The King

[0:00] I saw in the media lately how there was some reports about a ruler who died recently.

[0:21] ! There was a ruler who died recently. He was a ruler of the nation of North Korea.

[0:37] I did a bit of checking on the man and apparently this ruler, Kim Jong Il, has pictures of himself in every house in North Korea. There's a picture of this man. Citizens have a special white linen towel that is only used to dust the portrait of Kim Jong Il.

[0:54] Of course this man now, he's not alive. He's in a place where the people are coming to look at his body before he's put in the ground.

[1:08] And a North Korean said this, they said, according to the Patsy Covenant, Article 1, Section 1, all North Koreans are required to worship Kim Il Sung with all our heart and might, even after his death.

[1:25] We have to venerate the pictures and status of Kim Il Sung. We must hang Kim Il Sung's pictures and the pictures indicate that Kim Il Sung is God.

[1:36] As we hang the pictures for the purpose of reminding ourselves that we depend upon him. Hanging portraits of Kim's family is compulsory for every household. The portraits must be hung on the best wall of every home.

[1:51] And nothing else can be hung under the portraits. Families with high loyalty to the party bow down under the portraits, even when no one is watching. Strange, isn't it?

[2:03] That someone would go to such devotion for an earthly man who's now dead. That they would worship a man, for one thing, and even more so, that they would worship a dictator who rules them harshly with brutality and domination.

[2:20] And I saw some reports how Christians in North Korea face some very brutal treatment because of the harsh rule of this dictatorship.

[2:32] And Satan is called the ruler of this world. And Satan is a light to this man, really, in terms of the malevolent power that he exerts over mankind.

[2:46] He's the ruler of this world, the prince of this world, we read. But there is, thank God, there is a greater king. There's a greater king. There's a greater king. The Lord Jesus. We're going to talk about him tonight.

[2:58] Now, consider the king in Psalm 24, verse 8. Psalm 24, verse 8. It says, Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.

[3:09] The Lord mighty in battle. Who is this king of glory? Who is this king? Thankfully, there is a king who rules and reigns with justice and truth.

[3:21] Amen. One who is more than a king. He is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Consider the great supremacy of this great ruler.

[3:35] Luke 1, verse 30, we read. The angel said unto her, unto Mary, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth the Son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

[3:51] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.

[4:03] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Consider the king, the king of glory. Who is this king of glory?

[4:15] The Lord Jesus. He is the king of kings, the king of glory, the Lord of lords. And we read in 1 Timothy 6, verse 15, it says that he is the only potentate, the blessed and only potentate, the king of kings and lord of lords.

[4:34] That's 1 Timothy 6, verse 15. He is a sovereign, powerful ruler, the only potentate. He's got that sense of, that great power of our king.

[4:46] And think of our king, if you would think of this king. King Jesus. And royalty wears certain clothing.

[4:57] It's been said of King Jesus that he wore stripes, which represents a dignity and valor. Of course, the stripes that our Lord wore were the stripes that we put upon him, as we, in effect, scourged him.

[5:15] He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our sins. And the Lord Jesus wore those stripes of that brutal punishment.

[5:27] The Lord Jesus wore a crown. The crown of thorns was placed upon his head and beaten into it. And the soldiers also, in John 19, too, talks about this purple robe that they placed upon him to represent majesty, the royal robes.

[5:43] You know royalty wears special royal clothes, often special times. And they put in his hand a pretend scepter. A reed was placed in his hand as a scepter to represent rule and authority.

[5:59] And yet this was all done in mockery. Yet truly he is a king. Truly he is a king in his royal majesty. A king who reigns with righteousness and integrity and righteousness and power.

[6:15] And he is a king that we can approach. Thank the Lord for that. This king is not some king who is remote and not approachable. Some king removed and in some ivory tower, out of touch.

[6:30] But this king is one who comes and dwells with man. He comes and to him we can come and find grace. We read in Hebrews 4, 16, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

[6:51] Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace. There's a throne and the one enthroned is our king, our Lord, to whom we can come to find mercy and grace.

[7:04] He's powerfully present and he's able to help. In Hebrews 13 we read in part from verse 5, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

[7:23] Friends you can be encouraged that. You can say the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me. He's powerfully present and he's able to help.

