Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world, so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Our final. Installments in the King is Coming series.
You're like, I feel like the King is coming. We've been in here so long. We are on. We started the year with this series, and we are still talking about the King is coming. But last time I checked, there's a whole lot in this Bible about our King.
And the more you know about our King, the more you know about our Savior, the more you're going to love Him. And we're going to talk about it today. Of course, we spent so much time in the Old Testament on. The prophetic side of things that the king would be coming, and Jesus came. And I want you just, just I wouldn't say review.
I just want to show you just a little bit of a trail through the Gospels about Jesus being king. The little tidbits here and there, and then I'm going to explain why we landed on our passage today. Want you to notice in Matthew chapter two, verse two, and notice here saying, "Where is he that is born?" All the way back to the wise men. Knowing, because of reading Scripture, that there would be a sign, all the way back to them. Notice how they viewed him.
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Notice this: He's not going to be crowned; he is born. He's already King of the Jews. For we have seen his star.
Now, notice that only a king would own the stars. And only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords would own the sky that He created. We have seen His star in the east and are come to worship. Him, Matthew twenty one verse five. Just to jump around here a little bit, tell ye the daughter of Sion or Zion, behold thy king.
This is a prophetic from the book of Zechariah. Thy king cometh unto thee. Jesus would be a lamb. He would be a savior. He would be Lord.
He would be servant. But he is king. Thy king cometh unto thee. In Matthew twenty seven, and notice this all the way to the. Where Jesus is being mocked and ridiculed and crucified, set up over his head this accusation written.
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. By the way, they were making fun, but he is the King. Notice in the Book of Luke, in Chapter One. Notice this this prophetic here that Jesus he shall be great. By the way, Jesus is great.
And shall be called the son of the highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, all the way back to prophetic about the King David through his lineage and through his throne, be the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom, and you ought to thank God for this. There shall be no end. Luke nineteen. Saying, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Notice even in the book of John in verse forty-nine, Nathaniel. Nathaniel answered and said unto him, "Rabbi, here he is. Rabbi, he's teacher. Thou art the Son of God.
So he's teacher. He's God. Thou art the King of Israel." Here we find all the way through. There's just these tidbits to remind us that Jesus is King. Notice in John six fifteen, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Listen, Jesus didn't want to be made a king. Jesus was already king, but he willingly came as the King of Kings, became man for us, died for us, was buried and rose again, so that he can be our king eternally. Notice in John twelve, on the next day, much people that were come to the feast we preached. About this recent, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel, that cometh in the name of the Lord." And many of those people that called him King denied him and left him within a few hours.
And there is our tension from the very start of this series: we want a King, but we don't want a King. We want the king to be just, but we don't always want him to be just to us. We we want him to be in charge. But then, at times in our own personal life, we don't want him to be in charge. It's that constant battle of our flesh and our spirit.
And this is Memorial Day weekend. And you say, preacher, how does this whole series on the King? How does this equate to Memorial Day weekend?
Well, I'm so glad that you asked, even though you didn't. In First Timothy chapter one, I want you to notice something interesting. As Brother Frank read these verses, I want you to follow this. In verse one, it tells us not only who is writing, but it gives us some credentials here. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God.
So he was what he was because God called and God commanded, and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope, by the way, and and he still is our hope. You know why? Because he his kingdom has no end. You and I have a hope that has no end. That's why you can have a disease that's going to take your life, but it can't take your hope.
Notice verse two, unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.
So here is Paul writing to the next generation. Here is Paul getting ready to share something to the next generation of great importance. By the way, Memorial Day is just that; it is us. A generation that appreciates all the generations before that have given their lives and served our country and fought for our freedom that we get to enjoy today. We constantly look at this every year and we bring it up every year and we celebrate it every year because we want all generations to know what was done for them.
Can I have an amen right there? And Paul wants Timothy to know what's been done for him. Notice this. My own son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, Paul's getting ready to give a memorial here. Paul begins to tell Timothy, "This is what I was. This is how I was." I want you to notice here in verse eleven, and it'll be on the screen for you. According To the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust, Paul said, "Timothy, this gospel that changed my life, God's now entrusted me with it." Look at verse twelve, and I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me.
So God's entrusted me with this, but God's enabled me for that. He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Look at this memorial Paul is giving here to Timothy. He said God is the one that made this whole thing possible. God is the one that saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself.
He counted me faithful, and God is the one through His mercy He has put me into the ministry. Paul says, Timothy, we see God's commission, God's compass. And God's call. And Timothy, I don't deserve it, but God's entrusted me with this. It's the gospel that's changed my life.
And by the way, Kerwin Baptist Church, the gospel is still what changes lives. Quit getting all bent out of shape about religion. And I see people say this, and I see them live. I see a young generation that is confused, and they're kind of angry. They've been taught this their whole life, but they see how people act, and they see what people do.
