My King
Sermon: My King: Easter 2025
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
Our Easter celebration included special congregational music interspersed throughout Pastor Tom’s presentation. Pastor Tom spoke about the concept of ownership and how Jesus is referred to as our King. He drew comparisons to medieval and biblical times when kings held absolute authority over their lands and subjects. Today, we often use the title 'king' for entertainers, athletes, and businesses, but Jesus is our true King. Pastor Tom highlighted Psalm 24, where King David describes God’s sovereignty and ownership of everything. He explained how God owning everything shapes our understanding of His authority and love, especially as seen in the sacrifice of Jesus. The sermon concluded with the invitation to surrender to Jesus, accepting His grace and entering a new life filled with hope. Ultimately, Pastor Tom reminded us of the immeasurable grace and love of Jesus, urging us to live with this knowledge every day.
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
Understanding the Concept of Kingship in Christianity
The concept of Jesus as King might seem extravagant to some, especially in a world where the term is often used casually. To unpack what it means to refer to Jesus as King, it’s helpful to compare it to historical understandings of monarchy, particularly during the feudal era. In this context, a King owned all property and was sovereign over the people that lived there. This ownership gave the King absolute authority, a notion that resonates profoundly when we begin to understand the divinity of Christ.
The Biblical Perspective on Ownership and Authority
David, the ancient King of Israel, provides insight into divine kingship in Psalm 24. He begins with a declaration that emphasizes God’s ownership of everything: "The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and all who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). This profound statement underscores that God, as the Creator, possesses authority over all that exists. Recognizing that God is the owner leads to an understanding of His ability to govern the world and our lives, establishing a framework of respect and reverence.
The Need for Clean Hands and Pure Hearts
Continuing in Psalm 24, David poses two critical questions: "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?" and "Who may stand in His holy place?" (Psalm 24:3). These inquiries point to the impossibility of reaching God through our own efforts. Human attempts to attain righteousness, whether through good deeds or sacrifices, ultimately fall short of God’s perfect standards. Acknowledging that we cannot attain righteousness on our own opens the door to understanding the grace offered through Jesus Christ.
The Unattainable Standard of Perfection
The Bible clarifies that no one is righteous—not even one (Romans 3:10). This standard of perfection can feel daunting. Many might claim to be good based on comparisons with others, but God’s standard is not relative; it’s absolute. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It’s vital to recognize the severity of sin and its consequences. Sin leads to spiritual death and separation from God, highlighting the need for a savior.
The Gift of Grace and Salvation
However, amidst the weight of sin, the message of hope shines brightly. David proclaims in Psalm 24:5, "He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." This points to a future hope, fulfilled through Christ, who offers eternal life as a gift from God (Romans 6:23). This "Great Exchange" is foundational to Christianity: Christ takes our sin and imparts His righteousness to us, allowing God to view us as anew.
Surrender and the Response to God
The pathway to experience this grace involves a total surrender to God. Embracing vulnerability, being "gracefully broken," signifies recognizing our limitations and accepting God's grace completely. Ephesians 2:8 teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, a gift that cannot be earned. Responding to this gift involves presenting ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), fully committed to following God.
Embracing the Transformative Power of Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith, heralding hope and the promise of new life. It signifies victory over death, sin, and separation from God. The celebration surrounding Easter serves as a reminder of the extraordinary transformation that occurs when one accepts the grace of Christ and the potential for a renewed life.
Taking the Step Towards Faith
For those contemplating their relationship with God, it is essential to make a decision to accept His invitation for a transformed life. Acknowledging the need for forgiveness and recognizing Jesus as King paves the way for a new beginning. It’s a call to respond in faith, surrendering to His authority and embracing the promise of life everlasting.
In conclusion, Jesus is not merely a title; He is the King who offers hope, grace, and a chance for redemption. Understanding His kingship invites us into a relationship that transforms not only our hearts but our entire lives.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Reflect on Ownership: Pastor Tom talked about how God owns everything. How does acknowledging God's ownership of our lives and the world around us change the way we live day-to-day?
Understanding Jesus as King: What does it mean to you personally to call Jesus your King? How does this title influence your relationship with Him?
Surrendering to Jesus: Pastor Tom spoke about the importance of surrender. What does it look like for you to live a life fully surrendered to God?
God’s Sovereignty and Love: In Psalm 24, God's sovereign rule is depicted. How do you see God's love expressed through His sovereign power in your life?
