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Hey, good morning church. How is everybody doing? Good to see you. Guess what? We're in the the Christmas season.
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It's advent. You're excited. I can tell. How about this? Would you stand your feet and I wanna share a verse.
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This one's from Isaiah forty nine six it says, you will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles and you'll bring my salvation to the ends of the world or the earth. That's what we are celebrating this morning that Christ has come, that Christ is coming again. And so let's sing, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, and follow me for the changes. It might sound a little different than what you know.
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Alright. Oh, come. Oh, come. Oh, come. Oh, come.
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Come. Ransom captive Israel that mourns a lonely ear shall hear until the son of God appear. Rejoice. Oh, come thou key of David come and open wide our head, leave home.
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Announcements here. The first one is next week. Next week is a combined service. So it's not going be held at the same time. We're doing it at 10:00.
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So if you get here at the same time that you did this minute, this morning, you'll be fifty five minutes early. No, you'll be an hour early, all right? 10:00 is when it starts next week. It's a children's play, so 10:00. There's a dress rehearsal on Saturday for all actors and musicians that are going to be in the play.
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It's one to 4PM December 9, but that's the final dress rehearsal before December 10. Combined service, 10:00 is a Christmas play next week. We also have next week, same day, the caroling which happens at 04:30. We'll gather out here and get all set up at 04:30 in the afternoon. We'll go caroling.
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That'll get us started before dark, but end and after dark. And then 06:00, we'll come back here for a chili cook off. And we need your chili. This doesn't work unless people bring food. So we need chili for the buzzer breath chili cook off at 06:00 down the hall in the new kitchen.
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Let me see. What's next? Angel tree. There will be tags, and there are some tags hanging on these little cardboard mount cutouts. What do you call those things?
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It's hard to say. Anyway, those things, there are tags hanging up there right now. And you all know how this works for the most part. Each year, we administrate a whole lot of families in need receiving presents that might not otherwise receive a big Christmas. So if you would like to help out with that, you can grab a tag today on your way out.
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Bring the presents back here by December 20 wrapped, unless it's marked to be unwrapped, but bring them back wrapped here by December 20 and Tanya will administrate that. Alright? I'm not involved in that. Tanya is really, really good at it. But if you all would do that, that'd be great.
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All you need is love and his name is Jesus. This is a ladies Christmas lunch and it's happening on December 13. That is next Wednesday. Nancy Irwin, would you stand up? Alright.
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Please RSVP to Nancy Irwin. And if you've already done it, you don't have to check to see that you've done it. If she's gotten an email from you, you're counted. Alright? Numbers.
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Alright. Thank you very much, Nancy. Appreciate that. That's at Snow King's Grand Ballroom, December 13, not this Wednesday but next Wednesday. Christmas Eve services, if you'd like to volunteer for childcare for the 06:00, we have enough volunteers for the 04:30 but it'd be really nice going into this to know that we have it covered.
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So if you'd like to volunteer for childcare, you can contact Bailey Morley at BaileyK LarsonGmail dot com, and that would be great. And thank you for volunteering if you have. Monday nights at First B. What's this week, Carl?
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We are on for tomorrow, a little series called get ready, and, tomorrow is potluck. And so the more food, the merrier. The more people, more importantly Alright. Merrier.
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Fantastic. Thank you very much. Monday nights at first B happens at 06:00 down the hall in the fellowship hall at the same time that Awana is going on in this room right here. For all other announcements, and did I forget something? I think I have one that I forgot, but I have not formulated it yet.
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If you will linger afterwards in the vestibule out there, you'll probably figure out the one that I forgot. Okay. There is an we are in the season of Advent now, so I'm gonna invite the Clarks, the Clark family to come forward and do our Advent lighting.
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Candle of hope. We have hope because of the faithful promises of God. He sent his son, and we receive our savior, a savior born to redeem the world from sin and death.
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Romans fifteen thirteen says, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Amen. Thank you, Wes and Katie. Thanks. So appreciate that. And would y'all stand and you can greet one another, and we'll bring you back together with another seasonal number.
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Alright. Joy to the world. Joy to the world. And heaven and nature sing and heaven and hell nature sing. Joy to the world, a cedar reigns, and men, the songs and glory.
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My fields and phones, rock seals and plays. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat. Repeat the sounding joy.