Listen to me. We people are hypocrites. We are failures. We are flesh. Quit putting your trust in people and quit banking your faith on people.
Paul says, "Listen, God's the one that's done this. God's the one that's enabled me. God's the one that put me in the ministry. The gospel is about Him. It's not about me.
It's not about man's religion. It's about a relationship, not a rule." Listen to what he says. God's entrusted me with this. He's He's enabled me. He gave me a commission.
He counted me faithful. I don't see me as faithful, but God saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. And His mercy has allowed me to do this. You say, where are you going with this preacher? Hold on.
Look at verse thirteen. Who was before? Paul said, Timothy. Let me let me explain this. You might look at me right now, and you think, "Oh, you know, here is this great man of God, and whatever the case might be." And Paul is thinking, "Whatever you see in me, I want you to know the real me." Look what Paul says, which was before a blasphemer.
I wouldn't dare do that now, but that's what I was, and a persecutor, an injurious. What does injurious mean? It means he caused injury. He didn't just persecute Christians; he hurt Christians.
Some were even killed. He says, "Notice this." But I obtained mercy.
Now, do you hear what he's saying there? He said, "Timothy, I did never give mercy. I never showed mercy, but Jesus showed me mercy." Let me give you this memorial, Timothy. This is what I was. This is what I did.
But this is what Jesus did, and this is who Jesus is. Notice what he says here: "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant." Do you hear that? Paul is saying this: God's grace was more than my sin. God's grace was greater than my failure. God's grace was bigger than me.
It was exceeding abundant in Kerwin Baptist Church. Can I just take a time on Memorial Day to remind you what's been done for you? God's grace is bigger than you, and God's grace—aren't you thankful—is bigger than all the sins you've committed. God's grace is bigger than any of the failures you've had. God's grace is bigger than that old rotten attitude and spirit that comes up inside of you every once in a while.
God's grace is exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. Look at verse fifteen. We're not even to the verse yet, but hold on. Paul said, "Timothy, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. You better hear it.
You better believe it. You better live it. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." And Paul said, "Let me tell you where I fit into this. I'm the chief." Now Paul could have called himself the chief apostle. He could have called himself the chief Christian.
He could have called himself the chief church planner. The chief evangelist. He could have called himself a lot of things. But the only credit Paul gave to himself was that I'm the worst sinner that's ever lived. Look at verse 16.
How be it? Boy, I love that word. By the way, some of you young guys, you want it? You say, you know. I feel like I want to preach, or maybe God's called me to preach.
Just get that word "how be it." Get you a concordance. Come up with some sermons on that word "how be it." Notice this: "How be it for this cause, I obtain mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering." For a pattern to them, which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting. Paul says, "Listen, God's entrusted this gospel to me, and now I am taking this gospel not just to the Jew, but to the Gentile. But I am taking this gospel to the world. God has allowed me to give the truth that all can come to Christ.
That Christ died for all. That any man, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." What a memorial!
So now we come to verse 17. Paul ends with this: as he's told, this is what God did. This is what I was. This is what I am now. This is what God did for me.
This is who God is. This is how He changed my life. Verse 17.
Now, because of all this, because of all that I've shared, now unto the King eternal. Immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. And then we have this little exclamation point. Say it with me, Kerwin. Amen.
Let me say it again. Amen. This verse is a doxology. You're like, ooh, that's a fancy term, preacher. What is a doxology?
A doxology is a short expression of praise. To God, doxologies are found in Scripture. Many of you think doxology is the little song that your formal church used to sing at the end of every service. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Y'all, y'all know what I'm talking about.
The word doxology is a combination of two words: doxa, which means glory. And Logia, Logia, Logos, which means word. Doxology is literally a word of glory, a declaration that glorifies God. Paul says, Timothy, this this is the whole story.
Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible.
So we're going to jump into it. Paul says, "This is how everything started. This is what God did. This is who I was. This is how bad I was.
This is how good God is. Not only did God show me mercy, but He showed compassion. He gave me a call. He enabled me. He allowed me to be in the very ministry that I fought hard to kill.
God's done all this. It's all because of Him. I can't take credit. I can't take the glory.
So all the glory and honor goes to Him." So we want to jump into this today quickly. Notice number one, Paul praises Jesus for His permanence. He says, "First now." To the King Eternal, Jesus' rule and reign is timeless. Listen to me, Kerwin. It is not bound by history, and it is not bound for the future.
Jesus reigns beyond the limitation of time. This doesn't just mean King Eternal; that He will always be King. This means He always has been King. Do you understand that the King Eternal doesn't mean well? He's King now, and he always will be.
No, it means he's King now. He always will be, but that he always has been. Nobody made him King. He was already King.
