1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,460 Well, we’re continuing our series today entitled, Worship—What We Do and Why We 2 00:00:05,460 –> 00:00:06,460 Do It. 3 00:00:06,460 –> 00:00:13,200 We saw last time that authentic worship is always God-centered. 4 00:00:13,200 –> 00:00:19,660 In other words, it is our privilege to be lifted by faith out of the boundaries of our 5 00:00:19,660 –> 00:00:27,040 little world, as the senses of the soul are filled with the knowledge of God. 6 00:00:27,120 –> 00:00:34,299 Today I want us to see secondly that authentic worship is focused on Jesus Christ. 7 00:00:34,299 –> 00:00:41,080 Now, I want you to imagine with me a scene in a beautiful restaurant. 8 00:00:41,080 –> 00:00:44,599 You are sitting there at a table for two. 9 00:00:44,599 –> 00:00:49,480 The lights are low, there is soft music that is playing in the background. 10 00:00:49,480 –> 00:00:53,500 Some people are dancing slowly on the floor. 11 00:00:53,500 –> 00:00:56,259 The waiter brings the food to your table. 12 00:00:56,259 –> 00:01:00,380 An aroma rises from the plate as he removes the cover. 13 00:01:00,380 –> 00:01:08,300 You sit at your table, and looking over the candle, you reach out your hand and there 14 00:01:08,300 –> 00:01:12,300 is no one there. 15 00:01:12,300 –> 00:01:21,059 And suddenly, a scene of great beauty has become a scene of great sadness. 16 00:01:21,059 –> 00:01:30,239 When it comes to worship, the one thing that really matters is the presence of Jesus. 17 00:01:30,239 –> 00:01:37,680 You see, the heart of worship is about communion with him, takeaway him, and whatever else 18 00:01:37,680 –> 00:01:43,959 you’ve got amounts to nothing much. 19 00:01:43,959 –> 00:01:48,419 Worship can take place in all kinds of different settings, but whatever the setting, what matters 20 00:01:48,459 –> 00:01:55,860 most is that he is there. 21 00:01:55,860 –> 00:01:58,680 Worship in a beautiful setting like this. 22 00:01:58,680 –> 00:02:05,940 I’ll never forget an old man who’s now with Christ describing to me worship in another 23 00:02:05,940 –> 00:02:08,220 setting. 24 00:02:08,220 –> 00:02:10,979 He was a prisoner for some years in China. 25 00:02:10,979 –> 00:02:17,720 He lived with some other men in appalling conditions and a few of them were believers. 26 00:02:18,559 –> 00:02:24,899 He told me the story one day, I will never ever forget it, of how he and a few believers 27 00:02:24,899 –> 00:02:30,259 on Christmas Day in prison had held a communion service. 28 00:02:30,259 –> 00:02:37,279 We had no priest he said, we had no wine. 29 00:02:37,279 –> 00:02:45,479 All we had was some bread and a little water that we saved in a cup. 30 00:02:45,479 –> 00:02:51,919 But we had the presence of Jesus, and he broke down in tears when he said it. 31 00:02:51,919 –> 00:02:55,600 I’ve never known another communion like it. 32 00:02:55,600 –> 00:03:05,259 Now our series is entitled Worship, what we do and why we do it. 33 00:03:05,259 –> 00:03:13,320 And if you ask the question, what we do, the answer is we lift up the name of the Lord 34 00:03:13,339 –> 00:03:14,899 Jesus Christ. 35 00:03:14,899 –> 00:03:15,899 We miss that answer. 36 00:03:15,899 –> 00:03:18,779 We missed the most important thing. 37 00:03:18,779 –> 00:03:22,119 We are here to declare his glory. 38 00:03:22,119 –> 00:03:27,740 We gather together to enjoy his presence. 39 00:03:27,740 –> 00:03:30,779 And if you ask the question, why do we do that? 40 00:03:30,779 –> 00:03:37,880 We do this because we have been captured and we have been captivated by him. 41 00:03:37,880 –> 00:03:42,339 That is why Jesus Christ is always at the center of Christian worship. 42 00:03:42,399 –> 00:03:44,779 Our songs declare his glory. 43 00:03:44,779 –> 00:03:47,580 Our prayers are offered in his name. 44 00:03:47,580 –> 00:03:50,479 Our giving is for the advance of his kingdom. 45 00:03:50,479 –> 00:03:52,740 Our mission is to proclaim him. 46 00:03:52,740 –> 00:03:55,220 Our baptism is into his name. 47 00:03:55,220 –> 00:03:58,720 Our communion around the Lords table is with him. 48 00:03:58,720 –> 00:04:01,220 He’s at the center of it all. 49 00:04:01,220 –> 00:04:04,380 It’s through him that we know God the Father. 50 00:04:04,380 –> 00:04:09,360 Jesus said, no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses 51 00:04:09,360 –> 00:04:10,520 to reveal him. 52 00:04:10,520 –> 00:04:14,220 We don’t know God apart from Jesus Christ. 53 00:04:14,220 –> 00:04:16,559 It is through him that we’re reconciled to God. 54 00:04:16,559 –> 00:04:21,119 He died, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. 55 00:04:21,119 –> 00:04:26,480 And the Scriptures make it clear that our whole identity, who we are, is caught up with 56 00:04:26,480 –> 00:04:28,760 him individually and together. 57 00:04:28,760 –> 00:04:36,100 Individually, we are in Christ if we have faith in him and Christ is in us by the Holy 58 00:04:36,100 –> 00:04:37,100 Spirit. 59 00:04:37,119 –> 00:04:42,140 This is why Paul says, Christ is your life. 60 00:04:42,140 –> 00:04:49,859 And when we gather together, we are indeed corporately the body of Christ. 61 00:04:49,859 –> 00:04:57,119 And the body of Christ, without Christ, is obviously the body of nothing. 62 00:04:57,119 –> 00:05:00,100 Without Christ, we know nothing, we have nothing. 63 00:05:00,100 –> 00:05:03,859 We have nothing to offer to this world. 64 00:05:03,859 –> 00:05:06,739 He’s the center of it all. 65 00:05:06,739 –> 00:05:11,339 And our worship of Jesus is based around the conviction that the fullness of God lives 66 00:05:11,339 –> 00:05:21,220 in him, and that fullness of life is therefore to be found in him. 67 00:05:21,220 –> 00:05:29,059 So worship without Jesus would be like an event marked by the absence of God. 68 00:05:29,059 –> 00:05:31,880 And that’s our focus today. 69 00:05:32,279 –> 00:05:38,760 And the first thing to say is that some folks don’t see the glory of Jesus. 70 00:05:38,760 –> 00:05:40,839 Some folks just don’t see it. 71 00:05:40,839 –> 00:05:46,359 And it’s good to be honest about this because the Bible makes it very plain. 