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No more let sins and sorrows fall. No thorns infest the ground. He curls to obey his blessings flew. Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found far as the curse is found. He rules the world.
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He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nation prove. The glories of his righteousness is
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Amen. Can we pray together? God, thank you for this time of worship. Thank you that we can come together and and celebrate all that you have done, all that you continue to do, all that you will do, that you have come, that you're coming again. Thank you, God, for your presence with us.
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Thank you for your peace. Amen.
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Alright. I meet with you. I meet with you and my soul sings I. As your word throws down our way. I sing to you, and my heart cries only.
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I'm in do you, father, you're only my hope is in you. Let's sing this. And my hope is in you, Lord. All the day long, I won't be shaken by drowned storm. A beast that passes understanding is my song I sing.
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My peace in you alone. I'll wait for you and my soul finds rest, and my selfishness hope is in you. And my hope is in you, Lord. All the day long on, I'll be shaken by drowned over stone. A peace that passes understanding is my song and I sing.
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My hope is in you known and I will wait on you. I will wait on you. You're my refuge. I will wait. I will wait on you.
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You're my refuge. And my hope is in you, Lord.
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Alright. Let's sing
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holy, holy, holy. For he is. God in three persons, this is true. Now from the cradle, from the cradle to the cross,
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Amen. You all can have a seat and I'll invite the the frontline team to come forward. Raising Philippians right now. By the way, we're we're entering in here to worship through giving. It's just one way of many.
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Honestly, God has gifted us with so many things. This one is about pastoring the offering plates and thanking God for that. And let me let me pray for that as these guys are coming forward. Thank you, God, for all that you have given. Most of all, thank you, God, for meeting us right where we're at.
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You didn't come to the the rich and and and the prominent. You chose to be born in the humblest of circumstances. And, thank you, God, for for doing that, for for coming to Earth and putting yourself in that position of a servant to to go to the back of the line and and and serve from there. Although you are superior, you are sovereign. You are over and above and holy and righteous.
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Thank you, God, for for doing that and meeting us right where we're at. Thank you for meeting us right where we're at right now. For that, we give you thank thanks, and thank you for all the gifts that that you've given. Help us to use them for you. God help us to be a light here in in Jackson and in all over the world.
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I pray that that those who do not know you yet would see you for who you really are as loving, attractive, grace filled. You fill us with hope. That's why we're here. And thank you for your salvation. Amen.
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Matt. Alright. It's time for children's church to start downstairs. And we're up to Philippians two and I may have mentioned this last week if I haven't mentioned this. This is my favorite passage in the New Testament.
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Now, y'all might have heard me say, this is one of my favorites. This is my favorite And it's it's daunting to try to share your favorite passage with a group of people, but I'm gonna do that. But first, I wanna tell a quick story from a long time ago. So when I was in college, I had a good group of friends. We hung out together all the time, and I did not have the kind of job that some of them did.
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Some of them had a job that was really, really steady. I worked eleven hours a week moving tables and chairs around and continuing education department while I was in school, not much. It was just enough to say I had a job. But this guy had a real job, and he had another real job on top of that, and he worked at an airport. He worked standing behind the counter, and he typed little things into the computer, and he went to the back and he loaded the bags.
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It was a small commuter airline out of Columbus, Georgia feeding into Atlanta, and his name is Jason. I didn't change the name. He doesn't work for him anymore, so Jason and I hung out all the time. And so I would stop by sometimes just before he got off work and hang out for a little while, and then we'd go play basketball or do whatever. So Jason had a guy come up to him.
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I'm standing there. We've been talking, you know. I jump out of the way anytime a customer approaches. So a customer gets there and he comes up, and when he gets there, the first words out of his mouth were curse words. And Jason's my size, and this guy wasn't his size, and Jason's on the backside of his little kiosk there typing away.
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Yes, sir? Yes, sir. Mhmm. I'm gonna do everything I can to help you, sir. Yes, sir.
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I know that you're not where you want to be. I understand the situation very well, and he kept on. And he kept on dog cussing Jason, just kept on and kept on, and I thought, I can't believe how he's treating my cousin Jason, you know, my friend. And Jason didn't say anything ugly at all. He just kept on typing, kept on typing.
