Philippians 2:5-9

Good morning, again, Saylorville Church! If you have a copy of God’s Word, you can go ahead and find the book of Philippians, chapter two, verse five. We’re gonna go there in a little bit.

If you don’t know me, my name’s Colton Willey. I’m the Connections Pastor here, and I’m super excited and happy to be here again with you this morning! And it’s my privilege to continue on in our We Believe sermon series, a series where we’re teaching through our brand new Saylorville creed.

And if you’ve been with us the last couple weeks, you know that the elders’ heart behind formulating and pushing forward this creed is really twofold. First of all, we want to provide you with a summation of our faith, a summation of the Christian faith, because the Bible is a really big book, and we want to kind of bring that down in a concise way. But also, there’s another reason. This is probably the bigger reason. As Pastor said a couple weeks ago, our creed is meant to protect the church, protect God’s people against theological gutter balls. Now I know that my southern Iowa heritage is rubbing off on the elders when they start using bowling analogies! — but it’s a really good analogy, because, as Pastor said, the creed is not above Scripture. God’s Word alone is our authority. But what the creed does is it helps… it acts as bumpers to keep us tethered to this Word. And today’s section of our creed… I think it’s probably safe to say… has seen more theological gutter balls than any other. Today we’re talking about God… the Son, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

So to start us off this morning, I have a very, very profound question for you, one that’s just going to rock your socks off! Are you ready? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? That’s like the Sunday School question, right? But perhaps a better question for us this morning would be, which Jesus do you believe in? Remember what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 11? He’s rebuking the Corinthians and he says:

[2 Corinthians 11:4] ‘If someone comes to you, “if one of these false teachers comes to you “and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus that we preached to you, you put up with it.’

So again, I’ll ask you again, which Jesus do you actually believe in? Perhaps you believe in the Jesus of Islam because they believe in Jesus, except for Jesus is just a prophet in Islam. Perhaps you believe in the Jesus of Mormonism, where Jesus is, he’s God, but he’s not quite equal with God the Father. He’s different, he’s like a lesser God. Or maybe you believe in coffee cup Jesus. You know, Jesus is my ‘home boy.’ I’ve literally seen shirts that say that. The reality is in today’s society there are many pretenders… but there’s only one true Jesus. And this is the Christ that the Bible proclaims and the Christ that we confess. Our creed says:

“We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Sinless Savior. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully human. He died for sins, was buried and rose again. He ascended to heaven and will return in glory to judge all people – the living and the dead – and to reign forever.” excerpt from the Saylorville creed

So again, I ask you. Do you believe in that Jesus?

Many of you know my past career I was a public school teacher. And you wanna know what the bane of public school teachers are? — bullies! Not a fan. But I particularly think of a student I had a couple years ago, and he was the Bully of Bullies! I mean, he was like the kingpin. This guy was constantly making fun of other students, constantly talking about them behind their back, constantly trying to get a rile out of them. And finally, this teacher just had enough. He was picking on another student and I said, “Hey, you… out in… the hallway… let’s talk!” I kid you not, I went out in the hallway ready to bring swift justice on this student. I looked down at his wrist and I saw this. [a W.W.J.D. bracelet on him] Ouch! What Would Jesus Do? So of course, you know… I was near the end of my career at this point, so I said, (laughter) I said, “Let me ask you… I like your bracelet. What would Jesus do?” And needless to say he was kind of shaking in his boots. Now listen, I don’t know that young man’s heart, but I can tell you this. You will never do what the real Jesus would do if you don’t know the real Jesus. Period.

And perhaps this morning there’s no better place to meet the real Jesus than where we’re at, the book of Philippians chapter 2. This is a passage that if you look at what the commentators… biblical scholars… say, when they look at Philippians 2 and they look at the poetic structure of Philippians 2, they actually think… many scholars think… that this passage we’re about to dive into is possibly one of the first hymns that the early church sang. And of course, as we’ve talked about, a hymn is nothing less than a creed. So what I wanna do this morning is I wanna use this creed from Philippians 2 to illuminate our creed here. So if you would, go ahead and join me… Philippians chapter 2 verse 5. Paul writes of Christ:

