Turning God's holy word to Psalm 110. Psalm 110. Let us hear the word of the Lord. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord has sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way. Therefore shall he lift up the head. Amen. May God bless the reading of his precious and infallible word. Today I was asked to direct our attention to Lord's Day 19. As we see the template of what we confess as a church, as Christians, in way of the Apostles' Creed, we recognize Lord's Day 18 dealt with the ascension to heaven, and we had the privilege also of being able to hear of that in this past week as we remember our ascended Lord and King. And then we also then look at Lord's Day 19, question and answer 50, 51 and 52. You can find it on page 47 in the back of the Psalter. Question 50, why is it added, and said it at the right hand of God? Answer, because Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear as head of his church, by whom the Father governs all things. 51. What profit is this glory of Christ our head unto us? Answer. First, that by his Holy Spirit he pours out heavenly graces upon us his members, and then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies. 52. What comfort is it to thee that Christ shall come again to judge the quick or living and the dead? Answer, that in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head, I look for the very same person who before offered himself for my sake to the tribunal of God and has removed all curse from me. and to come as judge from heaven, who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, that shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory." Thus far, Confession, Lord's Day 19 of the Heidelberg Catechism. I'd like to look at that template, the catechism in light of Psalm 110, as we read earlier. Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we think about the ascension and the lordship and the kingship of Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of God, we often call that session, the session of Jesus Christ. Now, we can think about a session, and we sometimes are, especially in Presbyterian churches and their church government, they call their groups of elders within various locale a session. That's a ruling body in way of, the church order in in a locale and so that that's called a session there's authority vested to them and sometimes you're in a session and you call it a session of some sort and and you're in control of that environment of that session and so So it also is with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, we call that place His session, a place of authority, a place of power. He's ascended on high, and He's given all authority, both in heaven and upon earth. Now, that's not the first time we hear about that. We hear about that also here in Psalm 110, as we have read together. that the Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool and so so we find there that our head the Lord Jesus Christ is ruling over all things and he's making his enemies his footstool and so I'd like to see this with theme Christ our glorious head in session Christ our glorious head in session So as we go through that, we're going to see that in three points. First of all, then, he's there to govern. Secondly, he's there to grace his church. And thirdly, to guard and defend his church. Christ, our glorious head in session. First of all, to govern. The very first words of this psalm is the Lord. And we find in our Bibles that the Lord there is in all capital letters. In other words, this is Jehovah God, Yahweh, the one who is from all eternity and will be to all eternity, who's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the triune God, a covenant-keeping, faithful God. This is God. Triune God saying unto my Lord, says David. David's master, David's master and Lord, that word's Adonai, the one who's giving David any kind of authority. He's David's master, matter of fact. And this, the Lord, Triune God is saying to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand. So what's going on here? What we recognize is this word said is not just some kind of suggestion. It's not just kind of a passing comment saying, you should sit at my right hand. But this is the Lord placing the Lord Jesus Christ at his right hand and saying, thou art Lord and King forever and ever. He's given this place. He's designated to this place. This is the oracle of God. This is the will of God. This is the purpose of God in Jesus Christ. You can't say this any more powerfully. This is a place that's non-negotiable, that Jesus sits right now at the right hand of God, given all authority, both in heaven and upon earth. He is in session, in authority, in power, as the head of all things. He's head over all things exalted. We read in Ephesians chapter 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is not in a manger. He's not physically present with us. Even as He tells His disciples. It can't be that He's present with us. Because He must go to His Father in Heaven. And there prepare a place for us. And there to rule and to govern over all things. He physically can't be present in one locale. He's not on a cross. He's not in a grave. He's not in the tomb. He is ascended on high. He has led captivity captive, and He's giving gifts to men. He's ruling from the right hand of God. He's given all authority in heaven and upon earth. And this isn't just some kind of distant authority, that He's off there somewhere in the universe, and distantly looking at His creation. No, no, no. He's very much involved in His creation, in His people. even among his enemies. Notice how verse two highlights that. