ESTABLISHED THRU JESUS’ BIRTH-II—Philippians 2:1-13
Need:
The TV short ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was released in 1965.
In the movie, there is another scene at the very end which, since I’ve been saved, always brings tears to my eyes...
Its the final scene when Charlie Brown returns to find his friends have decorated his tree. All his friends say in unison.... “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!”
And then they all begin to sing [my favorite Christmas hymn] ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’
Hark, the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king!
Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations rise!
Join the triumph of the skies!
With angelic host proclaim: Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark, the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king.
Christmas is an absolutely fantastic time of year! But most are at a loss as to how to explain its true magic.
Christmas infuses secular tradition(trees, ornaments, wreathes, lights, etc.) with Christian meaning.
Paul discloses the importance of Jesus’ birth.
Jesus’ birth is of utmost importance to the Christian.
Why is Jesus’ birth of utmost importance to the Christian?
7 significant establishments of Jesus’ birth.
2—Jesus’ birth is significant in that it...
Establishes UNVAUNTED LOVE(:3-5)
Explanation:(:3-5) Attitude/Mindset
:3—“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
Such unity as described above(:1-2) is manifested practically in the absolute absence of “selfish ambition”& “conceit” from our pursuits. True Christians will rather approach others in humility, with the consideration that “others”(unqualified) are to be highly esteemed even above ourselves. With this attitude in place within the heart of the Christian, no one will be taken advantage of & the world will see that the love of Christ is the supreme course of action for any person &/or people.
“Selfish ambition/Strife/Selfishness/Rivalry”—eriyeia—1) Electioneering or intriguing for office—1a) apparently, in the NT A courting distinction, a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan & fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts, 1b) Partisanship, fractiousness. This word is found before NT times only in Aristotle where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means. Strong—properly--Intrigue, i.e. (by implication--Faction. Used 7X.
“Conceit/Vainglory/Empty conceit”—kenodoxia—1) Vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride; 2) A vain opinion, error. Strong—Empty glorying, i.e. Self-conceit. Used 1X.
From—kenov—1) Empty, vain, devoid of truth—&—doxa—1) Opinion, judgment, view; 2) Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3) Splendor, brightness; 4) A most glorious condition, most exalted state.
“Lowliness of mind/Humility of mind/Humility”—tapeinofrosunh—1) the having a humble opinion of one's self; 2) A deep sense of one's (moral) littleness; 3) Modesty, humility, lowliness of mind. Tapeinofrosunh is humility, not the making of one's self small when he is really great, but thinking little of one's self, because this is in a sense the right estimate for any human being, however great. Strong—Humiliation of mind, i.e. modesty. Used 7X.
From—tapeinov—Depressed, i.e. figuratively--Humiliated(in circumstances or disposition).—&—frhn—The midrif(as a partition of the body), i.e. figuratively & by implication, of sympathy--The feelings(or sensitive nature; by extension[also in the plural]--The mind or cognitive faculties).
“Esteem/Regard/Consider”—hgeomai—1) To lead; 2) To consider, deem, account, think. Hgeomai & nomizw denote a belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, & the weighing & comparing of facts. Hgeomai denotes a more deliberate & careful judgment than nomizw. Strong—To lead, i.e. Command(with official authority); figuratively--To deem, i.e. Consider.
“Better/More important”—uperecw—1) To have or hold over one; 2) To stand out, rise above, overtop—2a) To be above, be superior in rank, authority, power—2a1) The prominent men, rulers, 2b) To excel, to be superior, better than, to surpass. Strong— To hold oneself above, i.e. figuratively--To excel; participle(as adjective, or neuter as noun) Superior, superiority. Used 5X.
:4—“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Likewise, with a lack of selfish ambition etc.(:3), the Christian individual, & thereby its corporate manifestations,will be colored by a concern for maintaining “the interests of others.”
Obviously one must also “look out for” one’s “own interests,” lest anyone think the Christian life is built completely around the petty satisfactions of the lost & his world.
“Look out for”—skopew—1) To look at, observe, contemplate; 2) To mark; 3) To fix one's eyes upon, direct one's attention to, any one; 4) To look to, take heed to thyself. Skopew is more pointed than blepw, often meaning “to scrutinize, observe.” When the physical sense recedes, “to fix one's (mind's) eye on, direct one's attention to” a thing in order to get it, or owing to interest in it, or a duty towards it. Hence often the same as "to aim at, care for etc." Strong—To take aim at(spy), i.e. figuratively-Regard. Used 6X.
