Bowing, Tonguing, and Honoring

Text: Philippians 2:9-11

This is round two on this text. It’s a classic text, and one that we don’t tire of hearing. Three weeks ago I preached this same text as part of my sermon titled: An Attitude Approved by God. I didn’t say all I wanted to say, and this morning I want to finish this text.

When growing up as a child I learned that there were some incontrovertible sayings. One of the sayings was: “There are only three things I must do in this life: one is to stay the person I am, two, pay taxes, and three die.” No one I can remember argued about this saying. I want to call your attention to three things in this text that we are to do. Even though we may not be required to do these three things until we cross the bridge from this life to the next life, this text makes it clear that we will do these three things. One is bow to the name of Jesus, two, confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, and three honor the Lord, Jesus Christ. Since we will be required to do these three things, I am pleading with you this morning to start practicing them now. There is another old saying, “practice makes perfect.” I’m not going that far, but I believe it is critically important that we practice what will be required of us by God before we settle in our final places for eternity.

First, we are to bow at the name of Jesus Christ – all in heaven, on earth and under the earth. Jac J. Muller, a professor of New Testament, the Theological Seminary, Stellenbosch, South Africa, says, “The whole creation, all rational beings, are classified in three groups here: first of all, the heavenly beings, the angels, or in a broader sense, the whole world of spirits; then the inhabitants of the earth, earthly beings, living people on earth; and finally those who are under the earth, by which is meant the deceased souls, those who have “descended” into Hades.” As a child I remember my parents had established a custom in our home that before getting into the bed we had to say our prayers. The way we said our prayers was to get down on our knees with our face buried into the bedding and say this prayer:

“Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

Now, bowing and saying this prayer was automatic in our home. When I was sleepy and tired, I could hit the floor in a nano second, and I could say this prayer in a nano second. We had been trained to say it, and that’s the reason I can say it today here in the pulpit, even though it’s been long time.

Can you imagine what influence you as parents and grandparents could have today if you trained your children and grandchildren to say their prayers by bowing down daily before going off to bed? You would undoubtedly give them a lesson that would go with them for life.

I saw the carry over of this bowing and praying in the church once I took notice of the deacons and prayer warriors praying in church. It was customary for them to bow down and pray publicly. They kneeled on hard and splintered floors with their faces toward church pews. They prayed saying something like: “Master, I’m bowing without form or fashion to this unfriendly world.” They were seriously and completely focused on God with their petitions to God.

Praying in churches and in our homes today on bended knee is good. It prepares for the future bowing that we will do. This text is a good one to remind us.

In addition to practicing kneeling before God at the name of Jesus Christ, the text informs us that we will be required to tongue a confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. James warns of us the power of the tongue. He says, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts… Further he says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.”

Recently I’ve learned that the tongue is used to make music. As some of you know, I have been learning to play the Saxophone. I never knew that my tongue would be used so much to produce sound on the Saxophone. I have been taught to use the tip of my tongue at various speeds and ways to produce music that is pleasing to the human ear. I have been instructed to use my tongue daily to learn how to produce good tone, articulation, and rhythm. So I practice daily so when I play I can do it effortlessly, so to speak.

Don’t you think we need to do the same practicing as we tongue our personal confession that he is Lord, Jesus Christ? Angels, demons, the living and the dead, the saved and the lost will acknowledge him as Lord.

Not only do we need to practice bowing to him, tonguing our confession that he is Lord, but we also need to practice honoring him as Lord, and savior. We follow what God is saying to us here. God exalted him to the highest place. He is sovereign Lord; all power in heaven and earth is in his hands. He has all authority. John says he is “Alpha and Omega”, the first and the last.

Our coming here is the right thing to do. We have come to honor him. We have come to exalt his name. I like the way the songwriter honors him:

He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord;

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

I like the way Paul says it in Romans 14:11 “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” I like the way Isaiah the prophet says it: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”

Today I say practice, practice, practice, bowing down before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, tonguing your confession that he is Lord, and honoring the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.