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Eventually, he prints out a board and pass, hands it to the guy. He says, sir, I'm sorry. We've done everything we can to help you. Just very gently, and I said, Jason, after the guy walked away, if he'd have been talking to me like that, I was about to hit him for talking to you like that. If he'd have been talking to me like that, I would have crossed his teeth and dotted his eye.
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You know? I could not. I could not take that. I couldn't take someone because he had gone past the point of saying things about the airline. He was saying it about Jason being a fool and all this sort of stuff.
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And I just said, how do you do it? He goes, I sent his bags to Alaska. That is a true story. Now, What was the correct way to deal with that situation? Neither one of us had the correct way of dealing with that situation.
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There was very little humility shown on my part. On that man's part, Jason appeared to have it but he didn't. He didn't. He was passive aggressive. I would have been aggressive aggressive.
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Anyway, Philippians two starts off with a therefore, and it points back to this. Now that man and Jason were not necessarily brothers in Christ, but neither one of them acted like it. I don't know either the status of the man. I know Jason's a believer. The striving together for Christians is different than the striving together for a customer and a business.
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I think, you know, the business wants to make money. Therefore they need the customer to be satisfied. The customer wants to be satisfied, therefore they pay the business. You get that. But as a body, we are to be striving together.
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This is what we talked about last week. This is the main charge from last week week that we'd be standing fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel and humility, saying the faith of the gospel, not just the Baptist faith, the message from 1952 or just the certain confession from wherever Lutheran this or Methodist that, but the faith of the gospel and humility saying, we're trying together to get to the absolute center of the gospel. And going forward with it, not afraid to proclaim it, in no way terrified or fearful of your opposition or adversaries, for it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ for his sacrifice. Right? Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.
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So this is gonna be a message about getting along with one another, Christians, getting along with one another. When God saved me, I believe that he he gifted me with mercy, and there's something about peacemaking that just I want for people to get along. I really do want for people to get along. So all of that, standing fast one spirit, one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel in no way terrified by your adversaries. You believe in him, but you also suffer for his sake.
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Therefore, and that's where we start this week. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy, the ifs there, is that bothering anybody? It begins with four really big ifs. The first one is if there is any consolation in Christ. Well, Christians, is there?
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Yeah. Extremely so. That is the primary feature of knowing Christ is being consoled by him, comforted by him. That consolation word is paraclasis. For those of you who've been in church your whole life and heard lots of Greek words thrown out, paracletas is the word for the Holy Spirit.
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He is our comforter. So parakletos. Is there any comfort, any encouragement, any consolation in Christ? Is there? Yes.
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Okay. Is there any comfort in love? And that love is agape love, by the way. Is there any comfort in love? Is there any comfort in philos?
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Brotherly love. Yeah. I would go further. Is there any fellowship of the spirit? If any fellowship of the spirit.
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Fellowship there is koinonia. You've heard that one a lot too. Koinonia is fellowship or participation. It's a little further than just meeting each other down there to drink coffee together. It's participating together with one another, striving together for the faith of the gospel.
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Corinoneida, is there any fellowship of the spirit? Have you ever been somewhere in the world, on the other side of the world maybe, and you run into somebody and you are immediately feel a bond with those people. It's the fellowship of the spirit that you're feeling. It's fantastic. You go, how can this be?
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Is there any affection and mercy? And Carl will love this. He's been using Splunk noise and Splunk now since we mentioned it a few weeks ago. Affection is that, that deep seated gut level visceral feeling of affection or longing for someone. And oyctomoric, I don't use that one as much.
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That is also mercy or compassion, and it is a visceral gut level all the way down to your bowels feeling of mercy? Is there any? Do you sense that in Christ? Is there any consolation? Is there any comfort of love?
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Is there any fellowship of mercy? Is there any affection and mercy in this life, this Christian life? Is there? So these are the four questions in New Living Translation. New Living Translation translates them as questions.
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Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Is there any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the spirit? Yes. Are your hearts tender and compassionate?
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Yes. I think that Paul was needling him a bit right there, okay? He was saying, alright. You've answered these other three. Now, it's on you.
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Is there affection and is there mercy? Do you feel this as deeply as you should feel this? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Yes. And when they say yes let's just skip to this.
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When they say yes to those which you're required to grammatically, it's a rhetorical question which is obvious, the answer is yes. And since you answer those four questions yes, then fulfill my joy by being like minded. He's already told them to strive together with one mind and one spirit. Fulfill my joy then by being like minded, by practicing it, carrying it out, having the same love. Agape, God type love.
