Christmas/New Year/ Ministry: With The Mind Of Christ-

Christmas/ MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST-V—

—Philippians 2:5-8[Part-2--7b-8 of :5-8](2:1-18)

God’s people are EXPECTED to minister WITH the mind of Christ Jesus, our Savior & Lord!....

Whereas, those who are merely ‘sentimentally religious’, ‘play church’ WITHOUT the power of God! In doing so, they operate by the feeble, & ineffective power of the flesh!

It’s one thing to know Jesus as your Savior, but it is quite another to live by His direction as your Lord!

Need:

The apostle Paul counseled the Philippian church to minister empowered with the mind of Christ Jesus.

God’s people are to minister with the mind of Christ Jesus.

How do God’s people minister with the mind of Christ Jesus?

4 characteristics of (Christmas)ministry with the mind of Christ Jesus.

In the last few weeks we’ve been looking at what it means to celebrate ‘CHRISTMAS: With The MIND Of CHRIST’....

And since we’ve extended that exploration into the new year & beyond, I’ve shifted the focus somewhat in that, we’re discovering that:

‘Christmas/ MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST’...

1. ‘LOVES As JESUS LOVES’(:1-4)

2-A. ‘GIVES As JESUS GIVES’(:5-8)[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8]

....TODAY we’ll further investigate what is involved in:

2-B—Christmas/ MINISTRY with the mind of Christ, AS IT...

‘GIVES As JESUS GIVES’(:5-8)[Part-2--7b-8 of :5-8]

:7b—“...taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men.”

Being by nature, in His pre-incarnate “form”, “in the form of God”(:6), & being “equal with God”(:6), Jesus took upon “Himself”, the actual nature of a willing “bondservant” or ‘slave’!

•Jesus ‘became flesh’ by reason of the Trinity’s own perfect & Divine, decision, privilege, & will.

“Form of/Very nature”(See :6)—morfh—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) The form by which a person or thing strikes the vision; 2) External appearance. Morfh “form”, is that which is intrinsic & essential; [as opposed to] schma “figure, shape, fashion”, [or] that which is outward & accidental. Fritzsche in Php 2:7 to relate to the complete form or nature of a servant; & schma to the external form, or human body in Php 2:8. In morfh it is also implied that the outward form expresses the inner essence, an idea which is absent from schma. Strong—Shape; figuratively--Nature; perhaps from the base of merov(through the idea of adjustment of parts). Used 3X--Php. 2:7.?“Morfh means the essential attributes as shown in the form. In his pre-incarnate state Christ possessed the attributes of God & so appeared to those in heaven who saw him. Here is a clear statement by Paul of the deity of Christ.”—RWP?English = ‘Morph’; ‘Morph-ology’.

“Servant/Bond-servant”—doulov—Noun Masc. - Genitive Sing. Masc.—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition—1a) A slave, 1b) metaphorically--One who gives himself up to another's will. Those whose service is used by Christ in extending & advancing his cause among men, 1c) Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; 2) A servant, attendant. Doulov is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master. Strong—A slave(literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency).

The fact of Jesus’ “bond-service”—intentional & permanent servitude TO God, by intentional servitude AS a man—was that He left heaven to live among “men” as a man.

•And so, Jesus is 100% God, yet 100% man as well!

One reality seen from Jesus’ choice, was that all “men” CAN & SHOULD be intentional ‘bond-servants’ of God!(See :8)

•And in that manner of “a bondservant”, ‘the second person of the Trinity’ intentionally, purposely, & perfectly submitted Himself to being human(Heb. 1:1-4; 2:14-18).

Heb. 1:1-3—“God, who at various times & in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory & the express image of His person, & upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Heb. 2:14-18—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful & faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”