Mind you, this Tuesday night,
we're going to have a New Year service and observe the Lord's
table together, and we won't have our regular Wednesday night
services, but it's gonna be this Tuesday night. And tonight, I'm
going to preach out of 1 Corinthians 11 on that passage of scripture
about women wearing head coverings. I'm looking for any of you women
with head coverings. I'm going to preach, as the Lord
enables me, the gospel from that message and what does that mean. And I've entitled the message
for tonight, Headship. I've entitled this message, Caesar's
King. The biggest issue that you and
I face. Talking about everybody in this
room and everybody outside of this room. The biggest issue that you and
I face, the issue that trumps all other issues is this, who
Jesus Christ is. not who is Jesus Christ, who Jesus Christ is. I remember when we first began
meeting, I wrote a tract to pass out through the neighborhood
when we were at Grace Chapel, and the tract was entitled The
Biggest Issue, The real issue, and the real issue I stated is,
what do you think of Christ? And that is an issue, but it's
not the biggest issue because he is who he is with that reference
of what you and I think about him. The real issue is who is
Christ. Jesus Christ, know who Jesus
Christ is. That is the issue that trumps
all other issues. Now, if an unbeliever, religious
or irreligious, it doesn't matter, if an unbeliever would come in
here and listen to what we were saying, what would they conclude? What conclusion would they come
up with? This is what these people are saying. I hope they would come up with
the same conclusion that they made of Paul's preaching. Verse five, Acts chapter 17. But the Jews, which believed
not, moved with envy. took unto them certain lewd fellows
of the baser sort, unprincipled men, and gathered
a company and set all the city on an uproar, a riot. And they assaulted the house
of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. They
were wanting to bring Paul and Silas out. They were the ones
who were perpetrating this message. And when they found them not,
they drew Jason and certain brethren under the rulers of the city,
crying, these that have turned the world upside down are come
hither also whom Jason hath also received. And these all do contrary
to the decrees of Caesar." Now remember who Caesar was, the
most powerful man in the world. Bar none. Whether you lived or
died was up to Him. Whether you prospered or whether
you were in poverty was up to Him. Your life was in His hands. He was the most powerful man
in the world. The Roman Empire was the most
powerful empire for 600 years, six centuries. No other empire
has been that powerful that long. And Caesar, as a matter of fact,
you had to say in those times, Caesar is Lord. Caesar is Lord. You can be put to death if you
didn't say Caesar is Lord. Now they come saying what these
men are saying is contrary to Caesar. Saying there is another King. And that would more accurately
be said, saying another to be King. And that's the way it's
stated in many other translations. And it's the way it should be
stated. Another to be King. Now the King. is the one whose
will is done. The king is the sovereign. The king is the one who controls
everything. Not the one who has a right for
his will to be done, but the one whose will is done. Jesus Christ is Caesar's king. Jesus Christ is Caesar's Lord. Jesus Christ is Caesar's Sovereign. Caesar is in the hand of Jesus
Christ performing his will. Caesar is the pawn of King Jesus. Now that is the conclusion they
drew from Paul's preaching. And I hope this is the conclusion
people will draw from our preaching. Jesus Christ is King. He is sovereign. His will is
always done. He is in control of everybody
and everything. Why he's even in control of the
thoughts going through your mind right now. He is the absolute
sovereign King of the universe. He's not King alongside Caesar. He is Caesar's King. Verse eight, and they troubled
the people. And the rulers of the city, when they heard these
things, it always does trouble people. When Christ is preached
as he is, not as we think he is, but as he is, people are
troubled. I hope you and I are both troubled
and made to bow and worship. at the thought of the isness
of Jesus Christ. He is Caesar's king. Now let's see what led to this.
