It is always a joy. I don't say it's a complete joy.
I'm really scared to death. Every time I go to the pulpit,
no matter if it's home or someplace else, I am always trembling in
my soul. Spurgeon, George Spurgeon, was
almost overwhelmed when he first began to preach. And he almost
got sick every time he went to the pulpit. And his grandfather
was also a minister, a preacher, a pastor. And he wrote a letter
to his grandfather and he said, he said, I almost get sick. I'm
so fearful and weak and trembling when I go to the pulpit. And
his grandfather wrote him back and said, it will get somewhat
better, but you better pray and hope that you never lose all
your fear. I don't want to come here and open up the Bible, the
Word of God, and say, thus saith the Lord, without some trembling
in my soul. This is the most serious business
that anybody ever did in their life, isn't it? It is. And I
feel that this morning as I come here to preach for you. And as
always, I appreciate Brother Lindsey. I've never come here,
Lindsey, to hear you teach, and I've not been helped. And I'm
thinking about just getting out of the ministry and coming down
here and saying it. You mind if I do that? Oh, he is a blessing
to me, and I know you that come here and listen to him, he is.
And I appreciate you, dear pastor. All right, let's go to my text
this morning. Just one verse, very familiar
passage. Isaiah chapter 52, in verse seven. Isaiah chapter 52, in verse seven. The Apostle Paul quoted this
verse of scripture in Romans chapter 10 and applies it to
the preachers of the gospel. Isaiah chapter 52 and verse 7,
how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings. That's what the gospel is. It's
good tidings. Your brother Scott Richardson
used to say, I have not heard any bad news since I heard the
good news. The gospel is good tidings that
publisheth peace. Peace has been made. That is
good news, isn't it? Reconciliation has already been
made 2,000 years ago on a cross outside the old walls of the
city of Jerusalem. The Son of God poured out His
blood. and he obtained peace with God. He made peace with
God. And that publishes salvation,
that says salvation has been obtained, that it's outside of
us, that we look to someone else to be saved. Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. We publish the salvation. And saith unto Zion, and here's
my text this morning, thy God reigneth. And I want us to think
just a few minutes about this. Just say it. Just say it. Thy God reigneth. Just say it. And you know if God doesn't reign,
then what does it matter if peace has been acquired? What does
it matter if reconciliation's been made? What does it matter
if salvation has been accomplished? It doesn't matter at all, does
it? If God does not reign, our preaching is vain. It doesn't
matter how good the news is and how faithfully we proclaim it.
If God does not reign, it will only further the condemnation
of those who hear it. Mark's house this morning, Mark
and Regina, and I noticed one neighbor more in his yard. And
I thought, you know, he has no interest in the gospel. He has
no interest in peace being obtained. Why go proclaim salvation to
that guy unless God reigns? This is what makes the gospel
good news. God reigns in this gospel. I love the definition, it's a
broad definition, I don't even remember now where I got it.
But it's a broad definition to reign, reigneth. Listen to this. It means to possess and exercise
sovereign power or authority. To rule, to exercise government
as a king or impure, or to hold the supreme power. Now if you apply that to God.
God reigns. God reigns. It also means this,
and I thought this was very interesting. It means to purpose, to determine,
to dispose. It also means to prevail and
gain the victory to succeed. And when we make this statement
this morning, thy God reigneth, that's what we're saying. That's
what we're meaning. And I wanna just quickly, this
is not my purpose this morning, but I wanna quickly just, and
we could go here to prove this definition in so many places
in the scripture. But let me just prove quickly
from the scriptures, these three definitions are scriptural. First of all, to possess and
exercise sovereign power and authority. Does that describe
God? listen to revelations 11 17 we give you thanks lord god
almighty which art and was and are to come because thou has
taken unto thee thy great power and has reigned god is sovereign
god is the almighty and you know what romans chapter 13 tells
us there's no power but his there's no power you and i got up this
morning we got dressed and come here by his power that he gave
to us there is no power but what god gives pilot said to our lord
i've got power to crucify you or to release you what did our
lord say you have no power at all you have no power at all
except it were given to you from above There's one reigning, there's
one with all power and that's Zion's God. Listen to this definition,
TO PURPOSE, TO DETERMINE, TO DISPOSE. This is Isaiah 46, a
very familiar passage, I have spoken it, I will also bring
it to pass, I have purposed it, I will also do it. There you have your purpose and
your disposing. I have purposed it, and I will
do it. That's what it means to reign.
