Please be seated a scripture reading for this morning is Psalms 112 verses 1 through 10

Psalm 112 praise ye the Lord blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighted greatly in his commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house, and his righteousness endureth forever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion and righteous. A good man sheweth favor and lendeth. He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved forever, The righteous shall be an everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established. And. that says he shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies he have dispersed he have given to the poor his righteousness endure forever his born shall be exalted with honor his his horn sorry his horn shall be exalted with honor the wicked shall see it and be agreed he shall Nash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish

and made the Holy Spirit grab this understanding of this holy word.

Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, for unto us, not unto the world, not unto all mankind, but unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And then some very, very, very important words follow that very thing to describe this child, to describe this son that was given to a certain people. It says, the government shall be upon his shoulder. Everything that can be ruled And that's all things when it comes to God, by the way. There's nothing outside of His rule. That's what that means. The government shall be on His shoulders. That means all things.

We just spent our Bible study time talking about the Son of God, our Savior. And for Him to be our Savior, He has to be the Son of God. He has to be the one who is equal with God in all ways. He has to be the one who has all power in heaven, and earth, and what does the scripture say? Under the earth as well. Folks, there's nothing outside of the government that is laid upon the shoulders of this one we call Jesus Christ the Lord.

Unto us a son is given who shall be on his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful."

Now you and I know that that's not something that comes natural to any man. We know that there was a time when we I'm saying that every person that comes into this world thinks of themselves as their own God for a part of the time they walk on this earth. Some, all the way to the day the Lord takes them out. But then there's a few. There's a remnant, as the Lord describes them. His elect, another word that he uses to describe them, that he gives life to. to know Him.

And when He comes to us in the darkness that we've all come into this world in, and shines the light of His love for His people in the hearts of His children through the preaching of the gospel, when He does that, oh, I remember when the Lord first called me out of darkness and Kathy would say things like, well, why are you going to church? It was because His name was preached. I didn't realize how much it was, how wonderful it was at the time, but every time I heard about my Savior, I realized that I need Him more and more and more and more and more and more.

His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Last week we considered the enlightened eyes of God's chosen people to see thy salvation. Those of you who were able to be here, you recall Simeon, the story of Simeon. He was told that he would not see death until he held or until he saw God's salvation. And when the day that Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus into the temple to have him circumcised as their custom was, Simeon held up, the angel of God showed him that this was the Christ child. And he held him up. Like we do, you remember that? We were talking about how we hold the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God in our hands, and we hold it up and say, behold, my eyes have seen thy salvation. You recall that? That was in Luke chapter 2, verses 1 through 7.

Once I was blindly seen, but now I see. I see. I see Him in His Word. through the preaching of the Gospel. Christ in Him crucified. He calls sinners with the irresistible power of the Holy Spirit unto salvation through the preaching of His Word. And though the Lord Jesus has always been King of Kings, Lord of Lords, all that is, Creator of everything, no spiritually dead as king until given life by God Himself.

Look here at Matthew chapter 16. Let's begin there. Let's go over to Matthew chapter 16 first. We're talking about God doing a work, God giving life, God causing a man or a woman to be born again through the power of the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Holy Spirit, for us to be able to spiritually see Him as our King.

Look here at verse 13. When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarei Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

The fact that Jesus Christ is the King cannot be known unless it be revealed by God Himself. Flesh and blood can do nothing. You can't come to know God through a man who is standing in the pulpit preaching unless he's preaching about the One who gives life. If you're preaching about a God who's trying, you're not preaching about the One who truly gives life. See folks, this is why preaching Christ and Him crucified is why Pastor Gene stood here and preached it for 38 years. That's who God saves people with through the preaching of the Gospel.

