A Hymn to Christ the King

November 26, 1989

Revelation 4 and 5

Introduction:

We have come to the end of another church year's cycle. Next Sunday we begin the year all over again with Advent, as we look forward with faith and joy to the celebration of the coming of our Lord to this earth.

On the "last Sunday" of the year it is good to set aside a little time to simply reflect on the greatness and the goodness of our God, and to affirm with joy that we believe He is the King of kings, the Almighty, the Sovereign of all existence.

If we try to keep up with "the news" from all parts of the world, and from all areas of society, we might be asked by skeptics, "What does reading dead poetry from an old book have to do with what is really happening?" And that is probably a fair question. We can only speak with conviction about what we believe to be real and important.

But it is precisely because the "news" of our day is (at once) thrilling and threatening that we need to AFFIRM OUR FAITH IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD!

Such an affirmation is an affirmation of an already existing personal and corporate faith. It may never convince a skeptic. But it gives great satisfaction to those who know God. [And we may know Him! God reveals Himself to those who seek Him!]

And just such an affirmation is found in the Book of the Revelation, chapters four and five. After John's vision has begun, and he has met the glorified Christ, and after John has received Christ's message to each of the seven churches, then comes a vision of the majesty of heaven, and a glimpse of the Throne of God Himself. Let me read to you at some length from these two chapters:

[From Revelation 4: 1-8. (This is an hymn of praise to God in His eternal mystery.)

[Then 4:9-11 (entire.) (This is an hymn of praise, acknowledging God's creating and sustaining glory.)

[Then, from Revelation 5:1-14. (This is an hymn of praise to God for the great love and condescension He has shown to all mankind. God has spoken to us in His Son; and God has spoken peace and life and salvation!)]

The simple reading of these chapters is the message of the morning, on this "Christ the King" Sunday. But I would like to simply make a few comments on these three basic hymns:

I. A HYMN TO THE MYSTERY OF THE ETERNAL GOD

  1. It is a given: WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND GOD. And we will never "understand" God. The angels in heaven do not "understand" God.
  2. Which is not to say we have a "magic" God— or a God that contradicts logic and truth. He simply goes beyond what we can understand.
  3. We have an holy God who inhabits eternity: "His ways are past finding out." But everything we do discover points to His greatness.

II. A HYMN TO THE MAJESTY OF CREATOR GOD

  1. When I began to study theology in a primitive manner forty years ago we were still using the "cosmological" and "teleological" arguments for "proving" God's existence.

    We have since come to realize that God cannot be proved to anyone who refuses to believe. The arguments for God's existence from 'First cause' or from 'the fitness of things' can never really satisfy the longings of a hungry heart, perhaps, but they certainly can and do rejoice the heart of one who already accepts the simple fact of God, and who seeks to know Him better.

    [And the burden of the disproof of God is, to my mind, a far greater load than proving that He exists.]

  2. But there is great wonder in the handiwork of God. The heavens and the earth, and all that is in the created Universe declare God's wonder. The heavenly host, as described by St. John, are not backward or reticent to sing His praise. The "real world" does not deny God's existence. It underscores it!

    [Even the creation of ourselves! The Psalmist said: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made!]

III. A HYMN TO THE MERCY OF A LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER

  1. Perhaps we will always be probing the wonder of God's MYSTERY and His MAJESTY throughout all eternity.
  2. [And that love centers around the GIFT of the Father, the SON, made possible by the HOLY SPIRIT drawing near to us!]

Conclusion:

To my mind, right now is both a thrilling and a frightening time to be alive. It is thrilling, because there are opportunities for service and growth in God's kingdom. It is frightening because much of the "glue" that has held societies together, and much of the "insulation" that has held them apart have disintegrated, and it is very difficult to predict what may happen next.

If God is truly SOVEREIGN, we believe that He can bring about spiritual renewal over the face of this earth. The teachings of our Lord would seem to indicate that the "wheat and tares" would come to harvest time together. And God's Spirit has been moving in powerful ways throughout what we term 'the Third World.' Here in our nation we have many freedoms, but in a strange, de facto way, the outlets of news and information often seem to be mostly controlled by people who seem antagonistic to the message of a Sovereign holy God. Those who speak out about living an evangelistic, aggressive faith are painted as the 'lunatic fringe.' And often, perhaps, we may give good reasons for criticism; we need to be, as Jesus said, wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

But what does this have to do with the end of the year, and "Christ the King" Sunday?

We have lived for more than 40 years in the fear of Communism and nuclear holocaust. We are living to see what appears to be an amazing accommodation to democracy and freedom behind the Iron Curtain, while at the same time our "free society" is staggering under the weight of greed, and lust, and drugs, and violence until decent people are afraid to walk their streets at night.

[It would be ironic to see the final spiritual renewal and revival of Christian faith surge westward from Korea and northward from Central America and even eastward from Russia itself, before the King of kings returned with judgment and justice and His righteous reign of peace.]

Our part may not seem to be a major part in the drama of faith. But every child of God can be an active player in this vital action. We are not to be coordinated by "the media." We serve a great God, who by His Holy Spirit is able to do with His people what He will! Our main concern, so far as I can understand it, is to be sure that we are HIS people! Available to Him for sacrifice or service!

And we do not have to wait until "eternity" to join the hymns of praise to our great Christ the King. We can join the heavenly chorus which John portrays for us in these chapters:

We can praise God for His greatness! He is THERE!

We can praise God for His condescension! He has MADE us, and we are His!

We can praise Him for His MERCY!

#36 (Exalt Him) Alleluia! Alleluia!