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. He doesn't just separate himself from the world. He doesn't just separate himself from his enemies and just dwell with just his people. No. He, in the midst of his enemies, he's ruling. He's everywhere present in his deity. That's where we often we need to recognize in the ascension, Jesus ascended into heaven physically in his body. He's seated in dust of this world at the very right hand of God in his bodily form. It's amazing. But we should never forget that in his deity, he's everywhere. And he has all power. And he's ruling right in the midst of his enemies. And these enemies are being placed under his footstool, under his sovereign reign. Those who are hostile to King Jesus. Those who refuse to bend the knee. Those who refuse to come under his authority. He rules over them. And they will know his power. If they don't know it now, they will know it shortly. He is being put under his footstool, which means that it occurs here in the scriptures as that his enemies are being trampled under his foot, forced into submission unto him, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. In those days, those who would be conquerors and those who would lead captivity captive, as it were, they would make an open show that they indeed have Conquered their enemies and they would stand as a perv upon their neck or dragged him around the city and make an open show of them To know so that everyone would know that their enemies were crushed Isn't that why The very first promise in Scripture was God promised that nature That mother promised there would be a seed of the woman. And the seed of the woman would come to crush the head of the serpent. The serpent might nip at his heel, trying to get at his footstool as he's being put under his footstool. But that serpent's head would be crushed. This is what's happening in the ascension. in the session of Jesus Christ, governing over all things. His enemies are coming under his foot as he rules in the midst of his enemies. This isn't a physical rule. This is a spiritual rule. This is why it's so important to know that humanly, Jesus is at the right hand of God. And in his divine nature, he rules over all things in a spiritual way. a spiritual way. If he would just be only human, then he would only have a certain area that he ruled over, a certain power and authority, because he couldn't be everywhere in his human nature. But in his divine nature, he is everywhere present. And he rules over all things, and it expands the borders of that authority to the whole universe. You see, earthly kings so that they have boundaries. But here, Christ comes in the midst of his enemies without any boundaries. He goes right for the jugulars of the principalities and the powers of this world. Because this is a spiritual authority he has over his enemies as he governs over them. And He does so with power. As He sends that rod. As the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. The Lord, the Triune God is saying, rule, reign. He's given authority. It's absolute authority. And because of that, he will reign, and he will be honored, and he will be revered and obeyed by his subjects. But what's also interesting here, the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength, where from? Out of Zion. Who's Zion? Zion are the people of God. The people of God. Zion is His people. So what we have here is Christ ascended on high to be head over His church. But you can't disconnect a head from a body, can you? You disconnect the head from the body, you no longer have a body that functions. You disconnect the head from the body, you no longer have a head that functions. You can't disconnect the two. And so Christ, here as the head of His church, is equipping and sending out his body and functioning in society as the rod of his strength that he might rule and reign over all things along with his body. That's why Paul says in Ephesians 2 that we are already seated in heavenly places reigning in Christ Jesus as believers. Do you recognize that today? That Zion has a very important role in this world as his church. We are the hands and the feet and the rod of his strength, as it were. He's ruling from Zion. Our catechism, listen to how that, let's be reminded of what he says here and what we confess. Why is it added that he sitteth at the right hand of God? Because Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear to be head of his church. So there he's head, and we are his body, his church, by whom the Father governs all things. That's what we confess. It's not just about Christ and Him head over all things exalted and Him doing all of the ruling and the reigning. But it's about what He equips Christians to do. Isn't that what we confess with the name Christ? That He is anointed by God to be prophet, priest, and king. But what does it mean then to be Christian, we ask, and are asked in the Heidelberg Catechism. That means to be a partaker of that anointing, filled with the Holy Spirit, and to be prophets, priests, and kings in this world. That's what we're called to do. That's what it means to be Christian. And that's exactly what Jesus was instructing his disciples in as he ascended into heaven. What is he telling them? Oh, just go and sit in your rocking chairs and do nothing. I'll take care of everything. No, He's telling them, go into the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. Go and make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Go back to Jerusalem and actively wait in prayer and supplication for the Holy Spirit. And He will be given not many days from now. And when you are empowered from on high, from where I govern and rule and reign, then I will use you as a rod of iron I will empower you to go forth. And He does so on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit is poured out in full, and the disciples' lips are open, and they have tongues of fire that go forth in words that everyone can understand, and the power of the cross is set forth, and men are convicted of sin and of unrighteousness and cry out, What must we do to be saved? This is God's power reigning as Christ sits at the right hand of God