For quite a few weeks we have been taking a look at something called Lifesong Lessons. We have been taking a look at what it means to worship and glorify God. The series for the most part was inspired by a CD of the same name by a band named Casting Crowns. This band is formed by regular men and women who are pastors in their own churches. If at all possible they try to be home for the weekends and Wednesday nights to minister to their own churches and youth. Part of the appeal for me is that they love the church. They desire to see the church be what God intended it to be. That is my prayer as well. I love the church. Is the church perfect? No, (I speak for myself…No church is perfect because it is made up of imperfect people.) But the church is God’s instrument for bringing people to salvation through His son Jesus Christ. Not only are we (the church) to bring them to salvation, but we are to make them disciples. My prayer is that we (our local congregation and the holy, universal, apostolic church) would be the church that God has called us to be.

We have focus quite a bit on what it means to worship and how we honor God in what we do. Our key passage for this series comes from Romans 12:1-2; “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”^[i] We have discovered that most of the time our worship has nothing at all to do with music or singing or with being happy all the time, but it has to do with giving the One we worship the honor and the glory; to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices to God. We’ve learned that:

• Worship is more than the songs we sing, but it’s how we live our lives.
• That we need to worship God in the storm as well as the calm.
• When others are going through hard times we honor God by loving them and caring for them.
• God honors those who take off the mask and are real with Him and others
• God has called us to listen to those who are hurting and to be His ambassador to them.
• We honor God by watching, praying, and occupying the time (making many disciples) before His return.
• We honor God by serving Him. (sometimes if full-time service.)
• We honor God by living lives set apart to Him even in our marriages.
• We honor God by pulling people out of their sins.
• We honor God by boasting only in the cross of Christ
• We honor God by being set free of our sins.
• We honor God by being thankful.

So we’ve learned quite a bit of what it means to worship, but since today is Christ the King Sunday and we honor him, let’s ask this question, “Who is this King that should be honored in this way.” Let’s open God’s word and find out who this King is. We’ve already heard Revelation 1:1-4, but let’s read it again.

⁴ …Grace and peace from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the commander of all the rulers of the world.

All praise to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. ⁶ He has made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!

⁷ Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him—even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the earth will weep because of him. Yes! Amen!

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.”[iii]

Let’s break it down. This King always was, always is, and always will be. He is everlasting. He was the first to rise from the dead. Everyone will see him. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. How long is forever? It’s a LONG time and yet Jesus is both the beginning and the end. He loves us even the sinners. He freed us from our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. This is great stuff. Everyone will worship Him, even those who pierced his side. There is coming a day when everyone will call Him Lord, whether you want to or not. What does it mean to call Him Lord?

Let’s take a look at another passage in Psalm 93

¹ The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. ² Your throne, O Lord, has been established from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. ³ The mighty oceans have roared, O Lord.

The mighty oceans roar like thunder; the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore. ⁴ But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these! [iv]⁵ Your royal decrees cannot be changed.

The nature of your reign, O Lord, is holiness forever. [v]

Look what the King is! The Lord is king. His throne is forever. He is robed in majesty and armed with strength. His kingdom is unshakeable. This king is mightier than the pounding off the loudest waves pounding the shore. This king is mightier than the crashing of the thunder. The king is above all of these. This king is holy forever. He is worthy of our worship.

Let’s look at what the prophet Daniel says about this king. Daniel 7:9-10,13-14

⁹ I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, ¹⁰ and a river of fire flowed from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him, and a hundred million stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened…

¹³ As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.[vi]

We overuse the word awesome. Only God is truly awesome. As we listen to this passage, I sense the awesomeness of God; millions of angels attend to Him (the King.) His clothing was white as snow. He was given all authority on heaven and earth so that all of us would obey Him. He has a kingdom that will never be destroyed. What does that look like, let’s take a look at Revelation 7.

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”

Who is this King? He is a King that deserves our worship. Let’s take one more look at John 18:33-37.

³³ Then Pilate went back inside and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked him.

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate asked. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you here. Why? What have you done?”

³⁶ Then Jesus answered, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

³⁷ Pilate replied, “You are a king then?”

“You say that I am a king, and you are right,” Jesus said. “I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”[vii]

Let’s take a look at Jesus’ words. Pilate asked Jesus if He was King of the Jews? Jesus replied that His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom; it is not of this world. If it was Jesus disciples would have fought, but Jesus commanded them not to. Jesus replies that yes, he is a king…he is the true king born to bring truth to the world. His kingdom is unshakable. So what should we do? The writer of Hebrews says, “28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” This morning my desire is for each one of you to worship the true King. Will you do it?

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