One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about the life of Joseph, and I'm going to
guess that's a popular one among our church family.
If you're familiar with it, then you know the story begins with Joseph living comfortably
at home.
He's the favored son of his father.
Well, we soon learn in Genesis 37 that he had a dream of how he was going to one day be
elevated to a position of power and glory over even his family.
Joseph had 10 brothers.
They were jealous for many reasons.
He was the favored son.
But they hated him even more after he told them about that dream.
Well, Joseph's jealous brothers, their hatred was such that they wanted to kill him, or at
least they talked about killing him.
But some of the more, I'd say, less violent ones talked them out of it, and they sort of,
I guess you might say, to reach the compromise, they sold him into slavery in Egypt.
Well, as a slave in Egypt, Joseph demonstrated he was really a man of faith.
Joseph is really in the Old Testament and all the Bible, one of the great men of uncompromising
faith and trust and confidence in God.
And he was put to the test being sold in slavery in a foreign country.
But he was faithful to God in the way that he lived.
And he was faithful in the circumstances to serve his master, his owner, as faithfully as he could.
Well, it was noticed.
He was such a man of integrity that his owner put him in charge of everything he owned.
But somewhere along the way, he was falsely accused of a crime against his owner's wife
and unjustly thrown into prison.
Now, as a man in prison, formerly a slave, you would think he's hit rock bottom.
He's just going to give up, pray to die.
But he didn't.
He was faithful as a man of God, a man of integrity in the prison.
And he was even put in charge of some things in the prison.
Well, about 17 years after his downward spiral began with being sold into slavery,
Joseph's dream came true.
God elevated him to a place of real power and glory, second in command over all Egypt.
Now, this eventually led to his brothers who came to Egypt looking for food.
bowing down before him, just like he had said in the dream.
Now, from that position of power and glory, Joseph saved his family from starvation
and saved or preserved, what you might say, the foundation for the future nature, future nation of Israel.
Because the people of Israel came from Joseph's family.
Now, that is certainly an unlikely sounding path to a position of power and glory, isn't it?
But if you know the story of Joseph, it was all planned.
That was by God's design.
He didn't make those brothers hate him and set him into slavery.
But God used what they did to accomplish his good purpose, the ultimate good of Joseph, his family,
and through the nation of Israel and Jesus, all the world.
Now, Joseph lets us know he understood all that happened to him, good and bad.
It was a part of God's plan.
He makes it known in what has really become a memorable statement to his brothers toward the end of the book of Genesis.
He looked at his brothers and he said,
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good,
to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.
Now, what I want us to think about now is that Joseph's path to glory is really not all that unusual.
More often than not, that's how God works in the lives of his people, including his son, Jesus.
We saw in last week's study, Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 8,
that Jesus has always existed as the son of God in glory in heaven.
He did not, his origins are not, cannot be traced to the stable in Bethlehem.
He left the glory of heaven to be born into this world.
He humbled himself to become a man, to become a slave, to become a prisoner who was actually executed by crucifixion,
the most humiliating, degrading, and torturous death that the Romans could think up in the first century.
Today, I want us to look at how God elevated Jesus, exalted Jesus to the highest position in all the universe.
The position of power and glory over all things, following his humbling himself.
Turn, if you would, to Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians 2.
And what I want us to do is read what we looked at last week, verses 5 through 8,
where we see Jesus starting out in heaven, equal with God, fully God,
but he didn't hold on to it.
He didn't just use it for himself.
He laid aside that glory for us.
Let's look at it.
Philippians chapter 2, beginning in verse 5.
After he had told them, told these church people just like us,
to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count each other more significant than yourself,
that each of you look not only to his own interests, but also the interests of others.
How in the world are we going to do that?
Well, he tells us,
have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
he's always existed.
He's divine, the Son of God.
Did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
or a thing to be held on to,
or a thing to be used just for himself or his own advantage,
but emptied himself,
laid aside that glory.
