Incarnation | Part 3

It wasn't man that showed up and said, God, why did you leave me? God's been pursuing man since the start. He was running after me before I ever thought to run after him. We read before the prayer in Philippians chapter two, I want you to look at it here in verse number five where it says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians two is a transitional verse. The previous verses tell us how we should treat one another and how we should view ourselves. And then the verses following give us this model and this example of Jesus beginning with his incarnation. The transitional verse is verse five. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus Shreveport and our Bossier campus. I want to hear you across the river. Can you read it out loud? Just one more time. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. A verse for your notes that pairs with that verse would be Romans chapter 12, verse two, which says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove what is that good, perfect and acceptable will of God. These verses speak of how we should treat and view others and how Christ lived. Verses three and four says, let nothing be done through strife. Don't make everything a competition or vainglory. In other words,

don't seek your own glory and don't live conceited. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. If we did that, we wouldn't walk into church and say, excuse me, you're in my seat. But none of y'all do that here. That was for somebody watching live. Verse four says, look, not every man on his own things or interests, but every man also on the interest of others. Now versus three and four are heavy and they're definitely counterculture because that's not the way our world operates. Then verse five, let this mind be in you. And then we get this story of Christ. This message that takes us from glory to glory. We'll read it starting in verse six, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God. If you're taking notes, write down number one incarnation, because that's what verse six is speaking of his incarnation. You know, throughout the gospel of John chapter three, chapter six, chapter eight, throughout chapter six,

Jesus talks about how he came down from heaven, that he came down from heaven to do the will of his father. Verse six is speaking of the incarnation of Christ, how God wrapped himself in flesh and came to man. And let me just say this. That's what contrasts Christianity from religion is that religion is all about man's methods in getting to God. But true Christianity is about how Christ came to man, not to give me a religion, but to give me a, say it, if you know it, a relationship and church, that's what I want to emphasize today is the relationship of Jesus and how he relates to us. I was talking to Roosevelt in between the services today, and we were talking about how it seems like the world when we're lost and outside of the kingdom, it seems like the world wants to bring Christ more into the human side. And sadly, the church can want to bring Jesus over to the deity side. And we, we can't find the balance of who he is. And you say, who is he? Well, these verses tell us he's Emmanuel. He's God wrapped in flesh. That means he's as much deity as though he were not humanity. And as much humanity, you see, as though he was not deity. That's why when,

when, when God spoke of him coming, Isaiah prophesied in the seventh chapter that he would come through the womb of a virgin named Mary, a virgin womb. When, when, when Isaiah prophesied and spoke of the Lord coming through this virgin womb, untouched, By man, this wasn't the first utterance that god was coming into earth to save man No that first utterance happened when man actually sinned against god because in genesis chapter 3 When man sinned against god and god called him in he said well lord It was that woman you gave me man been blaming women ever since So god brought the woman in And she said I was the devil She he made me do it and god brought the devil in and the three stood before him and god released his first spoken prophecy He was in essence saying to all three I've got a plan I've got a plan man. Your sin didn't end my plan enemy. You're interfering with my design Didn't stop my plan. Oh, that's good news right there because I feel like sometimes when the enemy came in And manipulated and deceived and seduced eve with the forbidden fruit that he thought in his own mind See what i'm able to do Not only did one third of the angels Side with me and and get cast out of heaven I'm an influencer and god's made this man in his image But with one word i'm able to change this man over to my will through the temptation of the flesh I feel like the enemy looked like and thought maybe he prevailed in that moment when adam and eve were outside the garden Hiding from the presence of god. That's where you find them in genesis chapter 3 It was god that came to man and said where are you? It wasn't man that showed up and said god. Why did you leave me?