Philippians 2:5-8

5 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

So again, I ask you this morning, do you believe in Jesus Christ? — because what this ancient hymn does is it actually gives us guardrails like a creed, it allows us to qualify that question, and actually it forces us to ask three new questions and here’s the first one. Do you believe in Jesus Christ exalted? That is do you believe that Jesus Christ is God? That He is equal and eternal with the Father? Take a look at verse 6 real quick. Paul says that Jesus was found in the form of God. The word “form” here is very important. In fact, if you were paying attention, it shows up no less than 3 times in this passage, and in verse 7 Paul says that Jesus took the form of a servant. Verse 8, He was found in human form. Now, I’m not gonna lie. Our English translations here, they kind of fail us a little bit, because actually, if you look in the original Greek, there are two different Greek words being used. In verses 6 and 7. It’s the Greek word “morphe,” but in verse 8, it’s the Greek word “schema.” — two different words translated the same in English. So I wanna take a look at this first one. If you look at verse 6, Paul says that Jesus, before He was incarnated was in the form — “morphe” — of God. Now it’s important to know that the word morphe throughout all of scripture, it’s always describing what something actually is. Okay? Morphe is speaking about actual realities. It’s not just talking about what someone looks like. Let me give you an example.

One of my favorite times at Saylorville Church is Vacation Bible School… Can I get a witness? Great time! And every time at Vacation Bible school we put on these great works of art that we call “skits.” And, lo and behold, two years ago we realized that one of our skits really needed a villain. We didn’t really have a good villain, so, of course, we did the natural thing and we dressed up our very own Youth Pastor, Jerrod, as a giant praying mantis. Now if you’re a kid that’s like the stuff of nightmares! But look at this, look at this. Okay, he looks like a praying mantis! I mean, Jerrod’s a tall guy. We changed his outward appearance, but did he become a praying mantis? The kids might have thought he did! But his morphe, his form was still that of a human.

Paul is saying here in Philippians that Jesus didn’t just look like God, Jesus was, is and always will be God. And Paul just keeps on piling it on. Look at the next section here. Paul says that Jesus did not see equality with God. [verse 6]That’s the Greek word “isos,” and it always means “equal,” “the same,” “equivalent.” Jesus… did not see equality with God as something to be grasped [verse 6]. Now that word “grasped.” Again, that’s an interesting word. This is the only time in scripture that that word is used… only time… and it can mean “to rob” or “to take by force,” but I actually really like the ESV’s translation, our translation, “grasped,” because it denotes this idea of clinging to something, treasuring something. It’s like your kids when they don’t wanna share. Right? That’s mine! And if we read the rest of the context in Philippians 2, what Paul’s doing here is he’s using Jesus, he’s using the Lord as a model of humility.

[Philippians 2:8, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”]

He exhorts the Philippians to look out for the interests of others and not themselves.

[Philippians 2:7, “… but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”]

Well, no one did that better than Jesus. So notice the theological guardrails that Paul gives us. Okay? Paul says that Jesus is in the form, the “morphe” of God. Jesus was equal, “isos,” with God.

So right away, whether it’s Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism, when we look at this passage, Paul leaves no room for Jesus to just be a created, spiritual being… that is, that cannot be… or being some kind of lesser God. This verse alone completely dismantles that theology, because listen, Jesus doesn’t have to grasp for equality with God. He already has it! It’s His! It’s Who He is.

But perhaps the real shock here is comparing the Lord Jesus in Philippians to all the other humans we see in Scripture. Remember how our story begins in the book of Genesis? Genesis chapter 3. Remember “the Fall?” God tells Adam and Eve, our parents:

[Genesis 2:16-17

16 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”]

He says, ‘Don’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because you’ll die.’ And then Satan, that cunning serpent, he slithers up. Anyone remember? What does Satan tell Adam and Eve will happen if they eat?

[Genesis 3:4-5

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”]

He says, “… you will be like God.”

