The Downward Path of Jesus

In one paragraph

John Hammond taught from Philippians 2:5-11, a passage he described as a hymn with three movements: Christ's eternity, his emptying of himself, and the Father's exaltation of him. The sermon pressed on a single question: what if the path to real glory runs downward rather than upward? Throughout, John returned to a phrase he used as a thread: "glory grows as we give it away." John opened by naming...

Read together

1. 1 Peter 5:7 read as an encouraging word to lead the congregation into worship
2. Philippians 2:5-11 the main text for the sermon, read aloud by Brad before John spoke
3. Luke 15 the parable of the two lost sons used to illustrate two ways people pursue glory apart from God
4. John 1:1 quoted to establish that Jesus is eternally God, the Word who was with God and was God
5. John 1:10 quoted to describe the antithesis of Christ entering the world he made but the world not knowing him
6. John 1:18 quoted in King James language about the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father
7. Hebrews 1 cited to show Christ as the radiance of God's glory, the exact imprint of his nature, upholding the universe by the word of his power
8. Galatians 4 cited to show that through faith believers are adopted as sons and daughters who can call God Abba
9. Ephesians 1 cited to affirm that believers were chosen in love before the world began and predestined for his glorious grace
10. 2 Corinthians 8:9 quoted to describe how though Christ was rich he became poor so that by his poverty he could make believers rich
11. Isaiah 53 referenced to describe how Christ had no beauty or majesty to attract people, identifying him as a regular person
12. Philippians 4:8 quoted as the benediction: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, think on these things

Talk about it

1. John talked about a 'spiritual physics of glory' where glory grows as you give it away, which is the opposite of how we usually think. Where in your own life do you find yourself operating out of a scarcity mindset, grabbing or hoarding rather than giving?
2. John described both lost sons in Luke 15 as separated from their father, one through wild living and one through dutiful resentment. Which of those two postures do you find yourself falling into more often, and why?
3. John said Christ's emptying of himself, taking on the form of a slave, was a voluntary veiling of his glory, not a loss of it. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus entered fully into human weakness, grief, and limitation rather than staying at a distance from it?
4. John said many of us confuse sweat with sanctity, working hard to earn God's favor while our hearts stay a million miles away. Have you experienced that trap, and what does it feel like when you notice it happening?
5. The sermon closed with the idea that being seated with Christ in his exaltation means we can stop clawing for significance. What would it look like in a practical way, at work, at home, or in this church, if you genuinely believed your worth was already settled?