this morning. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, thank you once again for this opportunity that was given to us together as brethren and some of our friends here. If there are some lost sheep here tonight or this morning, Lord, may we be witnesses of their conversion and their salvation, Father. If it's their time to be called and drawn by you, Father, to his son, or to your son. We just thank you, Father, counsel us with the Holy Spirit, give us wisdom in understanding your word. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Let's open our scriptures, please. Let me time myself. And how much is the minute for the ish? All right, so. Let's open our scriptures, please, in the book of Philippians. In the book of Philippians, chapter two. And then we will be reading verses five all the way to verse 10. So verse 11, let's read all the way to verse 11. Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 to 11. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it a robbery to be equal with God. but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross. The word for God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And then in verse 16, which is our verse for our theme this morning, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not won in vain, neither labored in vain. Now holding forth the word of life involves Jesus Christ. We cannot hold forth of the word of life if we don't hold forth or we be steadfast when it comes to our Savior. He is our story. He is my story and it is the church's story. It's all about the Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory we sing that. So this morning I would like to present to you a lesson. It's a story, and I entitled it, The Christological Story. You know, Christological means what? Christ is the center. Not only that He is the center, but He is the circumference. of what we are here as a church. And we will try to study here Christ's journey from eternity past to eternity future. And sometimes the best way to teach or to make people understand some truths in the scripture is by using illustration. And there's a saying that says, a picture is better than a thousand of words. And this is what Paul did on this presentation as far as the Christological story. We know that there's a problem in this church. What was the problem in this church? There is competition. Brother Pierce was saying something yesterday, you know. Like our focus, are you willing to give up some of your rights and prerogatives for the sake of others? And that's the context here why Paul wrote this. In fact, he rebuked two ladies there, Eudeus and Syntyche. Because that's the problem in this church. But he made an illustration. through pictures for us to understand what is humility is all about. In fact in the background we can see in verse 3 to 5, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in loneliness of mind and let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you. So Paul was making an introduction here. If there is the best model for us, what humility is all about, let us have the mind of Christ. And he illustrated this in our lesson this morning. So what he is saying now is to become lowly and humble like Christ. That was the mind That must be our mind as well. Christ's humility, his condescension is a Christological gem that we can find friends and beloved in all of the scriptures. We have no reason to be here if Christ did not come here and humble himself. It is a theological masterpiece. In fact, according to some research that I did, some Bible scholars, they consider these verses that we read as the hymn of the New Testament. They were singing this in the early church. They were not singing, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It's true. If you read Luke 2, there's no singing mentioned there. The Bible says the hosts of the heavenly singing. They did not sing singing. It's not hard to herald. This is considered as the hymn of the New Testament when it comes to the condescension of Christ. We see the Lord Jesus Christ unveiled right before our eyes from eternity past to eternity future. It is indeed a Christological story from glory to glory. Amen. And Paul mentioned something like in 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. I am a millionaire because of Jesus Christ. I am rich in Him. So Christ is the picture, perfect picture of true humility. And the Bible says, take my yoke upon me and learn of me. We have to learn, friends and beloved. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. If you are here this morning, you've been struggling with sin. You've been struggling with stubbornness. You've been rebellious against God. and he will give you rest unto your soul what a journey what a christological story friends and beloved i would like to bring you to three points here as the lord permits it number one his co-eternal position his co-eternal position beginning in verse six we can see here friends and beloved who being in the form of god Thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. In the form of God, you know I have a nurse, co-worker at the hospital I'm working at, every time during our break, he will do this. And I pretend like. I learned from him that in the sports called golf, I told you I golf though, but in sports of golf he said, it's not the strength of your swing, but it is your form. So he tries to perfect, I don't play golf, but he said you have to perfect your form. When the Bible says who was in the form of God, it doesn't mean about size and shape because God is a spirit. He doesn't have any size, he doesn't have shape. So that's taken out of our mind when it comes to the form. So what does form here? When the Bible speaks of he was in the form of God, meaning he is what? He is having the essential nature of something. Jesus Christ has the essential nature of something. And what is that? That is the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has the essential form and the nature of God. He is actually eternally co-existent with the Father. Then Paul continues that he said that he