Jesus Is Enough. Matthew 17:1-8

Transcription

1 Jesus Is Enough Matthew 17:1-8 Rev. Jeff Chapman ~ June 20,, 2010 ~ Faith Presbyterian Church In our passage last Sunday, Jesus challenged us with a difficult message. I don t want you to just believe in me, Jesus said, I want you to follow me. I dare you to set aside your plans for your life and, instead, pick up God s plans which, to be honest, will lead you down some hard roads. In his words, Deny yourself and pick up your cross. Again, nothing easy or comfortable about a cross. I want us to be clear on this point. A life of following Christ, the Christian life when rightly pursued, is no cakewalk. Many of you, I know, understand this. Several of you have told me even this past week how you are wrestling with this by asking yourself: Do I really want to follow Jesus down a road that will lead me to some places I m not sure I would choose if it were left up to me. Do I really want to love my enemies? And forgive everybody who hurts me? And let go of my addiction to money and material things? And take unpopular stands for truth and justice? And run away from those sinful behaviors that are so familiar. Do I really want to follow Jesus to those places? It s a tough decision. And honestly, one I m wrestling with myself. However, if we make that decision to follow Jesus down that hard road there is some extraordinary good news. We do not go alone. We do not have to carry the weight of our cross by ourselves. We couldn t anyway, even if we tried. Nobody can live like Jesus unless they are living with Jesus. That s why Jesus doesn t ask us to follow his teachings; he asks us to follow him. Furthermore, Jesus makes clear that as we begin to follow him, we set out on a joyful adventure unlike any other we could ever imagine in this life. Remember how last week s passage ended? Jesus told his disciples, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. In other words, if we follow Christ we don t have to wait until we die to begin to experience the rewards of God s kingdom. The way is often difficult, yes. But along the way we can, even now, experience joy, and peace, and love, and wholeness, and healing. These things are a part of the Christian life! The story we are about to read together makes this very point in a brilliant way. To set the context, it s been six days since Jesus challenged his disciples. Six days of waiting. In ancient Israel, that length of time was symbolic. Back then, six days symbolized the length of time one typically needed to wait for God to reveal his glory. In other words, it was often on the seventh day when you could expect something spectacular to happen. 1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 1 Old Testament examples of this include the rest that God takes after the six days of creation and the number of days (6) Moses had to wait on Mount Sinai before God met him and gave him the 10 Commandments (Exodus 24:16).

2 2 Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. (Matthew 17:1-8, NRSV) You always need to be careful when you climb up on top of a mountain. Crazy things happen on the tops of mountains. Sometimes people meet God on the tops of mountains. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on a mountain. God helped Elijah show up hundreds of pagan prophets on a mountain. Jesus preached his greatest sermon ever on a mountain. The Son of God died on a cross one afternoon on a mountain. Jesus spoke words that sent his followers to the ends of the earth on a mountain. God shows up and does dangerous, wonderful things on the tops of mountains. I speak from personal experience. A few years ago I was hiking with three friends in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, right along the Continental Divide. On this particular day we were up about 12,000 feet, making our way across an exposed ridge. It was mid-afternoon, just about the time when wise hikers in that region start heading for lower ground to avoid the thunderstorms that often roll through there that time of day. We knew this, and so we were headed for the safety of the tree line. Problem was, we had underestimated the time it would take to get there. Within minutes of the point we passed over the Divide, the sky turned black, the wind whipped up, rain started to fall, and a rumbling began to echo in the distance. And we got concerned. Not because of the dark, or the wind, or the rain, or even the noise. We were concerned, of course, because of the lightning. Because lightning, as you know, always seeks out the path of least resistance. And a six-foot man at the top of a mountain carrying a metalframed pack on his back easily qualifies as the path of least resistance. Let me tell you, when that lightning starting flashing, you never saw grown men run so fast in your life. All four of us knew that God is famous for meeting people on the tops of mountains. And all four of us were pretty sure we did not want to meet our Maker on that particular day on the top of that particular mountain. For six days, the disciples have been thinking hard about their recent conversation with Jesus. Peter, in particular, has been going over and over in his mind the stinging rebuke he received from his Master. What did Jesus mean that I am supposed to deny myself, pick up my cross and follow him? Some of you, I know, have spent the last six days asking the same question. Then, on the seventh day, the day when the glory of God was often revealed, Jesus takes three of these men Peter, James and John - up a mountain. Luke tells us in his version of this story 2, that as soon as they reach the 2 Luke 9: It s also found in Mark 9:2-12.