He didn't cease to be God,
but he didn't use what he had for just himself.
But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant,
a slave,
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,
shameful, degrading, torturous.
That's what we looked at last week.
But look on in verse 9,
therefore, as a result of Christ humbling himself like he did,
God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that 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.
As we go through this passage,
I want you to think,
grasp hold of this idea.
The path of Jesus,
that was the path of Joseph,
and it's the path of you and me as Christians.
Paul wants us to see that.
He wants us to see in this.
So he's writing to a church.
There's some problems with unity in the church.
He's trying to help them to see,
humble yourself,
love one another,
serve one another.
Don't just look out for yourself.
And he points to Jesus.
Have this attitude.
But then,
in verse 9,
he's pointing out,
if you humble yourself,
one day God will make it worthwhile.
For just as he raised up his son,
lifted him from that lowly position,
one day he will lift you up.
The Bible makes it clear,
this is God's normal way.
I want you to look at what is said in Romans 8,
verses 16 and 17.
Paul writes,
the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we're children of God,
and if children,
then heirs.
Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with Him,
in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
Think about what he's saying there.
He's talking about how God calls us to be
sacrificially faithful,
even suffer.
But that's not the end of the story.
There's a time coming,
it may be in heaven only for most of us,
but that'll be for eternity.
But the time is coming
when we,
you and me,
will be glorified with Jesus.
Peter says it like this,
humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God,
so that at the proper time,
He may exalt you.
What we're going to look at this morning
is not some isolated thought
about Christians being honored,
exalted,
lifted up,
elevated,
blessed by God.
It's found throughout the New Testament
as an incentive to you and me.
Live the Christian life
as a faithful follower of Jesus,
and it may cost you.
You may suffer physically.
You may not make all the money
that you have the ability to make
if you follow the path
that God lays out for you.
You may not be as popular
as you would like to be
and maybe could be
if you took the wrong direction.
The Christian life,
regardless of what Joel Osteen
and other positive thinkers say,
the Christian life is not
your best life now.
Most,
I have to watch myself.
The most utterly ridiculous
book title by a Christian
that I can think of,
everything that the Bible says
is contrary to the idea.
This life and this world
is our best life.
The best is yet to come.
And what we're looking at this morning
is a guarantee
that just as God raised Jesus up
from his lowly position
that he chose
to serve God's purpose,
he will raise us up
one day.
Let's do a quick review.
I mean a quick review
of what we looked at last week.
Number one,
we looked last week
we need to look at Jesus
as the ultimate model
for what it means
to be unselfish.
He is the ultimate model.
And it begins by developing
an unselfish attitude.
It all begins with our mind,
our thinking,
our attitude.
If you haven't read it,
look in this week's newsletter.
A great article
by Chuck Swindoll
on the importance of attitude,
the power of attitude,
and the fact that we choose
our attitude.
Last week we looked also
at number B.
We must not hold tightly
to all of our rights.
And I emphasized last week,
we're talking about
we can't hold on to our rights
as brothers and sisters
living and working together
in this church.
We can't hold on
to all of our rights at home.
and have a healthy family.
We're not talking about
never using your rights
as an American citizen
or at your company
or in other settings.
The Apostle Paul
insisted upon his rights
as a Roman citizen
on several occasions
recorded in the book of Acts
to save himself
from beatings,
from imprisonment,
and what would have been death.
We don't have to give up
all of our rights
and just be a doormat
to the world.
That's not what this passage
is talking about.
That's not what Jesus did.
But we are called
to humble ourselves
in this family of faith
and serve one another.
Don't think of anybody
better than you.
Don't think of yourself
being better than anyone.
And certainly not in the home.
You know,
I've talked about,
you know,
we can't think of ourselves
as kings and queens at home.
But here's the thought.
So I've had more feedback
about that than anything.
If you,
as a husband,
if you want
to think of your wife
and treat her like a queen,
good for you.
