01. Ruler of the Kings of the Earth

Support for this program comes from listeners like you. To find out more, visit us online at the School of Christ.org. King of Kings, this is part one of the series. And again to remind those of you who are just joining us. For this message, we did an introduction to the series last time. And so when you have the opportunity, I encourage you to go back and listen to that introduction. I like to introduce a series by explaining why it's important, why we're talking about it, why it matters. And that kind of sets the foundation and the goals for everything that we'll discuss. Proceeding from there, but King of Kings, part one, and we'll get into the scriptures here this evening and discuss what I'm calling, what I'm tiling this as the ruler of the kings of the earth. What a wonderful title of Christ that is ruler of the kings of the earth. So we'll start there and develop this idea around three main concepts this evening. First to borrow Stephen Cuvvie's phrase, I want to begin with the end in mind. Instead of working our way from where we are to where we want to be, I want to start with where we're going to end up. Then we can come back to the beginning and see and then begin to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be in terms of God's prophetic purpose. Everything that God is doing and working according to his purpose and will. So we'll begin with the end in mind to establish Christ as King of Kings. Secondly, we'll talk about kingdom authority and what that means, what it doesn't mean as well. And then finally, the resistance. We'll talk about why it is that Jesus is King of Kings and why it is that he has defeated the devil. And yet here we are still engaging in spiritual warfare. Why would that be? It's all right there in the scriptures. So can't wait to get into it with you and we'll do that here in just one second. First, let me clarify because of the subject matter of your discretion is advised clarifications on what we're talking about and why in case you missed the introduction last week. As I say, we don't talk about politics at the school of Christ. So this teaching is not about offering my opinion on current events or political issues and not here to start talking about headline news and all the things you can get that anywhere. I'm not here to give you my perspective on that. I'm also not presenting an American view of the world. Just because I happen to be from the United States, I'm not presenting an American view of the world I'm presenting God's view of the world and not just my opinion of God's view, but it's based on scripture. That's the other thing we need to watch out for people claiming to have God's opinion and God's perspective on everything and it's really how they get their point across by wrapping it around some prophetic statement. But I'm not presenting an American view of the world and presenting God's view of the world based on scripture. And you know, scripture is older than the United States. Anyway, so we're going to go back to what scripture says and is Abraham Lincoln, someone once told him that they were quite sure or at least they hoped that God was on our side and Lincoln very wise said the question is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God's side. And that's that's a big distinction between how politics and religion usually approaches the idea of getting God involved with your cause, getting God involved with your movement. Trying to get God on your side and what I've learned as a spiritual principle is you could spend your whole life trying to get God on your side, but if you're on the wrong side of things, God's not going to be on your side. The question is, are you on God's side and can you leave your ground and come onto the Lord's ground? That's the key. So it even with prayer. With prayer, a lot of the times when we are praying, we are trying to get God to adjust himself with to us. What I have been teaching consistently is that prayer is about adjusting us to God. Prayer is not about getting God involved with my agenda. It's getting me involved with what God wants to do. And instead of trying to get God to flow in the way that I want him to go, that's like trying to redirect the river, try to redirect the ocean. No, just figure out which way the river is flowing and then jump in the river and go with the flow of the Holy Spirit. That's what we need to do. Instead of always trying to redirect the current, just discover the direction that heaven is moving and get aligned with that. And if you'll do that, there is tremendous power and blessing and anointing and liberty and everything you can imagine. Where we get into a problem is trying to bring God down to our side, our cause, our ministry, our work, our thing that we're trying to do, and we're hoping that God will approve. Or we are assuming that God approves and acting accordingly. And I'm not convinced that everything being said and done in the name of Jesus is endorsed by Jesus himself. And that's why we're talking about God's view of things, not an American view, not a private or personal view. The other clarification I'll make is I'm not telling you what to believe, I'm not telling you what to do, I'm not telling you to be more involved, I'm not telling you to be less involved, I'm showing you how to see the world system so you can be informed. And then do whatever God tells you to do, but at least you'll be informed about what you're getting into. Is that fair enough? So I have a certain way of seeing it and a certain way of teaching it and a certain way of living it, but I am not telling you what you need to believe or what you need to do. I'm showing you what scripture says and you can you can use your discernment to take it, apply it. However, you see fit, however the Lord leads you, I'm giving you, I'm not giving you the liberty, you have the liberty already, I'm just making it known. I'm letting you know, so there's no pressure because when we're talking about politics and religion, people get really defensive, they get really emotional, even when I say all these things, I'm not giving opinions and I'm not talking about who's running things and what's wrong with none of that, it's more of a perspective from a high level from a spiritual spirit and truth level from scripture. So just with those clarifications again, I hope that helps because as soon as I put this out, people start asking questions about this issue and that issue in this person and that's not what I'm here, I'm not going to get lost in the weeds and again, politics and religion are both very divisive. So as I take a position on something, I've alienated half of my audience automatically, I'm not here to alienate, I'm here to unite in Christ, not unite around my point of view, but unite around a Christ-centered faith. If you're in agreement with that, then stick around, I think that you will find what we have to say very enlightening. So the main ideas of this series, number one, that Christ is King of kings and his kingdom is not of this world. That's what he said before, "Pilot, you are correct in saying that I am a king, but my kingdom is not of this world." Secondly, the kingdom is from above, it's not from below, it's the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, it's not being built up from the earth to reach the heaven, that's a tower of Babel, that's Babylon, that's institutional church. The kingdom is not being built from the ground up, it is coming down from above, and we can't build it anyway, it is Christ who is building his Ecclesia. So the kingdom is from above. Thirdly, the dragon wars against the saints, and what's his strategy? So at last week, and we'll dig into it some more as the series progresses, but the strategy is not to come against you directly, not to come against the saints directly, it's to use politics and religion to deceive and divide. First to control, but then to deceive and to divide the people, and hopefully to divide the saints along the lines of politics and religion. How is it working so far? I'd say it's working very well, because the organized religion, just the Protestant church, has more than 50,000 denominations, it's not an exaggeration, that is a statistic. 50,000. I can't even. name a couple of dozen, but there are 50,000 plus denominations just in the Protestant church. So I would say that religion has done a good job of deceiving and dividing the body of Christ. Some of us have come out of religion, but we haven't come out of politics in the in the sense that we don't fully appreciate that politics does the same thing. This is why politics and religion are both very emotional and they're both very divisive. As soon as you label yourself as being a part of a particular political party, it's the same thing as denominating yourself. You put yourself at odds with others who don't believe as you do and don't support the things that you support and then it's well, why not? You must be an idiot if you don't support the same candidate I support. And so it becomes a thing of division. So the dragon uses this. The beast from the sea is politics. The beast from the land is religion and you notice in Revelation how quickly that second beast from the land gets renamed as a false prophet because it talks like a lamb or looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. That's religion to deceive and to divide to control the world. And so the fourth main idea is that politics and religion are both anti-Christ, anti-Christ, meaning against Christ or taking the place of Christ or presenting itself as if it is Christ and yet and yet it is against Christ. So politics and religion are both anti-Christ. And again, I'm not making this up. We can find that very easily in the book of Revelation. We'll look at some of those scriptures this evening. That's not what the whole message today is about. These are the main ideas of the series that will unpack. And finally, overcomers are in the world but not of it. So for me, the question is, how do we participate in this world system or live in this world system but not be part of the world system? And the reason we don't want to be a part of it even though we're in it, we can't escape it. But we want to be aware and we don't want to be deceived and we most of all do not want to be led astray from the simplicity of a Christ-centered faith. And that is what the dragon is trying to do. And it says in the book of Revelation that the dragon actually overcomes the saints. So the dragon is very successful at using politics and religion to deceive and divide. What I would suggest, how do you make sense of them? Well, what I would suggest is that everyone who is a saint is not necessarily an overcomer. So the dragon can overcome the saints but the overcomers overcome the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, having loved not their lives unto death. So it's possible to be a Christian, to be a believer and not be an overcomer. It's possible that the allet can be led astray and deceived. And even says in Thessalonians that God sends them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Why would God do that? Why would God allow people? Why would he send a strong delusion that says because they did not love the truth? Listen, if you will love the truth and you're willing to follow the truth wherever the truth will lead, you will not be deceived. You've got to love the truth. You've got to search for it and seek it and knock on the door and ask and you'll receive it and it'll be open to you and you will find it. But if you don't love the truth, then you are very susceptible to being led astray by having your ears tickled and going in a wrong direction. I love the truth more than I love anything else. And once you make a commitment to truth and you're willing to follow the truth wherever the truth may lead, even if it contradicts what the church is saying, even if it contradicts what the government is saying, even if it contradicts what brothers and sisters so-called are saying, then you begin to develop this spiritual discernment that helps you to navigate and function in the world because you're not out of the world. I'm able to function in the world and you're able to function in the world because we have discernment that we are actually not of the world. We're in it but we're not of it. And that's how you overcome. That's how you navigate, not by retreating into a mountain someplace. It's tempting as that might be. Do that every so often, but you can't live your whole life hidden in a mountain someplace. You have to be in the world, be light, be salt, bear the testimony of Jesus, overcome the dragon, and do all those things you have to be in the world. But to be successful at that, you can't be of the world. You can't think like the world thinks, you can't look at things the way the world looks at them. You can't believe what the world is telling you. And when I say world, I'm talking about the world system. I'm talking about the main pillars of that world system, politics and religion. All right, so let's begin with the end in mind and go to Revelation chapter 19. Revelation 19. Begin with the end in mind. That way you have a purpose and you know what you're aiming for. And no matter how bad things seem to get, no matter how far removed from God's purpose, things seem to drift. You know exactly where you were going and where God is taking everyone because you begin with the end in mind. Revelation 19, beginning in verse 11, says, "Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, king of kings, and Lord of lords. Praise the name of Jesus, beginning with the end in mind. When you get in the darkest, darkest place, when you get into the most confusing place, in the most frustrating place, in this teaching or in your life experience and your walk with the Lord, always go back to the end. Go back to the beginning. Go back and begin with the end in mind. And don't lose sight of where all of this is ending up. All of