The Signet Ring

In an Oregon newspaper, there was an interesting story written about a church bulletin at a particular church in Oregon. The title of the sermon in the bulletin was this… “Our God resigns”. The pastor responded to the news saying that there was a typological error on the bulletin and it should have read… “Our God Reigns.”

Now let us think about it for a minute… in the church today does it not seem like we will sing with all of our hearts together that Our God reigns, but after we leave the church on Sunday we will live our lives believing more that “Our God resigns.” God just no longer cares. He has left us. He does not bring us help nor will he cause He is just not with us anymore. But maybe its ever worse than we think… maybe when I ask the question Does God Reign or Does God resign many will say that it does not not matter. Who cares. Reign resigns it makes no difference to me… ah, maybe the functional atheism? Maybe in life it seems that we are being overwhelmed by the culture overwhelmed by the world. And sooo much temptation, so much compromise, so much transgression, so much assimilation because of toleration, and the sound of the voice of the world is so much louder and so much clearer and so much more that it is drowning out the voice that really matters. The message of the World we initially reject but now we embrace it… how can this be? So much in the church that we tolerate now that would not have even be a question even 10 years ago.

I remember in the 90’s there was this band that come out that I absolutely despised. I heard them for the first time and thought they were awful. I could not stand them. Just did not like them. But man they were on the radio, on tv, my friends played them in their cars, my girlfriend at the time kept singing their songs, They were on David letterman, Jay Leno, man they even started to play at sporting events. Then it was a matter of principle… I started to force myself to hate them. Forced myself to change the station and channel. No way man No way… I will not like them. Then one day I found myself singing… You and me, we come from different worlds you like to laugh at me when I look at other girls. Sometimes your crazy and you wonder why I’m such a baby cause the dolphin made me cry but theres nothing I can do… I only wanna be with you. I went out and bought their CD and everyone that came out after… and now I listen to Darius Rucker’s solo stuff and and a big fan of Hootie and the Blowfish.

No matter what the constant bombardment of the message and philosophy and ideology of the culture and the world we will start to adopt it, to claim it, to believe it and to live it. Hours of netflix, Hulu, amazon prime, Spotify, social media and 15 minutes of the Bible… the voice of the world will take over. And now we find that we are not fully satisfied in Christ and our hearts remain restless as we continue to look for love in all the wrong places. Discouraged? Yup just the the people of God were at the time of Haggai preaching. Small nation trying to build a temple under horrible persecution, not much resources, not much of an army, under economic duress, and under subjection and will probably be under subjection of other nations… Does our God reign or has He resigned?? Haggai preaches to those losing heart...

Haggai 2:20–23 NLT

On that same day, December 18, the Lord sent this second message to Haggai: “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

The Shaking

The Unshakeable

The first thing we will look at today is the nature of God shaking the universe and what it means for His people. Second, we will look at the significance of the signet ring and what the future holds in Christ.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to doubt the workings of God in our world and in our lives, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will cause us to see that Our God reigns in a kingdom that can never be shaken.

I. The Shaking

- Cosmic language to show the miraculous work of God.

A. Hey Zerubbabel … be encouraged. I know you all are discouraged, but I am gonna share something with you. Mr. Governor of the people of God listen up… I am gonna shake up the heavens and the earth. You are all gonna see my miraculous hand at work in the world. You will see my ordering of the world in accordance to my will and to fulfill the promises I am making to you.

B. It does not matter what you see as your current state. It does not matter how powerful the nations surrounding you. It does not matter how strong they are. It does not matter what it looks like your future holds… Be encouraged Israel. I will shake and you know what happens when I shake. And you know what happens. I have done this kind of work before. Listen to what the Lord says… You know what I did to Sodom and Gomorrah, you know what I did to the Caannaite nations, you know what I did to Jericho. I have overturned chariots and riders which should remind them of what happened to Pharoah and his chariots and riders as they were swallowed up in the great sea. And you see when Gideon fought the Midianites were thrown into confusion and they began to fight and kill each other. Remember when Saul fought the Phillistines and they were thrown into confusion and they began to kill each other.

C. Ever power and nation … it does not matter how great and how awesome. Nothing is impervious to the shaking power of God… Where is Egypt… what about Assyria? How about Babylon? Where is Persia? What about Greece? Rome? Mongolian? Ottoman? British? He has shown us before he will show us again. Nothing no nothing no nation is not able to withstand the power of the shaking of the living God. We have seen this unfolding thoughout all of History. God has shaken the earth and will continue to shake… nations and kingdoms. Even our nation and even our kingdom.

D. Kevin Baugh has his own country—The Republic of Molossia—and if you don't mind, he'd prefer you call him "His Excellency Kevin Baugh." After all, he has an impressive khaki uniform with six big medals, a gold braid, epaulets at the shoulders, and a blue, white, and green sash. Oh—and a general's cap with a gold starburst over the bill.

