Son of man, glory and honor,
praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine. Turn with me now to the book
of Revelation, the Revelation chapter 19. This one verse will
serve as a text and our subject, Revelation 19, verse 16. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ,
it is written, and he hath on his besture and on his thigh
a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." We could not study or hear preached
a more God-honoring, Christ-exalting subject than that which concerns the
Lord Jesus Christ. As prophet. Priest and king. We've been looking at him as
prophet that's prophet Moses said capital. Of whom Moses wrote
really all the profits. gave witness of that property
whose testimony the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of. All prophecy Jesus Christ as
prophet. Prophet came with God's word
well Jesus Christ came literally from God not with the book in
his hand he is. The book. He is the word made
flesh. Jesus Christ is that prophet. He is God's word, God's first
and last word on every subject. Summon the subjects and Moses
wrote and then Peter preached. Every soul that does not hear
him will be destroyed. God said it. Hear him. He's that
prophet. Jesus Christ is that Great, there's
none greater. High, there's none higher. Priest. We do have a high priest. There's only one that we confess
to. We confess to our priests. When
someone was a faithful man in the church at Ashman was dying,
he had died. He had already passed away. It was in a so-called Catholic
hospital and they came and asked his wife if she would like to
have a priest. And she said no thank you we
have one. We have a high priest a great
high priest to whom we confess our sins because he's able to
actually forgive them all. Put them away. absolve us of
them only one who's offering priest goes to God with an offering. And there's only one who ever
went actually into the very presence of God with one offering and
put away all the sins of all of his people from the beginning
to the end with one sacrifice and that's his own precious blood
and he sat down. Finished. There's no need for
any more high priest. We have one. A great high priest
and then. King. Prophet, priest and king,
the word despot comes to mind, that's an absolute ruler. Despot,
a monarch, majestic person, a sovereign ruler, meaning actually reigning
and ruling over all. This king is said to be king
of king. And Lord of what a. What a subject none greater because
there's no person greater David said this in Psalm forty five
when he was about to write and speak of the king he said my
heart is indicting a good man a good matter. Because I speak
of things as touching the king and he said the next verse that
are fairer than the children of men. This king. Jesus shines
brighter he's fairer. Fairest of ten thousand the bright
and morning none fairer David said and I'm going to speak to
you of him. And before we begin this study
of the king. know this that a side or an understanding
or a knowledge of this came a little bit just a little bit will both
strike fear in the heart and yet give great
peace to that. Some in here know what that means
a site of this King of an understanding some understanding of this great
person this great king of kings will both shut your mouth. And open it. We have. All right where do we begin where
we began where it all began the king prophesied. God almighty
prophesied of this king go with me to proverbs eight. Okay. Proverbs eight. God almighty
prophesied of the king of king. You don't, do you know that Jesus
Christ has always been king? There never has been another,
you know, that nor shall there ever be of his reign and rule. There's no end. There's really
no beginning. He always has been king. Proverbs
eight in verse twenty three through twenty five. He said I'm speaking
of Christ. I was set up from everlasting. Set up from everlasting from
the beginning forever the earth was when there was no depth.
I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with
water before the mountains were settled before the hills. Was
I brought forth set up as what. I'll declare the decree. Here's the decree. Listen to
the song, too. If you want to turn there, you'd
love it, but I'll quote it to you anyway, says the kings of
the earth. Why do the people rage? Why people
imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth, small
K, set themselves The rulers take counsel together against
the Lord and against his anointing and say, let us break their bands
asunder. Let's cast away their cords from
us. This reign is brutal. He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. Kings of the earth have
all gotten together and he that sits in the heavens shall laugh.
Kings, rulers, The Lord shall have them in derision, it said.
Then shall he speak in his wrath and in vex them in his sore displeasure. And he said, I have set my king. Upon my holy hill of Zion, before
it all began, God already made him king, king of kings, the
king prophesied unto the son, he said. In the beginning. Unto the sun, God said that thrown
old God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is a scepter
of his kingdom. So he's the king prophesied. Now when we speak of a king.