[7:35] He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. His help is beyond anything we could compare it to. If we need help, if we're in time of need, that is to this one that we can come and find that grace to help in time of need.

[7:52] And in the word of God it says in Ecclesiastes 8 verse 4, Where the word of a king is, there is power. And who may say unto him, what doest thou?

[8:04] You know, if the king says something, you better jump and do what it says. You know, who can say, who would say, who would dare to say, what are you doing to such a one who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

[8:19] Where the word of a king is, there is power. And we have the word of the king in our hands, the blessed word of God. And there is power wherever the word of the king is.

[8:31] And this king is all powerful. We read in Psalm 47 verse 2, For the Lord most high is terrible, he is a great king over all the earth.

[8:42] So there is a sense where even presently, this all powerful one, this king is exercising his kingly rule and sovereignty already. In Psalm 103 verse 19 it says, The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.

[9:00] So really, he is ultimately over all. That goes on. He is a great king over all the earth, his kingdom ruleth over all. But we know at this present time there is a degree of, I suppose, limitation that he has allowed.

[9:19] Such that one day his rule will be absolute and all encompassing. In Revelation 11 we read that, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

[9:35] And he shall reign forever and ever. One day he will be enthroned worldwide and we know at his coming he will be that king who will have absolute dominion.

[9:48] And so we think of this king, he is all powerful. And we consider likewise his kingdom. Consider his kingdom. He says of his kingdom, this king of kings says to you, He says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, And all these things shall be added unto you.

[10:09] He is talking in the context, people chasing all kinds of the day by day needs. He says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

[10:20] That is the ultimate and essential thing that we should seek. And the sense of it here is make that kingdom the object of your endeavour.

[10:31] Make that the object of your endeavour. Put your endeavour into that. Put your energy into that. Seek that. And seek it first. Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

[10:42] The kingdom of heaven. In a way it's the kingdom from heaven, isn't it? It's the kingdom of our king and our God. His kingdom is the rule of God.

[10:53] His kingdom is his reign. It's his royal power. It's his sovereignty. It's his government. His dominion, both now and in the future. And the Lord Jesus says of his kingdom that it's not of this world.

[11:06] John 18, 36. John 18, 36. His kingdom is not of this world. His authority did not come from men. But from God. And this kingdom, the kingdom of God, it's eternal.

[11:18] It means it always has existed and it always will. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

[11:30] Psalm 145, verse 13. So his kingdom is everlasting. His dominion endureth throughout all generations. So we could consider, well where is, where is this kingdom?

[11:45] And he tells us that in Luke 17, 21. Where is this kingdom? The kingdom of God is the sphere of God's rule. It's where God rules.

[11:56] In Luke 17, 21 it says, Neither shall they say, lo here or lo there. For behold, take a look, he says, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

[12:10] He was addressing his disciples. He was addressing those that were his followers. Those that loved him. That were his. He says, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

[12:23] And friends, tonight, if you're a Christian, if you trust Christ, the kingdom of God is within you. The king of kings resides. And as the old song goes, let the flag fly high from the castle of your heart.

[12:39] When the king is in residence there. He takes up residence. He takes his abode. He makes his abode the heart of a man, of a woman, of a child.

[12:52] Who trusts him. And the kingdom of God, it's already here today. Of course we know, as we look forward to his coming again, in the glory of his second coming, that it will be more manifest.

[13:04] And yet, his kingdom can come and dwell in a life of a human being. In those who submit to him as king and saviour.

[13:17] And the question we all ought to ensure we have the answer to is, are you one of the kingdom's citizens?

[13:29] Do you belong to his kingdom? The king paid the ultimate ransom to save us while we were yet his enemies. What a king.

[13:40] What an amazing king. That is matchless, isn't he? He's matchless in his authority. He's matchless in his love. He's matchless in his power and his glory.

[13:52] But most of all, his love is matchless. Consider the kingdom. Can it be said of you, behold, the kingdom of God is within you, as you've trusted the king.

[14:10] Now there was an earthly king from Prussia. This king of Prussia, he visited a village. And he was welcomed by some school children as he came to the place.

