He Must Reign

”He Must Reign” (1 Corinthians 15:25)

Introduction: We have seen thus far that in the work of Christ’s mediation in the New Covenant, He has been given the office of a prophet and of a priest. He is a prophet in that by His Word and Spirit, He has declared the will of God for our salvation throughout the ages. It is the Spirit of Christ who is the spirit of prophecy. And through His Spirit, He has revealed to His people in each dispensation all they needed to know for their salvation in Christ and for their living to the glory of God. And He is a priest in that He was called by God to minister on behalf of His people by removing our sins and satisfying the wrath of God against us by the offering up of Himself, and by keeping us in His grace by His everlasting intercession on our behalf before the Father. Tonight, we will want to see His third office as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul has been presenting to the Corinthians the Gospel that he preached, by which they are also saved if they cling to it. Of course, central to the Gospel is the resurrection of Christ. Paul argues strenuously for this truth, for if there is no resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised, and there is no Gospel to be preached. But, he says, Christ has been raised as the first-fruits from the dead. Through Christ also we will be raised, but each in his own order: first Christ, and then those who are His at His coming. Then, Paul says, will come the end, ”WHEN HE DELIVERS UP THE KINGDOM TO THE GOD AND FATHER, WHEN HE HAS ABOLISHED ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER. FOR HE MUST REIGN UNTIL HE HAS PUT ALL HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET” tvv. 24-25). Paul has set the timing of the resurrection of believers, when God will have subjected all things to Christ, who is now reigning over all things. Christ is the glorious King of God’s Kingdom; all power and authority has been entrusted to Him in His work of Mediation in the New Covenant. And so what we want to see this evening is,

Christ has been given all authority as Lord over God’s kingdom for the good of His Church, and He will reign until all things are subject to Him. Christ, as the Son of God, has all authority and power, for He is God. ”THE LORD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS THRONE IN THE HEAVENS; AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY RULES OVER ALL” (Psalm 1 0 3 : 1 9 ) . But here, we are looking at what has been entrusted to Christ as the God-man, as the Mediator of the New Covenant. In His office as Mediator, He is the Head, the King over His church, as well as the King over all creation.

I.

First I Want You to See that Christ Is Our Great King, and How He Exercises that Authority in His Church. A. Christ Is the Head of His Church. 1 . The Bible tells us that the Church is a spiritual kingdom. a. It is a spiritual kingdom because it is not territorial, as though it existed in a certain land, but it is in the hearts and lives of His people. ”THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU” (Luke 17:21).

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It is also a spiritual kingdom because it has a spiritual purpose and goal, namely, the salvation of the people of God. c. And finally, it is a spiritual kingdom because it is not administered by force of arms, as though it advanced by the sword, but by His Word and Spirit.

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His subjects therefore are not bounded by a geographical boundary, but are those who are a part of this spiritual realm. a. There is only one spiritual kingdom of God in this world and that is the church. b. But it is not simply those who are in the church who are His subjects, because the Bible tells us that there are also tares among the wheat. c. Rather, this kingdom has as its subjects all the elect: past, present and future. d. Every redeemed sinner from the Fall to the final day are subjects of this great King. e. They are His subjects because each of them He has subdued to Himself by His Word and Spirit, as He turns them from bitter enmity against Himself as they warred against Him, into loving subjects.

He Has Ruled over the Church from Its Very Inception, and He Will Reign over It Forever. 1 . The church began with the redemption of the very first sinners, Adam and Eve. a. Everyone who has ever been redeemed was redeemed by Christ and is in union with Him. b. When God put enmity between Adam and Eve and the serpent, He put them in Christ and there they remained. 2.

And Christ will continue to be the head of His church throughout eternity. a. It is inconceivable that Christ would be the Head of His body in this age, only to lose that position in the age to come. b. Christ will continue to be the Head and Ruler of His people even once we have entered into the eternal state.

