Christmas/ MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST-IV—
—Philippians 2:5-8[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8](2:1-18)
*THIS WAS A BARE-BONES SERMON, DUE TO TIME-CONSTRAINTS RESULTING FROM A CONSECUTIVE CELEBRATION OF 'THE LORD'S SUPPER' AS A PART OF THE MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE.*
Those who ‘play church’, do so WITHOUT the power of God! They may have their name on the church roll, but they ‘play church’ by the self-righteous, self-centered, feeble, & ineffective power of the flesh!
The way God’s people approach the challenges of life is very telling....
God’s people are EXPECTED to minister WITH the mind of Christ Jesus, our Savior & Lord!....
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?
5 characteristics of (Christmas)ministry with the mind of Christ Jesus.
Christmas/ MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST-IV
—Philippians 2:5-8[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8](2:1-18)
Before Christmas, we began to explore what it means to celebrate ‘CHRISTMAS: With The MIND Of CHRIST’....
And thru extending that exploration into the new year, so far we have found that:
1. ‘Christmas/ MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST’
‘LOVES As JESUS LOVES(:1-4)’
....TODAY we’ll also discover that....
2—Christmas/ MINISTRY with the mind of Christ ALSO...
GIVES As JESUS GIVES(:5-8)[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8]
Explanation:(:5-8)
:5—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
The virtue of “love” & healthy concern for others(:1-4), that is possessed by each of God’s people, is lived out with the very same “mindset” that “Christ Jesus” Himself possessed, exemplified, & demonstrated thru His birth/incarnation(:6-8).
Thereby IF we, being God’s people, all possess the “mind” of Christ”(1Cor. 2:16, Jn. 16:13) in & thru our heart of hearts, & lovingly proclaim Him, THEN all of our actions will be born from that ‘born-again nature’!(Jn. 3:6-7)
1Cor. 2:16—the apostle Paul said,—“For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
Jn. 16:13—Jesus said,—“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come.”
Jn. 3:6-7—Jesus said,—““That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”
God’s people supernaturally & freely live out & display that new, ‘born-again’ ‘nature’!
Those who truly belong to, & commit themselves to God, are living examples of those who are constantly considering & reasoning by & with the “mind” of “Christ Jesus”!
: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.
This verse is a continuation & more detailed explanation of what is meant by the “mind” that is “in Christ Jesus”(:5).
•What follows here in verses :6-8, is a faithful description of the compulsion of ‘the mind of Christ’ Jesus(:5), in doing what He did for us on the Cross....And all of, WHAT ‘the mind of Christ’ compelled Jesus to do!
*Before linear time began, Jesus Himself existed “in the form of God”(Jn. 1:1-3). He has always existed in the perfect essence of the Trinitarian God.
•And so, Jesus had no need to be more than He was, because He always was & always remains Divine!
•So there was never a thought in the pre-incarnate “mind” of “Christ” that He should have need to usurp or “rob” “God” of any aspect of “God’s” throne!
•And likewise, “God” was neither threatened nor offended by Christ Jesus, The Word of God(Jn. 1:1), but was satisfied in & with Him(Mat. 17:5; 2Pet. 1:16-19).
Mat. 17:1-5—“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!””
2Pet. 1:16-19—“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;”
•And that is because Jesus was, is, & will always continue to be “God”, ever in perfect Trinitarian harmony. So Jesus is indeed always “equal with God.”
*And so, Jesus Himself existing or “being in the form of God”, “did not” even or ever “consider” Himself to be either above or below “God.”
•But rather, Jesus, by His nature AS “God”, was & is “equal” within the Trinitarian nature of “God’s” existence.
:7a—“but made Himself of no reputation,...”
We know WHY Jesus was compelled to be Jesus of Nazareth, born of Mary. The flawless, loving perfections of His Divine “mind”(:5) compelled Him to fulfill God’s plan for mankind, by taking human flesh to Himself, & living in the form of a man(:7b).
In verse :7a, we are given insight into WHAT the ‘mind(set) of Christ’, drove this ‘second person of the Trinity’(as scholars may refer to Him) to accomplish thru attaining His birth.
•He did that by: Perfectly & voluntarily ‘emptying’(kenow) Himself, or depriving Himself, of the fullness of His heavenly & Divine glory!
He willingly surrendered something of Himself, for your sakes!
“Made...Of No Reputation/Emptied/Made...Nothing”—kenow—1Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—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. Used 5X--Rom. 4:14; 1Cor. 1:17; 1Cor. 9:15; 2Cor. 9:3; Php. 2:7.?From—kenov—Empty(literally or figuratively); apparently a primary word.
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
God’s people are EXPECTED to minister WITH the mind of Christ Jesus, our Savior & Lord!....
Action:
Christmas/ MINISTRY: with the mind of Christ...
2-A. GIVES As JESUS GIVES(:5-8)[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8]
1. LOVES As JESUS LOVES(:1-4)
Pnt# 2-A[Part-1--5-7a of :5-8] presented 01/11/2026am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