3 summit, Jesus led them in a time of prayer. Up there on this peak, they have a little church service. And apparently, Luke tells us, the three of them at some point fell asleep. 3 Anybody here know what it s like to fall asleep in church? Tell the truth, now. We ve all done it. I ve seen some of you do it! Especially when the preacher just won t sit down, or the prayer goes on and on and on, it s not that hard to drift off. Especially after a long hike! Apparently Jesus prayer that afternoon was a bit lengthy. Because Luke tells us that Peter and the others begin to drift off. Their catnaps are interrupted, however, when something very unusual happens to Jesus. According to the text, Jesus was suddenly transfigured before them. The word here in the original Greek is metamorphoo. This is a metamorphosis, a total transformation Jesus is undergoing. It s not, Jesus, did you do something different with your hair? Or, Jesus, is that a new outfit you re wearing? No, this is caterpillar to butterfly sort of change. The text says that Jesus face shone like the sun. His clothes became dazzlingly white. The disciples couldn t even look straight at him. It must have been like trying to stare straight on at the noon-day sun. What s happening here? Well, as I once heard it put, on that mountain that day Jesus turns inside out. You see, the true divine nature of Christ had been, to this point, largely hidden. 3 It leaked out some when he spoke astounding words and performed miraculous signs. But for the most part, Jesus, on the surface, looked like everybody else. His human nature was an effective costume. But God does strange things on mountain tops. And on the top of that mountain that day, three men got a momentary glimpse of Jesus stripped of his human disguise. They were, for an instant, seeing the Son of God as he had always existed and as he would one day exist again. And I imagine that whatever words they eventually used to describe the experience seemed sorely inadequate. On top of it all, suddenly this blazing Jesus is joined by two other men. Without explanation, Moses and Elijah, first rate action heroes from the Old Testament, suddenly appear and begin talking with Jesus. Can you imagine!? I ve always wondered, by the way, how the disciples knew it was Moses and Elijah. It s not like they had old photos of these guys hanging up in the Temple! A friend of mine recently gave me the only explanation that s ever made sense. Nametags. Can t you picture it? Hello, my name is Moses. Anyway, understand that Moses and Elijah uniquely represent all that has come before. Moses was the great leader of the Exodus through whom God gave Israel the law. Elijah was the greatest of all the prophets, through whom God told Israel what was to come. It s as if Jesus is standing there talking with the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets as the Jews referred to it. Do you see the point God is making here? Jesus is not disconnected from all that came before him. The Old and the New Testaments, in other words, have everything to do with one another. And if nothing else, this was a message to the disciples that their Master was to be taken very seriously. After all, he keeps company with the likes of Moses and Elijah. What other rabbi of that day could put that on his resume? None. 3 Remember that Moses once went on top of a mountain to meet with God and receive the 10 Commandments. And when he came down from the mountain his face, we re told, was also shining like the sun. Jesus face, however, is shining on its own. Again, the point is that Jesus himself is God.