Never heard of The Republic of Molossia? That's understandable, because it consists of Baugh's three-bedroom house and 1.3 acre yard outside of Dayton, Nevada. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, "He has a space program (a model rocket), a currency (pegged to the value of chocolate-chip cookie dough), a railroad (model size), a national sport (broomball), and—in his landlocked desert region—a navy (an inflatable boat)."

The newspaper goes on to say: "Baugh, a 45-year-old father of two, is a micronationalist, one of a wacky band of do-it-yourself nation builders who raise flags over their front yards and declare their property to be, as Baugh puts it 'the kingdom of me.'"

For Baugh, it's a fun joke, but he's joking about what all humans want to do—build a "kingdom of me." It is the reason we are in trouble with God—the sovereign God, Ruler of all he has created. Sin is simply living by our own laws instead of God's, of regarding ourselves in our quiet ways as "His Excellency" or "Her Majesty." Colossians 1:13 says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."

E. And this is how we are going in our current culture. And for many of us we think that God has resigned and since the cat is away the mice are gonna play and play we do and doing and still doing. And many of us in our culture, in our world and even in the church… we are living life as if God is absent and He is not gonna do anything to us. We are living life as if there will be no shaking of our world. God busted up superpowers in the world you better believe He will crush our little personal kingdoms that we build and have built. We think he will do nothing? Ask Habakkuk if God will do nothing. You better believe He will destroy kingdoms that will not conform to His ultimate will that He has revealed in the scriptures.

F. Nothing and that includes our own personal kingdoms. Our own personal rules and laws. Our own personal wantings and wandering. Our own personal idolatry. Nothing can withstand His shaking. All nations and all kingdoms will fall before the Lord. They will fall before His shaking. All except 1.

II. The Unshakable

- A kingdom that cannot be shaken.

A. The last part of the book of Haggai shows the Lord encouraging Zerubbabel and telling him that he is his chosen one. He will make him like a signet ring. The symbol of the kings authority… the seal that he uses on his letters and proclamation … his seal. It is so precious that the king will always wear it on his hand or on a chain around his neck. It was the symbol of his promise. It was his guarantee. Zerubalbel was God’s guarantee. Oh but wait… was not the signet ring ripped off the hand of God.

Jeremiah 22:24–25 NLT

“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off. I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you so desperately fear—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army.

B. This is how bad it God… the kingly line of Judah is destroyed. And Zerubbabel is the grandson of Jehoiachin. And he is putting the ring back on. Zerubbabel is the restoration of the line of David. But something to address… how could this be. Nothing happened that we know of to Zerrubabel? He never became king… its almost as if he fell off the face of the earth. So when did all this happen… it happened for Zerubbabel when he had a son named Abiud. Having a son did it… having a son fulfilled all of this signet ring and universe shaking stuff? How?

Matthew 1:12–16 NLT

After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

C. It all came to fruition with the coming of Christ. All of the the heaven and the earth was shaken when all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Christ. Kingdoms toppled because the King of all kings has come. Yes we can be in a room with the greatest leaders and rulers of the world those whom we pay homage who we bow to… it all becomes equal when in walks the King of kings and every knee will bow and every tongue confess. And He is the king of the kingdom that will never be shaken.

D. Is it not amazing that all kingdoms and nations will be shaken by God. And we hear of the shaking of kingdoms and nations throughout all of the scriptures… it is awesome that we should hear something awesome in the Word of the living God.

Hebrews 12:28–29 NLT

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.

E. How amazing is that. A kingdom that cannot be shaken and the King of kings who has all authority in heaven and on earth. And we think that God has resigned?? Have we lost our minds? He reigns now and will reign forevermore. It will not be shaken because it will not need to be shaken and we have the privilege to be a child of God and an heir of the greatest unshakeable kingdom. Have we lost our minds? The reality is … the influence of our world and culture has tainted our minds to were we doubt His reign and fall into the I don’t care reality.

F. This is the reality of the flesh. The reality of sin. The reality of the effects of sin. And sin and the pattern of this world causes us to doubt the truth and promises of God. Sin and the pattern of this world leads us down the path of destruction. It leads us to the path that is wide. The path straight to the judgement of God. But today we are reminded of the great salvation that we have from the Lord. The kingdom that cannot be shaken. The signet ring. Our Guarantee. Our Lord Jesus

G. Our Lord who came to seek and dave that which was lost. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

H. The promises with our signet ring guarantee continues… All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

I. What an awesome group of promises. All guaranteed. Our resurrected Lord and His resurrected body is our signet ring. He is our guarantee. The King of the kingdom that will never be shaken.