The sermon 'Above Every Name' by Jason Dohm delves into the exaltation of Jesus Christ, as highlighted in Philippians 2. It begins by discussing Paul's call for Christians to live sacrificially, drawing from the riches in Christ. Jesus is presented as the ultimate example of humility, relinquishing his exalted position to die as a criminal for humanity's salvation. This act of self-humiliation led to his exaltation by God the Father, granting him a name above all names. The sermon also explores the implications of this exaltation within the Trinity and emphasizes Christ's role as Mediator and Redeemer. It concludes by asserting that Jesus' exaltation adds to the glory of God the Father, and all creation is ultimately obligated to acknowledge his Lordship. The sermon encourages believers to humble themselves, following Christ's example, with the assurance of future exaltation by God.

The title of the sermon this morning is Above Every Name. It's essentially about the exaltation of Jesus Christ. His Father is pleased to exalt Him and to give him an unrivaled place that is unequal with anyone else in all of creation. So that's what the text is about. This is where we are in chapter 2.

In verses 1-4, Paul gives a call to sacrificial living based on the riches received. In other words, all of the Lord's people have received such riches in the Lord Jesus Christ that they become a wellspring of resources to pull from in order to live the kind of sacrificial life that the Christian is called to. Then in verses 5-8, all of this is grounded in the example of Jesus Christ. In other words, if you want to know what it looks like to live self-sacrificially, you just look at Jesus. He is the perfect and ultimate example of that, because He was willing to relinquish his rightful place of exaltation in order to come down and take the place of ultimate humiliation.

It's not just that Jesus humbled himself. It's that he rightly enjoyed the place of highest exaltation, and he willingly relinquished that to go to the place of dying as the worst kind of criminal. So he went from the highest heights to the lowest depths in order to save the people. That is the example that the Lord's people now look at in order to know that we ought to humble ourselves and live with the interests of others in mind because Christ has done that. That is what the Gospel is about.

Jesus Christ giving up his own interests in order to look after yours in the most fundamental way. Your biggest problem has nothing to do with money or relationship problems. Your biggest problems are what are you going to do with your sin? And Jesus and his work answers that question. So now in verses 9-11, Paul shows us the place Jesus has been given by his Father as a result of his self-humiliation.

In other words, he was willing to go to the cross and die as a criminal. And now, as a result of that, here is the exaltation at the hands of his Father. As we go to the text, let's go to the text in prayer. Jesus our Lord, you are highly exalted. Nothing is more right than you receiving the place of highest honor.

You are so worthy of it. Reading the Gospels convinces us of this beyond any shadow of a doubt. There is only one who is worthy. Only one who is worthy of this place. And we rejoice that you are in this place.

I pray that you would set our hearts rejoicing today. And that we would Highly exalt you because you are highly exalted. And that we would learn something about our own life and how we should conduct ourselves from it. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen. I'd like to begin by just looking at verse 9.

There are three verses, so we're just going to look at them. We'll read verse 9 and look at it in detail, then we'll read verse 10, etc. So, hopefully your finger is in Philippians chapter 2. Follow along as I read verse 9. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name.

Here in verse 9 we have the resulting exaltation. If you're filling in blanks on the handout, it's exaltation. The resulting exaltation, the first verse is what? Therefore. So what is the therefore?

Therefore. Well, it points back to Jesus willingly enduring the most shameful death. Willingly going to the cross, humbling himself to death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, as a result of Jesus' self-humiliation in dying the death of the cross, as a result of that, God the Father has given God the Son an incomparable position of honor. Here's the whole point of verse 9 through 11.

As a result of Jesus' humbling of himself, taking on the form of a servant, taking on flesh, living the life that we should have lived, living the death that was due to us for our sins. Because of that, God the Father has given God the Son an incomparable position of honor. It's incomparable. It's higher than any other. It is a position, and it is a position of honor.

There are two things that are said by Paul that mean essentially the same thing. First, God the Father has highly exalted Jesus. The Greek word that is rendered highly exalted is just a single Greek word. It's given two English words, highly exalted. But the single Greek word literally means hyper exalted.

