The kings - Gospel Message

… I've been asked by several individuals about our president, George Bush, and now I want to speak about the Lord Jesus tonight, not about George Bush, but still, I'm very thankful that as far as we can tell, George Bush, you know, makes a profession of being a Christian. As far as we can tell, we believe that profession is genuine, and, you know, it's an unusual thing to find a man in high power, in high position, who owns the Lord Jesus as Savior and as Lord. I've been occupied in recent weeks, actually recent months, with some of the psalms, and I've actually spoken on certain psalms several times recently. I don't want to speak on these psalms tonight as such, but I would like to read a few verses out of the second psalm in this connection. As the second psalm, the end of the psalm is addressed particularly to kings and judges of the earth. Now, I don't see a crown on anyone's head here tonight, so I assume that we don't have kings here in the natural sense of the word. Many of us, as I look around, are kings, kings and priests, but the psalm is addressed to people who, as far as the world is concerned, are kings and judges. I'll read the last three verses to begin with. Verse 10, Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling, kiss the Son, lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Now that last part of the last verse, I'm sure goes beyond kings and judges of the earth. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. And really, our subject in a gospel meeting, there's only one subject, no matter how that subject is presented, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Kiss the Son, he's God's eternal Son. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. We want to look at some kings, some who were in high places in scripture, and see their attitude toward or relationship with the Lord Jesus. We're told here, blessed are all they that put their trust in him. You know, that's our desire for each one here tonight, that you put your trust in him if you haven't done so already. Because as Peter said in Acts 4, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. You may think that salvation is an option. God appeals to you to accept his Son, the Lord Jesus, but God says you must be saved through his name. And if you turn him down, then you'll be, then you are, one of the ungodly mentioned in the previous psalm, that are like the chaff which the wind drives away and that will not stand in the judgment, because the way of the ungodly shall perish. Now this second psalm begins with some verses that are quoted in the New Testament. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. Oh, men still want to break loose, want to do their own thing. They feel that submitting to God, these are bands that they want to break, that they want to tear away from. You know, man, at the beginning of his history, in Genesis 3, at the beginning of human history, man disobeyed the single command that God gave him. Man needed to recognize we are men and responsible to God. God who made us is above us. God put man in a garden that was prepared lovingly for man's good and man's enjoyment. Man was told you can eat of any tree in the garden, of all the trees of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you're not to eat of that. One restriction and man wanted to break that restriction. The idea came from Satan, the arch rebel who had been created as God's highest created being, highest angelic being, and Satan had rebelled. Satan had sought to set his throne above the throne of God, above the stars of God. Satan wanted to rule and essentially Satan wanted that place that God has purposed for the Lord Jesus. And when Satan fell, he sought to lead man, God's creature left in charge of the earth astray also. And Satan persuaded man that God was not good, that God was holding something back, that God was keeping man from his greatest potential. Why, in the day that you eat of this fruit, you'll be as God. That was what Satan had tried to be, as God, greater than God. And man listened to Satan and fell into sin. And the great men, the kings of this earth, the heathen, the people, the kings of the earth and the rulers are all, well here it tells us, the heathen rage, the people imagine a vain thing, the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Man sets himself against God and particularly against God's anointed, the Lord Jesus. God will frustrate man's doings and man's purpose. God isn't going to let man get away with it. He isn't going to let Satan get away with his rebellion, nor will he let man get away with his rebellion against God. But you know, God is not a vindictive God. God is a God of love. God devised a plan of salvation before he had made man because God being all-knowing knew in advance what would happen to man. God knew that man would follow Satan's suggestion, temptation, and fall. And before man ever did so, God planned a way of salvation that was absolutely righteous and that was a display of the love of his heart. God planned to send his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world. He knew that man confronted with one who was absolutely holy, absolutely consistent. You know, his words and his deeds were absolutely consistent, that man would hate such a one and would try to get rid of him. And man in the highest position would take the lead in trying to get rid of his son. God knew this. And if I can use an expression to top it all off, God's plan was that when man would do his utmost against God's Son and would nail him to a cross on Calvary. While he was hanging