Ladies,
you can't demand it.
If a husband,
love your wife
as Jesus loved the church,
Paul says.
If you want to think of her
as a queen,
treat her that way.
Ladies,
if you want to think
of your husband
as a king
and treat him like that,
good for you.
When I said that
in the first service,
I looked at Jesus,
I looked at Lisa
and she said,
uh-uh,
just like that.
She wasn't going to do it.
It's a thought,
but it's not going to happen.
We can't demand
our own rights,
but consider yourself
blessed
if there are people
in your life
who sacrificially
show their love
to you.
Number three,
we looked at last week,
we must humble ourselves
and obey God
sacrificially.
As Christians,
we can never,
think about it this way,
we can never look at God
and say to Him,
I won't go that far.
I'll do certain things,
but I won't go that far.
We don't tell God that.
Whatever sacrifice
He calls you
or me to make,
we've got to be
obedient children
and say,
yes, Lord.
We can also say,
and we need to say,
help me, Lord.
He'll give us the grace
to do whatever
He calls us to do.
Now,
the Lord's attitude
of unselfishness
and humility,
that of Jesus,
it is radical.
It is costly.
But the next verses,
9 through 11,
Paul makes it clear
it is worth
the sacrifice.
Number two,
we need to look to Jesus
as the ultimate model
for how God exalts
the unselfish.
unselfish.
Paul wastes no time
in making it clear
God exalts the humble.
He exalts those
who humble themselves.
Look again now,
first part of verse 9.
Therefore,
God has highly exalted Him.
I want you to think
about what happened
to Jesus
after He was crucified
and buried.
Now,
think about it.
Jesus died on the cross,
paid the penalty
for our sins.
He cried out,
it is finished.
The penalty
has been paid.
The wrath of God
has been fully satisfied.
He was buried.
First thing,
He arose from the grave.
God raised Him
from the dead.
We're very familiar
with the idea
of the resurrection,
the New Testament teaching
about the resurrection.
That's what our faith
is built upon.
If there is no resurrection,
there is no Christian faith.
If there is no resurrection,
we are absolute fools
fools
to be followers of Jesus,
Paul said.
So we don't need to really
dwell on the resurrection.
As Christians,
we're convinced of that,
surely.
So let's look secondly.
Jesus ascended into heaven
after making numerous
appearances
to His disciples
for 40 days
following His resurrection.
You can find that
at the end of the Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, and John,
and at the first of Acts.
Now I want you to notice
what happened
after Jesus had done
whatever it is
He needed to do
with His disciples,
teaching them,
preparing them
for what was going to happen.
He ascended into heaven.
Look at it.
It's in Acts,
the first chapter.
And when He had said
these things,
as they were looking on,
He was lifted up,
and a cloud took Him
out of their sight,
and while they were
gazing into heaven,
He went behind,
He went.
Behold,
two men stood by them
in white robes
and said,
Men of Galilee,
why do you stand
looking into the heaven?
This Jesus
who was taken up
from you into heaven
will come in the same way
as you saw Him
go into heaven.
Jesus died,
was buried.
He arose.
He was seen.
Forty days,
it was real.
Then He ascended
into heaven.
He left this earth
and vanished.
He didn't go to a,
you know,
place like you could go
on a rocket ship.
I don't know.
I've never been there,
neither have you,
but sort of like He
went behind a cloud,
He entered another dimension
of time
or of no time.
And then what happened next?
After He disappeared,
well, God exalted Him,
elevated Him,
raised Him,
and seated Him
at His right hand.
What we've read
in Philippians 2,
9 through 11
is all about
what happened.
Jesus was exalted,
raised,
elevated to this
supreme place
of power and authority
and glory in heaven.
But there's many passages
like this
in Acts 2, 33
where it talks about
how Jesus was
therefore exalted
to the right hand
of God,
the position of power
and authority.