If you look at it, the first part of the word is actually hyper. So the Greek word is hyper exalted, or Matthew Poole says super exalted. That's literally what the Greek word means. Here's what you find in the Greek lexicon. To exalt to the highest rank and power.

To raise to supreme majesty. So this is a superlative. It takes you to the absolute highest spot on the mountain. You just cannot go any higher. To say it another way, it's impossible to raise to a higher place.

It would be impossible to raise Jesus a millimeter higher because this is the highest spot. There can be no higher exaltation than the one that has been given to Jesus by God, His Father. Secondly, Paul says that God the Father has given Jesus the name above every other name. He is communicating the same thing in a different way. Jesus has a name that is above, higher than, every other name.

Name is simply the identification of the person and the reputation that goes with it. In other words, if you say Jason Dome, you think of me. It's just a label, it's just some words that you slap on me to give me an identifier. It's all of Jason Dome, All of that, the good, the bad, the ugly, rolled up together, and that's what you think of when you hear the name Jason Dome. So it's just the identification and the reputation that goes with that identification.

Proverbs 22 verse 1, a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. That doesn't mean that somebody might like the name James better than Jason, or the name Candace better than Sarah. This has nothing to do with the liking of a name. Of course, it's not saying that. It's saying what Proverbs 22.1 is saying.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. To be thought highly of is very valuable. Jesus is the one who is thought most highly of. He is worthy of the position of highest regarded. That is what it means, that he has been given a name above every other name.

I want us to recall a Gospel account that sheds light on this. In Matthew chapter 20, the mother of James and John comes to Jesus with a request. Do you remember the request? That one of these sons of mine in your kingdom, one of them may sit on your right hand, and the other one may sit on your left hand. Why is she asking this?

Because these are the places of honor. I want one of my sons to have this place of honor and the other one of my sons to have that place of honor. And especially at the right hand is the place of greatest honor. In other words, if you come into a king's palace and people are seated in various places, you know, because of how these things work, that The one who is sitting at the right hand of the King, the seat just to the right of the throne, as the King looks out at you, is the place of highest honor in the Kingdom, with exception to the throne itself. That's why the other disciples are offended.

They're just continuing to think through this account in Matthew chapter 20. The mother of James and John comes and makes this request, give my sons the exalted places in the kingdom. And the other ten are ticked off. She's asked for that. Probably because they want those seats.

But It's offensive that those places of honor had been specifically requested for her sons. Do you remember what Jesus says? Jesus sets them on a mission of seeking the place of honor. He says If you want the places of honor, it's very simple. You become the slave of the others.

In New King James, in Matthew 20, it's rendered slave. It's really the exact same Greek word, doulos, that we have in Philippians chapter 2, when it says that Jesus took on the form of a bond servant. That's exactly the same term, the same Greek word that is used. So You can see the connection between Matthew 20 and Philippians chapter 2. Jesus has taken on the form of a bond servant.

That's exactly what he tells his disciples to do. Take on the form of a bond servant. Take the place of slave. That's how you earn a place of honor. Since Jesus gave up the most in order to serve, and since Jesus served the most and the best, Jesus therefore is worthy of the place of highest honor.

Anybody want to debate any of that? Did Jesus gave up the most to serve? Has anyone ever given up what Jesus gave up? Of course not. Has anyone served, and we're thinking particularly of his substitutionary death on the cross, has anyone served better than that?

Of course not. Since Jesus gave up the most to serve, and served the best, he is worthy, eminently worthy, completely in every way worthy of the place of highest exaltation. This is how it works in his kingdom. Where has Jesus been seated since he was resurrected and ascended? This is an easy question.

Easy pop quiz. Where has Jesus been seated since his resurrection and ascension? At the right hand of the Father. Just flip over a few pages to Ephesians chapter 1. There Jesus sits at the right hand of his Father at the place of highest honor.

Place of highest honor. Ephesians chapter 1, I'll be reading 19-23. Ephesians 1, starting in verse 19. Paul writes, I'm in the middle of the sentence, but to go to the beginning of the sentence is back too far and has too little to do with what we're talking about, so I'm just going to start in the middle of the sentence. Ephesians 1.19.

