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INTRODUCTION
If any of us needed a reminder of how fragile, we as human beings are, then the flu virus has certainly
reminded us of that. Some of you know that from experience, but even those who are physically strong have been brought low by it. Yet it is amazing, that even though we know that a little virus can lay us
aside for weeks, yet we as human beings think that we can fight God and win.
That is exactly what we have in the opening verses of this Psalm. Now this Psalm is Messianic, its
focus is upon Jesus the King, the Conqueror, the Saviour (v 7). The early verses raise a Question about man's rebellion against God.
1. THE QUESTION (vs. 1-3)
The why in v1 is there not because God wants to know, but to bring our attention to the stupidity of the
situation. It is stupid and foolish to think that mankind who can be laid low for days and sometimes weeks by a small virus can some how think that by rebelling against God they can get rid of His rule and
authority.
They think that they can do away with God. Look at these verses with me. Here we have all the great
nations in the world, coming together, in what can be described as a united nations with the sole intention of opposing God and His anointed One (Messiah), so that they can break His rule and authority upon their
lives (v 3).
The word plot is the same word translated meditate in Psalm1:2, and as I said in the previous Psalm, it
means to think and chew over something. So here we have all the nations of the world, thinking all the time of ways to get rid of God and His rule over them.
Not only are they stupid to think they can overthrow God, but their thinking about Him is stupid as
well. Remember when Jesus came into this world and commenced His ministry He said that He came to release the oppressed, to bring freedom (Luke 4:18-19). But in verse 3, they see God's rule, authority
and power as chains and fetters that they want to break free from and be released from. While they continue to think like that, they remain in chains even though they think they are free.
Let us take a few minutes to apply this. If there is anything that is likely to unite people today, it
is in opposition to Christ. In the New Testament, those who were enemies of Jesus, mainly the Pharisees and Sadducees laid aside their differences in order to conspire against Jesus (Matthew 16:1). The
Jews and Gentiles united together in order to plot against Jesus (Acts 4:23-28). In some countries throughout our world, Christians are persecuted by Islamic fundamentalists, Communists, and fundamentalists of
other faiths. In our western world, the laws that have been passed and will be passed in the future are laws opposed to God's rule.
Even Parties who do not agree on very much come together to pass unchristian laws and in doing so they are
fighting God. The age of consent for homosexuals is an example, where there is clear cross party agreement on this issue, yet the sexual attitudes and lifestyle survey showed that only 1:1% of men had a
homosexual partner in the previous year, with 0.3% having exclusively homosexual partners throughout their life time.
Yet for such a small group of people our Politicians are determined to lower the age of consent, and are
determined to repeal section 28, which forbids Homosexuality to be taught in schools.
Then we have the suppressing of God's truth in our schools, where Christianity is no longer taught as an
exclusive faith, but just one equal with many others. Then there is the intense dislike of the real Jesus that raises its head in people whenever the truth of God's Word is presented. People are tolerant as
long as the Jesus we present is meek and mild, but not one who rules, judges and condemns.
Why? The answer is found in this Psalm, our politicians are fighting God; they are trying to shake of
the shackles of His rule and authority over them. How stupid our nation and our politicians are? How foolish we are? When God looks at all the nations in the world, with all their supposed power, God
says they are like dust on the scales or like a drop in the bucket (Isaiah 40:15) compared to Him and His great power.
I know when it comes to war between man and God whose side I want to be on. What about you? For
unless you humble yourself, and submit to His rule and authority of your life, then you are fighting God and you simply cannot win. How do you submit to God's rule in your life, by submitting to His
anointed One, Jesus Christ who died and rose again in order to conquer His enemies? You must turn from your sin, and stop fighting God.
Perhaps like v 3 you are thinking wrongly about God, you think to submit to him would bring you into
bondage, but the truth is that you are in bondage now, in bondage to sin and Satan, and the purpose for Christ coming is to release you from that bondage and give you true freedom which is found in Christ alone.
2. GOD'S REACTION (vs. 4-6)
I just love v 4. Here we have all the super powers in this world, with all their weaponry, and power,
doing their worst, opposing God and His people, and as God looks at this, He laughs in derision at them. He scoffs at them. If nothing else encourages you then let this verse encourage you. The world
making war with God is like me, going into the ring to fight Lennox Lewis. He would stand and laugh at me.
Do you know what God laughs at, He rules through His Son, and that's it, and to think how arrogant the
nations of this world are, to think that they can oppose Him. Who do Tony Blair and our politicians think they are to oppose almighty God?
