{"id":796,"date":"2024-02-19T15:25:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T15:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=796"},"modified":"2024-02-19T15:25:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T15:25:51","slug":"all-about-him","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/all-about-him\/","title":{"rendered":"ALL ABOUT HIM!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALL ABOUT HIM!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 110<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good morning. It\u2019s great to be with you today. Thanks for joining us this weekend for worship (both here in person, and online).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This morning we\u2019re continuing new series called FINDING JESUS. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s really a sub-title for a series we do each summer called\u2026SUMMER IN THE PSALMS<\/strong>. It\u2019s just that this year, we\u2019re focusing on FOUR PSALMS<\/strong> that point to Jesus<\/strong>. And so, we are discovering \u2014 that if you seek Him\u2026you will FIND HIM! <\/strong>So, we\u2019reFINDING JESUS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, last week we began this series by looking at Psalm 2<\/strong>, which showed us that (in this life), there\u2019s really only 2 ways to live.<\/strong> One is to serve this world \u2014 and the other is to serve Jesus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last\u2019s weeks Psalm<\/strong> showed us that God<\/strong> had anointed and appointed Jesus<\/strong> to be the Messiah<\/strong>, and soon<\/strong> coming<\/strong> King<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, today we\u2019re going to pick up on that theme in Psalm 110. <\/strong>Where again, God<\/strong> the<\/strong> Father<\/strong> has something to say about Jesus<\/strong> being our<\/strong> King<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you have your Bible<\/strong>, turn with me to Psalm 110.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRANSITION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you turn there \u2014 let me share some things I\u2019ve discovered about this Psalm. First of all, its one of the most treasured Psalm in all of the Bible. It is treasured by Jewish people and Christians alike. In fact, it\u2019s also the most quoted psalm in all of the New Testament. There\u2019s not another passage in all of the Bible that\u2019s referenced more than Psalm 110.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of all the verses in the Hebrew Bible, the most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1<\/a>. And it\u2019s quoted some 25 times in the NT. But that\u2019s not all. Verse 4 <\/strong>gets almost an entire chapter\u2019s worth of commentary by the writer of the book of Hebrews. Basically anytime you hear anyone in the New Testament<\/strong> talk about how Jesus ascended into Heaven and now sits \u201cat the right of God \u2014 they\u2019re talking about this psalm!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many other psalms, Psalm 110<\/a> is labeled a Psalm of David. But perhaps nowhere is David\u2019s authorship more significant than here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s significant because David was Israel\u2019s human king and \u201clord\u201d. And as such, He was the most powerful man in His Kingdom. The only he was subject to was His Heavenly Father \u2014 God (Yahweh)\u2026the creator of all. But (as we\u2019ll soon discover), in verse 1<\/strong>, David says that there was someone else to who he answered. Another \u201cLord\u201d. And this one was called Adonai (a name used to identify God as the Lord of All). It\u2019s this one, that the New Testament <\/strong>writers tell us is Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, way back in Psalms \u2014 some 1000 years before Jesus would walk the planet, David speaks in a prophetic manner about Jesus\u2026and He calls Him his Lord. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So again, if you have your Bible opened \u2014 follow along as I read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/em><\/strong> The LORD<\/em> (Yahweh<\/strong>) says to my lord <\/em>(Adonai<\/strong>): \u201cSit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.\u201d  <\/em>2<\/em><\/strong> The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion <\/em>(the mountainous area around Jerusalem<\/strong>), saying, \u201cRule in the midst of your enemies!\u201d <\/em>3<\/em><\/strong> Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning\u2019s womb.<\/em> 4<\/em><\/strong> The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: \u201cYou are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll explain who this was \u2014 and what it means in a moment. But, in verse 5<\/strong> we read,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 <\/em><\/strong>The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. <\/em>6<\/em><\/strong> He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. <\/em>7<\/em><\/strong> He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 110:1-7 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright, you\u2019ve got to admit \u2014 this is a pretty crazy psalm. It talks about Lords and mountains and priests and the power of a warrior. And all of that \u2014 in just one psalm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, as crazy as it seems \u2014 the Early Church was almost obsessed with it. And that\u2019s because the New Testament <\/strong>writers understood this Psalm to be speaking about Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For generations (after David wrote this)\u2014 the Jewish people would read this psalm and wonder who this might be. They believed it would be an incredibly powerful leader who would come as God\u2019s anointed who would then sit as King over all the world. And so, this intrigued them,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who would this be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t until Jesus\u2019 arrival in the first century that people began to understand this as Jesus. After His death, burial, resurrection, and then ascension \u2014 they saw this psalm fulfilled in Jesus. Even Jesus understood this psalm to be about him. Three out of the four gospels\u2026tell a story where Jesus quotes this psalm (to help the people of his day understand who He was).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, what I want you to understand today\u2026is that this Psalm<\/strong> is very different from most. This Psalm isn\u2019t about us. It\u2019s about Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s quite different than most. Because most psalms address our lives. How we think. How we pray. How we live. Where we find help, and hope, snd strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They teach us to be thankful\u2014to recognize the good gifts that God gives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They teach us to worship\u2014to celebrate the beauty and goodness of God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most psalms address us\u2014but not this psalm\u2026this psalm is about Jesus! It\u2019s ALL ABOUT HIM!