Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm so thankful and glad you could join us for this service
as I preach through the scriptures. I'm going to be preaching from
Psalm 2 today. And the title of the message
is The Kingdom of Christ. The Kingdom of Christ, from the
second Psalm in the Old Testament. You know, the kingship of the
Lord Jesus Christ is an awesome truth. revealed throughout the
scriptures. We talk about His being the mediator
between God and men, between God and His people. And I often
study this, that Christ has mediatorial offices. You know what a mediator
is? He's one who stands between two, brings them together on
a common ground. And God, who is holy and just
and righteous and must punish sin, is brought, is reconciled
to sinners who deserve nothing but condemnation and death. He's
reconciled to sinners and sinners are reconciled to him by a mediator,
the one mediator. There's one God and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, the God man. And
it's upon the ground of his obedience unto death as the surety, as
the substitute, the savior, the redeemer of sinners, of his people. And so his mediatorial office,
first we talk about Christ the prophet. He's the prophet, he's
the word of God, the revelation of God. Anybody who wants to
know anything about God and how God saves sinners, a right relationship
with God, that revelation, that word must come through that prophet,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the embodiment of the word
of God. He is the Word of God who was
before the world began, John chapter 1. He is the incarnate
Word of God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. He is the subject of the written
Word and the preached Word. We preach Christ crucified. So
He's our prophet. And then he's our priest, the
priest that speaks of that reconciliation, the priest, remember in the old
covenant, the high priest of Israel represented the whole
nation. And he went into the holiest
of all to the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat with the blood
of the lamb from off the altar, the brazen altar. And that's
what Christ is. He's the priest of His people. He went into the holiest of all
by His own blood presenting the merits of His righteousness on
behalf of His people and that's how God has reconciled the sinners
and sinners to God on that one common ground and it's called
the righteousness of God or the imputed righteousness of Christ.
God must be just when he justifies the ungodly. And then as a result
of that, in his mediatorial offices, he was made king of kings. King
of kings, Lord of lords. And that's what this Psalm 2
is about. The one verse that speaks of it is verse six of
Psalm 2, where the Lord says, yet have I set or anointed my
king upon my holy hill of Zion. That's the king, the king of
kings, that's Christ. But what is the context of this?
Let's look at the whole Psalm. It starts off with something
very interesting here. It says in verse one of Psalm
two, why do the heathen rage? Now, if you have a concordance
in your Bible, you might see the terms tumultuously assemble. In other words, there is a gathering
of people here that is troubling. There's trouble here, tumult. They don't have godly, holy purposes. And he says in verse one, why
do the heathen, now the heathen is unbelievers. That's who it's
talking about. And so why do the heathen rage
and the people imagine a vain thing. And this imagine here
means this is a well thought out trouble that they're going
to cause. So why are they gathering this
way? Well, look at verse two. It says,
the kings of the earth set themselves, that is in this, the kings of
the earth are part of this gathering people. And the rulers take counsel
together. Now the rulers, is a way of speaking
of the unbelieving Jews. And I'm gonna show you that in
just a moment now in another passage. But the rulers, just
like in the Jewish government, you know, you had the priest
of the temple and all that, but you also had what they called
the Sanhedrin, or some people pronounce it Sanhedrin, it doesn't
matter, but that was the Jewish court, the rulers of the people.
and so they represented the unbelieving jews because they were unbelievers
so what you have the kings of the earth that represents the
gentiles they set themselves and the rulers take counsel together
and listen to what the problem is listen to what the troubles
over against the lord and that word lord there that title lord
there is what we transliterate down through what we call Jehovah,
which means salvation. So they're against the Lord,
who is our salvation, and against His anointed. Now the anointed
one is Messiah, that's Christ Jesus. So here we have a prophetic
song and it says in verse 3, God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit, let us break their bands asunder. In other
words, what holds them together? We're gonna scatter them. And
cast away their cords from us. What they want to use to capture their enemies.
