Christ Presbyterian Church is a local congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. Visit us for morning or evening worship in Mobile, Alabama, or on the web at cpcmobile.com. And when you're giving your testimony, I don't want you to confuse what your testimony, that is, your experiences of coming to Jesus, don't confuse that with the testimony about who Jesus is. A biblical witness is not merely about what God has done for you. A biblical witness is about what Christ has achieved, oftentimes, in fact, entirely, despite you. And last week, we looked at the first five parts of Peter's sermon, how first, he was a real historic person, verse 22, that he was attested to by God through signs. That we noted and ruminated a little bit on how Jesus' death was the plan of God, that is plan A, not plan B, or BB, little BB. There's only one history, there's only one reality. Yet whose death was caused, even though it was ordained by God, it was caused by the Jews and by the Romans. But we saw at the end, we saw that this one was the one, this one that they crucified was also the one that God raised from the dead. And we might think that the mighty acts of God toward and in Jesus stop at his resurrection. They don't. They get better. They extend to his ascension on high. and the moment of his enthronement, which we saw back in Acts 1, verse 9, which happened 2,000 years ago. Jesus has been sitting on the throne for 2,000 years. And Peter now gives us a prophecy about the Messiah through the mouth of David, and he wants you to see David was not talking about David. But David was talking about the Christ. David was talking about Jesus. And part of what I've been wanting to do is to help the church recover a biblical, functional, life-giving doctrine, both of the coronation of Jesus's exaltation, but also of Pentecost, of the outpouring of the Spirit. And we've been doing it now for a few weeks, both here, but also in our evening service. Because, and we're going to get to our sixth point here, Jesus is the one that God set on the throne of David. And you'll find this in verses 25 through 28. And Peter gives some excellent reasoning for this. Verse 25, four, here's why. David, that is the king who was promised by Yahweh, an eternal son sitting on an eternal throne in 2 Samuel 7, which we just read, David says concerning him, not himself, but Jesus, I, not David, but the Messiah, I saw the Lord, that is Yahweh, always before me. The me being Jesus. That is, David, as a prophecy of the Messiah's reign, recognizes that the Messiah will see perpetual life before Yahweh, before God. David is king, but his office as king always pointed beyond itself to the true king of Israel, to the messianic king of Israel, to the Messiah. Who Peter is now proclaiming to the Jews is Jesus alone, no one else. But the Messiah, who would be in total harmony with Yahweh, because after all, He is Yahweh, will always recognize, always thank, always glorify, and always depend on Him, because He sustains Himself and His throne and His reign. For, here's why the Messiah would say this about Yahweh, He Yahweh is at my, the Messiah's, right hand. This does not mean that the Messiah empowers God. We mentioned last week that that would be inappropriate. Instead, the Messianic king recognizes that Yahweh's power is always behind him, always empowering him, and he's always in his presence, sustaining his life. In fact, before we ever talk about God's faithfulness to us, we must first recognize why he is faithful to us. It is not because he made promises to be faithful, though that is true, but because he's faithful to our Messiah, first and foremost, who represents us. And let's ask that question. Would the father ever, ever leave unfulfilled any promise that he made to his son? That would rip the Trinity apart. God would just cease to exist. We would all blink out of existence if such things happened. Such things literally cannot happen. And so first, the reason why he is faithful to you is because you are represented in his son, and he is faithful to his son. I think many of you have had as friends of families, those who've had a loyalty and fidelity to your moms and dads that has been extended to you. You know, you probably have an uncle, Joe, or an aunt, but not really uncles or aunts. They're actually really, really best, actually best friends of your parents, and their friendship extends not just to your parents, but have extended to you. I can think of people in our lives who have been so kind, so loyal, have such a faithfulness to us. My wife's family. In fact, one of the ladies who introduced us is called Aunt, but is really a best friend. that your love for a couple extends my faithfulness and our faithfulness even to their children. If the father is then faithful to the son, and the son represents the church, then the father is faithful to you, his children. That means that God cannot be unfaithful to you, because he cannot be unfaithful to Jesus. You therefore should want the Messiah praising Yahweh for his faithfulness, Because that faithfulness is the reason why any of us are saved. Think of all the times that God has been faithful to you that you didn't praise him for it. That's a lot, right? Think about all the things that you've forgotten. Let's engage in almost a crazy endeavor. Is it not comforting to know that we have a Christ whose life is ever before the Father, thanking him for his faithfulness when we don't? That he ever lives in the presence of his God, in the presence of his Father, blessing him, adoring him, praising him, when you yourselves are not so thankful, are not so kind, are not so stirred up to thankfulness? and who now by his spirit stirs you up to praise him for loyalty to our Christ and to us. That's good. That's excellent. But what's the purpose of this according to the Messiah? Why is he glorifying Yahweh who is at his right hand? So that, here's why, so that I may not be shaken. Again, the I is the Messiah. Why would the Messiah ever be shaken? Jesus would have to undergo the hatred of men, rejection, persecution, torture, public mockery, and murder. And death naturally would shake anyone. We're in Acts chapter two, that means 50 days prior to all of this, the Messiah died. In fact, he just died. But because his life is perpetually before