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We can love because he first loved us. This type of love. Being of one accord excuse me. I skipped something. Being of one accord and of one mind.
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Fulfill my joy by being like minded, of one mind, and he's about to tell us whose mind we should have. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. The selfish ambition, he's just used right here. Philippians one fifteen and sixteen. He said, yeah.
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Yeah. Yeah. I know. Some preach Christ out of envy and strife, and some of them preach out of good motives. Some preach from selfish ambition.
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I get it. I know. I know. I'm the messenger. Yes, I get that and I pray that I'm always doing it for the right reasons, Paul says.
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And I know some people are doing it from the flat wrong reason. Not sincerely. Selfish ambition, supposing to add affliction to my chains. Right below that he says, either way, Christ is being preached. He can't control what they do.
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He can only control what he does. Do you get that? You worry about yourself. You remember the little girl? All right.
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Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, and conceit right there. What's conceited mean? That's the worst thing you could say about somebody in high school, isn't it? She stuck up. You can see it was when I was little anyway.
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There are a lot of worse things going around nowadays as far as bullying is concerned. Conceit is empty pride. It's pride without having any ground for it whatsoever, an inflated self view. Do not be doing anything through selfish ambition because you wanna gain more and more and more and more, or because you have an inflated view of yourself. Conceit.
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But, I love the adversity of conjunctions. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Have we heard that before from Jesus? Yes. In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself, and let each one of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.
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It's a rare exception when someone doesn't take care of themselves. It happens. There are some folks who don't take very good care of themselves. There are others that just don't take care of themselves at all, that reject their own body or reject themselves. But in general, we do pretty good at taking care of our own interests.
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The US, looking out for number one is a pretty common thing. Paul is saying, let each of you not only look out for your own interests because you got to do that to live, but also for the interest of others. That's pretty simple, cut and dry. Jesus has told us that before. When we get to five, five through about eleven, most people consider was an early hymn of the early church.
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So think about this for just a second. This was written around '61 to '63. The crucifixion happened around thirty to thirty three. So '33 is what the usual date I put on it. It was twenty eight years.
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Twenty eight years ago was when? 1989. Think about the statements that Paul is about to make about Jesus, and it's someone that lived in 1989. Right now, think about that. I want you to consider because if you pay attention to the history channel or the learning channel or any of the other ones that this time of year will start playing all kind of stuff about Christianity.
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They will get the most crazy person and they will interview him and they'll say, well, that was invented in the seven hundreds, and that was invented in the three hundreds, and that was invented we're talking about the absolute full divinity of Jesus in less than thirty years. The absolute full humanity of Jesus, hypostatic union for you theologians out there, in the first thirty years, and I would argue it happened during Jesus' life. There is no inventing going on. This is carrying forth the word of God, and this early hymn of the early church was very helpful. Let this be in you.
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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. If we would do this, this is a second person plural command for all of y'all out there, everybody who is a Christian. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. We have access to the divine spirit of God. It's living within us.
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This is a second person plural command. Let this. Allow this to happen is the way when I hear let, but I just want you to it's saying all of y'all do this. It's a command. It's very straightforward.
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To all Christians, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. There are plenty of wrong ways to do things. Jason's way was wrong. My way was wrong. Jesus' way is right.
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Who, Jesus, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery with God to be robbery to be equal with God. Now reading that the first time you look at it and go, that is the most confusing thing ever. I have a bunch of different versions up here, and then I'll try to explain it. Who being in very nature God, he was God. This is in our New International Version.
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Who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used for his own advantage. You get that. He is God, but he did not consider that equality with God. He is God something to be used for his own advantage, but for others. Though he was God, this is a New Living translation.
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Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. He had it, but he let it go. English Standard Version, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped. English standard. New American standard, who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.
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We've got King James, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Holman Christian Standard, who existing in the form of God did not consider equality with God as something to be used for his own advantage. It was something that he had and he held throughout eternity past if we want to be specific. And he had it, but he did not consider it something to be grasped, stolen, clung to, held on to. The American Bible no.
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Aramaic Bible in plain English. He who while he was in the form of God did not esteem this as a prize, that he was the equal of God. English Revised, who being in the form of God counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God. Young's Literal. Always go to Young's Literal because it's straight literal.
