Decline & Renewal, 25: Renewal & the Reign of Our King

Editor's note: After some great conversations during the Pepperdine Bible Lectures, I’m still hoping to continue this series. We should still have a few more guest articles. Then this series will undoubtedly morph into something related yet new.

Every Knee Will Bow

After my junior year of high school, I got to attend Boys State in Tennessee, a special week-long gathering of the top incoming seniors from across the state. Obviously a few like me snuck in under the radar. It was a big honor!

When I arrived at the college campus where we would be staying, I realized I was in the company of some top-notch people. We were to hold elections for ceremonial positions like governor, attorney general, and so forth as we studied state government. Everyone had to hold some office. My aspiration was quite modest -- to contend for the trash collector of our "city" government.

Out of the several hundred high school seniors, some stood out as ready-made leaders. One started campaigning immediately for governor (the top spot), and I happened to connect with him. For whatever reason, I offered my services to help him (and his entourage) win the election. I guess I chose well, because he was elected “governor” by all the Boys State attendees. Because I stuck my neck out for him, he asked me to be on his cabinet. I'm not sure if I was lucky or wise. Regardless, I got to sit in on some special meetings and even shook hands with the actual governor of Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, who came for our closing ceremonies.

Choosing the winning side has great advantages! But it requires either great perception, dumb luck or inside information. You have to have eyes to see things the way they really are—or the way things really will be. The Bible gives us special wisdom and beckons us to have this kind of vision. It calls us to see past the illusory present into the lasting future.

ACCORDING TO PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11, WHAT WILL HAPPEN ONE DAY?

m        Every knee will bow before Jesus.

m        Every tongue will confess that Jesus is King.

All will bow to Jesus and confess that he is King. This means that even the most arrogant, ungodly, selfish, rude people will eventually see the truth. They will not be able to stop themselves from acknowledging our King. All the false claimants to the throne will melt away in the light of the real King.

What does this mean for us today? It’s our job to live RIGHT NOW with the reality of what will one day be clear to all. We are to bow our knee before Jesus NOW and confess him as King NOW.

The Real King Is Coming!

In Lost in the Cosmos, Walker Percy says that disappointment is the primary emotion for North Americans who have had all the advantages of wealth, education and culture. Work, family life, school, politics and even the church are often disappointing for most people. “If Christ brings us new life,” Walker writes, “it is all the more remarkable that the church, the bearer of this good news, should be among the most dispirited institutions of the age.”

Do you hear these words? Don’t you feel it in your own soul? Don’t you feel the disappointment and disillusionment? It sometimes hits preachers on Sunday evenings when they reflect on the day and ask themselves, “Is there something more?” It sometimes hits church leaders who begrudgingly roll into yet another church meeting and wonder, “Is this the best church can be?” This feeling weighs heavy in our churches.

This is why it is important for us to vigorously return to the instruction of books like Psalms. This psalm (along with many others) redirects us to the only reality that will bring hope and joy into our lives. Until we recognize that the kingdoms of this world are temporal and illusory, then we will constantly live in disappointment.

Psalm 2 is great read. It’s like a play with four acts. You could call it a musical piece in four movements. Reflect on the four parts.

m        ACT 1   The nations (worldly kingdoms) conspire against the true king (vv. 1-3).

m        ACT 2   God laughs at the schemes of seemingly powerful people (vv. 4-6).

m        ACT 3   God (the true king) sets his Son on the throne to destroy all kingdoms (vv. 7-9).

m        ACT 4   We would do well to recognize the true king and serve him (vv. 10-12).

What is the message of Psalm 2? This psalm bids us see a reality that others can’t grasp. Pay attention to Act 1 (vv. 1-3). The leaders of worldly kingdoms obviously don’t think that God’s reign is very certain. To them, God’s kingship is something to be denied and countered. Much like Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden who no longer wanted God to call all the shots, the kingdoms of this world do not willingly submit to the true king.

But notice what happens in Act 2 and Act 3 (vv. 4-9). First, God laughs at those who think they can stop or alter the inevitable. God knows that the ultimate victory is secure. Then look at verse 9. What will the true king do to the kingdoms of this world?

m        He shall break them with a rod of iron.

m        He shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH’S JOB?

The book of Revelation uses the language of metaphor and allegory to say the same basic thing as Psalm 2. What is this message? The true king has already been anointed. He will soon come and claim his rightful place as the Lord of heaven and earth. And when he comes, the reign of Satan will end forever, and the kingdoms of this world will either bow to Jesus or they will cease to exist. “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15b). What a glorious day that will be!

So the question is this: Do our churches faithfully and convincingly proclaim loyalty to the one true King? It’s our job to live RIGHT NOW with the reality of what will one day be clear to all. We are to bow our knee before Jesus NOW and confess him as King NOW.

It’s not our job to save the world. We aren’t called to have perfect worship services or the greatest church organization ever. God doesn’t ask us to batten down the hatches and protect our society. God asks us to acknowledge our true King and to serve him with our whole heart. It’s our job to declare that God is King and to live our lives accordingly.

When we do this, the disappointment and despair of this world start to pale in comparison with the hope implanted in us by God’s Spirit. If we do this, our churches will experience a renewal so unpredictable and uncontainable that we won’t know what hit us. This may or may not result in something that looks like the world’s definition of “success,” because our newfound allegiance to God means saying no to the false kings of this world—including the American narrative of progress and triumph.

But saying yes to God—clearly and firmly above all other options—means choosing the winning side. Ultimately, isn’t that enough for all of us?