THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
Program Air Date - 10-31-04
LESSON TITLE: "FROM HEAVEN OR MEN: JESUS ON DAVID'S THRONE"
WELCOME
"I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good," Oh, what glorious words the Psalmist proclaimed here as one who loved and cherished His God! Isn't it wonderful to come together this morning for the very same purpose, "to praise Him," our God, "for His name is good!" Thank you for joining us today for this time of Worship to our Creator.
I am glad you are with us this morning and thank God you have made the right decision to give this time to your God. I look forward to our time spent together today as we sing praises to the Almighty and as we study from His matchless Word! This Morning, I know we will all be edified through our time spent together. So let's all do our part to make this time profitable before God, and furthermore may we use it as a great encouragement one to another!
At this time, let's approach our Father's throne in prayer:
(PRAYER)
Now it is time to join in our first song of the morning. So, won't you participate with the congregation at this time as we sing together, "Will Your Anchor Hold!"
(SONG # 1)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
One thing I love about the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is that they are so tied together and unified in purpose. How encouraging it is to see the fulfillment of the Old in the New and to see the confirmation of the New in the Old. The more we study and learn about the two, the more we find that verse by verse, chapter by chapter and book by book - that God's hand was truly in it. And furthermore, that God's Will was fully accomplished and completed in this wondrous Book divine!
With this in mind, I wanted to look briefly at one of the familiar statement of Jesus, which we often refer to as the golden rule. There in Matthew 7:12, Jesus said, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Was this something new or revolutionary in thought? Certainly not! God has inspired the wisest man who ever lived to say a similar thing in Proverbs 3:27, there we read, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so." How clear it should be to all of us and how evident the facts should be that our great and mighty God truly gave us the Bible, which could have come from no other source or no other power. Nothing and no one except God could have given such a work which is so perfect and complete. Thanks be to God for the great blessing of His inherent Word. That Book of Books which provides for us all things pertaining to life and godliness!
We are excited to have a guest speaker with us this morning who has not been with us before. Please welcome with me, brother George Jensen, who is a missionary in central Iowa. Brother Jensen has been with the Kansas Expressway congregation in a gospel meeting recently, and we are glad he was willing to join us for a taping of this television program. Brother Jensen is a fine gospel preacher, who is founded in the things of God - and for that we truly appreciate Him. So you are in for a real treat this morning as we focus our minds on those things which pertain to Godliness!
As far as our topic of study, we will again consider whether that which we do is from "Heaven or Men." Our specific lesson of the morning is entitled, "Jesus on David's Throne." So please stay with us and after the next song brother Jensen will be leading us in this study of the day. But for now, let's join together in our second hymn of the morning, it's name, "Let Him Have His Way With Thee."
(SONG # 2)
LESSON
Speaker: George Jensen
Hello friends. What an interesting topic for us to consider together, Jesus on David's throne.
We'd like to begin this lesson back in Old Testament history with the people of Israel. When we look into the Old Testament we find the history of the Israelites and we want to focus our attention on a time when they were under the kingship or the rule of kings. During a united kingdom period, there were the kings of Saul, David and Solomon. Of these three, David was known as the man after God's own heart. But as we think about David, their ruling in Israel and then finally after him, Solomon, sadly after the death of Solomon, the kingdom divided. Jeroboam took ten of the tribes north and they began to be known as Israel. But then Rehoboam and the south remained with two of the tribes and they became known as the tribe of Judah or the kingdom of Judah.
As we consider this kingdom of Judah, we want to understand then that there were other kings then that ruled for a period of time, but ultimately this southern kingdom of Judah would be taken off into Babylonian captivity because of their sins. In the year 606, 605 BC, this deportation took place and among those that were in the deportation was the famed prophet Daniel. Daniel was a great prophet for God and he was there, then found himself in Babylonian captivity. By the Holy Spirit's inspiration, Daniel was gifted from the power of God. But while in captivity, the king Nebuchadnezzar, had a troubling dream and that troubling dream was one of a great image that he saw. This is recorded for us in Daniel chapter 2 and I'd like for you to consider in Daniel chapter 2, verse 31 through verse number 35, I'd like to give a summation of what this image the king dreamed about was.