Are y'all with me God's been pursuing man since the start He's been running after man since the start he was running after me before I ever thought to run after him First john makes it clear. I didn't love him first. He loved me first I didn't even know how to love him till I found out how he loved me The day I got saved brother jefferson. I wasn't even looking for jesus. I was trying to get my aunt to leave me alone And I was like i'm gonna go this one time Is she gonna leave me alone? And I went there one time and gave my life to jesus and I wasn't planning on it See, I was not looking for him, but he was looking for me Hey, are you here what i'm saying to you? What i'm trying to get a hold of here is the incarnation is how heaven came to earth when earth couldn't get to heaven How god came to man when man couldn't get to god man had left god in the garden We relate because man was running from god after he sinned Yeah that sin consciousness made man afraid and shameful and guilty and Convicted and his only thought was i've got to run from what's right. I've got to run from what's light I've got to run from what is holy the bible says the wicked will run when nobody's even pursuing Come on My mama told me to stay out of my sister's bedroom when they were painting the room But I had to go in there and see And I kicked the paint can over And nobody was there and I ran to my room and hid under my bed And when my mom and daddy called me up under the bed I said how'd y'all find me Only to find my painted steps across my carpet traced back to my sister's room Nobody was even chasing me, but I was running I was running because I was told not to go in there. Has anybody ever done something? You know you weren't supposed to do and you found yourself running. That was adam in the garden He did what god told him not to do and he ran and when god called him in he said why are you running?

Did you eat of that tree that I told you not to eat of and adam said the woman you gave me you and gave you You did this had you not given me her we had it good lord Some of y'all thinking that right now Not you not you with your wife somebody else And I can see the enemy gloating coach I can see him saying see there It didn't take me but one moment one fruit one moment To tempt man and lure him away How tempted we get how easy we fall off what's right how easy we get lured to the side How tempted we get and there was adam and eve outside the will of god and I see the enemy Rejoicing saying see what I could do. You just failed your test god. You made that man in your image He was made in the spitting image of his daddy. You gave him planet earth You gave him complete dominion and with one moment I was able to turn him from you to me And I can see god saying in the spirit back to satan don't celebrate too fast This test was not to prove man's love for me This test was to prove my love for man that even though he sinned against me I will still pursue him. I will still love him. I will still come after him and God released his first prophecy in Genesis 3 15 and 16 when he said the woman will bring forth the seed and a man child and from her womb will come salvation and this savior will crush the serpent's head and in the process have his heel bruised. That prophecy was fulfilled 4,000 years later when Jesus went to that cross and though his heel was bruised the serpent's head was crushed and salvation was provided. Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 says it best when it says in the fullness of the time God sent forth his son born of a woman to redeem those of us that had been fallen under the curse of the law when Jesus was made a curse for me and died on that cross. He who knew no sin became a sin offering so that I could be saved. Watch this. Heaven came to earth when earth couldn't reach heaven. God became a man when man couldn't get to God. Deity became humanity when humanity couldn't reach deity. That is the story of the cross. That is the incarnation of Jesus. As much God as though he were not man. As much man as though he were not God. Somebody said it like this man don't go to space without a space suit and God couldn't come to the earth without an earth suit. He didn't illegitimately borrow the body of a serpent like like like satan did. No he came legitimately through the earth and the legitimate portal to and matrix through the earth

is through the womb of a woman and through humility he wrapped himself in flesh even as an embryo even in the process of the development that took nine months for his earth suit to be tailored to be born into a stall with animals and shepherds being the witness God came to earth to reach me. John 3 16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. We know that one but verse 17 needs to be memorized too for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved and I feel like that needs to be quoted because too many Christians have become critical and condemning. We relate or want to relate to the deity of Jesus but we forget he's humanity and I believe these scriptures are speaking of the perfect balance of a God who wept a God who weeps means he's a God who relates Jerry weeping though though he knew he had raised the one he wept over oh man what a God a God that asked would ask questions only so man could walk through the solution that he had before he asked the question what God comes to man and says what do we have to feed the people when he already knows how he would feed the people what God would come to man and ask two sisters who had just locked their lost their brother where have you laid him when he knows all things Jesus asked questions as if he's not God he's relating to man because what good is deity if it can't because what good is deity if it can't touch humanity and Jesus wasn't so God that he couldn't touch man he revealed the heart of God for man through his flesh let me finish these verses because I got somewhere else I want us to turn before we leave here today watch this he says let this mind be in you verse five who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God in your notes write down the word incarnation but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men secondly write humiliation verse eight says and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself he humbled himself the humiliation speaks louder when you recognize the incarnation doesn't the sacrifice of Jesus carry more weight when you recognize he didn't have to do it that yes as humanity he hung on a cross but as deity he could have got off of him as humanity he let them lead him to be judged when as God he is the judge I

