Every Knee Will Bow (Philippians 2:5-11)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Well good morning my name is Chad I'm one of the pastors here if you'll grab a Bible and go to Philippians chapter 2 we are working our way through the book of Philippians it's a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Church in Philippi and we're working our way through we're going to be in Chapter 2 veres 5- 11 today this past week I have two sons they were we were getting ready for school and they were watching the be movie which.
If you haven't seen it uh it's about bees um so it's aptly titled and the bees in the movie are graduating from high school and they talk about how grueling their one day of high school was which is a comment on the short lifespan of bees and then they are traveling around the hive and they're being pitched all the jobs that they can take as a Bee they're graduating from high school and now they're going to pick a bee job and one of the things that's said by the person that's showing them all the jobs is they say pick carefully.
Because whatever you choose you will do all the time until you die from now on till you die this is how bees work you're going to do this and you're going to die and all the bees go yay except for the main character bee who suddenly has a crisis and it's like that's a big choice and I was thinking about it the reality is there are a lot of times where we make big choices and we're like all the other bees where we just kind of yay we just don't even think about it we just make a choice there's been been decisions that you've made in your life that have actually altered the course of.
Your life that have affected how you've lived and how you've worked they've expected your day-to-day for a long period of time and you just kind of made the decision but there are other times when we pause when we really consider hold on a second this one's big and I need to really be thoughtful here the text we're going to look at today we're going to be faced with an innocent escapable reality you're actually uh a lot of times we try to read ourselves into the Bible wrongly.
But today you're in here we're actually going to get a glimpse at the future in this text today and as we look at it we're going to see an inescapable reality and what I'm going to suggest is that we actually today that you actually today don't just go yay and move on but that you pause and con consider the reality of this text and you make a a decision that you mentally weigh and consider and choose something good this morning that's that's my hope.
So go to Philippians 2 verse 5 we're going to read this whole section uh and we're going to walk through it here but here's what happens I want you to see the beginning of this it says have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus okay so that's the the command in this text have this mind among yourselves now if you were here last week that's what we spent our time on the command that Paul is making in this text where he's going to tell them to be humble to be uh gracious to be to count others as more important than themselves that's what we talked about last week and we'd be wrong.
To read through Philippians and miss that but also the way he does that is really interesting because he's going to point to this massive theological truth about Jesus in the midst of telling us to be humble which is is how the Bible works by the way if you're reading your Bible as primarily a book about you what you're supposed to do who you're supposed to be what God wants from you you are reading your Bible incorrectly the Bible is primarily a book about.
Jesus what he has done who he is how good he is and then the things that are applied to us and the things that you are supposed to do because the Bible does give you some commands are based off of who he is is and what he's done and how good he is it's primarily a book about Jesus so that even when Paul is giving instructions and he says you need to do this he's going to say because of what Jesus has already done we don't lead we respond.
But what he does is really interesting he pulls out this massively beautiful theological truth about Jesus just trying to tell us to be humble it'd be like if you were struggling with something and one of your friends came over and they said hey I just want you to know you you got this like I think you're tough I think you're strong and then they reached into their pocket and they said strong like this and they pull out a fist sized diamond strong like this diamond this is how tough you are and they put it back in their pocket no no no no you'd be like wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait I'm not.
Even thinking about my problems anymore is that a real diamond how did you get that like I watched a movie about it I'm pretty sure it involved murder how did you get that Diamond that big what why are you carrying that around with you I have so many questions that's what Paul does in the middle of this he says you need to be humble you need to think this way here's a massive fist-sized glorious Diamond about Jesus this huge theological Point.
Okay so be humble and it's like wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait I want to see the diamond again and so that's what we're doing this morning all right this is what it says we're going to we're going to read it all and then we're going to walk through it slowly verse 5 have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who so this is Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with.
God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee 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 it's as if Paul was like you need to be humble you know who was humble Jesus and as soon as he wrote Jesus he was just like he just goes off it's like a hymn of praise this just Delight in how glorious Jesus is and so we're going to look at that section this morning so Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God that's verse six though he was in the form of.
