Call to Worship: Revelation 4:8 “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 19:6 “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!”
Songs: Medley Michael W. Smith
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) Michael W. Smith
Sing to the King (Live) Umobile Worship
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) Michael W. Smith
Sing to the King (Live) Umobile Worship
Our God Reigns Israel & New Breed
Scripture: Isaiah 9
Song: Rejoice the Lord Is King The Maranatha! Singers
Sermon: “Missing the King / Messiah”
Song: Redeeming King Jadon Lavik
Communion: Christ the King: Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
Closing Song: Worthy Is the Lamb / Crown Him With Many Crowns Travis Cottrell
Benediction: Revelation 4:8 “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 1 Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
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Sermon: “Missing the King / Messiah”
We just read the amazing prophecy about Jesus from Isaiah. Isaiah also said, Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. So we were told Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Last year at Christmas I told you about a sermon I heard where James MacDonald said that the prophets couldn’t see that there was another kingdom in the future. It was ridiculous. I say this because it rejects Jesus as King as Isaiah prophesied, hence the title missing the King. Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He reigns on David’s throne right now, as that is what scripture says. Today is Christ the King Sunday if you follow the Liturgical calendar. It is so important to understand that Jesus is presently King and reigns on David’s throne. If Jesus is not presently your king, then he is not your Messiah or Savior either. So then you have to ask what have you been saved into? Matthew went to great lengths to show the genealogy of Jesus. Yes the Jews don’t agree with this but amazingly Matthew 1:20 “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.” That is why we pray as David did 1 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV) “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” And this is why we pray in the Lord’s prayer Matthew 6:13 “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” With Jesus so came his Kingdom. He is not a king without a powerful kingdom.
So here we are being told that what Isaiah said was true. From this time on Jesus is King even though his kingship was not at all what they expected but Jesus remains King. Not only did Isaiah confirm this, so did the Holy Spirit though Simeon. Luke 2:25 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation / relief of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Then there was Anna. “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” So yes they were looking but the answer was right in front of them yet they rejected Him. Later just before the ascension of Jesus in Acts right in the middle of Jesus telling them about what the kingdom actually looks like, they interrupt him and ask “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He then finishes and tell them about the power in the kingdom and what we can accomplish. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This is the kingdom that has been rejected.
So to this very day the Jews are still looking for the restoration of Israel and the kingdom with the Mashiach sitting on the throne just the way they thought it would. But they rejected His word even though they were told exactly what was going to happen. They simply refused to believe by the word of the Lord. John 12:36 “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. 37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.” Jesus quotes Isaiah and says Matthew 15:7 “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Again we are told that Isaiah knew what he was talking about. Why because he was a prophet of God. So just as there was unbelief then, there is still unbelief today. Jesus is king whether we believe it or not. Do we live our lives accordingly? If Jesus is King; do we honor him as a great king? John 12:13 “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.”
So today we still are filled with unbelief except something terrible has happened in the land. Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” The king of kings has been rejected. In an effort to change this “Pope Pius XI instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 for the universal church, in his encyclical Quas Primas. One speaker said this is one of the most ignored topics. He said lip service is paid to it for 24 hours and then ignored for the rest of the year. The Pope connected the increasing denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism throughout much of Europe. It became about man not God. At the time of Quas Primas, many Christians (including Catholics) began to doubt Christ's authority and existence, as well as the Church's power to continue Christ's authority. He wrote and this is just a paragraph of this document, “On 11 December 1925, Pope Pius XI promulgated (broadcast) his encyclical letter Quas primas, on the Kingship of Christ. The encyclical dealt with what the Pope described correctly as "the chief cause of the difficulties under which mankind was laboring." He explained that the manifold evils in the world are due to the fact that the majority of men have thrust Jesus Christ and His holy law out of their lives; that Our Lord and His holy law have no place either in private life or in politics; and, as long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule of our Saviour, there will be no hope of lasting peace among nations. Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.”
Now this is definitely not a promotion of the Catholic church but proof that Jesus has been rejected as King; he has been neglected in society and by the church. Man has replaced him as King and continue to go there own way and do their own thing. They have rewritten the word of God by adding and subtracting and changing the meaning of scripture but they will not get away with it, for blackest darkness is reserved for them. So it’s obvious that the Jews did not believe that Jesus was their king. John 19:14 “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” Mark 15:9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. 12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. 13 “Crucify him!” they shouted. 14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” Matthew 27:27 “Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
So today; is Jesus your king? Here is why I ask this because if you think or you have been taught that Jesus will reign on the throne of David in Israel during a period of a thousand years called the millennium, you have been deceived and are crucifying him all over again because you have rejected the Messiah just as the Jews did. You are shouting release another. You are mocking and spitting on your king. The other side of this coin is just plain ignorance and lack of knowledge. So where is no fear of God, there is no knowledge. Most people just don’t want to talk about it. The bottom line is Jesus reigns yet because we have turned from him we are missing the power the Kingdom of God offers us. We are following wicked ways, doctrines of demons.