did not think it robbery. When I grab something that is not mine, that is robbery. But Jesus Christ, even if he grabs his being and divinity, that's not considered as robbery because he is God. He did not even think of it. Because that is His right. That is His right because He is God. He was God when He was here. And so we can see He did not even think of that. That's my right. Oh no, He did not. But He did give it a little bit temporarily of His prerogatives. The Bible says in Colossians 1.15, Who is the image? of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. You know the word image there? It is, in the Greek word, icon. He's the icon of this, he's the icon of that. When you open your phones, friends and beloved, you can see a lot of applications. They have already the icons there. If you are using Apple products, you press on Safari. If you're on Android, you use internet, you go to your computer, whatever it is, you Google it. Once you touch that icon, all the privileges of that app is open to you friends and beloved as the father draws you to the son and you touch the helm of his garment all the spiritual blessings in Christ will be given to you the icon of Christ and you will be blessed with all the spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We can see that he is the icon, he is the image of the invisible God. He was in the form an icon of God and yet he was in his co-eternal position as God. He didn't drop God of his father about being equal with him when he was on this flesh. Now there's a doctrine, I don't know in the United States maybe, but there's a doctrine in the Philippines, people are spreading it there. You know that Jesus Christ, when he became a man, he hanged his divinity on a clothesline. He put his clothes there as divinity and he became a man. I don't believe that. He did not hang. His divinity. He controlled His divinity. He was God and He was perfectly man. We do believe that. And as God's children, we should be willing to give up something of our privileges and prerogatives if we be like Christ. Sometimes, you know, we demand so much of things that we think it's ours. I mean, that's fine. But sometimes you have to give it up. just to maintain unity in the body of Christ. Okay, especially if it's really something that is not worth taking notice, you know, but you can see here that Jesus Christ being the icon and having the form, he gave up some of his prerogatives and privileges so he's called eternal position let's move on the journey continues let's go now to his condescension yeah his condescension friends and beloved and we can see here four steps of his condescension based on our scripture in verse seven the bible says here but made himself of no reputation brother tate was mentioning that yesterday that's when i prayed stop him lord But he made himself of no reputation. The Bible says here, in the Greek it is kino, to be abased, to be emptied or to be invaded. Just try to imagine, the son of the highest is took down and he left his reputation for you and for me. We can see here, he identified himself as without reputation. His full manifestation of who he really was, was suspended temporarily. It was suspended temporarily. And the Bible says in Colossians 2, it was also quoted last night, For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. But friends and beloved, when Jesus Christ was walking with his disciples, he was God. He was God even though he owned the universe and he created the universe and yet a single pillow he didn't have. He gave up his reputation. In fact one of the disciples asked him, Philip if you remember him, Philip said unto him in John 14, Lord show us the Father and it suffices us. Jesus said unto him, have I been so long with you and yet you have not known me Philip? He that hath seen me had seen the Father and how sayest thou then, sure was the Father. He was taken out of the false. Feel it? And how come you're asking me that? Did you not notice how long you've been attending the sitrus missionary Baptist church? And yet ye say, and yet ye say, And Philip said, show us the Father. Because Christ temporarily suspended or controlled his divinity when he was man. In fact, he showed it in a very simple way. He took a basin, before the Passover, he took a basin and washed everyone's feet. That doesn't mean you have to wash everybody's feet, but he's just showing what humility is all about. I'm taking out my reputation as a God creator. He stood down and washed the disciples' feet. But even though he was veiled in flesh, present and beloved, sometimes his divinity pops out. It was still bursting out when he raised Lazarus. That was his divinity. When he fed the 5,000, the divinity of Christ was overcame by his divinity. The flesh of Christ, it still was not able to control. And the Bible says when he brought those three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Bible says that when everything was done, the Bible says they saw His glory. That is the real God. Bursting out into the flesh. Because the Bible says they saw His glory. He set aside, the Bible says, His reputation. Not only identified Himself as without reputation, He also identified Himself as servant. The Bible says, and took upon Him the form of a servant. You know what a servant is, right? He does not own anything. He is under the command of his masters. So he was a bond servant. The Bible says he took upon him the form of a servant, which in the Greek it's called doulos. And the Bible says he voluntarily did it. He took upon him. He took upon him the form of a servant. The Bible says the son of man when he was he had nothing. Even though he was the creator of all things. The Bible says in the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things. See that? All things were made by him. And without him was not any made that was He took a part in the form of a servant. If you have a servant, if you take off your clothes, take off your shoes and your socks, your servant will carry it and bring it to your closet. You know Jesus Christ He took upon Him the form of servant. He took all my