it is ending up in a very, very good place. First of all, the title King of Kings is a title that first appeared over a thousand years before the Book of Revelation. It was a common title in the Assyrian empire, in the Babylonian empire, the Persian empire, and some other empires, King of kings. King of kings is the title of one who has conquered other kings and rules over their kingdoms. That is a king of kings. Daniel 227 and Ezekiel 267 both refer to Nebuchadnezzar as a king of kings. And Ezra 712 refers to Artisercs as King of kings. So this title is a familiar title going back thousands of years. If we remember when Jesus was before Pilate and Pilate asked him, "Are you a king?" Jesus answered Pilate and said, "You are right in saying I am a king." But what makes him a king of kings is that his kingdom is not of this world. He is not just a king, but because his kingdom is not of this world that makes him a king of kings, one who rules over kings and kingdoms. And so Christ is revealed in Revelation 19 that says, "When heaven is open, I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true." And it says that he is followed by the armies of heaven. So this kingdom of Christ is not an earthly king or a kingdom that is built up by man, or that is built up from the earth, it is a heavenly kingdom, and it is a heavenly king, which means it's not rising up, it is coming down. This is heaven opened and Christ coming down from heaven with the armies of heaven." So he says, "My kingdom is not of this world." The kings and the lords of the nations that Christ is conquering are thus submitted to His word at His appearing. It says, His name is called the Son of God. And here where it says, "He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron." The word, the original language, therefore, "rule" is shepherd. He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. So all of that has to be carefully considered when you're trying to understand the nature of this kingdom and this kingdom, and why He is coming, not to destroy the world, but to save the world from destroying itself, and to save the world from the enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy this world. We have misread and misinterpreted the book of Revelation if we think this is God's wrath trying to destroy the earth. No, it's God's wrath trying to destroy those who destroy the earth, the devil, the kings of the earth, the beast, and the false prophet. God is not the destroyer, He is the deliverer. And Jesus is not here to destroy the world, He is here to save the world. It's the disciples of Jesus very often that want to destroy those who do not agree with them. Lord, shall we call down fire from heaven and consume them as Elijah did? Jesus says, "You know not what spirit you are of, it's not the Holy Spirit, but it's the spirit of the enemy, the adversary who wants to steal, kill, destroy, and call down fire from heaven. I'm not here to take life, I'm here to give life, I'm not here to destroy, I'm here to deliver." For this purpose, the Son of God was manifest, it says, "To destroy the works of the devil." What are the works of the devil? It's the steal, kill, and destroy. Everything that God has created and everyone that God loves. That includes you and me and everyone who lives on the earth. So this revelation of Christ is to shepherd the nations, to correct the nations, to prevent the nations from destroying each other. Unless those days were shortened, Scripture says, "No flesh would be saved." So this is why it is necessary for Christ to come and to bring all the nations into submission beneath His feet. This will happen and this will occur. It is prophesied in Revelation 11-5 when the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." So this is where the title, King of Kings, finds its fulfillment. When the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever. That's why Revelation 1-5 gives Jesus the title, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. 1 Corinthians 15-24 also gives us an indication about what happens at the end, then comes the end. When Jesus delivers the kingdom to God, the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and all power, for He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet, and the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. And with no more death, there's no more dead people. So Jesus is the resurrection and the life. The goal and the purpose of God is for all things to be submitted beneath the feet of Christ, and ultimately with Jesus in charge we don't need anymore rulers, no authority, no power. Everything can just be subsumed or gathered together into Christ. So let's talk about kingdom authority, because we are not merely pointing to a future promise. It is also a present reality, but if we're not careful, we might misunderstand the extent of that authority and what that authority means. Matthew 28, starting in verse 16, let's talk about kingdom authority, what it means. Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain, which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and low, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Kingdom authority. Well, what does it mean that Jesus is Lord? What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings? Well, King James Version says, "All power is given to me, but the new King James Version that I'm reading from is the correct translation in this case." It quickly translates, "Poss Xusia as all authority." Instead of all power, it's all authority. So Jesus says, "All authority has been given to me." Well, who gave all authority to Jesus? His Father appointed him and gave him all authority. Well, already, this is good news. This is really tremendous. You should be doing some assaults in your seat right now, because the fact that Jesus has all authority is very, very good news. When things get crazy and it looks like nothing is going the way in the world, the way you thought that it would go, it's nice to know that Jesus has all authority given to him. Now, authority where? Now, in heaven, we would understand that because he said his kingdom is not of this world. So if he said, "My Father has all authority in heaven has been given to me." That would be easy for us to say, "Amen to, but his authority, see, is not just limited to heaven only. His authority extends to the earth." All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. And this is why when we pray along the lines that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we are praying, "Your will be done, your kingdom come as in heaven, so on earth, on earth as it is in heaven." And as I like to say, "In us, as it is in Christ." Because you understand, we are the body of Christ and we represent his kingdom and his authority and we have his name in the earth. And we are going forth in his name and in his authority. This is what the whole whole thing is all about here. So it not just in heaven, but in heaven and on earth. And that is the