This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Thanks for joining us today. Here at Connect with Skip, our mission is to help you know God's word and apply it to your life through clear, practical Bible teaching and real encouragement every day. And if you'd like to keep growing in your walk with Jesus, sign up for Pastor Skip's free weekly devotional. You'll receive biblical insight, teaching highlights, and exclusive resource offers straight to your inbox.
Everything designed to help you stay strong in your faith. It only takes a minute to sign up. Go to connectwithskip.com and join the list today. That's connectwithskip.com.
Now let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. In John chapter 8, Jesus said, Before Abraham was, I am. I am, as you know, that Old Testament construction. Of absolute timelessness when God said to Moses, I am that I am. In John chapter 5, we are told the Pharisees sought to kill Jesus because he said God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
And then in John chapter 10. The Jews wanted to stone Jesus. And Jesus said, Many good works I have done from my Father. Which of these good works do you want to stone me for? And they said For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, because you being a man, Always make yourself out to be God.
They understood. What Jesus was saying about himself. This is why, when Jesus rose from the dead and stood before Thomas, Jesus didn't argue with Thomas when Thomas said, My Lord and my what? God.
So listen. If Jesus was not God, then he deserves an Academy Award. Because he sure acted like it and talked like it for three and a half years. in his ministry.
So Paul is talking about his divinity, who being in very nature God, or who being in the form of God, meaning. Jesus Christ is the God who created everything. John 1-1 and then John 1-2 All things were made by him, and without him, nothing was made that has been made.
So when you look at the Milky Way galaxy, and remember there's a hundred billion stars in that galaxy, and think that they say there are a hundred billion other galaxies beside that, down to the eight hundred thousand catalogued insects that crawl on the earth and that bother your garden? Jesus made those. That's why he could stand before the waves and the sea and tell them to shut up. Rebuke them basically and say. Stop, and it says the winds and the sea obeyed him.
He could do that because he had the authority to do that. As Creator God.
So he begins with the divinity of Christ. Followed by number two, second characteristics. His humility. Who, being in the form of God, verse 6, now watch this, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. but made himself of no reputation.
Now, what does that mean? Robbery is a word that means to seize or to carry off by force. It was a word used of a soldier who would plunder. and steel. Why is Paul using that term to describe Jesus?
He means to say, and it often translated this way. He didn't think equality with God was something to be grabbed a hold of. That's how it is often translated in modern versions of the New Testament.
So, Paul's idea here is this: Jesus didn't think that equality with God was something to be taken and held on to and clutched. And never let it go.
Now think for a moment. Jesus as God. didn't need anything. He had all the angels around him in heaven giving him praise. Get all the glory of heaven.
Being in heaven with the Father and with the Spirit, he reigned over all of creation.
Now, he could have stayed right there. That's a pretty good gig. Why would anybody want to leave that? And the answer is because he wasn't thinking of himself. He was thinking of others.
His attitude was an attitude of unselfish concern. You see, that's the principle. that Paul begins with back in verse three and four.
So it's as if Jesus said, I'm not going to keep my privileges for myself. I'm going to lay them aside and serve others.
Now look again. At verse 7, But he made himself of no reputation. At this point, it's like Paul goes, hey, come here. Let me take you backstage into the mysteries of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and let you know what is really going on. He's like he's given us Direct insight into the miracle of all miracles.
And that is the Incarnation.
Okay. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is like the theological diamond that sparkles brighter than any other. Did you know that many scholars believe that verses 5 through 8. was originally a hymn. that was sung by the early church.
Wouldn't you love to hear this put to music?
So they sang it, and they sang it so they would remember and commemorate the incarnation. It was that important to them. It was that important to them. Having said that, I also have to say. I don't totally get it.
And I'm not afraid to admit that. When it comes to God becoming a human being, it's like, boy, do I believe that? I'd even die believing that, I'd die for that. But to really get my head all the way around that, it's like the Trinity. I'm accepting it by faith, but it's.