God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped okay now does that mean he was in the form of God meaning he somehow looked like God or represented God that he was like God but not really God and there are those who will read that text this way Mormons read it that way Jehovah's Witnesses read it that way you might have someone say that's what that means that this is what he's saying he was like God but not really.
God almost like Adam so Adam was made in the image and likeness of God he was in some way representative of God he was some way like God but he wasn't God so we've got to look at the context to see does it mean he was like God but not God or does this mean to say that Jesus was fully in essence by his very nature the God of the universe it's important that we figure that out so let's take a.
Second and look at the text who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped okay that doesn't really answer the question for us because a thing to be grasped could mean like Adam not in the like God but not God reaching up trying to become equal to God so it's something he's striving for or it could mean that he actually is in the form of God but he's not going to cling to it he's not going to hold on to it.
But verse seven answers the question who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men okay so if he was like Adam who was like God but not God and wasn't trying to reach up then verse seven makes no sense what did he empty himself of how did he take on the form of a servant and be born in the likeness of men how was that somehow an emptying how was that humility how what did.
He that doesn't make any sense it would just say he didn't reach up there he stayed where he was but it doesn't say that it says he emptied himself and took on the likeness of men meaning that Jesus Christ was in very essence and nature prior to his existence as a human was God the humility of Christ that is displayed in this reality is beyond anything we can imagine that he was in very nature God but did not count equality with.
God a thing to hold on to like we like watching the show Undercover Boss because it's fun to see see a CEO have to clean and that doesn't even remotely compare to Jesus being fully God taking on human form and he was fully God this isn't just the only place that this is taught this isn't the only place that this shows up I'm going to read you a couple of places it says this in Colossians 2:9 for in him that's Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily how much of the deity the whole fullness of it Hebrews 1 1-3 says long ago at many times and in many ways.
God spoke to our fathers by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world so Jesus existing at the beginning the creation of the world and then it says he Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God the exact imprint of his nature when you're like I wonder how God would treat me I wonder how God thinks of me I wonder how.
God relates to me you get to look at Jesus he's the fullness of deity dwelling bodily he's the exact imprint of his nature and he Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power after making purifications for sins he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high and it's not just something was written about him afterwards Jesus also understood this about himself John 175 this is Jesus speaking he's praying and he says and now father glorify me me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed the pre-existent Eternal.
God Christ in all of his glorious Wonder humbles himself empties himself to take on the form of a servant now he becomes a human without ceasing to be God and you're like well how does he do that I don't know it just says that he does does it's a glorious mystery that he is 100% God and 100% man that he takes on the form of a human but he doesn't just pretend to take it on he really does and in some ways he limits his exercise of his glorious Divinity in great humility the creator of the universe who upholds the World by the word of his power do you know how humiliating and small it.
Is that he needs to sleep in Luke to it says that he grew in wisdom and stature he had to figure things out while he was human he he limited himself the the creator of the universe should have never felt cold or hot or tired or itchy the one being that should have never had to go through Middle School it the beauty of the Incarnation and the humility of Christ just to be a human should warm our hearts to how good he is.
But it says this verse 8 being found in human form he humbled himself so even further as a human humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross so he humbles himself he doesn't count equality with God a thing to be grasp he empties himself he takes on human form and then he humbles himself to be obedient now this obedience to the father it shows up in two two ways one it shows up in his life that he has a perfect record of obedience that he does not sin.
Jesus Lives perfectly in relationship with God and with with humans and he's obedient to the point of death meaning that the plan was always for Jesus to Die the plan was always for him to come and to rescue that's the plan why if someone's going to say to you well I think Jesus was just a really nice humble guy first of all he's more humble than they think because he wasn't just a guy he was God who took on flesh so the amount of humility that they've given him is just is pitiful to the amount of humility that he actually shows.