And verse four, it says, he that sitteth in the heavens shall
laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. You see, they're
rising up against the God of salvation, the God of all grace,
the God who saves sinners by his grace through the Lord Jesus
Christ, the anointed. And he says, God's just gonna
laugh at this. I remember years ago, I saw when I was actually
when I was in college, I saw a poster. And there was a mouse
standing on top of a peak. And a giant bald eagle was descending
down upon that mouse to grab him. And the mouse was giving
the bald eagle not a very nice gesture. But it was obvious the
mouse was a goner. And that's kind of like the picture
we have here. Man in opposition to God. And God's just gonna laugh at
that. He's gonna hold them in derision.
Verse five says, then shall he speak unto them in his wrath.
He's gonna give them what they deserve. Now that's why we need
salvation by grace. You see, I don't need God to
give me what I deserve or what I've earned. I need his mercy. I'm a sinner. And there was a
time that I shook my fist in the face of God in unbelief.
Talked about it last week, walking in the way of the ungodly, standing
in the way of sinners, sitting in the seat of the scornful.
This book right here, this Bible, is the most precious thing I
have because it tells me of Christ. There was a time when I had no
respect for this book, God's Word, shook my fist in the face
of God. Years ago, there was a poet who
wrote a poem, and the man wasn't a believer, but he recognized
some true things. You know, even unbelievers can
recognize some true things. But in that poem, he made this
statement. He said, your arms are too short to box with God,
and that's true. But here they are. the kings
of the earth, the rulers, the Gentiles, the religious, the
irreligious, shaking their fist in the face of God, the Lord
who's, and the issue is salvation. The issue, listen, listen here.
Here's what people, people get upset. We talk, I talk about
the sovereignty of God on this program. God is, God's in control. Nothing takes him by surprise,
and it's not because he's a crystal ball gazer. or can foresee what's
gonna happen in the future. That's foolish. God's sovereign. God does as he will among the
inhabitants of the earth and the armies of heaven. None can
stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? You don't change
God's mind. You don't change God's will.
You don't change God's purpose. He said, I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. It's not of
him that, we talk about, I talk about predestination. People
hate that. They think, well, what, they
think just events are unfolding as they will, you know, caesa
rasa ra, and I'm the captain of my own fate and the determiner
of my own life. Now think about that. God, I
speak of election, that God chose a people before the foundation
of the world. And people shake their fist in
the face of that God. I talk about a God who hates
over in Psalm 5, just to cross the page for most of you. It
makes this statement in Psalm 5 about how God hates, verse
five, the foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hatest all
workers of iniquity. Well, peoples tell me today,
God doesn't hate anybody. Well, it says here, he hates
all workers of the nick. And then these preachers come
along and say, oh, that just means he loves them less. That's not
what it means. It means God hates them. Jacob
have I loved, Esau have I hated. That's the God of this book.
But you see the problem that people, there's two problems
that people have with God's hatred. Number one, they think it's unfair,
but it's not. And number two, they liken it
to their own sinful hatred. And it's not. You know what God's
hatred is? It's God's justice and His wrath
against sin. That's what it is. And you say,
well, well, where can I find the love of God then? The Bible
says God is love, and He is. I'll tell you where you find
the love of God, in Christ. Don't look for it anywhere else.