Well, Paul put it this way: Great is the mystery of godliness that God was manifest in the flesh. It's one of those great mysteries. I sometimes feel like the little boy. who was outside looking up stars and he said Mom, are you sure God's up there? She said, sweetheart, he's up there.
He's everywhere. You're sure he's up there. Yeah, I'm sure. Then he said, Wouldn't it be great if he just poke his head out from time to time so we could see him? Essentially, the incarnation was that, God poking his head out.
Moreover, Taking on human skin. and living among us. That's the incarnation.
Now the incarnation It was a fulfillment of what Isaiah the prophet said would happen. A child would be born, you will call his name Emmanuel, which is translated what? God with us. Jesus Christ Is God with us?
Now, I want your eyes to see it for yourself. Look at what it says. He made himself. of no reputation. All of those words are one single word in the original Greek language, ekenosen.
Ekenosen. Theologians talk about the kenosis. The emptying, because this word made himself of no reputation at Kennison means to empty of contents, to take something and pour it out.
So if you were here Wednesday night and I poured, you saw me pour water in that cup. Poured out the contents. It's saying Jesus, who being in very nature God, poured himself out. He emptied himself of content. The question and the controversy is: what did Jesus empty himself of?
When he poured himself out, where did he empty himself up? You can't say of deity. Because remember, Paul's whole point is: Jesus, by very nature, always was and continues to be and evermore will be God. He always is, that's his nature.
So, when it says he emptied himself, what did he empty himself of? Here's the answer. The privileges of deity, the prerogatives of deity. One of those was his glory. Jesus in heaven enjoying the anthems of praise of all the angelic beings, being an intimate, close.
Face-to-face fellowship with his Father, he gave up that glory. This is why he prays in John 17, verse 5. He says, and now, Father. Glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. He longed to have that glory back that he poured out.
A second thing he emptied himself of was independent authority. Independent authority. That is, while he was on the earth, he completely submitted to his father's will. Jesus in John 5 said, I do not seek my own will. I seek the will of Him who sent me.
You remember what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? When they came to arrest him before that point, and he was experiencing the anguish of what he was about to go through, he said, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless. Not my will. But your will be done.
So get the picture. Jesus Christ had all the rights and authority as God, but he didn't hold on, didn't grasp, didn't clutch that. He emptied himself of certain privileges, prerogatives, and one of those was independent authority.
Now Before we move on. Think of the contrast between Jesus. Philosophy of life. And Satan's philosophy of life. Satan's philosophy was this.
Not thy will be done, but my will be done. That's Satan. Jesus' philosophy of life: not my will be done, but thy will be done. Satan was a creature. who wanted to be the creator.
Jesus was indeed the Creator. who was willing to become a creature. Satan had a subversive mind. Jesus. had a submissive mind.
Complete polar opposites.
So Paul says, Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus. And then he covers his deity. Then his humility. Let's look at a third, his humanity. Back in verse seven.
He says taking the form of a bondservant. And coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even. The death of the cross. Paul is tracing the downward steps the humility of Christ.
In Christ. God stooped. In Christ, God stooped. From heaven to earth. From deity to adding to that deity humanity.
from life To death, all of these downward steps that Jesus took. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heidzig. As 2025 comes to a close, generous support from friends like you is vital to keep Connect with Skip Heitzig strong in the year ahead, so more people can hear God's word and find real hope in Jesus. Your year-end gift today helps reach even more hearts with verse-by-verse teaching and resources that connect people with God's love. To thank you for your generous gift of $50 or more, we'll send you Pastor Skip's new resource, The Daily God Journal, along with the digital companion devotional, The Daily God Book.
These resources will help you align your heart with God's, let go of anxiety, and grow in steady faith through His Word each day.
So give your year-end gift today at connectwithsgift.com slash offer. or call 800-922-1888.
Now let's get back to today's teaching.
