Submit to the Son

Sermon Introduction

**From 1976 to 1980, Jimmy Carter was the president of the United States

-Jimmy Carter is considered one of the least popular presidents of all-time, and in 1980, he lost reelection in a landslide to Ronald Reagan, a former movie-star, who enjoyed much popularity and esteem when he ran

-After the election was over and Reagan was inaugurated, a man walked up to the White House gate and asked one of the security guards: “Is President Carter in today.”

-The security guard answered, “Jimmy Carter is no longer president. He lost the election a couple months ago and no longer lives here.”

-The man thanked him and walked away.

-The next day, the same man walked back up to the White House gate and asked the same security guard if President Carter was in the White House today

-The security guard, a little confused, responded the same way, stating, “Jimmy Carter is no longer president and he doesn’t live here.”

The next day, the same man walked up to the gate of the White House to the same security guard and asked the same question. The security guard replied in annoyance, “Jimmy Carter is not the President. He lost the election. He doesn’t live here anymore. Why do you keep coming and asking me this every day?”

-The man outside the gate broke into a wry smile and said, “I know Jimmy Carter’s not president anymore. I just like hearing you say it.”

Brothers and sisters, here in Psalm 2 this morning, we have a reminder from God’s Word

-As a Christian, you may already know this truth, but in a nation set to be thrown into contentious upheaval in a few months by the Presidential election, and in a world that is being ravaged by war and sin right now, you and I need this little reminder:

Jesus is King

And the reason we need this reminder is twofold:

First, we have a tendency to forget this and begin to be anxious or worried about what is going on in our world or what is going on in our own lives

-Challenges and trials come our way, things that are really frustrating, or discouraging, or maybe even heartbreaking

-And we can easily lose sight of the fact that King Jesus is completely and totally in control of all things and fall into worry

-Don’t we struggle with that?

Second, we too, even as Christians, have the sinful desire and temptation to rebel against God and not submit to Him

-Even though you may be saved, you love the Lord, you’re growing in sanctification, don’t you still have that daily battle of submitting to the Lord and coming under Him

-I mean, that’s why we still sin everyday, because we still have that unredeemed part of us craves our own autonomy and to be our own master

Scripture Introduction

Now, Psalm 2 was probably written as a coronation Psalm, meaning that it was probably read whenever a new King of Israel took the throne

-It speaks of the King of Israel as God’s servant whom He has appointed to rule over the nations

-However, the people of Israel knew that no human king in Israel’s history, not even David or Solomon, had ever been given this kind of authority and privileged position of ruling and reigning the earth that is described in this Psalm

-And so this Psalm has been understood as a Messianic Psalm, meaning that is was looking forward to the Ultimate King

-This is why the Apostles in the NT explicitly link this Psalm to Jesus as the fulfillment of it

And this Psalm is written to address an aspect of our fallen character: we as sinful human beings have a tendency to rebel against God

And the whole point of the Psalm is this:

Proposition: Because of the unbreakable reign of the Son, you must submit to Jesus.

**read Psalm and pray

This Psalm answers 2 questions, and I want to work through these questions together.

-And here’s the first question:

1. Who’s in charge? (vs. 1-9)

First of all, notice who’s not in charge:

A. Who’s not in charge (vs. 1-3)

-Notice the first three verses here

-The rulers and kings of the earth are plotting together

-And what are they plotting?

They want to be autonomous. They want to get rid of God and His Annointed King

In a famous confirmation hearing of Russell Vought, a nominee for the Office of Management and Budget, Senator Bernie Sanders opposed Vought, citing his stance that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, thus making him Islamophobic and unfit for office

-These kinds of incidents are becoming more and more common

-With the abortion debate going on, proponents of abortion are taking aim at Christianity and the Bible

-One TV host, Anna Kasparin, voiced what many pro-abortion law-makers and influencers believed

“I don’t care what the Bible says!” Stating that she thinks it’s ludicrous for Christians to bring their “little mythical book has to say” about these kinds of issues

-There is currently even an organization called “Freedom from Religion” who’s sole purpose is to fight against Christian and religious ideas out of government

-Their promotional video famously ended with Ron Reagan, son of the former president, brazenly stating that he’s not afraid to burn in hell

And brothers and sisters, this certainly isn’t just in America

-It is estimated that in 52 countries today, it is illegal to own a Bible

-that’s over 1/4 of the countries in the world today

This desire to rebel against God is not just going on today, but has been the case throughout human history

-Whether it was Sennacharib standing outside of Jerusalem, mocking Hezekiah and His God, or Nebuchadnezzar exalting himself and his greatness

-From Alexander the Great, to Napolean Bonepart, to Hitler and Mussolini, to Putin, Xi Xinping, and our two presidential candidates about to square off

-They say, “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us!”