I have talked about this before but if you go to Jewish websites about the Mashiach, you will see why they feel Jesus and others did not meet the criteria for King. They will list reasons why Jesus cannot be and is not King. They include him in a list of others who claimed to be king of the Jews. So lets look at a couple of Jewish websites. So this first one is ask a Rabbi- Dear Rabbi: Why don’t Jews believe in Jesus as the Messiah? Rob. Dear Rob That is certainly a rather serious question deserving of a thorough answer. The word ‘Messiah’ is from the Hebrew Mashiach, meaning ‘anointed’ – referring to a person initiated into divine service by being anointed with sacred oil. Since every king and high priest in ancient Israel was inducted in this way, each was referred to as ‘an anointed one’ (Mashiach).ASK THE RABBI 2 So, where then does the Jewish concept of Messiah as redeemer come from? One of the central themes of Biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God (eg Isaiah 2:1; Zephaniah 3:9). These prophetic passages speak of a descendant of David who will usher in this era and rule Israel as king. Since every king is a ‘Messiah’, we refer to this future leader as the Messiah. But, according to the Torah, in order to qualify as such, he must accomplish the following things: a) Build the Third Temple; b) Gather Jews back to the land of Israel; c) Usher in an era of world peace and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease; d) Spread universal knowledge of God and unite humanity. The historical fact is that Jesus did not fulfill any of these messianic prophecies. Christians argue that Jesus will achieve these in the ‘Second Coming’, but Jewish sources insist that the Messiah must fulfill these prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists. According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, nor will he possess supernatural qualities. He must be descended on his father’s side from King David. According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father – and, thus, could not fulfil the requirement of being descended on his father’s side from King David! Finally, the Messiah will lead the Jewish people back to observance. The Torah states that anyone coming to subvert the Torah is identified as a false prophet and loses legitimacy. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus revokes the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. Therefore, for all these reasons Judaism does not believe that Jesus can be the Messiah.
Another states “In order to deal with Jesus’ failure to fulfill the Biblical messianic prophecies, missionaries argue that he will accomplish them when he returns in the future. It’s important to understand that this second coming doctrine is an admission that Jesus didn’t fulfill the Messianic criteria. This rationalization for his failure certainly provides no reason to accept him as the Messiah today. Furthermore, the Jewish Bible does not have a Messianic “installment plan” where Messiah comes, fails in his mission, and then returns thousands of years later to finally succeed. We Jews prefer to wait for the “real thing” according to G-d’s promises and guidelines. The Jewish Bible provides a clear and consistent description of what the world will look like when the Messiah comes and this has clearly not yet transpired. So, we still await the coming of the true Messiah. May he and a utopian world come soon!” Anyone can claim to be the Messiah or a group of people can claim that someone is the Messiah. However, if that person fails to fulfill all the criteria found in the Jewish Bible, he cannot be the Messiah. Worldwide Reign of Peace - There will be universal disarmament and worldwide peace with a complete end to war (Micah 4:1-4; Hoseah 2:20; Isaiah 2:1-4, 60:18). Wars have increased dramatically in the world since the start of Christianity. According to the Christian scriptures, Jesus seems to have understood this. As he was being crucified by the Romans, he cried out “My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Another says the term "mashiach" literally means "the anointed one," and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days. Jews do not believe that Jesus was the mashiach. Assuming that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both matters that are debatable), he simply did not fulfill the mission of the mashiach as it is described in the biblical passages cited above. Jesus did not do any of the things that the scriptures said the messiah would do.
The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the Latter Days. He will be the very real king of a very real Torah government in the Land of Israel: not some "spiritual" or "symbolic" king in Israel, as some have mistakenly thought (especially Christians), and certainly not some gifted Jewish spiritual leader outside the Land of Israel, as others have mistakenly thought (including thousands of Jews in our generation as well as the followers of earlier false Jewish "mashiachs" in generations past).