You know, A.I. is really big in the news right now. I mean, you’re gonna think we’re living in the twilight zone in just a minute here. But just recently I saw an article that was interviewing a guy named Bryan Johnson. And Bryan Johnson used to be the CEO of Venmo. So he’s one of those like tech millionaires, okay? And the interviewer was asking Bryan, he said:

“Bryan, do you believe in God?”– to which Bryan says, “The irony of that statement is that for most of our human race’s history, we have told ourselves stories that God created us. But in reality with our modern technology, we are creating God,” to which the interviewer rightly says, “What do you mean by that? It’s kind of a crazy thing to say.”  Bryan responds, “We are soon at a point where we will be able to create a super-intelligent A.I., one which we will uplink with and become god’s ourselves.” An interview with Bryan Johnson, former CEO of Venmo

That is the original sin that cursed our entire race! And it should shock you. Those statements should shock you, but listen, don’t you and I already do that? When you and I, when we build up our beautiful golden nest eggs, when we build up our security and what we own in our 401k and our savings are we not showcasing our providence? When we yearn and claw for the approval of the people around us, are we not actually desiring their worship? And when we are constantly worrying about tomorrow, worried about what could be, are we not trying to see the end from the beginning? And when we sin, when we willfully go against God’s law, are we not saying, ‘I’m… I’m the master of my life’? Brothers and sisters, nothing has changed.

This is not an A.I. problem. This is a human problem… A problem that goes all the way back to the Garden. “You will be LIKE God.” See, Adam, when he was in the Garden, he did see equality with God as something to grasp. He wanted it. He coveted it, and all of his children follow his suit. See, if I’m honest, if I look in the mirror, if you look in the mirror, I still see a lot of Adam. I still see a lot of grasping.

But listen, Jesus wasn’t just like God, Jesus was God! Think about this. The only human… the only human… that will ever actually be equal with God… washed His disciples dirty feet! He touched the leper that no one else would touch, and… He died for sinners! Behold Your God! We believe in Christ exalted!

But here’s another question from the text. Do you believe in Jesus Christ humbled? That is, do you believe that he is fully and truly human? Look at verse 7 again. Paul says:

[Philippians 2:6] ‘Jesus did not see equality with God as something to be grasped, but He emptied Himself…’

Now we gotta be really careful with this verse. Okay? — because this verse has been used to say all kinds of crazy things. Many interpreters, when they see that word “emptied” they come to the conclusion that when Jesus became a baby, when the God, when God the Son incarnated, He somehow gave up part of His deity. He ceased for a time to be fully God… That’s heresy that the church fathers fought against! And notice what Paul does here immediately after He says He emptied Himself. He gives us qualifiers. Look at what He says… “How did He empty Himself, Paul?”

[Philippians 2:7-8]

7 “… by taking the form of a servant, (by) being born in the likeness of men.

8 And (by) being found in human form…”

Now that first one when it says he took the form of a servant, that’s morphe. Paul’s saying, Jesus didn’t just look like a servant. Jesus was a servant.

[Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45] The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…’

But the more difficult statement is the one after it. Paul says that Jesus was:

[Philippians 2:7b] “… born in the likeness of men.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that word. It seems too weak. It makes it seem like He’s not fully human. And again, is Paul saying that Jesus just looked like a man, but He wasn’t really? — He had like a man’s costume on? … Again, that’s heresy! Okay? The church fathers have fought against that ever since the faith came about. Paul… The point is, Paul is being very, very careful with his words… very careful. When Paul says that Jesus was born in the likeness of men, he’s saying that the Lord Jesus truly was a human. If you met Jesus, He would look a lot like you. He’s trying to say that Jesus truly was a man… and yet different. Jesus looked like us, but He is different than us, right? Look at how John says this. 1 John chapter 3 verse 5. He says that:

1 John 3:5, ‘Jesus appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.’

See, when Paul is using the word likeness here, he’s trying to showcase Christ’s true humanity. He was a human, while also preserving the fact that He stayed the eternal Son of God. Jesus was the God-man which means that unlike a fallen child of Adam… like you and me… he had no sin. He was sinless, a spotless lamb. And then the last line, it just removes all doubt. Look at verse 8. It says that ‘Jesus was found in human form.’

Philippians 2:8, “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

That’s the Greek word “schema” like we said. And this word almost always denotes something’s outward appearance. It’s what you can see with your senses. Okay?

Just a couple days ago… Winry and I were practicing colors, and Winry said, “Oh, that’s a blue wall, that’s a red book,” and then she looked at my hair and she said, “It’s white!” Little early for that… Right? — but that’s the point. That’s the point. Okay?