I brought a message once. We were saved, we are saved, and we're being saved. We've been saved from before the world was ever created. Christ had to become a man, though, that he would lay down his life in our place. We talked about this in Bible study, substitution. That's the one word you could put the whole gospel in right there, substitution. Not only is Jesus Christ our substitute when it comes to death, he's our substitute in everything, folks. We have no righteousness in this flesh. If we have any righteousness at all, it's His righteousness that we have. He who knew no sin, isn't that what the scripture says? He who knew no sin was made sin, that you and I would be made the righteousness of God in Him. Every time it talks about a blessing to God's people, it talks about us being blessed in Christ Jesus. Every time. Flesh and blood cannot reveal that unto a stone-cold dead heart. Our Lord said this, He said in Matthew 11 verse 25 through 26, at that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight."

In Isaiah 53, verse 1, it says, Who hath believed our report? Who are the ones that have believed our report? You know, John 3, 16, it says, Whosoever believeth, That's the whole key to this. Who are the ones who believe? Who are those who will reveal? But it goes on to say something very wonderful after that. It says that to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? See? God reveals it to some. Babes. That's what we read there. In Matthew 11, verse 25 through 26, He revealed it unto babes, hid it from the wise and the prudent. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Babes, unlearned as they are called in the book of Acts. Isn't that what they said about the Apostle? Why would we listen to these unlearned men? You know, several of them were fishermen, weren't they? A couple tax collectors. There wasn't a whole lot of learning needed to be done in that. You sat behind a table and you collected the money. You got your little portion of it and you give the rest to the king, right? Fishing? Well, there's a lot more to fishing than that, I would imagine. Those of you who are fishermen understand exactly what I mean. You've got to have the right lure. No, I don't want to go down that point. But still, The learning doesn't come from schools.

I was speaking with our visitor last week. I'm really kind of disappointed he's not here again this week. He was so excited, seemed so excited to hear what he heard, and then he promised he was going to be back, but I guess the Lord had other plans for him. But we were talking, and I told him, I said, you know, I'm not a learned man. I've never been to seminar. I've sat under the preaching. of the Lord's Gospel for 26 years. Well, actually it was only about 18 years with Gene. 1999 until 2009. Yeah, about 18, 19 years with Gene as preacher. That's the only learning I've had outside of my own studies. Don Fortner, Henry Mahan, Charles Spurgeon, Robert Hawker, a little bit of reading from those men. I've never had to go to any seminar. And he was like, oh, that's great. I agree. My mind wasn't ruined by all that learning. These were unlearned men. Babes.

Look here at Matthew chapter 2. We're in Matthew 16. Turn over to the second chapter of Matthew if you would. And this is where I want to take my subject matter for today. Matthew chapter 2. We read, beginning in verse 1, Matthew chapter 2 verse 1, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

Now I want to stop there for just a moment. Brother Todd and I were pointing something out. You know something? You ever sit there and read scripture and you're like, something just jumps out at you? How many of you all thought there were three? Am I the only one? Am I the only one who ever thought there were only three wise men? I don't know. I'm sure I saw and got that from somewhere when I was a kid. It doesn't say anything about how many there were in any of the gospels. It just says wise men came from the east. Todd and I pointed that out and I wanted to share that with you. That's pretty good things. I love reading the Word of God and all of a sudden I say, I've been reading that wrong all this time. I've been thinking about that wrong all this time. Look here. See, the Lord can teach us new things all the time in His Word.

There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. We don't know how many. We just know there was more than one. Wise men. Saying, where is he that is born King? of the Jews. Now we'll stop right there. That's going to be the subject matter for the rest of this morning's message. King of the Jews.

Turn over to Romans chapter 8. You may recall A couple of weeks back, I brought a message titled, The True People of God, or something to that effect. And we spent our time in Philippians 3.3 where we read, the circumcision are those who worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. We visited these very verses here that day, and maybe even once or twice since then, but I want to look at it once again. Would you join me in Romans 8, beginning at verse 1?

