Christ the King

THEKI NGOFHEARTS Ioncehear dast or yonCl assi cFM t hathadbeensenti nbyt hef at herofal i t t l egi r l whohear dhi sdaught eranswer i ngt hephone.'

Whoi si t ? ' shesai d.'

Anol df r i endof y ourf at her ' s' camet heanswer .'

Howol d? ' sai dt hel i t t l egi r l .'

Ver yol d, I ' m af r ai d. ' A moment ' spause.'

Al i v eordead? ' Wel l y oucoul dbef or gi v enf oraski ngt hatquest i onsomet i mesaboutt hechur ch– t hatv er yol df r i endofour s.Al i v eordead?Thewor l d' spi ct ur eoft hechur chas r el ent l essl ypor t r ay edbyt hemedi ai st hatt hechur chi sont her opesj ustwai t i ngf or t heknockoutbl ow.

Buthav en’ tt heyhear dwe’ r ei nt hehandsoft heKi ng-Chr i stt heKi ng, whosedayi ti s t oday ?Andhe' snotaboutt ocal l i tadaysi mpl ybecauset heSunnewspaper can' t spel l Godort heDai l yMai l t hi nksi t ' sbeendownhi l l ev ersi ncet heBCP.Chr i stt he Ki ngi si nchar ge.Hi ski ngdom i sunst oppabl e.Wepl antourst andar di nt hegr ound byhi ssi deandt hegat esofhel l shal l notpr ev ai l .

Butwehav et obeabi tcar ef ul i nouruseoft hi si deaofki ngshi pandChr i stt heKi ng.

Iwantt oof f ery ouf ourt y pesofki ngshi p.( Andt her ewi l l benoment i onofr ecent r oy al scandal s…)Eacht y peofki ngshi phasi t sst r engt hsandweaknesses.

1.Fi r st , t her e' st hei deaofanabsol ut emonar ch.Whaty oumi ghtcal l , t heKi ngof Cl ubs, f or ci nghi swi l l onhi speopl e.At i l l at heHun, I v ant heTer r i bl e, y ouknowt he sor t .Buti fwet hi nkofChr i stt heKi ngl i ket hi st henwe' r ei nser i oust r oubl e.Ionce r eadanar t i cl eonawomanwhoedi t sBl ackLacebooks: t hat ' ser ot i cl i t er at ur ef or women, appar ent l y .( Howwoul dIknow? )Shewentt oacat hol i cconv entand hat edi t .'

Il oat hedt hatmi ser abl eGodwi t hhi swhi t ebear dandwaggi ngf i nger . ' shesai d.Canedf orspel l i ngmi st akes, canedf orput t i ngst i cker sonherbr i ef case, canedf ornotwear i ngahati nsummer , sheemer gedwi t hwhatshesai dwas ' unpar al l el edl oat hi ngf oraut hor i t y , andadesi r et oi nv est i gat eev er y t hi ngt hatwas seenasasi n.

'Thatr epr essi v ei mageofGodi ssodest r uct i v e.

Andt r agi cal l ymanypeopl ecanonl yt hi nkofGodi nt hi sdi st ant , di sappr ov i ng, cosmi cheadmast erki ndofway .You' v emeti thav en' ty ou?‘ Imusthav edone somet hi ngt er r i bl ywr ongt odeser v et hi s. ' ' We' dbet t ergetourbabychr i st enedj usti n caseany t hi nghappenst ohi m. ' Hul l o!Whatki ndofGodhav eweher e?Vengef ul , ar bi t r ar y , cr uel ?I t ' sami l l i onmi l esawayf r om t heJesusweseei nt hegospel s.Chr i st t heKi ngofCl ubswon’ tdo.

Exceptf ort hi s: t her ei sonet r ut hi nt hei mageoft heabsol ut emonar ch.Att heendof t hedayhei st heki ng; i ti shi swor l d.Andi napr of oundsense, he' snotsaf e.Doy ou r emembert hatbi ti nCSLewi s' sLi ont heWi t chandt heWar dr obewher et hechi l dr en ar et al ki ngwi t hMr .Beav eraboutAsl ant hel i on, t heChr i stf i gur e? ' I she–i sheaman? ' askedLucy .'