sins away. And He nailed it on the cross. So not a single sin will be against me. He took it upon the cross. He brought it there all the way. He lifted our burdens of Calvary. Because He was our servant. He took upon him the form of a servant. And being a servant, we can see he had unique character. Number one, he was a unique person. Because he was God-man. His meekness and humility, no one can beat him. Nobody can beat Jesus Christ. He was a unique person. Not only he was a unique person, he had unique parents. He was born of a virgin. When he was born, he was younger than Mary, but he was older than his dad. He had unique parents. He had a unique person. He had unique parents. He had unique power. He had a unique power. We can see that he can raise dead people. You know, according to the Jews. That's why the Lord delayed when Lazarus died. He could have gone there and healed him. but he delayed for four days. And Mary and the brothers, Lazarus' siblings, they were, he would have saved him, but he died. And they said, this death is for the glory of God. Why? Because the Jews, they believe that after three days, you can still come back to life. But if you don't come back to life on the third day, and it will be on the fourth day, that is a sign, according to them, of messiahship. So Christ, when he said, Lazarus come forth and they said, Lord, he's already dead for four days. He stinketh. And the Bible says Jesus wept. We think that he wept because he loved Lazarus. That's the interpretation of those people. They said, oh, how he loved him because Jesus wept. You know why he wept? Because people do not believe in him. He was surprised. They refocused. Even these believers, early Jerusalem believers. They were refocused. I told you on the resurrection and the life. If you believe, I will be able to resurrect him. And the Lord delayed it purposely. He raised, he had unique power, nobody was able to do that. Oh yeah, in the Old Testament, but all of them died. But even Lazarus, he died again. Because he was a unique person. He had unique parents, he had unique power. And he had what? Unique purity. That's why the real Lord preserved him without any, you know. sexual intercourse with Mary because his blood must be pure or else he cannot qualify. Just like what Brother Tate mentioned last night, what's the purpose of the 10 days? You know, finding that sheep or that lamb and then 14 days it will be slain in order to evaluate. The animal sacrifice. And John the Baptist, behold the love of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He was a priest. He was qualifying Jesus Christ. And then after four days, he was slain. There was a preparation there. He was, he had a unique purity. You know when you donate the blood, I do sometimes donate blood, the first thing they will ask you is some questionnaires. You know, do you have AIDS? Do you have AIDS? Do you have that? Do you have that? Why? They don't want you to transfer your disease to somebody who would be a recipient of your blood. We're speaking about you and helping another human being. Here, Jesus Christ, pure blood of the lamb. If there is just one sin there, he will be disqualified. He had a unique purity, my friends and beloved. He not only identified himself as without reputation, he also identified himself as servant. He also identified himself in pure humility. And the Bible says, and being found, the word found there is what? Outside condition. So it's just the outward. He found himself as a man. It was just the outward. He did not say he was a man. He was just found as a man. Because he was more than a man. He was God's man. He's called this ancient prince and beloved. Not only he identified himself in humility, he also identified himself as a dying sinner. Don't you imagine that? He died not for his sins, but for my sins. For your sins. He identified himself and became obedient unto death. He would have died of a guillotine. He would have died being drugged or stoned to death. But he did not die. Because the prophet says he will need to die in a tree. And he humbled himself and he obeyed as a dying sinner. Jesus could have said, that's too much. I already stripped off my reputation. I am now their bondservant. I took everything away for my glory and honor. And yet I was still dying. He would have said to his dad, no. He would have said that. He would have complained. And we do know that cross, crucifixion, dying on the cross, is the worst of all capital punishment during the time. If you are in the death row here, you know that your days are counted. If a person sees you carrying your cross, it's the same thing. They know you will die. And you see Jesus Christ, most of the crucifixion that we see here, they put a modesty towel. In the real world, during the time of Christ, there was no modesty towel. That's why the Bible says He endured the shame in Hebrews. And during that time, men are not even aware of this, but you know, the Roman soldiers, when they used the bathroom, they don't have paper towels, they don't have tissues, or bathroom tissues, they don't have those. What were they using? They used a stick, and they put a sponge, and they cleaned their behind. And they dipped that in clean water. and then dry it. When Jesus Christ, I am thirsty, they got one of those. It's called their sodium. You can research on that. They got that. Dip it to the vinegar, mix with gulp, and then put it on the Lord Jesus Christ. He was obedient. He was obedient even with all the shame. He died as a sinner. And the Bible says whoever is hung on the cross on that tree is a curse of God. The preaching of the cross. The Bible says to the Jews a stumbling block. Even the Roman citizens they don't want to be crucified there. It's a shameful death. But the Lord Jesus Christ died. He died as a sinner. He identified himself as a sinner. The Bible says, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He laid down his life voluntarily, a way that Jesus Christ could have never died if he didn't give up the ghost. The Bible says I have the power to lay down. I have the power to take it back. He voluntarily He gave up the ghost. He could never die, because he was God. How can the scriptures be fulfilled then? The Bible says, I have the power to lay down, I have the power to take it back. That's why those early slaves, if you will call them, you know, they wrote this song, Where Are You There When They Crucify the Lord. Where are you there? I was there, I was not just watching. I was shouting, crucify him. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. I was there when they crucified my Lord. He took away my sins. I was there. I didn't understand of course, but I was there. And just like what they said here, when I surveyed the wondrous cross of which the Prince of Glory died, my riches gained I count but loss, and poor contempt on my pride. Forbid it Lord that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God, all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them. to his blood, see from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or forms composed reach the ground? Where the whole realm of nature, my, that were present far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my all. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? But of course, the story did not end there. From his co-eternal position to his condescension, now, it does not stop there. His coronation. His coronation, friends and beloved. The Bible says, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory Oh God, the Father. The Bible says, it did not say he was exalted. Those are the superlatives of the scripture. He was highly, highly exalted. Highly exalted that he was given name above every name. Don't dream that your name will be recognized on this earth. The Bible says if you humble yourselves in due time, the Lord will exalt you. The Lord will exalt you. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. David humbled himself from being a shepherd, he became a king. We can see that. And we saw that Nehemiah humbled himself as well. From being a cupbearer, he became a governor. Moses humbled himself. Too late though. 80 years old, but he became the leader, the redeemer of the Israelites. The Bible says, if you humble yourself, I will exalt you. That's why Jesus Christ, being in the form of God, being in the icon of God, he took up all his reputation. He became a poor servant. He died as a sinner. And yet the Bible says, because of what he did, He is now highly exalted. He might not receive the glory that he deserves right now, but one day those who punch him, those who beat him, those who crucify him will bow down. Will bow down. One day they will bow down. From experiencing pains to praise. From being a victim, he became a victor. From crown of thorns to a crown of triumph. From guilt to glory. God that highly exalted him, all hail the power of Jesus name. Let angels prostrate fall, bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. He was given a unique name. In fact, He is Lord. He is Lord. He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He might not receive the glory right now in your life. And sometimes in the church, sometimes He doesn't receive the glory. Let's refocus. Because one day He will. He will receive that. In fact He already, the Lord God, the Father already gave Him name above all names. In Matthew He was called the Messiah. In Mark He was called the suffering servant. In Luke He was the son of man. In John He was the son of God. In Acts He is the promised spirit. In Romans He was the justifier. In Corinthians He is the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians he was the one who sets me free. In Ephesians he is the spirit sealer. In Philippians he is the God that supplies all my need. In Colossians he is the transplater of sinners from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his light. We can see that friends in Black and Thessalonians he is the coming king. In Timothy he will be the mediator between God and man. And in Titus he was a faithful pastor. The Lord already gave him name. Above every name. We can see in Philemon he's a friend that sticks closer than a brother. In Hebrews he's the blood of the everlasting covenant. In James he's the great physician. In Peter he's the great shepherd. In 1st, 2nd and 3rd John he's God's love. In Jude he's the one coming with the 10,000 of his saints. And in Revelation In Revelation we can see, friends and beloved, He will be the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be coronated. He will be honored. He will be highly exalted. What a Christological story from glory to glory. O sinner, if you don't know this Savior, may the Lord open your eyes and recognize this. He did it for you. Stop being a rebellious sinner. Humble down and recognize your need of a Savior. And of course, if you're a child of God, do you have the mind of Christ? This is the main topic here. Paul is saying, let this mind be in you. Are you willing to serve one another? Are you humble? What about him being a servant? He became a servant. Are you serving him? Do you come to church on and off? You know one of the problems we encounter in California, maybe here too, not only in California. I got a lot of coworkers, when they found out I have a pastor, oh I like that, I like that, I like that, you know, and then eventually we invite them and then they don't want commitment. They don't want commitment, they, off and on, they come, they don't attack, they come, they don't want commitment. There's no more commitment among God's people, I mean they, so sad. Is He your Lord as a servant? He did it for you. If you're a child of God here, what's causing you not to serve the Lord? You have to refocus yourselves. You have to hold on to the Word of Life. With all these things that Christ did, are we serving Him? Paul says, let this mind be our minds. Let us serve the Lord. And if we do not really do this, we are not holding forth the Word of Life. What a story from eternity past, eternity future, from glory to glory. Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ, the way He is to be seen by the church and by you as an individual child of God?