Verse one. Now, when they had passed through
Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was
a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was,
went in unto them and three Sabbath days reason with them out of
the Scriptures. Now here's where we gotta begin,
the Scriptures. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, God-breathed. And this is where we must begin,
the Holy Scriptures. He reasoned with them out of
the Scriptures. Verse three, opening and alleging
that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead
and that this Jesus whom I preached unto you is Christ. Now here's the message. It begins
from the Scriptures. If it doesn't begin from the
Scriptures, it's a false message. It's just man's opinion. It's
what I think. It's what you think, which is
worthless. It began from the Scriptures,
saying how Christ must needs, and don't miss that. It was necessary
for Christ to suffer. It was necessary for Christ to
be raised from the dead. Now, I don't hear this much in
the preaching that I hear how it's necessary for Christ to
suffer. Now, why is it necessary for
Christ to suffer? Because this is the eternal purpose
of God. You know the reason the universe
was created? So Jesus Christ could come into this world and
suffer on the cross to glorify God and reveal to us who God
is. This is God's eternal purpose. Christ is called the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And I love the way Peter begins
his sermon on Pentecost, that great sermon where 3,000 people
were brought to a knowledge of Christ. Where does it begin?
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. You have taken and with wicked
hands have crucified and slain. That's where he began. God's
eternal purpose. for the truth against thy holy
child Jesus whom thou has delivered both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done." Why must needs he have suffered? Because it was
God's eternal purpose. Why must needs he to suffer? because he was guilty and deserved
that suffering. When Christ was on the cross,
it was not the innocent being punished. Now, do you hear that?
When Christ was on the cross, it was not the innocent being
punished. It was the guilty being punished. He took my sins and my sorrows
and made them his very own. He bore the burden of my sins
and my sorrows to Calvary and suffered and died alone, cut
off from God, bearing the full equivalent of an eternal hell,
what the sinner deserves. Now somebody says, how could
that be? I don't know, but it is. God took my sins off of me
and Christ bore them in his own body on the tree and became guilty
of the commission of those sins and suffered the wrath of God. That's why he must needs have
suffered because he was guilty. Why must needs He had been risen
from the dead. Why was this necessary? Because
He put away those sins. He made the way and what He did
for God to be just, absolutely just, and justify somebody like
me when I'm not just in and of myself. And He made the way for
God to say with regard to this sinner that Christ died for,
He has no sin. He's without guilt. He's perfect. He stands before my law as one
who has never sinned. That's why he must needs have
suffered. That's why he must needs have been raised from the
dead. And of what he says in verse
three, this Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the one born in Bethlehem, Mary's
son, The Son of God. This Jesus, whom, that's our
preaching, whom. Not what, whom. This is who He is. This Jesus, whom I preach unto
you, is Christ. God's Messiah. God's Prophet. The very Word
of God. God's priest, if he represents
you, you must be saved. God's King, yet have I set my
King on my holy hill of Zion. God's King. This Jesus, whom
I preach unto you, is Christ. Well, verse 4 says, some of them
believe. You know that's always gonna
be the case. The Lord's always gonna have a people. And there's
some folks that are gonna believe. I'm one of them right now. All
my hope is in who He is. I believe He's the Christ. I
believe He's God. I believe He's Caesar's King.
I believe He's Caesar's Lord. I believe He's Lord. And He is
whether me and you believe it or not. Our faith doesn't add
to Him. He is who He is. believe that. I believe He is God the Son. Some of them believed and consorted
with Paul and Silas. You know, birds of a feather
flock together, don't they? I want to be identified with
those folks who believe Him. That's all. I want to be identified
as being in Him and I want to be with that bunch who believe
Him. They consorted with Paul and Silas, and the devout
Greeks, the religious, a great multitude, and of the chief women,
not a few, but the Jews which believed not." Now, there are
going to be those who believe, and there's always going to be
those who believe not. Here they are. The Jews which believed
not moved with envy. They saw a bunch of people listening
to them, and it made them jealous. Moved with envy. We want this
for ourselves. What did they do? They took unto
them certain lewdfellas of the baser sort. That's kind of funny
the language Luke uses to describe these fellows, lewdfellas of
the baser sort. and gathered a company and set
all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason
and sought to bring them out to the people." They were talking
about Paul and Silas. They thought they were at Jason's
house. And when they found them not,
they drew Jason and certain brethren under the rulers of the city
crying. These that have turned the world upside down are come
hither. Also, they turn the world upside
down with their preaching. Everything they say contradicts
everything we believe. They take everything we hope
in away. They take everything out of our
hand that we count valuable. They say it's worthless. We don't like what they're saying. They've totally obliterated the
status quo. All the stuff we believed and
held precious, they say is worthless and nothing and evil. They turned
the world upside down. And here, these troublemakers
have come here as well. And we hate their message. Verse
seven, whom Jason hath received. He's received these troublemakers,
these people who have turned the world upside down. These
do all contrary to the decrees of Caesar. That made me think
of what the Pharisees said when Pilate brings the Lord before
him and said, behold, your King. And they said, people who are
supposed to be worshipers of the God of glory, the God of
scriptures, who God only is their King, but they compromised here.