Asl anaman! ' sai dMrBeav erst er nl y .'

Cer t ai nl ynot .

He' st heki ngoft hewoodandt hesonoft heEmper orbey ondt hesea.Don' ty ou

knowwhoi st heKi ngofBeast s?Asl ani sal i on–t hel i on, t hegr eatLi on. ' ' Oh' sai d Susan, ' I ' dt houghthewasaman.I she–qui t esaf e? ' ' Saf e? ' sai dMrBeav er .'

Who sai dany t hi ngaboutsaf e?'

Cour sehei sn' tsaf e.Buthe' sgood.He' st heki ng' Not saf e, t hi sKi ng, butgood.I ' l l set t l ef ort hat .

2.Nowher e' sanot heri deaofmonar chy–t hedecor at i v emonar ch.Thepl ay boy Pr i nce, t hepamper edpr i ncess, t hemonar chy our ol l ouronst at eoccasi onst o i mpr esst hef or ei gner s.Aki ndofKi ngofDi amonds.Andi fChr i sti st hi ski ndof ki ng, t hecr ossi sj ustapi eceofj ewel r y , r el i gi oni sf ancywr appi ngpaper–car ol s f r om Ki ngs, r oy al weddi ngs, l ov el ybapt i sms–andJesusi sar eal l yni cemanwho j ustl ostt hepl ott owar dst heend.Doy our ecogni set hi ski ng?He' sbeenar ound f oral ongt i met oo, t hi sKi ngofDi amonds, butI ' m sor r y–t hi si sn' tChr i stt heki ng asChr i st i ansunder st andhi m atal l .

Exceptf ort hi s, t hi sonet r ut haboutt hedecor at i v emonar ch.Chr i stdoesdecor at e ourl i v eswi t hhi sbeaut y , i fwe' l l butl ethi m.Thebeaut yofat r ul yChr i st i anl i f ei s si mpl yadel i ght .Thesear el i v esf ul l ofgr aceandcompassi on, l i v est hatshi neand makey ouwantt obeabet t erper son.Youcan’ tl i v ecl oset osomeonewi t houtt aki ng onsomet hi ngoft hei rnat ur e; andsoi ti swi t ht hosewhol i v ecl oset oChr i st .Ican t hi nkofsomeofmyf r i endswhoar el umi nousi nt hei rr ef l ect i onofJesus.

3.At hi r di mageofki ngshi p: whataboutt heki ngasaconst i t ut i onal monar ch?A wor ki ngmonar ch–aki ndofKi ngofSpades.Onewhoget shi shandsdi r t y–wel l , abi t .Get si nt er est edi nar chi t ect ur eandor gani cf ar mi ng, andwor ki ngcl ass pur sui t sl i kepol o.Aki ngofspades, awor ki ngmonar ch-butkepti nhi spl aceby awhol esy st em ofconst i t ut i onal checksandbal ances, par l i ament sand conv ent i ons.Coul dChr i stbeaconst i t ut i onal monar ch?

Butsi ncewhencoul dweputchecksandbal ancesont hef r eedom ofGod?How coul dChr i stbeaconst i t ut i onal monar ch, t r appedi nt heconv ent i onsofr el i gi onor phi l osophi cal specul at i on?LetGodbeGodandal l t hi ngsbecomepossi bl e!

Newcast l eUni t edt owi nt hePr emi er shi p, t hePopet osay' Wewer ewr ong; weshoul d hav el i st enedt oMar t i nLut her ! ' , Jesust or i sef r om t hegr av e.Ther ear enochecks andbal ancesonourKi ng.Chr i stt heKi ngofSpadeswon’ tdo.