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe? According to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places." So far we are being shown the mighty power of God the Father employed to resurrect Jesus Christ from the dead and give him this place of honor at his right hand. I'll start again at verse 20. Which he, God the Father, worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age, but also in that which is to come And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." So you see how this explains our text, Jesus being given the name that is above every name. In Ephesians 1, Paul says that God the Father put in play, put in action His mighty power in order to raise Jesus from the dead and to give him this exalted position at his right hand, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named.

That's what this means, that Jesus has the name above every name. That he is above all other authority, and has been given the place at God the Father's right hand, the place of ultimate Exaltation. Two questions arise in my mind at this point. Question one. Does this have implications within the Trinity?

When I hear that Jesus has been given the name above every name, I want to know that. Does this have an implication within the Trinity? In other words, Has Jesus been exalted within the Trinity? Every member of the Trinity has a name. Has his name been exalted above the name of God the Father?

Has Jesus' name been exalted above the name of God the Holy Spirit. It sounds like that is possible. Name above every name. Paul has addressed this in another place. So I'm going to take us there to answer that question.

It's 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Turn there. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15, answering the question, does this have implications within the Trinity? Within the Trinity.

1 Corinthians 15, and I'll be reading verses 20-28. Follow along. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father. So I'm going to start paying attention to the pronouns because there are a lot of them here and it matters. Back to beginning of 24. Then comes the end when He, Christ, delivers the kingdom to God the Father.

When He, God the Father, puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He, Christ, must reign till he, God the Father, has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, for he has put all things under his feet." But when he says, all things are put under him, all things are put under Christ. It is evident that he who puts all things under him, that God the Father who puts all things under the feet of his Son Jesus Christ is accepted. In other words, God the Father is not put under the feet of God the Son, even though it says all things are put under Him.

Paul says it's evident that God the Father is accepted from that. Now verse 28. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. The point here is that the exaltation of Jesus Christ does not diminish God the Father in any way. There is no implication within the Trinity that Jesus being given the name above every name means that the Father is somehow now subject to Jesus.

Paul completely explains that and contradicts that false notion in 1 Corinthians 15. So that's the first question that comes to my mind. Does this have implications within the Trinity? And I think the clear answer to that question is, no it does not. The second question that comes to mind for me is, in view of that, is there any difference in the Son's exaltation before the Incarnation compared with after.

In other words, is Jesus' ascension and being given the seat at the right hand of God the Father, different in any way to what He enjoyed before the incarnation. Because it sounds like there is something new after the incarnation. In order to try to answer that question, I want us to consider Jesus' position at the right hand of the Father. This place of greatest honor. And to say that it is not only the place of greatest honor, but it is also the place of mediation.

Being at the right hand of the Father serves two functions. First, it is the place of being highly exalted. We already saw that in Ephesians 1. If you don't come away with Ephesians 1 saying Jesus has the place of greatest honor and exaltation, then you just have to go back and read it. But it isn't just that.

It is also the place of mediation. Listen to Romans 8 verse 34. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us. So, Paul in this section of Romans 8 is wondering who is going to be able to separate you from the love of God.

If Christ died for you and If Christ has taken hold of you, who is going to be able to take you out of His hand? This is really the question on the table in this section of Romans 8. He is arguing that nobody, because Christ is in this exalted place, being at the right hand of the Father, isn't just sitting there. He is doing something. He is interceding for his people, making it impossible for them to be lost.

Jesus taking this place at the right hand of the Father and being active there means that he will hold you fast. It means that every word of that song that we sang is true. If you are in Christ, Christ sits at the right hand of His Father interceding for you in a way that cannot be overthrown by anyone or anything. Hebrews 7 verse 25, He always lives to make intercession for us. He always lives to make intercession for us.

Morning, noon, and night, there Jesus is at the right hand of His Father making intercession for us. Or 1 John 2 verse 1, And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. This is written about the Lord's people, those who are in Christ. If you sin and you're in Christ, even so you have an advocate with the Father. There he is, God the Father, his right hand, and he is your lawyer, advocating on your behalf.

I want to argue that as the one mediator between God and man, this is 1 Timothy 2 verse 5, there is one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, the God-man Jesus has a new place of exaltation, A particular place of honor, especially in the hearts of his people. So if you say, is Jesus's exaltation the same, exactly the same, in every way before and after the incarnation. I think the answer to that is also no. It is different because he has come into time and space and done his work. Now the work was agreed to and it was as good as done from eternity past because God never lies and He never changes.