Then the Messianic Age is described. The messianic age will be characterized by the peaceful co-existence of all people (Isaiah 2,4). Hatred, intolerance, and war will cease to exist. Some authorities suggest that the laws of nature will change, so that predatory beasts will no longer seek prey and agriculture will bring forth supernatural abundance (Isaiah 11,6-9); others like Maimonides, however, say that these statements are merely an allegory for peace and prosperity. What is agreed on by all is a very optimistic picture of what real people can be like in this real world, the like of which has never been seen before. All of the Jewish people will return from their exile among the nations to their home in Israel (Isaiah 11,11-12; Jeremiah 23,8; 30,3; Hosea 3,4-5), and the law of the Jubilee as well as the rest of the special agricultural laws in the Torah will be reinstated. In the messianic age, the whole world will recognize YHWH, the LORD God of Israel, as the only true God, and the Torah will be seen as the only true religion (Isaiah 2,3; 11,10; Micah 4,2-3; Zechariah 14,9). There will be no more murder, robbery, competition, or jealousy. Jews know that Jesus could not possibly have been the mashiach. Assuming that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both of which are debatable), he simply did not fulfill the mission of the mashiach as Jews have always understood it. Jesus neither did any of the things described above, nor did he bring about the anticipated messianic age. May the Real Mashiach come soon!
And then we have examples from a Jewish perspective, from a man that influenced people around the world and this should shake you. This one will basically say the same thing as the Jews that I just read but this is from a book called "When the King comes back by Oswald J. Smith" the founder of the Peoples church in Toronto. He said, Isaiah's Great Prediction - Look if you will at Isaiah's amazing prediction. You will find it in Isaiah 9:6,7: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." This passage says that the government shall be upon His shoulder. That prediction has never yet been fulfilled, nor will it be fulfilled until the JESUS CHRIST returns and establishes His kingdom upon the earth. Then all nations will be governed by Him. Furthermore, Isaiah makes it clear that His government will be characterized by peace. Hence, for the first time in the history of the world, war will be no more, for there will be peace among the nations. That prediction has never yet been fulfilled nor will it be until He reigns. Then, too, Isaiah mentions the throne of David. Jesus Christ is the legal successor to David's throne. He will be the next King of Israel. He is to sit on the throne of His father David and reign in millennial splendor and power for a thousand years. Last of all, His reign is to be characterized by judgment and justice. For the first time in the history of the world, justice will be meted out amongst all nations. THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS - All this makes it very clear that JESUS was recognized as a King, and yet He was anything but a king at the time of His death. How then, are we to understand it? Unless He returns it cannot be understood. To spiritualize it is impossible. He was born a King. He died a King. He is coming again as a King. When He returns He will be a King in every sense of the word. And, of course, a king must have a kingdom. His kingdom is to be right here on earth. Hence there will be a kingdom and JESUS CHRIST will reign as King.” Now this is the demonic teaching of Oswald J. Smith of who had much admiration. “Dr. Billy Graham conducted Smith’s memorial service before an overflow audience in The Peoples Church auditorium. Graham eulogized his friend: “The name, Oswald J. Smith, symbolizes worldwide evangelism. Some men are called to minister the gospel in a city, others to a nation; and a few in each century to the whole world. Oswald J. Smith was a prophet to the nations of the world. He will go down in history as the greatest combination pastor, hymn writer, missionary statesman and evangelist of our lime. He was the most remarkable man I have ever met.” Sadly this man taught a false gospel around the world and is praised for it. You then must question the discernment of Billy Graham.
John Macarthur states: Can you imagine a world where justice always prevails? Where righteousness is the rule? Where goodness dominates? Where everything is fair and equitable? Can you imagine a world where there is peace, total and lasting peace? Can you imagine a world where there is joy and happiness? Can you imagine a world where health is so widespread that if someone dies at a hundred years of age, they will be said to die as a child? Can you imagine a world where children can play in snake pits and find the snakes friendly and the snakes will find the children friendly? Can you imagine a world where lions and lambs will walk together with bears and cows? And the whole menagerie be led by a little child? Can you imagine a world where food is profusely plentiful, even though the globe is experiencing the greatest population explosion ever? Can you imagine a world that is ruled by one person, the whole world? One perfect mind, one perfect will, one who enacts perfect judgment, perfect wisdom, perfect justice, a loving perfect ruler? Can you imagine a world where all of the rulers and leaders and politicians who are in charge are saints? Can you imagine a world that is basically without rebels because they're judged instantaneously with a rod of iron? You don't have to imagine it because that is the world described in the Scripture as the kingdom to come. That is the new world promised by God in the Bible and it is coming. From the remotest point of antiquity, men have longed for and talked about a golden age, a utopia, an age of peace and justice and righteousness, a time when oppression and war will cease. Poets have written about it. Folk singers still sing about it. Politicians promise it. Prophets predict it. Most people cry for it. And no one brings it. There is, however, such a world coming. And it will be brought at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a kingdom the likes of which men have never even dreamed, though they have dreamed much. It will be a utopia beyond all utopia and understanding and comprehension. It will be a true age of blessedness. The first characteristic of this future kingdom is that it is dominated by the Lord Jesus Christ. The kingdom literally on earth will begin with the arrival of the King. You can't have this earthly kingdom until the King gets here. When Christ comes in His glorious return, He comes to establish His Kingdom.” Did you hear it again. You can’t have a kingdom without a king. This is a rejection of Jesus as King. You also have Jehovah’s witness and Mormons believing in the Millennial reign. Ignorance seems to have crossed over from the Jews to the Gentiles and both have become fools.
