He Is "King of Kings, Lord of Lords", Part 2

Today, a lesson on the supremacy of Jesus. When we turn to Him, we turn to one of whom there is none greater, because He's the King of kings and Lord of lords. He has no equal. He has never been and never will be outranked, overthrown or undermined.

No one will come on the scene now or in the future who has a higher rank, who has greater power or who in some way can undermine His working. We're living in an era that idolizes personal freedom and rather than abide by the conventional values that shape their community, rebels are making up their own rules. Moral boundaries are self-defined. Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll reminds us that God has established His kingdom authority. In doing so, He's made it absolutely clear that all of humanity is accountable to Him, and it's much better that way.

In the event you missed the previous program, we'll begin with helpful highlights. Chuck titled his message, He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. When you're making your plans to determine who to worship, choose the one who is above all other gods, and when you're determining your direction as to who will take charge of your life, choose the one who is Lord above all who are Lords, the head monarch, the top God, the God above all gods. Daniel 4, this is a great chapter and it's given in the first person often. It seems as though it is Nebuchadnezzar's testimony. I wondered in my study if at this point in the writing of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar the king asked for the stylus and said to the prophet, let me write this section of the book.

Let me make this entry into your journal. Notice how it begins, Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, it's like he's writing it himself, to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth, may your peace abound. It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the most high God has done for me. This is not some Israelite king, this is a Babylonian king, that's what makes it unusual. And yet Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king is saying that Jehovah God is the most high God. Not his gods in Babylon, but the God of the Israelites. How great are his signs, how mighty are his wonders, his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, his dominion is from generation to generation. I Nebuchadnezzar, see the personal reference, it's as though he's giving a testimony.

I the king was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. Now Nebuchadnezzar is going back to earlier days in his life before the God of heaven was the God of his life. He says I was at ease in my house, I was flourishing in my palace, I saw a dream and it made me fearful.

And these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. You who know the story know that he saw a very unusual scene and only Daniel the prophet could give the interpretation of it. Nebuchadnezzar says that in the balance of the chapter. Now let's notice Daniel's words toward the end of the chapter, verse 24. This is the interpretation, oh king, and this is the decree of the most high which has come upon my lord the king. That you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven and seven periods of time will pass over you.

How long? You may want to mark it until you recognize that the most high is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes. And he remained in that condition for as long as it took until the recognition of past that he is indeed king of kings and lord of lords. You wonder how bad it got for Nebuchadnezzar?

Look at verse 28. All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, is this not Babylon the great which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven saying king Nebuchadnezzar to you it is declared sovereignty has been removed from you and you will be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize, here it is again, that he is king of kings and lord of lords.

Until you recognize that the most high is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes. I think the most significant part of what follows is the first word of verse 33. Immediately.

Immediately. The word concerning Nebuchadnezzar began what was fulfilled and he was driven away from mankind and he began eating grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles feathers and his nails his fingernails like birds claws. He went mad. He roamed the field like a wild animal. He lived outside for this period of sevens however long it was.

He lived away from humanity in this terrible isolated state. In fact Nebuchadnezzar verse 34 writes at the end of that period he's got the pen back in his hand I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven, must have been a wonderful moment, and my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and I praised and honored him who lives forever. He adds all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing and he, not I, he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what are you doing?

What are you up to? How dare you take charge? None can say that to him. Certainly not I. Nebuchadnezzar has bowed his knee to the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Over at 1 Timothy chapter 6, 1 Timothy 6, the final scene is one of the most descriptive and magnificent description of the Lord Jesus, of the living God as he's pictured as king of kings and Lord of lords. Look at 1 Timothy 6 verse 13. I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which he will bring about at the proper time.

Now look at this description. He who is the blessed and only sovereign. The King James Bible says the blessed and only potentate. It's the only time it's found in scripture.

Potentate. The blessed and only sovereign. The king of kings and Lord of lords who alone possesses immortality. You say I thought we had immortality. I thought we will live forever.

But wait. God is the only one who inherently possesses immortality. Throughout his existence he has never been threatened with the possibility of death. Our immortality comes as a gift from Christ. Because he has been raised, we will be raised. We are immortal because he has given us new life in himself. And the father has passed to the son and the son has passed on to us immortality.

