6. Every Knee Shall Bow

Every Knee Shall Bow

“I think that so often we try and make our job to make the gospel easier for us to preach and easier for other people to hear in order to not get in trouble…to not be confrontational. You see, here’s the truth, you just can’t preach the gospel and not get into trouble. You can dress it up any way you want but if you’re really preaching the gospel, you’re going to get yourself in trouble. Because the cross is both beautiful and offensive and it must be both: there is no other gospel for you to preach. We’re not doing anyone any favors by making the gospel easier to hear because it ceases to be the gospel. You know, it’s not safe to boldly preach the gospel…it’s not…Safe is not a word that should characterize Christians, or Jesus, or the gospel wet€™re preaching…if it is, then it might not be the gospel we’re preaching…” In this quote from the CD, The House Show, Derek Webb states that the Gospel is not safe but if we are to have every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord then we need a passion for the cross, perseverance to stand up against the world, and patience to develop relationships. The Gospel is not safe but it is truth.
In Romans 1:16, Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” If we are to bring God’s message to every heart, then we must first have a passion for Christ. An example of this zeal was seen by our youth intern, Jonathon Watts, on a recent trip to China. Watts told a story of a young Chinese girl who at worship recited about two chapters from a book in the Bible. After she was finished, she began to weep. They asked her why she was crying and she replied, “Someday, I am going to jail for what I believe in and what I have memorized here is all that I am going to have to tell those people about Christ.” Wow! You can truly see that this young girl has a deep bold passion for Christ and the furtherance of His Kingdom. You don’t have to be a missionary to share the Gospel. When you are so in love with Jesus it makes you bold; you want to say things, you just can’t help yourself.
According to Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Someone who perseveres keeps on doing the will of God even in the face of adversity. That is just what one man in the heart of Africa did. According to former journeyman to South Africa, Terry Dent, there was a man, who lived in the jungle who suffered from elephantiasis; a condition which causes limbs to swell abnormally and become leathery. It is a very painful disease. He met Jesus through a medical missionary in his village. He wanted to share his new faith with everyone in his village, and he went door to door with excruciating pain but a joyful heart. After many believed, he decided to traverse the jungle and all its dangers and go two miles to the next village where he proclaimed God’s love to each person. As night fell, he had no place to stay and began the long journey back to his village through the dark and perilous jungle. The next morning the medical missionary found the man lying on his porch, bloody and cut, but with a joyful smile. The pain was great but the joy of sharing Jesus was greater. The Gospel is costly and it requires us to get out of our comfort zones and often through the process we find that not only have we changed the lives of others, but we have also been changed.
2 Timothy 4:2 says “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” Someone who is patient will let things occur in God’s time. If every knee is going to bow and every tongue confess, then we can’t become discouraged when people don’t accept the message of Jesus Christ right away. It takes patience to create relationships with people and develop those until you have trust. Take the story of CD, a Southern Baptist missionary, who lives in a country where it is illegal to be anything but Muslim. To even speak her name could bring death. CD has begun planting seeds in her area. One of those seeds, L, has chosen to except Christ as her savior despite being shunned by her family and her culture. It took two years for CD to see this seed planted grow in L, but the wait was worth it. Christ is interested in building relationships. This desire to foster relationships has become a growing trend in churches and the community. In Atlanta, Pastor Andy Stanley and the congregation of North Point Community Church‘s motto is “invest and invite” as everyone’s attitude should be to dedicate their time to build relationships and invite them to partake in the experience of going to church; thus resulting in every knee bowing down in submission to God.
Our mission as Christians is to speak to the nations so that every tongue will confess and every knee bow down in submission to the Heavenly Father. The passion for God gives you the perseverance to be patient with others. Remember the passion of the young Chinese girl. Remember the hardship that the man overcame with perseverance. Remember the patience that CD developed while fostering a relationship with L. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. There is a time for being bold and a time to wait. Let’s not wait- Let’s Go! The fields are ripe for every knee to bow!