In our generation does not. Have any concept of a true king. Sovereign, one who actually reigns. When Scripture speaks of a king,
and God speaks of a king, we're talking about an absolute
ruler. Absolute means there's only one.
An absolute ruler. Sovereign means you're the only
one. The one reigning and ruling.
One who has absolute power. to do as he pleases. You hear
the radio message? David, tell us about your God,
your King, your Lord. What can he do? What can he do? He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in earth, heaven and earth, in the deep places
and all places. Here is sovereignty, here is
an absolute ruler, one who does as he will. The one who says,
I will, and it comes to pass. The one who says, I've spoken
it, I will do it. The one who does as he will,
just because he will, and gives not an account of himself, answers
to no one. That's what we mean by King Jesus
Christ the son of God is absolute monarch and king the king of
old even earthly kings had the power to kill or make a lot. If they didn't like someone they
could have been killed or beheaded. Our God our Christ scripture
says I kill and I make a lot. I will and I hear I set up the
Lord raise up the. Lord cast that. King of old could
give half of his kingdom to someone just because he would or he could
take everything away from it was his divine prerogative when
we're talking about the. King could grant a king could
pronounce judgment condemnation sentence and it would be carried
out. no court of law but the king. And a king could also with
the word completely freely and forever pardon from any transgression. Now that's a king. Jesus Christ
is king. King of kings. King of kings. The scripture says the king's
heart That is whoever reigns or rules whoever has some sort
of power and authority in this earth is no authority but from
this king the king's heart. How much power does he have the
king's heart is in the hands of this king. His mind his will
scriptures even says the answer of the tongue is from the law
or that's power. the wheels of minds of heart
are in the hands of this king of king like rivers of water
he turns it with us where we live now that's. Absolute power that's a king
to be feared and isn't that the beginning of wisdom. The fear
of the law yet. If you're in his favor. If you're
in the favor of this king, if you have been set at his table
as one of the king's sons, this gives you greatest, your
greatest joy and your greatest peace, that nothing moves and
nothing harms us. I'm a child of the king. Nothing and no one has any control
or anything to do with me but what my king purpose of that
will give you nothing anyone can say can change what your
king said about you. And whatever happens to you your
king did it and he always does what's right. He's just we're
going to see that in a moment. All right. He was prophesied
as king and then he was born king. Go with me to Luke chapter
one. prophesied his king, set up before
the earth was, before there ever was an earth he was set up. God said, I've set my king on
the holy hill of Zion, meaning the church, because they're the
ones that acknowledge him. Every knee shall bow and every
tongue will confess someday. Every human being will be forced
to confess he is king someday. It's great mercy if God does
it to us now. Zion, you see, has always acknowledged
one king. We have no king but Christ. We have Luke chapter 1. He's
born king in the mind, the will, the covenant purpose of God the
Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, Christ the King must come to
this earth and be born King, made flesh and dwell among us,
born of flesh and blood, made of a woman, Scripture said, made
under the law. He made the law, but yet he's
going to be made under the law. He's got to be born a man. Why? To redeem them that were under
the law. His subjects. The king came down
to redeem his subjects by himself. By himself. By becoming a man. And to set up his kingdom in
their heart. To reveal himself in them. Not only to them. Not the woman,
but to I that speak unto thee. I am. I came for you. When Christ has come, that prophet,
that king, I am, came for her to reveal himself to her, set
up his reign, his rule in their hearts, his kingdom in them. And though he was made a little
lower than the angels, though he was made flesh and blood for
the purpose of living and dying as a man, yet he's still king. He never did stop being king
when he became a man. He was not dethroned when he
became a man. He was disguised, not dethroned. He didn't change. He merely covered
himself, veiled himself in flesh. He was still the king. Well,
in Matthew's account of the birth of Christ, it says kings came. Wise men came. They came to Herod the king in
Matthew's account and they said they said to him where is he
that is born the king of the Jews. These kings from other
countries where Sheba maybe we just read that that's harshest. Yeah they came because Scripture
said they would. shall come bearing gifts, and
all kings shall fall down before him." When they came to that
manger where that babe was born, lying there in that manger, it
says, they got down and bowed down before the king and brought
gifts, and all bowed down, it says. Well, they said, where
is he, this born king? We have seen his star from the
east. What star comes from the east?
