Who can forget FRANKENSTIEN: Igor drops the right brain and brings the wrong one.
1. We don’t need a new brain but we do need a new MIND. People in this world with great brains but terrible minds. We need the mind of Christ in us.
2. A mind contains our attitudes, desires and will to surrender our lives.
Phroneo(attitude/mind) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of one’s mind, rather than to the intellect itself. In the present tense (continuous action, lifestyle) active voice (personal decision of the will) imperative mood (command not suggestion).
Robert Murray M’Cheyne said... "It’s not great talents that God blesses, but great likeness to Jesus."
2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Romans 12:2….do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable will of God.
with unveiled face (behold) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord" in passages such as the one we are studying, we will be "transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2Cor 3:18)
WHAT DOES A BRAIN SCAN OF JESUS SHOW US?
2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Charles Lamb once said, "If Shakespeare walked into the room we would stand. But if Jesus walked into the room we would bow."
ETERNAL SON: 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
He appeared "in human likeness." He became a man fully and truly without ceasing to be God. It means that to all outward appearances he was merely a man, but in reality he was more than a man. He was God in human flesh. Call this the "Incarnation"—God coming to the earth in human flesh. We see Jesus described, defined, and declared as the Eternal Son.
John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30).
When the angel appeared to Joseph and told him that Mary was carrying a child, the angel declared, "They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1:23).
Equally God. " did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,"
The word "equal" means, "to be on par with." Jesus is the same as God, equal with God.
God has expressed Himself in three persons, thus they are equally the same.
Those who accuse us of worshipping 3 Gods. They say, "1+1+1=3." but their theology is wrong. It is 1x1x1=1. Jesus is essentially God. He is equally God.
John 5:18, "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God."
Paul tells us Jesus "thought it not robbery to be equal with God." KJVHe looked at the case, weighed all the facts and came to a certain conclusion. The word "robbery" speaks of "a treasure to be clutched and held onto at all costs." Jesus refused to selfishly cling to His favored position as the divine Son of God nor view it as a prized possession to be used for Himself
EARTHLY SERVANT! 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
"found in appearance as a man." If you and I had seen him in the first century, we wouldn’t have said, "There goes the Son of God." He didn’t look any different from anyone else.
The Eternal Son became the earthly Servant. He that was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of a servant.
"He emptied himself."Some say, "made himself nothing." In contemporary terms "became a nobody." Imagine a general taking off his uniform and dressing as a man on the street. You wouldn’t know the difference. Is he still a general? Yes. Is he in uniform? No. Christ came wearing the uniform of a common man while bearing within the high rank of Almighty God!
"the form of a bond-servant." He entered humanity at the lowest level—as a humble slave. Supreme example of humility. Didn’t merely appear as a servant but took on all that a servant is and does. He didn’t stop being God but "put on" servanthood without "putting off" Godhood. When we think of form we think of shape. Yet it does not refer to one’s shape but to one’s essential form. SHAPE SHIFTER It is the outward expression of one’s inward essence. Jesus outwardly expressed God for He is essentially God.
" taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
"likeness" means, "that which is made like something else." He took upon Himself the nature of the human race that was condemned.
A missionary told the story of two rugged, powerful mountain goats who met on a narrow pathway joining two mountain ridges. On one side was a chasm 1,000 feet deep; on the other, a steep cliff rising straight up. So narrow was the trail that there was no room to turn around, and the goats could not back up without falling. What would they do? Finally, instead of fighting for the right to pass, one of the goats knelt down and made himself as flat as possible. The other goat then walked over him, and they both proceeded safely.
Jesus Christ left heaven’s glory and came to this earth to die for our sins. He saw us trapped with no way to help ourselves. He came in the likeness of men and took the form of a servant (Phil. 2:5-8). By dying for sinful mankind, He let us "walk over Him" so that we could experience forgiveness and receive eternal life.
When He took upon Himself the form of man He did not give up the form of God. He did not give up His deity to assume humanity. He was fully God and He was fully man. He was not half God and half man. He was fully God and fully man. He was the God-man.
When the president of a great railroad died, a long procession of plain-clothed workers marched behind the casket on the way to the cemetery. A sign was carried in the procession that read: "He was one of us."