1 Corinthians 15 uses the same word. This perishable must put on imperishable. This mortal must put on immortality. Interesting term immortality. Athanasia is the word. Thanatos is the Greek word and when you put an a-privitive in front of it, it's like putting non in front of our English word. It negates it. So it means not subject to death. A-thanatos. That's the word immortality. He possesses a-thanatos and he dwells in unapproachable light. To him be honor and eternal dominion.

Amen. When you get to the book of Revelation, you find two references to king of kings and lord of lords. Chapter 17 mentions it. Verse 14 and finally chapter 19. 1714, these will wage war against the lamb and the lamb will overcome them because he is lord of lords and king of kings.

And those who are with him are the called and chosen and faithful. And chapter 19, the scene is similar to the one in 17 where he is called, verse 16, on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written king of kings, lord of lords. One of the final names attributed to Christ in the scene of history as well as in scripture is the name king of kings and lord of lords.

What does it mean? It means, listen carefully, he is king above all who call themselves king, he is lord over all who call themselves lord. In simplest form it simply means the highest of all kings and the greatest of all lords. At every Christmas season when you hear the hallelujah chorus and you hear the resounding sounds from Handel's work, king of kings, lord of lords, remember that, remember the meaning. He is king above all who call themselves king, he is lord over all who call themselves lord. Now what's the practical effect of all of this?

Well I can think of several. First of all it means he has no equal. When we turn to him we turn to one of whom there is none greater. You know the discouraging thing about being a human being is that we always find someone greater than we are. About the time we reach a certain level of education and earn a degree we sure as the world come upon someone who has earned one beyond us.

Soon as we get a hold of our IQ and we're so proud of its number we meet someone who's got an IQ that's greater than ours. Soon as we reach a certain achievement in life no matter what it may be, it may be literary or it may be athletic, it may be in the realm of some particular technology, it may be even some invention, you will invariably find someone who has outdone you, who has outstripped your record. As every athlete will tell you, all the records we set are temporary. There will be someone who will come along someday and beat the, can it be 9 second 100 meter? Boy would that be fast, huh?

Or the 30 foot long jump or the 20 foot pole vault? Someday, sometime someone will beat that record. Because he's the king of kings and lord of lords he has no equal. No one will ever beat his record.

Here's another practical effect. He has never been and never will be outranked, overthrown or undermined. No one will come on the scene now or in the future who has a higher rank, who has greater power or who in some way can undermine his working.

Here's another thought. He knows no limitation and he experiences no frustration. Isn't that a great thought? You and I who live with such serve a God who lives with none of it. He never ends a day with a sigh.

Wouldn't that be wonderful to be like that? You turn to one who is your king of kings and lord of lords, you turn to one who never knows a frustration. He never comes up against a barrier he can't overcome or go through.

He never knows such a thing as an impossibility. He's king of kings. He's lord of lords. He salutes no one. All salute him. He bows to no one.

All bow to him. Furthermore, he remains absolutely invincible. He knows nothing of defeat. His record is only success. Victory.

Winning. That's your savior. Webster says of invincible, incapable of being conquered, overcome or subdued. That's why Moses would say when he comes to the Red Sea, stand still and watch the deliverance of the lord which you will see today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will see them no more again forever. How could he say that? Because his lord was greater than the Egyptian army. It's the same thing David said when he came running across the valley of Elah and was on his way up the slopes to sling that stone into the face of Goliath. He said under his breath, the battle is the lord's. We have nothing to fear. This stone will be led by him and it will find its mark because there is no Goliath greater than the king of kings and the lord of lords.

That has practical ramifications. We're all fighting giants, aren't we? There's no giant that he can't conquer.

The simple sling and a few stones. Why is it necessary to acknowledge this name? First because we are proud people. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we love to strut around our little kingdom and say look at what I have done.

Come on, face it. Have you built your own business or ministry from scratch? Have you accomplished something that is rather rare and impressive in the minds of other people?

Do others come and seek you out to learn the secrets of your strategy because you've done that which very few, maybe no one else has done? Makes you proud. Could easily make you proud. And because we are proud people, we need to be reminded who is in charge. When I say he is the king of kings and lord of lords, that means I am dethroned and he is enthroned above all. Being proud, I need that.

Here's another side of it. We are weak and we need the assurance that he is absolutely reliable. When you sink your head into your pillow tonight and when you sigh over that which you're facing or living with or struggling through, you're calling on one who is absolutely reliable. He will see you through. You will never hear an answer back from heaven that goes like this.

