Thank you for that song. Open
your Bibles to Psalm 97. There is a debate among many people over this issue. who reigns over all, who rules
in this world. I say there is a debate among
many people, but there is no debate among the people of God.
We know Satan doesn't rule. He is not sovereign. He is not all powerful. He does not have absolute authority. The only authority that Satan
has is the authority that God gives him. The only power that Satan has
is the power that God gives him. There is one who rules over everything
in this world throughout all of his great creation, and that
is our God. If there is any great truth that
ought to bring wonderful consolation unto the hearts of God's people
in the world today, it is this great truth that Christ Jesus
reigns. As you read through the great
Psalms, especially beginning with Psalm 93, going to the 99th
Psalm, as you read that, you're often confronted with the wonderful
fact that our Lord rules over all. He is the governor of all
things. Psalm 93 verse 1. I'll read this to you before
we get to Psalm 97. Psalm 93 verse 1. Look at Psalm 96 and verse 10. Here is the word of the psalmist,
the word of David. He says, we should say among
the heathen that the Lord reigneth. Don't be ashamed to say it among
the heathen. Don't be ashamed to say it among
those who don't believe God's word. Be bold. Make this great declaration.
Our God reigns. He reigns in creation. He reigns
in His great work of providence. And He reigns in salvation. Our God reigns. And then look
at Psalm 99 and verse 1. The Lord reigneth. Let the people tremble. Let those
tremble who don't know Him. Let those tremble who don't believe
Him. But let God's people rejoice. Our Lord reigns. And in this
psalm we're going to be looking at this evening, the 97th psalm Here is indeed the theme of this
psalm, The Lord Reigneth. And in this great psalm, faith
is encouraged to joyfully think about the full extent of the
reign of God. He reigns over all. That fact
is indeed hidden from the world, but it isn't hidden from us.
It's been revealed to us in the Word of God, and that is great
cause for rejoicing. When earthquakes come, severe
storms arise, floodwaters wash away people's properties, remember
this, the Lord reigneth. troubles and difficulties befall
us, when life becomes difficult, when sickness invades our houses,
indeed when death comes calling upon one of our loved ones, remember
this, the Lord reigneth. When Satan attacks us, even as
he attacked Job, And maybe the attack is so severe that all
earthly things are lost. And maybe even family members
die. Still remember and find consolation
in this. God reigns. The Lord reigneth. When our world seems to be turned
upside down, And you just can't figure how things are going,
what is happening in the world. Remember this. Still, the Lord
reigns. When sorrows make our hearts
heavy with grief, remember the Lord reigns. When you feel the
awfulness of your sin, you feel how wretched you are,
And you need God's forgiveness. You need reassurance of the bloody
death of the Lord Jesus that satisfied God's justice. Make
sure you remember this. God reigns in salvation. He is the King of grace. When
events come to pass in this world, you don't understand when it
seems that evil is on the rampage. When it seems that wickedness
abounds, let us still remember God reigns. He reigns everywhere
and at all times. Our God has never vacated His
throne. He has not one time ever ceased
to be God over all, blessed forever. Everything that has happened,
everything that is happening, and everything that shall yet
happen in this world, God reigns over all of it because he ordained
everything from before the foundation of the world. That ought to give
joy to our hearts. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing happens because Satan
willed for it to happen and somehow or another he trumped God. Oh, no. All things happen according
to His will. Everything that happens in this
world, good or evil, God reigns over it. I can't fathom that. I don't understand how God even
uses evil to bring about his purpose, but he does, and that
helps my poor heart. That gives me a good consolation
in this world. This is what the Israelites celebrated. They came out of Egyptian bondage. They faced then a sea that they
couldn't pass over. They had the enemy back behind
them. It seemed to them there was no
way out. But there God said to Moses,
tell the people stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
And God opened up a path. All seemed lost to them. It seemed like it was an absolutely
impossible situation. We're not going to get out of
this. They said, we'll die. Why did you bring us out here
to die? But there are no impossibilities with God. And God made a way
through that Red Sea and all of the Israelites walked through
on dry ground as they looked up to either side and they saw
the waters congealed and they just walked right on through.
