Praise Him!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We have been traveling through 1 Timothy for a while now. We now come to the end. This is a short statement, almost a short hymn of praise, glorifying and blessing God.
1 Timothy 6:15-16.
Only Sovereign
Only Sovereign
I could almost say, “let’s spend the next month on this passage.”
The only is important
Only indicates a necessary condition.
There must be a sovereign.
All things move and work in this universe with order, which means there must be a sovereign who has ordered it.
Only also indicates singularity for the ordering of the universe.
This is being written to a polytheistic culture.
They believed that there were many gods.
This letter is being written to Timothy, who was the Pastor in Ephesus, that was known for the the temple of Artemis.
The city where an enraged crowd gathered against Paul in the book of Acts, crying out “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
This statement “only Sovereign” is the reason so many Christians died.
Not becasue they worshipped Jesus.
The Romans were fine is you wanted to add Jesus to the pantheon and worship him along with the other gods.
The Romans actually called Christians godless or atheists becasue they only worshipped one God.
When Christians said “Jesus is Lord,” that is that Jesus is the sovereign. They were martyred in horrific ways.
They would have been spared if they would give a pinch of incense on the alter to Caesar. If they would says Caesar is Lord, and not Jesus.
They were fine with the worship of Jesus, just not declare that he alone was the sovereign.
In our day this has been spun on it’s head.
Rather than living in a polytheistic society, after the time of the enlightenment, we live in a atheistic society.
Rather than God being the Sovereign, mankind believes that they are.
For the idea has been presented that there is no God. That we are all a product of time and chance.
If there is no creator, no absolute authority. Then we are a law unto ourselves.
In our eyes, we are Sovereign.
When mankind is a law unto himself. We will become like Israel in the book of Judges. Where “everyone does what is right in their own eyes.”
This will cause society to deteriorate.
We as Christians must live our lives for the Sovereign one, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
What does this phrase mean?
He is the chief ruler of all humanity.
Daniel 2:31-35
Daniel 2:31-35
King Neb has a vision of this statue.
The head is made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the waist and things of bronze, the legs of iron and the feet partly of iron, partly of clay.
But a rock, not of this world comes and smashes the statue, then fills the earth.
Having the benefit of time we know that the head is Babylon, the arms are the Medo-Persian empire, the waist was the Greece/ Macedonian empire and the legs and feet were the Roman empire.
v.43-44
In the days of the Roman empire, a rock not cut by human hands will come and God will establish a kingdom through him. That kingdom shall never be destroyed, and it shall grow and fill the earth.
Acts 4:11 “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.”
Jesus is that stone, he is the Godman. Who came to establish and everlasting kingdom.
When we speak of the King of kings, we are referencing Jesus who’s kingdom is growing and taking over the world.
Some might say, “Jesus isn’t king!”
Luke 17:20-21
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
It’s coming in ways that can’t be observed, for it’s in the midst of you.
So how do we know it’s coming?
Luke 11:20
But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Did Jesus cast out demons?
Then it’s coming. But it’s beginning’s are small
Matthew 13:31-32
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Like a mustard seed, that will grow to a tree till all the birds nest.
Matthew 13:33
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
The Kingdom of heaven is like leaven, that remains in the flour till all is leavened.
Or a rock, that grows until it takes over the world.
It is for this reason that Jesus says in the great commission, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me.”
Not will be given to him at the second coming, but has been given.
By us fulfilling the great commission, and making disciples is how the world is leavened.
40 AD- 1,000
1st century- 7,500 (.02%)
150 AD- 40,000 (0.07% Roman empire)
200 AD- 200,000 (0.35% Roman empire)
250 AD- 2 Million (2%)
300 AD- 5-6 million
End of 5th century 10-11 million
Today 2.2 billion
It isn’t ways we can observe. For the kingdom of God spans languages, nationalities, and continents.
The King of Kings, is conquering the world. But not through wars. Not through violence.
But by bringing life to mankind.
For this is how the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords conquerors the world.
Immortality
Immortality
We are known as mortal becasue we are subject to death.
Zodhiates explains that In Romans 6:12, Paul calls our bodies mortal, not simply becasue they are liable to death, but becasue our bodies are the organ in and through which death carries on it’s fatal activities.
Death exists, and is passed on within our bodies.
One day we will be free from these bodies of death and will have new glorified bodies in which death will have no dominion.
In 1 Timothy it says that Jesus “has” immortality. This means that Jesus Himself inherently has immortality. It isn’t something he gained, and no one can permanently separate His body from His spirit.
He is the only eternal one.
Jesus has always been, and He will always be.
Unapproachable Light
Unapproachable Light
Paul is speaking of the overpowering radiance of God’s glory!
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He cloths himself in light, and in God their is no darkness at all.
Moses desired to see the glory of God.
Exodus 33:18-20
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
Moses sees the backside of the glory of God, the fading glory of God.
Even after that Moses’s face glowed from the presence of God.
For if anyone would look on God, they would perish.
Sinful man cannot endure the holiness of God!
Even the Serriphim in the throne room had six wings, two to cover their face, two to cover their feet, and two to fly.
In glory however, we will see the Lord how he is!
1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Honor and Eternal Dominion
Honor and Eternal Dominion
To Him! be honor, and eternal dominion.
Because of the points that he has just made, God alone deserves honor and reverence.
He is the one who we should ascribe honor, worship.
He is the one who has dominion over all.