through His people. It's not because His people were so well equipped. It's not because His people were empowered in themselves. But it's by His Spirit and power. I want you to see this as it's prophesied of in Psalm 110. Notice how the psalmist goes on. He says, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. These disciples, who were so confused, even forsook the Lord Jesus Christ, denied Him, and now are gathered in this upper room. He's making willing in the day of His power. And in that day of His power, in the dawning, in the birth of the New Testament church, He empowers His church by His Spirit, making them willing in this day of power. They would go forth in His strength. It's not about their willingness. It's not about their power. It's about God making them willing. It's about God's power by His Spirit. There's no slaves among the ranks of Jesus' soldiers who bear the rod of His rule. They're volunteers. They're willing because He's made them willing. It's like Isaiah. And Isaiah 6, as you see, he's the glory and the beauty of God in his throne. And the Lord says, whom shall I send to declare this glorious message? And Isaiah says, here I am. Send me. It's God who's made him willing in the day of his birth. Notice the phrase that follows this. In the beauty, the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. Now, this first of all, I believe, does refer to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He's in the beauty of His holiness. And from the womb of the morning and from the womb of this New Testament church, it has the dew of thy youth. It's full of vigor. And certainly, it's about Christ. But it's also about His body. It's about His body in this New Testament church that there they begin to worship Him. and surrender to Him in the beauty of holiness from the womb of mourning in the power of the day. It's like this dew of youth that you can't stop from forming on the grass. And it just multiplies as it spreads through the earth. It's a powerful display of the King's power as He governs from the right hand of God. He's a son of righteousness that will rise with healing in his wings as his kingdom is being established in this earth and spreading through the whole world. It's the dawning of a new day and the dew of our youth. I think the point is this. This is what Christ is doing in the right hand of God. Governing things are are we coming under his rule? And his lordship as His people being made willing in the day of his power As being enlisted as it were in Christ's army to rule and to govern in this world in the midst of his enemies quipped by his spirit by his word and his authority and power What does this look like? This means that his church, we as Christians, are enlisted in his army. Not to gloat, tell everyone how great we are, as we could hear this morning, to surrender to the cross, to suffer, to faith, and to surrender to the preaching of the cross and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We don't wage a war like the rest of the world does. We actually recognize from this that We as Christians are in the midst of a world that's hostile to the cross, hostile toward Christians. And yet we're called to go in and participate in this world. Christ rules in the midst of his enemies. And we too, therefore, ought not to be just kind of on the sidelines taking pot shots at people who are in secular society, but we live in the midst of the enemies and we shine the light of the gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ in the midst of his enemies and so we need to participate in this world and seek to persuade not not coerce people. Sometimes I fear that we as Christians sometimes think, if we just had a Christian government and we had Christian laws and we had Christian rules, everything would be just fine, right? And we coerced everyone to living according to Christian values. And that would be wonderful in many ways if that happened. Not very realistic. Now, That doesn't even get to the real problem of that is this. It doesn't get to the heart of the matter. I mean, you can coerce people to live a certain way, but what we want is the heart. And so we seek to persuade. We seek to persuade others of the truth. We seek to tear down and demolish the things that come up against God and seek to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ, as we find in 2 Corinthians 10. And we seek to use the very armor that God has given us, not the weapons of physical weapons, but spiritual weapons that we find in Ephesians 6. That we put on the belt of truth and we go out and we declare truth in our society that really despises truth even. We seek to have our feet shod with the gospel of peace that we would bring the gospel to the ends of the world. We take up that shield of faith to protect ourselves from the fiery darts of Satan and error. We take up the sword of the Spirit so that we would have the Word of God and we would go forth with that word of God that's sharper than any two-edged sword. We put on that helmet of salvation to protect ourselves from the assaults of Satan so that our salvation wouldn't be taken away from us to protect us and that breastplate of righteousness. We fight with the spiritual armor that God has given us and prayer, he says in Ephesians 6. Praying for the world around us and to interact with much grace. You see, that's how we govern in this world. Seeking the hearts of our neighbors, our children, of our members of our congregation, and to do so with grace. Because our glorious head in session, he reigns with grace. And to grace is people. The very truth of the matter is, is that thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the due of thy youth. That's all of grace already. That's all of grace. That willingness that God has worked in us through his power is all of his grace. It's all of his grace. Now, he continues also in that grace. Notice the next verse in