But brothers and sisters, we must understand, this desire to rebel against God is not a desire that resides only in big powerful rulers, this desire is also inherent in our own sinful hearts as well

-You see, perhaps we aren’t conspiring together, thinking of ways to throw of God’s rule entirely in our lives

-But isn’t there a subtle desire to keep back from God areas of our life that we want to control?

-Do we not quench the conviction of the Spirit when He points out sin in our lives, telling ourselves it’s ok because we’re mostly surrendered to God?

Perhaps you’re here, and you’re tempted to be anxious and worried about a situation in your life

-Perhaps it’s a financial struggle or something to do with the kids and grandkids

-And instead of submitting to God’s sovereignty and casting that upon Him, you take it on yourself to worry and fret about things

-Isn’t this a form of failing to submit to God’s rule?

-Can’t you trust Him to take care of your needs instead of worrying, which is failing to submit to and trust God?

Perhaps you’ve got an anger problem towards your wife and kids

-Perhaps you’re bucking against a God-given authority in your life, whether that’s a boss, a church leader, or your parent if you’re a teenager

-Brothers and sisters, we need this reminder: Jesus reigns

-And any attempts to throw off the authority of God in our lives, whether you’re a king or a nobody . . . is futile

Biden is not in charge

Trump is not in charge

Putin is not in charge

YouTubers or podcasters or actors or athletes are not in charge

And you are not either

and we need to be reminded of that

-Any attempt by any world leaders or influencers, or even by us, to rebel against God and break free of His rule is futile

But notice . . .

B. Who IS in charge (vs. 4-)

-How does God respond to these world rulers trying to break free of Him?

-Does He panic?

-Does He throw up the white flag and surrender?

-Does He go out and search for someone to help Him gain back control?

No, He laughs

**I have 3 brothers, and I remember when I was young that we would wrestle our dad from time to time in the living room

-I was probably 4 or 5 at the time, Ben (my older brother) was probably 6, Bryce was probably 3 and Brian might not have even been walking yet

-and we would try to wrestle my dad and beat him

-And we’d come up with different strategies:

-We’d maybe try to surround him

-Or, we’d push the younger brothers out in front as a distraction so one of us could run around and jump on him from behind

-And if you’ve ever wrestled with your small children, or watch someone who has, it’s just completely futile

-It’s honestly just kind of funny

-I mean for my dad, as a 6’2 man who weighed about 200lbs, he’s probably 15x stronger than his 5 year old son right?

-It’s not even fair!

-Brothers and sisters, God is not panicked about America seeking to get out from under His authority and rule

-God is not threatened by Putin or China or conflicts in the Middle East

-God is not in a panic because North Korea could kill you if you’re found with a Bible in their country

-It’s such a mismatch of strength!

-If you were to take every able-bodied human being on the planet

-And then you were to arm this massive army with every weapon we have

-Every gun, grenade, tank, fighter jet, warship, submarine

-If you were to take every bomb, missile, and nuclear warhead we have on the planet

-If we were to use the deadliest biochemical weapons that we have on earth

-And we were to all try to go and fight against God and His Annointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ, we wouldn’t last a millisecond

-It would be like putting a 3 year little child in a boxing ring to fight against Muhammad Ali

-It would be like the entirety of the army of the United States fighting against a boy-scout troop

-God merely laughs

-He holds them in derision, which simply means, he ridicules them

God has all power and all authority!

Psalm 115:3 NKJV

But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Isaiah 40:23–24 NKJV

He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

First God laughs, then He gets angry

Vs. 5

-God does not take kindly to His authority being usurped

-You see, God alone is supremely worthy to be King over all

-Who else is infinite in power, in majesty, in holiness?

-Who else is all-knowing, perfectly wise, always meting out perfect justice?

-Who else rules in love and compassion like our God?

-Who is more worthy to rule than God?

-Is Joe Biden?

-Is Donald Trump?

-Is Vladimir Putin?

-Is any famous entertainer or influencer?

-Are you?

Brothers and sisters, that’s what you say when you rebel against God

-You are saying, “I would make a better ruler than God!

