The Humility of Christ

This past Sunday, Freedom River was blessed to have Pastor Stephen Davey share God's Word. Davey is the founding pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC. He's also the host of the nationally syndicated radio ministry "Wisdom for the Heart." And he's acclaimed as one of the nation's top expository preachers.

He preached on the Humility of Christ from Philippians 2:5-8. This passage reveals Five Rights that Jesus Reliquished in coming to earth.

1-The right to LIVE like God.
Jesus was equal with God the Father, but renounced this right. He is the ultimate riches to rags story.

2-The right to ACT like God.
Theologians call this the Kenosis of Christ, literally "the emptying of His hands." Jesus gave up His right to use His wonder-working hands. In other words, He gave up the right to access His own omnipotence.

3-The right to LOOK like God.
Jesus was made in the likeness of man. It's hard to imagine what a step down this was. Isaiah 53:2-3 describes our Savior as physically an average Joe.

4-The right to be TREATED like God.
In this passage of Philippians, Paul highlights the humiliation and torture of the Roman cross. We totally betrayed Him. Yet He still gave Himself for us.

Why did Jesus do this? John 1:12 is very clear: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.

In other words, Jesus gave up His rights as God in order that we might receive something that we totally did not deserve. God's grace is truly amazing.

Thanks to Pastor Davey for taking time in his schedule to encourage us with such a powerful word from Scripture.

In Christ,
Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on Sunday, August 17, 2008.

iLove My iPod

iLove my iPod.  

This wonderful little gadget has opened an amazing new world to me.  Not long after getting my first Nano (yeah, I'm already on iPod #2), I realized that this probably belonged in every worship leader's toolbox.  I mean, I actually carry around my ENTIRE music library wherever I go.  Sure makes praise band practices go much more smoothly.  No more "Oops, I forgot to bring that CD with me" excuses.

iLove my iPod.

And as they say in those Ginsu Knife commercials, "but that's not all!"

The iPod has allowed me to hear some of the great preachers of the 21st Century.  Every week I hear Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll, Pete Briscoe, Stephen Davey, Craig Groeschel and John Piper...without ever leaving the state!

iLove my iPod.

iThink iLove my iPod a little too much.