May 17, 2009 Pastor Tim

SO WHO’S THE REAL KING?

Luke 22:66 -23:3

 

  

I want to take us once again to a scene near the end of Jesus’ earthly life—a tense and dramatic scene after the time of His arrest and just before He was crucified.  It’s found in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 22.  He had been brought before the religious leaders who had had him arrested.  Having no jurisdiction to pronounce the death penalty, they drug him off to stand trial before Pilate, the Roman governor over Jerusalem.  Let’s begin reading at verse 66—

[Read Luke 22:66 – 23:3, NIV]

 

In the Old Testament we read of the people of Israel rejecting God as their king.  They insisted instead on human kings like all the other nations.  The Psalmist declared, “The Lord is King forever and ever” (Psalm 10:16).  Paul wrote to Timothy the tremendous benediction,

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)

At the back of New Testament, in Revelations chapter 21, we find a dramatic word picture of Christ returning, seated on the Throne of God.

“Then I saw a new heaven and new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  (Revelation 21:1-5)

 

And thus we rightfully conclude that God is the King eternal, from beginning to end…the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. 

 

And wedged between these scenes is the one we just read from Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus is confronted with His identity.  When asked if He was the Christ (the Messiah), He said, “…from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”  When Pilate asked if Jesus was indeed the “king of the Jews,” Jesus simply said, “Yes, it is as you say.”  And what I want to ask us this morning is this, “What does it mean for us today that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God?”  What does it mean for us today that He is King?

 

I think that the first thing I think of when I think of a king is the fact of his power.  When you read through the pages of history, kings were to be feared because of the tremendous power that came with their office.

 

And I’ve been thinking this week about the power of God.  I’ve been thinking of His creative powers.  And when I think of His creative powers, I am captivated by what I see all around me.  Have you ever stood outside on a moonlit night and allowed yourself to be captivated by the magnitude of all that you can see?  It’s so enthralling!  To think of the masterful way in which it all fits together, and the many, many miles that separate us from the moon and the stars—it’s amazing!

 

Have you ever seen a sunset so dazzling in colors and beauty that you knew that any painting of it would seem unreal for it was just too astounding to be recaptivated?  And can you imagine such a scene just happening?  No…no doubt, the Creator God orchestrated such a scene!

 

And have you had a chance to just look at the mountains lately?  We were in the mountains again on Monday, and I remarked once again that I hope I never begin to take the beauty and majesty of the mountains for granted!  I hope I never get used to them!  Can you imagine the power that put them in place?

 

But can you imagine that the same God powerfully created and designed each bloom that we’re beginning to see now that spring has come?  Just look at the details!

 

Have you ever held a newborn baby?  I don’t know if there’s anything as precious as a newborn baby!  I love to put their little faces up to mine and let them wrap their perfect yet tiny fingers around mine and let me be astounded once again at the miracle of new life!

 

And have you ever stood in a crowd of people and just noticed how amazingly unique each one is?  My grandparents used to make a sport of going to the mall and sitting just to watch the people.  Who but the Creator God could orchestrate such originality?

 

No doubt, we live in a world created by powerful God, King of the Universe.  It is absolutely beyond me that anyone could fail to see all of this and not recognize the mighty power of God our Creator!  I’m mesmerized by His power every time I stop to observe what is all around us!  It’s the power of the King!

 

And coupled with His power is Authority.  I suppose that’s the aspect of God the King that we have the most trouble with.  You see, there is one great need beneath all our needs, one horrendous struggle which makes all the other struggles of life more difficult.  It’s the root of so many of life’s difficulties, the cause of our distorted perception of them.  It’s what makes us struggle with the struggles of life, because the deepest need in all of us is to accept Jesus Christ’s authority over our lives.

 

When it all boils down to it, sin is at the core of all our struggles and our attitudes toward them.  Pride—that willful determination to run our own lives, to use God for our own purposes, and to manipulate His blessings for our own comfort—is the root cause of our problems.

 

Why do Christians struggle in their problems?  If we believe that Christ lived, died, was raised up and is with us now as triumphant Lord of all life, why then are we still unsettled by anything which happens to us or around us?  Why are we still consumed with anxiousness, loneliness, fear, pressures of life, guilt, or frustrations?  I appreciate those who dare to be real with themselves and with others and admit that they struggle with some of these things—and when we do, we open ourselves up to the power of the Lord, even in the midst of these very struggles! 

 

For the believer, the issue is not just the pain or the anxiety we feel, but the authority of Christ over our frustrations and our willingness to trust Him in spite of what happens.  It’s when we cry out to the Lord, “How could you have let this happen, Lord?  After all I’ve done and been for you, don’t I deserve a break in this?”  And if you haven’t asked God questions similar to that, you probably haven’t lived long enough.  It’s awful easy to try to force God’s hand, demanding that He act on our time schedules and according to what we have determined is best for us.  And when we do, it’s a pretty good sign that we’re playing King of the mountain…playing God over our own lives, usurping the authority which belongs to Him alone!  And we are brought to the question, “So who’s the real king (or queen)?  Who’s really in charge around here?”