[14:23] And the speaker introduced him. And the king made a speech. And he thanked the children for listening to him.

[14:34] And the king of Prussia, he took an orange from his plate. And he asked, to what kingdom does this belong? The vegetable kingdom, sire, replied the little girl.

[14:48] The vegetable kingdom. The orange comes from that kingdom. Then he took a gold coin from his pocket. And holding it up, he asked, and to what kingdom does this belong?

[15:00] To the mineral kingdom, said the girl. It was from the ground. It was from the mineral kingdom. And then the king asked, and to what kingdom do I belong then?

[15:11] Asked the king. And the little girl blushed deeply. Because she did not want to say the animal kingdom, lest she offend the king. And just then it flashed into her mind, God made man in his own image.

[15:25] And looking up with a brightening eye, she said, to God's kingdom, sire. The king was deeply moved. And a tear stood in his eye. He placed his hand on the child's head and said, most avowedly, God grant that I may be accounted worthy of that kingdom.

[15:43] And it doesn't come automatically to belong to the kingdom of God. It's got to be that great transaction of Calvary. Of a man, of a woman, bowing to the will of the Almighty.

[15:55] The kingdom of God can only be answered on God's terms. It can only be answered on his terms. And the Lord Jesus, the first words as he preached were, repent.

[16:08] In Matthew 4, 17. From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

[16:20] Repentance is required. In Matthew 18, our Lord was talking to some disciples and they came to him.

[16:31] And they said, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Matthew 18, from verse 1. Maybe they were kind of hoping that one of them might get called the greatest for all of the works they might have been doing.

[16:45] Or because they happened to be in that special group of his disciples. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

[17:08] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And it puts things in perspective, doesn't it? And consider that we should humble ourselves.

[17:21] We should become just as a simple little child. In simple trust. In simple receptivity. And the Lord translates us into his kingdom.

[17:33] It says that we translate it, we take it from one kingdom to another. Friends, you're not born into the kingdom of God. You've got to be born again into it. You must be born again into it. Colossians 1.13, we read that The saved are delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom.

[17:52] Translated into the kingdom of his dear son. What a translation. What a revolution. What a transformation. A translation.

[18:03] A taking out from one place and placing into another place. A translation. From the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son.

[18:14] Are we living as citizens of God's kingdom? To whom do we give allegiance? Will we bow to this king? Will we come under his government, his reign, his power?

[18:26] Will we bow to this king? For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 20. There's a wonderful power to this king. The king of kings.

[18:37] After all, the Lord of Lords. The kingdom of God is in power. And every Christian is a soldier at war.

[18:48] And friends tonight, if you're a believer in Christ Jesus, if he saved your soul, if you're on the road, the way, the truth and the life, the Lord Jesus is your captain and your king.

[19:02] Satan, the world and your flesh are the enemies. Your captain has left you with instructions and warnings to fight a good fight and war a good warfare.

[19:15] And I saw some clips of some soldiers of the brutal training some soldiers undertake. And friends, we need to be willing to be marching in his army and obedient to his command as the captain, the captain of our salvation.

[19:34] He's left us his instructions. And where the word of the king is, there is power. We can take heart that this is powerful. Powerful. It's alive.

[19:46] It's quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. We can fight a good warfare and endure hardness as a good soldier and receive a crown from him.

[20:00] One day there will be crowns for his loved ones. We know that of his kingdom there will be no end. So the question for everyone really is, where does our loyalty lie?

[20:14] Are we one of his subjects? Do we belong to his kingdom? Or are we still in the power of darkness? Are we living under his reign? Are we part of God's kingdom?

[20:26] And sometimes we can miss the point. We all can. Where sometimes we get caught up in things that get us off on a tangent.

[20:38] And in Romans 14, 17, it says, For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

[20:49] It's fundamental things really, aren't they? The word of God tells us the fundamental things, the simple things of simply receiving, as it were. As a little child would simply receive, trustingly receive, trustingly come.

[21:05] That wonderful throne of grace that we can come in time of need. We can miss that sometimes, don't we? The power of prayer. The power of the word of our King. We can miss that when we're fairly weak and powerless, inadequate, and look for answers.

