June 14, 2021 -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- To Whom or what do you bend your knee?

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

Last week I was able to attend the several-days-long meeting of our denomination's synod. I participated from my home via Zoom. Each sitting of Synod began with a sermon. What a treat to hear so many of my colleagues offer up this means of grace. Rob Patrick preached on this passage, today’s text written out above. Here is a brief summary of his wonderful sermon.

Many of us have participated in fire drills—for a fire that likely will never come. Patrick noted he grew up on an army base on a Japanese Island during one of the Asian -American conflicts of the mid 1900’s. At the army base school he attended students had bomb drills. All those drills were in preparation for an event which was highly unlikely to ever take place.

Christians in contrast, have drills, preparing for something that is sure to happen. Jesus will return. Therefore Christians gather and worship. Therefore Christians receive the means of grace which His has provided for His people. Therefore Christians teach neighbours and the evangelize the world, warning friends and leaders alike to serve the LORD with fear. When He returns everyone will bow the knee before His awesome, majestic presence. Those who rejected Him and refused to consider His return will face the punishment of hell. Those who exercised the drills for His return, spending time in prayer, Scripture, planning for His return shall rejoice in His presence through-out eternity. Are you spending time in prayer, planning, evangelizing and thinking with longing hope about Jesus’ return?

The Great Discovery

Glorious God,
I  bless thee that I know thee.
I once lived in the world, but was ignorant of its Creator,
   was partaker of thy providences, but knew not the Provider,
   was blind while enjoying the sunlight,
   was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices all around me,
understood many things, but had no knowledge of thy ways,
   saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.
O happy day, when in thy love’s sovereignty
   thou didst look on me, and call me by grace.
Then did the dead heart begin to beat,
   the darkened eye glimmer with light,
   the dull ear catch thy echo,
   and I turned to thee and found thee,
   a God ready to hear, willing to save.
Then did I find my heart at enmity to thee,
   vexing thy Spirit;
Then did I fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder,
   ‘The soul that sinneth, it must die’,
But when grace made me to know thee,
   and admire a God who hated sin,
   thy terrible justice held my will submissive.
My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.
Then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love,
   and I saw thy Son dying that I might live,
   and in that death I found my all.
My soul doth sing at the remembrance of that peace;
The gospel cornet brought a sound unknown
   to me before that reached my heart – and I lived –
   never to lose my hold on Christ or his hold on me.
Grant that I may always weep to the praise of mercy found,
   and tell to others as long as I live,
that thou art a sin-pardoning God,
taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly,
and washing them from their deepest stain.

Today's prayer is from:
"The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions" page 112

https://youtu.be/gNN0FSLwLc8