It's a bright one. You'll see it every morning.
In fact, it's the only one you see all day. The bright and morning
star, which rises in the east, is going forth from the ends
of the earth. That's the sun. What does the
sun bear witness of? Christ, the light, the son of
righteousness, arisen. We've seen his star and we've
come to worship him. And it says Herod the king, small
k, Herod, the king, was troubled. Was troubled. Luke chapter 1.
Look at this. This is another account, but
it gives it more fully. Luke chapter 1. I love this.
Look at what the angels. The angels said it best of him
who was born king. They said, verse 31, Behold to
Mary, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever. And his kingdom, of his kingdom,
no end, never end. His reign, his rule, There was
in the beginning and there never shall be an end Isaiah wrote
it under us a child is born son is given. And he goes on to say
his government. We know when. So the king of kings was born
a man child. A man job. And from that day
forward. All the kings of the earth, as
prophesied in Psalm 2, all the kings of the earth and rulers
set themselves against the Lord and against his king, against his anointed, to try
and stop him. Yea, the God of this world, small
g, the God of this world, the prince of the power of the air,
the ruler of the darkness, small r. was against him to try to stop
it. You can't stop it. You're not
going to stop this. Oh, no. To end his reign, to
kill him. And they said, we will not have
this man reign over us. Oh, but he does. They can say
what they will, we will not have, but he already does. He already
does. For God hath declared the decree,
remember? I have set my king. God hath
already made him king. And you know, today you hear
people talk all the time about making Jesus Lord, don't you?
Meet him, bow to him and so forth, but you don't make someone king
who already is. Do you? One time, Barbara, one
time they were going to make him king. because he fed them
and he watered them and he healed them. And they liked what the
humanitarian efforts he was doing for them, efforts, the good works
that he was doing for them. And they sought to make him king
by force. But it says he hid himself. He
would not allow them to make him king. Why? He already is. Why would he want to wear a little
tin crown when he was crowned with the diadems of heaven? When
he wore on his head, and we'll see in a moment, hopefully, he
wears a crown, many crowns, glorious crowns. Well, the kings of the earth tried
to stop his reign. Salvation is not to make Jesus
Lord. It's for him to make you realize. He is. Marner used to say, you
can't have Jesus as savior. Until you bowed to him as Lord.
This is the first way that fear of the Lord, the king is the
beginning of wisdom and he will make every one of his subjects
bow the knee and their tongue confessed. Confess, thou art
my God, my king, my all. Well, the king was prophesied
and the king was born. Let's look at his character.
King's character, king's power, king's life. Let's look at it
a little bit. This king, though he were high, there's none higher,
I have not seen. year hath not heard though he
were high yet he stooped low. So low though he dwelt scripture
said in the high and lofty place he that inhabited eternity yet condescended to dwell among his
lowly subjects. And none has condescended so
far. None has stooped so low. Scripture
says there in Proverbs 8, his delights were with the sons of
men. But when he became a man, he
said, I'm not a man, I'm a worm. This king is so high that men
are worms in his sight. Grasshopper. Well, he who was
high became a worm. A worm. He came down and ate
and drank and lived among his subjects, this high and lofty
king. Why did he come down here? Why
couldn't he sit there on his throne and just order it all? Well, he did that before he came.
But in his purpose, he must come down. He must come down to live
as a man for men, as we quoted. to redeem them that were under
the law. These subjects of his were captive,
held captive by someone else at his will, someone else's will.