4 4 Well, as soon as the disciples realize what s going on, it s of course Peter who jumps to his feet to speak. An you know what happens when Peter speaks. Not good things, usually. In fact, the last time Peter spoke up, Jesus told him, Get behind me, Satan. I imagine that sting of that rebuke was still fresh. So Peter s going to be cautious here. Peter s got to choose his words very carefully. Lord, he begins. It is good to be here. Not a bad way to start. He addresses Jesus with proper respect and then makes a fairly harmless observation. He s trying to remain positive. He continues, If you wish... In other words, If you think it s a good idea, Jesus, if I m not too far off base here, if it would be okay with you, I d like to suggest that I build three tents here, one for you - of course, we would definitely build yours first - one for Moses, and one for Elijah. How does that sound, Jesus? 4 Give Peter credit. He tries hard. Still, once again he just should have kept his mouth shut. Will he ever learn? Anybody else here besides me relate to Peter? He reminds me so much of myself. So much of the time things just go better if I keep my mouth shut. Two problems with what Peter says here. To begin with, he wants to camp out. And who wouldn t? The view is nice. Moses and Elijah have dropped by. Let s set up some tents. Let s get a campfire going. We ll roast some marshmallows, sing some songs, stretch out and look at the stars. We don t need to head back down into the valley anytime soon. Let s stay up here awhile, Jesus. Isn t it wonderful up here? Here s the problem. Peter knows what waits for them down in the valley. Jesus has been very clear on this point. In the valley awaits suffering and death. In the valley awaits a very difficult road. In the valley awaits a cross to pick up. Once again, Peter s trying to divert Jesus from the hard road which lay ahead. And that s problem. Secondly, not only was it a problem that Peter wanted to build tents on that mountain, it was also a problem that he wanted to build three tents. For in doing so, Peter essentially equates Jesus with Moses and Elijah. And as God is about to show Peter, Moses and Elijah don t even belong in the same league with Jesus. I heard recently 5 of a church back east which has hung portraits of famous figures all around its front lobby. If you go there and stand in the middle of this circular room, you will see lining the walls the faces of people like Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama, and Buddha, and Socrates, and Moses, and so on. You ll also see there, right alongside the others in the circle, a portrait of Jesus of Nazareth. Here s is the message that church is sending. Jesus is somebody to whom we look to for guidance in this life, but he s certainly not the only one to whom we look. We have other leaders, other teachers, who show us the way. And they all deserve equal space on the wall. Let s build tents for each of them. Now, nothing wrong with showing honor, even learning from, great leaders and teachers down through the ages. You and I could certainly stand to learn from any of the people I just named. But to do so on the same level as Jesus, that s where we go wrong. For Jesus is the leader of the leaders. Jesus is the teacher of the teachers. Jesus is the savior of the saviors. 4 I m indebted to Fredrick Dale Bruner here for this insight. Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 2, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, c. 2004), p I heard this story on the radio from Chuck Swindoll. Unfortunately, I never found out the date or title of the message.

5 5 As one writer put it, The Bible does not have several heroes, or several ways, or several plans, or several dispensations [or means] of salvation, it has one: faith in God s one Messiah, promised and prefigured in the law and prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures and presented in the apostolic witness of the New Testament. 6 Outside of Jesus, there is no other hope. This is exactly why God doesn t even let Peter finish describing his little plan to honor Moses and Elijah right alongside Jesus. While Peter was still speaking, in fact, a bright cloud suddenly overshadows them and God, from within the cloud, speaks: This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! Like I said earlier, when you re on a mountain and the clouds roll in, and something begins to thunder from within the clouds, there s a pretty good chance that, unless you get off that mountain, you re about to meet your Maker. Now, God speaks like this only two times in all the Gospels. Once at Jesus baptism, and once here. And both times God essentially says the exact same thing. Think about that for a moment. Doesn t the fact that God only speaks twice and says the same thing both times he speaks tell us that what he says is likely the single most important truth God wants us to understand? You know how sometimes I say to you in a sermon, If you missed everything else I say to you this morning, get this. God is saying to us here, If you miss everything else I say to you, get this. Jesus is my Son. My only Son. He is my beloved. He is priceless. I am pleased with him, pleased with everything about him. Moses is great. Elijah is faithful. But this is my Son. The Messiah. The Savior. He is the best I have to offer. 7 God only speaks from heaven twice. Both times he says the same thing. In fact, the only thing God adds this second time are the emphatic final three words: Listen to him! Remember when you were a kid and your parents were trying to get you to do some thing or another and you weren t doing it and they would say, Jeff, listen to me. Did that mean, Jeff, I want you to understand that I want you to take the trash out? No. It meant, Jeff, take the trash out. Now! They wanted action. God is not saying here, Folks, I want you to process and understand the things my Son, Jesus, is telling you. No, God is saying, Do what he says. Follow him wherever he goes. Obey him. Risk it all on him. Let your life be transformed by him. He is your Messiah. He is your Savior. He is the beloved One! We are to listen to Jesus. Have you noticed that on Sunday morning we don t open the books of the latest cultural gurus to study what it is they have to say? And we don t even open the books of sages of old and spend our time focused on their ancient teachings. And we certainly don t gather here to hear whatever clever and new insights this or that pastor has to offer. Instead, Sunday after Sunday, we open the Scriptures and turn to the life and teachings of Jesus, passed down to us by those who walked with him and we listen to Jesus. And not just to understand what he says. Not just to wrestle with what he says. Not just to process what he says. But to obey it. To follow it. To seek after it. To obey him. To follow him. To seek after him. 6 Bruner, p In God s words here we hear echoes of God s voice from Isaiah 42:1, words spoken to the Suffering Servant.