And they got to the other side, and Pharaoh and his armies, they
were in mad pursuit. And they got in the middle of
the sea, and God said, waters, come back together. And washed
them all into hell. And you get into Exodus chapter
15, the song of victory. And this is what they rejoiced
in. In Exodus 15 and verse 18, this
is what they rejoiced in. They said, the Lord shall reign
forever and ever. He reigns over our enemies. Isn't that wonderful? What enemies
do we have? The enemy of sin. God still reigns
over sin. The enemy of Satan, God still
reigns over Satan. The world, God still reigns over
the world. Every enemy of all of God's people,
He reigns over them all. So let the people of God rejoice. Rejoice. This is the theme of
this psalm. God reigns, it brings joy to
the hearts of His people. And it brings absolute terror
to the hearts of His enemies. God reigns. He's always reigned. Look at verse 1. Psalm 97, verse 1. The Lord reigneth. The Lord in all capital letters. Who is the Lord? God our Savior. This is Christ Jesus, the King
of kings. His reign is indeed the fulfillment
of prophecy. God said in Psalm 2, I'll give
the heathen to you for an inheritance. You will reign over them. How
did Christ Jesus come to reign? Well, as God, He's always reigned
because that's what God does. God reigns over all, and the
Son of God reigns over all, and the Spirit of God reigns over
all. Our triune God reigns. The second person of the Trinity
stepped out of glory, and he came into this world to do what
God appointed him to do before the world ever began. Save a
people by his substitutionary death. These were the people
for whom he was the surety back in old eternity. These are the
people for whom he's the shepherd and the good shepherd laid down
his life for the sheep. The Son of God assumed and took
to himself in union with himself our nature. Sin accepted. No sin. And in that nature, he
obeyed God's law, but he wasn't good enough to obey God's law.
He did obey God's law. But you see, God's law doesn't
allow do-overs. God had said from the beginning,
be ye perfect, be ye holy. Obey and live, disobey and die. Adam died, God didn't say, now
if you can't keep the law, I'll send somebody else to keep it
for you and that will be fine. No, the wages of sin is death. The whole Christ had to keep
the law and He did keep the law. But His obedience to the law
did not satisfy God's justice. His obedience to all of the Mosaic
commandments It didn't put our sins away and it didn't satisfy
the law because the law kept on crying out, I must have death. That's what the law says. Our Lord Jesus lived that life
of perfection and by that life of perfection He showed He is
eminently and the only one who is qualified to die the death
of the cross. And indeed, He did give Himself
for our sins. He was our substitute. He died
for us. That's what satisfied the law. That's what the law demanded.
You say, well, how could the death of one man be such a joyous
thing, such a great blessing for so many people because of
who that man was. That's the God-man. As God incarnate,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And His death, the death of the
God-man, the death of the glory-man, the death of the perfect man,
put away all the sins of every sinner in whose stead He died. And on the basis of finishing the
work that God gave Him to do, He's been exalted. First step
of His exaltation, resurrection. Second step of His exaltation,
ascension. Third step of His exaltation,
a great coronation. Read Psalm 24 again like you
read this morning. And the fourth step of His exaltation,
absolute universal authority. He told His disciples when He
gave them the Great Commission. He said, all power is given unto
Me in heaven and in earth. In other words, I reigned. I
reigned. I reigned as God before I ever
came down here. But now I reign as the God-man. As the God-man. and I commission
you to go out and preach the gospel, and you may rest assured
that as you preach the gospel, the gospel will be effectual
in the hearts to those to whom I send it." He's been exalted,
given all power, all authority. He reigns. Who reigns? Christ
Jesus reigns. Simon Peter told that crowd there
on the day of Pentecost, he said, God hath made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. He reigns. That's what Simon Peter is saying.
That's what all of God's servants are saying. We don't say He wants
to reign. We don't say He wants you to
let Him be Lord over your life. We don't say anything about letting
Him do anything. He does reign. Acknowledge His
reign. Bow to His reign. Love His reign. Worship Him who reigns. But whether
you believe He reigns or not doesn't change the fact the Lord
reigneth. He reigns in the kingdom of creation. He reigns in the kingdom of providence. And He reigns in the kingdom
of grace. No wonder then that David says,
let the earth rejoice. That's his second statement.