Sharing Jesus’ Kingship: How can we communicate Jesus’ kingship and the associated hope and love to those around us who may not understand it?
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In the sermon, Pastor Tom references Psalm 24, a psalm written by King David. This psalm reflects the time of ancient Israel, a period when the concept of kingship was central to society. In ancient Israel, a king not only ruled over the people but also served as a spiritual leader. Kings were seen as God's appointed rulers on earth, which is why King David writes about divine ownership and authority.
Psalm 24:1-2 states, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it," which aligns with the ancient belief in God's supreme authority over all creation. This understanding was rooted in the religious view that God was the creator of everything, from the earth to humanity.
Furthermore, the imagery of God owning everything reflects the socio-political structure of a king's ownership during David's time, where kings had actual dominion and control over lands and people. This was also a time when feudal systems were prevalent in the neighboring civilizations, further reinforcing the analogy of God as a sovereign ruler.
In broader historical context, King David reigned over Israel around the 10th century BC, a time characterized by consolidated tribes and establishment of Jerusalem as the political and spiritual capital. David's writing prophetically about a future descendant, Jesus, aligns with Messianic expectations common in Jewish history, particularly during periods of turmoil or longing for a divine ruler who would establish peace and righteousness throughout the earth. This context helps us to understand the potent imagery and weight of calling Jesus 'King,' as it connects deeply with ancient promises and prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament.
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Introduction
Today, we are going to learn about Jesus being our King! Just like in fairy tales, kings own their kingdoms and take care of their people. But, we are going to discover that Jesus is a special kind of King who loves us, wants the best for us, and even gave His life to save us!
Scripture
Psalm 24:1-5
"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior."Craft: "Crown of Kindness"
Materials Needed:
Paper or cardstock
Scissors
Markers, crayons, or stickers
Tape or glue
Instructions:
Start by cutting out a crown shape from the paper.
Let the kids decorate their crowns with markers, crayons, or stickers. Encourage them to write words that describe Jesus as King, such as “Loving,” “Protector,” “Savior,” and “Holy.”
Once finished, help them tape or glue the crown together to wear as a symbol of honoring Jesus as their King.
Game: "King's Commands"
Objective: Follow the commands of the "King" (a chosen leader).
Instructions:
Select one child to be the "King."
The King will issue a variety of commands (like "jump two times," "spin around," or " bend down like you're picking up something from the ground").
The other kids must follow the commands. If they do not, they are out for that round.
Switch leaders after a few rounds to allow everyone a chance to be the King and lead the commands.
Discussion Questions
Why do you think it’s important to recognize Jesus as our King?
What are some things that make Jesus different from other kings?
How can we show kindness to others as Jesus teaches us?
What do you think it means to have clean hands and a pure heart?
Wrap Up with Prayer
Let’s pray together!
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus as our King. Help us to recognize His love and what it means to be part of His kingdom. May we always strive to have clean hands and pure hearts so we can follow you closely. Help us to show kindness to others, just as you showed us. We love you, God!
In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. -
[SONG]
So if you've been wondering what we do during WOC, that is one of the things that we worked on this spring in anticipation and preparation for the Easter service. And so we thank all the volunteers who help in that program. It is a big part of what we do in the public school systems here. So we're so glad that happened. And Tabitha, thank you.
That was just a fantastic Job, would you give them another round of applause?
So if you're not a Christian and even if you are a follower of Christ, you might wonder, why in the world do we call Jesus King? Seems to be a little over the top, you know. And so there was a church who decided for their presentation of the Easter service, they were going to do an Easter pageant. And if you're familiar with those, they actually act out the Passion Week of Jesus Christ. And it typically begins with Jesus showing up on Paul Sunday on a donkey or something like that.
And so sure enough, this particular church, the back two doors opened and Jesus started coming down on a donkey. And someone from the platform yells out, look, it's the King. And there were these two little eight year olds sitting in the front row and they had no church background at all. And so they got really excited and they turn around and they look back there and one says to the other, so that's what Elvis Presley looks like.
That might explain some of the confusion when we Christians talk about Jesus being our king. To be honest, it's a hard concept to wrap your mind around because we hear of the King of Rock and Roll, we hear of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, we hear of LeBron James, and he's the King of basketball. If you're hungry, you might be thinking of Burger King right now. Or if you're on a diet, maybe it's Smoothie King. And we just kind of, I mean, right down the street is tire Kingdom.