there, God would place the load of our sins on his Son and punish his Son in our place. Now that is a plan that goes beyond man's wildest imagination. It's a plan that is of God and is worthy of God and far beyond anything that man could have suggested to God. The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Romans after he's gone into the plan of salvation in many details, chapter after chapter, he finally finishes that topic by saying, oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again, for of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. This is how Paul concludes his presentation of the Gospel. God's plan is marvelous, oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, his ways past finding out. Of him, through him, to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Now turn to Matthew chapter two. In Matthew chapter two, we find the first encounter of our Lord Jesus with a king. In Matthew one, at the very end, Jesus is born of a virgin, Mary. She brings forth her firstborn son, he, that is Joseph, Mary's espoused husband, called his name Jesus. And then in chapter two, we read, now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born, and they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet in thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. All right, here's Herod the king. History knows this Herod as Herod the great. And you know, men strive to be great in this world. Herod the great was really a bloodthirsty monster. History tells us he had 10 wives. He had several of them executed. He had some of his sons executed. He was what we would term paranoid today. He was constantly afraid somebody was going to try to overthrow him. And you can imagine when these wise men came from the east seeking the one born king of the Jews, the one that prophecy pointed forward to, and they said we've seen his star in the east. It's a prophecy in numbers that the star would rise out of Jacob, a scepter out of Israel. So they said we've seen this. Where is he that is born king of the Jews? The natural place to go to was Herod's palace. And it's alarming news to Herod that these wise men from the east would be seeking one born king of the Jews. Herod was actually half Edomite and really had no business being king of the Jews, had worked his way into that, had gotten that through the Romans. He wasn't born king of the Jews. And he was an old man by this time. This is not too long before his death. And when Herod, the king, had heard these things, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. You know, there are people today, too, who hear about the Lord Jesus and hear what God has planned and purposed for him, and it bothers them. They know their life is not in order. There are things wrong. And when we hear what God has purposed for his son, it's not so nice. Herod gets all the chief priests and scribes together and says, now, where is the Christ supposed to be born? And it wasn't difficult for them. They had the Old Testament scriptures, and they pointed to the prophecy in the prophet Micah in Bethlehem of Judah. They can quote out of what we call chapter 5 of Micah. Bethlehem was the place that had been prophesied some 700-odd years before this. Out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. And now in the next verses, Herod calls the wise men to him and tells them, when you go down to Bethlehem, when you find this newborn king of the Jews, please come back and let me know where he is, because as he says at the end of verse 8, when you have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him also. God demands worship for his son. Herod had no intention of worshiping him. Herod wanted to get rid of him, as he had gotten rid of others whom he thought were a danger to his throne. You know, God has purposed that the Lord Jesus one day will be King of kings and Lord of lords. He has purposed that every knee is to bow to him. The Lord Jesus has glorified God in the work that he accomplished on Calvary, and God has promised that every knee would bow to him. We have the choice either of doing so willingly now or of one day being brought into submission forcibly, but in any case, every knee will bow to the Lord Jesus. Herod told these wise men, bring me word so that I can go and worship him. God knew that man's heart, and after the wise men had found the young child, Jesus, instead of bringing Herod word, the angel of the Lord warned them that they should not return to Herod. So they departed to their own country another way, and we know what Herod did. When Herod found out that the wise men were gone out of his reach, verse 16 tells us, Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. This gives us an indication that the Lord Jesus may have been as much as two years old at this time. The pictures that one sees of the shepherds on one side of the manger and the wise men on the other side are very inaccurate according to scripture, but Herod wanted to make sure that he got that baby. To think of a king giving orders to kill every baby boy in quite a district to make sure that he got that one, that was Herod. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Herod wanted to be something. Herod died a very miserable death. History tells us that when Herod realized he was dying, he ordered all the top men in the kingdom rounded up and taken down to Jericho where there was a big stadium. All the important people in the kingdom were taken there, and Herod gave orders to his soldiers, as soon as I die, massacre all these people, kill them all. He knew that when he would die, there would be great rejoicing in the land, and he wanted there to be great mourning, so all the prominent people were to be killed so that there would be great mourning when he died. Fortunately, his soldiers didn't carry out his orders, but that was the kind of man that Herod was, and here in scripture we see a man who is so against Jesus that he would have all the baby boys in the land killed. Now there are several Herods. This Herod had a number of sons, and some of them also bore the name Herod. It was a family name, so when we read Herod in the scripture, we don't always come to the same one. Time goes on. This Herod died shortly after what we have read, but if you turn to Luke chapter 23, we see another Herod, and we could even see him earlier in this book, but this Herod was also a king. He's the king over Galilee, and we find Pilate has Jesus on trial at the beginning of the chapter, and false accusations are made against him, and then in verse 6, when Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man, Jesus, were a Galilean, and as soon as he knew that he belonged under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time, and when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad, for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words, but he answered him nothing, and the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him, and Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate, and the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together, for before they were at enmity between themselves. This is the Herod that had John the Baptist executed, because he had made a foolish promise to a girl, the daughter of the woman he had taken from her husband and had married himself. She had danced before him, and he had promised her whatever she wanted, and her mother had said, we'll ask for John the Baptist's head. We're not talking about nice things here. This Herod had rather than stand up for what he knew to be right, he had said, well I gave my word, and I've got to keep my word, and the head of John the Baptist was brought to this girl on a platter, and she could take it to her mother, and this Herod had been interested in seeing Jesus, in hearing him. He wanted to see him do a trick, you know, do a miracle. As far as he was concerned, it would have been doing a trick, a magic trick. He had heard that Jesus could do miracles, and this is what he wanted to see. He hoped to have seen some miracle done by him, and now Jesus is brought before Herod from Pilate. Herod is king of Galilee, that's where Jesus had grown up, and so this is the proper jurisdiction Pilate says, and Pilate was a clever politician, but not clever enough. Pilate sends him to Herod, and Herod asks many questions, Jesus is silent before him. Herod had had every opportunity, John the Baptist had preached to him. It wasn't that Herod didn't know, it wasn't that the Lord Jesus would not have willingly saved Herod, but Herod was just wanting to see something, and you know there are many people today too, who want to see some kind of miracle done. And people who, you know, look for spectacular healings, or speaking in tongues, or whatever it may be, they want to see something, they want to be impressed. This is not what the Lord is offering. He doesn't do a miracle at somebody's beck and call, and we see here the chief priests and scribes standing vehemently accusing Him. At the birth of the Lord Jesus, a third of a century before this, they had been in consternation. You know what's amazed me sometimes is that when the wise men came, and all Jerusalem was stirred up about their visit, nobody, and I emphasize nobody, went along with the wise men to see the one born King of the Jews. None of the chief priests and scribes who had looked up in the scripture where the Christ was to be born, none were interested enough to go along to see Him. And here, they're interested in accusing Him. And Herod, with his men of war, set Him at naught, mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Well, Pilate can say a little later on in verse 15 that Herod had not found Him guilty of anything, had not found Him worthy of death. But Herod had rejected Him. Herod did not bow before Christ. He is one of those who plotted against Him. And Pilate is another. Pilate wasn't a king, he was a governor. But the kings of the earth and the rulers, they've set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed. Well, we'll turn to another scripture just briefly, Acts chapter 12. And we'll see the end of this, Herod. In Acts 12, we find now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. And in verse 4, he put him in prison and devoted him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him intending after Easter, and that's a mistranslation actually, after Passover, to bring him forth to the people. This is one of the things I mentioned last night, or I've mentioned it somewhere along the way at least, that the translators were under orders to use churchy words after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Well, Peter is prayed for, and the angel of the Lord releases him, and Herod has the keepers executed in verse 19. And then we see in verse 20 and 21, and Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord to him, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain, their friend desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made an oration unto them, and the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory. And he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied. You know, very solemn scripture. This is the end of that Herod. He makes a