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This psalm seems to ignore the people we find most interesting in life \u2014 and that\u2019s us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even so (EVEN SO), this psalm is so important \u2014 but mostly because, it helps us gain a CHRIST-CENTERED perspective on life. And to do this, it teaches us 3 things: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, it teaches us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. There\u2019s a throne we cannot claim.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice again, how this psalm begins. It starts by saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/em><\/strong> The LORD says to my lord: \u201cSit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 110:1 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I noted earlier, Dav<\/strong>id<\/strong> is saying that His God (the creator of all) \u2014 says to His Lord, or His Messiah (Jesus the Son), that He has been given a seat of honor. And not just any seat \u2014 but THE SEAT! The seat at the RIGHT HAND OF GOD. This was the seat for the RULER over all things \u2014 the seat for the KING OF KINGS! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That His seat! It\u2019s not just the seat for the slain sa<\/strong>vior <\/strong>\u2014 but for the resurrected King. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And David (who was Israel\u2019s human king) writes these words \u2014 and he was saying, there\u2019s a great King than me. There\u2019s a THRONE that isn\u2019t mine to claim. And it\u2019s not yours or mine either. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While He hadn\u2019t met Jesus \u2014 and didn\u2019t know Him personally, he knew He was coming. And he\u2019d be one of His descendants. And so, in a way he was saying that his future offspring (Jesus)<\/strong>\u2026His great, great, great, great, great to the 14th power (right?)\u2026His future grandson (14 generations later) \u2014 would not only be the savior of the world \u2014 but also, the RISEN KING! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, God says \u2014 there\u2019s a SEAT especially reserved for Jesus. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right hand seat was ancient code language \u2014 describing great authority and mighty power. It was a description of strength and influence.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ancient times, the one who sat at the right hand of the king held the total trust of the king. He was one who was able to act and speak for the king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s who Jesus is! He is God\u2019s only son \u2014 the Heir to the THRONE of Heaven. He is the KING OF KINGS (and He is empowered to SPEAK FOR GOD). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And isn\u2019t that what Jesus said in the New Testament? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In John 7, Jesus said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy teaching is not mine but his who sent me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 7:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In John 8, Jesus said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 8:26<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In John 14, Jesus said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026the word you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 14:24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understand, Jesus was the full and complete representation of God (the Father). That\u2019s why in John 10, he said, \u201cI and the Father are one.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meaning, they were one in essence \u2014 and one in purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, after His death, burial, and resurrection \u2014 God calls Him to ascend back into the heavens, to take His rightful place on the Throne of Heaven \u2014 as the King of Kings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what this psalm is pointing to \u2014 the ETERNAL THRONE OF GOD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if we\u2019re not careful, we may try to read this psalm and maybe try to place ourselves on this throne. But that not our place. This is a throne we cannot claim! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we all want to possess power, authority and influence in life \u2014 this place of power, authority and influence isn\u2019t ours. We aren\u2019t Kings \u2014 we are called to be SERVANTS of the King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t let this disappoint you. Let this encourage you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because, this means that you aren<\/strong>\u2019t the one who is ultimately responsible for all of life. He is! As the KING ON THE THRONE of the kingdom in which you live, He\u2019s responsible for you. For your provision and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all. HE\u2019S THE KING! As long as you SERVE THE LORD \u2014 He is responsible for you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if things aren\u2019t working right now, if things aren\u2019t falling into place like they should, if life isn\u2019t working out the way you had hoped\u2026don\u2019t despair. Just call upon the KING to intervene! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And remember, YOU weren\u2019t made for the throne. YOU were made TO SERVE the one on the throne!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, find freedom in that. And put your trust in Him.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a throne we cannot claim. And so the weight of the world is not ours to bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which leads us to the second discovery in this psalm. And it\u2019s this,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. There\u2019s a world we cannot fix!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as you don\u2019t have all power to rule \u2014 you also don\u2019t have all the power to FIX<\/strong> or HEAL<\/strong> the brokenness within this world. But that\u2019s okay, because that\u2019s not your role \u2014 that\u2019s Jesus\u2019s<\/strong> place<\/strong>. Look again at verse 4.<\/strong> It says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4<\/em><\/strong> The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: \u201cYou <\/em>(speaking of Jesus<\/strong>) are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 110:4 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I know this is pretty mysterious sounding. But to the ancient Hebrew person, the name Melchizedek was pretty important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melchizedek was a royal person who appears only once in the Bible. He shows up in a story with Abraham in Genesis 14. We don\u2019t know a lot about Him, except that He was an honorable<\/strong> man<\/strong>. His name actually means, \u201cking of righteousness.