Let the earth rejoice. How extensive is His reign throughout
all the earth. That's why the earth is told
to rejoice. Let the multitude of the isles
be glad! Be glad! Rejoice! You ever notice how
many times in the Scriptures the people of God are told to
rejoice? How many times we're told to be glad! Well, why should
we be glad? Have you looked around lately,
preacher? Have you looked at the condition
of the world, the division in the nature, in our nation? Have you observed the wickedness
that's going on? Oh yes, and those things are
grievous to the heart, but I rejoice because I know this, God reigns
over all. Our Savior reigns over all. And
that which to us might seem to be a mixed up jumbled mess is
in fact organized and following the path that Christ has set
forth and ordained from before the world began. And everything
is going right on schedule. I just love that. No wonder he
says, be glad, be glad, don't be sad, be glad. that He reigns. Look at verse 2, He says, clouds
and darkness around about Him. Clouds and darkness. What does
that suggest? Things mysterious. Things dark. Things unknown. What this does, this sets forth
the providential reign of Christ Jesus. I tell you, providence,
it is often dark, And mysterious, isn't it? The ways of God are
past finding out. Romans chapter 11. You read through the scriptures.
Read in the book of Job. The ways of God toward Job. They're like clouds in darkness. Read of the death of his son.
Or to the saints of God who were alive back when our Lord Jesus
was arrested? To them, that seemed like clouds
and darkness. Oh no, the Savior has been arrested. Did you hear? What? What? Oh yes, they came with torches
and they took Him off. They took our Savior. Yes, they
took Him off. And you know what? They're going
to kill Him. And the saints of God were sad. They were broken
hearted. And yet they should have remembered
His Word. The Son of Man must be lifted
up. The chief priest must take Him.
He must suffer many things. You see, that which on the surface
appeared to be the worst thing that could ever happen was really
the best thing that ever happened. Because that's where our salvation
is at right there. There's our redemption. There's
our reconciliation. There's our righteousness right
there. Brought forth at the cross. That
which seemed to be the darkest hour for the church. People were
forsaking Him. Leaving Him. The disciples were
leaving Him. It seemed like the enemy had
won, the enemy had the upper hand, and they were all sitting
there watching Him. They were entertained by His
death. And the church of the Lord Jesus, oh, how small she
was in that day. She said, oh no, they've killed
our Savior. Hey, rejoice, the Lord reigneth. It's all happened by divine direction. They're doing what God ordained
from before the world began. He must die that we would live. He must die that sin would die. He must be raised again so that
death will die. These things have to happen.
And they happen for God's glory and they happen for the good
of His church. I know clouds and darkness are
about Him. And I'll tell you, it seems like
a lot of times clouds and darkness are around us, don't they? But
you just remember this. The Lord reigns. Even on them
cloudy days, even on those dark days when you just can't figure
out what's going on. When you can't gaze into the
darkness, say, what is happening in my life? What is happening
in this world? Clouds and darkness. Clouds and
darkness. Just remember this. While you
may not see it, and you may not understand what's happening,
it is still true. The Lord reigneth. He reigneth. Watch this, what he says, "...righteousness
and judgment are the habitation of His throne." The word habitation
is the foundation. This God who reigns, He will
always do what's right. Now, it may not seem right to
us. It may not seem right to the
world. Because He does it. Isn't that
right? Because whatever He does is right. Whatever He does is right. Because
righteousness and judgment or justice, that's the habitation
of His throne. Look at verse 3. A fire goeth
before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about. Perhaps
this is the fire of His holiness as it went forth from Mount Sinai
when the law was given. After all, the scripture says
our God is a consuming fire. Or this may refer to the fire
of the gospel, which as it goes forth, it warms, it melts, it
enlightens His people. while it searches and torments
and destroys His enemies. It is for certain the fire of
His holiness will devour those who oppose Him. In verse 4 it says, His lightnings
enlightened the world. The earth saw and trembled when
God sends His lightning God sends His thunder, men tremble greatly. But you know what? Thunder and
lightning won't bring sinners to the Savior. You read several times in the
book of the Revelation when God sends awful plagues upon man,
it says, They repented not to give Him
glory. What's got to happen? God's got
to enlighten the heart. He's got to give you a new heart.