So, because nobody put him on the throne, nobody can take him off the throne. Listen. Jesus's rule does not depend on us. His reign was not initiated by you. His kingdom is not built upon us.
It's his throne, his kingdom, his name, his glory, his power. He is not a king eternal. He is the king eternal. He is not the king eternal as long as things work out correctly, or as long as circumstances continue to align, or if everything works out like we hope. He is king.
He was. King, he always will be king, and it has nothing to do with you, and it has nothing to do with what happens. He was the king eternal. He is the king eternal. He always will be the king eternal, and that was settled in heaven a long time before you and I showed up.
Paul realized that. Let me tell you why he sure did try to fight this king. Paul of anybody was the one that probably put forth as good a fight against our King Eternal. He tried to fight Jesus' purpose. He tried to fight Jesus' people.
He tried to fight Jesus' plan. But you can't defeat a King that created you. And on the road to Damascus, on his way to try to kill more of Jesus' people. He met a living eternal King on the road to Damascus. That's why Paul looks at Timothy and says, "He's the King Eternal." You're looking at a guy that tried to do everything to prove that wrong, and yet that King proved me wrong.
His permanence. I want you to understand today: when you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, it's not a temporary decision. Listen, that's why I believe with all my heart. When you get saved, you cannot lose your salvation because He's not a temporary King; He's an eternal King. Everything Jesus does is eternal.
So why would salvation be any different? He eternally covered the cost for our sin. His blood eternally used to be that they had to have a new lamb and a new sacrifice, but when our lamb came, he died once and for all because he's the King Eternal. Number two, I want you to see not just his permanence, but Paul praises him for his purity. He says, "Now unto the King Eternal," and he uses this word immortal.
Now, you and I, in the English language, we kind of look at immortal, and we just think that means that you live. And so, what's the difference? You live forever, or something like that. Why is that different than the word eternal? But I want you to understand, immortal doesn't just mean that.
It's a Greek word. It's called apthartos. If I say it correctly, hope Pat's not laughing at me. This word means undecaying. It means not corruptible.
Which means, yes, you do live forever. Because you don't decay, because you can't be corrupted, but but the the real meaning of this word immortal isn't just the fact that you always exist. It means you always because you can't be decayed, because you can't be corrupted. It means God is incorruptible. Jesus is incorruptible.
He is not subject to decay. He is not subject to death. His life and his essence are perfectly holy and unending. You find something in the book of Acts, and I want you. You see this?
Don't know if you've ever noticed this, but you need to understand that in context of what Paul looks at Timothy and says, you're not just serving an eternal king; you're serving an immortal king who cannot be decayed, who cannot be corrupted. You and I have a government that can be corrupted. Listen, you are listening to a pastor that can be corrupted. I'm flesh. I'm human.
Look at this verse in Acts chapter two, verse thirty. Please get this. You find in the book of Acts that even after Jesus died on the cross and was buried, that even his body never was subject to decay. Do you understand? The moment that you die, your body begins to decay.
Look at Acts chapter two, verse thirty. Please see this. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He seeing this before spake. Notice this, Kerwin, of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
When Paul looks at Timothy and says, "You have an immortal king," it means even in death he was not subject to corruption. His body never saw corruption. By the way, as Jesus lived thirty-three and a half years here on earth, and he never participated in corruption. He's immortal. He's eternal.
He can't be corrupted. Look at First Peter one eighteen. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things. Like silver and gold from your vain converse, you can't listen. You weren't redeemed because of you, because everything you and I do can be corrupted, because we are corrupted.
We're sinners. Can I have an amen right there? But notice this: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb. Listen to this about corruption without blemish. And without it, simply means Jesus never saw corruption before he came to earth.
Jesus never was corrupted while he was here on earth, and even in death, his body never faced any kind of corruption. That's doctrine. I don't know if you know that.
Now unto the King, permanent, eternal, pure, immortal. Notice number three, he praises him for his presence. He uses this interesting word, "invisible." Wow!
So how do you know he's there? You know, God cannot be seen with human eyes, yet He is ever present. God cannot be seen anywhere, but He is everywhere. Let me put it this way: His presence is veiled, but he's always very present. You go in the Old Testament, you find that Moses wanted to see the glory of God, and God said, "Moses, you can't handle it." But Moses wanted to see the glory of God, so Moses literally, God took Moses and hid him in the cleft of the rock.
And the Bible says that God's glory passed by, and and all Moses was allowed to glimpse was just the afterglow, just the after effects of God's glory. And it changed Moses so much that when he came down off the mountain, his face was so bright. That the people in the camp couldn't even look at his face because of the way it had been impacted by God's glory. God is invisible for your safety. You say, "God, I want to see you." No, you don't.
You'd be done. Why is He invisible? You ever thought about that? Why is God? Why is Jesus invisible to us?