They said, we have no King, but Caesar. Now these fellows are
saying the same thing. What they're doing is against
Caesar. He's the ultimate authority. They're acting contrary to the
decrees of Caesar saying there's another who is King. There's
only one king, another to be king. Caesar's
not king. Now somebody says, is this politically wrong? When
we're talking about Jesus Christ, it's not. If I get in any human
political argument, it's fruitless. But concerning this one, the
Lord Jesus Christ, He is king of kings. He is lord of lords. Caesar is in his hand performing
his will. He is king. He is the one whose will is always
done. Now at that time, Tiberius Caesar
was king of the world, the Roman Empire, the most powerful man
in the world. And everybody had a reason to
fear Caesar. What would take place with you
was up to him in reality. If he said, get rid of that guy,
you were gotten rid of. If he said promote that guy,
you were promoted. He was Caesar, the most powerful man in the
world. But the Lord Jesus would say
to him when he said to Pilate, when he said, knowest thou not
that I have power to crucify thee and I have power to release
thee? Thou couldst have no power at
all over me. except it be given thee from
above." Pilate, you're in my hand, I'm not in your hand. Christ is Caesar's Lord, Caesar's
sovereign, and Christ is your Lord. and you're sovereign. No, he's not. Yes, he is. Yes,
he is. Whether you know it or whether
you don't know it, he is your Lord. You see, for this he and
Christ both died and revived that he might be Lord, both of
the dead and the living. If you're dead in sins, he's
your Lord. You know, the goats belong to
him too. The sheep are his especially, but the goats are his. They're
his goats. He's your Lord. And if you're living, oh, if
you have life before God, he is your Lord and he is your King. Lord of Lords and King of Kings. I'd like you to turn to 1 Timothy
chapter six for just a moment. I'd like you to look at this
passage of scripture. Verse 14 of first Timothy chapter
six, that thou keep this commandment
without spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which in his times, he shall show who is the blessed
and only potentate power. He said, all power is given to
me. They're powerful men. No, they're not. There's only
one power, the Lord Jesus Christ. People think, oh, I want power.
You don't have any. Let me tell you ahead of time,
you don't have any. I want control. You don't have
any of that either. There's only one blessed and
only potentate, the Lord, the King of Kings and the Lord of
Lords. Now this is what everybody is
going to see at his appearing and I hope that we see it today. He is, and this is the issue,
who he is. He is king of kings and Lord
of lords the blessed and only potentate. Now he is king by
God's Eternal decree. You know, we read about the decrees
of Caesars. They're nothing. Let me show you a passage of
hold your finger. Turn to Acts chapter or Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two. He's the blessed
and only potentate the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Verse one, Luke chapter two.
And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree,
there's that decree again, from Caesar Augustus that all the
world should be taxed. Caesar Augustus says, I'm gonna
pad my coffers, I'm gonna tax everybody in the world. Now,
did he have any idea why he was doing this? No, he didn't have
a clue. He didn't understand that the
sovereign God decreed for him to do this so the Lord Jesus
Christ would leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem, or that Mary
and Joseph would leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem where Christ
would be born as the scriptures said he would be. Caesar didn't
know he was acting under God's authority, God causing him. He
was doing what he's doing freely, wickedly, abusingly. But the
Lord was in complete control of Caesar, making sure that his
beloved son would be born in Bethlehem. You see, Caesar may
make his decrees, but they don't count. There's one decree. Yet, here is God's eternal decree. Yet have I set my king, upon
my holy hill of Zion, I will declare the decree. Thou art
my son this day, have I begotten thee. That's the one decree.
Everything comes out of that. That's the one decree, this day. Now he's not talking about a
calendar date. This is talking about the eternal day, the eternal
present of Jesus Christ being God's decreed King. His only begotten son, the only
visible, the only sight we'll see of the invisible God. He's
called the image of the invisible God. This is God's decree. This is the one decree that everything
comes from God's eternal son. He's king by the decree of the
father, not Caesar's decree. Caesar's decree is worthless
piece of paper. Caesar only did what God decreed.