Turn back with me Acts 4:28; here we have Jews, Gentiles and the Romans authorities who think that they are
getting rid of Jesus, but what they didn't realise was that they were actually doing what God decided to happen. Is it no wonder God laughs at the cleverness of man?
But it's not just that God laughs in derision at the attempts of men to overthrow Him, but He is angry
with them, and terrifies them by sending His king (Jesus vs. 6-7). You see if Jesus came to conquer and rule, He had to be established as King, and come in power to conquer sin and Satan and free those whom He
has chosen for salvation. Jesus of course won that victory by dying and rising for His people, actions that the world thought meant that they had defeated Jesus, but actually meant that God in Jesus had
defeated them.
So although the unbelieving world may still rant and rave and do all they can to oppose the rule of God in
Jesus Christ, God laughs from heaven, because He knows that one day "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."
Listen to the words of Revelation 11:15 and notice the response in verse 16. Christian does this rich
treasure from the word of God make you humble yourself before almighty God and worship Him. What about the unbeliever here. Does such truth not make you repent of your sins and flee to this King for
salvation? If you do not do that then you should be terrified by the fact that God has sent His Son, and has installed him as King, and has given to Him as His inheritance the nations of this
world. Everything is under the authority and rule of God (vs. 6-8).
This King will rule with a rod of iron (v 9), and anyone who opposes Him will be dashed to pieces like
pottery. O this is not the picture that some of us have in our minds of Jesus, this is not the same picture that we thought about a few weeks ago of this Jesus coming into the world, as a helpless baby. This is
not picture of the Jesus who went about doing good, healing all diseases etc.
All those other pictures are true, but they are not the complete picture, and here in this Psalm we have
Jesus ruling and putting down anyone who opposes Him and His rule. That's why the installation of God's king ought to terrify us if we are still not Christians this evening. Because if you continue to
oppose His rule in your life, then one day He will crush you.
Let me give you the end of the story concerning the ultimate rule of Jesus. Turn to Revelation
20:11-14, and here we read about the great Judgement of God and all whose names are not found in the book of life are cast into hell (v 15).
That should terrify you, if you are not a Christian. It terrified people in bible times, look at Mark
1:23-25, the evil Spirit was terrified at Jesus presence, look at Mark 5:7 and the man who is being tortured by an evil spirit pleads with Jesus not to torture him.
Is it no wonder God laughs, at the futile attempts of mankind to dethrone Him? We ought to fall down on
our knees terrified because He is the King who reigns, and we ought to beg Him not to torture us.
If you are a Christian then this truth should motivate you to love and serve this King, to give Him
everything because He has delivered you, from the terror of hell. It should also encourage us to reach out with the gospel, for how does King Jesus take possession of his inheritance in verse 8. By the
preaching of the gospel by His church throughout the world, and through the prayer of His people.
Christians who fail to evangelise and pray; have failed to understand the full story of Jesus and His rule
and Kingship. But as Christians we also need to realise that because this world is opposed to God and plot to get rid of His authority, and because we belong to God, they will plot against God by plotting
against us. Therefore opposition and persecution is the normal Christian experience because by opposing us as Christians they are opposing God and His rule in Jesus.
3. GOD'S WARNING (vs. 10-12)
Because of God's response to this world's opposition to Him, because He has established Jesus as
King, and because He will dash anyone who opposes His rule, God warns this world. He calls upon the rulers to be wise. In N. Ireland when someone is acting silly or in a stupid way we have a little
saying. It's Wise up! God says tonight to all our world leaders Wise up!
Do they not know that they are under the authority of God who rules through His Son Jesus? Do they not
know He has power to destroy at any moment (v 12 cf. Revelation 6:15-17)? That's why they should serve the Lord with fear, that's why they should rejoice with trembling (v 11).
How do they serve Him? By kissing the Son. A Kiss is an action of love and endearment. It's a
term for embracing Jesus, as King, as Lord and as Saviour. Let's get personal never mind the rulers of this world, what about you.
Have you embraced Jesus for salvation? He who loves, and is full of grace and truth. Yet He who
judges and destroys all who oppose His rule. Have you been opposing Christ, His rule His authority in your life? Then please if I can say to you as graciously and lovingly as I can. Please wise up, and
embrace the Son as your King and Saviour.
If you do that then you will take refuge in Him. There is no refuge from Jesus and His anger and
authority. You cannot hide from him or flee from His wrath. But you can find refuge in Him. If you do that and I would love to help you do that, then you will indeed be a truly blessed person (v 12)
Amen.
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