verse four. The Lord has sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And I'll explain what that means by his grace. But first of all, think about Catechism, Lord's Day 51, that prophet of this glory of Christ our head unto us. Notice what he's doing there. And the answer says, first that by his Holy Spirit he pours out heavenly graces upon his members. It's all about grace. There he is, the right hand of God, pouring out grace. How does he do that? Now think about this. He's a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Okay, how does that all fit together? Well, first of all, it's a high priestly grace. Melchizedek was a king of righteousness who was both king and priest. And so he was a king of peace and gave priestly grace and blessing. He lived in the time of Abraham. You find it in Genesis 14. We don't have time to go into all of that. But what Abraham had done was he had gone to rescue his nephew Lot. And as he does so, he delivers him from the four kings that had overcome them. And he attacked and overcome five even other kings, including the King of Sodom. And so there, a lot is rescued, all of his possessions are returned, and they're going back home. And they run into this Melchizedek, this King of Peace, this King of Righteousness. And he comes and he, as a royal priest, he blesses Abraham, and Abraham gives tithes of everything that he had with him, and everything he delivered, and all the spoils of battle. Now, Melchizedek, this king of Salem, he brought out bread and wine, and he blessed Abraham. He blessed Abraham. And he's gracing him, and he says, basically, blessed be Abraham by God the most high, the creator of heaven and earth. Blessed be the God most high who delivered your enemies into his hand. And so here, as a kingly priest, Melchizedek comes as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the mediator. And there, Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and he's mediating between God and his people. as a priest. He's there praying for us, he's there blessing us, he's there in doing, governing all things but also gracing his people, pouring out grace upon his members, upon his body as we confess in our confession. Now Melchizedek as we find here in this chapter and in Genesis, was a royal priest. He was the only one who ever carried a kingly priestly office. And he's seldom spoken of. Genesis 14, Hebrews 7, and here, Psalm 110. And as we recognize that, What we know is that Melchizedek was a human just like you and I. He had a time to be born and he had a time to die. But the thing is, is how Melchizedek points to the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled this royal priestly office and who does so forever and ever. And he is a royal priest who mediates a better covenant that emphasizes grace. And Hebrews 7 drives that home. And here we find in Psalm 110, the Lord will not repent from making this kingly priest, this Melchizedek, this royal priest, he will not repent from making him, the head over all exalted, seated at his right hand, to be pouring out his grace upon history. to be extending that grace to his church, to mediate his perfect atonement for us, to pray for us, to bless us, to preserve us, and to do so by his spirit, through his word, through his church, through pastors and parents and elders and deacons and Sunday school teachers, and the list goes on. He is ruling and reigning and gracing his church in countless ways. As we recognize his whole goal in this is what he's doing is seeking to make a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood out of his people. So that they would be a holy nation. This is what Christ is doing in the right hand of God. priest after the order of Melchizedek to grace his church. What a comfort in the midst of all of our trials, in the midst of all of our temptations, and how the world seeks to draw us in. We have a high priest, the right hand of God, who rules over everything, and he's praying for you in the midst of your trials and temptations. pouring out graces upon you so you would be able to fight and be preserved in his salvation. Because he's ultimately guarding his people from the right hand of God. He's there to guard his people as the apple of his eye. Notice what our catechism, what we confess, What prophet is this glory of Christ our head unto us? And then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies. Against all enemies. Notice what Psalm 110 says. Verse five. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries. Notice the tone change. It says there was certainty in his authority and his power and his grace. There's certainty in his power to guard and defend and protect his people through his justice. with certain victory. He shall drink by the brook in the way, and therefore shall he lift up the head. It's this word, a tone change from grace to justice. He's a king of peace, but he's a king of justice, of righteousness. And this justice and righteousness brings peace to God's people. Because His justice is also His grace toward His people, to guard and defend and protect His people. You know what the Bible says in James chapter 1? It says, Judge the fatherless and widows. What does He mean? No. Judge their right. He's not telling them to go and make judgment against them. No. He's saying, deal justly with them. Deal rightly with them. Care for them. And so what Christ is doing when He's judging and exercising His justice through the wrath of God from the right hand of God, He's caring, guarding, protecting, defending His people. Let's never forget that. God's wrath and His justice are grace to His people. They're grace to His people. Not bad things. I think about Psalm 2. In Psalm 2, the whole world is rising up against the anointed of God. And the heathens are raging. The people of this world are imagining vain things. The kings have set themselves and the rulers have taken counsel against the Lord and