You see, this image was a great statue, if you will. It had a head of gold. It had a chest and arms of silver. It had belly and thigh of brass or bronze. And it had legs of iron and feet of iron and clay. And as we consider that troubling image that the king saw, you and I can read in our Bibles that Daniel was given the power to not only reveal that dream and that image, but those four parts of the image, he was able by the power of God to tell what those meant. If you'll look in Daniel chapter 2, you'll notice beginning in verse number 36 that the interpretation is given. And the very first part of that image, the head of gold, Daniel reveals to the king Nebuchadnezzar, "King," look at verse number 38, "you are the head of gold." But then we read on these subsequent parts of the image, verse 39, "and after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee and to a third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth and the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron." Consider please here that if this four part image, the interpretation is clearly given to us that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire was the first kingdom. After it would be a second, a third and a fourth world empire.
Interestingly, you and I have the luxury of looking back in history and looking now back at the fulfillment of these subsequent world empires. We understand after the Babylonian empire there was the coalition forces of the Medes and the Persians. The third empire was that of the Greeks under Alexander the Great. The fourth, of course, after the Greeks, was the great and mighty Roman empire.
But I turn our attention to Daniel 2 and verse number 44. Listen to what the Bible here says. "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left unto another people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever." Now look very carefully at the first part of verse 44 there in Daniel 2. It says, "in the days of those kings." Well, when you look at it in context, it was the fourth world empire, that which we know to be the Roman. So we have this great prediction by Daniel centuries before Christ that God would set up a kingdom in the days of the Roman empire. So what a marvelous prediction.
But then not only did Nebuchadnezzar have a dream, but if you'll go with me to Daniel chapter 7, we find that Daniel himself had a dream. So in Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 and 14. "And I saw in the night visions and behold there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man and He came even to the ancient of days and they brought Him near before Him and there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations and languages should serve Him, His dominion is an everlasting dominion." Consider this dream, a very fascinating one as well. Notice some of the particulars. First of all, it says that "He was one who came with the clouds of heaven and He was likened to a Son of Man." Why friends, this one is an easy prediction because the son of man is a very familiar phrase once we now have the New Testament. Jesus had a favorite expression for Himself and that was for Him to call Himself "Son of Man" as we read about in Luke chapter 19 and verse 10. So this one like the son of man, this represents Jesus Christ. Also, we notice this phrase, "the ancient of days." He was brought unto the ancient of days." This is simply an expression for the Father Himself, God Almighty in heaven. Then notice particularly however, it says in 14, "He was given dominion, glory and a kingdom." Who was given the kingdom? Well the Son of Man we know to be Jesus. Jesus was given a kingdom. But the question is: When did He receive such dominion and a kingdom? It says notice, "He came with the clouds of heaven to the ancient of days or to the Father." You see many are thinking that the kingdom will come sometime when Jesus returns, but this prediction friends, is the opposite. Jesus would go with the clouds to the heavenly Father the ancient of days, and we read about that fulfillment in Acts the first chapter, verses 9-11 when Jesus descended back to heaven.
So let's consider what we've learned. God predicted that He Himself would set up a kingdom and it would be set up in the days of the Roman empire.
Secondly, we find out that it would be when Jesus would ascend back to the Father to receive the kingdom.
But now we can narrow it down a little bit more, my friends, when we go to the words of Jesus recorded in Mark chapter 9. In Mark chapter 9, we learn about Jesus making this statement. Mark 9, verse 1, and He said unto them, "Verily I say unto you there are some here that shall stand by, who shall not taste of death til they see the kingdom of God come with power." Well Jesus, when are you saying your kingdom will come with power? Jesus says, "In the lifetime of some that hear me." Some that were standing by listening to Jesus would not die til they saw the kingdom come with power.
And so we have that prediction as well. The kingdom would come during the time of the Roman Empire. It would come after Jesus ascends back to heaven. And now we recognize it is going to happen in the lifetime of some who heard the Lord upon the earth during His public ministry. So we see, my friends, that is the case. But the fulfillment of that can be seen in the book of Acts, chapter 2. Let's consider here as we break in, so to speak, in Acts chapter 2 as Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost. Part of his sermon there in AD 30 includes these words in Acts 2:29 and following. Look at verse 30. "God had sworn with an oath to him (that is to king David) that of the fruit of his loins, he would set one upon his throne." God predicted to David that God would set someone on David's throne. Look at 31. "He foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of Christ that neither was He left unto Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus did God raise up whereof we all are witnesses being therefore by the right hand of God exalted." You see, Jesus was raised from the dead, was gone with the clouds to the ancient of days, the Father, there to sit at the right hand of God and He was given a kingdom
Jesus made it clear in Matthew 16:18. He said, "I will build my church." In Matthew 16:19, He says, "I'll give unto you the keys of the kingdom." So the church and the kingdom, He used those there interchangeably. So Jesus has been raised and He's sitting at the right hand of God ruling over that kingdom that the Father has given to Him.