6 When we do, when we let God s Word speak through Christ directly into our lives, it often knocks us over. Sometimes literally. 6 When Peter and the others heard God s Word from the clouds, they fell over. They fell flat to the ground. And as they huddled there in terror, that mountain became the last place any of them wanted to be. As the Bible puts it, it is a terrifying thing to stand in the presence of a Holy God. 8 But then and I love this part then, right in the midst of their terror, Jesus comes over to them, and he reaches down, and he touches them. Can you imagine what that must have felt like, especially to Peter? He s just blown it again. He s just got it all wrong again. And this time, God himself has rebuked him from the clouds. That was one major scolding. Peter must think he s about to die on that mountain. Matthew tells us he was overcome with fear. But then suddenly he feels the hand of his Master gently upon his shoulder. And then he hears these words, whispered in his hear: Get up, Peter. Don t be afraid. Get up. You know, sometimes, we hear the Word of God and it just levels us. It rebukes us. It convicts us. It condemns us. It challenges us. Forgive your enemies. Share with the poor. Let go of your possessions. Stop that behavior. Live with integrity. Love like Jesus. Live like Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Follow Jesus. Doesn t God Word, when you listen to what it says, just flatten you? It does me. But then, at the very point when the truth and righteousness of God s Word has left us cowering, at that very point the grace of God comes near to us in Christ. I pray that you would feel the gentle hand of Jesus on your shoulder this morning. I pray that you would hear the gracious words of Jesus whispered to your heart this morning, Don t be afraid. Get up. You re not alone. It s a hard road I m leading you down, I know. There will be joy along the way, plenty of it. But it will also be hard. But trust me. I will walk with you. We are going to walk down it together. 9 When Peter and the others look up, what do they see? Moses is gone. Elijah has left. The clouds have cleared up. The blinding light is dimmed. And all that is left is Jesus. Don t miss the point. God made it extraordinarily dramatic on the mountain that day so that we would not miss the point. Jesus is enough. The road is hard. It s always joyful, but often hard. Still, Jesus is enough. Some years ago a black preacher by the name of S.M. Lockridge - Shadrach Meshach Lockridge delivered a sermon to his congregation in Detroit, Michigan. I do not know for certain what the scripture reading was in 8 See, for instance, Hebrews 10:31 or I Samuel 6:20. 9 It was pointed out to me that we rehearse this all the time in worship when the hear the Word of God proclaimed and it flattens us, but then following the message we share together in the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper and, in that meal, Jesus comes near to us and touches us with his grace and assurance.