And it was his will, this king, to come and lead captivity, to
deliver them who all their lifetime were subject to another evil. This is not fairy tale. This
is true. This is the gospel. This is Bible.
He came down. to live as a man for me and to
die. We see him a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death. He came. He said, I
came to die. He came to live, yes, and establish
a holiness that God would accept a man, his holiness, but to give
that to to cover his people with. He came to die as a substitute. Listen to listen to this. We
read it in Psalm seventy two. His character. Here's what he
came to do. Listen he don't judge the poor
of the people. Don't think of judgment as. As
a condemnation. But rather, justice, David wrote
this and saw a second Samuel 23. I love that he said he that
ruleth over me and must be just. Meaning he'll do what's right.
Our king is just. You remember the story of Saul
and wisdom? Oh, you remember Solomon and those two mothers? came to him as a dead child and
they wanted him, needed him to decide the case. Oh, he did,
didn't he? Justly, fairly, wisely, justice. He shall judge the poor of the
people. He'll save the children of the
needy. He'll break in pieces the oppressor. You know, Jesus
Christ came to right every wrong. Yes, he did. To heal every person
that was sick. And he did that. Didn't he say
that? All that had need of healing. He'll heal us of all our diseases. Jesus Christ, it says, came to
deliver the needy when he crieth. You see, we have an approachable
king. He who dwelled in the high and holy place. And it says,
I dwell with him, this lowly and contrite heart, and tremble
at my word. God, who dwelleth in light, which
no man can approach unto, veiled himself in human flesh, and came
down to this earth, and we can come near him." He said, come,
touch me, handle me. Spirit hath not flesh and bone,
and he has that flesh now, and we shall touch him and be touched
by him. It says he'll deliver the needy,
the poor, he'll spare the poor and the needy. It says, save
the souls of the needy, he came to seek and to save that which
was lost. He shall redeem their soul from
deceit and violence and their blood will be precious in his
sight. They are precious to him, his delights, his delight. Listen to this. It says he'll
come down like rain upon the mown grass. That is, a dry and thirsty land
where no water is. Parched people about ready to
die for thirst. He comes down. What when the
gospel came to you? When Christ himself came to you?
Was it not like rain on the mown grass? It says like showers that
water the earth. Is there anything more wonderful,
more beautiful, more fragrant, more needful than rain, the water
of life? Christ said, I'm the water of
life. It came down. His righteousness
came down and salvation sprang out of the earth. That's our
King. Oh my, it says he came, he was
high and lofty, yet meek and lowly. And of his character,
there's no end. Merciful, gracious, kind, tender,
compassionate, generous, approachable, came to be touched with a feeling
of our... We have not a high priest, we have not a king who's
not touched with a feeling of our infirmity because he came
down here among his subject to see how they fared, to feel their
feelings. What a king, huh? no greater
man than he who is high and yet stoops low. Well, though he was
high and lofty, yet meek and lowly, he came riding into Jerusalem
one day on a colt and the foal of an ass. Why did he do that? So we know this is our King.
Behold Zion, rejoice, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of
Jerusalem, thy King cometh. Listen now, listen. Rejoice,
thy king cometh. He's just. You can come to him. Anybody can come to him. The
chief of sinners can come to him. In fact, in his last great
display of his wonderful mercy and grace and justice, there
was the worst fellow on earth hanging beside him. He freely,
frankly, forever forgave him of all his sins. He's just. just. And it says he has salvation.