And yet Jesus did come in time and space and He did live a perfect life and He did shed His blood in order to purchase a people. And now he sits at the right hand as the one mediator and redeemer of his people. And that is a particular place of honor, especially in the hearts of his people. So It's not a promotion. God the Son has always been a co-equal person of God most high.

God the Son has always been a co-equal member, a co-equal person of the Trinity. The Trinity is God Most High. He hasn't become God Most Most High. He hasn't become the Highest Est. Those phrases violate English grammar because that's against the rules.

Most means most. You can't go higher than most. So it isn't a promotion in that sense, but it's a place of particular honor as our Redeemer and Mediator. So let's do a self-test on that. If you're the Lord's, assuming you're the Lord's, does Jesus as your sympathetic high priest, as the one who has come and taken on flesh so that he could experience every temptation that you experienced to make him a sympathetic high priest, a sympathetic advocate that would sit at his father's right hand to plead for you, does that give him a special place in your heart?

If you say no to that, you don't have a pulse. Take your pulse. I demand that you take your pulse right now. I think for all of us, though this in no way diminishes the Father who sent His Son, and in no way diminishes God the Holy Spirit who comes to lay claim on us in our sins and to provoke us to feel the weight of our sins and to run to Christ. There is a special place for Jesus Christ who knows what it's like to be a man, and to be tempted, and to be hungry, and to be tired, and to suffer.

And because he suffered on our behalf, there is a place of particular honor in my heart for him. And that's not inappropriate. Philippians 2 says, Amen and Amen to that sentiment. That was verse 9. Back to Philippians 2.

Let's look at verse 10. Follow along. That at the name of Jesus, Every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, of those under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This section is actually 10 through Most of 11.

I'm leaving the last phrase off. We'll cover that separately. 10-11a. Every knee bowing, every tongue confessing the Lordship of Jesus. In this verse and two-thirds, We have the obligation of the entire created order.

So if you're taking notes on the handout and filling in those two blanks, it's created order. The obligation of the entire created order is now spelled out with great clarity. Here is the result of God the Father exalting His Son Jesus Christ. Here is the result. Are you ready?

Isaiah 45 is fulfilled. This is actually the quotation of a prophecy in Isaiah. It is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and his exaltation. Turn to Isaiah 45. Paul actually quotes this in multiple letters, and we'll look at another place where it's quoted.

But let's start with what is being quoted and look at it in its context in Isaiah chapter 45. So hopefully you're there. And I'd like to read verses 20 through 25. Isaiah 45 verses 20 through 25. I would like to read verses 20-25.

Isaiah 45 verses 20-25. Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge who carry the wood of their carved image and pray to a God that cannot save." So he's talking about the futility of the idolatry of the nations here. Now verse 21. Tell and bring forth your case.

Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior.

There is none besides me. Now here in verse 21 at the end when we see a just God and a Savior, our mind should go right to Romans chapter 3, God the just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. He's declaring himself to be both of these things here in Isaiah 45, a just God and a Savior. So we should be thinking Messiah, Redeemer here. Now On to verse 22.

Verse 23, by the way, is the verse that will actually be quoted by Paul. Verse 22. Look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other. So again, we have echoes of the New Testament. We have the serpent lifted up.

And if you look to him, you are saved. And then Jesus comes and I think in John chapter 3 he says, I am the serpent who is lifted up that you look to and are saved. Now verse 23 what is quoted by Paul. I have sworn by myself the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength.

To him men shall come and shall be ashamed who are incensed against him. In the Lord all the descendants of Israel shall be justified and shall glory. These are the verses before and after the verse that Paul is quoting, that every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that he is Lord. It has everything to do with a just God, yet being a savior and justifying his people. This is about Jesus from first to last.

If you don't get Jesus out of Isaiah 45, it's time to go back and read your New Testament. If you don't get Jesus is God out of this, then we need to spend more time in Isaiah 45. This can only be God. Where else does Paul quote this? Every knee will bow and every tongue confess?