72 00:05:46,359 –> 00:05:50,920 Second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4 tells us, the god of this age is a way of 73 00:05:50,920 –> 00:05:59,000 referring to the activity of Satan, the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers 74 00:05:59,000 –> 00:06:02,119 so that they cannot see. 75 00:06:02,119 –> 00:06:05,359 That’s why it’s important not to get angry with unbelievers. 76 00:06:05,359 –> 00:06:11,799 They cannot see, Paul says, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. 77 00:06:11,799 –> 00:06:17,640 They see us worshiping, they can’t really relate to it. 78 00:06:17,640 –> 00:06:23,040 They don’t see what a believer sees. 79 00:06:23,040 –> 00:06:28,579 And there will be some here in the congregation this morning, and quite honestly, you would 80 00:06:28,579 –> 00:06:34,940 say, you know, I come and I hear the singing and I hear the praying and I understand there 81 00:06:34,940 –> 00:06:41,540 are many good things going on, but I really don’t see what all the fuss is about over 82 00:06:41,540 –> 00:06:43,760 Jesus. 83 00:06:43,760 –> 00:06:46,040 What really is the big deal? 84 00:06:46,040 –> 00:06:54,420 Now, if that is your position, I want to encourage you to come to him honestly. 85 00:06:54,420 –> 00:07:00,119 Come to him and tell Him, Lord Jesus, I cannot see. 86 00:07:00,119 –> 00:07:04,739 Spiritually, I cannot see, so give me sight. 87 00:07:04,739 –> 00:07:06,660 Ask Him. 88 00:07:06,660 –> 00:07:09,260 I don’t see any glory in you. 89 00:07:09,260 –> 00:07:12,420 Tell Him, if that’s the case. 90 00:07:12,420 –> 00:07:17,500 I don’t feel any great love towards You—other people seem to—I don’t. 91 00:07:17,500 –> 00:07:18,500 Tell Him that. 92 00:07:18,500 –> 00:07:20,059 Be honest. 93 00:07:20,500 –> 00:07:24,600 Lord, whatever it means to worship Jesus, I don’t really know. 94 00:07:24,600 –> 00:07:27,760 I don’t experience it. 95 00:07:27,760 –> 00:07:35,579 There’s obviously something in Jesus that other people see, and I don’t, so help me 96 00:07:35,579 –> 00:07:36,619 to see. 97 00:07:36,619 –> 00:07:40,540 That’s the greatest prayer that you can pray. 98 00:07:40,540 –> 00:07:45,119 And I want to promise you that God will answer it, because this is what the Apostle Paul 99 00:07:45,839 –> 00:07:52,220 God makes his light shine into the darkness of our hearts, and he gives us the light of 100 00:07:52,220 –> 00:07:56,040 the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 101 00:07:56,040 –> 00:08:02,980 The only way that a person comes to see is by God shining his light. 102 00:08:02,980 –> 00:08:10,880 So that that illumination may come within us to understand and perceive the glory that 103 00:08:10,880 –> 00:08:13,940 is in Jesus Christ. 104 00:08:13,980 –> 00:08:18,940 My prayer for this morning is that that may be happening for some of us today, and that 105 00:08:18,940 –> 00:08:22,880 even in these moments God may do that and answer that prayer for you. 106 00:08:22,880 –> 00:08:30,140 That you will see in a new way the unique glory of Jesus Christ, and you’ll see why 107 00:08:30,140 –> 00:08:35,440 he is to be worshipped as you’ve never seen that before. 108 00:08:35,440 –> 00:08:40,840 And the second thing to say about this whole issue is not only are there some people who 109 00:08:40,840 –> 00:08:48,619 don’t see the glory of Jesus, and we come to see it through the light of God, but secondly 110 00:08:48,619 –> 00:08:56,679 there’s a fascinating relationship between worship and following Jesus. 111 00:08:56,679 –> 00:09:04,039 You see we follow because we see his glory. 112 00:09:04,039 –> 00:09:12,400 And it is also true that we see his glory as and because we follow. 113 00:09:12,400 –> 00:09:16,479 Think about how that worked out in the experience of the disciples as it’s told to us in the 114 00:09:16,479 –> 00:09:17,479 gospels. 115 00:09:17,479 –> 00:09:23,559 Peter and Andrew are in their boat on the Lake of Galilee and Jesus comes walking along 116 00:09:23,559 –> 00:09:30,460 the beach and he says come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 117 00:09:30,460 –> 00:09:34,859 Now I have to assume that at that point they didn’t know much about Jesus but it seems 118 00:09:34,859 –> 00:09:37,739 evident that they knew something about Jesus. 119 00:09:37,739 –> 00:09:44,580 They knew enough to believe that he could deliver on his promise and make something 120 00:09:44,580 –> 00:09:45,900 of their lives. 121 00:09:45,900 –> 00:09:50,440 They found his invitation compelling. 122 00:09:50,440 –> 00:09:55,859 They followed him because they saw his glory. 123 00:09:55,859 –> 00:09:59,859 But it is also true that they saw his glory because they followed him. 124 00:09:59,940 –> 00:10:04,559 There is a complex relationship between these two things and the gospels tell us of how 125 00:10:04,559 –> 00:10:13,940 the disciples grew in their understanding and in their appreciation as they followed. 126 00:10:13,940 –> 00:10:19,460 As they come to know Jesus better they worship him more. 127 00:10:19,460 –> 00:10:22,299 They see him walking on the water for example. 128 00:10:22,299 –> 00:10:24,520 And then we’re told they worship him. 129 00:10:24,520 –> 00:10:27,419 And they recognize that he’s the son of God. 130 00:10:27,419 –> 00:10:35,200 And after he is raised from the dead Thomas worships him and says my Lord and my God. 131 00:10:35,200 –> 00:10:37,679 These things come as they follow him you see. 132 00:10:37,679 –> 00:10:40,320 As they follow, their faith grows. 133 00:10:40,320 –> 00:10:44,599 As they follow, their understanding opens and increases. 134 00:10:44,599 –> 00:10:50,599 As they follow, they learn to worship. 135 00:10:50,599 –> 00:10:53,840 You cannot learn to worship Jesus in a vacuum. 136 00:10:54,799 –> 00:10:58,859 You learn to worship Jesus as you follow him. 137 00:10:58,880 –> 00:11:01,520 That’s the pattern of the Gospels. 138 00:11:01,520 –> 00:11:05,520 Worshiping and following are two sides of the same coin. 139 00:11:05,520 –> 00:11:08,419 You cannot have the one without the other. 140 00:11:08,419 –> 00:11:10,880 Those who worship, follow. 141 00:11:10,880 –> 00:11:13,200 Those who follow, worship. 