Now I want you to think
about what we're talking about.
Here's the point.
Jesus humbled Himself
to the point of submitting
to death on the cross
to fulfill God's eternal plan
to save sinful people
like you and me.
Then God acts
to raise Jesus
from the dead,
bring Him back into heaven,
place Him
in the most powerful,
prominent,
glorious position
that exists,
the right hand of God.
Paul wants us
to understand this
but to show how
God will exalt
all of us
one day
if we are faithful
to do like Jesus
and humble ourselves
and unselfishly serve God
and other people
that God wants us to serve
even to the point
of sacrificing.
Now,
Jesus also assures us
of this
in a statement
that you consider
it's a warning
and a comfort.
Look at this.
He said,
for whoever exalts himself
will be humbled.
That's important.
You might be thinking
to yourself,
you won't say it out loud
sitting in church
but you might think
to yourself,
I just can't go
but so low.
Say it this way,
I can't go
but so low
on my own.
God has a way
to humble us,
put our face
in the dirt
if necessary.
Jesus said,
for whoever exalts himself
will be humbled
and whoever
humbles himself
will be exalted.
See,
this is just
an idea,
a promise
you might say.
It's found throughout
the New Testament.
God
exalts
his humble people
and
this principle,
that's this idea
we're talking about.
Somebody described it
like this,
in God's economy
the way up
is down.
The way for Jesus,
the way for him
to be up
in heaven
exalted
where every knee
will bow
and tongue confess
that he's Lord.
it happened
by going
into this world
humbling himself
as a servant,
slave,
prisoner,
being executed.
We humble ourselves
and God lifts us up.
That's the way it works.
Now,
let's look at the next thing.
God determines
the extent
of the exaltation.
Here's where
we want us to understand.
What we're going
to read now
is unique
because Jesus
is the unique
Son of God.
I don't want
to carry this idea
to any extreme
because the Bible
doesn't.
Certainly,
God
will exalt us
if we're faithful
as we've been
looking at it.
But we will never
be exalted
like Jesus.
None of us
have ever started out
like Jesus,
the divine
Son of God
in heaven.
None of us
have truly
humbled ourselves
to the point
that Jesus did.
And none of us
will ever be raised
to such a supreme
place of honor
and glory
and power
like Jesus.
So don't think
that for a minute.
Let's look now
at the unique
exaltation
of Jesus.
Jesus received
the name
that is above
every name.
Look at it,
verse 9.
And bestowed
on him
the name
that's above
every name.
But Paul
doesn't say
what that name
is exactly.
But it most
likely,
in all probability,
in most every
commentator I've
ever read,
the name
is Lord.
We can think
that because
the first time
it's used
in this section
and he's
talking about
Jesus,
is in verse 11.
After he is
exalted,
it says,
and every tongue
will confess
that Jesus
Christ is Lord.
And also the name
Lord here
in this New Testament,
it refers to
God's most
sacred name
in the Old Testament,
Yahweh
or Jehovah.
And the idea
is God
the Father
bestowed upon
his obedient
son,
the highest,
most holy
name
he could give.
His own
name.
Here's what
I want us to
understand.
When Jesus
returns to this
world one day,
I might need
to say it this way.
The Bible
is a
supernatural
book.
The Christian
faith is a
supernatural
faith.
You know,
we live our
days,
seven days a week,
24-7.
We live in the
here and now.
We see,
we think,
we hear,
we feel.
But there is
more to
life
than what we
see and
think and
feel and
touch.
There's a
supernatural
dimension.
If you're a
Christian,
you have to
believe in the
supernatural,
that Jesus
is the Son of
God who came
from heaven,
that he died
on the cross
as a
substitute for
sinners,
that he
died,
the spiritual
as well as
physical death,
that he arose
from the grave,
went back in
heaven.
That's
supernatural.
We don't
see that.
We can't
reproduce that.
We have to
accept that by
faith.
