Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. What's the best form of government? As Americans, we hold high the flag of democracy as well we should. It doesn't take a deep look into history to see how quickly power corrupts. We can find a long trail of injustice and oppression wherever we find a single ruler who held control over a nation. But what if that ruler is the benevolent sovereign of the universe? The very one who lowered himself to become one of us, to be born in a dirty animal pen, born into poverty.
The one who would take the savage death of the cross for us, who would be rejected and punished for us. What if we lived under a monarchy where the high king was Jesus? The Bible teaches that a day is coming where Jesus will indeed govern the people of heaven and earth. Listen as Pastor Rich shares the hope of the coming reign of our beautiful and gracious king. Isaiah chapter 61.
You can turn there if you like. I'm going to read the first three verses. Isaiah chapter 61.
This is a prophetic statement from the prophet Isaiah. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. And he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, the day of vengeance of our God. To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion, to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes. The oil of gladness instead of mourning. The garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified.
You know what is so cool? If you look in Luke chapter four, Jesus went to his hometown, Nazareth. And where did he go? To the synagogue.
And you know what? They let him read the scriptures. And do you know what he read? Isaiah 61. And then when he read it, do you know what it says he did? He said, he said, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Wow.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall at that moment. Unfortunately, they tried to drive him out of town. Enemies.
Because he didn't fit their agenda. Today, it is fulfilled in your hearing. In other words, what is Jesus saying there? I am the benevolent sovereign. It's me.
Why? Because I have loved righteousness. What does it mean to love righteousness? What does it mean to love something or someone? You have affection for, you draw to, you draw to them, you draw them to you. That's what it means to love. Fundamentally, practically, that's what love means. You draw near to them and they draw, you draw them near to yourself. That's what it means to love. That's why the opposite of love is indifference.
To draw to. In other words, to love what God loves. So not only did he love righteousness, but he hated wickedness. He did not desire or want wickedness. He moved away from.
He turned his back on wickedness. And so are we called to hate what God hates. You say, Rich, hate shouldn't be a part of the Christian experience. Don't you believe that?
Don't you believe that for a moment? Because if you don't hate what God hates, then you also don't love what God loves. It's a whole other sermon series. But what this means is to delight. It is the delight of God's character and purpose. And that's what it's saying of this Messiah, Jesus, the benevolent sovereign. For him, delight was God's character and purpose. And so it is for us.
Becomingness. And so it says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. As I mentioned before, this is a song, a psalm of deep emotions expressing longing and satisfaction. It's an admiration of the King of Israel. It is a messianic psalm, Psalm 45, where this statement comes from.
So consider now, as we close today, I want you to consider what this means for us practically. What does this mean for you? As I walk out the door here today, the fact that if I am in Christ, this is true of me.
I belong to this kingdom. Look what Romans 2 verses 9 and 10 say, There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also to the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now you have to understand that in the gospel of grace, all right? But we cannot do good apart from Jesus Christ. And our first obedience has to be surrender to him's obedience to the gospel and surrender to him. And I want you to consider Psalm 37, Psalm 37 verses 34 to 39.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way and he will exalt you to inherit the land. You will look on when the wicked are cut off. I have seen the wicked, a wicked ruthless man spreading himself like green laurel tree. But he passed away and behold, he was no more.
Though I sought him, he could not be found. Read this, Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed. The future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. This is the benevolent sovereign speaking. This is truth.
What have you done with this truth? The advent of Christ, the son of God, compels us to keep this big picture in view. And it comes down to this, God is good.
Period. It also comes down to this, because God is good, good will prevail. That's good news. So, gladness will be our lot forever. Under the benevolent sovereign.
You cannot say that unless you have surrendered to this benevolent sovereign. Yes, we celebrate a baby lying in a manger and a mother and Joseph overlooking. Songs of angels, shepherds coming to a door later on, three wise men coming and giving him gifts.
The lights, the candles, the garland, the gifts. He is Lord. And he demands your surrender. If you will live in gladness for eternity. Father, thank you for your word made so clear to us in this letter to the Hebrews. The coming of the son of God, the radiance of your glory, the exact imprint of your nature. The one who upholds all things by the word of his power, the one who also made purification for sins. The one who sits at the right hand of the majesty on high. Father, we worship you, we worship the Lord Jesus Christ today as our savior, our creator. Our savior, our redeemer, our reconciler, our benevolent sovereign.
May we be joyfully, gladly subjects of this king. And I pray for anyone in this room this morning, Father, that has not surrendered themselves to Jesus. Father, that it would be your goodness by your spirit that would draw them to yourself in repentance. We celebrate you and we celebrate your son this morning, Father, in the power of your Holy Spirit. Move us out of this place with great joy and gladness because we are sons of God, children of God, subjects of the benevolent sovereign. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m. . .
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