C. And the Manner in which He Rules Over His Church in this Age Is by His Word and Spirit Through His Appointed Officers. 1 . Christ ruled over His people in the past through heads of households, the patriarchs, the judges and the kings. a. Christ has always ruled through delegated authority. b. When the church existed in houses, His authority was represented through the heads of those houses. It still is today through the father who is the head of the house. c. But as the way of administrating the kingdom changed, so did the officers. After God had set apart Abraham, it was administered through the patriarchs. d. When God called His people out of Egypt, it was Moses who was appointed as the co-ruler under Yahweh. e. After Moses, the Lord raised up Judges to exercise that authority. f. And after the people were in the land, and the

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kingdom of God was established in Palestine, the kings were the vicegerents, or co-rulers of our Lord. 2.

And now that the Church has passed into the New Testament era, Christ does not leave His kingdom without an authority structure, He now rules over His church through His ordained officers. a. The church was established upon the authority of Christ, the Great Apostle, and the apostles of the Lamb, as well as the prophets and evangelists. b. In Ephesians 4:ll-12, Paul writes, "AND HE GAVE SOME AS APOSTLES, AND SOME AS PROPHETS, AND SOME AS EVANGELISTS, AND SOME AS PASTORS AND TEACHERS, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE, TO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST." C. And now that the foundation has been laid and the offices of apostle prophet and evangelist have been done away with, Christ now rules through the agency of the elders. d. The author the Hebrews writes, "OBEY YOUR LEADERS, AND SUBMIT TO THEM; FOR THEY KEEP WATCH OVER YOUR SOULS, AS THOSE WHO WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT. LET THEM DO THIS WITH JOY AND NOT WITH GRIEF, FOR THIS WOULD BE UNPROFITABLE FOR YOU" (13:17). e. The elders rule with the authority of Christ, and it is to be submitted to for it is Christ's.

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And so Christ has been and is the Head over all His spiritual kingdom, and He governs His subjects by His Word and Spirit through appointed officers.

11. Secondly, I Want You to See that Christ is the King over All Creation and that He Orders all things for the Good of His Church. A . Christ Not Only Rules Over a Spiritual Kingdom, but Also over all the Kingdoms of the World. 1 . Christ is the Head and King of His Church. 2. But He is also the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Absolute authority over all the created realm has been handed over to Him. B.

This Rule of Christ Began with His Exaltation to the Right Hand of God and Will Continue until His Victory over His Enemies and Ours is Accomplished. 1 . The Father had promised this to Him as a reward for His work of Redemption a. The Father says to Christ, "ASK OF ME, AND I WILL SURELY GIVE THE NATIONS AS THINE INHERITANCE, AND THE VERY ENDS OF THE EARTH AS THY POSSESSION. THOU SHALT BREAK THEN WITH A ROD OF IRON, THOU SHALT SHATTER THEM LIKE EARTHENWARE (Ps. 2:8-9). b. And Christ says in Matt. 28: 18, "ALL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH." c. He was not given any power or authority that He did not already possess as the Son of God. d. But it was now as the God-man that He possessed that authority. And His human nature was now to share in the glory of that royal dominion.

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And this kingship of Christ will continue until all of His enemies have been subdued under His feet (Present text). a. This authority had been given to Him for a special purpose, and when that purpose is ended, so will this authority. b. The redemption of all the elect will have been accomplished and the original kingship of man as the vicegerent of Yahweh will have been restored. C. And so with this Authority, He Governs and Disposes all things for the Good of His Church. 1 . He could not guarantee the protection of His church unless He also controlled the affairs of the nations. a. The church exists in the world; it has not yet been glorified. b. And as long as it is in the world, it will be affected by the world, it will still be threatened by the world, and it still has its task to perform in the world, and so it needs His protection. 2.

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As the sovereign Lord of the universe, He governs all things for the benefit of His church. a. He overrules all things in His providence for the good of His church. He guides the destinies of individuals and of whole nations to promote the growth, purification and final perfection of His people (Berkhof Systematic 410). b. He protects His people from danger in the world, and vindicates His righteousness by the subjection and destruction of all His enemies. ti) He delivered the Israelites from the Philistines by the hand of a shepherd boy. tii) He protected David when he was pursued by Saul, and brought him to the throne. tiii) He kept Luther safe from the church leaders who wanted to kill him through Frederick the Wise. tiv) The Lord is ab e to do these things because He is the One who is in sovereign control of all things.