By the way, in Philippians 2 it says every knee should bow and every tongue should confess. You shouldn't take that as if you're obligated but you're free to opt out if you want to. The other places that it's quoted are so clear and actually the word should has been added there for meaning but some of the translations just completely leave out should or will there. It says, every knee bow, every tongue confess. This is not something optional that you can take or leave.

You're obligated to do it, but you might not do it. No, that's not what's being communicated here at all, which is what we will see in Romans 14. So Romans 14 is the other place where Isaiah 45, 23 is quoted. If you'll turn there, we'll look at it together. Romans 14.

I think this is our last stop in terms of places that we'll go and look at together. Romans 14. I'll be reading verses 8-11. Romans 14, verse 8. Paul writes, For if we live, we live to the Lord.

And if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Here it is again, Isaiah 45 verse 23. In this context, he says exactly when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. It's on the great day of judgment.

In Philippians 2 it's really not the point of the passage so he doesn't get into when this will happen. But in Romans chapter 14 it's very clear, you better not judge because one is coming to judge. That's not your job, that's not my job, that's Jesus' job and he's coming back and when He comes back, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. A day is coming when all the denial of the supreme rule of Jesus Christ is given up. That's what is being taught here.

A day is coming, a day in the future, could be tomorrow, could be hundreds of years from now, we don't know. But a day is coming when all denial of the supreme rule of Jesus Christ is given up. It will have to be abandoned because there Jesus will be in all his glory. There will be no escape. You can't even get the mountains to fall upon you and keep you from it.

And there will be no more denying it. The central reality of the universe that Jesus is Lord. In this life, Man can stop up his ears and slam his eyes shut and say, I don't see a God, I can't hear any words of God, but they will have to take their fingers out of their ears and open their eyes on the day of judgment. The time for denial of reality will have come to an end. Here's what Matthew Poole says.

Matthew Poole says, Almost either willingly or by constraint yield subjection and obedience to the sovereign authority of Christ. Here and hereafter, Matthew Poole is talking about the same day, the day of judgment. And he says, from that point throughout all of eternity, from that point and forward forever and ever and ever and ever, everyone will either willingly or by constraint yield subjection and obedience. The day of denial will be behind us. The Great Commission begins with Jesus saying what?

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." What Paul is saying here in Philippians 2 is just an extension of that. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. In that sense, the election on Tuesday is irrelevant. There's not going to be a transition of power. It resides in the Lord Jesus Christ, in heaven, and on earth.

This is what the bowing of the knee and the confessing of the mouth indicates. Not saving faith. That is not what is being spoken of in Philippians chapter 2. It is not saving faith. It is the acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

And He will be acknowledged. If He's not in this life, He will be on the day when all men and women and children stand before Him to give an account. Who will bow in acknowledgement and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord? Every angel of heaven. Every living person on earth.

Everyone who has died and is awaiting the resurrection of the body and the final judgment. Everyone everywhere. That's what this means. We shouldn't get too hung up over What does heaven include or not include? What does earth include or not include?

What does under the earth include or not include? The whole point is just everyone, everywhere. He's making it clear that it's comprehensive. The whole created order will bow the knee and confess with the tongue that Jesus is Lord. There will be no exceptions.

Finally, the last phrase. To the glory of God the Father. All this will happen, the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ to the highest place, being given a name above every other name, is to the glory of the Father. If you're taking notes on the handout, it's the grand end of it all. Why?

The exaltation of Jesus Christ to the glory of the Father. The exaltation of Jesus Christ does not detract from the glory of God the Father. It adds to it. So if you're seeing God the Father being diminished by this, you're missing the whole point. The whole point of the exaltation of the Son is it adds to the glory of the Father, not diminishes it in any way.

Listen to John chapter 12. John chapter 12, Jesus is very near His sacrificial death, and He is contemplating it. His soul is troubled by thinking about being made sin. So you and I can't imagine this because we're very comfortable with sin. But not only was Jesus not comfortable with sin, He has no experience of sin.

And He hates it with every fiber of his being because he is God. We have never a day in our lives hated sin as we ought. We have become very comfortable with it. Jesus is neither. He has always hated it for every second of eternity, and he has no experience with it.