speech. People cry out, It's not a man speaking, it's a god speaking. It's a beautiful robe on, and under that robe, corruption. God strikes him down, and he dies, eaten of worms, a miserable end. God has the last word, and God will not give his glory to another. And, you know, we can't, I don't know if you use that expression here in the UK, but we say you can't fool around with God. God is serious. And even the great men of this earth, a king like this, who could vent his anger against a James, have him killed, have Peter arrested, he was going to have him executed, and so on. It seemed he was getting away with things. And then God says, So far, no father. And if God can say that to a king, he can certainly say that to any one of us. He can say, So far, and no father. We don't know how long he's going to give any one of us. Health can fail. We can be in a car accident on the way home, have a heart attack, whatever it may be. So far, and no father. God says, Now is the day of salvation. He says, Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. It's not something that should be put off. Turn to chapter 24 of Acts. Here we have a Roman governor, Felix. The apostle Paul has been brought before him. False charges have been laid against Paul. And Felix is interested in the man. We find in verse 24 of chapter 24, After certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him. Wherefore he sent for him the offener and communed with him. But after two years, Porteous Festus came into Felix's room, and Felix, willing to show the Jews of pleasure, left Paul bound. Now we didn't read the first hearing that Paul had before Felix, and the defense he made before him. I don't want to go into all the detail there. But Felix heard Paul on the charges against Paul. And Felix put off judging Paul. And then he's interested in hearing more from Paul. And he shows Paul, well, I'm really rather interested in you. Scripture reveals to us that he had an underlying motive. He was hoping to be offered a good-sized bribe. And he was giving Paul plenty of opportunity to raise some money, to give him a good bribe, and then maybe he would have let him go. And in the meantime, he calls Paul and hears him concerning the faith in Christ. You know, there are people like that today, too. And one doesn't have to be in high places to hear the gospel, to hear about the faith in Christ. Here was a man in high places who asked for this. He called Paul repeatedly and asked him questions, wanted to hear what Paul had to say about the faith in Christ. And actually, he was not really concerned in his heart. He was hoping, if I see him often enough, maybe he'll get the idea and offer me some money. And if I get enough, I can let him go. Felix has a reputation in history for having been a corrupt judge. He was out for what he could get, and he turned down that which would have met his greatest need because he was hoping for money. And what is it that keeps you from accepting the Lord Jesus if you haven't done so? Are you hoping for money? Are you hoping for fun? Are you hoping for what is it? Felix hoped for a bribe. And we find for two years he hears Paul again and again and doesn't yield to the gospel. And finally, he's relieved of his post. A new governor comes in, and that's all we read of Felix in God's Word. He had said, When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. And you know, the devil is out to see that we never have a convenient season to respond to the gospel. It's always a bit inconvenient. There's something else in the way. Is there something in your way, something that keeps you from accepting Christ tonight? This man's convenient season never came. In the next chapter, we have another governor who hears Paul, Festus, and in verse 9, he wants to do the Jews a pleasure. He wants to get some political favor. The Jews had objected to Felix, and Caesar had finally replaced him, and now the new governor wants to curry their favor. And so he suggests to Paul that he go to Jerusalem to be tried. There were men at Jerusalem who had sworn to kill Paul, and if they kept their oath, they'd all starve to death by this time, but there would have been plenty of replacements, I'm sure. And here, Paul appeals to Caesar, and Festus says, All right, you'll go to Caesar. And then he gets a visit from King Agrippa. Agrippa was another king in the family of the Herods. King Agrippa and Bernice. Bernice was what people would call his girlfriend today. She was not his wife. They come, and Festus is the new governor. They've got to welcome him, and Festus tells him, I have a problem. There's a fellow named Paul. He was left here by the former governor, and I wanted to send him to Jerusalem to be tried, and he appealed to Caesar. He's a Roman citizen, and I've got to send him to Caesar now, and I don't know what to charge him with. And Agrippa says, Well, I'd like to hear him too. And so in chapter 26, we find Paul before Agrippa and before other of the principal men. Chapter 25, verse 23 tells us, On the morrow, when Agrippa was come and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment, Paul was brought forth. And then Festus introduces Paul and mentions his problem and hopes that Agrippa can give him some help with the problem. And Paul presents the story of his conversion to this august company, and finally, he ends. After he's been accused by Festus, Festus says in verse 24 with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee mad. Paul, you're crazy, in other words. He says, I'm not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness, for the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak freely. For I'm persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Paul was in chains. And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up and the governor and Bernice, and they that sat with them, when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, this man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed unto Caesar. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. That's how close the man got. Almost. Almost. But they go into an ante room, counsel together, he gives Festus his advice, his opinion, and that's the end of the story because King Agrippa is concerned in the Bible that almost was not sufficient. He did not become a Christian. And you know, there may be those tonight to say, well, almost. Almost. Some more convenient time. I'm almost persuaded. And some little thing stands in the way. Almost is not enough. Go back to Psalm 2 for just a moment. The heathen rage, the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves. The rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. They want to break off his bonds. And we read in verse 4, He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. And declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with the rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. God will have the last word. God has his purposes for the Lord Jesus. And God says to mankind and to the very highest as well as to all the people, Submit to him. And you know tonight, God says repent. Submit. Receive the Lord Jesus as your savior. Tonight is the time. God doesn't promise that you can hear the gospel next Sunday night. I'm sure the brethren plan a meeting next Sunday night, but when I heard the notices being read this morning, it was in the Lord's will. If the Lord will. If the Lord hasn't come before. We cannot plan with any certainty for the future. But God's plans stand. God's word is absolutely sure. And God has purposed that his son will one day rule as king of kings and lord of lords. And he'll rule over the heathen as his inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth as his possession. He'll break them with the rod of iron. And there are many scriptures that bear this out. We're not going to go into them tonight. It's not a matter of trying to tell all that one knows about scripture, but it's a matter for each individual here to submit to what God demands. And if God is God, and he is, he has a right to demand of his creatures. He demands submission. Repentance. But oh, he offers his love. He has given his son. We can receive his son as savior now. Then we won't have to face him as judge in the day to come. As the one who rules with the rod of iron. If we don't receive him today, one day we will face him. And what is even worse than what is described here is to face him as judge on a great white throne where there's no blood, no salvation offered any longer but certain judgment. So kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. That can be you tonight. You can be blessed. God doesn't say he's going to extend this offer forever. You know, many times one sees an advert in the papers and it's, you know, sale this weekend or up to the whatever of May or so on. There are often limits. One sees coupons and they're good up to a certain date. God says his offer is for now. He doesn't say I'm extending this offer until you decide you're ready. Can we sing together number 104? Number 104. Of sorrows what a name for the Son of God who came and sinners to reclaim Hallelujah what a Savior bearing shame and scoffing rue in my place condemned he stood sealed my pardon with his blood Hallelujah what a Savior guilty vile and helpless we spotless Lamb of God was he full atonement can it be Hallelujah what a Savior lifted up was he to die it is finished was his cry now in heaven exalted high Hallelujah what a Savior Our God and our Father we give heartfelt thanks for the Lord Jesus that one you have given as Savior. One day he will rule he will break the nations with a rod of iron but today he is the Savior and he is the one who invites come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. We've seen the opposition of some in very high places against him and to our Father there are many many more in thy word and throughout the course of human history and we confess that by nature that's what our hearts were like. Our God and Father thy word tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God but thou dost offer the Lord Jesus as that free gift and thou dost offer salvation freely to whosoever will believe and we pray that there might be someone here tonight who does not decide to wait for a more convenient season hoping for something else to happen in the meantime that there will be someone here tonight who will not say almost you persuade me to be a Christian but our God and Father we pray that anyone unsaved here tonight might accept the Lord Jesus while it's still the day of salvation before the judgments fall as they inevitably will Our Father we thank thee for the opportunity we've had to present thy word once again this evening and we pray that thou wouldst use thy word for blessing we ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior Amen If there's anyone here tonight who would like to know more about the Lord Jesus who would like to receive him as Savior I would be happy to talk to you and I'm sure any of the brothers here would be very happy to be of help to you and I'm sure if it's a girl a young lady I'm sure any of the sisters here would be happy to help too but tonight is God's opportunity He doesn't promise more …