Because the Bible says we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Can I show you a verse? First Timothy chapter six, verse fifteen. Look at this, which in his times he shall show. Christ is going to show who is that blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings, and you can't see him right now, but in time he's going to show who is the King of Kings.
Notice this: who only hath immortality, immortal. Paul just said, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, invisible. You can't come close. To God's light, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power, everlasting. And we have this word again, Kerwin.
Can you say it with me? Amen. Paul looks at Timothy and says, "Listen, he's invisible. Look at me, Kerwin. Kerwin.
Kerwin. Look, we're not far from being done, but please get this. What Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you're going to serve God. Listen, I was as bad as they come. God's mercy gave grace to me.
I met him on the road to Damascus. He changed everything about my life. But don't forget, Timothy, I've been stoned." Don't forget, I've been persecuted.
Now I'm the guy that did the persecuting. I've been persecuted. Listen, Timothy, if you're not careful, you're going to have times in your life where you can't see God. Where you can't see what Jesus is doing in Kerwin Baptist Church, I want to encourage you. You might be have some things going on in your life right now, and you can't see God in it, and you can't understand or realize what God is doing because of this.
But you have to by faith believe that although I can't see Him, I know He's here, and although I don't necessarily see what He's doing, I know He's doing what is right in Kerwin Baptist Church. By faith, we need to understand He is the King Eternal, and He is the King. Immortal, but he is the King, invisible. You might not see him, but he's here, and he's coming again. I remember years ago.
There's certain things in your childhood you remember.
Some I can't tell you. Certain things will jar your your very being. You remember the rest of your life. But I remember one time as a kid. I don't even know.
I'm sure Walmart was in existence, but I don't remember a childhood with Walmart. It was only Kmart back in those days. How many of you remember Kmart? Yeah. And when we were on the road in evangelism, every once in a while, obviously, Mom would need to go to Kmart.
That's the one place where you kind of try to get everything. This is before those stores had groceries and everything else in them. I went with my dad. I was just a I was just a little guy. But I remember it.
Dad said, "Listen, you go with me." And Dad was going to go to the home section. You know, I believe you start off life going to the toy section, and then as you get older, you want to go to the sports section and find all the things for your sports. And then after that, then you want to go to the automotive section. You got your first car, and now you want to purchase things for that. And then you know you get married and different things.
Now you want to go to the home section, and if you live long enough, you want to go back to the toy section.
So I went with my dad. My dad had to go to the home section, and he said, "Dan, you come with me. I want to go watch the. I want to go see the toys. I want to go to the toys." Dad said, "You come with me.
We'll go to the toy section." So dad was doing some shopping there in the home section, but as a little guy, you just lose patience, and I don't know what happens.
Somehow, I just began to wander around looking for the toy section.
Somehow I walked upon the pearly gates of the toy section, and I began looking through there. I want that. I want that. I want that. I want that.
Never stopping to think that my dad wasn't with me. And after I had looked around that toy section for a little bit, all of a sudden, where's my dad? I'll never forget it.
Some of you, I have told you this before. All of a sudden, I began looking around. I was like, Dad, Dad. Dad, Dad! You ever been in a Walmart or a Kmart, and you know that kid got lost?
Dad! You know the next step is please. If Dan Houghtrey is here, would you put? You know. And I got to the point I was panicking and screaming.
All of a sudden, my dad stepped right around the aisle, and he goes, "Daniel!" And I went, "Oh, Dad!" And I ran to him. Little did I know, later my dad watched me wander off and followed me without me seeing him. My dad watched me walking around the toy section, where I couldn't see him. And all of a sudden, he waited till I got desperate. Then I got scared half to death.
Then I was panicked, and he let the whole thing happen. You know why? Teaching me a lesson that even though you can't see God, God always sees you. Paul said, "Timothy, you're going to have some things happen, and you're going to be sitting there thinking." Where's where's God in this? Remember, He's eternal and He's immortal, but He's invisible for a reason, because you have to learn to walk by faith and not by sight.
Once you notice number four, He praises Jesus for His preeminence. He said He's the King eternal. He's immortal. He's invisible, but He is the only wise. God.
He alone is sovereign in wisdom and power. This means that Jesus is our source for worship, and He is our source for wisdom. Notice the phrase.
So we see here that He is God. We see that He is a wise God, and we see that He is the only God. What does that mean? I worship Him because He's God. I trust him because he's wise.
I believe in him because there is no other. He is the only wise God. Let me give you a verse. Look at Revelation chapter five. Look at verse twelve.
Saying with a loud voice, here we have prophetic. What is going to happen? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive what power and riches and wisdom. And strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing, and every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory." Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast.
The Curtwood Baptist Church is located at forty five twenty Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at three three six nine nine three five one nine two, or via the web at KerwinBaptistChurch dot com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
