Every Knee Shall Bow
Introduction
I would like to lift out four words in verse 11, “…every knee shall bow.”
Isaiah 45:23 says, “The Word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow.”
Philippians 2:9-11 reads, “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Not just some knees, but all knees!
Reach down and touch your knee – that knee will one day bow in complete and total submission to Christ or to God.
Saved knees shall bow
Unsaved knees shall bow
Adult knees shall bow
Teen knees shall bow
Children’s knees shall bow
Rich knees shall bow
Poor knees shall bow
Old knees shall bow
Young knees shall bow
Religious knees shall bow
Atheist knees shall bow
Saddam’s knees shall bow
Bin Laden’s knees shall bow
Hitler’s knees shall bow
The leaders of North Korea and Iran shall bow
And… as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, YOUR knees will one day bow before your creator!
Now, when will this happen? At two different times. God divides all people into only two groups – saved and lost. Christian and non-Christian.
I. The Christian Will Bow
The Christians is one whose name is written in the Book of life due to receiving Christ as Savior and Lord in his or her lifetime. You will die - be buried – but your soul goes to heaven – then, your body will be raised at rapture – and you appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. There you will bow your knee before Jesus Christ and give an account of your Christian life. You will report on what you did with your life after salvation.
1) Were you baptized?
2) Did you help build the church of God?
3) Did the Word of God have a significant place in your life?
4) Did you practice a serious prayer life?
5) Did you share the gospel with the lost?
YOU WILL BOW YOUR KNEE AND ANSWER TO GOD!
Note Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.” Look at 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Read 1 Corinthians 3:13, “Everyman’s work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it.” Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing.” Matthew 12:36 reads, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of in the day of judgment”. Also, we read in Romans 2:16, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
You might as well get ready – you WILL bow your knees before Jesus Christ.
II. The Non-Christian Will Bow
You will die – then you will be buried – but, your soul will go to hell – When the rapture happens, but will not go to heaven with the redeemed – you will still have 1,000 more years of separation from God.
Finally the door to the pit opens and you rise out – to freedom? No! You will stand in a long line that ends at a Great White Throne. The One on the throne is not a compassionate loving God – not a God of salvation, but a God of wrath and judgment. Before Him stands everyone who ever lived but rejected His only begotten Son. Everyone who tried to get to heaven by good works will be in that line. Everyone who didn’t have time for “religion” will be in that line.
ONE-BY-ONE YOU WILL BOW YOUR KNEES BEFORE GOD!
Only two issues will be discussed – “WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON?” and “IS YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?”
Your answer?
A. I was Baptized in a Church
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy has He saved us.” Titus 3:5
B. I Lived a Good, Clean Life
“I am the way, the truth, the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6
C. I Did a Lot of Good Works
“For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph 2:8-9
D. I Was Confirmed in my Church
“In who we have redemption through His blood.” Eph 1:7
E. I Took my First Communion in the Church
“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins”. Col 1:14
F. I Spoke in Tongues
“He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life.” John 3:36
G. I Worshipped on Saturday
But I worshipped on Saturday like they did in the Bible. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
Finally, the excuses run out and you will fall to your knees – EVERY KNEE WILL BOW! Certainly, you will want mercy and plead for it. But, at that moment it will be too late. The time for mercy is NOW!!!
Sadly, those at the Great White Throne will hear the words, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, for I never knew you.”
We read again in Matthew 25:41, “Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Then God turns to the angels and commands, “Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:13
Now, who told us these things about a terrible judgment? Was it some sweat covered, flaming evangelist with the veins standing out on his neck and his voice at fever pitch as he preached? NO! It was the most kind, gentle, loving, compassionate man who ever lived – it was JESUS! He told us the truth because He is TRUTH. In a world of lies, He is the only one who can claim to be TRUTH! He came so that you could escape the judgment. Bow to Him now and accept His love. In fact, if I were here tonight without Christ as my Savior, I would run down this aisle during this invitation and get things right with the God of heaven today. But, you don’t have to run. Just step out and walk forward, and give your life to God through Christ.
In essence, will all prepare now for the manner in which we will bow before Him later.