purpose of God from the beginning, for Christ to have authority in both realms, not just to be Lord of heaven, not to be Lord of earth, but to be Lord of heaven and earth. And scriptures reinforce this everywhere you look. Ephesians 1 20 says that God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above, not just a little bit above, but far above, far above, all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named. Let me just hit the pause button right here and just interject something because there are a lot of teachings that want to dig into the names of principalities and powers over certain cities and over certain countries. And it's the same group of people that want to find a demon under every rock and imagine that they can discern the names of these demons. And my perspective on that is it makes no difference what the name is, whether you know what the name is, you're wasting a lot of precious time on a detail that doesn't matter because what we should be focused on is the name and the person who has been raised from the dead and has been seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places because this person has been exalted far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named. So it doesn't make any difference what the name is. All of those names must be submitted to the name of Jesus and not only in this age it says but also in that which is to come. And he put all under his feet and gave him to be the head over all to the Ecclesium which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. This is what is meant by God giving Christ authority. All authority, not some, not equal, not proportionate, but all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. All things under his feet exalted far above. Every name that is named. And again that precious name in Philippians chapter 2 because Jesus humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross. It says therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth. Here's heaven and earth again and of those under the earth. I don't even, I don't even have time to speculate and go into what that means. But I'll just tell you that there's no limits with man. It is impossible with God. All things are possible. And God is the one who has exalted him, given him this name. And it says at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, wheel bow would be more the way we would word it today. Some of this King James version sounds kind of poetic. It's like, well, they should, but maybe they won't know that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. And that every tongue will gladly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The great word there does not mean confess like an interrogator would extract a confession from someone who was reluctant to give it up. But after being tortured for so many hours, finally, he makes a confession. That's the opposite of what this word means. It's exomo logayo. I probably didn't pronounce it right, but that's how you spell it. And by putting the exomo in front of logayo, it makes this gladly confess. Joyfully confess. And that makes a difference because I'm going to show you here in just a minute that this kingdom that Jesus says is not of this world. It does nothing by force. It is only faith working through love, and it must be freely given and freely received. And so what is hidden this little gem that's hidden here in Philippians 2 9 through 11 is that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven, earth and under the earth, and every tongue will gladly confess. Joyfully confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Does God have the power to force everybody to confess? Of course, absolutely. He has the power. But he is not trying to force people with his power. He is trying to woo them with his love. That's a big difference, especially when we consider how the enemy operates. And we'll consider that here this evening very shortly. So this is important. You won't see this in your English translation. It just says confess and the way some people read and teach this is it is as if God is going to put the torture devices to you. And then you'll scream out in confession and some reluctant confession that won't do you any good because it's too late that Jesus is Lord. That's not the sense or the spirit behind this wonderful scripture here. Every time we'll gladly confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Well, that changes the complexion of things quite a bit. But let's look at Hebrews chapter 2 and answer the most obvious question. If all of this is true, why do we still have such conflict? Hebrews chapter 2 and we'll start reading in verse 5. It says, "For he has not put the world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place saying, 'What is man that you are mindful of him or the Son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels. You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now, everyone say, 'But now, but now, but now, but now, we do not yet see all things put under him.' But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." It goes on in verse 14, "And as much as the children have per taken a flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who have the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Well, that describes exactly what the mission is. Not to destroy, but to deliver, to save from destruction and from the enemy that comes to still kill and destroy. So the question, of course, and the idea here is that God has put all in subjection under him. And the question is, that's the case. Why are we still fighting spiritual warfare? Why, if the devil is defeated? Why is he still able to still kill and destroy? Why do we still have to resist him? Why do we still have to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you? But why do we have to even bother with the devil at all if all authority and heaven and earth belongs to Jesus? Well, the answer is right here in Hebrews 2. It says, "God has put all in subjection under him, and there is nothing that has not been put under him." But now, but now, but now, in the age that we live in, and this moment, and this time, we do not yet see all things put under him. Now, I like that word yet. I'll say two things. First of all, yet means it's going to happen. The second thing is, just because you don't see it doesn't mean it ain't so. Just because you don't see it, we do not yet see all things. It doesn't mean he doesn't have the authority and heaven and earth. It just means that you don't see it. Well, it says that we do see Jesus made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crown with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. So what Scripture is communicating is that this is a work in progress. One clue is, the world to come, and about way back in verse 5, he has not put the world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels, it says, but it makes the case that God has put the world to come in subjection to