He's got to take away the heart of stone. give you a heart of
flesh. What does that mean, a heart
of flesh? A heart that feels. A heart that's sensitive. A heart
that is alive. Alive. The Spirit of God's got to enlighten
us. He's got to give us life. He's
got to warm us. Look at verse 5, the hills melted
like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the
Lord of the whole earth. When Christ Jesus comes in His
sovereign power, in His authority to a man's hard heart, it just
melts like wax before Him. Nobody else can do that. Nobody
else can melt the heart save the sovereign King who reigns
over all. There it says, the hills melted
like wax at the presence of the Lord. That word presence is literally
face. At the face of the Lord. You see, Christ Jesus is the
face of the Lord. Our Savior spoke to His disciples
there in John chapter 14. Philip said to Him, show us the
Father. It satisfies. The Master said,
Philip, have I been with you so long? Don't you understand? He that has seen me has seen
the Father. He is the face of the Lord. All
of God you'll ever see, and what a sight it is by faith, and what
a sight it will be in reality. All of the Godhead you will ever
see is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who reigns. In verse
6, the heavens declare His righteousness in all the people. see His glory. All of creation bears testimony
to the righteousness of the reign of Jesus Christ, and that He
reigns in righteousness, having brought in righteousness by His
substitutionary death. The Lord's name is the Lord,
our righteousness. We must speak of His righteousness. We've got to have this righteousness. And in the Son of God, we have
righteousness. What will be the standard of
the final judgment but righteousness? Are you righteous? Well, not in yourself, you're
not. But in your blessed Savior, through His death, you're made
the righteousness of God in Him. that one who of God is made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Verse 7, confounded be all they
that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship him, all ye gods. Let us never forget that idolatry
is an abomination in God's sight. Let us all take warning that
we worship nothing and no one save Christ Jesus the Lord. Render unto Him that great glory
that He deserves. Worship nothing else. If you
don't worship the Savior who is sovereign, you're not worshiping
at all. Worship Him who has all power
in heaven and earth. The one who has all authority
to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him.
Look in verse 8, Zion heard and was glad. The church heard the
gospel. The church rejoiced at the righteousness
and the justice of the Lord. Zion heard and was glad. And the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of thy judgments, O Lord. That which makes our hearts overflow
with joy is the thought that our blessed Savior, the One who
redeemed us, sits upon the throne of absolute dominion. And He
rules all things to bring to pass that which He ordained to
do before He ever made the world. And He is making all things work
together for our good. Isn't that great? Isn't that
good news to the people of God? Zion heard and was glad. The
Lord reigneth and Zion says, I'm so glad. I'm so glad. I'm so happy that He reigns. The daughters of Judah rejoice
because of Thy judgments, O Lord. Verse 9, For Thou, Lord, art
high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all
gods. Oh, how high has he been exalted
to the very heights of heaven. The scripture tells us his throne
ruleth over all. No limitation to his rule, to
his authority. Verse 10, Ye that love the Lord,
you who worship this Lord who reigns now, you hate evil. And we do hate it, don't we?
I hate evil. I hate the evil that's in me.
And I've got to start right there. We hate the evil that's in us.
And I know we're made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I know
that we're, I believe in imputed righteousness with all my heart.
But I also know at the same time that in and of myself, I'm still
rotten to the core and so are you. There's no question about
it. Or did we hate evil? Well, we
hated in ourselves first, and then we hated in others. We hated
in the world. I hate evil. Oh, what a blessed
day it will be when we will be absolutely free of all evil. He preserveth the soul of His
saints. Hallelujah. He keeps us. If He didn't keep us, we would
have fallen a long time ago. He delivers them out of the hands
of the wicked. And then He says in verse 11,
light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright
in heart. The Lord Jesus scatters or sows
His light in such a way that it goes forth throughout the
world. Makes our hearts glad. You were
in darkness, but you are not in darkness anymore. You were
in error, but you are not in error anymore. What has happened? Light is sown for the righteous. You have been enlightened. Therefore, the psalmist says
in verse 12, Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous. You are righteous.
Rejoice in the Lord. You know what? There's nobody
else to rejoice in. There's nowhere else to find
any joy. You're not going to find any
joy in this world. Oh, temporary, yeah, but not
lasting joy. That's the reason the Apostle
Paul in the book of Philippians says, Rejoice in the Lord. And
again I say, Rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous. and give thanks at the remembrance
of His holiness. We give thanks at God's holy. We give thanks because the Son
of God honored the holy character of God and fully satisfied it. And we're thankful. And we go
on our way tonight rejoicing, saying in our heart, echoing
the words of the psalmist, The Lord reigneth. The Lord reigneth. I shall lay my head on my pillow
tonight and know that no matter what happens during the night,
no matter what happens tomorrow, my Savior reigneth. And you know
what? That makes everything alright,
doesn't it? Makes everything alright. Well,
let's sing a closing.