And everything God decrees is from the decree with regard to
the king. Now, when the Lord Jesus was
born, do you remember how he was born? He was born king of
the Jews. Born king. Born king. Herod said, where is he that's
born king of the Jews? You know, that's the office men
hate. Christ is King. Oh, they're okay with Christ
being Savior. They're okay with Christ being a healer. They're
okay with Christ giving you stuff and blessing you. Here's where
men hate Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. of lords, and you remember what
Herod did? He wanted to wipe out this king.
He demanded the execution of all two-year-old males under
the age of two. He was gonna wipe them out because
he feared him who was born king of the Jews. You know, during his life, after
The people witnessed him feeding 5,000 men, not including women
and children, with two sardines and five biscuits. That's probably
20,000 people. Two sardines, five biscuits. You know what they said? We need
to make this guy king. This'll be for our good, a welfare
state. We won't have to work, we'll
just have to be fed. We need this man king. And they
went by force to make him king. What did the Lord do? He departed. You see, he already was king. He's the eternal king. And he's
not going to have men make him king, as if he's king by an elected
office. He's king by the decree of the
father. That's who he is. And he's not
going to have men make him king. He is king of kings. If you and I find this out, You know what we're gonna do?
We're gonna say the same thing the leopard did. Lord, if you
will, you can make me clean. This is all together out of my
hands. You're the king. I didn't make you king, you are king.
I can't make you Lord, you are the Lord. I can't make you do
anything. My only hope is that if you will,
if you know who he is, this is gonna be your prayer. Now, if
you don't know who he is, you'll object to this. But if you know
who he is, remember that's the issue, who he is. If you know
who he is right now in your heart, you'll say, Lord, if you will,
my salvation is in your hands. If you will, you can make me
clean. Now, why was he arrested? What
was the accusation brought against him? He's the one who healed everybody.
He's the one who fed everybody. He's the one who, no, what was
written over his head? Jesus of Nazareth, the King of
the Jews. You know, when the soldiers were
mocking him, giving him a crown of thorns, a purple robe and
a reed for a scepter, hail, King of the Jews. The scribes and
elders mocked him. He saved others himself he can't
save. If he be the king of Israel,
let him come down now from the cross and we'll believe him.
Turn to John 12 for a moment or John 19. Verse 12. And from thenceforth, John 19
verse 12, from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the
Jews cried out saying, if thou let this man go, thou art not
Caesar's friend, whosoever maketh himself a king. Here we have
what the problem is. He made himself king because
he is king. He speaks against Caesar when
Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat
down in the judgment seat in the place that is called the
pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation
of the Passover and about the six hour he said unto the Jews,
behold your king. I think he was saying this in
a smart aleck way. He hated the Jews. The Jews hated
him. And he said, here's your king. Behold your king. I think
he was trying to make a dig. Behold your king. And they cried
out, away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith
unto them, shall I crucify your king? The chief priest answered,
we have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore
unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him
away. And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called
the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha,
where they crucified him and two other with him on the either
side, one and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title." Now
in Matthew and Mark's account, it's called an accusation. This was his accusation. Luke
calls it a signification. John calls it a title. This is his title. Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews. Now, he's everybody's king. He's
your king. I love saying that. If you don't
believe, he's your king. You're in his hands. Your salvation
is up to him. If he wills it, he can save you. And he's absolutely sovereign
in passing you by too. He is the king. He's the king
of kings, but he's most especially, and these are the people who
receive his kingship willingly, the Jews. Now, who are these
Jews? It's not talking about national
Israel. He is not a Jew which was one outwardly, neither is
that circumcision, that which is in the flesh, but he's a Jew
who is one inwardly. His circumcision is that of the
heart. Now, in circumcision, something is taken away. What
is a circumcised heart? Salvation by works is ripped
away. Somebody with a circumcised heart
has had the foreskin of their heart ripped away, salvation
by works. They look to Christ only. He
is their king. He's the king of the Jews. Now he's king by God's eternal
creed. He was born king. He lived as
a king. He had complete control over
himself. obeying God's law perfectly. He lived as a mighty king with
complete control of himself, ruling himself. You know, when
they came to arrest him, I love that passage of scripture. Whom
seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth, I am. And
they fell backwards. You know why? He's letting them
know you're not in control of this situation. I am. I'm Lord, I'm King. I'm not in
your hands, I'm no victim. I'm controlling everything that's
taking place. That's why he drove those people
backward. I'd love to see how they asked
him after he asked them the second time, whom seek ye? I bet they
were scared to death. They didn't, what have we got
into? But he is King. Now, when he died, He died as
a mighty king. He gave death permission to come
and take him. Death couldn't make a move without
his permission. Oh, he died as a mighty king. And when he was raised from the
dead, He was raised from the dead as a mighty reigning King,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords. When he ascended back to the
Father, how did he ascend back? As the King of hosts, the Lord
of hosts, the mighty King, the King of glory is what Psalm 24,
the Ascension Psalm calls it. The King of glory. Lift up your
heads, ye gates. The King of Glory shall come
in. Right now, He's ruling and reigning as the King of Glory. He has everybody's soul, heart,
and body in His hand right now, and He can do with you whatever
He's pleased to do. Your eternal destiny is in His
hand. Now, if you're somebody that
wants to argue about this, that's a losing argument. You're in
trouble. Be like the thief on the cross,
Lord. Remember me when you come into
your kingdom. You're a mighty, ruling, reigning
king. You're not going to stay dead.