It's in Christ. in Christ alone. I quote it all
the time. Here in His love, not that we
loved Him, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. But people, they don't like this,
so they shake their fist in the face of God. I speak of Christ
as the Redeemer, who redeemed His people, and they'll all be
saved. There's not gonna be anybody who perished for whom Christ
died. People hate that. Why do the heathen rage? Well,
let me show you how this is prophetic. And you can look over in the
book of Matthew. It's in Matthew chapter four. I'm getting my references mixed
up here. It's in the book of Acts, I'm sorry. Look at the
book of Acts chapter four. Now remember what he said, the
kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord, against His anointed. But look over in Acts
chapter 4 and this is where it's talking about how everyone who
was anyone back then turned against Christ. It says in Acts chapter
4 verse 26, the kings of the earth stood up And the rulers
were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ,
verse 27, for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou
hast anointed, both Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and
the people of Israel were gathered together. And then it says in
verse 28, an awesome statement, for to do whatsoever God's hand
and God's counsel determined before to be done. Now, these
people were fully responsible for their rebellion. I'm fully
responsible for my rebellion. But the Bible says it was ordained
of God for the purpose of saving His people from their sin. Now,
how does that work? Well, look back at Psalm 2. Look
at it again. Now, go to verse 6. God says
He's gonna pour out His wrath But he says in verse six, yet
have I set or anointed my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Christ
was victorious against all that stood in opposition to him. He's
the king of kings. And in order to be king, what
did he have to do? He had to do the work that the
father sent him to do. God has made him both Lord and
Christ. That's what Peter said in Acts
chapter two. Because of his obedience unto
death, even the death of the cross, to redeem his people,
to satisfy justice, to bring forth righteousness, he has been
given a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus,
every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he's
Lord. He's victorious, even against
all opposition. He went under the wrath of God
and was punished unto death for the sins of God's people, God's
elect, His sheep imputed to Him, charged to Him, laid to His account,
reckoned to Him. And He drank damnation dry. And as He died, He didn't remain
dead. He was raised from the dead because
He had fulfilled the task. He had fulfilled every condition. He had put away sin. He paid
the debt in full and established righteousness that's imputed
to God's people for their salvation. And because of what He did, He
ascended unto the Father and is seated at the right hand of
the Father, ever living to make intercession for His people.
He is the King of kings. He wears a crown of glory. And
God says here, yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of
Zion. There's Zion. What is Zion? Well, geographically, it was
a hill upon, in the geographical area, very close to Jerusalem.
It's first mentioned back in 2 Samuel, when David conquered
the Jebusites who held Jerusalem, and he took the city of Jerusalem,
and he built his palace on Zion's hill. Well, as it went down through
history, it became synonymous with Jerusalem, even the nation
of Israel. But it took on a spiritual meaning
concerning the people of God, the elect of God, both Jew and
Gentile. And let me show you that. Look
at Hebrews chapter 12. Here, the writer of Hebrews is
explaining that the old covenant law of Moses on Mount Sinai has
been abolished by way of fulfillment. It was never a way of salvation.
It was a way of exposing sin, driving sinners to Christ. But
he's talking to believers here. And he says in verse 22 of Hebrews
12, but you are come unto Mount Sion. That Sion is the same as
Zion. And under the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, not an earthly one now, but the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
ministers, servants, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
that's Christ, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just or justified men, made perfect,
verse 24, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things, that speaketh
better things than that of Abel. You see, Abel brought animal
blood. Now he represented Christ, but
Christ himself is better than the type. So it's the church. That's what Zion is. The kingdom
of Christ is His church, made up of God's elect, justified
in Christ based on His righteousness imputed, redeemed by His blood,
and called, regenerated and called by the Holy Spirit under the
preaching of the gospel to faith in Christ and repentance of dead
works. They're sinners, fallen in Adam,
but redeemed by the blood of Christ and regenerated by the
Spirit. So go back to Psalm 2. Now listen
to the rest of this Psalm. He says in verse seven, I will
declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, thou
art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Verse eight, ask of me
and I shall give the heathen for thine inheritance and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter's vessel. Christ has never been, nor ever
will be defeated. This is the decree of God, I'll
declare the decree. And that decree is God's purpose
to save his people through Christ, that's what he says. Verse seven,
the Lord has said unto me, thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee. This is the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ, which is centered around who He is,
God in human flesh, God manifest in the flesh, and what He accomplished
in His obedience unto death on the cross of Calvary, as signified
by His resurrection. That's the begetting, his resurrection
from the dead. What does that mean? That means
sin has been put away and cannot be charged to his people and
righteousness has been established and has been charged to his people.
