I AM SECOND - Nothing - March 30, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Value others above yourselves
Not looking to your own interests
The same mindset of Christ Jesus - humility and servanthood
He let go of equality with God
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:1-11 NIV
“rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:7 NIV
I. JESUS MADE HIMSELF NOTHING
Kenosis - emptying
“From the Greek the word kenôsis (κένωσις) has passed into theological language, appearing here and there in the Fathers, frequently in modern treatises. Of recent years much has been said upon this great mystery in the direction of proving or suggesting that during “the days of His Flesh” (Hebrews 5:7)the Lord (practically) parted with His Deity; becoming the (Incarnate) Son of God only in His glorification after death. Such a view seems to contravene many plain testimonies of the Gospels, and most of all the pervading toneof the Gospels, as they present to us in the Lord Jesus on earth a Figure “meek and lowly” indeed, but always infinitely and mysteriously majestic; significantly dependent indeed on the Father, and on the Spirit, but always speaking to man in the manner of One able to deal sovereignly with all man’s needs.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A. Jesus own action
1. Emptying
2. Made himself nothing
B. Nothing
1. No reputation
2. Empty
C. The humiliation
A woman took her husband to the doctor’s office. After his checkup, the doctor said, "Your husband is suffering from a very serious infection." The husband, who was hard of hearing said, "What did he say?"
His wife said, "He says you’re sick".
The doctor went on. "But there is hope. You just need to reduce his stress. Each morning, give him a healthy breakfast. Be pleasant, nice, and kind. For lunch and dinner make him his favorite meal. Don’t discuss your problems with him; it will only make his stress worse. Don’t yell at him or argue with him. And most importantly...just cater to your husband’s every whim. If you can do this for your husband for the next 6 months to a year, I think your husband will have a complete recovery."
The husband said, "What did he say?"
His wife said, "He says, you’re going to die".
It might be funny, but many of us would rather doing anything else than humbly serve.
II. JESUS TOOK THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT
J. B. Lightfoot’s brief note says nearly all that can be said with reverent certainty: “ ‘He divested Himself’ not of His Divine nature, for this was impossible, but of the glories, the prerogatives, of Deity. This He did by taking upon Him the form of a servant.”
“A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles Lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Luke 22:24-27 NIV
A. “Slave-form”
1. Slave to God
2. Slave to men
B. Manifestation, not resemblance
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:25-28 NIV
C. Prophecy
““Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.””
Isaiah 42:1-4 NIV
III. JESUS WAS MADE IN HUMAN LIKENESS
A. Born
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
Galatians 4:4-5 NIV
B. Sameness
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV
1. Not an apparition
2. Not an illusion
C. Nature
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,”
Romans 8:3 NIV
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
CONCLUSION
“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”
1 Timothy 3:16 NIV
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 NIV
God could empathize with us.
When visiting the Hawaiian Island many tourists will visit the island of Molokai. It has quiet charm, gentle breezes and a soft surf. Father Damien came to the island for a different reason. He came to help people die. He came there because leprosy came there first. No one knows how leprosy came to Hawaii but the first case recorded was about 1840.
While no one can trace the source of the disease the results are well known; disfigurement, pain, decay and panic. The government responded by depositing those with leprosy to a small part of the island surrounded on three sides by water and a tall mountain on the 4th. Colleen and I had the opportunity years ago to hike down the mountain to village.
The lepers lived there in shanties with limited food. Ships would drop off crates of food and hoped the sea would float the supplies to the land. The message was clear. You are not valuable anymore. But for Father Damian the message was different.
He wrote: “I want to sacrifice myself for the poor lepers.” He immersed himself in their world, hugging them, dressing their sores, burying their dead. His choir sang in rags and received communion with stumped hands. Because they mattered to God they mattered to him.
Somewhere along the way, through a touch of kindness or sharing of communion, the disease passed from member to Father Damian. He became a leper and on April 15, 1889 he died of the disease. Scientists now know the disease as “Hansen’s Disease” and have learned how to treat it. We no longer quarantine lepers to islands like Molokai.
Their lives were never the same once they contracted leprosy. When Father Damien brought the love and good news of Jesus, they were never the same again. They knew they had the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
Clarence Eisberg, Sermon Central, August 4, 2022.
Jesus made himself nothing. Jesus took the very nature of a servant. Jesus was made in human likeness.
“Servanthood is an ‘acquired’ taste for many. How many of you enjoy coffee? Of those that do, how many of you enjoyed coffee as a small child? The taste for coffee came with a maturing of your palate. For many Christians, a heart of servanthood towards others does not come naturally, but with a ‘maturing’ of Christian character.”
Timothy O’Fallon, Sermon Central, June 27, 2004.
Rick Warren posed an interesting question, “When was the last time you emptied yourself for someone else’s benefit?”
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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