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 rain of our beautiful and gracious king.
Today's passage of scripture can be found in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 7 through 14. Of the angels, he says, he makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the sun, he says, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same, and your years will have no end. And to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? This is God's word.
Let's pray. Lord, in this passage, we see your power that created everything, that you are everlasting and king overall. This leaves me in awe of you. Yet being all that, you were born in poverty, died in disgrace, and thought it all well worthwhile. You came incarnate, experienced the fullness of humanity, all the joys and sorrows, hurt and pain, and you did it for us. You did it for me. This also leaves me in awe of you. May we find true joy in worshiping you through the exposition of scripture now together this morning, and in this Christmas season, as we recognize who you are. Emmanuel, and what you did for us.
Amen. What is the absolute best form of government? That's a tricky question for Americans, isn't it? What is the absolute best form of government?
I'm hearing rumblings of it, but you colonials are reluctant to say the word, aren't you? A monarchy. A benevolent monarchy. The one reason why America exists is because there was a tyrannical monarchy, right? I accepted to hear some hoo-hoo, you know, just anyway.
No waving flags this morning, all right? But the absolute best form of government, we're going to learn a little bit about it today. In the prophecies of the Messiah who would come, that's part of it. This series is called, from Hebrews chapter 1, this series is called The Supremacy of God's Son. Looking at it in review, The Supremacy of God's Son includes the fact that he is the radiance of God's glory. Secondly, he is the one who brings us to God.
No other man can do that. Thirdly, The Supremacy of God's Son is because he is the one who is worthy to be worshipped, as we studied last week. Fourthly, today, The Supremacy of God's Son is because he is the benevolent sovereign.
Both of those words are very important, packed with meaning. The benevolent sovereign. Begin with me this morning, look at verse 5. For to which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Or again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
A little bit of review here. Two major significances of this truth in scripture, the sonship of Jesus, where the father calls him his son. This is speaking of the royal line of David. That Messiah would be in the royal line of David, so we are headed for a kingdom.
Right? Because this king will reign. He will occupy the throne of David, as God promised, 2 Samuel 7. And what this also points out, that all of scripture from the Old Testament all the way through the New Testament, it's all one story. One grand story. And Christ, the Messiah, is in the focus, in the middle of it, all of it. From beginning to end.
All one story. It is God's plan from eternity. There's no plan B. There's no, oh, what did man do?
I gotta do something to fix it. No, that's not what's going on. This is God's plan from eternity. Because the second thing that this significance has for us is that it speaks of resurrection. When he says, you are my son, today I have begotten you, Acts chapter 13, the apostles refer to this as referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That indeed Jesus did accomplish redemption. He accomplished the work necessary for us to be reconciled to God.
That's the whole point. Let me say that very clearly this morning. If you're here this morning, you don't know Christ, maybe you don't. There is one need that you have, there's one need that every one of us has. Every human being has this need. You must be reconciled to God.
Otherwise, life is a failure for you. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? How do you lose your soul by not being reconciled to God? Jesus accomplished that for us. And he did it by showing that he is sovereign over life and death. Today, you are my son, today I have begotten you. And so, as we pointed out also, he is the one who is worthy to be worshiped. He's the one who brings us to God because he alone is the one who can make saints out of sinners.
No other man can do that. And so he says, your throne, O God, look down at verse 8, but of the son he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of unrightness, uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. This is a quote from Psalm 45, verses 6 and 7. Very interesting. That is a unique Psalm because it is a Psalm of deep emotion that is expressing admiration for the king of Israel.
Some even titles would give it a love song. What does sovereign mean when we talk about the benevolent sovereign? Sovereign means that he rules with absolute freedom.
He rules with absolute freedom. That's what sovereign means. Proverbs 21, 30 makes it very clear. No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel can prevail against the Lord. It can't stand against the Lord.
He is sovereign. Now, man has tried. Man was made upright, but he has sought out many schemes, right? Mankind in history, that's what's put us where we are. Man has tried to prevail against the Lord. Our first parents crossed over God's loving boundaries because they thought they knew better.
We do the same thing. We're born with that problem. But God sent his son Jesus to rescue us from that. And with all of man's attempts through history and continuing even today, no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can prevail against the Lord. So let's talk about this kingdom, this benevolent sovereign who will have a kingdom. Three attributes I want to talk about this morning that we gleaned from the text. Number one, it is eternal. Your throne, O God, is what? Forever and ever.
Any questions? That's pretty clear, isn't it? It's forever and ever. And he shall reign for. Max sang this morning so I can sing too, right? Let's all just stand and sing the Hallelujah chorus.
Wouldn't that be fun? He shall reign forever and ever. There is no end to his kingdom. Let that sink in for a minute, okay? We're not used to that.
We're not used to that at all. One reason why there will never be an end to his kingdom is because this king will never die. He will never die again. And Paul bears it out very clearly in Romans 1 verse 4 that the resurrection declared Jesus to be the Son of God with power.
How? By the resurrection from the dead. He will never die again. So what we're used to, kingdoms come and kingdoms go.
He is the benevolent sovereign and he will be king forever. For example, consider Romans 6 verses 9 and 10. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life that he lives, he lives to God. This also becomes true for those of us who are in Christ by faith. But see, this is the one. He is the one, the benevolent sovereign. 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.