You know, I don't know really what to do about this either. He will never answer you like that. He will say things like, fear not, I am with you. Don't be dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you.

I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. He won't shriek in frustration.

He will say, be still and know that I am God. Trust me. I am the king over all who call themselves king and I am lord over all who say they are lord. I can handle it.

I am reliable. There's one more. It's necessary to acknowledge his name because we face an insidious enemy and we need to remember he can handle our adversary. I was speaking with missionaries just this past week who spoke to me directly of some demonic pressures they've been living with on the field.

They've come back to the states and they feel that some of the demonic attack is still upon them and they said, you know, we learned while we were away and they named the place where they were serving. We learned that our God is faithful. That every time we would go into these places that would otherwise frighten us, we could call on the invincible name of our lord and he never once let us down. Two grand hymns come to my mind, words of which often bring me new strength. Interestingly, they are both second stanzas of great hymns. The second stanza of Wesley's hymn, O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, says, Jesus, the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease. Tis music in the sinner's ears, tis life and health and peace. Jesus, the name, I love the way Wesley puts it, that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease. And the other is Luther's great hymn and the second stanza of A Mighty Fortress. Did we in our own strength confide our striving would be losing?

Were not the right man on our side the man of God's own choosing? Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus. It is he, Lord Savioth. It means Lord of hosts is his name.

From age to age the same and he must win the battle. May we bow. Our Father, we thank you for Christ who loved us and gave himself for us, for his authority over us, his right to reign as king over all kings and Lord above all lords. We commit to him and to you the struggles of our lives, our own inadequacies, faithlessness, weaknesses, rebellion, wrong fears, and we count on you to hold us near and dear to yourself, to be to us all that you have promised to be and to fulfill every word to the last yod and tittle as you have promised to do because you are God and because we worship your son, Christ, in whose name we pray and all the people said, Amen.

You're listening to Insight for Living. Our Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll, titled today's message, He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. This is message number two in the 12-part study on the names of God.

Chuck's teaching series is called His Name is Wonderful. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, visit us online at insightworld.org. This is a fabulous study to share with your small group at church and Insight for Living provides study notes for each of the sermons that Chuck presents. This free resource is called Searching the Scriptures. It's an interactive PDF document that's intended to help you go deeper into each topic. In fact, you can download the document, print it out, and even email it to your small group Bible study.

There's no cost. Just go to insightworld.org slash studies and follow the simple instructions. Well, recently we had the privilege of hosting our international field pastors at the headquarters of Insight for Living Ministries in Frisco, Texas. What a thrill to spend two weeks with our Vision 195 team. These are the people who deliver the Insight for Living teaching into places such as Romania, Russia, Poland, Brazil, and the Middle East, just to name a few. This opportunity to train our leaders and to worship and pray together has given us a renewed passion to fulfill the great commission of Jesus. Currently, Insight for Living is translated into eight additional languages besides English, expanding our audience in parts of the world where Bible teaching is rare. A small fraction of every gift is all it takes to translate Chuck's teaching into other languages, and you can join us in this venture by giving generously to Insight for Living. To give a donation today, call us.

If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888, or you can give online at insight.org slash donate. Treat yourself to a vacation you'll never forget on the Insight for Living Ministries Cruise to the Great Frontier with Chuck Swindoll. Honestly, I had no idea that a cruise to Alaska could be so much fun, and without a doubt, the stunning views took my breath away. God's artistic genius is on full display in Alaska. In fact, I guarantee this, you'll come home refreshed and filled with awe for His majestic creation. Yeah, at one point, our ship was getting chased by dolphins.

They were playing and spinning in the waves. It was amazing. You'll have plenty of time for adventures on shore, lingering conversations around mealtime and strolling through the idyllic ports of call. You'll be a part of some of the best parts of our day, laughing, singing and celebrating our God. Plan to come with us, won't you?

The dates are July 1st through July 8th, 2023. To learn more, call 1-888-447-0444. That's 1-888-447-0444, or visit insight.org slash events.

The tour to Alaska is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Bill Meyer. Tomorrow, Chuck Swindoll presents a helpful message on the meaning of Messiah. Be sure to join us Wednesday here on Insight for Living. The preceding message, He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, was copyrighted in 1987, 1992, and 1998, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 1998 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.