142 00:11:13,200 –> 00:11:16,340 Those who don’t follow won’t worship. 143 00:11:16,340 –> 00:11:20,719 Those who don’t worship, won’t follow. 144 00:11:20,960 –> 00:11:24,960 God has tied these two things together in an integral way 145 00:11:24,960 –> 00:11:28,539 so that worship is both the source 146 00:11:28,539 –> 00:11:32,799 and the outcome of discipleship. 147 00:11:32,799 –> 00:11:37,080 Following Christ will ignite our worship. 148 00:11:37,080 –> 00:11:38,960 If we have been following Jesus closely 149 00:11:38,960 –> 00:11:40,679 over these last seven days, 150 00:11:40,679 –> 00:11:42,400 we will have a sense of what it means 151 00:11:42,400 –> 00:11:45,559 to come to him in worship today. 152 00:11:45,559 –> 00:11:46,799 But at the same time, 153 00:11:46,799 –> 00:11:49,159 worshiping Christ will ignite our following. 154 00:11:49,159 –> 00:11:50,880 If we engage with Christ today 155 00:11:50,880 –> 00:11:53,599 and we glimpse some of his glory in worship together, 156 00:11:53,599 –> 00:11:57,599 it will ignite passion for our following of Jesus Christ 157 00:11:57,599 –> 00:12:01,520 in the coming week. 158 00:12:01,520 –> 00:12:02,840 If when we gather here, 159 00:12:02,840 –> 00:12:05,520 we are captivated by Jesus Christ, 160 00:12:05,520 –> 00:12:09,440 then we will follow him whatever the cost. 161 00:12:09,440 –> 00:12:12,719 And if we are following him whatever the cost, 162 00:12:12,719 –> 00:12:14,059 then when we gather here, 163 00:12:14,059 –> 00:12:17,479 we will be captivated by him. 164 00:12:18,479 –> 00:12:19,419 Now with that understanding, 165 00:12:19,419 –> 00:12:21,200 let’s turn to Philippians in chapter two. 166 00:12:21,200 –> 00:12:25,640 One of the greatest statements of the glory of Christ 167 00:12:25,640 –> 00:12:27,080 in the whole of the New Testament. 168 00:12:27,080 –> 00:12:29,119 It spells out the captivating 169 00:12:29,119 –> 00:12:34,119 and the compelling glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. 170 00:12:34,159 –> 00:12:36,000 Notice as you turn to this wonderful, 171 00:12:36,000 –> 00:12:38,359 wonderful passage of Scripture, 172 00:12:38,359 –> 00:12:40,760 that it really tells us two things. 173 00:12:40,760 –> 00:12:44,820 First, that the exalted Christ is humble. 174 00:12:44,859 –> 00:12:49,859 And second, that the humble Christ is exalted. 175 00:12:53,859 –> 00:12:58,679 And you see, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ 176 00:12:58,679 –> 00:13:01,099 is seen in the combination of qualities 177 00:13:01,099 –> 00:13:05,299 that are so diverse that you would never expect 178 00:13:05,299 –> 00:13:06,960 to find them in one person. 179 00:13:08,900 –> 00:13:11,340 It’s not just raw power in Jesus, 180 00:13:11,340 –> 00:13:14,239 it’s his glory is that the one 181 00:13:14,479 –> 00:13:16,359 who has all power is so humble. 182 00:13:18,820 –> 00:13:21,659 It’s not just the meekness of Jesus, 183 00:13:21,659 –> 00:13:24,760 it’s that the one who is so humble is so glorious. 184 00:13:25,619 –> 00:13:26,880 That’s why in the book of Revelation, 185 00:13:26,880 –> 00:13:31,880 he’s described as the lion and he’s described as the lamb. 186 00:13:33,900 –> 00:13:36,760 It’s the fact that he’s both that gives us a glimpse 187 00:13:36,760 –> 00:13:39,440 of the magnificence of his glory. 188 00:13:40,059 –> 00:13:42,359 If you were to draw a diagram of this passage, 189 00:13:42,359 –> 00:13:47,840 of this passage, it would be like a parabola, 190 00:13:47,840 –> 00:13:52,599 a great sweeping curve that comes down like a plane 191 00:13:52,599 –> 00:13:55,039 in a dive and then bottoms out 192 00:13:55,039 –> 00:13:58,640 and then turns to soar again into the heights. 193 00:13:59,960 –> 00:14:03,200 But if we we’re to draw this diagram rightly, 194 00:14:03,719 –> 00:14:07,659 the top of the curve at both ends 195 00:14:07,659 –> 00:14:10,200 would be off our paper 196 00:14:10,200 –> 00:14:13,460 and so would the bottom of the curve. 197 00:14:13,460 –> 00:14:16,739 I say that because you and I cannot 198 00:14:16,739 –> 00:14:20,039 grasp the full extent 199 00:14:20,039 –> 00:14:22,159 of the glory Christ shared 200 00:14:22,159 –> 00:14:24,479 with the Father before he came into the world. 201 00:14:24,479 –> 00:14:27,440 We can’t see the top of that line. 202 00:14:27,440 –> 00:14:29,960 Nor are we able to plumb 203 00:14:29,960 –> 00:14:32,419 the full depths of what 204 00:14:32,460 –> 00:14:33,859 it meant for him to suffer, 205 00:14:33,859 –> 00:14:35,859 and to lay down his life on the cross 206 00:14:35,859 –> 00:14:38,119 as a sacrifice for our sins. 207 00:14:39,479 –> 00:14:41,580 Nor can we know the full height 208 00:14:41,580 –> 00:14:42,940 of the glory that he shares 209 00:14:42,940 –> 00:14:44,619 now that he has ascended 210 00:14:44,619 –> 00:14:46,359 to the right hand of the Father. 211 00:14:46,359 –> 00:14:50,099 His suffering was deeper than we can know 212 00:14:50,099 –> 00:14:53,640 and his glory is higher than we can know. 213 00:14:53,640 –> 00:14:55,580 We cannot see the full height 214 00:14:55,580 –> 00:14:58,299 or the full depth of his glory. 215 00:14:59,380 –> 00:15:01,179 But we can know 216 00:15:02,840 –> 00:15:05,820 that being in very nature God, 217 00:15:07,219 –> 00:15:09,359 he didn’t consider equality with God 218 00:15:09,359 –> 00:15:12,640 something to be grasped or held onto. 219 00:15:14,260 –> 00:15:16,080 But he made himself nothing. 220 00:15:17,380 –> 00:15:19,659 And he took the very nature of a servant 221 00:15:19,659 –> 00:15:21,500 and he was made in human likeness 222 00:15:21,500 –> 00:15:25,380 and being found in appearance as a man 223 00:15:25,380 –> 00:15:29,039 he humbled himself and became obedient to death. 224 00:15:29,039 –> 00:15:30,739 Even death on a cross. 225 00:15:32,919 –> 00:15:34,919 But from there and for that reason 226 00:15:34,919 –> 00:15:37,919 God has exalted him to the highest place 227 00:15:39,020 –> 00:15:41,219 and given him the name that is above every name 228 00:15:41,219 –> 00:15:44,739 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow 229 00:15:44,739 –> 00:15:48,500 in heaven, on Earth, under the Earth 230 00:15:48,500 –> 00:15:52,900 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 231 00:15:54,440 –> 00:15:57,239 to the glory of God, the Father. 