And God has something to say out of His wrath and out of His displeasure at the rebellion of the kings of the earth:

The New King James Version Psalm 2

Yet I have set My King

On My holy hill of Zion.”

You see brothers and sisters, God has already chosen who He will set as King over the entirety of the Universe

-The position is not open for application

-God isn’t reviewing your resume

No, God has set His King on His holy hill of Zion

And it’s His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ

Zion is where God had King David reign during his kingship

-It was where the Temple dwelt during OT times

-It is the place where they killed our Savior, and it is the place where He will return one day as Conquering King to reign

Here’s now, where we get a deep and personal look into two of the members of the Trinity:

Vs. 7

The New King James Version Psalm 2

“I will declare the decree:

The LORD has said to Me,

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

Now, as I said earlier, this Psalm would probably have been read to the king of Israel on His coronation day

-And when this part was read “You are My Son, today I have begotten You,” it was hearkening back to the promise God made to David in 2 Samuel 7.

In 2 Samuel 7, God promises that He will make David’s dynasty an eternal dynasty

and 2 Samuel 7:14 says this of David’s descendants

2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV)

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.

So on the king’s coronation day, this line in the Psalm would remind that king that today, he is stepping into the line of kingship

-today, he has become God’s son, in the sense that he has become the new king of Israel

But if we go to the NT, Paul explicitly links this to Christ

Acts 13:28–33 NKJV

And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’

You see brothers and sisters, Christ has always been God’s Son and always will be

-But with the death and Resurrection of Jesus, God Himself has vindicated and made clear to all who the Promised King is of Psalm 2.

It’s Jesus Christ

and here is what God the Father offers His Son:

The New King James Version (Psalm 2)

Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

God the Father is gifting a Kingdom to His Son! A kingdom of global proportions!

He tells the Son to ask of Him, and He will give Him the nations and all the earth!

This is what is talked about in Daniel:

When Daniel records His vision in chapter 7 that really lies at the very heart of the OT

-Daniel sees the Ancient of Days sitting on His throne in all His glory, and then he says,

Daniel 7:13–14 NKJV

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ will reign forever and ever!

-There won’t be anymore elections

-There won’t be anymore approval polls

-There won’t be anymore upheavals

Jesus Christ will reign forever and ever, and of His kingdom there will be no end!

Vs. 9

The New King James Version Psalm 2

You shall break them with a rod of iron;

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

Christ will rule the earth, not as a democracy, but as a dictatorship

-He will rule all the earth

-No longer will rebellion and blasphemy and evil and sin be tolerated

Brothers and sisters, life won’t always be like this!

-We’re living in a sin cursed world, full of grief, and hurt, and torment, and rebellion, and strife and sin

-Don’t be lulled in to thinking that this is all there is

-That sin and death will always reign

**C.S. Lewis, a Christian apologist, was famous for writing the fictional series of 7 books entitled “The Chronicles of Narnia”

-The series centers on a magical world that a set of children enter into, a world where a noble, good, and powerful lion named Aslan reigns, who represents Jesus

-In the sixth book, two children fall into Narnia and are given an important mission by Aslan himself

-They are tasked with finding the missing prince Rillian who went hasn’t been seen in 10 years

-They are joined on their journey by a frog-like creature named Puddleglum as they go in search of the missing prince

-As the story progresses they end up getting lured under ground by the green witch, who has captured the missing prince and is holding him hostage through her spell

-As they descend into this gloomy, subterranean world, they find it occupied by men who have been taken captive by the witch’s spell

-This world is full of toil, and gloom, and lies under the control of the witch and her cunning ways

-They soon find the prince, and he has been taken captive by the witch and put under her spell for the past 10 years

-They are able to set the prince free, and the four companions turn on the witch and demand that she release them to the world above, to Narnia

-The witch doesn’t react harshly, but she soothingly begins to strum some music and to put on a fire full of herbs that begin to cast a spell on the 4 assailants trying to return home

-She tells them that their is no world above

-She says that they’re only making things up, living in a fantasy world

-There’s no sun, and there’s no Lion named Aslan

-The children, under the soothing spell she has put on them, begin to believe that she is right, that they merely made it all up

-Then, at the very climax of the book, while the 4 travellers are falling for this spell, the frog-like character Puddleglum, musters up all of his strength and walks over to the fire and stamps it out with his foot

-He then turns to the witch and says,

“Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which [beats your] real world. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”

Brothers and sisters, don’t lose focus:

-Things will not always be this way!