Christ. So we do not yet see all put under him. Right now, we only see some things put under him. Hopefully, we are some of the ones that are put under him in a sense of surrender and submission to the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? It is the rule and reign of God in your heart. Jesus says the kingdom does not come with observation. Neither will they say it's here, it's there. No, he says the kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom of God is within you. Will it one day come from heaven down to earth? One day it will manifest itself and we will see it, but the kingdom has already manifest itself in your heart because the kingdom is within you. If God rules and reigns in your heart, the kingdom of God is within you. If Christ has pre-eminence in you right now, not in some future and we're not even talking about the rapture, whatever you believe about the rapture. But we're talking about right now, if Christ has preeminence in you now, that is the Kingdom of God. If you are being adjusted to the government of the Holy Spirit, that is the Kingdom of God. And all of this is happening on the inside before it ever happens on the outside. So in the world to come, we will see all things put under him. But God has already done the work. Revelation reveals the end result. It does not reveal the present reality. Revelation is the end result. Well, I've got a couple of theories as to why it's taking so long and it has nothing to do with God. It has nothing to do with Jesus just being kind of slow to get around to fulfilling the Kingdom promise of his Father. It has to do with me and you. It has to do with the Eclosia. It has to do with the body of Christ. And the fact that most of the body of Christ is sitting and waiting for something to happen in the future, instead of realizing that the Kingdom of God is within, that God has already given you the authority to try to upon snakes and scorpions and overall the power of the enemy, that we overcome the dragon not in some future Armageddon, but we overcome the dragon today right now by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Having loved not our lives unto death because we're taking up the cross to follow Jesus right where we are, where we live. That is here and now. So Revelation reveals the end result, not the present reality, but the end result is an army of heaven coming from heaven with Christ. And those that are with him, it says, are faithful, called chosen and faithful. So they're being collected. They're being gathered. They're being proven and they're being tested right here right now in this current time and this current age. When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth? Will he find faithful people, called chosen and faithful people? They will be the ones who overcome. They will be the ones ruling and reigning with him as kings and priests in his kingdom. So Revelation reveals the end result, not just of God's purpose in Christ, but God's purpose in us. None of that contradicts God's promise or Christ's authority. We still answer to the highest authority. When Jesus says, all authority is given to me in heaven and in earth, he's still is reinforcing the idea that this name has been exalted above all names. All power, all authority, all dominion. In this age and in the age to come, and that's the authority that we answer to the highest authority that there is. Remember, again before Pilate, John 1911, Jesus responded to Pilate when Pilate said, "Don't you know you won't answer me, you won't speak to me, don't you know I have the authority to crucify you or the authority to release you?" In Jesus answered, "You could have no power." The word is exusia, no authority at all against me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. So Jesus understood authority. When it comes down to it, let me ask you this, do you think Jesus would obey God or obey Pilate? What do you think Jesus would do? Would he obey God or would he obey Pilate? But what was he doing in that moment? Jesus submitted to the verdict of Pilate because he recognized God's authority in Pilate's judgment. It just so happened, Jesus says, that the authority you have to do what you're doing isn't actually yours at all. It's coming from above. This is the cup that my father has given me to drink and you're just signing the permission slip, but I don't need your permission. The son of man can lay down his life and take it up again. I've received that commandment from my father. I don't need you to endorse it. So he submitted to the verdict of Pilate because he recognized something Pilate didn't recognize. And it'll be an important point here as we talk about the systems, the political systems of this world. The politicians think that they are in charge and that they have authority and they don't. Well, they have some, but there's an authority over them. Most of them don't realize it. Jesus submitted to the verdict of Pilate on the other hand, Peter and James. Remember in Acts 4, they refused to obey the Sanhedrin's order who said that they must stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus and what did they say on two different occasions. We must obey God rather than men. Now they submitted to the punishment. See, they submitted to the punishment where it says that they were beaten and threatened. Well, they submitted to the punishment, but they disobey the order. Just like Daniel, by the way, when they passed a law, the king passed an edict saying that no one could pray for 30 days. And it says when Daniel heard that he went home and he got down on his face, opened the window towards Jerusalem, got down in pray just like he always did three times a day. It's like he just, he just kept right on, right on doing what he had always done, paid it no mind whatsoever. But he didn't argue when they came to arrest him, put him in the lines, didn't he just said, okay, I must obey God not man. And if you want to kill me for it, then okay. So all of these who were submitted to God and submitted to God's authority understood how power works. But there is a resistance psalms 2. Let's turn there and read Psalm 2. Discusses this resistance. And this resistance is why we do not yet see all submitted to him. Now, it's one of the reasons was the result. I'll tell you the reason here in a minute. But Psalm 2, starting in verse 1, why do the nations rage? And the people plot a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves. And the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ, saying, let us break their bonds and pieces and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure. Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance in the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore be wise, O kings, be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling, kiss the sun, lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him. So this is a messianic song and it illustrates very nicely the resistance to the rule and reign of Christ and the kingdom of God. So what is taking so long for the kingdom to be fulfilled? Because God is love, and because Christ is the Lord of love and because his kingdom is love. So you must not mistake, if I were to give you all authority in heaven and earth, what would you do with it? I know what I would do with it. I'd make everybody believe the way I believe. I'd make them all just bow down and confess and they would have to get saved right away. And so I would violate Philippians 2 automatically because how many would gladly confess if I'm forcing them to confess? Well, that's the whole idea. That's why Jesus has all authority and I don't. So when we see things like all authority is given to me, we think about what we would do with it and wonder why Jesus isn't doing what we would do. We need to reverse that. Why are we not doing what Jesus would do? Jesus has all authority, but don't mistake all authority as force submission. That's the way of the world. The way of the world says, if I have authority and power, I'm going to force you to submit to me. Well, Jesus says, I am a king, but my kingdom is not of this world. He's the Lord of love. His kingdom is love and love must be freely given and freely received because Jesus is not a dictator. He's not a destroyer and he's not a dictator. And he's not someone that's going to torture people to get them to become a Christian, even if it's for their own good. Because love must be freely given and freely received. I can't force you to love someone. There are some cultures that they have arranged marriages. Well, you can arrange the marriage. You can set the ceremony, but you can't force love. Love must be freely given and freely received or it's not love. Now this is the difficult path. It's the difficult path because Jesus doesn't behave as a dictator. He's Lord of all. And precisely because he doesn't behave as a dictator is why he is Lord of all. He's the only one worthy of that authority. The only one worthy of that power, the only one worthy of that name above all names, who can have that authority and that power and not destroy everybody with that authority and power. Love must be freely given and freely received. And so there is spiritual resistance. You know about this from the dragon, for example. Revelation calls him "That old serpent, the devil, and Satan." Old resistance from the dragon who rebelled against God in the beginning was cast down to earth. Now he's angry because his time is short. It says, and he goes forth to make war against the saints and those who have the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12. So there's spiritual resistance from the dragon who wants to steal, kill, destroy, lead you astray from the simplicity of Christ. And we saw that he has two major strategies for doing this. There is religious resistance. And that's obvious from how the Jews rejected Jesus. Religion is the greatest hindrance and distraction from the simplicity of Christ that I can think of. No other institution or organization or system in the world has done more damage to Christ into the testimony of Jesus than religion. And so there's the Jews rejection of Jesus, but it's also the ongoing corruption of organized religion against Christ. Jesus says, "In that day many will come and say, 'Lord, we did all these things in your name. Cast out devils and we healed the sick and we built church buildings and we had television ministries.' But it'll say, 'Depart from me, I don't know who you are.' So it's not just the Jews rejection of Jesus. It's the ongoing corruption and rejection of the real Jesus by organized religion." And the worst expression of it would be the organized religion that claims to represent Christ. It is opposed to Christ. It wouldn't recognize the Lord Jesus if he walked up the aisle and sat down on the altar. So there's religious resistance. And then there is also political resistance. See in Psalm 2, it's the kings of the earth. And the kings of the earth are leading a corrupt world system that is designed to control the people and enrich themselves. So when the Bible talks about the kings of the earth, we're talking about politicians, the political pillar of the world system, governments that control the people. But that system is corrupt, just as the religious system is corrupt, the political system is corrupt as well. So what the kings of the earth and the rulers of religion fail to realize is that their control is only an illusion. They think that they are in control, but they are in fact deceived and controlled by the dragon, according to Scripture in Revelation 12 and 13. And this dragon has offered them, and the dragon is Satan, has offered them the power and the glory of the nations, just as he offered it to Jesus. How many of you have seen or read the book The Lord of the Rings or the series? I'm not going to say it is a prophetic movie, but I will say that there is a lot of truth to be seen. And the main idea of the Lord of the Rings is that each king of the earth, the different leaders of the different kingdoms on earth are in middle earth, each except a ring of power from the dark Lord. And they want the power. And so they eagerly accept the ring, but what they don't realize is the dark Lord has made one ring that rules them all. So they're not actually in charge anymore. They thought they were getting power. They were actually losing power. And now one ring rules them all. And this is exactly, believe it or not, this is exactly the truth as it is revealed in Scripture. We'll look for for. It says that the devil taking Jesus up on a high mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, "Here is a ring of power." All this authority I will give you and their glory. Or this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours. Here is a ring of power. And of course, anyone who accepts that ring of power is going to themselves become indebted and enslaved and brought under the power of the dark Lord who gave them that ring of power. And of course, Jesus says, "No." He turns down that temptation. Now again, when the devil says, "It's been given to me and I can give it to whomever I wish," is he telling the truth? Or is he telling a half-truth? Now, some teach this that when Adam sinned, the earth passed over to the devil. That's not accurate either because in the book of Psalms, as we say repeatedly, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein." The earth belongs to God, all authority and heaven and earth belongs to Christ doesn't belong to the devil. But there is a sense here in which the nations, the authority and the glory have been delivered to him how by the people in charge who traded and made a deal with the devil with the dark Lord so that they could get a ring of power. And these are the kings of the earth and these are the rulers of religion. Now, if they don't know they're making a deal with the dark Lord, they don't know they're doing a deal with the devil. But this is the sense in which this is partially