232 00:15:59,520 –> 00:16:01,299 Exalted Christ is humble. 233 00:16:02,780 –> 00:16:06,559 A humble Christ is exalted. 234 00:16:08,179 –> 00:16:11,200 Now there is as much glory in the humbling 235 00:16:11,200 –> 00:16:13,580 of the exalted Christ as there is 236 00:16:13,580 –> 00:16:16,000 in the exalting of the humbled Christ. 237 00:16:18,119 –> 00:16:19,239 But we only have time to look 238 00:16:19,239 –> 00:16:20,400 at the latter of these two 239 00:16:20,400 –> 00:16:22,320 and I want to focus on the second part 240 00:16:22,320 –> 00:16:23,940 therefore of this great statement 241 00:16:23,940 –> 00:16:25,479 about Jesus Christ. 242 00:16:26,440 –> 00:16:28,119 Simply to draw your attention 243 00:16:28,119 –> 00:16:32,000 to three facets of what Paul says 244 00:16:32,760 –> 00:16:37,059 about the glory of our exalted Lord Jesus Christ. 245 00:16:38,359 –> 00:16:39,679 The first is simply this, 246 00:16:39,679 –> 00:16:41,700 that from his statement it is quite clear 247 00:16:41,700 –> 00:16:46,359 that Jesus Christ has triumphed. 248 00:16:46,359 –> 00:16:49,059 You see, Paul speaks of where he was 249 00:16:49,059 –> 00:16:51,000 at the bottom of that curve 250 00:16:51,000 –> 00:16:53,599 when he became obedient to death on a cross 251 00:16:53,599 –> 00:16:57,400 and on that day he bore the sins of the world 252 00:16:57,400 –> 00:16:58,419 and he died. 253 00:16:59,140 –> 00:17:01,460 But he’s not on the cross now. 254 00:17:02,659 –> 00:17:04,300 He is risen from the dead. 255 00:17:04,300 –> 00:17:07,099 He has ascended and he has been exalted 256 00:17:07,099 –> 00:17:11,119 and he is seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. 257 00:17:13,660 –> 00:17:18,660 Now, some of us have come to worship today 258 00:17:20,839 –> 00:17:23,900 and your life is full of pain. 259 00:17:24,439 –> 00:17:27,380 Things just aren’t as you want them to be. 260 00:17:30,280 –> 00:17:33,260 You’re struggling with how to resolve some problem. 261 00:17:35,060 –> 00:17:36,239 You’re looking into the future, 262 00:17:36,239 –> 00:17:38,439 you don’t know how things are going to work out, 263 00:17:39,939 –> 00:17:42,380 and you’re saying in your head, 264 00:17:42,380 –> 00:17:46,099 what on earth has all this got to do with me? 265 00:17:47,420 –> 00:17:50,500 I’m trying to live life 266 00:17:50,540 –> 00:17:52,920 I’m trying to live life. 267 00:17:54,300 –> 00:17:57,719 And here’s this fella talking about the glories of Jesus. 268 00:17:59,420 –> 00:18:01,160 How does that help? 269 00:18:03,939 –> 00:18:06,459 Let me tell you it has everything to do 270 00:18:06,459 –> 00:18:08,680 with precisely where you are. 271 00:18:10,439 –> 00:18:12,800 See what Paul’s telling us, now think about it. 272 00:18:14,359 –> 00:18:17,579 This, Lord Jesus Christ, 273 00:18:17,579 –> 00:18:20,260 came into the mess 274 00:18:21,280 –> 00:18:25,920 of this fallen, sorry, broken, sordid world. 275 00:18:27,699 –> 00:18:29,540 He felt its curse, 276 00:18:31,380 –> 00:18:33,859 he plumbed the depth of its pain, 277 00:18:34,739 –> 00:18:39,119 he faced every one of the onslaughts of Satan, 278 00:18:40,140 –> 00:18:44,420 he knew the pain of being betrayed by his trusted friend, 279 00:18:44,699 –> 00:18:47,739 he faced rejection, and violence, and cruelty, 280 00:18:47,739 –> 00:18:50,439 he experienced what it was to be utterly alone, 281 00:18:52,619 –> 00:18:56,579 he knew what it was to have a human heart broken, 282 00:18:56,579 –> 00:19:00,219 he’s even gone through the darkest valley of death, 283 00:19:00,219 –> 00:19:02,380 he’s faced it all, 284 00:19:03,660 –> 00:19:07,160 he’s gone to the lowest point, that’s what Paul is saying, 285 00:19:09,599 –> 00:19:12,339 and he has come through it, 286 00:19:13,160 –> 00:19:17,180 whatever you face today in some sense, 287 00:19:17,180 –> 00:19:22,180 Jesus Christ has been there done that, 288 00:19:22,719 –> 00:19:25,680 in some sense he has, 289 00:19:26,280 –> 00:19:28,219 and not only has he gone through it, 290 00:19:28,219 –> 00:19:31,719 he has triumphed in it and over it, 291 00:19:32,579 –> 00:19:35,619 God has exalted him 292 00:19:35,619 –> 00:19:38,579 having gone through the depth of the muck of human life 293 00:19:38,579 –> 00:19:39,959 in this sorry world, 294 00:19:40,739 –> 00:19:45,400 and today he is seated at the right hand of God the father, 295 00:19:45,400 –> 00:19:49,280 God has placed him in control, 296 00:19:49,280 –> 00:19:53,040 and I can think of nothing better in all the world 297 00:19:53,040 –> 00:19:54,319 in my darkest moments 298 00:19:54,319 –> 00:19:59,319 than to say my life is in his hands, 299 00:20:01,839 –> 00:20:04,560 to look up to the hands 300 00:20:04,560 –> 00:20:08,359 in which my vulnerable little life are held. 301 00:20:10,760 –> 00:20:15,760 You may not be able to see what is happening but he does, 302 00:20:17,040 –> 00:20:19,719 you may not be able to have a clue 303 00:20:19,719 –> 00:20:22,479 as to how it’s all going to work out, 304 00:20:23,760 –> 00:20:24,719 but he can. 305 00:20:26,800 –> 00:20:29,119 He is in control and he holds every one 306 00:20:29,119 –> 00:20:32,079 of the lives of his people in his hand 307 00:20:32,079 –> 00:20:34,719 and he’s moving the whole of world history 308 00:20:36,839 –> 00:20:38,880 towards its conclusion and its climax 309 00:20:39,239 –> 00:20:41,800 when every eye will see his glory. 310 00:20:46,079 –> 00:20:48,319 You see how worship touches life? 311 00:20:52,280 –> 00:20:55,599 And not just any one of our little personal lives 312 00:20:55,599 –> 00:20:58,400 but do you ever get discouraged 313 00:20:58,400 –> 00:21:00,400 when you look at the state of the world 314 00:21:01,719 –> 00:21:04,680 and sometimes you listen to another news bulletin, 315 00:21:04,680 –> 00:21:06,119 do you sometimes feel, oh, I don’t know, 316 00:21:06,119 –> 00:21:07,160 I can’t take anymore. 317 00:21:09,880 –> 00:21:11,180 Materialism, 318 00:21:14,719 –> 00:21:17,040 sordid nature of advertising. 