There is therefore now no condemnation. And that brings us back to that point of the substitution. Our Lord was condemned for us. You can't condemn a man twice. to them which are in Christ Jesus. Those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who were in Christ when He created all there was. Those who were in Christ Jesus when He walked this earth perfectly, satisfying every title of God's law in our stead. Those who are in Christ when He went to that cross and died on the cross for His people when He was condemned for us, those who are in Christ as He sits on His throne and is making intercession for you and I, those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of flesh, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in this flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, now if any man have not the Spirit of God, he is none of his, and if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quit in your mortal body by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, We are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh, for if we live after the flesh, we shall die. But if we, if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Now we've been talking for a long time now about what's the difference. What's the difference between the John now and the John before? What's the difference between God's people now that they've heard the truth about God through the preaching of the Gospel and what they did before? I don't know about you. I think by God's Word there's a pretty good picture about you, but it definitely applies to me in my new spirit. I now have a king.

These wise men came to Bethlehem looking for a king. There was Herod. They weren't looking for that one. They were looking for one king, and he was a king of one people. That's what I want to talk to you about this morning. They came looking for the king of the Jews. Not the king of this people, not the king of that people, not the king, but the king of the Jews. One people, one God.

In the Old Testament, there's several times where he says, I will be their, or they will be my people, and I will be what? Their God. What's the difference? What's the greatest difference between John now and John then? I have a king! And it's not John! And it's not some other man that walks this earth, it's the one! The one who walked this earth perfectly for me. No longer Am I the king of my world? I've been adopted. I've been made a Jew inwardly in my spirit by the Holy Ghost.

We're not talking about this nation of people over here on the other side of the world from us. We're talking about God's people who are spread out in every country, in every nation, in every tongue throughout all time. We've been adopted. We've been made a Jew in our spirit by the Holy Ghost. Born again is what the Lord uses to describe it. Given life. Once I was dead. Now I live.

Generations. Not generations. Genesis. In the book of Genesis, chapter 3, verse 4, the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye dare of, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods." You look up that original word, and it's just like the word kings. You shall be as kings. You shall be your own king.

Interesting that the devil The great deceiver would bring that up, because that's exactly the way everyone comes into this world. Says, then your eyes shall be opened, ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. But who, but who is rich in mercy? Him, who is rich in mercy. have heard the cry of one of his. Obey. Our Lord says, My sheep hear My voice, and I give unto them eternal life.

The old king, the old man is dead. The new man cries out, My Lord, My God, King of kings, Lord of lords, and he is brought to this by one way. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Go to the right. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Look at what it says in verse 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach what? How you should walk in this world? How you should be a better person than you used to be? God's love for you should turn you a certain way? No. The Gospel. And as we know, the Gospel is one person. The Good News is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Let's go on and see if that's not true according to His words. Not with wisdom of words, Paul writes, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us. which are saved. It is the power of God.

We're talking about the king of kings. We're talking about the one who wise men from the east came to see. Where is this one who is the king of the Jews? That's what we've come to see. That's what I come to hear about, what I come to preach about every Sunday morning, every Friday night, or wherever I get an opportunity to. The one who is the King of Kings. King of the Jews. For it is written, I will destroy, verse 19, the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, the stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but to them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

This is how we hear about the one who is king of all kings. Those who are brought to God through the preaching of the gospel come looking for the king of the Jews. Why do we look for the one true king? Because there's no other way which a man can be saved. Folks, the payment of sin is death.

Turn over to the 18th chapter of John, if you would. John chapter 18. The world of natural men rejects Christ as our King. We come into this world, and if you look at all religions, if you look at all the different religions in the world, they've all got one of two things in common. There's either something men can do, something that draws men to do certain things, Or there's grace. You know what grace is? Unmerited favor. It's not something you can earn. It's something that is given. It is something that is given because of reasons that are outside of you. Men reject that, as we just read a moment ago. He came unto his own, it says, and they knew him not.

When Christ was born, Herod had heard of the prophecies of old. He had sent word for the wise men to come unto Him. And after all that was over and done and the wise men had left because they didn't want to return to Herod, Herod went out and killed every child, every male child under the age of two. In all of the land. That's a picture of every man who's walked this earth. Every woman who's walked this earth. We don't want that one to rule. When we hear the truth about the Lord Jesus who rules over everything, it threatens our rule. Well, wait a minute. You're telling me I'm a puppet that I don't have any rule over my own self? Absolutely. You're not a puppet, but you don't have any rule over yourself. Christ rules everything.

