#463 The New Normal Series# 2, Jesus Is King

463 The New Normal Series# 2, Jesus is King
By: Zach Sloane

Recap:

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7 “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.”

Acts 1:2-3 “He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles … during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Jesus last instructions before ascending.

Every Kingdom has a Ruler, Realm, and Rules.

Intro: Every Kingdom has a Ruler, Realm, and Rules. The Ruler or King sets the tone for the realm and rules.

Three Points About the Ruler:

Who is he?
What’s he like?
How does this affect me?1. Who is He?

A definition of king:
The supreme and sovereign ruler with ultimate, absolute, legitimate authority, backed by the actual right and the power to manifest his will, intent, and influence over the realm of his kingdom.

Confession of the early Christians: Jesus is Lord. Jesus is King and his kingdom, the realm where his influence, will and intent is exercised supremely, is at hand. Subversive message and confession!

1 Timothy 6:12-14
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What confession did Jesus make?

John 18:33-37
Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Jesus’ confession: that he is in fact King.

In that time this kind of language would get you killed.

John 11:45-53
45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation… 53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death…”

Jesus is King. This was point that the apostles were constantly witnessing to.

Acts 2:36
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

The resurrection, seating at the right hand of the father, and the pouring out Holy Spirit all testify to this one truth… Jesus is both Lord and Christ.

After they were arrested and brought for trial and punishing, the apostles pray and make reference to Psalms 2. They say:

Acts 2:25-26
‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

The nations, the rulers take their stand against God’s chosen king, and God laughs and hold them in derision, speaking to them saying:

Psalms 2:6
“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
The message that Jesus is Lord is meant to be spoken to authority!

Psalms 24:7-10
Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

Here is the King being set on the holy hill, Resurrected and Ascending, taking his seat at the right hand of the Father, in that position of rule and reigning as king.

Mark 16:19, Acts 2:33, 7:55-56, Rom. 8:34, Eph. 1:20, Col. 3:2, Heb. 1:, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22, Rev. 3:21: All verses that describe Jesus seated on throne at right side, place of power and authority.

Jesus is God’s king… God made him king… & He always was king:

Ps. 99:1
The Lord is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!

But… Jesus didn’t want to be a king without us as his co-regents, co-rulers. So he gave up what he had, become one of us in order to make us like him.

Philippians 2:7-11
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Ephesians 2:6
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

What is he like?
Undisputed: He is King and his authority is absolute.

Colossians 2:10
“ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Eph. 1 :19-23
“…He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

But… he doesn’t wield his authority like normal kings.

Luke 22:25-27
And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

A Different Kind of King!

His kingdom is not advanced by the same mechanisms as earthy kingdoms, through violence, coercion, forced submission. What’s he like: “King of Jews sign – on the cross. The greatest depiction of his rule and reign.

Revelation 5:11
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

How Does this Affect Me.

Story from David’s life. David a type of King Jesus, the Son of David, who would sit on David’s throne. David is to spiritual authority and kingdom what Abraham is to faith.

1 Samuel 16:1, 13
For I have provided Myself a king among his sons…Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

2 Samuel 2:4a
“Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah…”

2 Samuel 5:1-4
5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel.

They recognized that David had been anointed and even functioning as a king all along. Immediately after this:

2 Samuel 5:7
Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

2 Samual 5:20
So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

The full possession of the promise and breakthrough came when David was recognized as the king that he was and given permission to exert his influence and will. Same with our lives, as we recognize King Jesus and his Lordship over all of life and human endeavour. Not a religious call to serve with self-abasing religious activity, but to let his influence impact all of life- his self-giving love and empowering influence.

The influence, reign and will of a different sort of king; empowering, serving, loving, uplifting, king-making. Easy to submit to because he is loving and empowering, not enslaving and self-seeking. The Good Confession, because its true and right, but also good because it unleashes the goodness and blessing of his influence and reign: JESUS IS KING!

The New Normal Series# 2, Jesus is King, PowerPoint Slides, PDF