319 00:21:19,739 –> 00:21:21,640 Endless conflict and war 320 00:21:21,640 –> 00:21:25,160 and terrorism and violence and godlessness. 321 00:21:28,660 –> 00:21:30,619 Where’s it all going to end? 322 00:21:33,079 –> 00:21:34,839 The church seems so weak 323 00:21:34,839 –> 00:21:36,959 and the world seems so vast 324 00:21:36,979 –> 00:21:39,020 and the powers of darkness seems so strong 325 00:21:39,020 –> 00:21:41,400 and the culture seems so overwhelming 326 00:21:41,400 –> 00:21:43,540 and the Christian life seems so difficult 327 00:21:43,540 –> 00:21:45,819 and temptation seems to be powerful. 328 00:21:48,500 –> 00:21:52,979 The answer is Jesus Christ is in control, 329 00:21:52,979 –> 00:21:56,920 he is at the right hand of the father. 330 00:21:59,020 –> 00:22:00,760 That’s why I need to worship, 331 00:22:02,219 –> 00:22:04,099 that’s why I need to fix my eyes on him, 332 00:22:04,099 –> 00:22:06,319 that’s why he needs to be the center of all that we do 333 00:22:06,420 –> 00:22:08,800 because that’s how we live, 334 00:22:11,400 –> 00:22:13,760 because he has triumphed. 335 00:22:13,760 –> 00:22:16,119 We’re not saying I wonder how it’s going to come out. 336 00:22:16,119 –> 00:22:17,699 He has triumphed. 337 00:22:20,479 –> 00:22:25,060 One day the world will see the triumph that is already his. 338 00:22:27,479 –> 00:22:30,000 Not only is Paul telling us that Christ has triumphed 339 00:22:30,000 –> 00:22:35,000 but, secondly, God the Father has exalted him. 340 00:22:35,500 –> 00:22:37,099 Notice verse nine, will you? 341 00:22:37,099 –> 00:22:42,099 Therefore, God has exalted him to the highest place. 342 00:22:42,319 –> 00:22:43,719 Now, that’s very important. 343 00:22:44,880 –> 00:22:48,680 You see, that’s telling us that Christ 344 00:22:48,680 –> 00:22:52,619 did not seize his position of power. 345 00:22:53,479 –> 00:22:57,839 It was given to him by the Father, God. 346 00:22:57,839 –> 00:23:00,939 And the reference there at when the Bible speaks of God 347 00:23:00,939 –> 00:23:02,640 in relation to Jesus Christ, 348 00:23:02,760 –> 00:23:05,739 it is always referring particularly to God the Father. 349 00:23:05,739 –> 00:23:09,699 God the Father exalted him to the highest place. 350 00:23:09,699 –> 00:23:14,099 You see, he held the highest place by right, 351 00:23:14,099 –> 00:23:17,000 that’s the point in verse five and six. 352 00:23:18,119 –> 00:23:21,260 But he didn’t seize onto it, he willingly gave it up, 353 00:23:21,260 –> 00:23:24,859 and therefore, the Father willingly gave it back to him. 354 00:23:26,939 –> 00:23:28,500 Now, you see, this is the big difference 355 00:23:28,500 –> 00:23:30,780 between a King and a Dictator. 356 00:23:31,579 –> 00:23:36,119 A Dictator seizes power, a King is given power. 357 00:23:37,739 –> 00:23:41,719 God the Father exalted God the Son to the highest position. 358 00:23:42,599 –> 00:23:46,099 Therefore, since it was God the Father 359 00:23:46,099 –> 00:23:49,140 who exalted God the Son to the highest position, 360 00:23:49,140 –> 00:23:52,119 when we honor the Lord Jesus Christ, 361 00:23:52,119 –> 00:23:55,839 thereby we are honoring God the Father. 362 00:23:55,839 –> 00:23:58,900 That’s very important for us to grasp. 363 00:23:58,920 –> 00:24:01,560 It was the Father who gave him that position, 364 00:24:01,560 –> 00:24:03,920 therefore in honoring him in that position, 365 00:24:03,920 –> 00:24:06,699 we honor the Father who gave it to him. 366 00:24:07,979 –> 00:24:10,459 That is why Jesus made it very clear 367 00:24:10,459 –> 00:24:13,400 that those who honor the Son honor the Father 368 00:24:13,400 –> 00:24:17,099 and those who do not honor the Son do not honor the Father, 369 00:24:17,099 –> 00:24:19,439 that’s John 5 and verse 23. 370 00:24:20,359 –> 00:24:22,780 Think of it this way, just to make it clear. 371 00:24:22,780 –> 00:24:24,479 Suppose a friend of yours dies, 372 00:24:26,060 –> 00:24:27,719 and his last request is that 373 00:24:27,760 –> 00:24:31,040 all gifts in his memory should be given 374 00:24:31,040 –> 00:24:33,380 to Northwest Community Hospital. 375 00:24:35,319 –> 00:24:38,540 And you say, I don’t care about Northwest Community Hospital, 376 00:24:38,540 –> 00:24:41,079 I’m gonna give it to some other charity, okay? 377 00:24:42,260 –> 00:24:45,520 If you see that, do you honor him and his memory 378 00:24:45,520 –> 00:24:47,260 or dishonor him and his memory? 379 00:24:49,680 –> 00:24:54,680 See, God the Father is honored by our worship of Jesus 380 00:24:54,920 –> 00:24:56,920 because it is the Father who chose 381 00:24:56,920 –> 00:24:58,839 to put the Son in the highest place, 382 00:24:58,839 –> 00:25:01,699 and so when you put Jesus in the highest place, 383 00:25:01,699 –> 00:25:04,099 you are saying, I agree with God the Father. 384 00:25:06,800 –> 00:25:09,319 If we do not put Jesus in the highest place, 385 00:25:09,319 –> 00:25:11,560 then we’re saying, I disagree with God the Father, 386 00:25:11,560 –> 00:25:13,239 and that’s the issue that’s at the crux 387 00:25:13,239 –> 00:25:14,719 of the first sermon ever preached 388 00:25:14,719 –> 00:25:17,660 on the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter two. 389 00:25:17,660 –> 00:25:18,959 God is exalted. 390 00:25:20,079 –> 00:25:21,199 God is exalted. 391 00:25:23,280 –> 00:25:25,619 That is why, you see, Paul ends the statement here 392 00:25:25,660 –> 00:25:30,060 by saying every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, 393 00:25:30,060 –> 00:25:35,060 and notice the last phrase, to the glory of God the Father. 394 00:25:36,579 –> 00:25:39,319 This is how we express God centeredness 395 00:25:39,319 –> 00:25:43,640 by Christ focus in all that we do. 396 00:25:45,140 –> 00:25:46,439 Now here’s the last thing. 397 00:25:48,300 –> 00:25:50,599 Christ is triumphed. 398 00:25:50,599 –> 00:25:53,199 It’s God the Father who has exalted him. 399 00:25:54,079 –> 00:25:57,280 And thirdly, Paul gives us this great statement 400 00:25:57,280 –> 00:26:00,060 and confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, 401 00:26:00,060 –> 00:26:02,719 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow 402 00:26:02,719 –> 00:26:07,719 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 403 00:26:08,239 –> 00:26:11,359 to the glory of God the Father. 