And likewise,
we have to
really believe,
just as sure as
we're here in
person right now,
one day,
Jesus Christ
will come back
to this world
in great
power and
authority.
Here's my
point here.
He's the
King of
King and
Lord of
Lords now.
When Jesus
comes back,
he is not
going to come
back as a
little powerless
baby in a
stable.
He's not going
to come back
into this world
as the
suffering
servant
man
that he was
the first time.
when Jesus
comes back
in this world,
he's going to
come in great
awesome power
and authority
and glory.
And if we're
alive and we
see him,
there's going to
be cold chills
going up and
down us.
We may just
pass out in
awe of what
we see because
then it won't
be by faith.
It'll be by
sight.
That's how he's
going to come
back into
this world.
Now,
Jesus received
the name that
every created
being in the
universe will
bow before on
judgment day
and confess he
really is Lord.
Look at this
in verses 10
and 11.
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.
I want to make
this simple.
I think what
Paul is saying
there is
is that every
intelligent,
rationally
thinking,
created being
in the
universe is
going to bow
before Jesus
and going to
confess he
is the
sovereign Lord
of the
universe.
Now,
when that
happens,
or think about
it this way,
if we're alive
when Jesus
comes back,
or if you die
and go and
stand before
him,
it's going to
be a great
day for
everyone who
has a
relationship with
Jesus during
their earthly
lives.
You see,
we who are
Christians today,
if we know
Jesus through
faith,
trusting him,
loving him,
talking to him
in prayer,
truly seeking
to follow him,
if that's
our life
here on
earth,
then when
he comes
back,
and we sort
of come to
from the
awe and
wonder and
being just
struck,
you know,
speechless,
we're going
to smile.
Because that's
our Lord that
we know and
love,
and he's
promised to
take care of
us for all
eternity.
we're going
to want to
confess him
as our Lord.
We're going
to jump
down on our
knees,
fall on our
knees to
honor him.
Now don't
worry if you're
not able to
bow now.
Sometimes your
knees wear out
in this life.
Some of you
have had yours
replaced.
Well, when
that day comes,
we'll have a
new body.
So we'll be
able to have
good knees,
we'll have
good knees
and be able
to do this
without any
effort.
Now, for
those who do
not trust Jesus
during their
earthly life,
when he comes
back or when
they die and
go stand before
Jesus, this is
going to be a
day of nothing
but horror.
Every unbeliever
is going to be
forced to bow
before Jesus
and confess
that he is
truly the
Lord of all.
They're going
to do that
just before
they're ushered
away from
him, spend
eternity in
hell.
On that day
when Jesus
comes back,
even the
devil and
all his
demons are
going to be
forced to
confess that
Jesus Christ
really is
Lord before
they wind up
in the lake
of fire.
God's
coming back to
God's
coming back to
him.
The day
will come
when everybody
you know
will know
the truth,
believe the
truth that
Jesus is the
eternal Son of
God.
Everybody not
only know that,
but everyone
will bow before
him.
everyone will
confess that.
As surely as
I'm standing
here and
you're sitting
there, that's
going to happen
one day.
That's what the
Bible teaches.
We'll all be
there.
We'll probably
be able to
remember, we'll
have perfect minds
then, we'll be
able to remember,
we talked about
this today.
You'll be there,
you'll see Jesus,
you will bow and
confess that he is
the Lord of this
universe.
But let me ask
you, will you do
that willingly,
wholeheartedly,
enthusiastically,
because you know
Jesus is your
Savior and Lord
right now?
Or, let's be real
honest, just think,
you know who you
are, how you think,
how you believe, or
if you die today
and stand before
him or he comes
back, will you
actually be forced
to bow before him
and confess him
because you never
do that now?
If Jesus is not
your Lord, I want
to encourage you,
wake up now
before it's eternally
too late.