Mean the humanity the humanity reveals the humility and it but but when you look at the deity you realize man You mean to tell me the same? Jesus that was asleep in Mark chapter 5 on a pillow in the boat Which mean he was tired is the same one that got up When there was a storm about the sink the boat and told the wind to stop blowing and the rain to stop following You mean the same one that was asleep what they woke him up and he got up and spoke to the wind and the rain He's as much flesh as he is God and as much God as he is flesh He is flesh enough to relate to my weakness and God enough to heal me from it. That's the beauty of the cross That's the beauty of our Savior He's not some dead statue made by man He's not some idol. That's insensitive He lives he's not dead I'm not going somewhere to visit his tomb if I found his tomb it'd be empty because he's not there. He's risen I know where he's at He's at the right hand of God and he's coming again And even though I know he came in the flesh and died from my sin And even though I know that he is God in heaven at the right hand of the Father King of Kings and Lord of Lords I see and I'm grateful that when I am down and when I am broken and when I am depressed and when I'm discouraged He relates to me Hebrews chapter 4 says there's no weakness of the flesh that he's not relating to Because he walked it out. He knows what it's like to be betrayed by friends He knows what it's like to be dishonored by family He knows what it's like to hunger and the thirst and to have need and to need a break and to want to sleep He knows all those things yet. He's in heaven at the right hand of God. He empathizes with me He has compassion on me. He understands me. He relates to me And I'm grateful to have that friend But not only does he relate to me. He heals me. He delivers me He makes ways out of no ways on my behalf Because he's God That's powerful Amen baby

So verse 8 speaks of his humiliation How he became obedient unto death even the death of the cross not just any death the death of the cross The cross wasn't even vented because it was invented by the Romans it wasn't even vented when God spoke of it in Psalm 22 In other words if God said in Psalm 22 Jesus would die on a cross With his hands and feet pierced and with with all the details and The Romans weren't even in power when that prophecy was spoken The cross hadn't been used to execute when that prophecy was spoken That would mean God knew What manner he would die before that manner of death was even invented? Nothing happened in his life. There wasn't foretold Because he didn't begin in Bethlehem and he didn't begin in Mary's womb. He is in the beginning He is before all things and by him all things consist Colossians 116 He is the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colossians 2 9 He is the Word in the beginning was the Word the Word was with God the Word was God John 1 1 He is that Word that was manifested in the flesh in the earth John 1 14 and when that flesh was manifested We beheld the glory the glory of hope as the only begotten of the Father Jesus is God manifested in human flesh As many died and as God he got up As Man he'll walk out things with you that he knows he's gonna fix eventually he'll relate to you Because that's what he's after Man is good. All right, let's go to the gospel of John chapter 4. I had to wrap this up John chapter 4 In carnation, what does that mean? That means that God wrapped himself in flesh It's Jesus Emmanuel in man God 1st Corinthians 15 teaches that there was a first Adam the one in the garden, and there was a last Adam, Jesus. John chapter four.

Church, we can't represent what's not been presented. I'm gonna say it another way. We cannot give what we have not received. We cannot give what we have not received. Until I receive it, I can't give it. Until I'm taught it, I can't teach it. Until I understand it, I can't explain it. Receive, give. Jesus walks in flesh to understand, to relate, and to show us victory. Why? Because the flesh is who he's after. It's humanity that he's after. Deity is coming to humanity. God is coming to save. He's coming to seek and to save that which was lost. But how do we as believers, how do we reach the world with his name and his word and his glory, when we won't represent him, when we won't relate to the very people he loves? We see the miracles of Jesus when we read the gospels. We see the glory, we see the triumph, we see the healing, the raising of the dead, the power. Amen. I think we skip over where Jesus set himself apart to pray or where he rested or where he was asleep. I believe in Mark five, they had to wake up Jesus. Can you imagine, you know, the disciples debating which one was gonna do it, we gotta wake up Jesus?