true. All this authority I will give you for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish. It's kind of a boast. It's a bit of a half-truth. But it's all based on deception. Jesus obviously rejected that offer which is interesting because later on he says all authority has been given to me and who gave it to him. It wasn't the devil. It was his father. Oh, but look at the price that he paid. Death of a cross, and burial, and then resurrection and glory. And because he humbled himself, that's why he can be trusted. With all authority and heaven and earth. Not so the kings of the earth and not so the rulers of religion. Revelation 16 13. It says, "I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of three people, three beings out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." If you read back in Revelation 13, you see that the dragon standing on the seashore, and there's this beast comes up out of the sea that represents the beast, the political, the governments, the succession of kingdoms and empires, the kings of the earth. Similar to Daniel's beast, but not exactly. And then there's another beast, a false prophet coming up out of the land. And this one looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. That's how we know it's religious. And then it goes on, later on, that second beast is referred to as a false prophet. Well, that seals it. So, three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, who is fighting who is angry, because he knows his time is short, he's going out to make war with the saints and here's what he does. Brings up the beast from the sea, the beast from the land, and now these three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. So you have the devil, you have politics, and you have religion, and they are spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This is how the enemy deceives the world. With unclean spirits operating out of the two pillars of this world system, politics and religion. So let's expose the darkness, and give you the modus operandire, method of operation, to expose how darkness works and how political and religious power is wielded in this world system. And it's based on three easy to remember elements, fraud, fear and force. Fraud, fear and force. And in my observation, I think if you think about it, you may agree with this as well. It usually starts out with fraud, things are not as they appear to be. There's a lie. And to get a foot in the door with you by leading you astray or deceiving you. And then fear. And if fraud and fear fail, then force. So this is political and religious power, but let's let's break it down and take a look at it. Let's supply this. Think about how religious cults operate. Many people joining us this evening have been part of a religious cult in the past. How does a religious cult operate? Well, it starts out with fraud. In other words, it starts out with deception. One of the easiest ways that they deceive you is what we call, or what they call, what we call in this space, love bombing. And so your impression is, wow, these people are so nice, they're so loving, they're so giving, they'll just do anything for me. But that is a hook that gets you into this religious cult. It's how they use fraud and deception to hook you in. And eventually, fear is a tactic that's being used. And that's the fear of those on the outside. Fear of contacting your family or fear of leaving the group or something bad is going to happen. Fear of the devil, fear of the government, fear of enemies, fear of what people will think if you stop doing what the group says, fear of what will happen if you go against the leader, what the leader says. Obviously, this doesn't happen in just a matter of days. It happens over many weeks and many months as people get brought into this religious cult atmosphere. And then there's force. And you find out in the aftermath of these cults that the leader typically was using sexual, psychological and physical and verbal abuse, the force people to do what he wanted them to do. And so this is a common practice with religious cults. It's how a religious power expresses itself with fraud, fear and force. Well, let's look at a political example. Communism. Well, communism is bad. How does communism usually represent itself? Well, for example, the people's republic of wherever or the democratic people's republic. Communism is where socialism ends up. Socialism is all about the people. We want to give you free food. We want to just take care of you and everybody be equal. Well, that doesn't work and it always falls into communism. So when they're using the idea that power to the people sounds good, but it's impossible to deliver in a socialist or in a communist government. But it's called the people's republic. As if the will of the people are prevailing when it's nothing to do with the will of the people, it's the will of the few people at the top of this communist pyramid scheme. And then of course fear, lock down free speech, lock down freedom expression, freedom of thought. But you in fear of disobeying the power, disobeying the government, you'll take away your privileges, take away your salary, take away your pension, blacklist you, whatever works in a communist, a totalitarian society. And then ultimately force. If fraud and fear do not keep people in line, then they'll just come along in the middle of the night and snatch you up and disappear you, but you in jail or torture you. So this is how fraud, fear and force. So much for the people's army, so much for the people's republic. You're right. If you don't go along, then you end up behind bars very often. Well let's just look at people in general. It's interesting that criminals follow the same pattern. They lie, cheat, steal, use deception to get an advantage. And then if they get caught, they threaten you. They threaten you with violence or they threaten you with something to make you afraid. And when all else fails, they just take what they want by force. They'll try deception first, then they'll try to frighten you. When all else fails, they'll just use violence to overwhelm you. Are those great examples? Wow, just wonderful, great examples of fraud, fear and force. Political and religious power. And just human nature it seems is programmed to behave in this way. Great examples, but what we're not understanding completely is you don't have to be in a religious cult to use fraud, fear and force. You don't have to be in a communist government to use fraud, fear and force. And you don't have to be a criminal to use fraud, fear and force. Think about the church system, not a cult system, but just the church system. Organize religion, church, unity, 50,000 denominations. It's interesting from the beginning of this series, once it was announced. I had people trying to convince me that Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church, which means their church is okay because they're not Catholic, right? So the Protestants and that's what they