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He became one of us. God became man. He left the heavenly to join the earthly. He that was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of man.
the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1:14)
2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
He was willing to take upon Himself the likeness of man and die upon the cross to save a condemned people from their sins.
"humbled" means "to bring low." The cross was considered the most ignominious and degrading deaths one could die. It was a form of death reserved only for criminals and even then, only those who were not citizens of the Roman Empire.
Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Degrading to humanity, but one can only imagine the degradation to Deity.
Moody used to tell of the days when the gold fever swept California. A man went west leaving his wife and their boy in New England. Soon He struck it rich and sent for his dear ones. The wife’s heart leaped for joy. Taking her boy to New York, she boarded a steamer sailing for San Francisco. The ship had not been out at sea very long before there was a cry of, "Fire! Fire!" On board was gun powder and the captain knew the moment fire reached that store all on board would perish. Lifeboats were launched, but they proved to be too small and too few and were quickly overcrowded. As the last boat pushed away, the mother pled with the boatman to take her and her boy. "No, I dare not take another." But she continued to plead, and at last the boatman consented to take one. Do you think the mother leaped into the boat, leaving her boy to perish with the others? No, she seized him, gave him one last hug, and dropped him into the boat with these parting words, "My boy, if you live to see your father, tell him that I died in your place."
The Son became a Servant who became a Substitute. He assumed our likeness that He might abandon His life. He died that we might live. He died in our place.
In 1927 a man named Asibi, a West African native, came down with yellow fever. Unlike so many others, he did not die. Because his system had conquered the disease, Asibi’s blood contained the antibodies which the doctors used to develop a successful vaccine. That vaccine has saved the lives of untold numbers of people around the world. Each dose of vaccine can be traced back to Asibi’s original blood sample. One man’s blood has saved the lives of millions of people.
Eternal Son! Earthly Servant!
THE EXALTED SAVIOUR! 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Because the Eternal Son became the earthly Servant, God hath made Him the exalted Saviour.
"highly exalted" mean to "to the highest rank and power, to raise to supreme majesty." Words are actually a double superlative.
He has been given "The name which is above every name."
"The name." This is actually a title that denotes office, rank, and dignity. Jesus is One with THE NAME. He ranks as no other.
John 3:31 "He that comes from above is above all. he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: he that comes from heaven is above all."
All the great names of the world pale in comparison
When you mention Jesus, there is no one to stand beside Him. He stands alone. He is forever the great unlike.
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul tells us that all creation will bow at His feet. "Things in heaven" will bow at the name of Jesus. Angels will worship Him. All of heaven will worship Him.
"Things in earth" will bow at the name of Jesus. Every man, woman, and child will bow at His feet. All of humanity will worship Him.
"Things under the earth" shall bow at the name of Jesus. Even the dead will be raised and will worship Him. All of hell will worship Him.
"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." He should and shall be acknowledged as Lord.
"confess" means to agree openly. One day every atheist, agnostic and God-hater will agree and publicly declare that He is Lord.
French philosopher Voltaire predicted that Christianity would be swept from existence within one hundred years. Yet just fifty years after he died in 1779, the German Bible Society had occu¬pied Voltaire’s house and was using his printing press to produce stacks of Bibles.
During World War II, Adolf Hitler erected a massive stone structure in Monte Carlo. It was to be a radio station from which to broadcast Nazi propaganda into North Africa. Today, from that very building, Trans World Radio beams the Gospel of Christ’s redeeming love all across Europe and into Russia and Africa.
E. P Scott was a pioneer missionary to India who One day found himself surrounded by a murderous band of tribesmen. On impulse, he took out his violin and began to play and sing, "All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name."
When he reached the stanza "let every kindred and every tribe" he saw to his surprise every spear lowered and many of the tribesman moved to tears.
One day at the name of Jesus every tribesman will lay down their spears, every blasphemer will silence their attacks, every agnostic will abandon their beliefs, and every king and queen will lay down their crowns and acknowledge Him to be Lord.
Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all.
A psychiatrist once unknowingly referred to one of God’s paradoxes, remarking, "The greatest secret of mental health comes down to us in the words, ’Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will save it.’" He added, "I forget who said that, but it is a great truth."