If you're not
already, truly,
by faith,
bowing before him
in true, humble
submission,
confessing him
as your Lord,
your Savior,
your friend,
that you love,
that you want to
be like,
just admit that
to God.
Admit that your
faith is not,
what you've been
calling faith is not
real.
humble yourself,
repent of your
sin, change your
mind,
trust Jesus
that he paid the
penalty for your
sins when he died
on the cross and
call upon him to
save you, forgive
you, make you a
child of God right
now.
It may be that
right now, for the
first time truly in
your life, you need
to do this and bow
before Jesus as your
Lord, your King.
We need to all make
sure that we stand
before Jesus on
judgment day.
Our confession
will be a willing
one and a one of
joy and not a
forced confession
of regret.
One final point,
quickly.
God receives the
glory of exaltation.
It's all to the
glory of God the
Father at the end
of verse 11.
It's important for
us to understand
that whatever
glory we will
receive, and we
will one day, you
and me as
Christians, it is
not God's payment
for your good
efforts, for your
acts of service.
Don't let that
taint a correct
view of what's
going to happen
on that day.
We're going to
see next week
that our best
desires and
effort to serve
God come as
a result of God
graciously working
in us to
motivate us.
Look at this
from Philippians
2.13.
For it is God
who works in you
both to will and
to work for his
good pleasure.
God exalts us to a
position of glory in
heaven or even to a
place of prominence in
this world.
And God sometimes
does that.
Joseph, he didn't
just get to a
position of glory and
honor in heaven.
He received it on
earth.
Some people do.
Most of us won't.
Some will.
But whether the
glory we have or
receive in heaven or
even some in this
world, we've always
got to be quick to
give all the glory to
God, the praise, the
credit for graciously
working in us so that
we might experience that
glory, that honor.
Now, last week and
this week, we've
looked at how Jesus is
our model in two
ways, verses 5-11.
First, the Lord shows
us how to live
unselfishly and
humbly.
Do you have that
attitude?
Do you have the
attitude to humble
yourself, to be
unselfish, to serve
your brothers and
sisters in Christ in
this church, to serve
the people you live
with at home?
If you have that
attitude, point out
some of the signs of
progress that you can
see in your life that
you are making as you
relate to people in
this church and at
home.
But if you don't see
any signs of progress,
ask God to help you to
change your attitude
now.
And not only to
change your attitude,
but to start changing
your behavior.
Second thing, the Lord
shows us that our
Heavenly Father will
more than make it
worthwhile to
sacrificially obey
Him.
Do you believe that?
Do you believe it's
worth the price?
Some of you delayed
working to get an
education.
You were a poor
student.
You just put on hold
making money.
Some of you have done
other things in your
life where you
sacrificed, you waited
because you anticipated
the reward would be
worthwhile.
That's how we are to
live our lives in this
world, serving the
Lord.
Trusting that no
matter what we do,
no matter how much it
may cost us, He really
will make it worthwhile.
Do you believe that?
And does your life back
it up?
If it doesn't, if you
know you're not a
Christian, ask God to
save you now.
Or if you are a
Christian but you think
to yourself, in light of
what we've been looking
at in Philippians, I'm not
really ready to see Jesus
face to face.
Admit that.
Talk to the Lord about
it.
Confess your sin.
Draw back close to Him.
Paul, Jesus, Peter, God
through His Word promises
us if we will serve Him
faithfully, sacrificially,
pay whatever price He
requires, one day we will
find an experience for all
eternity.
It was worth it.
Let's pray together.
Dear God,
dear God, help us to see
now what our response
should be.
And help us to make it.
And let's just in
attitude of prayer listen
to the Lord and do what
He's telling us to do.
Let's just bow together,
pray, and respond to the
Lord.
Let You
Yeah.
We're going so forward
you
That's what we calls you
to do the comfort of
the Lord and that it is
that If your heart
that leads us to
the Lord and dear
Lord, the Korina
lesia you are mulit of