empty Himself by becoming a human.

Some have misunderstood that word “emptied,” thinking Jesus actually emptied Himself of His Deity.

Paul is NOT saying Jesus emptied Himself of His divine nature or attributes.

The word is a metaphor referring to Jesus’ humility, a humility that only makes sense if Jesus is the eternal Son of God who enters into human flesh.

Joel Beeke & Paul Smalley explain it this way: “The incarnation was not an act of subtraction in which the Son cast off His deity, but one of addition in which He embraced our humanity.” [5]

Here’s the bottom line: the incarnation means nothing if Jesus isn’t eternally God.

If Jesus isn’t God, He’s just another baby born in Bethlehem.

At best, He’s just a demigod like Hercules, Achilles, or Maui. And they’re a dime a dozen!

But if Jesus is God, the miracle we celebrate at Christmas is unlike anything that has ever been or ever will be.

A pastor named Cyril of Alexandria (376-444), put it this way:

The Word endured to be born in human fashion, although in his divine nature, he has no beginning, nor is he subject to time. He who as God is completely perfect, submitted himself to bodily growth. The one without a body now has limbs that grow and stretch toward adulthood.” [6]

The deity of Jesus is worth fighting for, because if Jesus isn’t truly God His incarnation means nothing.

But also, because...

2) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His CRUCIFIXION Does Nothing

The creed continues...

who for us and for our salvation . . . was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried;

Now we get to the heart of why the deity of Jesus is worth fighting for.

As Kevin DeYoung writes, “The reason that we care so much about the person of Christ is because of what the doctrine of Christ means for salvation in Christ. Only a Savior who is true God of true God can save us from our God-defying sins.” [7]

From the beginning, Jesus was born to die. That was always the plan.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way...

Philippians 2:8—And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What was unique about Jesus’ death was not how we died.

Nobody knows exactly how many people were crucified by the Romans in the first century, but some estimate the number could’ve reached the tens of thousands.

What was unique about Jesus’ death was who it was that was dying.

God Himself was dying.

Here’s why this is so important: a human cannot die for your sins.

Because God is infinitely and eternally holy, the debt we owe Him for our sins is infinite and eternal. You could never repay it, not in a thousand lifetimes.

Even if someone wanted to step in and pay your debt for you, no ordinary person could cover the cost. A finite person could only offer a finite payment.

Only God Himself has the infinite value needed to fully and finally cover the debt of sin—not just for one person, but for all who believe. That’s why Jesus had to be God: only an infinite Being can pay an infinite debt.

The Apostle Paul explains it this way in...

Colossians 2:13–14—And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Dear friend, has your debt been paid?

You cannot possibly pay it yourself. But you can turn from your sins and trust in Jesus today.

Because He became truly human, He was able to die in your place.

And because He is truly God, His death was and is able to pay your penalty.

The deity of Jesus is worth fighting for, because if Jesus isn’t truly God His crucifixion does nothing.

But also, because...

3) If Jesus isn’t Truly God His RESURRECTION Proves Nothing

Christians have always believed that Jesus’ death was not the end.

We have always believed that on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead.

The Nicene Creed puts it this way: and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures

Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that Jesus is God and our sins are forgiven.

Paul puts it this way in...

Philippians 2:9–11—Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 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.

God the Father exalted Jesus by raising Him from the dead!

And Jesus was further exalted by ascending into heaven and being seated at the Father’s right hand, which we’ll discuss in more detail next week.

But if Jesus isn’t God, none of this is true. It’s just another story about a hero who sacrifices himself for others, only to end up surviving in the end.

But Jesus is infinitely greater than Gandalf, Ironman, Harry Potter, Superman, and Moana. He isn’t just a superhuman character coming back from apparent death.

He is the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

He didn’t just cheat death for Himself. He defeated death for all His people! He rose from the dead because it wasn’t possible for death to hold Him! [8]

The resurrection is God’s stamp of approval on everything Jesus claimed about Himself. Without Jesus' deity, His resurrection would just be another miraculous event. But because He is God, it signals the defeat of death itself—and the guarantee that all who trust in Him will rise with Him.

Dear friend, do you believe that Jesus is truly God?

Most people on the planet are willing to accept that Jesus was a great man and a great teacher. But if anything recorded in Scripture about Jesus is true, He cannot be merely a good man.

C.S. Lewis—“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” [9]

Would you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus today? You will bow before King Jesus one day, friend. Why not do it willingly today?

The deity of Jesus is worth fighting for.

Because if Jesus isn’t truly God His incarnation means nothing.

Because if Jesus isn’t truly God His crucifixion does nothing.

Because if Jesus isn’t truly God His resurrection proves nothing.

A few years ago I saw a meme with an old picture of St. Nicholas.

At the top the meme said “I came to give presents to kids and punch heretics.” And at the bottom it said, “and I just ran out of presents.”

That’s funny, but it’s not the way we’re called to fight.

Our conduct and our doctrine is ultimately not measured by church history but by what the Scripture says. And you won’t find anything in the Bible that calls New Covenant believers to fight for truth with fists or swords.

So how CAN we fight for the deity of Jesus?

Let me conclude with a few practical suggestions...

1) Know what you believe and why

The first step to fighting for the deity of Jesus is to know it and believe it.

This is why we’re studying this creed, so we can understand what we believe and why.

But many of you have bandwidth to go beyond this series.

You could read a book like The Nicene Creed by Phillip Cary, or pick up a book on the Trinity, or a book on church history.

If you’re going to fight for the truth, you need to know it and know it well!

2) Defend the truth when it’s under attack

Just as Saint Nick stood up to Arius at the Council of Nicaea, we too must be ready to defend the truth of Jesus’ divinity when it is challenged—whether in casual conversation or more formal debates.

Don’t be afraid to speak the truth, even if it means going against popular opinion or societal norms.

When you encounter discussions about religion, ask yourself, "Am I boldly defending who Jesus really is, or am I shrinking back?" Challenge yourself to speak the truth when you hear others misunderstand or misrepresent Jesus.

3) Make disciples

One of the surest ways to grow in your faith is to take what you know and share it with someone else.

Some of you are tadpole Christians—all head and little else. You know a lot about the Bible—you’ve taken dozens of Bible studies, heard hundreds (maybe thousands!) of sermons, but you’ve rarely (if ever) taken what you know and taught someone else.

You can do this by training your children, teaching a Sunday School class, or starting a discipleship group.

4) Be humble!

Paul’s point in this entire section is to encourage the Philippian Christians to be humble like Jesus.

Philippians 2:5—Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus

True theology should make you humble. And if it doesn’t you haven’t understood it properly!

Don’t leave here fired up and ready to slap heretics. Leave here aware of your own sin, your need for a Savior, and overwhelmed with the reality that God has sent the eternal Son of God to die and rise from the dead in your place!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

It was Finished Upon That Cross

Benediction (Galatians 1:3-4)