If you went back 2,000 years ago and you met Jesus, He wouldn’t have light coming out of His head. He wouldn’t have shiny eyes. He looked a lot like you. He acted like you too. Jesus was born as a helpless baby. God… as a helpless baby! Jesus grew up. He grew facial hair, that’s crazy! Jesus got tired after He ministered. He even got hungry and thirsty. Look at how first John starts. Look at how John starts … his epistle. He says this about Jesus. He says:

1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—”

‘I’ve heard Him! I’ve seen Him! I’ve touched Him!’ The whole point is he’s saying, He was a real person. He was a human. So when Paul says that Christ emptied himself:

[Philippians 2:7, “… but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.]

… he’s not subtracting anything from Himself. No, he’s adding something to Himself, His human nature, which means that Jesus Christ, the God… God the Son, was so glorious, so transcendent that He actually emptied Himself by taking on human form. This is why the New King James in this passage it says:

Philippians 2:7 (New King James version) ‘Jesus made himself of no reputation.’

He became like the least of us. But why does that matter to you and I? — ’cause it does. Remember what Hebrews says, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 15, speaking of Christ, the author of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 4:15, ‘We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.’

I think it’s safe to say that you and I live in a loneliness epidemic. I think many people every morning they wake up… and maybe this is you… people wake up and they say, ‘No one knows what I’m going through, and no one cares. No one gets it.’

I remember early on in Rachel and I’s marriage, it was Christmas time, and we were going up to go visit her family up in Buffalo Center up in north Iowa. And at that point, we had been married for about a year, and my old sins were starting to bubble up. You know, when you first get married, you think it’s going to be rainbows and unicorns and, you know, mui bueno. But it turns out, we are both sinners! And I was just compounded by all the ways I’ve failed her, failed God. And at the time here at Saylorville, we were doing a sermon series, a Christmas series called God Came Down. And we were driving up to Buffalo Center, Rachel was asleep, and I’ll always remember I looked up into the sky. I saw a beautiful tapestry that God created, and then I realized, God came down… for me. That’s amazing! But it’s not just amazing. That is the central idea of our faith! That’s the idea that sets Christianity apart from everything else!

Every other religion says, ‘Reach for God and He might reach for you.’ Our faith in Christ says that when we couldn’t reach God, He reached down to us. Listen, whatever you’re experiencing, God through Christ, gets it. Jesus has had people hate Him. He knows what that feels like. Jesus has lived in poverty. Jesus has seen friends die and friends betray Him. Jesus has felt terrible pain in His body, which means that there is no depth of human grief that Jesus cannot go. There is no sorrow that Jesus Christ cannot share. No humiliation that He cannot understand.

Behold, You’re God become man. We believe in Christ humbled. And how was he humbled? Look at verse 8. Verse 8 says of Christ:

Philippians 2:8, “… being found in human form, He humbled Himself. (He chose this. He humbled Himself) by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus Christ, God the Son, the one who once dwelt with a crown of unapproachable light… out of love for you... out of a desire to reconcile you to the Father, He traded His crown of unapproachable light for a crown of thorns, to die on a rugged tree. Why? Why must Christ be fully God? Why must Christ be fully man? And why must Christ die?

Just two weeks ago I was on a plane to Nashville, and I sat next to a guy and I started witnessing to him… because, you know, where is he going to go? And as I was sharing the Gospel with him, I got to the end of our flight and I finally just asked them, “Hey, listen, heaven forbid, but if we go down, where are you going to go? Where are you going to wake up?” To which he said, and I’m quoting him:

“Listen, I try to be good. I mean, I try to live for God, but I’m not perfect. I’m only human.“        A man on a plane

You ever said that? I have. See, the profound thing is that that man on the plane, he was stating something that you and I all know. Sin is a human problem. A problem that goes all the way back to Adam, all the way back to the garden. Look what Paul says in Romans chapter 5. He’s speaking of Adam here, and he says:

Romans 5:12, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all men sinned.”