So you can imagine his soul being troubled as he thinks about being made sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Now here's what he says in John chapter 12 as he thinks about this, verses 27 and 28. Jesus says, My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.

So Jesus is agonizing at the prospect of being made sin to do His work. But He says, what am I going to do? Pray that I would be saved for this hour? That's the whole reason I came was for this hour. So I'll not pray God saved me from it.

I'll pray, Father, glorify your name through my humiliation and death and being made sin. Glorify your name in that. And then there's a voice from heaven that says, I have glorified it and will glorify it again. Jesus willingly laying down his life and claiming the exalted place of Redeemer and Mediator is for the glorification of God the Father. I'll say that again.

Jesus willingly laying down His life and claiming the position. This is how we should think of His death. He was laying claim to the exalted position of mediator and redeemer is for the glorification of God the Father. That's what Philippians 2 is teaching us along with John chapter 12. As we study the Trinity, in other words, seeing God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and what they do in history, and what they say, and what they're like, one striking thing that we see in this study is how they delight to honor each other.

They are not jealous of the other's glory. God the Father can bestow upon his Son the name above every name, and that is a delight to him, knowing that it doesn't diminish him, but it actually results in his results in his own glorification. And so, God the glorifying of the Son. Applications. Two quick ones.

The first application, which is very self-evident, but needs to be said anyway, because we forget easily, and we don't act like it, is that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Listen to Revelation 19. This will be Revelation 19 verses 11 through 16. This is what John saw.

Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. So here we get absolute clarity on who this figure is.

He's in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. John 1.1, this can only be Jesus. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This is Jesus. This is the central reality of all authority. It's been given to him in heaven and on earth. He is King of Kings. He is Lord of Lords.

He isn't campaigning for votes. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So the only question for us is, will we bow now or will we bow later? Will we bow willingly, or will we bow by constraint? Will we confess now, or will we confess later?

Will we confess willingly, or will we confess by constraint? Children. Younger people whose thoughts by this point in the sermon have gone far away. Please look forward and listen to this. We are not pleading with you to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

This is not our message to you. Our message to you is that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, costs more than you think it costs. And The benefits are so much less than you think they will be. In other words, people who are living in denial and buying time before they bow the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord, think that the cost will be a certain amount, but the cost is infinitely beyond that. They comfort themselves with the thought that they can repent later.

And this much we know that God is merciful and God receives those who come to Him. But this much we also know that Sin is hardening. So it's only a fool who says, I'll repent later. God may reach in in His mercy and give you more opportunities, But you cannot presume upon that, and you can certainly not presume that you'll become softer towards God as you persist in your rebellion and not hardened towards God. Sin hardens you.

And the things that you hope to gain by not bowing the knee now and not confessing with your mouth now, you think it will be so sweet. It's never as advertised. Never. Children, don't delay with the thought that it won't really cost you that much. It might cost you everything, or that it will buy you a lot.

Sin never delivers on its promises. Only God delivers on his promises. Bow now, bow willingly. Secondly, the implications for us. So the first application was Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Second implication for us, the second application is an implication for us that We see in Matthew 23 verse 12, Jesus says, And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Why are we getting the ultimate example of that in Philippians 2? Jesus humbled himself more than we ever can, and so he's exalted more than we ever will be. But in his humility and his exaltation, we see how his kingdom works. He says it explicitly in Matthew chapter 23 verse 12, if you exalt yourself you will be humbled.

If that's your pattern, I exalt myself, here's what's coming, you will be humbled. And the reverse is also true. If you humble yourself, you will be exalted. If your pattern of life is to humble yourself and to give regards to the interests of others, laying aside your own interests often, if that is the pattern of your life, here's what's coming. Your exaltation.

God, I thank you for your word, and I thank you for Christ, and I thank you for His worthiness to sit at your right hand. And I thank you that He's not doing nothing at your right hand, but that He's interceding for me right now. He is an advocate. I am a sinful man. I need an advocate sitting at your right hand pleading my case.

I thank you that in Christ we have it. May He receive all honor and glory. He is worthy of it. God, I pray that you would help us to learn from this and to be a people who humble ourselves under your mighty hand that you may exalt us in due time. In the right time, you may lift us up and exalt us.

Teach us to be a humble people, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.