David said, blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not
iniquity. And Paul wrote of that in Romans
chapter four and verse six, that David was talking about not just
the non-imputation, the non-charging of sin, but the imputation of
righteousness. I have a righteousness that answers
the demands of God's law and justice. So as a result of that,
he's king of kings. The heathen are his inherent,
they'll be his footstool, Philippians 2 says. He says in verse nine,
thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them
in pieces like a potter's vessel. That's judgment upon all who
stand before God without Christ. You understand that, that if
you come before God on your own, no matter how good you've tried
to be, no matter how sincere you've tried to be, no matter how many church services
you've attended or not missed, no matter how much you've given,
no matter how many times you've been baptized, if you stand before
God on your own, You will be broken in pieces, dashed in pieces. That's the judgment of God. That's
what you deserve. It's what I deserve on that ground. But all who stand before God
in Christ, again, washed in his blood, clothed in his righteousness,
they shall be blessed forever and ever, glorified eternally
in him. So here's what he says in the
last part of this Psalm. This is the way of the kingdom
of Christ. He says in verse 10, be wise
now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Now how, man by nature is a fool. That's what the Bible says, 1
Corinthians 2, 14. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the spirit of God, neither can he know them, their
foolishness unto him. He cannot discern them. They're
spiritually discerned. Well, be wise. Well, how am I
going to be wise when it concerns to salvation and a right relationship
with God? Look to Christ, who is the very
wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1.30, But of Him
are you in Christ, who is our wisdom, our righteousness, our
sanctification, and our redemption. The gospel which is foolishness
to those who are perishing, is the wisdom and power of God to
all who believe. And then he says, be wise. He
says, be instructed. Who's gonna instruct me? Well,
the word of God. That's how I'm instructed. Not
by men's opinions or their majority views. but by the word of God. And then he says, here's what
wisdom and instruction from God does. Verse 11, serve the Lord
with fear and rejoice with trembling. Those who are citizens of the
kingdom of Christ, they serve the Lord with fear. Now that
fear is not doubt and unbelief. It's not the kind of fear that
makes you afraid. It's the kind of fear that causes
respect, reverence, It's like a child who considers his mother
and father with respect. It's worshiping God, it's believing
God, serving, not in order to be saved, but because you already
are. And you serve him with fear and
you rejoice with trembling. What kind of trembling is he
talking about? Does that mean I'm always to be in doubt and
fear that I'll go to hell? No. Let me tell you what I tremble
at. I tremble to be found before
God without Christ. But my friend, I've got no other
place to go. I've got no other one to go to
but Christ. Outside of him, there's trembling.
And then he says in verse 12, kiss the son lest he be angry
and you perish from the way. When his wrath is kindled but
a little, To kiss the Son means to embrace Him by faith. That's a metaphor. It was a common
way of greeting back then, the kiss on the cheek. Well, what
it is, it's an expression of faith in Christ and love for
Christ and submission to Christ. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
and thou shalt be saved. And he concludes it with, blessed
are all they that put their trust in him. Am I a citizen of the
kingdom of Christ? Somebody says, does he rule in
your heart? Well, over in Romans chapter
10, Paul spoke of the unbelieving Jews, who because they were ignorant
of God's righteousness, God's justice, had not submitted to
the justice or the righteousness of God and were going about to
establish their own righteousness before God. They were trying
to be the best they could be to be righteous. Well, my friend,
they didn't trust in him. They weren't citizens of the
kingdom at that time. Verse four says, Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. And
that's the citizens of the kingdom. of Christ. I hope you'll join
us next week for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
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at 1-1-0-2 Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia, 3-1-7-0-7. contact us by phone at 229-432-6969
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today and may the Lord be with you.