But did you know the four gospels give a picture of the four faces of God that are around the throne? Matthew represents Jesus or shows him as a king. Mark shows him as a servant. Luke shows him as a man and John shows him as God. That means you have two of the gospels, Matthew and John, that show him king and God. And we like that, king, God. But Mark and Luke show him as servant and man. So when you divide the four gospels, two of them relate to his deity and two of them relate to his humanity. That's beautiful. Matthew's genealogy takes him back to Abraham to prove that he's an heir to the throne. Matthew says the magi came from the east, the kings to honor the true king. Oh, he's king. You get to Mark, Mark don't even give us no genealogy. The genealogy, that stuff you read in your annual Bible reading, them big names only they and their mama can pronounce, but God so and so. Mark doesn't have one, why? Servants don't need genealogies, they're not the heir to anything. And Luke's genealogy takes him all the way back to Adam. Why, because Luke's just writing to prove he's a man. But when John gets to his genealogy, he just sums it up with one verse.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God. Why, he's writing to prove that this man is God. Two gospels portraying him as God, two showing him as man. Why can't we be both? What do I mean by that? Why do we have to be so heavenly we're no earthly good? That's a few of us. Now some of us on the other side of that are so earthly, we're no heavenly good. But would it be okay for me to talk to you about basketball if that was the common denominator so we could relate? And then while we're talking about our favorite teams and sports, I introduce my faith. Why couldn't I talk to you about food? We are from Louisiana, we eat everything. Why couldn't I talk to you about food? And in that conversation, I bring up my faith. Why can't I relate to people? Christians, I'm talking to you. We have got to get to a place we're able to relate to the people that we're wanting to reach. We can't be so heavenly we're no earthly good. I said that years ago, I had a member get mad at me, gave me this whole explanation about that wasn't right. I'm sorry, it is right. People can get their head so far up that they can't reach down.

And I've got to be able to recognize that the people that Jesus came to save don't know necessarily the difference between the epistles and the gospels. And the books of wisdom and the are you understanding what I'm saying to you? When I can't cry at a funeral Because faith people look at me and say why are you crying when you know, they're in heaven you've gotten so heavenly you're no earthly good My crying at a funeral doesn't mean I don't believe my mama is heaven It just means I'm missing her right now and Jesus wept at the tomb of a man He would raise so that means he teaches me It's okay to weep and my crying doesn't mean I don't believe my being sick doesn't mean I don't believe in healing My being broke doesn't mean I don't believe God won't meet my needs We can't gets our head so far up that we can't look down What I mean by that What I mean by that is that the Holy Spirit in him the Holy Spirit in you the Word of God in you that gift In you that charisma that grace that gifting that all of us have because Jesus didn't come just to give you salvation He came to give you purpose Second Timothy 1 9 teaches both that he came number one to give me salvation and number two He came to give me purpose if there's anybody I'm talking to you right now And you wonder what your purpose is in life. I want you to know there's a purpose embedded in your salvation God doesn't just want to save you. He wants to make your life count He wants to give you a reason to wake up every day He wants to give you some joy to help you endure whatever it is You're having to endure right now when I have no vision I have no discipline when I have no vision. I have no purpose. He offers both outside of his salvation But my purpose given by God can only be fulfilled by God And sometimes I find he did call me to do this He did equip me for this and I don't see it till I get to the end of me Well, I want to thank you for allowing me into your viewing area today And I hope that you were blessed by the ministry of God's Word

Our broadcast is made possible through the faithful financial support of our members and partners Here in this viewing area and I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider Supporting the work of this ministry so that we can take the message of Jesus as the manifested Word of God Reaching more people in more ways and in more places than ever before Thank you for your support If anybody ever walked through some stuff that you really didn't think you could do much about and somebody look at you say how you Put up with it. Well, what else can I do? What else am I gonna do? It's just life. Jesus could have done something about it. My point is his incarnation magnifies his humiliation Well, I want to extend unto you my personal invitation to attend our upcoming Aleph Tov Conference the dates are August 19th through 21st. That's a Wednesday through Friday 630 p.m. Nightly at our Shreveport campus. Don't miss this conference. There'll be dynamic worship I'll be ministering the Word of God on the topic of Jesus the Aleph Tov August 19th through 21st. I hope to see you there