against His anointed. Now His anointed is Jesus Christ. But His anointed is also His people who are anointed with His Spirit. and have taken counsel against his anointed. Let us break their bands asunder and cast their cords from us. But he who sits in the heavens, he laughs, because he has set his king on the holy hill of Zion, and he has declared a decree. The Lord has said to me, Thou art my Son. This day I have begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. As he guards his people, and protects and defends his people, his justice is exercised as he breaks them with that rod of iron. and dashes them to pieces like a potter's. His justice is certain, but his victory is also certain. Notice how the words of the psalm just echo time and time again. The Lord shall, the Lord shall, the Lord shall. He is, the Lord has sworn. From thy right hand thou shalt strike through enemies. Verse six, he shall judge among the heathen, and he shall fill the places with dead bodies, and he shall wound the heads over many enemies. He shall drink by the brook in the way, and therefore shall he lift up the head. It's absolute certainty that this king is victorious. As this king is coming back even after judging among the heathen, filling the places with dead bodies and wound the heads over many countries, he's coming back. And he's coming victorious as he stoops by the brook in the way and as his head lifted up. You see, What we have here is really pictures that we receive in Revelation. In Revelation you have the church time and time again seeking to be devoured by the dragon and the beasts. And the man-child himself is almost devoured. And you have the church seeking to be devoured by the dragon. And you have the saints in heaven. And they're looking at what's all going on. And they know the persecution of the people of God. And they're crying out, Lord, how long? How long will you allow all of this injustice to go on? How long before you stand in defense of thy people? How long, O Lord, before thy justice is displayed and thy wrath consumes thy enemies? How long? That's the question. Then we know that the day of grace ends. And the time is answer. We see that in the Battle of Armageddon. We see that when Christ comes on the white horse in Revelation 19, and he comes with the sword and with his army, and he comes and the people are slain who are opposed to him, and his wrath is poured out upon his and our enemies, and the blood is coming up to the bridles of the horses. And the fowls of the air are called in to come and to eat and to devour and to clean up this mess. How long, O Lord, before thou shalt judge the nations and fill this place with dead bodies? and execute the wicked heads of the countries for how long? Have you ever thought of that? In the midst of this perverse and wicked generation? Where wickedness, anti-biblical philosophies abound. Oh Lord, how long. The promise is He will be victorious. Isn't that the hope of the ascension and session of Jesus Christ? That as He ascended into heaven These two men came beside the disciples in Acts 1. These men of Galilee, why are you gazing into heaven? Why? Isn't heaven at the right hand of God, reigning over all things? And guess what? He's coming in the same manner on the Day of Judgment. He's coming again. But you go out, beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth, and be faithful, willing, volunteers in the day of my power. to bring my word and to live in this world and to be prepared for when Christ comes again. And every day, in all of your sorrows and all of your persecutions, as we confess, we too with uplifted head will look for the very same person who before offered himself for my sake to the tribunal of God. He removed the curse from me. but he's coming again as a judge of heaven who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation. He's coming again to defend and to judge his church. I think I have a couple minutes. Revelation 19. As Babylon at great war, filled with fornication, is being judged. What do we hear in heaven? Hallelujah, verse 1 of 19. Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God. Why? For true and righteous are his judgments. For he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up forever and ever." So often we sing, praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Saints in heaven are singing, praise God, from whom all justice flows. Because that's a blessing for his church, for his people. is when Christ's enemies are put under his footstool, he's also crushing our enemies. Satan and his power and all the world and its attractions are crushed under the feet of Jesus Christ to no longer have power over us. Oh, what a day that will be. and we will sin no more, and sin will never bother us anymore, and Satan will be defeated, and all the attractions of the world will be bound up and cast into the lake of fire that burns forever and ever. God. And we, translated, our heads lifted up, to the new city, New Jerusalem, by the brook, by the riverside. It nourishes the people of God. And there our heads will be lifted up, and we will be lifted up to reign with Him forever and ever, to be translated with all His chosen ones unto Himself, into heavenly joys and glory, the catechism says. Oh, what a day. It's no wonder John, after he's followed these things in Revelation, says, Maranatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus. It's no wonder the psalmist in Psalm 2 says, to you and to me today, to all the world. Kiss the Son. Believe in Him. Trust in Him. Kiss the Son today. Be wise and kiss Him. Believe Him. Be enlisted in this army. Plead with Him for that power, His Spirit. And know the comfort Christ's second coming. We too will be translated into glory and be seated with Him at the right hand of His Father. Maybe I just asked you a very practical question in closing. Would you rather sit with Him on His throne or be His footstool?