And then if they say but if you say okay well what what's Christianity about and maybe you would answer this this way what's Christianity about it's about us you know learning how to be good like if I become a Christian I'll turn into like a nice lady a nice fella I'll do what I'm supposed to that's what it's about it's about learning the rules if that's what it's about then why does Jesus why is the focus on this obedience to death why is this focus on the cross what's the cross.
For if he was just here to coach us up on how to be good then he shouldn't have died when he was 33 he should have stayed and kept coaching now the point is the cross because he was coming to be a sacrifice in our place for our sin that's the the point the point is we can't by being good or by being moral rescue ourselves but Jesus can because he's fully God he's actually able to atone for the sins of humanity.
But because he's fully human he's able to swap places with us and actually pay our debt this is the cost of sin which the Bible says you're a sinner that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God we've all rebelled we're all guilty right now in Kid City take a second and just think just just be quiet for just a second well y'all aren't being quiet you got be quiet that's the sound of 50 children being in another room right.
Now in Kid City there are 50 children that we have volunteers that are serving loving pointing to Jesus Jesus uh trying to articulate the Gospel to them but at times your sweet little Precious Angels are violent and there's there's possibility for there to be a conversation that goes something like this hey come here come here come here stop no calm down you can't you can't use the scissors like that they're for cutting paper not for stabbing our neighbor and if the kid responded with wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait I memorized my Bible verse you say that's good it's irrelevant to the stabbing that just took place and what we.
Want to do as adults is say wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait I've done this God I did this I served I did did this I was nice I did this if there was a doctor who was an excellent doctor but also a serial killer and and his defense was I've saved more lives than I've taken he goes to jail because that's not the question the question is are you guilty and y'all we're guilty we've made the world worse one of the best ways I can.
See this in myself is that when I'm trying to be good I still can't do it and I have hurt the people I love the most the most it's not like I'm just hurtful to strangers no no no no no the closer you get to me the more you're going to get some of this a't that crazy and we're Sinners and we've harmed God's good creation and praise be to Jesus that he was obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.
Because he came as a sacrifice that even death on a cross is to point out that the cross is gruesome and horrific it wasn't even to be used on Roman citizens unless they had committed treason it was for the worst capital crimes it was for those who didn't really belong he was stripped and beaten and crucified so that we might be welcomed in that's the Gospel that there was a debt that had to be paid now periodically people will say things like.
Well couldn't he have just forgiven us if we're in God's system I listen to you so far preacher ma' we're in God's system he created the world I'm tracking okay nothing didn't create the world God created the world I'll follow you that far I get that I'm done things that are messed up all right I I'll track with that I can definitely tell that other people have I'm willing to admit I have some too why can't he just forgive us well one is.
Because he's gloriously good and he can't just act like sin's not a big deal because he actually loves people he loves the people you've hurt he loves you he loves the harm you've done to yourself he can't just act like it's not a big deal two is that sin is real and it actually causes problems it actually does real damage I have a I have a six-year-old now but he was five when this happened he was playing with to this wasn't malicious.
But you know a lot of children their spatial awareness is poor this is why they will just walk like right into people I'm constantly having to be like get out the you don't see it's like they they can basically keep up with what's like a foot around them so he was playing with with like larger like superhero toys and sometimes the good guy's just got to get the bad guy out of there so he just slung the this toy into our television yeah yeah one malicious although you know kids do malicious things this one just happened to not be malicious.
But the the TV's broken okay real damage has been done now can I just say I forgive you sure but somebody's paying for the TV somehow now we can pay for the TV by not having a TV but there's no way that the cost isn't incurred we could be one of those families that I guess what like reads or talks to each other I don't know there's real debt I could put him in six-year-old hard labor to try to return pay back the thing I can I can do something to try to get it out of him or I can pay.
