We Believe: Jesus is King
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Jesus is King
Jesus is King
When we look at our world, and especially when it comes to human government, we see a lot of things that are messed up. We see the Russian leader ordering an invasion on Ukraine out of a “grand vision” for recovering a bygone era; we see North Korea sending swaths of its own people to concentration camps for stepping out of line with their “grand leader”. Not to mention the mass genocides, persecutions, corruption, propaganda, cover-ups, lies, deception, the list goes on … in every government. It’s not just been like this in our century, but in the kings and rulership throughout the ages. The thing stopping mankind from accomplishing truly great feats and works is the failure of humans in positions of leadership. It’s the sinful choices that they make which lead to their people’s destruction. And if you think you could rule the country better, you may be right to a degree. But you’re not going to avoid the sin that spews out from your soul, and the harmful effects that it will have upon the people you lead. Even the best kings recorded in history (I’m thinking King David, Solomon, Hezekiah, so on and so forth) who lived for the Lord all fell to moral sins. So even the BEST kings and rulers we put forth will still lead to the downfall of a people and a nation. Maybe not immediately, but in time. And thinking of all of this, of mankind’s depravity, the fruitlessness of trying to solve all of the world’s problems because humans are incapable of solving them because of sin, all of this might seem doomed. You could drown in the misery that the state of man is in, idealistic but incapable of progressing beyond anything else because they are enslaved. But there is one hope, one message that I want you to walk away with this morning: Jesus is King. Jesus is King. It’s a message that everyone, everywhere, needs to hear. Because Jesus isn’t just a king. He is THE King. The King of kings. What he says goes. All power and authority in heaven and under heaven (that is, on the earth) has been given to him. The world continues because he is King. There are good things that are happening in the world because he is king. He has limited the power of his enemies. He has called people out of the darkness of sin into good works because he is king. He’s not just an all-powerful king, but a good king. One who is without sin and thus the only one, the only human, worthy of ruling human issues and problems perfectly. He can make the perfect moral and civil choices for society. Where even the best of our leaders fall, he remains steadfast. So you may look at the world and think that all seems hopeless, that we may just be entering a third world war and making the mistakes of the past all over again. And if we didn’t have a greater message from God, that’s all the outlook would be for humanity- death and destruction. But because Jesus is King, because he has lived the perfect life and has ascended into heaven and presides in the place of power and authority at the right hand of God, there is hope of a true king. Of a lasting kingdom. Of the progress of mankind, that we as a race will continue as a society unto eternity, without threat of extinction or mismanagement of resources. Jesus is the magistrate that can make that happen. He is our King.
Marcus and I have worked hard to craft a statement that seeks to capture the Biblical picture of Christ as king. There is so much support for it from scripture that it would be impossible to cover it all right now. But we narrowed the concepts down into these three simple sentences so that our church can express a Biblical belief in who Jesus is as King.
Here goes:
As our King, he defeated sin and death and stripped his enemies of power. He is at the right hand of God reigning over his kingdom and ruling his church. One day he will return in power and glory to bring judgment and reward.
Let us pray, and then we dig deeper into understanding Christ our King.
(pray)
Victorious and Mighty King
Victorious and Mighty King
As our King, he defeated sin and death and stripped his enemies of power.
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Reigning and Ruling King
Reigning and Ruling King
As our King, he defeated sin and death and stripped his enemies of power. He is at the right hand of God reigning over his kingdom and ruling his church.
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Glorious and Just King
Glorious and Just King
As our King, he defeated sin and death and stripped his enemies of power. He is at the right hand of God reigning over his kingdom and ruling his church. One day he will return in power and glory to bring judgment and reward.
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,
people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
He will render to each one according to his works:
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
For God shows no partiality.
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Breathe in the King’s Victory
Breathe in the King’s Victory
Live faithfully for your King
Live faithfully for your King
“For 86 years I have been Christ’s servant and he has done no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” -Polycarp, AD 155
“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus … to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time— he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,” 1 Timothy 6:13-15