He's just having salvation. Lowly and riding upon an ass
upon a coat, the foal of an ass. Now, the first time our great
king came, he was riding on a donkey. Riding on a donkey. You know,
if you're a great man, you can ride in anything. It won't bring
you down. Some of us When my wife was a
little girl, her parents had some pretty nice automobiles,
and one time their car was in the shop, and they had to rent,
at the time, this was, what year was it, about 62 or 63 or something
like that, and they had to rent, the shop gave them something
like a 49 Chevy to drive. Now, Sam, you and I, we'd have
loved that, wouldn't we? 49. She didn't. A little haughty,
tauty girl. She told her mom, I'm not riding
in that. So she didn't. She walked home. But here's the point. If you're
great, if you're somebody, it doesn't matter what you're riding
on. A riding man. He came riding on a donkey. It
didn't diminish His greatness. But He came riding on a donkey
to show us there's none more meek, there's none more lowly
than He. He came riding on a donkey the
first time, a little lower than the angels. Angels never rode
donkeys. Angels came in the clouds. No,
He came riding on a donkey to show He's lower than the low,
that you've never been so low. That's it. But the next time
he comes, well, he read it, says he's going to be riding a white
horse. White horse. And you know, if
you're a great man, it doesn't matter the horse, how big and
beautiful he is. They won't notice the horse. Well, Alexander the Great had
a horse that they'd been lauding for years, Bosephus. Great horse,
they said, none like him, ride in the battle, battle after battle. But when Alexander was on him,
nobody noticed the horse. He's a great man, none greater.
Well, this man is greater. He'll come riding on a high horse,
high and lofty, a king. Well, the king's power. I've
only been 28 minutes, I guess. The king's power. What of this
king's power? What of this king's power? Over in Psalm 8, it says, though
he's lower than the angels, it says, God gave him dominion over
all his works, put all things under his feet, sheep, oxen,
beasts of the field, fowl of the air, fish of the sea, whatever
passes through the pass of the sea. Everything and anything
is under his divine control. When Jesus Christ came, Though
he was meek, he was not weak. Though he was lower than the
angels, yet he still had dominion over all things. Heaven, earth,
man, beast, fowl, fish, angels, and devils did his bidding. Stilled a raging ocean, walked
out on a boat, and his disciples, who still didn't know his power,
watched him still that raging ocean. Were he alive today? Gustave, Katrina. Can you imagine? Stop. They saw this, Brother
Kelly, and they said, what matter of man is it? It's the king,
that's it. King of kings. And they saw him
command fish out of thousands. Curse fig trees. They marveled,
it says, at the fig tree. This is how men are, men are
easily impressed, aren't they? He cursed the fig tree, and just
within hours it was withered up, and the disciples marveled
at that. He said, do you marvel at that? He's going to, Scripture says,
fold up the earth, like a vesture. Yeah, that's Jesus Christ. They saw him cast out legions,
thousands of devils. They saw him call men like sheep. Come, come, come, come. Now that's power. Power to forgive. Thy sins be forgiven. You can't
do that. It's been done. Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. You can't. It's been done. Power. All authority, he said, had been
given me over all flesh. He said, Have peace. Have peace. The Father has given
me all things. And if he's given me you, Nancy,
if he's given you to Christ, whom have I to fear? Whom have
you to fear? And what shall you be afraid?
Your king. King of kings. Oh, they said
of Solomon, every man dwelt under his own vine and fig tree. They
were rich, apparently. Everybody was rich and increased
with goods. Well, you know, our king doesn't
need anybody or anything. Our king, and at Solomon's table,
have you ever gone over there and read the provisions for one
day for his table? He had so many people. Anybody
could come eat at his table. John, anybody who wanted to,
the poorest, the lowest, could say, I'm going to go to the king's
house today. I'm going to ask, but I just know he'll take me.