Now listen to this carefully. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he entered into a permanent Physical body. It's not like he barred it and then... It's over. He entered into a permanent physical body.
from which there was no escape. Let me flesh that out. No pun intended. When Jesus died, he died physically. When Jesus rose from the dead, he rose.
Physically. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he ascended. Physically they saw him. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God physically. There's a man at the throne of God right now.
And when Jesus comes back, he is coming back. Physically. Now, I know it's hard to figure it all out, God, man. Great is the mystery of godliness. But let me give you a little illustration.
If you've ever traveled, Especially to a third world country. And I mean more than like two days, like for a couple weeks. you experience what they call culture shock. It's a shock. When you discover, you mean there's no air conditioning here?
At all? And it's 100 degrees with 100% humidity. You mean you don't put ice cubes in drinks? You mean I have to eat that? You mean I have to smell those smells like all the time?
It's a shock to your system.
Now, Let's take it to the nth degree. The ultimate culture shock is leaving heaven. and coming to earth. Anthems of heaven, all the praise, all the angels, all the hallelujahs, and then coming here and hearing the scorn of mankind and the spit in his face. And the names he was called, and the utter rejection that he experienced.
Ultimately Culture shot. Deity. Humility. Humanity One author said. When God chose to reveal himself, He did so through a human body.
The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt. under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty, and his tears Oh, don't miss the tears. They came from a heart as broken as yours or mine.
ever has been. And so people came to him. My how they came to him. They came at night. They touched him as he walked down the street.
They followed him around the sea. They invited him into their homes and placed their children at his feet. Why? Because he refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit, he chose instead to be. Jesus.
Fully God, fully man. Holy God, holy man. Undiminished deity, unprotected humanity. Theologians call this the theanthropic nature of Christ. That's a cool word.
You may want to write it down and use it a few times this week. The anthropic. It's your Starbucks. Hey, Theanthropic. Because nobody knows that word, but you know that word now.
So theos, God, Anthropos, man. Theanthropic God has Jesus had two natures: fully God, fully man, theanthropic nature of Christ.
Okay, verse 7. made himself of no reputation, But watch this. Taking the... What does it say? Form, there's that word again, just like in verse 6, being in the form of God.
And by the way, same exact meaning. More faith. Essential nature and character, the essence of his being. Taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness. In other words, Jesus just didn't Assume an outward form.
He didn't pretend to serve. It's not like he came from heaven and goes, I hate being here. I hate these people, but I'm going to act like I love them and serve them. Hi, I'm here to serve you. No, he actually served them.
He was in his very essence and nature the human servant of God in heaven. Serve them. That was his purpose statement. He said: the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve.
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So he served fishermen. He served tax collectors. He served harlots. He served those who were sick. He served suffering people.
He even served dead people. Raising some who were dead to life again. And he served his disciples. In the upper room. and they all sat down to a meal.
And they completely forgot about serving each other, cleaning up their feet and getting ready for the meal. They just sat down and started arguing. about who'd get the first pancake. Who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom? It says Jesus got up at that moment.
Cast aside his outer garment, put on a towel, took a basin of water, and began to wash their dirty feet.
So, when we ever ask the question, what would Jesus do? We have to begin. What has Jesus already done based on who Jesus is and was? As God. He was equal with God.
He emptied himself of privilege and prerogative of position. He left heaven. He added a human nature to himself, and with that human nature, The very essence of his being, he served. People.
Now Let's apply it. As we close, let's apply it. We've discovered his divinity, his humility, his humanity. The final point I want to draw out. is his desirability.
Verse 5 Let this mind Being you. Which was also in Christ Jesus. Then he gives the description. In other words, listen, if you want to follow Jesus, that's your desire. If you want to follow Jesus, You need to follow him, and I need to follow him in this.
