The Lord Reigns

Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV) 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Introduction:

• What has happened had a purpose.
• What has happened has served to advance the Gospel.
• While writing this letter Paul was in prison.
• Not because he was a criminal or broke the law but for the preaching Jesus.
• Acts 5:41 (ESV) …… rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor

  for the name.

• Blessed are those who are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the Christ.
• It is better to obey God than the laws of man as it pertains to the preaching of

  the Gospel upon this earth.

1. The Lord reigns over all the earth, the heavens, and time and every living thing will acknowledge His reign.

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV) 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1.1.  The Lord is in sovereign control over all the earth.

1.2.  The Lord God has highly exalted the Name of Jesus.

1.3.  Every other name pales in comparison to this great name.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, Romans 8:32…… how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

1.4.  God is the King over all the universe.

1.5.  “He has absolute Creator rights over this world and everyone in it. “

1.6.  “But there is a rebellion and mutiny on all sides, and His authority is scorned by millions”

* We will come back to this point.

2. God reigning over creation.

Romans 1:20 (ESV) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

2.1.  Creations obeys and speaks of it’s Creator.

2.2.  Every year the seasons come and go as programmed acknowledging the Lord’s reign.

2.3.  The sunrise and sunsets can be predicted into the future acknowledging the reign of God.

2.3.1. 6:44 AM; Friday, February 11, 2124 (CST) Sunrise in Mandeville

2.4.  The waters of the earth rise and fall according to their design nevernsurpassing the boundaries the Lord God set for them.

2.5.  The animals of the earth continue to migrate

2.5.1.  Gray whale — An eastern gray whale migrating 14,000 miles from Russian waters to Mexico and back year after year.

2.5.2.  Wildebeest — At the end of the rainy season East African hastens on a circular migration of between 500-,1000 miles around the Serengeti year upon year.

2.5.3.  Caribou 1500 miles to avoid the heat.

2.5.4.  Penguins migrate in an 8,000-mile circle around the Ross Sea off Antarctica

2.5.5. The Alaskan bar-tailed godwit holds the record for the longest nonstop journey through the air. Its annual migration is approximately 15,500 miles, but its journey between Alaska and New Zealand — a journey of 7,000 miles — is done without food or rest in a staggering eight days.

2.6.  Why they achieve such feats is because their Creator coded it into them and they are acknowledging the Lord reign over all creation.

2.7.  But very differently God made us in His own image.

2.7.1. As as such He placed eternity within us so that he could reign in us and through us.

3. God reigning in our heart.

2 Corinthians 6:16 (ESV) 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

3.1. There is no Great Temple built with man’s hands that God is currently reigning in instead the temple of the Lord is one that was formed with God’s hands while man was inside his/her mother’s womb.

3.1.1. Let us restore the throne of God upon our hearts.
3.1.2. The river of God flows from the heart that has the Lord reigning.

3.1.3. A throne established when man truly calls upon the Name of Jesus and bows our hearts to Him.
3.2. Without God reigning in our heart we all become restless wanderers like Cain.

Genesis 4:11-12 (ESV) 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

3.2.1. We were not created to wander but to be planted. 3.2.2. Wandering to many beliefs.
3.2.3. Wandering to many lifestyles.
3.2.4. Wandering to be ruled by many lesser gods.

3.3. The fear of God reigning in our heart restrains.

3.3.1. Just do well and what is right.

Genesis 4:7 (ESV) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.

Leviticus 25:17 (ESV) You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God.

3.3.2. Matthew Henry “(Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible) The fear of God reigning in the heart, would restrain from doing wrong to our neighbor in word or deed. Assurance was given that they should be great gainers, by observing these years of rest. If we are careful to do our duty, we may trust God with our comfort. They should not want food in that year in which they neither sowed or reaped. This was a miracle for an encouragement to all God’s people, in all ages, to trust him in the way of duty. There is nothing lost by faith and self-denial in obedience. Some asked, What shall we eat the seventh year? Thus many Christians anticipate evils, questioning what they shall do, and fearing to proceed in the way of duty. But we have no right to anticipate evils, so as to distress ourselves about them. To carnal minds we may appear to act absurdly, but the path of duty is ever the path of safety.”

4. God reigning in our preaching:

Romans 10:14-18 (NKJV) 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”

4.1.  The news of the Kingdom of God must be preached, will be advanced and shall soon be established.

4.1.1.  Wether while in prison of as free men and women.

4.1.2.  And the Lord will see to it that His Kingdom is established.

4.1.3.  Why, Because God reigns over all the earth; And that He would be glorified.

4.1.4.  So that is why we are here in Church, on the Lord’s day, proclaiming God reigns over all the universe.

4.1.5.  Preaching goes forth bringing good news…

4.2.  As it is, for now, full amnesty is offered to all rebellious souls ….

4.2.1.  “What is driving the heart of God in demanding that we submit to his authority and in offering the mercy of amnesty?”

4.2.2.  For His glory will not be given to another.

4.2.2.1. Every knee shall bow.

4.2.2.2. Every tongue shall confess.

4.2.3.  There is an unwavering passion to see to it that God’s own Name is glorified.

4.2.4.  Therefore the rebellion will be ended.

4.2.5.  The offer of amnesty will come to an end.

5. God reigning and receiving the glory due to Him.

Isaiah 48:9-11 (ESV) 9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

5.1.  Give God the glory due to His Name.

5.2.  There is no glory in forced obedience.

5.2.1.  Ela… “well if God knows everything and has control of everything then why did He allow Eve to eat of the fruit.”

5.2.2.  Forced obedience is not what God seeks.

5.2.3.  But instead to so fill the earth with His glory and with men and women shining for the glory of God that those who have it in them to obey and follow would do so and the rest simply would not.

5.2.4.  “If there is no gladness in the subject there is no glory to the King.” Piper

5.2.5.  But if instead we are glad to be subjects and live under the constraints of holy and royal authority than all the glory is offered tot he King.

5.3. But mankind has to relinquish our freedoms and control of our own lives to the reign and authority of God in our life.

Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV) 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

5.3.1.  Count it all lost.

5.3.2.  Like a treasure found in a field.

5.3.2.1.Ela… What sacrifice would dit be if I told you to go buy that piece of property because under neath it is an oil Reserve that will take care of your family lineage for the remaining time upon this earth.

5.3.2.2.And yet a greater treasure is ay our finger tips and we are barely accessing it’s benefits.

5.4. The Lord is reigning working all things together for your good and to His glory.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

5.4.1. To those who love Him.

Let’s get the context …

Romans 8:18 for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…

Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

5.4.2.  It can be a scary thing to hope in something that we cannot see.

5.4.3.  That his why our fear of God needs ot be greater than our fear of the unknown.

5.5. ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER!

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together

5.5.1.  We cannot get fixated on one event in life.

5.5.2.  Ela… something unexpected happens and it becomes our woe is me… when it was just one part of *all things*

5.5.3.  Not one thing is isolated from the plan of God.

5.5.4.  The Lord takes this and that and puts them all together to accomplish His great plan.

5.5.5.  Ela… Acts 27 & 28: Paul as a prisoner, taken on a ship to Rome, was on was storm battered, wind driven, supplies depleted, and finally run a ground only to survive a snake bite, to be proclaimed to be a god………. And then and only then did a healing revival come.

Conclusion:

• To be found in Christ.
• To experience in the here and now the power of His resurrection.
• To tangibly know His rule over our lives.
• To fully trust.
• Allowing God to provide for all your needs without the anxiety.