404 00:26:12,439 –> 00:26:16,420 Jesus is Lord. 405 00:26:18,540 –> 00:26:21,079 Now, the important thing to grasp here 406 00:26:21,079 –> 00:26:24,339 is what kind of statement this is. 407 00:26:26,859 –> 00:26:28,839 Is this a statement of opinion 408 00:26:30,199 –> 00:26:32,880 that you can legitimately debate? 409 00:26:34,880 –> 00:26:38,079 Or is it ultimately a statement of reality 410 00:26:39,160 –> 00:26:41,219 to which it is wise to conform? 411 00:26:42,800 –> 00:26:44,439 As we think about these two for a moment, 412 00:26:44,439 –> 00:26:46,500 let me try and illustrate the difference. 413 00:26:47,680 –> 00:26:49,640 Let me give you this statement. 414 00:26:49,680 –> 00:26:53,619 Muhammed Ali is the greatest. 415 00:26:53,619 –> 00:26:55,020 Remember the great boxer? 416 00:26:55,020 –> 00:26:58,479 And he said that, Muhammed Ali, I’m the greatest. 417 00:26:58,479 –> 00:26:59,920 Now there’s a statement. 418 00:26:59,920 –> 00:27:02,459 Muhammed Ali is the greatest. 419 00:27:03,760 –> 00:27:08,420 It is an opinion that can be legitimately debated. 420 00:27:09,699 –> 00:27:14,319 He may indeed have been the greatest boxer of all time, 421 00:27:14,540 –> 00:27:19,540 but some people think that Rocky Marciano was better. 422 00:27:20,939 –> 00:27:24,920 And debates like that will go on for time and for eternity. 423 00:27:24,920 –> 00:27:29,099 They will never be resolved and they never can be resolved 424 00:27:29,099 –> 00:27:31,699 because in their very nature 425 00:27:31,699 –> 00:27:36,119 this is a statement of personal opinion. 426 00:27:37,040 –> 00:27:38,880 Muhammed Ali is the greatest. 427 00:27:38,880 –> 00:27:42,239 He thought that, thousands of other people also think that. 428 00:27:42,739 –> 00:27:44,680 Not everybody thinks that. 429 00:27:44,680 –> 00:27:48,180 It is an opinion that you can legitimately debate. 430 00:27:49,479 –> 00:27:51,180 Let me give you another statement. 431 00:27:53,839 –> 00:27:57,760 It’s 28 degrees in Chicago today. 432 00:27:59,040 –> 00:28:03,099 When you hear it is 10 below in Chicago, 433 00:28:04,839 –> 00:28:08,319 that statement is a reality 434 00:28:08,319 –> 00:28:11,339 to which it is wise to conform. 435 00:28:13,040 –> 00:28:16,739 If you wrap up well when it’s 10 below in Chicago, 436 00:28:16,739 –> 00:28:17,920 you will be warm. 437 00:28:19,040 –> 00:28:21,660 If you go out in a t-shirt 438 00:28:21,660 –> 00:28:23,760 when it’s 10 degrees below in Chicago, 439 00:28:23,760 –> 00:28:27,119 in the mistaken belief that you can create your own reality, 440 00:28:28,400 –> 00:28:32,579 you will soon be suffering from hypothermia, will you not? 441 00:28:34,119 –> 00:28:35,459 Now here’s the question. 442 00:28:36,400 –> 00:28:40,459 When Paul says Jesus is Lord, 443 00:28:42,459 –> 00:28:44,939 is he making a statement of personal opinion 444 00:28:44,939 –> 00:28:48,880 or is this ultimately a statement of verifiable fact? 445 00:28:48,880 –> 00:28:50,119 It’s a crucial question. 446 00:28:52,199 –> 00:28:54,260 When he says Jesus is Lord, 447 00:28:54,260 –> 00:28:56,859 is it like Muhammad Ali is the greatest 448 00:28:58,680 –> 00:29:00,900 or is it like the temperature in Chicago? 449 00:29:03,839 –> 00:29:07,839 Now, obviously, the statement Jesus is Lord 450 00:29:08,739 –> 00:29:11,459 is not verifiable by everybody today. 451 00:29:12,520 –> 00:29:14,400 Not everybody makes this confession. 452 00:29:15,680 –> 00:29:18,219 Therefore, most people assume 453 00:29:19,099 –> 00:29:22,699 that it is therefore a statement of personal opinion 454 00:29:22,699 –> 00:29:25,400 believed by many people, particularly in the West, 455 00:29:25,400 –> 00:29:28,459 rather similar to Muhammad Ali is the greatest. 456 00:29:29,780 –> 00:29:31,880 But I want you to look in these last moments 457 00:29:31,880 –> 00:29:33,839 more closely at what Paul is saying. 458 00:29:33,839 –> 00:29:34,900 I hope you have your Bible open 459 00:29:34,900 –> 00:29:36,979 because I want you to see it in the Bible. 460 00:29:38,520 –> 00:29:41,359 He speaks here of Christ being confessed 461 00:29:42,439 –> 00:29:43,800 in heaven, 462 00:29:45,400 –> 00:29:46,800 on earth, 463 00:29:47,839 –> 00:29:49,699 and under the earth. 464 00:29:49,699 –> 00:29:51,300 Now notice the three categories. 465 00:29:52,400 –> 00:29:55,219 Heaven is the home of angels who worship Him. 466 00:29:57,239 –> 00:29:59,839 Earth is the home of human beings, 467 00:29:59,839 –> 00:30:02,619 some of whom worship Him and some of whom do not. 468 00:30:04,780 –> 00:30:07,199 Under the earth is a biblical way of referring 469 00:30:07,199 –> 00:30:10,000 to the home of the devil, the demons and the powers 470 00:30:10,000 –> 00:30:14,859 of darkness who are the sworn enemies of Christ. 471 00:30:16,640 –> 00:30:19,660 Now if the statement Jesus is Lord 472 00:30:19,660 –> 00:30:22,119 were a matter of personal opinion, 473 00:30:22,119 –> 00:30:26,680 you could be certain that it would be confessed 474 00:30:26,680 –> 00:30:29,739 in heaven where He is loved. 475 00:30:29,739 –> 00:30:31,479 But you could be equally certain that 476 00:30:31,479 –> 00:30:33,599 if it was an expression of personal opinion, 477 00:30:33,599 –> 00:30:36,599 the statement Jesus is Lord would never be confessed 478 00:30:36,599 –> 00:30:38,760 in hell figuring He is hated. 479 00:30:40,640 –> 00:30:45,640 Paul is saying that every being in the universe 480 00:30:46,479 –> 00:30:49,160 in heaven, the angelic beings. 481 00:30:49,160 –> 00:30:51,280 On earth, all human beings. 482 00:30:51,280 –> 00:30:53,500 And under the earth, all demonic beings. 483 00:30:53,500 –> 00:30:55,400 But every being in the universe 484 00:30:55,400 –> 00:31:00,400 will personally verify that Jesus is Lord. 485 00:31:01,780 –> 00:31:04,640 All will make this confession is what he’s saying. 486 00:31:04,640 –> 00:31:06,380 Not just believers. 487 00:31:07,339 –> 00:31:11,339 What he’s saying is that the enemies of Jesus 488 00:31:11,339 –> 00:31:15,160 will on the last day make the same confession 489 00:31:15,160 –> 00:31:16,459 as his friends. 