Exceptf ort hi s.Chr i stl i mi t shi msel fi nt hathewi l l nev erov er r i deourf r eedom.Hi s r espectf orourf ool i shchoi cesi sext r aor di nar y .Het akesourf r eedom t ol i v eand l ov e, ort ohat eanddi e, wi t ht heut mostser i ousness.AndIl ov et hathonest yand t r ust .Heaccept st hel i mi t at i onsonhi sf r eedom t hatgowi t hgi v i ngusour s, our f r eedom.

4.So, f our t hl y-y ou’ r eaheadofme!Ther e' sanot herf or m ofmonar chandt hat ' st he ser v antmonar ch, t heser v antki ng.Youmi ghtcal l hi mt heKi ngofHear t s.I t ' sa f or m ofki ngshi punusual i nt hi sl i f e.ButJesusper f ect edi tf i r stt i meout .Thi si sa ki ngshi pdef i nednotbyt hel ov eofpower( absol ut emonar chy )butbyt hepower ofl ov e, notbysuper f i ci al gl amour( decor at i v emonar chy )butbyt he at t r act i v enessofcompassi on, notbypol i t i cal pr agmat i sm ( const i t ut i onal

monar chy )butbyt hehaunt i ngi nv i t at i onoft hecr oss.Theser v antki ng.TheKi ng ofHear t s.

Somey ear sagoi nSwedenanAmer i canGIwast r av el l i ngonabusandt al ki ngabout howdemocr at i chi scount r ywas.Ri si ngt ohi st hemehegotr at hercar r i edawayand decl ar edt ohi snei ghbour sont hebust hathi scount r ywassodemocr at i checoul d got ot heWhi t eHouseandseet hePr esi dentanddi scusst hi ngswi t hhi m.Theman nextt ohi m sai d' That ' sgood.Anddoy ouknow, i nt hi scount r yt heKi ngandt he peopl et r av el ont hesamebus? ' Theyt r av el l edonandt al kedsomemor e.Ev ent ual l y t heSwedesi t t i ngnextt ot heGIgotof f .Andt hent heot herpassenger st ur nedt ot he Amer i canandsai d: ' Byt heway , t hatwasKi ngGust av . ' I nChr i stwehav eaki ngwhoent er shi swor l dbyt hebackdoor , aki ngwhowashes f eetandwhor ei gns, aswehear di nourgospel , f r om acr oss.Thi si saki ngwho t r av el sont hebus, shar i ngourj our neyandseei ngourneed.Thi si sourGod, t he Ser v antKi ng, t heKi ngofHear t s.

Sol ov ei st hemeani ngoft hi sf ai t hofour s.Lov ei st hehear tofi tal l .Andnotal ov e t hat ' spi nkmi standgoodi nt ent i ons.Al ov et hat ' st oughasnai l s( asJesusf ound) .A l ov et hatgi v esf oodt ot hehungr y–ev enwhent hey ' r eungr at ef ul .Thatwel comest he st r anger–ev enwhenhel eav eswi t ht hef ami l ysi l v er .Thatcl ot hest henaked–ev en whenhi sf ashi onsensei sof ft hewal l .Thatv i si t st hepr i soner–ev enwhenhi scr i me di sgust sy ou.Becauset heKi ngsay s–' t hatper soni sme; may bedi st or t ed, may be damaged, butt hatper soni sme.Pl easehel pme. ' Whatapr i v i l eget hati s!

Thi si sal ov et hatwi l l hangf r om acr ossandsay‘ Fat her , f or gi v et hem, i ti sn’ tt hei r f aul t ; t heydon’ tknowwhatt hey ’ r edoi ng. ’ Aswel eav eher et oday , l et ' sr emembert hi s: l ov ei sn' tj ustagoodt hi ng, f ora Chr i st i ani t ' st heonl yt hi ng.That ' swhati t ' sal l about , accor di ngt oJesus.The ki ngshi pofChr i sti sn' tt hatoft heki ngofcl ubs, ort heki ngofdi amonds, ort heki ng ofspades.Chr i sti st heKi ngofHear t s.

Andi nt hi sgameofl i f e, hear t sar eal way st r umps.