And so we use that word so flippantly today that it means almost nothing. And so I want to take you back. I want to take you back at least to the days of feudalism where, if you remember in your history books, the King owned everything that would be in England or France or Spain, something like that. The King actually owned all the property and all the people who lived there were just servants of the King. Or maybe we can go back even further and go all the way back to Old Testament times.
Because if we go back far enough, we will begin to get a picture and understand what it means for one person to have all, say all, all the authority of a sovereign king. Now, my wife is a big Ten Commandments fan and I'm referring to the movie. How many has ever seen Gladiator? You've seen Gladiator? Let me see your hands.
Okay, what about Braveheart? You've seen Braveheart? Okay, how about the Ten Commandments from the 1950s? Okay, all right. Most everyone's seen those movies.
And in those movies the King had absolute Authority, specifically in the Ten Commandments, this man by the name of Yul Brenner, he was this actor with this really cool voice. And he would say this probably three or four times in the movie, so let it be written, so let it be done. And he said that to make sure everyone knew my word is law, I am sovereign, and whatever I say goes. So this morning, we're just going to take a quick look at Psalm chapter 24, because Psalm chapter 24 is written by. By a king.
His name's King David. And. And he's writing about a king that he thinks and sees as superior to himself. He's really writing about God, but simultaneously, he's speaking prophetically about the king who will come in his own line, and that's Jesus of Naz. And he's trying to tell everybody all of the glory that is due his name and how we should treat and act around this particular personage.
And in verse one, this is what he says. The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and all who dwell therein.
In other words, God owns everything. God owns the dirt. We know that. But God also owns every drop of water on this planet. He owns all the automobiles that we drive.
He owns our homes and our property. He owns the clouds that go above this earth. He owns all of the people. And with that understanding, we need to understand the law of ownership. That means God can do anything, say anything, anything that he wants.
That's why it boggles my mind sometimes that he was willing to send his son, Jesus Christ to die on a cross for me, because he didn't have to do that. When it comes to this law of ownership, the only way I can explain it is I owned a house in Las Vegas for 25 years. And when Robin and I bought the house, we got to decide what the carpet was gonna look like and what the paint on the walls was going to be and what furniture was gonna be in the house. And the reason was, we were the owners. So I decided one day to pour a concrete slab in the back and put a basketball hoop up there.
And does anybody know why I did that? I was the owner. That's right. Well, I put the landscape in the front and backyard, and then I put a little playground in the back for our four small children at that time. And can anyone tell me why I did that?
I was the owner. That's right. Now, if today Robin and I drive back there and I start painting the house, I'm probably gonna get arrested because I sold it. Four years ago. I'm no longer the owner.
But as long as you're the owner, you have authority to do whatever it is you want. You might think, no, I have the authority. No, no, you only have stewardship over what it is that God has given you. He owns everything. Psalm 24:2 goes on and says this, that he has founded the earth upon the seas, and he established it upon the waters.
So there's a reason why he owns everything. It's because he created everything. And this is called the law of creation. And if you've ever created anything, made anything, you understand this completely. Inventors and artists know that if an artist paints a beautiful picture, they own it until they sell it.
Songwriters and app creators, whatever they make, they own. Book writers. If you write a book, you automatically hold the copyright. What I'm trying to communicate this morning is this God owns the copyright of this entire planet and even the story of your life.
[SONG]
If you've witnessed God's faithfulness, would you just wave a hand at me and say, yeah, yeah. That's why we're here today. We're celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But that's the faithfulness of God. And for David back in Psalm 24, it was somewhat of a mystery.
And so he actually says in Psalm 24:3, in regards to how do you get an audience with this magnificent, glorious king? This is what he says, who may ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in his holy place? In ancient times, people feared whenever the king came by, if he was on a horse or on a chariot of some kind and you were walking down the road, it was required that you get out of the way, that you kneel down, that you avert your eyes. You were not even able to look at him because he was considered either God or at least close to God. But in our part of the world, what David asks seems so strange and so uncommon?
Our demands for rights and equality oftentimes extend even to the God of the universe, and it shouldn't. So let me break these two questions down for you just a little bit. First, who can ascend? This speaks to the impossibility of ever reaching God on our own. Men merit.