490 00:31:17,619 –> 00:31:21,619 In other words, Satan and Gabriel 491 00:31:21,619 –> 00:31:24,839 will both confess that Jesus is Lord. 492 00:31:27,359 –> 00:31:30,540 Joseph Stalin, who died according to 493 00:31:30,540 –> 00:31:32,560 the testimony of his daughter, 494 00:31:32,560 –> 00:31:34,839 with his fist raised towards heaven, 495 00:31:34,839 –> 00:31:36,060 and then he fell back on his pillow, 496 00:31:36,540 –> 00:31:37,959 and that’s how Joseph Stalin died. 497 00:31:39,280 –> 00:31:42,599 Joseph Stalin and Billy Graham 498 00:31:42,599 –> 00:31:45,619 will both confess that Jesus is Lord. 499 00:31:47,359 –> 00:31:52,359 John Lennon, Tom Cruise, Michael Jordan, 500 00:31:53,699 –> 00:31:58,699 John McEnroe, Babe Ruth, Pastor Colin, 501 00:31:58,959 –> 00:32:03,959 and you will all confess that Jesus is Lord.” 502 00:32:09,180 –> 00:32:11,560 What Paul is saying is this is the one reality 503 00:32:14,219 –> 00:32:15,500 that nobody can avoid. 504 00:32:18,000 –> 00:32:20,500 Some will make this confession on the last day 505 00:32:20,500 –> 00:32:22,140 with the greatest joy. 506 00:32:23,420 –> 00:32:25,599 Some will make this confession on the last day 507 00:32:25,599 –> 00:32:26,900 with the greatest sorrow. 508 00:32:28,939 –> 00:32:30,079 Some will say, 509 00:32:30,079 –> 00:32:32,119 Jesus is Lord, 510 00:32:32,119 –> 00:32:35,160 and I missed the purpose of my life. 511 00:32:38,180 –> 00:32:39,459 Jesus is Lord, 512 00:32:39,459 –> 00:32:42,180 and what I’ve lost can no longer be found. 513 00:32:44,540 –> 00:32:46,140 Jesus is Lord. 514 00:32:46,140 –> 00:32:47,300 And in resisting Him, 515 00:32:47,300 –> 00:32:49,780 I have ultimately destroyed myself. 516 00:32:55,579 –> 00:32:57,079 And others will make tis confession 517 00:32:57,079 –> 00:32:58,339 with the greatest joy. 518 00:32:59,400 –> 00:33:00,140 No! 519 00:33:00,459 –> 00:33:02,040 others will say, 520 00:33:02,040 –> 00:33:05,400 this is the purpose for which I was created. 521 00:33:05,400 –> 00:33:07,880 Jesus is Lord. 522 00:33:09,420 –> 00:33:11,079 And I have found the One 523 00:33:11,079 –> 00:33:12,800 who all my life I was seeking, 524 00:33:12,800 –> 00:33:13,819 and in finding Him, 525 00:33:13,819 –> 00:33:15,140 I have found myself. 526 00:33:15,140 –> 00:33:16,020 Now at last, 527 00:33:16,020 –> 00:33:16,920 I am at home. 528 00:33:19,680 –> 00:33:21,119 Every tongue will confess 529 00:33:21,119 –> 00:33:22,660 that Jesus is Lord. 530 00:33:22,660 –> 00:33:25,000 Now, it’s so important to understand today, 531 00:33:25,000 –> 00:33:25,979 we’re not saying, 532 00:33:25,979 –> 00:33:27,140 Jesus is my Lord 533 00:33:27,140 –> 00:33:29,319 so He must be Lord of everybody. 534 00:33:30,180 –> 00:33:31,479 That’s not what we’re saying, 535 00:33:31,479 –> 00:33:33,040 that would be imposition. 536 00:33:34,020 –> 00:33:34,959 That is what our culture 537 00:33:34,959 –> 00:33:36,479 is arguing so strongly against, 538 00:33:36,479 –> 00:33:37,619 you can’t tell someone else 539 00:33:37,619 –> 00:33:38,540 just because you believe in 540 00:33:38,540 –> 00:33:40,079 you can’t tell somebody else, you see. 541 00:33:40,079 –> 00:33:41,219 We’re not saying, 542 00:33:41,219 –> 00:33:42,280 Jesus is my Lord 543 00:33:42,280 –> 00:33:43,900 so He must be everybody else’s. 544 00:33:43,900 –> 00:33:44,920 We’re saying, 545 00:33:44,920 –> 00:33:48,099 Jesus is Lord of everything 546 00:33:48,099 –> 00:33:51,160 and therefore He must be Lord of me. 547 00:33:52,219 –> 00:33:54,000 It is not a statement of personal opinion 548 00:33:54,000 –> 00:33:56,260 that will be debated for eternity, 549 00:33:56,420 –> 00:33:58,739 it is a statement of verifiable fact 550 00:33:58,739 –> 00:34:00,599 that will be verified by every person 551 00:34:00,599 –> 00:34:03,439 who’s ever lived on the last day. 552 00:34:03,439 –> 00:34:05,859 Till then we walk by faith not by sight. 553 00:34:08,820 –> 00:34:11,560 That is what the Apostle Paul is saying for us here. 554 00:34:13,580 –> 00:34:15,340 And if it is true that every person 555 00:34:15,340 –> 00:34:16,159 who has ever lived, 556 00:34:16,159 –> 00:34:17,820 including the enemies of Christ, 557 00:34:17,820 –> 00:34:20,040 will one day confess that He is Lord, 558 00:34:20,040 –> 00:34:21,520 either to their everlasting joy 559 00:34:21,520 –> 00:34:23,399 or to their everlasting sorrow. 560 00:34:23,419 –> 00:34:25,840 Then nothing is more urgent 561 00:34:27,419 –> 00:34:31,860 than that I conform my life to that reality. 562 00:34:33,899 –> 00:34:35,959 That means becoming a follower 563 00:34:37,939 –> 00:34:42,659 and a worshiper of Jesus. 564 00:34:45,100 –> 00:34:46,100 Is that who you are? 565 00:34:51,919 –> 00:34:52,959 You know I’m laid with a prayer, 566 00:34:53,100 –> 00:34:54,679 but I’m really gonna end with something different. 567 00:34:55,620 –> 00:34:56,879 I’m going to play a short tape, 568 00:34:56,879 –> 00:34:58,219 it just last four minutes, 569 00:34:58,219 –> 00:35:00,959 and then we’re gonna sing a final song. 570 00:35:00,959 –> 00:35:03,560 It’s a tape of Dr. S. M. Lockridge, 571 00:35:03,560 –> 00:35:07,300 a man with a remarkable gift of speaking 572 00:35:07,300 –> 00:35:11,219 in a style that I could not begin to attempt. 573 00:35:11,219 –> 00:35:14,199 I want you to enjoy the richness of the truth 574 00:35:15,040 –> 00:35:16,320 of a man just caught up 575 00:35:16,320 –> 00:35:19,560 in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, 576 00:35:19,560 –> 00:35:21,919 and I think in an inimitable style 577 00:35:21,959 –> 00:35:24,120 confessing his greatness and glory. 578 00:35:24,120 –> 00:35:29,120 As you hear the multiple facets of the truth of Jesus, 579 00:35:29,679 –> 00:35:31,840 let it be the response of your heart 580 00:35:31,840 –> 00:35:36,840 to say from within amen and to glorify him. 581 00:35:36,919 –> 00:35:39,139 As for these moments, we listen. 582 00:35:39,139 –> 00:35:43,320 The Bible says my king is a seven-way king. 583 00:35:43,320 –> 00:35:45,280 He’s the king of the Jews. 584 00:35:45,280 –> 00:35:46,820 That’s a racial thing. 585 00:35:46,820 –> 00:35:48,899 He’s the king of Israel. 586 00:35:48,899 –> 00:35:50,479 That’s a national thing. 