This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

Welcome to our look at Philippians chapter 2 and daily drive time devotions.
This is day 2. We're looking at verses 5 to 11 today.

You might remember that yesterday we began this look at how do I handle the fact
that God has given me these abilities, this potential? How do I handle it in a
way that creates joy? We talked about humility as being one of the keys to that,
the key to that, and began with a look at the right foundation for humility, the
encouragement and the comfort and the love that God gives to us, and the right
choices for humility, the importance of others and the interests of others.

We ended by talking about the fact we need power to do this. And the power to
have that kind of attitude of humility, to live in a different way, comes from
Jesus Christ. I have to be empowered by and I have to follow the right example.

And this is talked about in one of the most powerful passages in all the Bible,
Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 to 11. Let me read that entire passage for you.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very
nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant and being made in human
likeness, and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became
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 new should bow, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " These are incredible verses about Jesus
and they're awesome verses about you. These verses are all about following his
example, his example of humility.

But they're also all about Jesus and what he came to this earth to do for us.
And so I'd like to do this few minutes today in two parts, what these verses
tell us about Jesus and what these verses tell us about ourselves, how we follow
the example of Jesus. What do these verses tell us about Jesus?

These verses were likely sung as a song in the early church. Paul very likely
was quoting some words here that most of them already knew, reminding them of
who Jesus is. This is one of the most powerful Christological passages in all
the New Testament.

And theologians have mined it for 2,000 years and still not gotten to all of its
riches. So to try to explain this in a few minutes is obviously impossible. But
let us try instead just to sort of hit the high points of what this incredible
passage says.

What does it say about Jesus? It says he is God, he made himself nothing, and he
was exalted to the highest place. First he is God, who being in very nature God.

Jesus is God in human flesh. We know that from the gospel writers. We know that
from Paul writing here that Jesus is God in human flesh.

Some people think Paul didn't know what he was talking about. It's interesting
when you compare Isaiah 45 to Philippians 2, the comparison. In Isaiah 45 verses
22 and 23, a passage Paul would have known well, as a Pharisee he'd memorize
most of the Old Testament.

That passage says, "I am God and there is no other, before me every knee will
bow. By me every tongue will swear. " Paul takes that passage and he applies it
to Jesus Christ here.

"At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. " He's
very clearly saying Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. Just let that amaze you
for a moment.

As often as you may have heard it, God came to this planet for you and for me.
He is God. Even more amazing, number two, he made himself nothing.

He didn't grasp at his rights as God, but instead he took the nature of a
servant. He was made in human likeness. He took on our flesh.

And the Bible says not only that, he wasn't just born as a baby in Bethlehem. He
also suffered the cruel torture of a cross on Calvary. Jesus went to the cross
and he gave his life for us.

He humbled himself. He became obedient to the point of death, even death, cruel,
torturous death on a cross. We could spend hours on the simple truth that Jesus
Christ humbled himself to the point that he loved us enough to give himself for
us.

He gave himself for you. He made himself nothing. He made the choice to do that.

And because of that, the Bible says that God exalted him to the highest place.
Every knee will bow. Now that does not mean that all will be saved at the end.

It does mean that all will recognize Jesus for who he really is. Some in
salvation, those who've chosen to trust him on this earth while they've lived.
Some in judgment, those who will recognize only at the last that they should
have, they could have trusted him.

Every knee will bow. Satan's knee will bow. Every knee will bow.

Now I've walked through that passage very quickly and what it has to say about
Jesus. Because at the beginning of this passage, in verse 5, it says, "Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. " And so this passage, the
most Christological passage in all the New Testament, is simply an application
of how you and I are to live.

In Matthew 11, Jesus said, verse 29, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart. " So how do I follow the example of Jesus
here? Well three things.

Number one, you recognize God's gifts. Now you're certainly not God. For Jesus
it meant recognizing he was God.

You're not God, but you do have gifts from God. And just as humility for Jesus
didn't mean him pretending he wasn't God, humility for you doesn't mean you
pretending you don't have gifts from God. You have some incredible gifts from
God.

And you recognize that God has given you gifts. You enjoy the fact that God has
given you gifts. Now keep that in perspective.

Recognize that the gifts are from God and don't act as if somehow you're God's
gift to the world. No, God has given you gifts to live out in this world. I've
always loved the story of George Washington Carver.

You remember probably who was a scientist who developed hundreds of useful
products from the peanut. He used to say, "When I was young, I said to God,
'God, tell me the mystery of the universe. ' And God answered, 'That knowledge
is reserved for me alone.