“Interests”2X—to—=“The Things”—1) This, that, these, etc. Strong—In all their inflections; the def. article; ‘the’(sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).
“Others”—eterov—1) The other, another, other. Allov as compared with eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences; allov adds ('one besides'), eterov distinguishes ('one of two'); every eterov is an allov but not every allov is a eterov. Strong—(an-, the) Other or different.
:5—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,””
The above sentiment is descriptive of the very same “mindset” as “Christ Jesus” Himself. Thereby if we possess the same(mind of Christ(1Cor. 2:16, Jn. 16:13)) in our hearts & not with our lips alone, we have surrendered & submitted to the love of God which is had only in “Christ Jesus.”
“Mind/Attitude”—fronew—1) To have understanding, be wise; 2) To feel, to think—2a) To have an opinion of one's self, think of one's self, to be modest, not let one's opinion (though just) of himself exceed the bounds of modesty, 2b) To think or judge what one's opinion is, 2c) To be of the same mind i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious; 3) To direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for—3a) To seek one's interest or advantage, 3b) To be of one's party, side with him (in public affairs). Strong—To exercise the mind, i.e. Entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication--To be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intensively--To interest oneself in(with concern or obedience).
Argumentation:
1Cor. 13:1-8—“Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge, & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
*Rom. 12:9-21—“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, & weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Rom. 15:5-7—“Now may the God of patience & comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind & one mouth glorify the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”
1Cor. 1:10 “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind & in the same judgment.”
2Cor. 13:11—“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; & the God of love & peace will be with you.”
*1Pet. 3:8-9—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
*Rom. 5:6-9—“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Illustration:
Suppose ‘Susan’ provides care for her aging mother who cannot care for herself/Such care is commendable & sacrificial but Susan thinks nothing of it because she loves her mother!/To do this she humbles herself/She & her husband must allow her personal desires to go unmet/She & her husband must compromise her way of life to accommodate her mother/Exemplifies UNVAUNTED LOVE which is Established thru Jesus’ birth!
Application:
?Has Jesus’ Birth Established LOVE in & thru you?
?You missed the Significance of Jesus’ Birth?
3—Jesus’ birth is significant in that it...
Establishes JESUS’ DEITY(:6)
Explanation:(:6)
:6—“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,””
The “Who” is referring to Christ Jesus of :5.
Though Jesus Himself existed “in the form of God,” He was there in the perfect essence of the Trinitarian God. Thus Jesus had neither need to be more than He was nor was He there to usurp(“robbery”) the throne of God, for He was(& is) “God” already in perfect Trinitarian harmony. Jesus is indeed “equal with God,” God not being offended or threatened but conditionally satisfied.
“Being/Existed/Subsisting”—uparcw—Present Active Participle—1) To begin below, to make a beginning—1a) To begin; 2) To come forth, hence to be there, be ready, be at hand; 3) To be. Strong—To begin under(quietly), i.e. Come into existence(be present or at hand); expletively--To exist(as copula or subordinate to an adjective, participle, adverb or preposition, or as auxiliary to principal (verb).
From—upo—a primary preposition; Under, i.e. (with the genitive case)of place--Beneath), or (with verbs)The agency or means, through; (with the accusative case)of place--Whither [underneath] or where--[Below] or time--When [at])—&—arcomai—1)To commence(in order of time).
“Form”—morfh—1) The form by which a person or thing strikes the vision; 2) External appearance. Morfh "form" differs from schma "figure, shape, fashion", as that which is intrinsic & essential, from 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. Strong—perhaps from the base of merov (through the idea of adjustment of parts); Shape; figuratively--Nature. Used 3X.
“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
“God”—yeov—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way. Strong—A deity, especially (with o, h, to) The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
“Consider/Thought/Regard”—hgeomai—1) To lead; 2) To consider, deem, account, think. Strong—To lead, i.e. Command(with official authority); figuratively--To deem, i.e. Consider.
“Robbery/To be grasped”—arpagmov—1) The act of seizing, robbery; 2) A thing seized or to be seized—2a) Booty to deem anything a prize, 2b) A thing to be seized upon or to be held fast, retained. Strong—Plunder(properly concrete). Used 1X.