 

All through Jesus’ ministry, the basic issue was the acceptance of His authority.  It was the pivotal point at His trial.  When He had healed the paralyzed man, He first forgave the man’s sins, saying, “I do this that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10).  Those who heard Him teach noted that He taught them as “one who had authority.”  The leaders of Israel were constantly asking Him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” (Mark 11:28)  He had told them; they just weren’t listening!  His authority was the entrusted power of God!  Jesus was the authority of God on earth!  That authority was displayed in His message, His ministry, and ultimately in His Resurrection.  When the Resurrected Jesus gave vision and purpose to His followers, He began—

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

Think with me for a moment about the word “authority.”  What’s the root word here?  Author.  Christ’s authority is that of the Creative Author.  He is the “Author of Life” (Acts 3:15), the uncreated Creator.  Lloyd John Ogilvie says Jesus is “the verb of God, who makes things happen.” 

 

The Apostle Paul recognized this, writing in his letter to the Colossians,

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10)

And part of what Paul is saying is that it is God’s design for us to experience the fullness of God’s power in every way in our lives—but that we only experience that if we accept the Lord’s authority to call the shots!

 

And that brings us to the other side of things I think we need to be aware of.  I’ve been thinking about it this week in terms of “the flip side of God’s power and authority.”  You see, we hear a lot of about God’s power and authority, even though we often struggle with it.  And, as is more often than not the response to power and authority, we bristle at the thought of all God gets.  We seem to naturally long for power and control, and ultimate authority in our own lives!

 

Some of us were involved a good part of this last week in what is called our District Assembly and our Missions Convention—a time when we gather with other Nazarenes from our geographical region for inspiration, reporting, and taking care of business in the church.  Dr. Jesse Middendorf, who preached here a year ago, spoke several times.  Dr. Middendorf is one of six General Superintendents in the International Church of the Nazarene—a significant role in our denomination.  In one of his sermons, he told about receiving a letter from a 17-year-old boy who was telling Dr. Middendorf that he was sensing that God was calling him to preach.  He also believed that God was calling him to be a General Superintendent some day, and wanted to know what he’d need to do in order to prepare for that.  We laughed, but I turned to a pastor friend sitting next to me and said, “I don’t know who in the world would want that job!”  Why?  Because I’ve lived and worked around several of the leaders who have served in that position and I know what it has required of them and of their families!  And unless God put his finger in my back, there’s no way I’d ever want such a position!  I’m quite content being your pastor—there’s enough responsibility with that!

 

You see, the flip side of God’s power and authority is His Responsibility.  Let me see if I can help you understand where I’m coming from here.  How many of you have ever had a leadership role?  It kind of feels good, doesn’t it?  Some of us are particularly made up in such a way that we kind of like being in charge!  Some of you were like that when you were in kindergarten—even when you were in the nursery!  You were in charge!  But those of you who have found yourself in leadership positions that might easily be seen by some as positions of power and authority, have you also dealt with the reality that with that authority came responsibility?  What you were asked to do was a big job!  You were responsible to see it all happen!

 

How many of you would want the responsibility of running the universe?  That would be a pretty overwhelming responsibility, wouldn’t it?  Isn’t it kind of nice to know that when you lay your head on your pillow at night, that you aren’t in charge of the universe?  That’s God’s job.  He’s the King.  He has all power and authority…but with that has come responsibility.

 

You see, I’ve been thinking this week about the reality that when I submit myself to God’s authority, when I allow Him to be Lord and King, then He’s responsible for what happens to me.  I’ve been reminded that my role is to submit to His authority and to be wholeheartedly obedient to Him—and what becomes of me is then His problem!  Mine is simply to obey, for I can then trust the ramifications of my obedience into His Hands.  That’s His concern!

 

I was talking with someone this week about this very thing.  I noted, as I heard this couple’s story, that though they had experienced incredibly difficult times, God had taken care of them.  And the man responded, “He has to!  That’s what He promises to do!”

 

I’ve been reminded this week that the will of God will not take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.  I’ve been reminded that God will provide everything we need to accomplish His mission in our world.

 

But too many of still have trouble obeying God wholeheartedly!  Why?  Could it be that we don’t really trust Him?  Could it be that we struggle to be honest and ethical in every aspect of our finances because we’re afraid God won’t take care of us if we do it His way?  Could it be that we’re still prone to be consumed with worries and fears because we don’t trust God to take care of us if we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness?  Could it be that there are those who struggle with tithing and with giving generously to God’s work in our world because they somehow don’t believe that God can be trusted to take care of their needs as well as they can?

 

You see, the bottom line is that we can trust God!  He is King of the Universe!  All power and authority are His!  But with that power comes responsibility, and He has committed to be responsible for our needs if we will simply submit to Him in every way!

 

The post-Resurrection view of the words of Jesus we read from Luke 22 and 23 is that Jesus can be trusted!  He is King.  He is sitting now at the right hand of God!  He has power and authority—the power and authority of the King of all Kings!  He is King…so we don’t have to be!  And when we catch sight of that, then—and only then—will we be able to fully trust Him.  He’s got to take care of us!  He’s the King!  And He will.  We really don’t need to worry that He won’t!  We can trust Him…we can trust Him today.