Consider if you will then what Paul writes in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. There are so many today that feel as though Jesus is going to come sometime yet in the future to set up His kingdom. But my friends, that is a confused idea simply because Jesus is now reigning over His kingdom, the church.
In 1 Corinthians 15, look with me please in your Bible to verse number 25. Paul in the first century wrote this. "For He (speaking of Christ) must reign til He has put all His enemies under His feet." Paul is saying here, way back in the first century, Christ must reign. The word "reign" here friends is an original, a word that lives in the present tense. It's a present tense verb. Paul was saying literally, "Christ must continue to reign until He has put all of His enemies under His feet."
So what a marvelous thing for us to consider that Jesus according to this wonderful plan of God is right now reigning over His kingdom. But someone says, "Well, that's confusing. I thought He was going to sit on David's throne." Yes, my friend, but the confusion is dispelled when we understand that it is not a physical or a literal, tangible kingdom. Jesus made this clear in John 18 and verse number 36. Jesus there said, John 18 and verse number 36, "My kingdom is not of this world." So Jesus had in mind a spiritual kingdom and His subjects would be subject to that spiritual law, the law of liberty, the New Testament.
So we see it is a spiritual kingdom. It is the church, the called out ones who submit themselves to the reign of Jesus, the King and what a marvelous depiction that really is. Everything fell into place just as God had predicted through Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and also through Daniel's dream about a kingdom coming during the days of the Roman Empire. Friends, that has long passed. Has it not? The time of the Romans Empire. And then we learn that Jesus had said that some standing there would not die who heard Jesus speak until the kingdom come. Sure enough, in Acts chapter 2 after Jesus ascension, the apostles were given the Holy Spirit, Acts chapter 2 and verse 4 and they spoke the gospel message and about 3,000 there on the day of Pentecost obeyed the gospel and they were added to that kingdom, the church.
Consider friends, that Jesus Himself said that we would have the opportunity to enter into that kingdom. You see, He was talking with Nicodemus in John chapter 3 it is recorded. We look at John chapter 3 and listen to the words of Jesus. He tells this man here, this Jewish man in verse 3, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Friends, don't you want to see the kingdom of God? Don't you want to be a part of that wonderful kingdom? Look at verse number 5. Jesus answered, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except one be born of water, and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus then makes it clear. You can enter into that kingdom if you will submit yourself to this birth, this new birth of water and the Spirit. This being a reference to water baptism where we submit to being immersed for the forgiveness of our sins just as was preached in Acts chapter 2 and verse number 38 there on the day of Pentecost. And thereby when someone submits to the new birth of water baptism, they can be buried in water according to Romans chapter 6, verses 1-3. "They can be buried in water and raised to walk in newness of life." Thereby according to John 3:5, "entering into the glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ."
Have you considered then that Jesus is now reigning? He is sitting upon David's throne. Not David's literal throne, but that spiritual throne that God through the centuries was building toward that He would allow His son to reign over this kingdom.
But I want you to look with me as we close in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. So many are thinking that when Christ comes again then He's going to set up His kingdom. But rather, my friends, let's look what Paul said is going to happen when Jesus returns at the end of time. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse number 24, "Then cometh the end when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father when He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power." Friends, at the end, look at the verse, 1 Corinthians 15:24. "Then cometh the end..." What's going to happen? Is He going to come and set up His kingdom? No. Read it friends. He's going to deliver up the kingdom that is already in existence. And so, we do not look for a future kingdom, but rather, we are excited to share the simple New Testament so that men and women all around the globe might be a part of the New Testament church which is already called the kingdom and we get into that kingdom, as we have seen, through the new birth process.
Friends, won't you consider becoming a part of the New Testament kingdom? Thank you.
SONG # 3 - "Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus!")
CLOSING COMMENTS
Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today. I hope our time together has been an encouragement and blessing to us all. We invite you to join us every First day of the week, at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this time of Worship before God!
But for now, let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today's lesson? Maybe, you would like a free transcript or a cassette tape of this program? Possibly, we could assist you with free Bible materials or correspondence courses? No matter what your need is, please contact us at the following address:
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How blessed we are to have a King in Jesus Christ, who reigns from His throne on High, where he sits at the right hand of the Almighty Father in Heaven. Have you fully submitted to this King of Kings?
(Program closing)