\u201d In Genesis, he cares for Abraham \u2014 and gives him bread and wine<\/strong> after a great battle. Then he blesses him! Its as though He cares for, refreshes, and sort of brings healing to Abraham\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, he becomes a key figure in the Jewish world. They honor his memory and think of him as the first and greatest priest. Someone who acted on God\u2019s behalf and brought peace and healing and blessing to someone in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, when David says, there\u2019s one who will be the FOREVER PRIEST (in the order of Melchizedek), he\u2019s describing Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Psalm 147<\/strong>, the psalmist describes the Lord \u2014 by saying,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 <\/em><\/strong>He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Isaiah 61, the prophet Isaiah describes the ministry of one who would come and care for the brokenhearted. And in Luke 4, Jesus quoted the prophets words \u2014 and said, they were fulfilled in Him. Listen to them\u2026they describe the work of this FOREVER PRIEST. Jesus says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord\u2019s favor.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, this is who Jesus was \u2014 and is! He is both the KING OF KINGS and the FOREVER PRIEST. But what that means is it\u2019s His job to bring healing to the WORLD\u2026He is the great HIGH PRIEST (not us). While we can serve Him and work with Him and do His bidding \u2014 we are not the GREAT HIGH PRIEST of this world. We are not the Messiah. We are not the SAVIOR\u2019s of this world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a description of Jesus \u2014 not us! But again, there\u2019s tremendous freedom in recognizing this. Because it can become exhausting trying to be the SAVIOR of the WORLD. It\u2019s a heavy weight to try and bring healing to every wound, and a solution to every problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t do that \u2014 but that\u2019s not our job! Instead, we are to turn to Jesus. And we are to point people to Him \u2014 and we are to lead people down the path to discover the kindness and compassion<\/em> of our GREAT HIGH PRIEST. And it\u2019s important to remind this world that Jesus understands. Because He came and lived among us, He understands our struggles. So, He\u2019s not looking to put us down \u2014 He\u2019s looking to pick us up. I love the words of Hebrews 4, which speaks to the kindness and compassion of Jesus. It says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,<\/em> but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, t<\/em>hat we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To think correctly about Jesus<\/strong>, you have to understand that He is the great FOREVER priest\u2026<\/strong>full of Grace and mercy. And that\u2019s something else that WE often struggle to show. Instead, we get impatient, and frustrated, and self-righteous (when it comes to dealing with the pain and heartache of others). But not Jesus\u2026He came to HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you can rest assured \u2014 that THIS PSALM ISN\u2019T ABOUT YOU! It\u2019s ALL ABOUT HIM! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, while this world is still not FIXED<\/strong>\u2026know this, your FOREVER PRIEST<\/strong> isn\u2019t done. And there\u2019s a day coming when He will make all things right. And that brings us to the final point of this psalm. And it\u2019s found in verses 5-7.<\/strong> It\u2019s where we see\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. There\u2019s (ALSO) a victory we cannot lose.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter how bad things may be in your life \u2014 or in this world, know this \u2014 WE HAVE A HERO WHO HAS ALREADY WON THE VICTORY<\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this HERO is the same one previously described as our K<\/strong>ing (v1), and our Priest (v4). But now, David describes Him as a Warrior (v5-7). Look again at verse 5-7.<\/strong> It says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 <\/em><\/strong>The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. <\/em>6<\/em><\/strong> He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. <\/em>7<\/em><\/strong> He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 110:5-7 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, don\u2019t get lost in all of the MILITARY IMAGERY. Just understand that David sees this ONE (the Christ) as a MIGHTY WARRIOR. So great, that nothing can stop Him. And that includes you and your struggles, and failures, and sin, and mistakes. Because the BATTLE belongs to the Lord. It\u2019s not your and mine to win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s the CHAMPION \u2014 and He\u2019s already fought the BATTLE (and defeated the enemy). Satan\u2019s a defeated foe \u2014 He just doesn\u2019t know it yet. It gets a little graphic toward\u2019s end\u2026 with this WARRIOR GOD<\/strong> crushing heads, and judging nations, and heaping up the dead and wiping out the rulers.But this is all point to the fact that HE CAN\u2019T BE STOPPED!<\/strong> He\u2019s the greatest WARRIOR EVER! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you start at the CROSS<\/strong> and look back \u2014 it\u2019s nearly impossible not to see Jesus in this Psalm. <\/strong>Because He\u2019s the mighty Warrior<\/strong> \u2014 who has won the battle and defeated the enemies of our lives, through the CROSS! It wasn\u2019t done by sheer power, or might, or raw strength \u2014 it was accomplished through His love.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But because of the cross \u2014 the corpses of RULERS and KINGS have been piled up. But they are the corpses of sin and the curses of the enemy\u2026and the things that have ruled our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those things are the corpses that David describes in this psalm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they have no power against our great MESSIAH! He is our conqueror. And through the CROSS, He has won the victory. It began with your SIN! But it didn\u2019t stop there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for most of us \u2014 we\u2019ve really not understood the depth and breadth of His victory. He has broken the back of sin\u2026and shame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So where do you need Him to bring you victory in your life today? Is it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n