Sermon Series: 3 Kings (Advent 2011)

Dec 11 – King of Cities  Isaiah 9.6-7

The kings of this world have fame, power, and wealth.  This is the temptation that mankind has faced since the serpent lied to our first parents saying, “You can be like God.”  Though men know who is truly King, because of sin men reject the rightful king and build our own kingdoms.  When Jesus comes, he does not offer a better political platform to live by, he comes to destroy our kingdoms built on the foundation of sin and re-establish God’s rightful rule on the foundation of the cross.  Apart from grace, men will fight for their own kingdoms.  Irrational, hostile, and violent toward God’s rule, men will fight to the death before they give up various parts of their kingdom to Jesus Lordship. 

Dec 18 – King of Fields Luke 2.18-20

The first pronouncement of Jesus’ arrival did was not to men of fame, fortune or wealth.  At the birth of Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in the fields.   The glory of the Lord filled these men with fear.  Unlike Herod, did not feel threatened or fear losing their “kingdom”. Their fear of God’s glory led them to pursue Him, to know Him, and to praise Him.  In the fear and humility of these shepherds, we see how God’s rule transforms the hearts of his people.  And His people are not royalty, or representative of the best and brightest. Instead, we see God’s intention to use what is weak in the world to shame the wise. What a picture of the work of Jesus Christ. Not only that he chooses these poor shepherds to be the witnesses of the birth, but that He does the work to transform the lowly of this world into the glory of the Lord.

Dec 24 –King of Kings 1Peter 1.12 

The gospel is the good news of what Jesus has done to reconcile us to God.  The Greek term “gospel” (ev-angelion) distinguished the Christian message from that of other religions.  An “ev-angel” was news of a great historical event that changed the listeners’ condition and required response like a victory in a great war. In this case, the cross is the proclamation of the ascension of a new and rightful king.  Our King did not come to be served, but to serve and die for his people.  He gave up all that was rightfully his in terms of fame, power, and wealth. The only appropriate response is our worshipful allegiance. This kind of allegiance is not simply superficial acknowledgment or respect, it is complete, uncompromising, and joy-filled submission to the Lordship of our Savior.  Would your life look any different if your allegiance to Jesus stopped this very moment?