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Right? So is the King James and New King James in this, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Are y'all getting this from those 12 different translations or however many nine different translations? He had something, and it was the almightiness of being God, but he didn't hold on to it. Christmas is the perfect time for this message.
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He let go of that. His divine rights. The passage would go on to say that he emptied himself. He emptied himself of that. He made himself of no reputation.
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He's God, and he made himself of no reputation. Does God have a reputation? It's been a good one, actually. For a long, long time, it's been a really good one. There are a lot of people who decry him now.
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He made himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a bond servant or slave as Carl said earlier today, and coming in the likeness of men complete. When it says in the form of God, form in the Greek is all internal and all external appearances. It's not just the form like something's in the shape of like a tin soldier is not a soldier. It's just a tin soldier.
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It looks like a soldier from a distance, but it's not. No. The form in Greek means it is all the way through and through God, and the likeness of men all the way through and through like we are. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and he became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross. You see the italics words right there?
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To the point of, we put that in there to make it make sense or make it feel better. I actually would like this feeling. He was obedient to death. He he obedienced himself to death. That was the plan of father God.
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How much of that plan he understood and knew is a part of conjecture. I believe he knew it. He knew that he would have to be obedient to death, die a man's death, die the death, second person of the trinity in order to give his life. And it wasn't just a death. He was obedient to death, but he was obedient to the death of a cross, which was the lowest form of capital punishment for a criminal.
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So Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to earth as a poor baby, a refugee in Egypt, a builder. He kept going itinerant pastor. I've heard some really strong words about itinerant pastors, people who make their money by preaching, and they're not usually good ones, honestly. Spat upon, cursed, hated by the religious establishment, hung out with low lights, continually lower and lower, lower and lower to the point of a kangaroo court and a trial that sentences him. Actually, declares him innocent over and over and over, but still sentences him to death and death on the cross.
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He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. You're a Christian. You believe in him. Should following your master look like your master's path? Or should it look like Lucifer's path?
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Who said, I will make myself like the most high. I will ascend above all the mountains. Yet he ends up in the pit. Right? So here's the therefore on this one.
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Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name. He obedienced himself to death, and therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven, of those on the earth, and those under the earth. That's everybody. Alright? Everybody will not just admit.
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They will bow the knee. And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is lord. To the glory of God the Father. Now that is pulled from Romans pulls it also, but fourteen eleven says, for as it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess God. It's pulled from Isaiah 45, and God says, have sworn by myself because there is nothing higher to swear by when you're God.
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The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and it shall not return or shall not return void. That to me, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall take an oath. Check out the pattern here in eight and nine. Christ, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death on the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name.
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The first part of that is an active verb that Jesus actively did. He humbled himself. It's an active middle, actually. He humbled himself to the point of death, and therefore, God exalted him. So the next one is God's doing the the work.
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This is Isaiah on Lucifer. For you have said in your heart, Lucifer, the devil, Satan, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, and I will be like the most high.
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How'd that go? The great parabola is what they call Jesus' descent from heaven. His condescension to earth all the way down to death on a cross, but that is the therefore that gets him to rise to be above every name. He is the one that we call on for our salvation. He's elevated and seated at the right hand of God and interceding for you.
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Amen. But Lucifer says this, and then later it says, you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch. You thrust with a sword who go down to the stones of the pit, and the absolute have y'all seen the passion of the Christ? The absolute low point of Jesus's hanging on that cross was the absolute high point for Satan, he thought, And that parabola now is reversed and he is on his way down and Christ has ascended. Do you get that?
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Now this is a sermon about getting along with one another. Who are gonna be more like? First Peter five five says, yes, all of you, all of y'all, be submissive to one another, Christians, and be clothed with humility. Why? Because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
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He goes on to say, therefore, humble yourselves. This is an active middle. You can do this. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that he, God, may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him and this is every care of every day, all the time, casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. So when you have a difference of opinion with a brother or sister in Christ about how something should be done, humble yourself.
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Don't hold on to what you think is right as right. Do you get what I'm saying? As you're right, Jesus had all full equality with God. What is that? It's being right.
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He was right. Did he force that on anyone? No. But he made a way for them to come around to it.
