All right, if you got a Bible, I want you to turn to two passages, as we customarily do here at Gateway Church.

Philippians, chapter 2 and Luke chapter 2.

Philippians chapter 2 and Luke chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 and Luke chapter 2.

The title of this morning's message is Christmas

was just the beginning.

And this morning,'re going to view the Christmas story through the eyes of some unknowns. You know, we always tell the story through the eyes of Joseph and Mary and sometimes even baby Jesus

Maybe every once in a while like every 10 years from the perspective of the donkey in the stable. But this year I want to cover

the Christmas story from a different perspective, the perspective of the

Shepherds. And I believe there is a theme all throughout the Christmas story.

And as I was reading several months ago through the Book of Philippians,

a passage just jumped out at me relating to Christmas.

But it's not a passage that we hear very often around Christmas

time and I don't understand why, but I'm going to read it to you and it's going to give us kind of

the theme that is pervasive in the Christmas story.

So look in Philippians chapter 2.

I'll be reading out of the new living translation today.

If that's not the translation you use and you want to read what I'm reading, you can look on the screen, or you can just read in your translation right there in front of you.

Luke chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2, I'm sorry.

Verse 6.

Though he was God, talking about Jesus, he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form and some versions say, and being formed in the fashion of a man,

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