Uses: The Bible tells us that Chr st is the sovereign Lord over the nations, that He is ordering and governing all things for the good of His kingdom. 1 . Do you live in the realization of this truth, that Christ is in control? Or has the enemy deceived you into thinking that all things either happen by accident, or that he is in control and not Christ? 2. If we think that things happen accidentally, or that the devil is in control, we tend to be discouraged when adversity comes, and perhaps become angry at our circumstances. 3. Perhaps we even become angry with God, when things don’t go precisely the way that we want them to. 4. But are we wiser than God? Do we know better than He? I s Christ governing all things for the good of His

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kingdom or not? 5. Realize that when you criticize the things that are happening in your life, which things are controlled by Christ, that you are actually criticizing Christ. a. Nothing happens by accident, all is a result of his providential guidance. b. We don’t know what He is working out, but we do know that whatever it is, it will be for His glory, and the good of His church, and as a result, the good of His people. C. And if you are in Christ, you will also reap the benefits of this providential ordering of God. d. This is why Paul says in Romans 8:28, ”AND WE W O W THAT GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR Goon TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.” e. Christ will surely overrule all things for your good if you are a part of His body. f. And so this should give to you great confidence, knowing that Christ is in control. Everything that happens, all of your efforts, all of your prayers, all of your sufferings, will all be used by Him. Your life is in His hands, and no one can take it g. from you until it is His time. h. But beware lest there should be in you a heart of unbelief. in speaking against your great God and Sovereign in the way that He has chosen to accomplish His will. You will find that in the end you are speaking against Christ. B.

And Secondly, Knowing that Christ is the King over His kingdom, which is the church, do you recognize the authority of Christ in His church, and are you submitting to His authority? 1 . He exercised that authority when He called you to Himself. a. Christ is the sovereign Lord. His effectual call through His Spirit does not go unheeded. b. Christ called you, with an efficacious command to come to Him out of the darkness, giving you the will and the power to obey. c. And He gathered you into His body, into His ranks as His soldiers, that you may fight His battles. 2.

Now, being in the church, He continues to exercise that authority over you through His officers whom He has appointed in His church, to declare and minister His Word. a. And so you must be subject to the ordained authority, not because it is the authority of man, but because it is the constituted authority of Christ in His church. b. Christ did not give to His elders the authority to make laws, and to bind men’s consciences by them, but He has given them the authority to declare His will as revealed in His word, and to minister it.

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c. This is why the authority of the elder is said to be ministerial and declarative. He declares what the will of God is, and ministers it on behalf of his Lord. d. And that is why it is important for you to listen to the Word expounded, and the Word applied, especially as it is applied personally by Christ’s elders to your particular situation. 3.

Christ has also placed certain censures in His church in order to guard its holiness and purity. a. If the authority of Christ, as given through His Word and declared by His ministers, is not heeded, He has also appointed certain measures to be followed by which to bring His subjects to repentance. b. If someone becomes seriously delinquent in his beliefs so as to be in danger of believing heresy, especially that which is soul damning, it is the responsibility of Christ’s officers to seek to instruct and correct that individual. If they will not listen, and persist in believing that error, and especially if they are seek to persuade others in it, it is the responsibility of the Session to take whatever measures necessary to reclaim the offender if possible, or to remove him from the church, so that the rest are not infected with their error. c. The same holds true for any who are delinquent in life. If they commit some sin which Christ has forbidden of His subjects, then they must be confronted. If they do not repent and persist in it, they must be disciplined, even to the point of removal, as Christ the Lord has commanded. d. Jesus said, ”AND IF YOUR BROTHER SINS, GO AND REPROVE HIM IN PRIVATE; IF HE LISTENS TO YOU, YOU HAVE WON YOUR BROTHER. BUT IF HE DOES NOT LISTEN TO YOU, TAUE ONE OR TWO MORE WITH YOU, SO THAT BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. AND IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN TO THEM, TELL IT TO THE CHURCH; AND IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN EVEN TO THE CHURCH, LET HIM BE TO YOU AS A GENTILE AND A TAX-GATHERER” (Matt . 15-17). e. If the sin is a private sin, then it must be dealt with privately. But it may reach a point where it becomes public, and then it must be dealt with by the Session. If the member will not listen to Christ’s authority in His Session, and persists in his or her sin, he is to be cast out of the church, lest by his heresy or immorality, he infects the rest and encourages them to sin.