Yeah, anybody. And so he prepared the most lavish
feast, thousands and thousands and thousands of bullocks and
lambs and fruit and wine, because he had anybody could come. He's
so magnanimous, largeness of heart. Will this king accept
me? Yes, come one, come all. lowest
to the highest, highest to the lowest. Come all, come. You can
have an audience with the king. I'll give you your own vine and
your own fig tree." Well, Solomon had several thousand bulls. Well, it says of our king, the
cattle on a thousand hills. How many cattle can be on one
hill? Solomon gave Sheba pieces of
gold. I heard all the gold and silver
and all the mine. What do you have? Not enough. Whatever you have, the king gave
it to you. He doled it out accordingly, according to his measure. That's
all you get. More than we deserve. But we
have enough, don't we? All power, all authority. Go with me to Matthew 27. You
see, these who were not his subject, or that is, wouldn't bow, they
despised him and always despised and rejected him. But it was
as king that they rejected him. It was as sovereign king that
men and women mocked him and rejected him. one who having all authority
and power, especially salvation, they said, we have no king but
Caesar, not you. You do not have free will, we
do. Look at Matthew 27. It was as king that they mocked
him. Pilate first said, governor,
verse 11, he stood before the governor. The governor asked
him, saying, art thou the king of the Jews? And the Lord Jesus
Christ said unto him, Thou sayest." He said it to his own condemnation. Every time men use the name God,
they've said it. Jesus Christ. Who? They've said
it. But this King is so merciful,
even those who curse If he shows mercy on them, they
will confess him. Verse twenty-nine, it says that
when they planted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head.
A king needs a crown. A king needs a scepter, a reed
in his right hand. They bowed the knee before him
and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of Judah. Verse forty-two, verse thirty-seven,
they set up over his head this accusation. Accusation? They did this in derision and
mocking him. They said, this is Jesus, the
King of the Jews, mocking him. They crowned him with a mock
crown. They gave him a mock scepter
and they put a mocking title over his head, not knowing that at that very hour, God Almighty
wrote in the heavens, this is the King of Kings. Not knowing
that at that very hour, God Almighty was crowning him with all glory
and all honor, with all the angels of heaven are right there and
then bowing down in heartfelt worship of the King. While men
and worms are bowing and mocking him, despising him, rejecting
him. He's doing his greatest work.
This king of kings is vanquishing all evil. This king of kings
is crushing the head of all evil. This king of kings is bringing
in an everlasting kingdom. This king of kings is setting
up his reign, his rule, forever of which shall never be any end.
At the very hour while men are mocking his glory, God is giving
him all glory in heaven and earth. Oh, my. And so he died. Three days later, as that prophet
being that prophet—you know how a prophet is known that he's
a true prophet? It's the thing comes to pass.
Well, he said, the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem and be despised
and mocked and spit upon. and rejected and be crucified
and rise again the third day. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things? Yes. And he, that prophet, said,
I'm going to Jerusalem. Going up, you remember that message,
going up to Jerusalem where he ascended that cross, but he went
higher than that. After he came down from the cross,
They brought him down, put him in a grave. One day, forty days
later, they saw him ascend. Where did he go? To the right
hand of the majesty on high, where he sat down on his throne. And that's where he is now, seated
at the right hand of the majesty on high, with crowns, many crowns
on his head, and a bunch at his feet. All these King Solomon,
King Solomon came. You remember the story of Sheba?
When she saw Solomon, there was no spirit left in her. She may
have carried, she may have been wearing a little crown when she
came to see Solomon. Put that crown over her heart. Well, when Solomon saw Christ, David, This is the king of kings. It says that he was crowned. Go back to Revelation 19 and
look at this again and close it. Look at it one more time.
All right. Revelation 19. We read it. Let's look at a few
more verses here. The king is coming again. The
king is coming again. I saw heaven open, behold a white
horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true,
and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. David said,
The Lord is a man of war." Go learn what that means. His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns,
and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And
he was clothed with a vesture. Here we have the prophet, priest,
and king. He's clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. Why? He made
a sacrifice. His name is called the Word of
God. There's the prophet. Armies in
heaven followed him along white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean. What is that? Righteousness he
gave him a robe. Verse 15, out of his mouth goes
a sharp sword. That With it he should smite
the nations and rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture, on
his breastplate, and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, King of Righteousness, King of Peace, King of Glory,
King of Heaven, King of Earth. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And the half still has not been
told. Okay, let's sing a closing hymn. I'm not going to be able to do
it. I'm not going to be able to do it.