[21:21] We miss sometimes that where we ought to go. To the throne of grace in prayer. To the word of our King in meditation. And His is a holy nation.

[21:32] It's a holy people. We've got an awesome privilege. When you consider it, if we are truly saved, it's an awesome, awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility that we have.

[21:46] We are, as we are tonight, few in number. And yet, there's many others who trust the Lord, I'm sure round about who aren't fellowshipping with us tonight. Yet, you know, sometimes we need to grasp the wonderful privilege that we have of being sons and daughters of this King.

[22:04] Of being in effect, every one of you that trust Him are members of the royal family. We're not just His subjects. We're His sons and daughters.

[22:15] Not just servants, but sons. Joint heirs with our Lord Jesus. It's an absolute privilege, isn't it? That we have a joy, righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

[22:30] And friends, consider, if you can, His absolute authority. He says, all power, all power, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

[22:46] All power is His and He is yours and you are His. And so, we should never feel powerless or weak or inadequate or lacking in strength.

[22:58] For truly, He has all power and He is residing in you, Christ in you, the hope of glory. And consider, as we close, this ultimate kingdom to come.

[23:11] The ultimate kingdom. I know, I've got a friend who says, look in the back of the book and you see who wins. Amen? Look in the back of the book, Revelation 22. We see the kingdom to come.

[23:23] And it says, John writes from verse 1 of 22 in Revelation. And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

[23:37] In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manna of fruits and yielded of fruit every month.

[23:49] And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

[24:03] And they shall see His face and His name shall be in their foreheads. And they shall be no night there, and they shall need no candle, neither light of the sun.

[24:16] For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Get a load of that, if you will. That if you are His and He is yours, if you are His servant, if you are His son, it says of you, they shall reign forever and ever.

[24:35] What a awesome privilege that we can look forward to that. To be around the throne of God and of the Lamb. To see the river, the pure river of water of life.

[24:48] To see the trees of life. To see the throne of God and of the Lamb. And there shall be no more curse.

[24:59] And His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face. It's going to be worth it all, isn't it? It's going to be worth it all, brother. All the weight, all the effort at times, all the distraction, all the obstacles, all the heartache and disappointment of life at times.

[25:19] We shall see His face. We shall see His face. And won't that be glory? Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her King!

[25:30] Let every heart prepare Him room! Let heaven and nature sing! Let us pray. Lord, we praise You, King of kings! Lord of lords!

[25:42] Lord, help us not to confess that word, Lord, lightly. Let it be a word that we truly will contemplate and mean what it says.

[25:55] That You will be the master of our life. That You will be the King of our heart. That You will be enthroned within our hearts. Lord, that unworthy dwelling place that is a man's heart can be made the very residence of Your Holy Spirit, of Your person, Lord Jesus.

[26:16] That we can know by faith that wonderful joy, righteousness and peace, the Holy Ghost, the wonderful privilege.

[26:27] Lord, we pray. We pray for those in our thoughts and lives that know You not yet. We pray that they might come and bow the knee to come and submit to Your majesty.

[26:42] And we, Lord, that know You, help us, Lord, to live in the light of Your coming again. To live in the light of the reality, the privilege we have. Lord, help us, dear Lord, to know and to make known the glories of Your name.

[26:59] We thank You, Lord, for the joy of salvation. Help us, Lord, to live this life ahead. To live as we'd be honouring to You.

[27:11] To live as we'd be honouring to people claiming to be citizens of heaven. Lord, let us be living wisely as You help us to.

[27:23] Help us to come boldly, Lord, to that throne of grace to find that wonderful, benevolent and kind rule that You give over those that love You, Lord.

[27:36] That You overlook and take away our sin by the mercy of Your act of Calvary, Lord. That You took those stripes.

[27:47] You wore that mockery of man in the crown of thorns and the purple robe and the scoffing and deriding in the scepter of the reed.

[28:01] Help us, Lord, to see You by faith as it's coming again, that all-conquering one. Lord, conquer our hearts. Help us to be subject to You, to be truly citizens of Your kingdom, for Your glory.

[28:19] In Jesus' name, Amen. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God.

[28:30] To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. To be determined by aย' name of God. Thank you.