Sermon 080496

Phi. 2:9-11                            Have This Attitude in Yourselves-V                                      8/4/96

ABCC

I.   Introduction and Review                                                                                    532

¨       Paul’s appeal for Christian unity was based on the example on Christ (2:5-11)

¨       The Attitude of Christ (v. 5)

       A. Did not cling to His divine privileges as something for His own advantage (v. 6)

       B. Christ took on an additional form or nature (v.7)

¨       Christ became flesh & blood without the advantage of His divine privileges = servant

       C. Christ willing took the lowly place in life & death (v. 8)

II.  The Exaltation of Christ

     A. God the Father exalted Christ to the highest place (v. 9a)

Þ     “huperupsoo”= super-exalted - once in NT & only applies to Christ (Eph. 1:20-22)

Þ     Christ who emptied Himself, humbled Himself; who took the lowest place in life & death is now SUPER-EXALTED to the highest place - no more mangers, etc.

Þ     Christ patiently waited for the Father’s plan of vindication & exaltation (Mt. 4:1-11=devil; Jn. 6:15=multitude; 7:1-8=family; 7:20=multitude; Mt. 13:54-57=home town; religious leaders @ trial; governor Pilate, soldiers, Mt. 27:38-44=robbers, chief priests, crowd)  “Thy will be done”

Þ     Christ’s vindication & exaltation came when His work was finished (Jn. 19:30)

Þ     Christ’s vindication & exaltation came at the Father’s initiative “..God highly exalted..”

Have you been misunderstood, criticized, abused?  Are you waiting for God to vindicate you? How long are you willing to wait - UNTIL YOUR DEATH?

Have This Attitude in Yourselves-V, pg. 2

     B. God the Father exalted the name of Christ (v. 9b-11)

          1. There is no name higher than Christ - “above every name”

·        Higher than Mohammed, Budha, Ala, Joseph Smith, mother Mary, saints Peter, Paul, James, Lucifer, Michael, etc.

          2. All created beings will physically worship & honor Jesus Christ (v.10)

¨       The elect angels & saints with joy; demons & masses of condemned souls with a dreadful fear & regret

          3. All created beings will verbally worship & honor Jesus Christ (v. 11)

Þ     The lowly Servant is now the Sovereign King; the innocent Lamb is now the Almighty Lion; the suffering Messiah is now the victorious LORD - it is an undeniable fact!

Þ     Christ is returned to His pre-incarnated glory (Jn. 17:5)

Þ     Jesus Christ has been revealed as Lord to the glory of God the Father = PURPOSE!

Þ     Jesus Christ is Lord is the great Christian confession in this life (1Co. 12:3; Rom. 10:9)

Þ     In the next life, it will be the confession of everyone (redeemed & condemned)

How can we apply this attitude ourselves?  For this little congregation in Philippi that was suffering, persecuted & experiencing disunity, Paul gives them hope for their future in glory.  Christ was not vindicated in this life - He was misunderstood, persecuted, rejected, slandered & ultimately killed.  Yet He never retaliated; never took vengeance; He yielded His rights & privileges and waited patiently for the Father’s plan.  He loved & was gracious to His enemies (even Judas) until the end.  Are you willing to endure misunderstanding, hurtful words & maybe even rejection until the end of your life?