From—arpazw—To sieze(in various applications).
“Equal/Equality”—isov—Adj.—1) Equal, in quantity or quality. Strong—probably from eidw (through the idea of seeming); Similar(in amount & kind). Used 8X.
Argumentation:
Jn. 1:1-4—“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, & the life was the light of men.”
Rev. 17:7-14—“But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman & of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads & the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, & is not, & will ascend out of the bottomless pit & go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, & is not, & yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, & the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the beast that was, & is not, is himself also the eighth, & is of the seven, & is going to perdition. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, & they will give their power & authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, & the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords & King of kings; & those who are with Him are called, chosen, & faithful.””
Rev. 19:11-16—“Now I saw heaven opened, & behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness He judges & makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, & on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, & His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white & clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness & wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe & on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Mat. 1:18-23—“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, & not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “And she will bring forth a Son, & you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”” Illustration:
Trinitarian concept colors every aspect of our choices made/Christians respond very differently from those who do NOT(Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Muslims) accept that Jesus is the Son of God as well as God the Son/Jesus’ Cross-work is decisive & eternally effective/Exemplifies JESUS’ DEITY which is Established thru Jesus’ birth!
Ben Owen III of Ben Owen Pottery is considered an equal with his father who established his family-run pottery business in Seagrove, NC/He is known world-wide/He does not consider it “robbery” to fill his father’s shoes/Neither His father nor himself are diminished in any way as they enter into the same tasks/Exemplifies JESUS’ DEITY which is Established thru Jesus’ birth!
Both a judge & savior
Application:
?Has Jesus’ Birth Established His DEITY in & thru you?
?You missed the Significance of Jesus’ Birth?
4—Jesus’ birth is significant in that it...
Establishes SELF-GIVING COMPASSION(:7-8)
Explanation:(:7-8)
:7—“but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men.”
Being equal with God in His pre-incarnate “form,” Jesus took upon “Himself,” by personally Divine decision privilege, & will, to take on the actual nature of a willing slave.
The fact of Jesus bond-service was that He lived as a man. Thus all men are intended to be bond-servants of God.
We are given insight as to how this was done. This He did by voluntarily emptying &/or depriving Himself of His heavenly & Divine glory & thereby submitting Himself to becoming identified as human. It was His choice & ability which accomplished this uniquely singular feat.
“Made of...no reputation/Emptied/Made...nothing”—kenow—1) To empty, make empty—1a) Of Christ, he laid aside equality with or the form of God; 2) To make void—2a) Deprive of force, render vain, useless, of no effect; 3) To make void, 3b) Cause a thing to be seen to be empty, hollow, false. Strong—To make empty, i.e. figuratively--To abase, neutralize, falsify.
“Taking/Took upon”—lambanw—1) To take; 2) To receive(what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active--To get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Form of/Very nature” (See :6)—morfh—
“Servant/Bond-servant”—doulov—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition—1a) A slave, 1b) metaph., 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).
“Coming”—ginomai—1) To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. to come to pass, happen—2a) Of events; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage—3a) Of men appearing in public; 4) To be made, finished—4a) Of miracles, to be performed, wrought; 5) To become, be made. Strong—To cause to be("gen"-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude(literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“Likeness”—omoiwma—1) That which has been made after the likeness of something—1a) A figure, image, likeness, representation, 1b) Likeness i.e. resemblance, such as amounts almost to equality or identity. Strong—A form; abstractly, resemblance. Used 6X.
From—omoiow—To assimilate, i.e. Compare; passively--To become similar.
“Men”—anyrwpov—1) A human being, whether male or female; 2) indefinitely--Someone, a man, one; 3) in the plural, People; 4) joined with other words, Merchantman. Strong—Man-faced, i.e. A human being.
From—anhr—a man(properly as an individual male)—&—wq(the countenance).
:8—“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.””
As a man(:7), Jesus then “humbled Himself” before God by being “obedient.” His obedience was manifested fully by allowing Himself to be given to death by the very men He came to save. His death was a further example of humility in that it was undeserved, He being treated shamefully as a common criminal upon “the cross,”—the Roman means of torturous capital disposal.