use in the in the reparation. That's how they interpreted the book of Revelation to say that the the harlot in the book of Revelation was the Roman Catholic Church. That was the teaching they used to justify the Protestant Reformation and to leave the Roman Catholic Church. Of course the Roman Catholic Church thinks it's the Protestant Church. That is the harlot church because they're in rebellion against God. They are the one true church and who are these Protestants anyway? They're just pretenders. See we always think that it's the other side that's using fraud, fear and force. When in fact it permeates not just a religious cult, not just the Roman Catholic Church, not just the church system of Protestantism, not just Eastern Orthodox, but all the above. That's the whole thing uses fraud, fear and force. And then to use the political example, well it's easy to point to communism because they're obviously bad, right? But what about capitalism? What about the government that most of us? or a part of, which is a capitalistic society instead of a communist society. Well, capitalism uses fraud also. Watch the news. The news is manipulated and it's not real. The markets are manipulated and they're not real. The banking system, the money system, it's being manipulated, it's not real. And fear is very much a part of capitalistic society, just as much as communism and the way they stoke the fear is dividing people according to left versus right, Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus progressive versus liberal us versus them fear. Fear of what might happen if we don't let the government tell us what to do. And then force. That's just as much part of our government, our society, capitalistic society, force. In fact, you could say that force in a capitalistic society has more financing behind it than it does in a communist society. We've got more money to spend on military, on weapons of mass destruction. We've got more money and more time to spend figuring out ways to steal, kill and destroy. So what I'm getting at is that this is not a question of communism versus capitalism. It's not a question of left versus right. It's not a question of those really bad religious cults compared to my church and my pastor, which is really great. And then when it comes down to all those criminals, criminal behavior, yeah, of course, fraud, fear and force. That's what they're all about. This is what all of us are all about in our fallen state of things. Only Christ can deliver us from using fraud, fear and force to manipulate and steal, kill and destroy one another. This is how human relationships typically act towards one another. Not just criminals, but I'm saying this is how the dragon has arranged political and religious power in this system. And so of course the issue at stake. is religion, politics and human nature. It's not saying what I'm involved in is good and everybody else is bad. It's understanding and discerning through scripture and by the Holy Spirit. But the entire system is corrupt. The whole thing. Religion and politics, politics and religion catering to human nature using fraud, fear and force to steal, kill, destroy, deceive and lead astray. And the only hope we have is in Christ. And in a kingdom that is not from this world to overcome the kingdoms of this world, our trust in the king of kings not in the politics of man, not in the religious rules and regulations of man. But a kingdom that is from above. Fraud, fear and force is how everyone in this world gets what they want. And it's also how the dragon uses politics and religion to control people, to deceive the nations. Fraud means that nothing is as it appears. Fear is manipulation via carrot and stick. What does that mean? How do you manipulate somebody with fear? Specifically, how are the kings of the earth, the politicians controlled with fear? We know they use fraud, because they promise the world and they don't deliver. But how do you manipulate with fear? How are politicians, kings of the earth and rulers manipulate with fear? Well, just follow the money. The love of money is the root of all evil. If you take money out of the system, you can't manipulate anybody or anything, but money is part of the political system. Money is also part of the religious system. So if you want to control a politician or a religious leader, you need a carrot and a stick. Give them money or leverage their weakness. Blackmail. Get the dirty laundry. And we see these things happening. Fear is manipulation with carrot and stick. And then ultimately, if you can't trick and lie your way to getting what you want, and you manage to find someone who won't be afraid that the money doesn't matter, and they don't have any weaknesses that you can blackmail them with, then the only other option is force. And force simply does what it wants when fraud and fear fail. Still kill and destroy. In politics, it's assassination and religion is excommunication. Cast them out as a heretic. Then cover it up. The cycle repeats for all fear and force. Nothing to see here. And don't dig too deeply into it. Or the same thing might happen to you. fraud and fear and force. That's the world that we're living in. So what a relief again to know as we begin with the end in mind. Philippians 3.20 says our citizenship is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working. It's energy, energy, and the Greek there, according to the working, and according to the energy, by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself, not by using fraud, fear, or force, but faith working by love. And so the question to be answered in the end times is not whether God is powerful enough, but whether his love is sufficient. We know God has the power, but is it really true that love never fails? Is it really true that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and love never fails, and that God is love, and that love not fraud, fear, or force, is what will ultimately deliver this world, the nations, from the destruction and the darkness of the devil. Well, scripture affirms that God, that Christ is able, he's able even to subdue all things to himself, not by becoming a dictator, but by becoming a deliverer. The Christ is able, and we have seen that he is King of Kings, with all authority in heaven and earth. On this basis history is moving towards a final conclusive outcome, but we do not yet see all things under him. The dragon leads a spiritual rebellion against Christ, and uses politics and religion to deceive the world and make war against the saints. Fraud, fear, and force are the currency of this realm. Against this Christ represents a kingdom of life, light, and love, never forcing only inviting. The next message will expose the power of structure of this world system and see how we fit in the world but not of the world. If you'd like to get additional teachings, audio recordings, books, and other Christ-centered resources to help you grow spiritually, visit us online at the School of Christ.org.