587 00:35:50,520 –> 00:35:52,620 He is a king of righteousness. 588 00:35:52,620 –> 00:35:54,280 He’s the king of the ages. 589 00:35:54,280 –> 00:35:55,800 He’s the king of heaven. 590 00:35:55,800 –> 00:35:57,580 He’s the king of glory. 591 00:35:57,580 –> 00:36:01,979 He’s the king of kings and he’s the Lord of lords. 592 00:36:01,979 –> 00:36:03,040 That’s my king. 593 00:36:05,040 –> 00:36:07,399 Well I wonder, do you know him? 594 00:36:07,399 –> 00:36:08,260 David said, 595 00:36:08,260 –> 00:36:11,580 the heavens declare the glory of God 596 00:36:11,580 –> 00:36:14,100 and the fundaments show his handiwork. 597 00:36:14,100 –> 00:36:18,620 My king is a sovereign king. 598 00:36:18,639 –> 00:36:23,340 No means of measure can define his limitless love. 599 00:36:23,340 –> 00:36:27,639 No farseeing telescope can bring into visibility 600 00:36:27,639 –> 00:36:30,719 the coastline of his soulless supply. 601 00:36:30,719 –> 00:36:35,479 No barrier can hinder him from pouring out his blessing. 602 00:36:35,479 –> 00:36:37,959 He’s enduranly strong. 603 00:36:37,959 –> 00:36:40,760 He’s entirely sincere. 604 00:36:40,760 –> 00:36:43,399 He’s eternally steadfast. 605 00:36:43,399 –> 00:36:45,719 He’s immortally grateful. 606 00:36:45,719 –> 00:36:48,040 He’s empirely powerful. 607 00:36:48,040 –> 00:36:50,620 He’s impartially merciful. 608 00:36:50,620 –> 00:36:51,800 Do you know him? 609 00:36:51,800 –> 00:36:55,239 He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed 610 00:36:55,239 –> 00:36:57,520 the horizon of this world. 611 00:36:57,520 –> 00:36:59,320 He’s God’s son. 612 00:36:59,320 –> 00:37:01,239 He’s a sinner’s savior. 613 00:37:01,239 –> 00:37:04,159 He’s the centerpiece of civilization. 614 00:37:04,159 –> 00:37:07,520 He stands in the solitude of himself. 615 00:37:07,520 –> 00:37:10,379 He’s August and he’s unique. 616 00:37:10,379 –> 00:37:14,199 He’s unparalleled, he’s unprecedented. 617 00:37:14,199 –> 00:37:17,320 He is the lost-est idea in literature. 618 00:37:17,419 –> 00:37:20,939 He’s the highest personality in philosophy. 619 00:37:20,939 –> 00:37:25,000 He is the supreme problem in higher criticism. 620 00:37:25,000 –> 00:37:28,419 He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. 621 00:37:28,419 –> 00:37:32,780 He is the causal necessity for spiritual religion. 622 00:37:32,780 –> 00:37:35,080 He’s the miracle of the age. 623 00:37:36,040 –> 00:37:37,219 Yes, he is. 624 00:37:37,219 –> 00:37:40,139 He is the superlative of everything good 625 00:37:40,139 –> 00:37:41,979 that you choose to call him. 626 00:37:41,979 –> 00:37:46,979 He’s the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient savior. 627 00:37:47,360 –> 00:37:49,520 I wonder if you know him today. 628 00:37:49,520 –> 00:37:52,320 He supplies strength for the weak. 629 00:37:52,320 –> 00:37:55,659 He’s available for the tempted and the tried. 630 00:37:55,659 –> 00:37:58,320 He sympathizes and he saves. 631 00:37:58,320 –> 00:38:01,120 He strengthens and sustains. 632 00:38:01,120 –> 00:38:03,879 He guards and he guides. 633 00:38:03,879 –> 00:38:05,820 He heals the sick, 634 00:38:05,820 –> 00:38:07,760 he cleanses the lepers. 635 00:38:07,760 –> 00:38:09,719 He forgives sinners. 636 00:38:09,719 –> 00:38:11,639 He discharges debtors. 637 00:38:11,639 –> 00:38:13,600 He delivers the captive. 638 00:38:13,600 –> 00:38:15,459 He defends the feeble. 639 00:38:15,500 –> 00:38:17,320 He blesses the young. 640 00:38:17,320 –> 00:38:19,500 He serves the unfortunate. 641 00:38:19,500 –> 00:38:21,540 He regards the age. 642 00:38:21,540 –> 00:38:23,560 He rewards the diligent 643 00:38:23,560 –> 00:38:25,840 and he beautifies the meager. 644 00:38:25,840 –> 00:38:27,659 I wonder if you know him. 645 00:38:27,659 –> 00:38:31,139 Well, this is my King. 646 00:38:31,139 –> 00:38:32,540 He is the key. 647 00:38:32,540 –> 00:38:34,639 He’s the key to knowledge. 648 00:38:34,639 –> 00:38:37,219 He’s the well spring of wisdom. 649 00:38:37,219 –> 00:38:39,659 He’s the doorway of deliverance. 650 00:38:39,659 –> 00:38:41,699 He’s the pathway of peace. 651 00:38:41,699 –> 00:38:44,300 He’s the roadway of righteousness. 652 00:38:44,300 –> 00:38:46,620 He’s the highway of holiness. 653 00:38:46,620 –> 00:38:48,979 He’s the gateway of glory. 654 00:38:48,979 –> 00:38:50,280 Do you know him? 655 00:38:50,280 –> 00:38:53,479 Well, his office is manifold, 656 00:38:53,479 –> 00:38:55,879 his promise is sure, 657 00:38:55,879 –> 00:38:57,899 his life is matchless, 658 00:38:57,899 –> 00:39:00,040 his goodness is limitless, 659 00:39:00,040 –> 00:39:02,500 his mercy is everlasting, 660 00:39:02,500 –> 00:39:04,860 his love never changes. 661 00:39:04,860 –> 00:39:06,979 His word is enough. 662 00:39:06,979 –> 00:39:09,120 His grace is sufficient. 663 00:39:09,120 –> 00:39:11,239 His reign is righteous 664 00:39:11,239 –> 00:39:13,500 and his yoke is easy 665 00:39:13,500 –> 00:39:16,219 and his burden is light. 666 00:39:16,219 –> 00:39:18,520 I wish I could describe him to ya, 667 00:39:18,520 –> 00:39:19,899 but he’s indescribable. 668 00:39:32,620 –> 00:39:34,939 Yes, he’s indescribable. 669 00:39:34,939 –> 00:39:37,379 He’s incomprehensible. 670 00:39:37,379 –> 00:39:39,159 He’s invincible. 671 00:39:39,159 –> 00:39:40,899 He’s irresistible. 672 00:39:41,020 –> 00:39:43,899 Well, you can’t get him out of your mind. 673 00:39:43,899 –> 00:39:47,020 You can’t get him off of your hand. 674 00:39:47,020 –> 00:39:50,540 You can’t outlive him and you can’t live without him. 675 00:39:50,540 –> 00:39:53,800 Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand, 676 00:39:53,800 –> 00:39:56,500 but they found out they couldn’t stop him, 677 00:39:56,500 –> 00:39:59,379 Pilate couldn’t find any fault in him. 678 00:39:59,379 –> 00:40:03,540 The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. 679 00:40:03,540 –> 00:40:05,840 Herod couldn’t kill him. 680 00:40:05,840 –> 00:40:07,620 Death couldn’t handle him, 681 00:40:07,620 –> 00:40:09,840 and the grave couldn’t hold him. 682 00:40:09,959 –> 00:40:10,800 Yeah! 683 00:40:12,560 –> 00:40:14,500 That’s marty! 684 00:40:14,500 –> 00:40:15,600 That’s marty!