It also means to succeed, to gain the victory. Listen to Psalms
98-1. Oh, sing unto the Lord a new
song, for He hath done marvelous things. His right hand and His
holy arm has gotten Him the victory. He will succeed. He will get
the victory. The book of Revelation tells
us about the kings that made war with the Lamb. Brother Lindsay
talked about the world this morning, making war. And who do they make
war against? The Lamb of God! But the Lamb
overcame them. Why? Because He's Lord of Lords
and He's King of Kings. We could also look this morning,
talking about God's reign, the EXTENT of His reign. How far-reaching
is the reign of Zion's God? Thy God reigneth. Over what? Everything. All things. This is I Chronicles 29 and 11.
Thine, O LORD, is the kingdom. Thou art exalted as head over
all. Both riches and honor come of
Thee, and Thou reignest over everything everything the hairs
that fall from our head to the angelic host the rising of the
sun the falling of the little birds from the air our god reigns
over everything and the bible gets very specific when it talks
about who our god is our god is jesus christ isn't Because
when God RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, HE SET HIM AT HIS OWN RIGHT
HAND, FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITIES, AND POWERS, AND MIGHT, AND EVERY
NAME THAT'S NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD, BUT THAT WORLD THAT'S
TO COME, AND PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET. God reigns over WHAT? EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! THERE'S NO EXCEPTIONS! THERE'S
NO EXCEPTIONS! The LORD reigneth, he is clothed
with majesty, thy throne is established of old, thou art from everlasting,
the floods lift up their voice, O LORD, the floods lift up their
voice, the floods lift up the waves, that's those enemies you're
talking about this morning, coming against Christ and against His
Church. But listen, but the Most High is mightier than the noise
of many waters, yea, than the noise of the mighty waves of
the sea." He rules them, doesn't He? He rules in our troubles.
He rules against our enemies. How long will He reign? What's the duration of His reign? Say unto Zion, Thy God reigns. For how long? Listen to Psalm
146 and verse 10. The LORD shall reign forever.
even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. I will make her
that holdeth a remnant, and her that was cast off, a strong nation,
and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth
and forever." That's what the angel said about the Lord Jesus,
wasn't it? He shall be great, GOD SHALL GIVE TO HIM THE THRONE
OF HIS FATHER DAVID, AND HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER! Who's reigning this morning?
The Son of Mary is reigning. Jesus of Nazareth is on His throne,
and He's reigning, as you and I are gathered here this morning.
THE LORD SHALL REIGN FOREVER, EVEN BY GOD, O ZION, TO ALL GENERATIONS. And listen to this, How does He reign? What attitude
does He reign in? How in the world can it be said
that all that's taken place in the world today, all the iniquity
that's been committed, all the crimes, how can it be said that
God is reigning in the midst of all of this mess? How can
He do that without involving Himself and others in sin and
iniquity? That's a mystery, isn't it? Boy,
that's something, that's something that I have never been able to
explain to people. But here's what the Bible says
about that. Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness. He's reigning. and he's doing
it in RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRUTH, INJUSTICE. Listen to Jeremiah 23, 5. I just
love to quote these scriptures. I love to turn over and find
these because, boy, you get these things in your heart and that's
the answer for all of this, isn't it? That's why I've just entitled
my message today, JUST SAY IT! THY GOD REIGNETH, JUST SAY IT! I don't understand it. I don't
understand it either. I can say it Listen to Jeremiah 23.5, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, when I will raise unto David
a righteous branch. A KING SHALL REIGN AND PROSPER,
AND SHALL EXECUTE JUDGEMENT AND JUSTICE IN THE EARTH, saith the
LORD." Psalm 47. God is the King of all the earth,
saying, He praises with understanding. God reigns over the heathen. Listen to this, He saith upon
the throne of His holiness. He reigns in holiness. He reigns
in righteousness. I saw Bob Coffey and Luke Coffey. Most of you know Bob and Luke.
Luke Coffey lives down there where Brother Gabe Stonerker
pastures. But I heard a story. Brother Henry told me a story
about Luke when Luke was in school. I was asking Luke and Bob about
it. And they said, yeah, that's true.
And he told me how it happened. Luke was in school. And his teacher
had asked the students, his class, to come up and write on the blackboard
one word that defined God to them. Some wrote love, some wrote
good, some wrote merciful. Luke wrote holy, H-O-L-Y. And then the teacher went ahead
to explain about the Holocaust, the Jews, six million Jews being
killed by Hitler. How could God allow such a thing?
If there is a God, you know how that goes. Then after the teacher
went through that spiel, they said, now would you like to come
up and define God and change maybe what you've written? Luke
went up and in front of Holy, he put S-T-I-L-L, still I can't understand all of this,
all of the mess that the world is in today, but we know this,
that God reigns over EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY, and He does it
in absolute holiness. Nobody will ever come and lay
any just charge at the foot of His throne. They'll never do
it. His throne is one of holiness. God is not the author of sin.