Religions want us to think about, well, look at the sun shining through over here. I don't know, can't see it. Let me go over there and stop. Maybe I'll get some dust blowing. He rules it all. If he rules that, how can you say he doesn't rule this? All power in heaven and earth and under the earth has been given to him. Natural man rejects that. When Christ was born, the very first thing that men tried to do was to kill him. That's over in verse 16 of Matthew chapter 2, by the way, if you want to look at it at another time. And at the age of 33, there was no difference. At the age of 33, all of the high priests of the Jewish religion All the high priests of man's religion of that day didn't want Jesus Christ to rule over them because that took away their rule. It took away their power. Not only over the people, but over themselves as well.

When Christ would, natural men would not have this one to rule over them. Look here at John chapter 18. Look at verse 33 if you would. John 18 verse 33, Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, saying, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? I don't know. Then thine own nation, And the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? And Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born. And for this cause came I unto the world, that I should bear witness unto the earth. Every one that is of a truth heareth my voice.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But if ye have a custom that I should release unto you one at the Passover, will ye therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him, and the soldiers planted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews. This is chapter 19, verse 3 now. Hail, King of the Jews. And they smote him with their hands.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." This is twice now that Pilate has clearly said, there's nothing here for me to crucify him for. Then came the Jews, verse 5. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man. When the chief priests, therefore, and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him, for I find no fault in him." That's the third time now.

And the Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. They rejected him. Remember what he said to them when they asked him, how long do you cause us to doubt? He said unto them, I told you who I am. He said unto them, the works that I do prove who I am, but you are not my sheep. Here, the king of the Jews, the ones who are Jews inwardly, not outwardly, said to these very ones, you're not a Jew. You do not believe. He says, my sheep hear my voice.

Let's go on, shall we, here in verse 8. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was more afraid, and again, He went into the judgment hall and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Now look at the answer here. Listen to this answer. Our Lord said, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee half the greater sin.

Look over at verse 19, 18, look over at verse 18 of that very same chapter. Wherefore they crucified him and the two other with him on either side, one and Jesus in the midst, and Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, and the writing was Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Now turn over to Acts chapter 2. Why do we look for this one true King? This One who works all things out according to His own counsel. This One who is God in the flesh, who perfected forever them that are sanctified. We look to Him because there's no other man on earth whereby man can be saved.

Look here at chapter 2, if you would, verse 21. Acts chapter 2 verse 21. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. I want to stop there before I go any further. You know that in the Word of God there's not one place anywhere in Scripture where someone who has cried out for mercy has been denied, it's because man will not cry out for mercy until God is their King.

That's what we were talking about back when the devil was talking about. You will be his gods. You will be his kings. You'll be your own ruler. You'll rule by your own will. Well, today maybe I'll decide to start going to church. Well, today maybe I'll come down and say a prayer at the front of it. Today maybe I'll get into the waters of baptism. That's our natural kingsmanship of ourselves. If I could use that word, I don't know if I use that properly, but you understand what I'm saying.

Not once when God comes into the heart of a man and gives them the ability to repent, to turn from who they are to the one true king. Acts 2 verse 36, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. The word Lord is King. It means the same word as King. The word Christ is Messiah, Deliverer, Savior. This is my Lord. This is my God. This is My King. He's King of the Jews.

Turn over to Isaiah 43 and I'll bring this to a close. Who is your King? Has God Now, folks, don't get me wrong. He is king of everything. He's king of those who don't even know he's king. When I ask this question, I'm asking, has he made himself your king? Is he the king of a people who he will call unto himself? Is he a king of a people whom he shall save from their sins?

Listen to the words here in Isaiah chapter 43 beginning at verse 15. I am the Lord your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, the Creator of the Jews. He's the Creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters. This is our King, folks, one who rules over all that is, which bringeth forth the chariot, and the horse, the army, and the power. They shall lie down together, they shall not rise. They are extinct, they are quenched as a toad.

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth, shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and the rivers and the desert. The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons of the owl, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself, and they shall show forth my praise.

King of the Jews, I ask you, has Christ revealed himself as your King?