Jesus, Born to be King
Jesus in the Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsThis series explores the presence of the Messiah in various Psalms.
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Welcome
Welcome
Good morning!
We’re so glad you’re here, whether you are here in person or joining us online, thank you for joining us this morning.
If you have your Bible with you, please open up to Psalm 1 this morning.
If you have the YouVersion Bible app on your phone, you will find the sermon notes available under the menu then click on Events and you should see First Baptist Church of Pharr listed there.
We have some printed sermon notes available for you as well, if that is your preference.
Introduction
Introduction
I read last week that Nicaragua has kicked out the Catholic Church along with a long list of other nonprofit organizations. The President of Nicaragua has allegedly claimed that “Nicaragua is a country without a God.”
We looked a few weeks ago at Psalm 1 and the contrast of living a life separated from God versus a life connected with the blessing of God’s righteousness. I told you that Psalm 1 & 2 are connected by this word blessing. Psalm 1:1 begins with the Hebrew word esher and Psalm 2:12 ends with the same word.
While Psalm 1 was addressed more personally to the individual believer, who delights in God, Psalm 2 is addressed to the nations of the world—or perhaps it might be better said—it is a response to the rebellion of the nations of the world.
Let’s read it...
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One: 3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.” 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. 5 Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath: 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.” 10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. 12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
[pray]
Bible teachers throughout history have observed that this psalm contains four voices:
The nations shout in rebellion
Father God responds to their rebellion
The Son makes a declaration, and
The Spirit gives a warning
I. The Nations Rage
I. The Nations Rage
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
We can see that nations around the world have created places that are not safe for the people of God. Here are some recent headlines from Open Doors USA...
8,000+ Rwanda churches remain closed
‘They kill us like animals’—Myanmar Christians plead for prayer
Nigeria’s churches under siege—30+ worshippers abducted
How this Syrian town went from 12,000 to 1,000 Christians
Communist and Socialist nations are not welcoming to Christianity, nor are Islamic and Hindu nations.
This is not something new that we will see in the future. This is now!
Why do the nations rage?
Why do the nations rage?
This questions has been asked throughout history. How many peace conferences have we witnessed in our time? How many presidents have taken on the problem of peace in the Middle East?
Burmese statesman and Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant, asked three questions:
What element is lacking so that with all our skill and all our knowledge we still find ourselves in the dark valley of discord and enmity?
What is it that inhibits us from going forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest of human experience?
Why is it that, for all our professed ideals, our hopes and our skills, peace on earth is still a distant objective, seen only dimly through the storms and turmoils of our present difficulties?
Haven’t each of these peace conferences and summits asked the very same question in their own way: Why do the nations rage?
Scripture has answered this question for us time and again. We live in the age of the Fall of Man. Adam’s sin corrupted the world. This systemic problem has persisted through the ages and pervades our personal lives and this is played out on a worldwide stage.
International conflict involves international levels of sin resulting in the judgment of God.
There is a connection between the coronation of the Messiah as King and the rage of the nations, though it is not completely clear as to which event precipitated which response. The collective rage of the kings and nations of the world could be a response to the coronation of the Son or God could be responding to their rebellion by making his Son the King.
At any rate, the coronation of the king is also connected with the Great Judgment Day...
Pastor Ray Stedman wrote regarding his observation of the lack of peace in the world from a biblical perspective:
“This is God's process throughout history: he uses one nation to judge another. In World War II, he used Hitler to judge the nations of the world; then he used the other nations to judge Germany under Hitler.” Pointing to Isaiah 13:6, he explains “this judgment is called 'the day of the Lord.'”
6 Wail! For the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
We have seen this “day of the Lord” [lower-case D] repeatedly throughout history. And eventually we will arrive at “the final, terrible ‘Day of the Lord’ [upper-case D].
9 Look, the day of the Lord is coming— cruel, with fury and burning anger— to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners.
10 Indeed, the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shine.
11 I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their iniquities. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humiliate the insolence of tyrants.
12 I will make a human more scarce than fine gold, and mankind more rare than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will shake from its foundations at the wrath of the Lord of Armies, on the day of his burning anger.
Let’s look at this verse 1 again...
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
This word in verse 1 that we translate as “nations” from the Hebrew גּוֹי goy refers to the gentiles, that is all of the people of the earth who are not from Israel, the children of God—and by extension, Christians, who have been adopted into the family of God. This rebellion is not led by a specific country. Pastor James Johnston says that “All of the nations and peoples of the world are in this together.”
Psalm 2:2 says that these gentile nations are set against יהוה Yhvh מָשִׁיחַ mashiach - they are set against Jehovah God and Christ Messiah.
This Great Day of the Lord is inevitable because of what we see in Psalm 2:2
2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One:
There is still building a Great Rebellion against God. The rebellion against God and his Son, culminate in his return and his appearance at the battle of Armageddon. The nations of the world that oppose God will be defeated and come under the judgement of the Lord.
3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.”
These chains and ropes are bonds of obedience to God and his Anointed Messiah. And honestly, to reject one is to reject the other...
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.
God has a response to the raging and rebellious nations...
II. Father God Responds
II. Father God Responds
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them.