He's not the author of foolishness and confusion. And yet he reigns in the midst
of it. When Adam and Eve came out of
that garden, Their countenance fallen, they were filled with
shame, never to enter that place again, to go out and earn their
living by the sweat of their brow. Involved the whole human
race in their sin. What was God then? Right where
He is now, on His throne, He was reigning. Say unto Zion,
Thy God reigneth. But that's not what I want to
look at this morning. That's not what I want to say.
I just want to use that a minute for the introduction. But here
is my point this morning. Here is what the watchmen were
charged to say. Thy God reigneth. They weren't
charged to explain all the ins and outs of it. They were just
charged to say it. Just say it. And that's my first
point this morning. Just say it. I had a pastor years and years
ago, and every time I talked with him about these things,
about election and God's reign, he said, I just don't understand
it. Why aren't you saying these things? I don't understand it. I began to wonder. And I found
out later, I think, what I didn't realize at first. No, it's not
that you don't understand. You just don't believe it. You
just don't believe it. And then when some people say
it, they can't just leave it alone. They want to add something
to it, you see. they want to explain it to make
it clear or to justify God in His reign or some way or the
other. You know Satan is very clever isn't he? He thinks by
explaining something he can convince people that he's going to make
it clear but all he does is confuse the issue. Brother David Pledger
was telling us a couple of years ago that he was on his way to
to his office and he saw a bulletin, he saw a sign on the church sign,
he saw where they scribble some stuff, and he said here was the
statement that was made. GOD IS SOVEREIGN! LET HIM HAVE
HIS WAY! GOD IS SOVEREIGN! WHY NOT STOP
THERE? WHY GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN IT AWAY? The SECOND part of that statement
COMPLETELY ELIMINATED the first part of that statement. Don't
add the IFs and the BUTs or EXCEPT. JUST SAY IT! THY GOD REIGNETH
AND LEAVE IT TO HER! But here's what happens, isn't
it? This is a SWORD, man, this is a SWORD. Just these three
little words, THY GOD REIGNETH, that's a SWORD. And what this
world wants to do is wrap that SWORD up and take the edge off
of it. What this world hates, though,
is the comfort for Zion. The world hates God reigneth,
but it said, say unto Zion, poor Zion needs it, doesn't she? Just
say it, just say it. State the plain facts, three
little words. Thy God reigneth. My second point is this, not
just say it, We need to emphasize it for this
reason. Faith comes by hearing. Faith
comes by hearing. Thy God reigneth. Boy, you get
a hold of that in your heart. Those three little words. You
know a child, a child can get a hold of that by faith. You
know, we have some people that that's very brilliant, they're
smart, they've got a good memory, they can look at their life and
see how God's worked with them through the years, and they can
articulate that to us. And it's wonderful sometimes
to hear some people's experiences. But here's been my difficulty,
and I bet yours too, when I get in trouble, And when everything
seems out of control in my life, I forget that fellow?s experience.
I forget what he told me about that. I need to get these three little
words in my HEART. It?s not such the KNOWLEDGE of
everything in your head, but the FAITH of it in your HEART.
Get this in your heart, ?By God, reigneth.? And boy, when trouble
when difficulty comes, when trials come. These three little words
will sustain you when you can't explain life, you can't explain
what's happening in your life. But you know this, your God is
reigning. Faith comes by just hearing that. Thy God reigneth. Sometimes we get off into the
weeds of trying to explain stuff, and we mess things up, don't
we? You can go to somebody and talk
with them, and then a while later they'll come to you and say,
boy, what you said the other day helped me. Man, it helped
me. I was down in the dumps, and it just lifted me up and
helped me. What did I say? Well, you said,
Thy God reigns. Oh, what did I say about that?
You didn't say anything. You didn't explain anything.
You just said it. Sometimes that's all it takes,
isn't it? Just say it. And if you can get a hold of
it by faith, oh, it'll strengthen you, it'll comfort you, it'll
lift you up, it'll sustain you. Thy God reigneth. I found this old song a few days
ago. Whatever God ordains is right.