So here we have the Jews who rejected Jesus and murdered him on the cross, who refuse to repent and the Gentiles now saying the exact same thing and people are buying into this false teaching by the millions. This false teaching is from the demonic and many have been deceived by it. Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 7:51 Stephen said, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it. 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” The same can be said about those who teach that Jesus will reign in the millennium. They are doing the exact same thing the Jews did. If you are part of this teaching run away. So we have a choice repent and turn from our wicked ways. Turning from your wicked ways isn’t just about; I had a bad thought or did something wrong but about turning from doctrines of demons and false teachings. Peter said save yourself from this corrupt generation. We do not want to be part of that. We must do the same, other wise if Jesus is not your king and you do not expect his kingdom to be powerful and you do not expect satan defeated, then you are yelling crucify him all over again. You can’t ignore this.
Jesus came and ushered in his Kingdom. Was it what they expected? No! He showed us, and then empowered us to go with the same power /anointing he had. Revelation 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” If Jesus is not our king he is not our messiah nor is he our savior. The very fact that we remain powerless and there are those who profess this powerlessness by saying God no longer empowers his servants, shows that we do not have the anointing that comes with our King. Repent and the kingdom comes near. The kingdom is not at all what they expected. The Jews talk about rebuilding a temple but the new temple is us; we are the temple that was built. Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 “For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Paul says Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is the kingdom of God. Jesus reigns and because he reigns we can have peace that transcends all understanding and because he reigns there is power available to all who believe.
Earlier when we looked at the Jewish websites they talked about the anointed king. Jesus is Messiah Savior and King of his Kingdom. He came to destroy the work of the devil. Jesus is the anointed King. Isaiah also prophesied Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Jesus then reads the same passage and says Luke 4:21 “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Isaiah had said from that time on. The kings were anointed by the Lord through the prophets and priests. 1 Kings 1:39 “Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 1 Samuel 16:13 “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” 2 Kings 9:6 “Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel.” Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Immanuel God with us. With Jesus it was the same anointing through the power of Holy Spirit. Jesus was also anointed a different way. This even stirred up trouble as those around thought it was a waste. But it was a preparation for our King. This kingdom required that he die and rise again which was victory over death. What other king could say that. John 12:1 “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 13:5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Jesus turned everything as he always did upside down. It was not what they expected but his kingship was far more than a throne in a country. He was king of kings. He came to destroy the work of satan. Satan knows his times is short. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Satan has been victorious because the church has turned from our King and have followed false gosples and teachers and doctrines of demons and we stand defeated. But there is even though Nehemiah 2:17 “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” Our king has given us an amazing kingdom. As he was anointed so to must we be anointed and we must wait for that anointing. The kingdom only comes by repentance but it is available to all who believe but we must be clothed with power.
I love watching combines harvesting. It fascinates me at the volume that can come off of a field. For example take corn. Jesus said in John 12, “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” This is what the kingdom of God is supposed to look like. This is what happened in the early church but we have turned from it. This is the power available. Okay let look at a seed except I am going to use corn kernels. Now when a kernel of corn is planted it produces many other kernels that will go and do the same and be the same as that original kernel. A website out of Iowa states they are the king of corn. In 2015, Iowa corn growers grew an average of 192 bushels per acre. Nationally, the average is 168 bushels per acre. (Source: USDA March, 2016) The number of kernels per ear can vary from 500 to about 1,200. (I did not take the time to count them but other sites maybe of lesser ability than Iowa said 600-800.) They say many are growing with just one ear and getting more volume. A typical ear has about 800 kernels, according to corn experts. Imagine how many kernels are found in an acre of corn! A bushel can have around 90,000 kernels. So lets take 1 kernel so with just one ear per stalk you have 1=800 so now you take 800 kernels and plant them 800*800=640,000 so then you plant 640,000*800=51,200,000 and that is just with one ear and doing the same thing with two you end up with 4,096,000,000 kernels.
2-800=1600
1600*1600=2560000
2560000* 1600= 4,096,000,000
John 16:7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
We must return to God’s word and be guided into all truth. There is power to save to heal to cast demon, Power to do everything God said we could do. All authority was given to Jesus and he gave authority to us to go but we must be clothed with power. This is the kingdom of God. We have authority and power to continue destroying the word of satan. Jesus is kings and lord of Lords. We are not waiting for a king to come he already came and set up his kingdom but because of ignorance and disobedience we stand in desolation but that is not how it is supposed to be Repent for the kingdom is near.
During advent we will talk more about corn and what the kigdom is to look like and the promise give to the church of Jesus Christ.