That we humbly serve one another. He's saying the same thing Jesus said: if any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
So Paul says, let this mind What what mind? The lowly mind. That's what he talked about in verse 3 and 4. Let each with lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
So let this mind, the lowly mind, be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. In other words, Paul is not merely describing the incarnation to reveal theological truth. Double. It's awesome. Paul's not saying, let me just dazzle you for a moment with, let me throw down some theology on you so you can just be wowed.
He's saying, let me throw some theology down on you so you can be wowed and think. The same way Jesus thinks. And that is to humble yourself and to become a servant.
So Let me sum up everything this passage says in one sentence. The incarnation should become the motivation for our demonstration of loving service. The incarnation should become the motivation for our demonstration of loving service. As we mentioned last week, you are never more like Satan than when you are selfish. You are never more like Jesus than when you humbly serve.
So he says, let this mind be in you, because that always begins there with the outlook. Outlook determines outcome. Right? Attitude determines aftermath. And the idea of let this mind be in you is that.
Let this attitude be in you. Have the same attitude toward people that Jesus had toward people.
So, if my outlook is selfish, my actions will be divisive and destructive. If my outlook is self-sacrificing, then the Outcome will be edifying. Unifying. Let this mind be in you. But I need to tie one more bow on the end of this as we close.
Humility doesn't stay in the mind. It has to move to the hands and feet. before its true humility. Jesus didn't just think good thoughts up in heaven, go, yeah. That's good.
That's that's humble. And that's serving. And to stay there. From the mind, he did something about it. He came.
He came and he served.
So that bracelet doesn't say what would Jesus think. Says what would Jesus Do. Because once Jesus had it in his mind, he moved it into action. What was in the mind moved to action. What is the right attitude should become the right action.
So, my wife will buy groceries and bring them home, and she has this little thing that we do where she's about five, three or five minutes out. She gets me on the phone, calls me, and she goes, Are you home? I said, I'm home. Says, good, because I have a bunch of groceries I want you to take in.
So that's the deal. She buys them, I take them in. I can do that. I should.
So I show up, the garage door opens, I go take the packages out, or the grocery bags out of the car. What if she comes home? pulls in the garage and I'm standing there with his dopey smile. And she goes, um Are you going to help me? You're going to take the groceries in?
And what if I said, well, I'm thinking helpful thoughts. In my heart, I'm helping you right now. And I feel good about my attitude. Would that be of any value at all? None.
It would be a value if I thought helpful thoughts and then, like, move my feet over to the car and use my hands to actually carry them in.
Now I'm putting my mind Into action.
So think like Jesus thought. And he started way up here. and went way down here to the point of death. You're never going to be able to follow Jesus in his deity, but you can follow him in humility, whatever position in life you are, whatever place you have in the home, in the family, in the business, among people in your group, to humble yourself. Think like Jesus.
and act like Jesus. Here's the paradox. I love a paradox. The more you give, The more you receive. If you're the type of a person who says, Man, I'm actually going to put this sermon into practice after today, I'm going to figure out ways to serve people, I'm going to look at how I can esteem people better than myself, something's going to happen to you.
Your joy is going to go up. Guaranteed. This is the Epistle of Joy, remember? Paul's in jail, says, I have joy. People are talking bad about him.
I have joy. I might live. I might die. I have joy. We've discussed all that.
The more you pour out You're going to discover the more you get in. The love of God will be shed abroad in your heart. And you're going to be a joyful person. Doing with Jesus. Would you?
Ah! Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before you go, don't miss your opportunity to request the Daily God Journal, along with the companion digital devotional, the Daily God Book. These resources are our thanks for your generous year-end gift of $50 or more to help Connect with Skip-Heitzig finish 2025 strong and reach more people with the truth of God's Word in the year ahead. Call 800-922-1888 or go to connectwithskip.com slash offer.
Thanks for spending time with us today and we'll see you next time on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Make a connection! Make a connection at the foot. Of the crisis. Castle burning.
So Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of connection communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
