Psalm 4 - Speaking Truth to Ourselves and the World
Jonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
Release Date: 11/14/2024
Jonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
How blessed we are to know the King of kings as our Savior, to be citizens of His Kingdom, to participate in His Kingdom plan, and to know that the final victory is secure. Though His return in judgment will be a day of distress and anguish for many, it will be a day of joy for us as the King returns to complete our salvation and exalt us as the ancient promises foretold.
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
Judgment was indeed a sobering subject. And the certainty of the judgment to come had an impact on the apostles and their mission. The Apostle Paul, who was so quick to judge before he was saved and obtained mercy from God, urged his son in faith, Timothy, to be faithful to the ministry of preaching the Gospel. Judgment was coming.
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
The ends of the ages have come upon us, Paul said! All the purposes and plans of all ages of human history are now finding their fulfillment in the events that have been transpiring since Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom in the world. All the faithful acts that those Old Testament kings and prophets performed were the warmup to the main events that have been occurring since Christ came into the world. Therefore, we who have lived since the first coming of the King have the greatest reasons to live holy lives. The climax of human history has come upon us all. We are living at the end point of all...
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
How wonderful to realize that we, too, can participate in the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies as we obey Jesus’ command to take the message of His Kingdom victory to the ends of the earth. Right now as I speak, many of God’s people are fulfilling the Messiah’s prophecy to be a light to all the nations so that His salvation may reach to the end of the world. But all of us can fulfill His prophecy as we obey His final command and work with Him to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We can say with Paul and Barnabas, “For thus the Lord has commanded us!”
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
There is a reason why the first Christians excelled. They understood that their position in the Kingdom carried with it a historic responsibility. They realized that they were the key players in this present phase of God’s Kingdom plan for the world.
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
The first believers understood their identity well as recipients of the promises and citizens of God’s Kingdom. As we understand our identity as citizens of a triumphant kingdom, we will be taking an important first step in preparing ourselves to do our part in fulfilling the Kingdom mission.
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
There are many promises in the Word that Jesus has fulfilled and is fulfilling since He was enthroned in heaven. But the ones we will look at in this message are enough to show us that when Jesus left the earth, He did not leave the battle. Instead, He ascended to the most strategic place in the universe from which to lead His people to carry out the present phase of the Kingdom plan.
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
The second strategic event took place in heaven: Christ was enthroned in the place of highest authority. He is in the best place from which to lead the forces of His people to carry out this present phase of God’s Kingdom plan which is to take the gospel to every nation, every people group, every tribe, every language, everyone! No wonder that Jesus said to His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away to the Father” (John 16:7)."
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
Immediately after Jesus finished clarifying to His disciples their ministry priority, He returned to heaven. That priority is to reach the very nations which have for centuries resisted and rebelled. Yet, Jesus returned to heaven. Why did he leave, especially with such a challenging task he gave to his people then and now. How we wish we could have Him with us physically on the earth leading us! But He did not stay. Why did He leave?
info_outlineJonathan Williams with Word of God, Speak
The manifestations of God’s Kingdom had only begun when Jesus returned to heaven. Those first disciples understood that the King was now going to exercise His power and authority through them as they obeyed His final command. The final command that Jesus gave to His first followers is also His command to us. The priority of the Kingdom for this age has not changed.
info_outlineToday we find ourselves in Psalm 4, another psalm of David and another psalm where he experienced difficulties because of his enemies. If you remember, in our previous messages, we talked about Psalm 3 and the foes David faced and the lies they were telling to David or about David. In Psalm 4 we are going to find something similar but we will see new responses that David has toward his enemies and new truths about God. These are truths all of us must know and can apply.