' And so I said, 'Well, God, tell me the mystery of the peanut. ' And God said,
'Well, George, that's more nearly your size. ' And he told me, 'That's keeping
things in perspective.

'" Recognize that God has given you gifts. And then you do the second thing that
Jesus did. You choose to serve.

You take those gifts and you choose to use them to serve. The Bible says that
Jesus took the very nature of a servant. And he did that to be an example for
us.

In fact, the word here, the idea here is that Jesus emptied himself. He didn't
grasp at what was rightfully his, but he chose to serve. He humbled himself.

He decided to obey. He emptied himself. He humbled himself and became obedient
to the point of death.

To empty yourself in one way is to release your rights. Jesus released his
rights as God. He could have stayed in heaven, but he chose to come to earth and
give his life for us.

Now, for most of you listening, this is going to be the toughest part of this
study. We're Americans. We have a bill of rights.

And so when someone says, "Release your rights," something in you says, "That's
not right. " You think, "Don't tread on me. " You think, "Wait, wait.

Releasing your rights to somebody else. Isn't that codependent? " Well, it could
be.

I'm not talking about how some do this. Some give up all their identity. That's
not at all what I'm talking about.

I'm not talking about letting people walk all over you and giving up your
identity. Releasing your rights means you do what Jesus did. He let go of what
was due him.

He had every right to stay in heaven and never come to earth, but he set that
right down. He let it go. Humility means that there is something you have to let
go of.

It might be your time, your right to your time, so that you can serve your kids
or your wife or husband or some friend. It may be a right to a job, a job that
you should have gotten but somebody else got. You can live the rest of your life
in anger or you can set your rights down and serve.

It may be some vengeance that you think is your due, is your right for being
wronged. There's a thousand illustrations. Humility is following the example of
Jesus.

You don't grasp, but instead you take the nature of a servant. You humble
yourself and you obey. And then the last thing that happened to Jesus is he was
exalted by God.

That's the last part of humility. It's the last part of humility for you and I
also. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place.

Wait a minute. You might be thinking, isn't that about Jesus? You mean God's
going to exalt me to some high place like Jesus?

Well, not exactly like Jesus. You're not God. Every knee is not going to bow to
you.

Every tongue is not going to confess your name. And yet, four different times in
his ministry, Jesus said he who exalts himself is going to be humbled,
embarrassed, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. In the end, those who
make the choice to serve are those who are going to enjoy the greatest joy, the
greatest influence in this world and also the greatest rewards in heaven, also
the greatest honor from God the Father.

He who humbles himself will be exalted not in the ways that the world wants to
exalt people money and prestige and power, but in the way that last God's ways
of exalting people praise from God purpose in this world and joy in heaven in
this earth and all the way into heaven. Now, as we close, I just have to focus
on some words, three simple words. They're the words that talk about where
history is headed.

They're the words that talk about where joy begins and ends. Three simple words,
and they're not "work is over. " Some people, that's the words they think result
in joy.

They're not the words "dinner is served. " The three words that express where
history is headed and where you and I experience joy are "Jesus is Lord. " In
the end, every tongue has confessed that.

Every knee is going to bow to the truth that Jesus is Lord. If I want to have
joy, I need to begin to live those words right now, every day. So as we pray
today, let's focus on those words.

When you say to Jesus Christ, "Jesus, I do want to experience your kind of life
in my life, and I pray that I could learn from your example. You've just touched
on it for a moment today. Lord, help me to look at it again and again and again.

And as I see what you are willing to do for me, put into my heart a new
willingness to serve others. As I see where history is headed, Jesus, you are
Lord. I pray you'd give me the strength today to live out the truth that you are
Lord.

Help me to let you be Lord of my circumstances, of my relationships. In the end,
you are Lord. But today, I need to recognize you as Lord.

Instead of trying to take up the reins of my life myself, I pray that first of
all, I recognize you are in control. I can trust you. And that based on that
assurance, you would give me the strength to be able to set down what I see is
my right in order to serve someone else, in order to make a difference in
someone else's life.

Jesus, thank you that you did that for me. That you did not cling to your rights
as God and stay in heaven, but you chose to humble yourself. And come to this
earth and give your life for me.

Thank you. Thank you. And in my thanks, I pray that I be able to begin to learn
from your example and give to others some small measure of what you have given
to me.

I ask this, Jesus, in your name. Amen.