7 7 church that day. But I would not be surprised to find out that it had something to do with some disciples being led up a mountain one day to discover that the One they were following was more than enough to see them through. Here now is a portion of the message Pastor Lockridge shared that day. As you listen, picture Jesus, like Peter and his friends, pictured Jesus standing in front of them there that day on the mountain. (If you want to hear the audio of this portion, you can hear it at My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King. Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my King. He's God's Son. He's the sinner's savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's honest. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent. He's the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King. He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He's the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He s a strong God and he guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. And He beautifies the meek. That's my King. Do you know Him? Well, my King is a king of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you... but He's indescribable. That's my King. He's incomprehensible. He's invincible. He is irresistible. I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't

8 find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King. 8 He always has been. And He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! Praise the Lord, that's my King! Let us pray. Lord Jesus, you are the image of the invisible God. Jesus, you are the firstborn over all of creation. By you, Jesus, all things were created. Things in heaven and things on earth. Things visible and things invisible. All thrones, all powers, all rulers, all authorities. All things were created by you, Jesus, and for you, Jesus. You are before all things. In you all things hold together. You are the head of the body, the church, this church. You are the beginning and the firstborn from among all the dead the first to rise! so that in everything you might reign supreme. Lord Jesus, God was pleased to have all the fullness of the divine dwell in you. And through you, Jesus, God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself things on earth, things in heaven, all things! And God has done this by making peace through your blood, Jesus, your blood which was shed on the cross you picked up and carried on our behalf. Once we were far off from you, Lord. Once we were your enemies because of our evil behavior. But now because of you, Jesus, God has reconciled us. Through your crucified body, Jesus, we have been presented before God as holy! Without blemish or stain! Free from accusation! Help us, Jesus. Help us continue in our faith. Establish our faith. Make our faith firm in the hope we have in the good news of the Gospel, good news which is meant for every person, every creature under heaven. Come near to us, Lord. Let us feel your hand up us, Jesus. Let us hear your gentle voice whisper to us, Jesus. Help us get up. Help us walk. Help us come down off the mountain and follow you through the valley. Help us deny ourselves. Help us pick up our crosses. Help us trust you. Help us follow you. Lord Jesus, you are enough. Lord Jesus, you are our King. Amen. The Next Step A resource for Life Groups and/or personal application ~ When, if ever, have you ever had a mountain top (either literal or figurative) experience with God? What was it like? ~ Read again the story of Jesus transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-8. What immediately captures your attention here?

9 9 ~ In the previous passage (Matthew 16:21-28), Jesus has just given each of the disciples the hardest challenge of their lives If you want to be my follower, you must deny yourselves, pick up your cross, and follow me? Why do you think that the next thing Jesus does is lead them up this mountain for this experience? How are two passages related? ~ Would you like to meet Jesus like this, in all of his glory? Why or why not? ~ What do you think God wants us to learn from the appearance, and then the sudden disappearance, of Moses and Elijah? ~ Why was Peter s idea to build three tents a bad idea? What can we learn from his mistake? ~ God says to us, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! What point is God trying to make? Are you listening? ~ Challenge Question: In the S.M. Lockridge sermon we heard, the preacher says over and over, That s my King! Do you know him? That s my King? After you heard his description of Jesus, what impression were you left with? ~ Bonus Scripture: Read Colossians 1: Why do you love Jesus? Further Scripture Readings for the Week: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Colossians 1:13-20 Christ is enough! II Peter 1:12-21 God s Word is bright! Isaiah 6:1-13 Isaiah meets God face to face Luke 10:38-42 Listening to Jesus Isaiah 42:1-9 The Beloved One! In preparation for tomorrow, you can read

10 My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King. 10 Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my King. He's God's Son. He's the sinner's saviour. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's honest. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent. He's the grandest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of historic theology. He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King. He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He's the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's the Almighty God who guides and keeps all his people. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. That's my King. Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you... but He's indescribable. That's my King. He's incomprehensible, He's invincible, and He is irresistible. I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King. He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King! Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever... And when you get through with all of the ever's, then...amen!