-This sin-cursed world is not all there is!

-Jesus Christ is coming back for us to set up His kingdom

And one day He will wipe every tear from your eye

-There will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more suffering

-God will dwell with you forever and ever

You might ask: “is Christ reigning now, or will He come back and reign in the future?”

-The answer is yes

Matthew 28:18 NKJV

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Jesus is King right now!

-But one day, Jesus will return with all glory, all majesty, and destroy the armies of the earth and set up His Kingdom here on earth for 1,000 years, then to be followed by the New Heavens and the New Earth, where He will reign forever

-So brothers and sisters, do not lost heart!

-I know that you may be discouraged right now, you may be weary right now, you may be battered by life and hardship and sin

-But you must trust in and submit to the fact that Jesus is still King!

-Don’t rebel

-Don’t lose heart

-Right now in the midst of your hardship, temptations, and trials, Jesus still reigns, and you must submit to Him and trust Him

I told you there were two questions that this Psalm answers:

-The first one is “who is in charge?”

but here’s the last one:

2. What will your response be? (vs. 10-12)

Here’s how the Psalmist ends the Psalm

Vs. 10

The New King James Version Psalm 2

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;

Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Be wise, be instructed

-Don’t go on with your way of life as if you never heard this!

-Gaining wisdom is more than just hearing facts . . . it’s applying truth to your life

How are you to change upon hearing the truths of this Psalm?

Vs. 11

The New King James Version Psalm 2

Serve the LORD with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

There is to be a submission to and reverence for God

-Notice there is fear, reverence, awe, respect, trembling

-But it’s out of rejoicing

-God does not desire that men merely cower in front of Him afraid

-God desires that people love and enjoy Him as they submit to Him as their king

Romans 12:1 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

-God desires your complete and total surrender to His Lordship

Vs. 12

-Perhaps you would say, “well that sounds really cruel of God. He just wants to enslave me and rule over me.”

-What I would tell you is that you do serve something or someone

-Everyone does

-Would you rather serve your career, working long hours to gain money and prestige, while sacrificing your family and friends?

-Would you rather serve your sexual desires, running from one sexual pleasure to the other, leaving a wake of hurt and damaged relationships behind you, never being able to be trusted by the next person you want to use

-Would you rather serve the master of fame and esteem, seeking to be liked by everyone, trying to say the right things and stay popular and not getting canceled, all the while losing your own individuality

-Or perhaps you think you’re the best master there is

-but let me ask you, who’s let you down more than you have? Who’s disappointed you more than you have? You know what a poor master you make

-Brothers and sisters, you will serve some master

-Why not choose the master who loves you so much that He sent His very Son to die for your sins

-The Master who always does all things for the good of His children

-Why wouldn’t you want to serve a Master who truly loves you and will always work for your good?

Vs. 12

The New King James Version Psalm 2

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,

And you perish in the way,

When His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

-You have a choice

-You can continue your rebellion against Jesus, and suffer His wrath and punishment for your sins

-Or, your can submit to Him and be blessed

-That word “blessed” is the same word at the beginning of Psalm 1, the blessed man who walks in the righteous path

-If you’re not saved, I want to urge you: stop your rebellion

-Humble yourself and accept Christ as your Savior

-Submit to Him as your Lord

Let me speak to you Christians:

-You do not have to fear or worry

-Jesus is still King

-Whatever is going on the in world

-Whatever is going on in your family

-Whatever is going on with your health

-Whatever is going on in your spiritual life

-Jesus is King, and He loves you very much

Christian, if there is an area of your life that you are not submitting to Christ, an area that the Holy Spirit is revealing to you in His grace, repent of that

-submit to Christ

-Don’t rebel against Him or hold areas of your life back from Him

But finally, notice that from start to finish that this Psalm is a global Psalm

-this message is meant for all peoples in all places

-This Psalm has actually been called “The Great Missionary Psalm”

-God desires people of all tribes, tongues, and nations to find refuge in Jesus Christ

-He desires them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth

-Brothers and sisters, my heart you is that you would be a Christian who loves the lost all over the world

-That you would this week, pray to be able to share Christ with your neighbor, coworker, or family member

-And that you would pray for and give to missionaries who are taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth

-This is why we’re sending the Boyles to Indonesia in 3 weeks

-So that they can share this message right here with the lost

-Please, share this message with others, that “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

Jesus is King