Jesus exemplified & set the ideal for every Christian to strive for. By faith we are equipped by God with everything needed to satisfy His design & will for us. Thru Christ we are sealed for salvation by the Holy Spirit(2Cor. 1:22;2Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14; Eph. 4:30).
Thru Him we are granted godly wisdom & conviction of sin. By His direct ministering we receive training in righteousness for our conscience(Jn. 16:8-15).
“Found”—euriskw—1) To come upon, hit upon, to meet with—1a) after searching, To find a thing sought, 1b) without previous search, To find (by chance), to fall in with, 1c) Those who come or return to a place; 2) To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice & experience—2a) To see, learn, discover, understand, 2b) To be found i.e. to be seen, be present, 2c) To be discovered, recognised, detected, to show one's self out, of one's character or state as found out by others (men, God, or both), 2d) To get knowledge of, come to know, God; 3) To find out for one's self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. Strong—To find (literally or figuratively).
“Appearance/Fashion”—schma—1) the habitus, as comprising everything in a person which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing, discourse, actions, manner of life etc. Morfh "form" differs from schma "figure, shape, fashion", as that which is intrinsic & essential, from 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. Both schma & idea therefore deal with externals, schma being more comprehensive than idea. Strong—A figure(as a mode or circumstance), i.e. by implication--External condition. Used 2X.
“Humbled”—tapeinow—1) To make low, bring low—1a) To level, reduce to a plain, 1b) metaph. To bring into a humble condition, reduce to meaner circumstances, 1c) To lower, depress. Strong—To depress; figuratively--To humiliate(in condition or heart).
“Obedient”—uphkoov—1) Giving ear, obedient. Strong—Attentively listening, i.e. by implication--Submissive.
Argumentation:
Jn. 13:1-5—“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, & that He had come from God & was going to God, rose from supper & laid aside His garments, took a towel & girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin & began to wash the disciples’ feet, & to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”
Eph. 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Lk. 19:10—““for the Son of Man has come to seek & to save that which was lost.””
1Jn. 4:10-11—“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1Cor. 13:1-3—“Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge, & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
Mat. 9:35-38—“Then Jesus went about all the cities & villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, & healing every sickness & every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.””
Mat. 20:34—“So Jesus had compassion & touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, & they followed Him.”
Lk. 7:12-15—“And when He came near the gate of the city[Nain], behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; & she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her & said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came & touched the open coffin, & those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up & began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.”
Rom. 12:15—“Rejoice with those who rejoice, & weep with those who weep.”
Lk. 15:17-20—““But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough & to spare, & I perish with hunger! ‘I will arise & go to my father, & will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven & before you, “& I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose & came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him & had compassion, & ran & fell on his neck & kissed him.”
No matter where you’ve been...No matter what you’ve done...Forgiveness can be yours thru your heavenly Father’s self-giving compassion, explained in Jesus.
**1Jn. 3:16-19—“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, & sees his brother in need, & shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, & shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Rom. 8:5-9—“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
Js. 4:4-10—“Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Jesus saw the plight of people & He was driven to Leave Heaven.
Defy Religion.
the Cross.
the Resurrection.
Ascension.
Send the Holy Spirit.
Raise up the Church.
Illustration:
Why do we know of Mother Teresa?/Her selflessness seen thru concern for others/‘Mother Teresa’ said of herself, “"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."/She is renowned worldwide as an instrument of self-giving compassion/For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, & dying, the helpless & outcasts of this world, particularly in India/Exemplifies SELF-GIVING COMPASSION which is Established thru Jesus’ birth!
...OR...
Perhaps our compassion could be lived out thru our supporting Foreign Missions & missionaries(thru the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, etc.) or thru supporting National Missions & missionaries thru the Annie Armstrong Missions Offering/Exemplifies SELF-GIVING COMPASSION which is Established thru Jesus’ birth!
Application:
?Has Jesus’ Birth Established a SELF-GIVING COMPASSION in & thru you?
?You missed the Significance of Jesus’ Birth?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Charlie Brown’s lament— “Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? “
Action:
Jesus’ birth is significant in that it Establishes...
2. UNVAUNTED LOVE(:3-5) Attitude/Mindset
3. JESUS’ DEITY(:6)
4. SELF-GIVING COMPASSION(:7-8)
1. JOY(:1-2)
Presented 12/03/2012pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
