Christ is King
Revelation 19:1-15
Countless millions throughout the world may live as if Christ is not King, but that does not change reality. Christ is King over all. Christ is King over the atheist. Christ is King over the good. Christ is King over the bad. Whether or not you acknowledge His authority and reign over you, He is your king! You do not make Christ king of your life, as if you have the power or authority to do so, He is already King. He reigns supreme. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This passage looks not only to the future as there is coming a day when every person who has ever lived will bow acknowledging that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But this passage also points out to the Christian the everyday reality that Christ is Lord! As followers of the King we are His subjects and should live every minute of our lives in faithful submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ realizing His preeminence and sovereignty.
I. As King Christ is Preeminent
A. Synonyms for preeminent are supremacy, paramount rank, dignity, primacy.
B. Colossians 1:17-18 “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
C. Jesus Christ is Supreme. Christ as the agent of creation was also its aim. He is to be the focus of all that is. The focus of all our lives. The focus of our message. The focus of our church. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the author and the finisher of our salvation.
D. Colossians 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
E. Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.”
F. “Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant." —Stephen Covey
G. When we fail to consciously commit ourselves to Christ and His kingdom we reject His preeminence as we unconsciously commit ourselves to the secular and to things of little or no eternal value.
H. Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
I. Is Christ preeminent in your affections? Is He preeminent in your actions? Is your life ordered around Him? Or do you expect Him to order His life around you? Our lives should focus on Him.
J. The worst thing you can do as a Christian is to try and put Jesus first in your life. I know it sounds good, and Lord knows, I’ve said it plenty: Put Jesus first, your family second, your job third… But it’s a flawed paradigm. Jesus doesn’t want to be first on your list. He doesn’t need your shout out. He’s not content to be first in your life. He insists on being the center of your life. Putting Jesus first in my life means I kind of segregate Him from my other priorities. Making Him the center of my life means I integrate Him into every priority. It’s not Jesus, then my family, then my job… It’s Jesus: in my family, in my job… It’s not Jesus, then anything…
It’s Jesus in everything! – Steve Furtick, Elevation Church
K. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
L. John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
II. As the preeminent King Christ is Sovereign
A. Synonyms for Sovereign are Monarch and Supreme Ruler
B. Ephesians 1:22-23 “And God “hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
C. 1 Peter 3:22 “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”
D. Christ is the Supreme Ruler or Monarch. We do not like Monarchies. We tend to be independent and self-sufficient. We want a democracy where the people make the rules. Or better yet anarchy where there are no rules.
E. We sing the song:
"Come thou Almighty King, help us thy Name to sing,
Help us to praise, Father all glorious, Oe'r all victorious,
Come and REIGN OVER US, Ancient of Days."
Do we mean those words?
F. Concerning Christ’s kingdom Daniel said in Daniel 7:27b “... His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'
G. Christ is in absolute control. He overrides and overrules in the affairs of men to effectuate or accomplish His will. We pray “Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done.” Ultimately God’s divine plan will be accomplished. That ought to give you great comfort realizing that Jesus Christ is in control of your life and that He is working all things for your good.
H. Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
I. Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
J. As our Sovereign King, and as our Lord He deserves absolute allegiance and obedience.
K. Luke 6:46 "And why call ye Me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not the things which I say?”
L. John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants in the 1940s, was greatly respected by his players. Why? When he gave an order, the players obeyed—or else. One day he sent a batter up to bunt. Instead, the batter lit into the first pitch, hit it over the fence, and won the game for the Giants. The fans were cheering themselves hoarse as the player jogged into the dugout. McGraw looked at him with disgust and said, “You’re fired.” He was released the next day. Thankfully God doesn’t fire us when we disobey Him. But we need to realize the cheers of the crowd and the applause of the world don’t hold a candle to obedience to the One who manages our lives.
M. Are you giving the preeminence and obedience due the Sovereign King?