Man does all kinds of things. He tries to do as many good works as he can. He tries to impress God through sacrificing money. Back in Old Testament times, they actually sacrificed their kids, thinking that they could appease the gods in some way, shape or form, in some faith. We try and reach this perfected state of nirvana where we finally reach the Ultimate.
And I just need you to know that Christianity is different from all those faiths. Christianity admits that there's nothing, say nothing, there's nothing we can do to get to God, that we are entirely dependent on Him. The second question points to an even bigger challenge and that who may stand in his holy place? Grace. Recognizing that God's holy.
And again, a word we don't use very often, but it means that he's bigger than us, better than us, beyond us, above us, and that the chasm or the gap between he and me is so wide that I could never, ever, ever get to him because he's so good. And I not. I love asking people this question. I've done it for 40 years now. And I say, are you going to heaven someday?
And about 95% or more always tell me yes. And I love asking a follow up question based upon what standard? And they're like, well, what do you mean? I go, well, how do you know you're getting into heaven? And this is what they tell me, well, my cousin Joey, he spent two years in the pen and I'm better than him.
Wow, the standard's not very high, is it? Or then they can't stop they word vomit as it is. And they go, well, I'm better than that Bernie Madoff guy who stole all that money. I'm better than Jeffrey Epstein who sexually abused all those children. I'm better than Charles Manson, he murdered a bunch of people.
Is that how low the standard is? If you're not a murderer, then you automatically get in and I just sit there and I smile and I say, well, I need you to know something. God does not grade on the curve. And they're like, well, what do you mean? And I say, well, you don't get to set the standard.
It's not your choice. God has already created a standard and it's really, really high. And they say, well, how high is it? And I said, but it's called perfection. And they look at me with a befuddled look on their face like, well, nobody's perfect, Pastor.
That's what this clean Hands verse is all about. It means that for you to have clean hands, that you have never sinned using your body, you have never sinned with your eyes, you have never sinned with your hands. To have a pure heart means that you are perfect in thought, motivation, attitude and words. And we all know that we all fall short of that. So this is the last ditch effort I usually get.
They go, pastor, well, God is a God of love. So he's just going to let me in.
No, he's not. Do you understand that? He's also a just God. And listen, this separates the Christian God from a wishy washy God. God does not allow sentimentality to ever pervert justice.
Now listen, you might not see justice in this lifetime, but God will always have the last word who can say Amen? So people tell me, pastor, that is an impossible standard. And I say, you're exactly right. As a matter of fact, Romans paints even a worse picture than that. This is what it says.
There's no one righteous, not even one. There's no one who understands. There's no one who seeks God. All have turned away. They have together become worthless.
And there is no one who does good. Not even one. So until someone tells me they're good, I quote them this scripture. You're not the exception of the rule. I tell them, you're not the one good person in this world.
Jesus was that one good person who can say Amen. So we have to admit that we're sinners. Romans 3:23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And just so you, you really understand what I'm talking about, sin is way worse than what we think it is. Oh, I disobeyed my mom.
No big deal. Oh, I told a little white lie. No big deal. It is a tremendous deal. Sin is a spiritual disease that apart from the great physician, cannot be healed in any way, shape or form.
Sin perverts and twists your understanding of reality. Sin makes you selfish. Sin steals your joy and all positive emotions. Sin blinds us to evil. It makes us blame others.
It causes severe pain in our lives and those around us. It diminishes our potential. It destroys relationships, and it ultimately brings death.
Yeah. Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death. This is referring to the consequences. Say consequences.
Speaking of getting in trouble with your parents, a little boy was getting in trouble with his mom and dad one day. He just repeatedly disobeyed and disobeyed. And finally they looked at him and said, son, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're gonna have to live with the consequences. And the boy said, mom, dad, that's okay as long as they have Nintendo Switch.
I like bringing a little laughter at that moment because whenever a pastor talks about sin, it gets really quiet.
We don't like talking about sin. We don't want to think of ourselves as sinners. But the Bible gives us hope. Who can say Amen in Psalm chapter 24, verse 5. David goes on and says he shall receive blessing from the Lord.
Think about this. There's no one with clean hands. There's no one with a pure heart. But he says, in light of that, you're going to receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is when we need to remember all the things that David wrote about, not just this one particular psalm.
David had had witnessed God's deliverance. David had witnessed God's power. God had witnessed his his forgiveness and realized that God wanted to forgive every chance he could. That's why Romans 6:23 doesn't stop with the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is what?
Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in the middle of this prophetic message, David sees hope. In the middle of this prophetic message, he begins to understand that forgiveness is going to be available. He doesn't understand it completely, but we understand it today because of what Jesus Christ did. We understand that he gave us a gift.
First Peter, chapter one 18 and 19 says this, that he paid a ransom to save us. And it was the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Who can say Amen? He died on the cross and he made what is available to you and I. We call it the Great Exchange.
In other words, he will take all your sin, all of your unholiness, all of your unrighteousness, all of your pain and all your sorrows. He will take them on his own shoulders and he will give you his righteousness. And if you accept this gift, God looks at you and sees someone brand new. God looks at you and sees holiness, righteousness and perfection. Because Jesus paid the price.
[SONG]
So I wrote a little poem to summarize what happened that great weekend that Jesus died. On Friday, Jesus was crucified on Saturday they thought he had died. But on Sunday the devil was denied.
On Friday, a life was given away. On Saturday, hope was thrown away. But on Sunday, the stone was rolled away.
And on Friday, Jesus took our condemnation. On Saturday, the universe waved in anticipation. And on Sunday, heaven had a celebration. Can you give the Lord a round of applause, please? Hallelujah.
So, those of you who are Christians, we're here to celebrate and lift up the name of Jesus Christ. To those who aren't sure, it's your opportunity to receive the approval of the king. And you might say, well, how do we do that? The song that we just sang is really leading us down those steps. It's to be gracefully broken.
What does that mean? It means to recognize that there's nothing you can do, that God does it all, that it's his grace. Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this.
It is a gift. Say gift, gift. It's a gift from God. And then you respond in faith. I love the way Romans chapter 12, verse 1 puts it, I beseech you, or I just really, really encourage you, brothers, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.
That's that surrender they were singing about. Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Some translation says it's the sensible thing to do. In other words, we were talking about Romans chapter three, but it's Romans chapter one, two, three, all the way through 11. Talk about the predicament, the problem that we find ourselves in.
But it also talks about what Jesus Christ did to save our sins. And in light of that fact, we need to respond by surrendering our lives to God. If you're a Western fan, and I'm talking about those old Westerns, whenever the. The guy was surrounded, and he was always the bad Guy back then, he's surrounded by the sheriff and the posse. They'd say, come out with your.
Your hands up. Symbolically, that's what we do in this moment. We get an opportunity to surrender to God and our lives will never, ever be the same. So would you bow your heads with me for just a moment and consider all the songs that were sung today. Consider all the words that were spoken.
Consider both the verses from the book of Romans and the book of Psalms, chapter 24.
And you have to decide for yourself if they're going to make a difference in your life. When I was just a little boy, I was eight years old, my parents weren't doing very well. As a matter of fact, two years previous, they had separated and they had made a decision to get a divorce. And they were getting back together on and off during that period. But finally my mom had had enough.
She kicked my dad out of the house. And he was heading to the bar.
He came to a stop sign, and the bar was two blocks to the left. And for some reason, he made a different decision that day. His decision was to go two blocks to the right. And down that road was a church. And in that little church, he gave his life to Jesus Christ and changed the trajectory of our entire family.
Who can say amen?
Listen, it just takes one decision and you can make it today. If God is summoning you to surrender in this moment, would you just raise your hand and say, pastor, I want to be all in with Jesus Christ. Can I see your hands, please? I see you. Yep.
Over here. Yeah. Anybody over to my left? Yeah, I can see those hands. Anybody else?
Heavenly Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, the name that is above every other name. Name. There's probably nothing more difficult than to raise a hand in this situation. Of course, we realize that raising hands doesn't save people. You save people.
The blood of Jesus Christ saves people. The commitment that we make in our heart, believing that Jesus Christ is who he says he is and that you raised him from the dead, that's the grace that's bestowed on us. And through those actions of faith, Father God, we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. So I'm praying for every single person here. As a matter of fact, would everybody just pray with me very quickly?
Dear God, we come to you in Jesus name and we ask for your forgiveness. We ask that you may be our witness that we are changing our lives from this moment forward, not through our power, but through the power of Jesus Christ, through the power of the resurrection. And so, from this day forward, we're all in. From this day forward, we give you our hope. And from this day forward, we live in anticipation of a transformed life.
In Jesus name, amen.
