"CHIEF"
PASTOR TIMOTHY PORTER
The Bridge Church Upstate
TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
INTRODUCTION:
Names!
We all have them.
They are important to our knowing one another and to others knowing us.
Most of our names are unimportant, that is, we could have any other name on earth and still be the same person we already are.
Our text tells us that there is a name that is above every name.
It is a name that prompts the people of Heaven to shout and the people of Hell to shutter.
A name that brings help to the helpless, peace to the tormented,rest to the restless, hope to the hopeless and comfort to the comfortless.
This name has cooled the fevered head; broken the chains of sin; delivered the captive and thrilled the saint.
The one who bears this name has been called everything from Adam to Wonderful. The name I am referring to is the name Jesus!
I want to explore the glory of that name. I have choosen a title of CHIEF for this message.
As I preach on this name today, I want you search your heart and if you do not know the Person Who wears that Name, you can meet Him today.
If you know Him, but aren't as close to Him as you should be, you can get that fixed up today as well.
And, if you love Him already, you will have even more reasons to shout and take on this morning.
when I think of this name I am reminded of how glorious and Chief it is.
I. The Reality (v. 9)
His glory is given to Him by divine decree. The word “Exalted” means, “To be raised to the highest heights.”
The exaltation did not concern Christ’s nature or eternal place within the Trinity, but His new identity as the God-Man Rom. 1:4; 14:9.
In addition to receiving back His glory Christ’s new status as the God-Man meant God gave Him privileges He did not have prior to the Incarnation.
If He had not lived among men, He could not have identified with them as the interceding high priest. Had He not died on the Cross, He could not have been elevated from that lowest degree back to heaven as the substitute for sin.
All over the world, with every tick of the clock, people, use in vain, curse and despise the name of Jesus, but it is this name that brings forgiveness of sin, Luke 24:47; and that gives us access into the Father's presence, John 16:23-24.
> "Beloved, If you can't understand then you should really take a hard look at walk with Christ and how you believe. If you find yourself in a place where you can't forgive, you should really start with frogiving yourself!"
> You see, when we make much of the Jesus, we are merely doing what God has already done. That's the reality!
God has decided that the name of Jesus should be lifted up to the heights of Heaven.
Beloved: Don't ridicule the people who loves to worship and praise the Lord.
They are merely doing the Father's business. However there is spirit filled worship and there is man ordaineded worship.
i) Man Made worship is a worship where we move and speak to be noticed by others.
[ The childern of Isreal while Moses was up on Mt. Sinai recieving the 10 commandments was making a golden calf to worship b/c God was taking to long ]
John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
If you are not worshipping in true spirit it's not of God
ii) True Spirit Filled Worship
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
Worship is not the long slow song the worship team sings
> True worship is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we sacrifice our lives daily for His purposes and plans—not our own selfish motives.
We are to taking up our cross every day and trusting in the Lord to lead us in the right direction.
Our continual sacrifice is an offering of worship to Him out of gratefulness for the things He has done.
> His name is “above” every name. That means that it is “over, beyond, chief”.
Millions may claim to be Chief all over the world today, but there is only one Jesus and He is God and the Son of God at the same time.
Only He can take the vilest of sinners and make them clean. Only He can take a Hell bound sinner and reconcile him to God.
> Whether a person acknowledges the glory of that name in this life or not, Jesus is still a name that is chief among all names.
II.) The Reason (v. 5-8)
“Therefore” in verse 9 points back to the reason why God has given Jesus this place of exaltation and glory.
i) (v. 6-7) These verses declare the truth that Jesus is absolutely God, John 1:1.
He was always God, but God the Son took upon Himself human flesh when He was born in Bethlehem, Matt. 1:21-23
> Consider all the implications of that truth!
Think about the Creator becoming dependent upon a creature, mom, dad, food, water etc.
When He came, He did not come as a king, as a wealthy man or as a ruler. When He came, He came as a baby, as a servant. He came as an ordinary man to serve all men, Mark 10:45.
He came as a man so that He might die for all men. "As dieing man in a dieing world"
> God exalted Him because He willingly humbled Himself to be a living demonstration of God's love for fallen humanity, Rom. 5:8.
That's why we should live like a dieing man in a dieing world, proclaiming the good news that Jesus saves!
ii) (v. 8a) Humbled and Obiedant
Jesus willingly came from Heaven to earth [out of everything and in to nothing] for the sole purpose of going to Calvary to die for you and me, John 18:37.
The Roman Soliders did not kill Jesus! lol lol lol
He willingly laid down His life, the innocent for the guilty, so that you might be saved, John 10:17-18
He submitted all to His Father and became obedient unto death, His Father has exalted His name above every name in Heaven or on the earth.
His Name Is CHIEF it's above all - it's Exhaulted!
III.) The Response (v. 10-11)
The word “should” vrs. 10 & 11. This word indicates that there is a response that is expected when the name of Jesus is encountered.
i) To His Position (v. 10)
Every being in all of the earth is called upon to recognize His position.
They are all called upon to bow in submission and surrender to this man named Jesus.
Every creature in Heaven, in Hell, and upon the earth is called upon to acknowledge Him and the glory of that Name.
> “Should”. Every creature, including you, should bow their knee before Him in humble acknowledgement of His position, His power and His glory.
This is a call to acknowledge, but whether you do it willingly or not, there is coming a day when every angel, every demon, every saint, ever sinner, even Satan himself, will bow to that name. Rom. 14:11
Have you acknowledged Him for Who He is? Have you bowed to Him as Savior? As Lord? As your only hope? As everything?
Isaiah 49:16 (NKJV) 16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Conclusion:
In Heaven they know that Name! In Heaven they praise that Name!
In Hell they know that Name! Those in Hell will one day bow and praise that Name!
Satan knows that Name! One day, even Satan himself will bow and praise that Name!
The only place where the Name of Jesus is not known in power and glory is in the heart and lives of lost men women boys and girls.
One day, even you, lost people, will bow and praise that Name. b/c it's CHIEF it's the name above every name!
Doesn't it make more sense to bow in this altar and acknowledge and accept that Name today and be saved, than to deny Jesus, die lost and still have to acknowledge His as Savior, Lord and Christ some day?
Don't you want to do it when it can save you instead of when it can do you no good?
This is a good time to sing “There Just Something About That Name.”