This is the only recorded place in the Bible where God laughs. We don’t see God’s ridicule much at all. However, this baseless rebellion is like toddlers arguing angrily with their parents. God laughs, not because he considers the rebellion some harmless and silly joke.
When a creature shakes his fist at the Creator, it’s so ridiculous that laughter is the only response.
God’s laughter is at the futility and ridiculous nature of the rebellion. His mocking response reveals the disgrace of the nations and is part of his judgment on their sin. This public disgrace of the nations is part of what happened when Christ triumphed over sin...
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.
God speaks in response to the rebellion with wrath and fury, saying...
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath: 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
The word of the Lord is final and cannot be refuted...
24 For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.
III. Christ, the Son Proclaims
III. Christ, the Son Proclaims
Verse 7 switches to the words of Son, the newly crowned king, who reports what his Father, God said to him...
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.”
When a military officer arrives in a new location to take command, he brings his orders along with him. These orders give the officer the authority to take whatever charge is placed under him. This is what Christ does here. He is claiming his right that was given to him by the Father.
The Son is talking about something that has not yet taken place, but will upon his return.
Christ declares his identity as the Son of God...
27 All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
Even though Christ came to earth as a man and gave up his deity during his time on this earth, we know that he was aware of the plan from the beginning. However, he still poured himself out (kenosis) and followed through with the plan. The apostle Paul wrote about this process of kenosis...
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
After this pouring out was completed in Christ’s death on the cross, he was ready for the coronation...
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
This declaration in verse 7...
Psalm 2:7b (CSB)
7b “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
The New King James says it this way...
Psalm 2:7b (NKJV)
7b ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’
This word “become” or “begotten” is usually used in reference to birthing, but in this case is is being used in a way meaning that the Father/Son relationship is reaffirmed and renewed.
Jesus has been existing in an ‘already/not yet’ kind of state as king up until this point. This is the transfer of power to the Son as he fulfills his birthright as he king. He also takes on his full authority as king in this coronation.
In verse 8 God promises the nations to his son...
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession.
And then we run into this disturbing verse 9...
9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.”
We look at this and think, "Wait a minute! I don’t want to be broken! I don’t want to be shattered! Why would he want to do that?”
This is speaking to the fact the newly crowned king has the authority to break the rebellion being put forth by the nations. The Messiah will use whatever force is required to take the world and bring it under his rule. Those who resist and rebel are the target of this breaking and shattering.
We are currently under a period of truce or warning prior to the battle described in this verse. However, the breaking will come to those who persist in their rebellion.
Christ, the Messiah, is calling for the repentance of the people of this world. How is he doing this? He is speaking today through his messengers that he sends out into the world. He is doing that right now through this message and, if you are a Christ-believer and Christ-follower he does it as you speak to your friends and family about how God is working in your life.
So I ask you Christ-followers, are you doing the work and speaking out for Christ as often you have a chance?
And I also ask you, if you are not certain of your eternal condition before God...
Have you repented? Have you submitted to the king and ended the rebellion in your heart? If you have not, then I hope that you might consider making such a decision today.
IV. The Spirit Warns
IV. The Spirit Warns
Let’s look at the last voice...
10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. 12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
The Spirit is giving the nations a hint that they are at a crossroads, they are at a turning point. This is a tender and gentle call to repentance… to sensibility. The Spirit of the Lord is telling these kings that can either persist in their rebellion and perish, or they can repent an pay homage to the newly crowned king.
We each have had this same tender and gentle call to repentance at a personal level. Many of us have responded to this call. You might be here today without having ever accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. God’s Spirit is inviting you to examine yourself in light of this decree. Can you hear this plea today and continue in your rebellion against God?
This plea is designed to appeal to each part of our being...
10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
The Spirit appeals to our minds, the seat of knowledge. Our world boasts of great knowledge, but it seems that we endure an onslaught of information every day. Yet, how much wisdom are we finding? We have a source of wisdom in the Holy Scriptures.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling.
The Spirit then says to serve him. This requires a yielding of the heart in devotion to his service.
12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
Finally we must submit our wills to the will of Christ. In the kingly courts, homage can be shown by bending the knee in submission to the greater power.
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Salvation
Salvation
It may be that God is calling you into salvation. You might be thinking, what do I need to be saved from? Each and every one of us was born into sin and we have been in a state of rebellion against God. The only way out of that state of rebellion is by taking the Son, Jesus Christ as Lord.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
We can do that by admitting our sinful state, asking for God to forgive us, and turning away from our sin.
Baptism
Baptism
God might also be calling you to baptism. Jesus commanded those of us who follow him to be baptized. He wanted for us to take this step to show the world that we are his followers.
16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
There is no need to delay in baptism. I have baptized young children and old men. It is a symbol of walking with Christ and we recognize it as a public declaration of faith.
Church Membership
Church Membership
FBC Pharr has just recently completed a study of our church constitution and bylaws. By this we helped many people who attended our church regularly to understand what it means to be a church member. In fact, all of our Wednesday night groups are continuing to study a book about church membership. So in the coming weeks we will see many people coming to the decision to join us as full church members so that they might follow God’s design in congregating together as members of the body of Christ...
24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Benediction
Benediction