Christ the King is the name of my sermon. My goal is to try and prove to you that Christ is King! (Slide 1)
Q: Who is this Christ?:
Colossians 1:15-20 –The Son (position, not place in time) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Wait – where is King here? Something has gone wrong.
Shouldn’t it read: “The Son, enthroned on holy Mt. Zion, firstborn of all creation and now seated in the Holy Jerusalem his people a light unto the nations…etc. Etc.?”
But it doesn’t! Is there somewhere where Jesus Christ is not yet King?
(Slide 2) He was born King – Messiah – he was recognized as King of the Jews by some and by Pilate.
90+% of the Gospels show Him as Messiah, King, God, but the last tiny bit of the Gospels and all of Acts is about this King’s rejection.
As I look through scripture, we see Christ accused as King, made fun of as King, claimed as King, even cheered as King but never coronated, never allowed a coronation, never inaugurated.
(Slide 3) This is coming in the future – he will come as Earthly, Seated, and Reigning King to Mount Zion.
Yes, but does that HAVE to happen? – one of the reasons we believe in the Bible is because it is reliable collection of historical documents, eyewitnesses, supernatural events from specific prophecies – these prophecies allow us in the face of a world which rejects Christ to continue to trust and hope and have faith in Him. How? Because all of the Biblical prophecies come true. Yet, there are prophecies about His Kingship that have not come true which means we can look forward to the fulfillment of these prophecies!
Q: Which prophecies are these? (Slide 4)
Passages of Kingship
Daniel 2:44,45 – Christ’s coming Kingdom – Daniel 7 & 9
Psalm 1 all about people rebelling
Psalm 2
6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
(Slide 5) We know where this is! But Peter says in Acts 3:19-26:
“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing (Messianic Kingdom, physical presence of Christ) may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
So, this is correct! We know that Christ is in heaven; seated at the right hand of Power, all things under his feet, with a name above all names!
But he isn’t the physical, present King of the Jews on Mt. Zion bringing the “times of refreshing”.
After all the rejection in Acts, it ends with the heavenly portion that Peter referred to being fulfilled:
In Acts 28:28 – the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and the focus of Kingdom shifts to the Heavenly aspect.
(Slide 6) (Quoting from Isaiah 6) “‘Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [29] After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves.
The physical and earthly Kingdom is in abeyance and all who would be saved – Jew or Gentile, Bond or Free, Man or Woman must accept Christ on equal footing – no advantage to the Jew.
Q: So when will he be king?! (Slide 7)
Revelation 11:15
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world (Satanic) has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.'”
Revelation 14:1a
“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion…”
Revelation 19:16
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
(Jesus is depicted as the ultimate, triumphant King.)
Q: What do we do as we watch for prophecy to unfold? (Slide 8)
We are a little in a Robin Hood situation:
- King is outside the Kingdom
- A corrupt Prince is on the throne
- We must wait for the prophesied King to return and take his throne.
Talking about the love of money and the love of this world, 1 Timothy 6:11-16 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 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. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession (he said he was King!), I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
REPEAT: “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.”
We will close in prayer with the words of an old hymn. Let us bow our heads:
Father, We know your Messiah, the Rock, the Alpha and Omega, the perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world. We know he is King – King of Kings and Lord of Lords – YET! Prophecy is not yet fulfilled – the rightful king will return and take his throne and be inaugurated and coronated, but, until that day we can make you King of our hearts, just like the old Christmas hymn:
“Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity:
Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for Thee;
Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus, come,
There is room in my heart for Thee.”
In the name of Christ, Amen.