See, when that guy on the plane, when he said, “I’m only human,” he was saying something that If you and I are honest, we already know. Sin is not just something that you and I do. Sin is who we are. We are all… every single one of us… every human that’s ever lived… we’re all born in Adam, born as sinners. And because of the holiness of God, the wages of sin is death. [Romans 6:23] Sin is a human debt. It’s a human debt which means that we need a human to pay it. But the story of scripture… and not just scripture… history, is that no human can escape Adam. I can’t. You can’t. Pastor Pat can’t. We’re all fallen… except One. Look at what Paul says in Romans chapter 5. He says:

Romans 5:18, “… as one trespass (Adam’s. The original sin. As one trespass) led to condemnation for all men, so (this) one act of righteousness (the finished work of Jesus. This one act of righteousness) leads to justification and life for all men.”

Do you see what’s happening? Do you see the beauty of the God-man? — why must Jesus, the God-man, die? — Because only a perfect man can live a life that satisfies God’s law. We can’t do it, because only a true man can die the death that man deserves. And because only an infinite God can provide a death that’s sufficient, that’s powerful enough to save everyone who believes in Him! Brothers and sisters, that is the very heartbeat of Christianity and the Gospel!

The first Adam, our forefather in the Garden looking at the tree said, ‘Not Your will, God, but my will be done,’ and all of us say the same. But the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in a garden… He’s in the Garden of Gethsemane… He prays to His Father. He says:

[Luke 22:42] “… Not My will, but Your will be done.”

He is the final, perfect, last Adam. And He gave Himself as a payment for our sins, for yours and mine, and three days later He rose triumphantly, defeating death, showing that God accepted His payment! See? This is why Paul says:

[2 Corinthians 5:17] “… if anyone is in Christ, (see, all of us are born in Adam. But Paul says, if anyone is in Christ… by faith) he is a new creation.”

Listen, this might be the only thing you need to hear today. Christianity is not about working harder! It’s about being reborn in Christ and resting in Him. Behold, your God, the God-man.

One last question from the text. Do you believe in Jesus Christ crowned? Look at verse 9. I love this! Paul says:

Philippians 2:9, “Therefore…” (that is, in response to everything I just said) “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him (Jesus) and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

I heard someone say recently that:

“A creed is not just judged by its content, it’s judged by its outcome.” Anonymous

And historically, what is the outcome of God becoming a man and dying for me and you? I can’t say it better than this poem from Dr. James Francis, a poem that he calls One solitary Life. This is your God.

‘Jesus was a man who was born in obscure village, the child of a peasant. He worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was 30. Then, for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home, He never wrote a book, He never held office, He never went to college. He had no credentials that usually accompany greatness… no credentials but Himself. And yet, 21 centuries have come and gone and He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.’ And then he says this beautiful line. ‘I am far within my mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this One solitary life.’ Dr. James Francis

Why? — because Jesus was who He said He was… God… man… and Lord!

Listen, you may believe in Christ exalted. You may believe in Christ humbled, but unless Christ be crowned… in your heart, you don’t believe. Some of you, if you’re like me, when you look in the mirror, you see a lot of Adam, but some of you this morning, you only see Adam. You’re lost in your sin. You’re trying to be your own god, and it’s making you miserable. It’s ruining your life. Why not, this morning, cry out to your Messiah, ‘Jesus, Save me!’ — confess your sin, repent, take off your crown, and bow to His? Let’s pray.

Father God in heaven, Lord, we praise You and we thank You. Lord, no sermon can encapsulate what Your Son did. No words can fully explain the majesty of His finished work on the cross. So, Lord, I pray, God, that Your Spirit might go out, go out to those in this room who know You. Lord, may they cease striving and know that you’re God. May they rest in the fact that the most important thing in their life is already done… in Christ. That, Lord Jesus, You took the burden that they deserve. You lived the life they couldn’t, and You adopt them as children of the living God. And I pray for those in this room, Lord, that don’t know You. That are still in Adam, still dark, still broken, still purposeless. Lord, in Your mercy, may You say to them in their very heart what You say to us. Lord Jesus, You say, ‘All those who come to me, I will by no means cast out.’ [John 6:37] May they take off the burden of their crown and bow down to Yours. You will accept them. You love them. You died for them and rose again for them. Lord Jesus, we praise You as our Lord, our Savior and our King. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Please rise.