For it and buy a new one but somebody's got to pay for the debt and when we say well couldn't he just forgive y'all he did forgive but he did it at a great cost to himself that does not lower his glory it exalts it it does not make Jesus less wonderful it makes him more wonderful that if you would look and go why can't he just forgive you don't even understand the length to which he came to Humble himself so that he might forgive.
So that you might be welcomed look at this Christ and oh meet how wonderfully humble and glorious he is that he comes to you and says I'm willing to forgive even if I have to pull it out of my own skin that's Jesus and would you come to him in his humility would you see him in his glory and would you understand that you have sin but he's willing to pay for it how good is he oh how glorious is Jesus.
So some of you will say well I I don't know I believe there is a God but what's he doing why are things like this what's he doing with me why is my life worked out like this y'all this is what God has done he's come to us in our Brokenness in our pain in our shame and he's taken it on himself have you been betrayed he's been betrayed have you been hurt he's been hurt have you had to taste the the bitterness of death he tasted the bitterness of death.
So that they might not win so that sin might not conquer so that he would not have to destroy all of us in our Rebellion but that he might be able to welcome Us in forgiveness don't run from that run to that so it says this we're going to go to verse n therefore meaning because he was obedient to the point of death because he was humble and gracious and wonderful and good and he came to rescue us therefore God has highly EX exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name there is no way to.
God outside of Jesus Jesus says that nobody comes to the father except through him acts 4 when they're proclaiming this it says there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved he has the name above every name he is exalted so that there is no other name that you can be saved under not yours not someone else it's Christ and Christ Alone that can pay for sin acts 5331 says the.
God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree God exalted him as his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and the Forgiveness of sins y'all that's the hope of the work of Christ that you would repent repent means that you would see your own own sin and you would take it to Jesus and say I need forgiveness and y'all he's to give repentance and forgiveness do you know that's what Christians Proclaim not we're good no no we Proclaim he's good we're forgiven our debt has been paid.
Because of the work of Jesus do you see how humble he is do you see how good he is don't Harden your heart to that don't run from that run to that run to him so verse n and then we'll read verse 10 it says therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name it's all about Jesus verse 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee 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 Jesus is has been exalted to the centerpiece of all existence now I told you that we'd get to see the future well that's the future at the name of Jesus every knee 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 you say every knee every tongue well all the ones that are in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth.
So in the place of the living in the place of the dead and in the place of all spiritual creation yes every knee every Tong will all bow now you may want to ask does that mean that all will believe is that what's being taught here well it's a it's a quote from Isaiah 45 so we're going to read five verses from Isaiah 45 they'll be on the screen assemble yourselves and come draw near together you survivors of the Nations they have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols and keep on praying to a.
God that cannot save now that's hopeful because you say in a symbol come to to me and he's who's he calling the people who are rebelling against him they're worshiping other gods he says you're praying to a God that can't save have do youall feel that you ever labored for a God that can't save you you ever wanted something so bad and you finally got it did it fix you he's saying come verse 21 declare and present your case let them take counsel together who told this long ago who declared of old was it not I the.
Lord and there is no other God beside me a righteous God and a savior there is none besides me turn to me and be saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is no other oh hear that invitation this morning turn to me and be saved all the ends of the Earth who is welcome to Jesus everybody what if I've done this come on what if I've run what if I've hurt what if I've what if I've hated him what.
If I've rebelled against him what if I've fought against him what if I've harmed every person I've ever been in my life what if I hate myself come all the ends of the Earth come Jesus Christ has come to rescue you so come by myself I have sworn from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return meaning he's not he's not taking it back he's he's declared it it's going to happen to me every every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear Allegiance everyone's invited and he says.
But I'm making you a promise everyone's going to Bow and everyone's going to confess he says this in verse 24 only in the Lord it shall be said of me are righteousness and strength so only in the Lord are righteousness and strength so if you think well I'm probably good enough no it's only in the lord well maybe I'm strong enough enough no it's only in the Lord if you want to be good enough if you want to be rescued if you want to be saved.
