Notes: The Way To The Throne

By JP

Recap from Philippians 1:27-30...

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ("conduct yourselves" literally means to live as citizens, i.e. of Roman colony. "Stand firm in one Spirit,...as one man,...for the faith" alludes to a joint effort like an athletic team--like a well-functioning basketball team) 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God (know that Christ is victorious…our example in suffering). 29 For it has been granted ("granted"--echaristhe (Gr.) comes from the word that means grace/favor) to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, (suffering is not a punishment from God, but can actually be a kind of God’s favor) 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have (be encouraged, Paul is enduring).

Mark 10:35-45...

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:1-5...

1 If (“since”) you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (BE Like minded, same love, one in Spirit, and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (empty glory), but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Your attitude (like-minded, v.2 Same word) should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

I. Paul’s Exhortation: Be like Christ

a. “Since” you are encouraged by Christ, be like Christ by the power of His Spirit.

i. Be like minded: same love, one in Spirit and purpose.

ii. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit (empty glory)

1. Seriously nothing? How much time do you spend thinking about you, talking about you, and strategizing about your life? (Self help- best seller’s)

2. Standing in the shower thinking about where you are going with your life.

3. Planning conversations with others. And looking for opportunities to jump in and tell them what you have accomplished.

iii. Consider others better than yourself

1. “Better”: Class system. See people like God sees them.

a) Do we have a class system?

i) Do you treat homeless people like you do co-workers?

b) Not think less of yourself, but think of yourself less.

i) Think more of others.

1. Leadership: says jump in.

2. Insecure people tell you how great they are. Secure people tell you how great others are.

3. A’s hire A’s and B’s hire C’s.

1 Peter 5:5

5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Also James 4:6)

iv. Look out for the interests of others.

1. We are taking donations for the Alabama victims. What if I was selling those things on craigslist and using the money to buy a new car? SCANDALOUS!

a) They are not mine. They were given to me to be shared with others.

b) Your gifts are yours to be shared with others. To serve others. When you use those gifts in a self-serving way it is just as scandalous. RADICAL.

Luke 14:7-11

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:8-12

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

v. Adopt the mind of Christ

1. Big lofty goal. Think like Jesus

a) Can’t think like Jesus unless we know Him.

b) If I want to be like someone, I study them closely.

Philippians 2:6-8...

6 Who, being in very nature (form) God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7 but made himself nothing, (lit. He emptied Himself, divested His self interest, but not His deity; "emptied", Greek: kenoo, kenosis) taking the very nature (form) of a servant, being made in human likeness. (He surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory. “likeness”: similar, but different--sinless)

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (despicable)

II. Christ’s Example: Humiliation

a. Nature=Form, Form of God and Form of a servant.

i. Was fully God and fully man

1. Was not only God or only man

2. Was not God then man

3. Was not God that simply looked like man

ii. This was the ultimate example of humility because of what he could have done.

1. ILLUSTRATION: I’m 6’7”. If you saw me play basketball, then you might be tempted to think I am being humble (I’m just bad). But if Kobe Bryant let you win- that would be humble

b. Kenosis: but made himself nothing (lit. “emptied Himself”, emptied Kenoo)

i. He didn’t do this to pretend to be less then what He was: false humility

1. He did this as an act of service. He used what He had to serve others. Ultimately save the world and provide a way that anyone could inherit eternal life.

2. He forfeited His right to manifest Himself in all splendor and glory

a) Was in human likeness, but was sinless.

c. Died the most despicable death

i. There is not equivalent today for the crucifixion. It was a public humiliation for the worst of crimes.

1. Romans could not be crucified

2. Naked

3. Usually never had a burial; burned outside the city

4. “so disgraceful, it should not even be on the lips of Romans”

2 Cor 5:21

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

QUESTIONS:

• Why did Jesus have to Die? Why couldn’t God just waive His hand and forgive?

  • Answer: Because an offense against God needs a punishment because God is just. A just God requires a payment. Example: If you hit my car, someone will pay. You will pay, I will pay, insurance will pay, I’ll sell it for less…someone pays. I can forgive you, but God is perfectly just: forgiveness requires a payment.
  • Also--the gravity of the offense. I trespass in my neighbor’s yard, not a big deal. I trespass on the Whitehouse lawn, I get shot. Our offense was against the President of creation (God).

• Why did Jesus need to be perfect?

  • Any other sacrifice would have been under the same judgment. It is like if I have a death sentence and you have a death sentence, I can’t pay your death sentence for you. In order to satisfy God’s wrath forever, God had to become man in the exact representation of us.
  • The payment was more than if you or I did this, because He could stop it at any time.

Philippians 2:9-11...

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place (Acts 2:33, Heb 1:3)

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, (will bow willingly, or they will be made to do so)

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father. He is Yahweh-God. All will confess, but for some it will be too late.

III. Christ’s Prize: Ultimate Exaltation

a. He triumphed over evil. Also set in our hearts. Osama Bin Laden> we celebrate.

i. We love justice but we don’t want it for ourselves.

ii. We want the throne.

b. THEREFORE: He is exalted in the highest place

i. Our best example of greatness falls short.

1. Prince William? 2 Billion people?

a. OVER 106,456,367,669 will bow to Christ

c. Everyone will either bow willingly, or be made to

d. Everyone will confess He is LORD

i. But for some it will be too late

e. The cross was the means to glory. Pursuit of glory by any other means will miss the cross.

Summary:

• Paul said be humble like Christ

• Christ gave up everything just to save you

• And ultimately you can have all that He has, but the road to it is different than you might think.

Matthew 10:38

"anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

Matthew 16:24

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

The distraction to the cross is the throne.

The cross is the means to the throne.

1 Peter 5:6

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

You will worship or you will be made to worship. Today, you either worship, or want to be worshiped.