4. In closing, let me give you just a few ways in which you may better serve your King? a. Realize first of all that you are His subjects, and your allegiance to Him supersedes any other. ti) You are not the captain of your own ship, or the master of your own fate, but Christ is.

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Secondly, use every means to find out what your Sovereign Lord commands you to do. ti) You are not to remain ignorant of His will, but you are to know and do it. tiil Yet you cannot know your King’s commands unless you are in a place where it is revealed. tiiil And so you must read diligently His Word,

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Therefore, you are to obey Him first, and put His will first in all that you do say, and think.

asking the Spirit to reveal to you how you might better live for His glory. And you must attend the worship services where Christ’s officers are teaching and expounding His will, as He has appointed in His churches. And you must receive it with a ready heart because it is the Word of Christ.

Thirdly, calling upon His grace and strength, do what He commands with all your might, even if i t means that to do so will have dire consequences on your other relationships. ti) You owe your allegiance to Christ first no

matter what the consequences may be on any other relationships you have. tiil In the Old Testament, if anyone counselled you to turn away from God, even it was your nearest and dearest relative, you were to put them to death. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 13:6-11, ”IF YOUR BROTHER, YOUR MOTHER’S SON, OR YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER, OR THE WIFE YOU CHERISH, OR YOUR FRIEND WHO IS AS YOUR OWN SOUL, ENTICE YOU SECRETLY, SAYING, ’LET US GO AND SERVE OTHER GODS’ . . . YOU SHALL NOT YIELD TO HIM OR LISTEN TO HIM; AND YOUR EYE SHALL NOT PITY HIM, NOR SHALL YOU SPARE OR CONCEAL HIM. BUT YOU SHALL SURELY KILL HIM; YOUR HAND SHALL BE FIRST AGAINST HIM TO PUT HIM TO DEATH, AND AFTERWARDS THE HAND OF ALL THE PEOPLE. SO YOU SHALL STONE HIM TO DEATH BECAUSE HE HAS SOUGHT TO SEDUCE YOU FROM THE LORD YOUR GOD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF SLAVERY. THEN ALL ISRAEL WILL HEAR AND BE AFRAID, AND WILL NEVER AGAIN DO SUCH A WICKED THING AMONG YOU.” tiiil Jesus says to us today, ”HE WHO LOVES FATHER OR MOTHER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME; AND HE WHO LOVES SON OR DAUGHTER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME. AND HE WHO DOES NOT TAKE HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW AFTER ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME” (Matt. 10:37-39]. t ivl If regard for anyone takes precedence over what the Lord commands you to do, so that you refuse to do what He commands, lest you offend them, Jesus says you are not worthy of Him! tVl And so you must call upon His grace to do His

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will even if your closest loved ones are offended, for He is the Lord!

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lastly, if you should err and leave the path of righteousness, listen to the words of Christ’s ministers as they bring the reproof and correction of your Lord, and do not harden your hearts, or stiffen your necks as Israel did, and as many in the church have over the centuries that you might not be broken beyond remedy. Rather listen to your Lord’s exhortation to turn from the path of sin and selfishness and to do what is right. e. People of God, Christ is your King, He is the Lord, and to Him you owe absolute and immediate obedience. Bow your knee to Him, and serve Him, and be faithful to Him with all your heart, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Amen.