If you want to be welcomed if you want to be forgiven you need the Lord to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him in the Lord All The Offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall Glory there's our answer all will bow all will confess but some some of them will bow in shame because they hate the Lord all those who are incensed against him all those who have fought against him all of those who've hardened their heart and stood proud in front of him and said I won't bow I don't need you I don't want you I won't serve you I'm going to serve myself I'm going to serve.
This I'm going to serve something else he says you're going to Bow and you're going to confess even if you hate me but then it says The Offspring of Israel those who are welcomed into the family that's what that means and we're told in the New Testament that's by faith in Jesus shall be justified meaning made right meaning forgiven meaning given righteousness and shall Glory everybody bows everybody confesses but some of them their hearts are bursting with joy and some of them have been brought to their knees in shame every tongue confesses every knee bows every every king that's ever set a throne every Monarch that's ever held a scepter every Tyrant that's ever ruled.
And and taken out tens of thousands of people every person who's Ever Raised their eyes and rage against the heavens every person that's ever walked to the face of the Earth your parents and their parents and their parents and their parents and your children and their children and their children's children every single person in this room me and you will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father the question is will we do it with Joy or will that be the day we.
Finally are broken by the glory of the God of the universe all will bow but not all will believe all will confess but not all will love Christ all will surrender but not all will be saved the invitation that makes it to you today is that you would come to him in humility in his humility because that's the Jesus that's in front of you you are offered humility but there's going to be a day when you meet him in glory and time will be up there's going to be a day.
When you bow and confess let it be what you've longed for let it be what you've hoped for let it be what you've strived for that you wanted to see the glory of Christ because You' only gotten a glimpse and a taste of it here but he had redeemed your soul and taken you to forgiveness and welcomed you to his family and the day that he comes in his glory we fall before him and we say Jesus Christ is Lord the same as we sung this morning that we would say.
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father but everyone will there's an invitation to surrender now to bow now don't Harden your heart don't put it off don't say I will at some point but I've got some other things I want to do first don't say yeah I know that's kind of true but I'm not ready yet don't harden yourself against this come to him in his humility because there is a time when time's up and all will proclaim the glory of Christ those who know him and those who don't it'll be the glory of.
God the Father christe's going to come back up and play the invitation in front of us is to stop and consider to truly see how humble and good and loving and kind and merciful and gracious the God of the universe is that he would come to you and be obedient to the point of death even death on a cross the invitation this morning is that you would see him in his humility and that you would surrender in humility that you would.
See your own sin and that you would bring it to him because he's the one who offers repentance and forgiveness I want that day to be a delight because your rescue has finally come not the day that you have to finally Bend in shame because you've rebelled all your days so take a moment ask the Lord to help you see your sin if you want to trust in Jesus you can we're going to do something that we don't usually do I want everybody to close their eyes and begin to pray.
If you're a type of person who prays I want you to pray I want you to pray for the work of the spirit that we would have our hearts opened today and some of you have never fallen on your knees before the Lord and I would invite you today because every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord I'd invite you to actually slip out of your chair get on your knees and say Jesus your Lord I'd invite you to actually move your body and confirm what is going on in your heart that he can redeem and that he can save and that he can forgive and that there's nothing.
Too big for him and if you will where you are just slide out get on your knees and say Lord Jesus Christ is Lord and I need him to save me come while he's available come to him while he comes to you in humility and Rescue you don't run from him but run to him Lord may we live our days in surrender to your mercy may we live our days before your glorious goodness and we thank you for your humility and we pray.
Lord that if there's somebody in this room who is right now wrestling with you and trying to keep their legs straight crying trying to keep their back stiff we pray that through the power of your spirit you would break through that they might know you that they might taste the sweet surrender and forgiveness and hope that's found in Jesus we love you Lord we praise you during this next song as we go to sing Matt will be standing over here by this door I'm going to stand over here.
If you need to speak to somebody if you want to ask questions about what it means to follow Jesus we welcome that pray as long as you want and then we'll sing together.