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Strive
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together. Striving together. We are imperfect and we're going to be imperfect. We're doing the best that we can. And, yeah, sometimes one of you'll be right and one of you'll be wrong.
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More often than not, both of you are wrong, especially if you're proudly arguing for your rightness. Do you get that? That's too long to read, isn't it? I'm gonna read it to you anyway because this is where that passage from Isaiah 45 came from. For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited.
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I am the Lord and there is no other. Amen. I have spoke I have not spoken in secret. We have his word. We have God's word and we are proclaiming God's word and there are other Christians who are proclaiming his word.
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I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I did not say to the seed of Jacob, seek me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare the things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together.
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You who have escaped from the nations. Y'all are the called out ones. You're called out from every nation. Christians, you're called out to become one body, the church. Amen.
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The one striving together, draw near together. You have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, those who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a God that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case. Yes.
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Let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no other God besides me, a just God and a savior.
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He has both justice and mercy. A just God and a savior. There is none beside me. It is an exclusive thing that is completely inclusive. Look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth.
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For I am God, there is no other. I've sworn by myself, and this word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and I and it shall not return or return void. That to me, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, surely in the Lord, I have righteousness and strength. To him, men shall come and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against him.
49:52
In the Lord, the descendants of Israel shall be justified. The children of God shall be justified, and they shall glory. Amen. So this this is a sermon about getting along. Paul asks them to get along by sharing our example.
50:12
Was Christ life just an example? No. He provided salvation in his very uttermost point of obedience after the tears in the garden that were like sweat drops of blood. After he says, father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. That's the point that he was at.
50:35
He was willing to be obedient, and that was the only way, and so he did it. And since he did it and made that way available, it's available for us. Would you all pray with me? Lord God, in Jesus' name, would you convince us, Lord, of your righteousness? Would you convince us of our own inadequacy in ourselves and complete adequacy when we are completely surrendered to you.
51:11
God, would you bring us more and more into being like Christ? Would you allow us, Lord, the strength to walk in those works that you prepare for us in advance. In Jesus' name, Lord. In Jesus' name. Right now, we're going into a time of communion, and God, I pray that you would bless everyone in this building that takes this little symbol, this cracker, and this little cup of grape juice.
51:41
It's a symbol about what you have done. And God, by taking this, what we're saying is this is where we put our faith, not in our own rightness, not in our own goodness, but in your loving example and absolute sacrifice that avails us the kingdom of God. I thank you Lord, and for every one of those who sit here right now who's not convinced, Lord, I pray that as they let that cup pass, they would seriously consider their way and your way, and God I pray that the lives of those sitting next to them would bring them into a clear understanding of who you are and what you have done. In Jesus name, Lord, amen. I get the elders to come forward.
52:25
Florian, would you play something pretty? Speaking of Jesus's humility, I think of this, that on the same night that he was betrayed, who was right in that? Who was right in that? Jesus? Judas?
56:12
On the same night that he was betrayed, Christ took bread after supper and after having given thanks, he broke it and he said to his disciples, this is my body just given for you. Take this and eat and do it in remembrance of me. Thank you Lord Jesus that you emptied yourself of all your divine rights and prerogatives, lord, to come condescendingly, to come down to Earth, to be with us, Emmanuel, to show us a great and loving example even amidst persecution and suffering. Lord, may we emulate that part of your life, Lord, but where we cannot go, we cannot go to the cross. We cannot die for our own sins.
57:09
We say thank you for your shed blood on our behalf. Lord, would you bless this cup as we distribute it? In Jesus name. And in the same way that he had taken the bread, he took cup after supper, and he told his disciples, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me.
1:01:00
I'm gonna invite the band to come back up. We have one more song. I started to say at the very beginning, instead of just that story I was gonna say and I ended fourteen minutes early last week, I may need that time back. This song, concentrate on this that if you feel like you're suffering in your Christian relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ, you're doing the best that you can by God and you're still in disagreement with a brother or a sister in Christ about how something should be done, consider this Psalm. Alright?
1:01:31
Would you consider Jesus and the man of sorrows that it's alright that you're suffering as long as you're suffering. For Jesus, would you stand with us?
1:02:03
Has been
1:06:22
Without God's presence in your life, it is impossible, impossible to do what this sermon says to do, to have the mind of Christ in you but it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose and good pleasure. In Jesus name, lord, would you use us to do just that this week? Amen.