His holy will abideth. I will be still, whate'er he
does, and follow where he leadeth. He is my God, though dark my
road, he holds me that I shall not fall, and so to him I leave
it all. I trust Him and leave it all
with Him. He holds me that I shall not
fall. God reigns. Get a hold of that,
brothers and sisters, by faith and live upon that. Live upon that. Here's the third thing I wanted
to say about this. Just say it. These three little
words, just say it. Because these three little words
are a sound defense against so many vital truths that's under
attack today. Lindsay made mention of God being
our creator, the creator of the ends of the earth. Boy, that's
under attack, isn't it? God being the Creator is UNDER
ATTACK in our day. And I don't know how to, I don't
know how to debate these scientists, these fellas that's got all of
these definitions of how the world was created and how they
determined the ages of things. How is somebody like me going
to debate those guys? I can't do it! You see the atheists
debating the Christian scientists all the time. They're always
debating. And boy, they're way up here and you just can't get
a hold of hardly what they're saying at all. Here's the way I deal with it. When they start mocking you and
saying, Boy, you guys are so naive. You mean to tell me that
you really believe that in six literal days God created everything? You fellas that naive? That's the way they talk. I heard
one of the big atheists the other day, I watched him and they asked
him a question. He said, and here's what he said.
He said, have you ever ran into a Christian that had any sense?
And you know what his answer was? I really haven't. I really
haven't. That's what they think about
us. And they call us naive. They call us naive. My goodness,
when you look, the Lord said, lift up your eyes on high, didn't
He? Who created all of this that brings out their hosts by nothing?
By the greatness of His power, He calls them all by their names.
None of them fails. He created them and He sustained
them. Look at all the order in this
universe. You know they can tell us the
very minute the sun's gonna come up 1,000 years from now. Ain't
that amazing? You look at yourself and David
said we're fearfully and wonderfully made. Our emotions, our intellect,
our digestive system, we're fearfully and wonderfully
made. And they tell us that all of this came out of an EXPLOSION
of a POND of SLIME? AND WE'RE NAIVE? WE BELIEVE SOMETHING SILLY? WHY
DO WE BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE? WHY DO WE BELIEVE IN SIX LITERAL
DAYS OUR LORD BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER CREATED EVERYTHING? BECAUSE GOD REIGNS! reigns. He just spake and it
was done. That's all you have to say. You
don't have to go get you science books and try to enter into their
terminology and debate with them. Just say, God reigns in creation. That's all you have to say. And
He reigns in providence. I can't explain all of that,
I just know He does. I just know in everything He
works according to His own will. And how in the world do you explain
while you're up preaching? Here the Holy Spirit comes and
enlightens one person and gives them grace. BEGINS A WORK IN
THEIR HEARTS OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH, AND LEAVES ANOTHER TO
THEMSELVES TO PERISH IN THEIR SIN. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
THESE THREE LITTLE WORDS. GOD REIGNS. HE REIGNS. THAT'S A DEFENSE BROTHERS AND
SISTERS AGAINST EVERYTHING. FROM THE CREATION OF THIS WORLD
TO THE SALVATION OF A MAN'S SOUL. GOD REIGNS. He spake, and it was done. And one person said, I don't
care if the world looks like a basketball or a football or
pancake, He made it. He did it. Thy God reigns. The fourth thing I thought about
this as I was studying about it, to say this about it, doesn't
these three little words give us the answer to that question,
what is the meaning of life? Haven't we all asked that? What's
the meaning of my life? What am I doing here? People
ask that all the time. What's the meaning of life? These
three little words will tell you. Life. What's the meaning of life? Well,
we're just from all different backgrounds, aren't we? We face
all different situations in our lives. Some of us are healthy. We can come and go as we please.
And some of us are losing our health. We have to be more careful
now. Some of us have families that
are such a blessing to one another. They've got such unity in their
families. And some of our families are
as dysfunctional as they can be. Sin and division has just
created something awful and it's the biggest burden to our life. It's our families. What's all this about? We're
going along pretty good and life's somewhat exciting, and then something
comes along and turns our whole world upside down. And we may
get over it the rest of our life, we have to put up with it. I knew an older couple, we
preached to them at the nursing home. Herman and Lucy Gross. And Herman said they were in
the kitchen, him and Lucy were in the kitchen. He was a World
War II veteran, a carpenter, contractor. He said Lucy stepped
outside the kitchen and to the garage and her feet went up and
under. She hit the back of her head. They rushed her to the
nursing home. And she never did leave that
place. From the hospital to the nursing home. And seven days
a week, Herman went there and fed her. and made sure she was
cared for until she died. Then we buried her about two
years ago. One little thing turned our whole world upside down. What's going on in our lives? What's happening? I tell you from, like I said,
the hairs of our head to The heads of state getting together
for their political summits to the universe. I'll tell you what's going on,
brothers and sisters, in this world. Here's the meaning of
life, and it's very simple. Our Lord is reigning. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
is reigning. And the sole prerogative of God
is that He reigns and nobody else. We?re implanted in our mother?s
womb, we?re separated from the womb, we live our lives, we experience
the things that we experience, and then death?s cold dew lies
upon our brow. One generation comes and goes
and another generation follows it. What's life about? It's about
this. The Lord is manifesting His glory. And what is one aspect of that
glory? He's reigning. He's reigning. Pretty soon you and I'll be gone.
