Message from Sunday, April 5th, 2020
"Jesus Is Lord"
Philippians 2: 5 - 11
I’d like to focus on the last two verses of our text because we need to be reassured that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the supreme ruler of the universe. It’s comforting to know that our God is in charge and in power. It’s the same feeling we may have when the person we elected to hold office is in power. We figure that person will represent our interests and is on our side.
God is on our side. That’s especially good to know in our world today. The outlook for the world is getting bleaker as the days, months and years continue to come and go. What is especially disturbing is people’s attitude toward God. There isn’t much of a fear of God. That explains why the majority of people live life the way they do. They do what they more or less please. They don’t consider what God has to say about their actions. Again, they do what they want to do, and if God doesn’t like it, too bad.
This kind of thinking and attitude toward God is becoming more prevalent as time goes on. Maybe we don’t notice it much because we live in this area. For the most part, people around here still adhere to traditional values. But when we move outside of our community, the difference in people’s attitude toward God is quite noticeable.
More and more people are convinced that they don’t need God in their lives. I think this is true in Europe and in our country. Most of a person’s physical and material needs are met. People don’t see God’s hand in providing their needs. All the credit goes to themselves and not to God. So they definitely aren’t going to praise God and listen to Him.
We’re seeing more people who just downright hate God. Some politicians want to do away with any public display of Christianity. Radical groups that espouse immoral lifestyles have this “in your face” attitude toward God. They proudly display their sick behavior.
This isn’t really a big surprise. The devil is their leader. The devil has hated God from the beginning. Now he turns people away from God. People have bought into his hatred of God. I don’t expect this to change anytime soon. It will change when the Lord comes again, and everyone confesses that He is Lord and Savior. Even those who hate God will be forced to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. But until then, people’s hatred toward God will only increase and intensify.
Some people are under the impression that God doesn’t exist. He’s a fiction. He was created in the minds of people. And since He doesn’t exist, how can anyone worship Him? It’s senseless to worship something that doesn’t exist.
These are the attitudes toward and beliefs about God. So in terms of how the world relates to God, we see that the world is in a sad state. Fewer and fewer people have a genuine fear of and love for God Almighty. And again, this explains the immoral behavior of many people today.
In all of this we really see the patience of God. He’s allowing it all to happen. People seem to be getting away with hating God and not worshipping Him as He deserves. And we sometimes wonder if it’s worth our time to follow Him. Look at all the people who don’t follow Him. He doesn’t do anything to them. They still seem to be doing all right in life. Why should we continue to confess Him as our Savior and bow before Him when many in the world don’t and are getting away with it? Why should we sacrifice our time and talents and treasures for Him when others don’t and, again, are not being held accountable for their choices and behavior?
Our text reassures us that no one is getting away with anything. A day will come when those didn’t fear God and love Him will be forced to acknowledge Him as the Savior of the world. Unfortunately, for them, their confession will happen too late. They won’t be allowed into God’s kingdom. But those of us who confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior on this earth will be granted entrance into heaven. So even though it may seem to us that our faith in Jesus is in vain, it certainly isn’t. I would encourage us to continue our fear and love of God because it is every bit worthwhile.
We don’t know when that day will come, but it will. It will be a glorious day. On that day we will completely understand that our confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior wasn’t a waste of time. We will welcome that day, and we won’t be forced to bow before Jesus like those who hated Jesus will. We will worship Him voluntarily because we love Him and want to give Him what He truly deserves: our utmost devotion.
But in the meantime we are patient just as our Lord is. The reason He hasn’t destroyed those who have no fear of Him is because He is giving them plenty of time to repent of their ways. When He comes and reveals Himself to the world, they will have no excuse if they haven’t turned from their ways. So it’s really out of God’s love for all people that He hasn’t destroyed those who want to have no part of Him. But that will change on the Last Day. Anyone who didn’t love Him while they had the chance to will be cut off from Him forever. And on the Last Day they will be forced to confess Him as the Savior of the world.
I pray that God will use us to reach those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Savior of the world. I hope that our confession that Jesus is Lord will move people to receive Jesus into their heart. Maybe the attitude of people toward God will change. I realize we can do nothing if the Holy Spirit isn’t involved, but God has put us in this world to be His witnesses. Perhaps our witness will compel people to fear God and love Him. God knows this is what we need in our world today. We need more people to confess Him as Lord and Savior. Our world might be a better place in which to live then.
What we don’t need in the world is more people getting richer and poorer. We don’t need more injustice. We don’t need more immorality. We don’t more hatred and wickedness. What we do need, however, is more love and fear of God. And we pray that God will use us as examples of those who love the Lord.
I also pray that God will use others besides us to turn others away from their lack of love for God. The task is huge because there are so many in the world who don’t love God. God is always looking for workers to reach the hard-hearted. I pray that more people will be a part of God’s desire to reach them. On the Last Day, it would be wonderful if everyone from their own free will would bow before Jesus. That’s Jesus’ desire. That’s why He sends believers into the world, believers like you and me to convince the world that Jesus is the Savior of the world who is worthy to receive all honor and glory and worship.
On the Last Day, God will have the final say. As I mentioned before it seems like people who don’t love God are getting away with not loving and worshipping Him. Their lives go on. It appears that their basic need are met. For this reason God is not a part of their lives. But again, God uses us to hopefully wake them up.
On the Last Day it will be too late for people to have a change of heart toward God. It will be too late to repent. On that day, God will execute His judgment on all people. He will display His mighty power before the entire human race. Everyone will see that He is the king of the universe, the ultimate power. Those who refused to acknowledge His lordship over all things while they lived on this earth will enter into His kingdom. And we will see with our own eyes that things are not going well with them. As a matter of fact, things will be very bad for them. They may appear to be doing all right now, but on that day it will be an entirely different story.
I pray that we will continue to honor and worship our Lord. If we remain steadfast, it will be well with us when the Lord, the King of the universe, appears in all His glory and splendor.