Download Walking in Humility - Calvary Baptist Church

SERIES: Walking in Joy
SUBJECT:
Exalting Christ
READING: Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him
a name which is above every
name: 10 That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
Text:
Phil 2:10 That at the name of
Jesus every knee should , of
[things] in heaven, and [things] in
earth, and [things] under the earth;
Introduction:
The Mind of Christ we are instructed to
embrace was the willingness come down
from glory to embrace the human experience
and ultimately to lay down His life for a lost
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and dying human race. As we see this
evening God has a great prospect for those
who humble themselves to accomplish
God’s work; that is exaltation.
I.
During His earthly ministry Jesus
introduced several paradoxes;
a. A paradox is defined as a
seemingly self-contradictory
declaration but is in fact true.
b. There are several interesting
paradoxes found in the Bible. As
John Wesley said, “Bring me a
worm that can comprehend a man,
and then I will show you a man
that can comprehend the Triune
God.”
c. Here are a few of Jesus’
paradoxical statements:
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He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 10:39
But many that are first shall be last; and the
last first. Mark 10:31
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that shall humble himself
shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12
I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one
that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he
that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke
18:14
As these last two paradoxes teach when
we come down to serve God God will
exalt us as he did here with His son!
II.
”Now the mind of God the Father is
to glorify Christ. In the following
points will see how God exalted His
humble His Son in seven (God
number of perfection) steps upward.
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Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name [Phil. 2:9].
a. Here is the first step up: The
supreme purpose of God the
Father in this universe today is
that Jesus Christ be glorified in the
universe which He created and
that He be glorified on the earth
where man dwells, where man
rebelled against God.
b. The size of the earth is just under
8,000 miles in diameter compared
to our energy source which is the
sun which is 864,950 miles across
makes us by comparison a relative
small orb!
c. The thing that makes this little
earth significant and important is
i. It is the only life bearing
planet!
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ii. It is the home to the only
creatures who have been
created in God’s image!
iii. And perhaps most of all it is
the only place in the vastness
of space where the Son of
God died for the people
created in God’s image!
d. Astronomers tell us that we are a
little speck in space, and if our
little world were to be blotted out,
it wouldn't make any difference to
the universe.
i. I would vehemently disagree
because this planet is the
battle ground of good and
evil, and the universe is being
held together for the singular
purpose of demonstrating that
good will always triumph
over evil!
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ii. The thing that has lent
dignity to man and has
caused him to look up into
the heavens and sing
1. Praise God, from Whom
all blessings flow;
2. Praise Him, all creatures
here below;
3. Praise Him above, ye
heavenly host;
4. Praise Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.
Is the fact that Jesus Christ
came to this earth and died on
the cross for him.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
him."
III.
Now the second step: "and given him
a name which is above every name."
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a. The next time you hear someone
take His name in vain, think of
this.
i. God intends to exalt that
name that you use as a curse
word and drag in the mud.
ii. Its utterance as a word of
blaspheme proves the
wisdom of a sign sister
Cooley and I saw in a little
country store in the
mountains of Oregon;
“Profanity is the futile
attempt of the feeble mind to
express itself forcefully!”
iii. The name of Jesus Christ will
be exalted above the names
of all the great men of this
world and above the names
of all the angels in glory.
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b. That name above every name is
Jesus Jesus, Jesus Sweetest
name I know!
IV.
The third step of Christ's exaltation.
"That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow,
a. Jesus means "Savior." Before His
birth in Bethlehem, the angel said,
"...thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from
their sins" (Matt. 1:21).
b. Now notice the reference to
prophecy: "Now all this was done,
that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his
name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us" (Matt.
1:22-23).
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That prophecy was made by the
prophet Isaiah in the Old
Testament and there He was God
with man.
c. There is here in our text a
prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled!
But beloved it is coming and He is
waiting because there is a host of
folk dead and alive who have not
bowed but one day they will!
And I saw a great white throne, and him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them. 12 And I saw the dead,
small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according to their
works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according
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to their works. 14 And death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death. 15 And whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15
d. There before that throne kneeling
before Jesus will every human
soul gathered from their hiding
place throughout history and at at
the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things
under the earth;
V.
Now notice the fourth step of His
exaltation: "Of things in heaven." One
third of those spirit beings who
followed Lucifer in his rebellion
against God, those who from then until
the end beyond the end of millennial
kingdom and the end of time will be
gathered to hear their final damnation!
10
VI.
And the fifth step: "And things in
earth" there before the throne all those
who lived through the millennial
kingdom rebelling at Satan’s final
loosing will be there on bended knees!
VII.
And the sixth step: "And things under
the earth."
a. Death and hell the dwelling place
of the departed unsaved souls are
the final remnant of all creation
whose names were not found in
the book of life.
b. There they will humbly kneel
before Jesus!
VIII.
Here now is the seventh and final
step of Christ's exaltation: And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father [Phil. 2:11].
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a. Every tongue shall "confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord."
b. That doesn't mean that every
tongue will confess Him as Savior.
c. It is interesting that even in hell
they must recognize the lordship
of Jesus, which will, I think,
increase their anguish.
d. A word of caution is in order
here. Be very careful about
calling Jesus your Lord if He is
not your Lord.
i. He made the statement that
many would call Him Lord,
Lord, and even perform
miracles in His name, yet He
will say, "I never knew you"
(see Matt. 7:21-23).
ii. Before one calls Him Lord
and rests on their assessment
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only may want be assured by
the spirit of God and word of
God that it is more than
rhetoric.
Conclusion:
These thoughts are reminders that Jesus is
more much more than many, even many
professing Christians think Him to be!
If He is your Savior, then you can become
obedient to Him as your Lord.
Anyone can sing the words on the pages of
the song book which say; "What a Friend
we have in Jesus."
But living it takes a real commitment to
God. A commitment that reflects Jesus’
words in John 15:14; "Ye are my friends, if
ye do whatsoever I command you."
Invitation: How about you beloved friend? If
you have the mind of Christ then your life
and your words will exalt Christ!
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