Our children and our grandchildren will be following us. We'll change. situation changes but this one
thing that will never change who's on the throne who's reigning that's his glory isn't it give
unto the lord the glory due his name and what is that glory what
is it the lord thy god reigneth Listen
to Psalms 96 and verse 7. Given to the LORD, O ye kindred
of the people, given to the LORD the glory, given to the LORD
glory that is due His name, say among the heathen, The LORD reigneth. When we believe it, He gets glory. When we acknowledge it, He gets
glory. When we trust Him and rest in
Him, He gets glory. JUST SAY IT! His glory is involved
in it. Just say it. We don't understand the ins and
outs of it, but in the meantime, we'll just say it, and we'll
believe it. I want you to look quickly over
in Revelation chapter 11. Revelation chapter 11. I don't know of another truth in God's Word that
probably is more despised, more hated to this world than this
very subject when you begin to get into the details about God
reigning and everything He reigns. While this is such a comfort
to the church, such a necessity for their strength and their
Boy, the world hates this, don't they? The world hates this. And look what he says here in
verse 15 of Revelation chapter 11. And the seventh angel sounded.
That's the last trumpet, isn't it? And there were great voices
in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign
forever and ever. And the four twenty elders, which
sat before God on their thrones, fell down upon their faces and
worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
which art and was and art to come, because thou hast taken
to thee thy great power and hast reigned. That's what's taking
place. That's why the sun's coming up.
That's what's going on in your life. He's reigning. He's reigning. We should worship
Him here because of it, because they worship Him in heaven because
of it. He reigns. And in verse 18 says,
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come. and the time
of the dead that they should be judged, and thou shouldest
give rewards unto thy service to the prophets, and to the saints,
and to them that fear thy name, most small and great, and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth. Here's the amazing thing about
this, isn't it? When we talk about this God that
reigns, he's our God. He's our God. Somebody said,
No, God don't reign. Your God may not. But God's church
says this. My God does. And here's the amazing
thing about this. The God who reigns is your God. You're redeeming God. The God
who loves you. Can you get a hold of that? The
God who cares for you. The God who reigns for your glory
and your good. Every moment that you live, your
God is watching over you and doing everything for His glory
and your eternal happiness. That's the most confident thing
I think that I can get a hold of. As I get older and all these
other things I'm forgetting, This thing sustains me, and it
gives me grace to bow before Him and say, You're too high
for me. I can't explain this. You're
too wonderful. I can't enter into this. But
oh, I believe it, that He who reigns loves me. That He who reigns bids me to
cast all my care upon Him. for He cares for me. And the
sun comes up this morning because He loves me. He keeps me in my trouble and
strengthens me in my trials and delivers me from falling and
picks me up when I do because this God loves me. And He refuses
to let me go. Isn't that wonderful? The writer of this old hymn went
on to say, whatever my God ordains is right. Here shall my stand
be taken. That's it, isn't it? What should
we do in the light of this? Here shall my stand be taken. Though sorrow, need, or death
be mine, yet I am not forsaken. My Father's care is round me
there, He holds me that, I shall not fall. And so to Him, I leave
it all. He holds me that, I shall not
fall. Thy God reigneth, Thy God reigneth. Oh Father, gracious Father, our
trium God, our redeeming God. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. Oh, to think that you're truly
reigning. Oh, Lord in heaven, we can't
figure you out. When we look around us and look
within us, the confusion that we perceive, the sin, and to
think that through it all and in it all, you're reigning. Oh, what a mystery. You are to
us. What a mystery your ways, how
high above us they are. Thank you for this simple declaration.
Give us grace to get a hold of it. And leave here this morning
with this in our heart, a foundation to sustain us and to motivate
us to worship you and serve you, knowing that you reign. You're
reigning. The reigns of this universe is
in your hands and in your control. My life is there. Our life is
there in your hands. We'd have it no other way, Lord.
Oh, to think that it's some other way would make us so fearful. It would burden us indeed. Thank
you for this, dear people. Thank you for their willingness
and their desire to come to public worship. to come here and worship
you this morning, one with another. I pray you'd bless, you'd bless
this dear people. Bless them with your presence.
Give them songs in the night and whatever you've put them
through and wherever you've led them. Oh, give them grace simply
to say and believe that their God reigneth. Thank you, Angie.