You're going to be resurrected and come back in a mighty kingdom. Remember me. Have mercy on me. Save me for Christ's sake. He's the king. He intercedes
as a king. Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them." He's going to return as
a mighty reigning king. I mean, everybody's gonna know
it at that time. When he comes back, everybody
will know. What Caesar didn't know, Jesus Christ is Caesar's
king, and he's everybody else's king. And because of who he is,
his death... See, here's the issue, who he
is. It's who he is that makes his
death effectual and powerful and successful. He can't pay
for somebody's sins and they end up in hell anyway. That's
impossible because of who he is. This is the one issue, who
Jesus Christ is. Now, number one, bow. Bow. Believe on Him. Trust who He is and what He did
as all that's needed, all that God requires. Who He is and what He did is
everything in salvation. Everything! What about my works? I hope that kind of thinking
will melt before the thought of who he is. Who he is, is my
salvation because he is the King. I love the conclusion they drew
after hearing what Paul had to say and what Silas had to say.
Here's, here was their conclusion. They're declaring another to
be King. Jesus. King of kings and Lord
of lords. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
king, the Lord Jesus Christ, the king you set upon your holy
hill of Zion, and declared the decree, thou art my son, this
day have I begotten thee. Lord, give each one of us the
grace to bow and to believe. And Lord, give each one of us
the prayer of the leper of old. Lord, if you will, you can make
me clean. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Let's stand and sing hymn number
443, There Is No Name So Sweet on Earth. 443. ? There is no name so sweet on
earth ? No name so sweet in heaven ? The name before his wondrous
birth ? To Christ the Savior given ? We love to sing of Christ
our King ? And hail him blessed Jesus There's no word here ever
heard so dear, so sweet as Jesus. Was Gabriel first that did proclaim
to his most blessed father, that day which now and evermore he
prays above all. ? We love to sing of Christ our
King ? ? And hail Him blessed Jesus ? ? For there's no word
here ever heard ? ? So dear, so sweet as Jesus ? ? And when
He hung upon the tree ? ? They wrote His name above Him ? ?
And all might see the reason we ? ? Forevermore must love
Him ? ? We love to sing of Christ our King ? ? And hail Him blessed
Jesus ? ? For there's no word here ever heard ? ? So dear,
so sweet as Jesus ? Now upon His Father's throne, Almighty
to release us. From sin and pain He ever reigns,
The Prince and Savior Jesus. We love to sing of Christ our
King, And hail Him blessed Jesus. For there's no word here ever
heard so dear, so sweet as Jesus. O Jesus, by that matchless name,
thy grace shall fill us never. Today as yesterday, the same,
thou art the same forever. ? We love to sing of Christ our
King ? ? And hail Him blessed Jesus ? ? No ear ever heard so
dear, so sweet as Jesus ? ? To Jesus every knee shall bow and
every tongue confess Him ? Our heavenly Lord to bless Him. We love to sing of Christ our
King and hail Him, blessed Jesus. For there's no word here ever
heard so dear, so sweet as Jesus. Yeah. Thank you.