God, therefore even death will not shake him. He always knew that he was gonna have to undergo death. He always knew that he had to go through the waters of death. But because the Messiah, Jesus, will not be left under the power of corruption, death, decay, and the curse, therefore he will not be shaken. And therefore, Jesus entrusted himself to the father to bring him through three days of death in the tomb. I think this explains the stability of Jesus after he sweats great drops of blood. And one of the many reasons why he submits to the reality of his calling is because he's entrusting his life to the one who is at his right hand. And I want to apply this too. Most of us are afraid of death. We can be pretty foolhardy. We can be too afraid. We do and will sin in different ways as we are approaching dying and death. And there's a false theology out there that if you die while sinning, you lose your salvation. It's just, it's nonsense. There are many wonderful lessons, though, of communion with the Lord and communion with God that we are supposed to learn as we approach death. But we have really no clue how the Lord is even gonna use our witness of him in our dying. But is it not a comfort, though, to know that your Messiah righteously endured the state of death in hope and perfect faith towards the Father for you? so that as you approach death and your sins surrounding your death will be forgiven and he'll empower you how to die well in Christ. One of the things I have always been struck with by a minister is the friends that we've lost over 10 years, and many of you know them, of how well they've died in Christ. that they were faithful all the way up to the end. That didn't mean that they had no sin. It didn't mean that they weren't worried. But there is such a thing as dying well, suffering and going under trials well. And Jesus is empowering us and forgiving us to do just that because he underwent it. But this rejoices the Messiah's heart because, notice what happens in 26, therefore, that is, because Yahweh will see me through death, my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced, my flesh also, that is, the body of the Messiah, in addition to his soul, will dwell in hope. How could it not if Yahweh wields his power over the Messiah in such a way that even death is not his end? In fact, Yahweh's faithfulness and the Messiah's righteousness fundamentally changes even how we view death. Death, now for us, is not a cause for sorrow. It is the means by which we gain all of Christ. Paul said it well in Philippians 1, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Verse 27, for this is the Messiah's reason to Yahweh, you, Yahweh, will not abandon my, that is the Messiah's soul, to Hades. That means he really died. Empty the Greek understanding of Hades out of this category. Ignore the river Styx and the tokens on the eyes. Ignore Cerberus and the dogs guarding Hades. The Jews would have rejected it, but the Greek word Hades is being used to articulate the Old Testament understanding of the state of death. And the Messiah is expressing his confidence in Yahweh's decree to not let him remain under the state of death. Therefore, at the cross, Jesus the Messiah submits the Father's redemptive will to die and enter that state of death. But his only confidence is in the Father bringing him through it. Because his life and rule are ever before him. And he will sustain him. He will not let his Holy One see corruption. He will not allow his Messiah to remain dead. Which means, again, Jesus really died. And the Father really resurrected him after three days. But the Messiah rises from the state of death, too. But then David and Peter follow the implication. This isn't just about resurrection. This is about Jesus' ascension to the throne. Look at what happens in verse 28. You have made me know the paths of life, and you will make me full of gladness in your presence. In verse 27, the Messiah is in a state of death, but by the end of verse 28, he is with or in your presence. He's not talking about merely the resurrection. He's now talking about the reality of his coronation at the right hand of the Father, the enthroned Messiah. The Messiah has been erected by God, by Yahweh, to visibly rule for him, and seated at his right hand is a reference to the seat of his power. The Messiah marvels at Yahweh's sustaining of him, and he's ushered back up into the presence of God. He's made to reign, and he is coronated. But the life that he was given in his resurrection, is the character of his reign on high. It's not death that he wields, it's life that he wields. What do the paths of life mean here? Is it not the satisfying likeness to God? Is it not perpetual holiness and access to the Lord? Is it, it is the life of the new created order and the father at the coronation sits Jesus on the throne, so the life he imbued to him might be the quality of the content of his reign over you. Wherever Jesus reigns then, there is life. There is regeneration. There is holiness. There is growth in Christ. There's the gift of faith. There is the empowerment of his sacraments. There is the blessing of his ordinances. There is the gift of communion. There is life. There is the communication of grace and communion with him. Life in Christ. So that's our sixth point, because he is the one that God has set on David's throne eternally, granting him life to reign. The only question is, is did we get this interpretation correct? Listen to Peter again as we approach the seventh. of whom David prophesied, verses 29 through 32. Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, David wasn't talking about himself. Who's he talking about? Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, again 2 Samuel 7, that he, Yahweh, would set one of his descendants on his throne. And both Romans 1 and Matthew 1 make irrefutable claims that Jesus is the clear descendant of David. In fact, he's called the greater David. David's greater son. Verse 31, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of Christ. The text that we just read then and its interpretation are not about Jesus' death, merely his resurrection and his coronation. Notice what happens here. That he, the Messiah, was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption, but this Jesus God raised up. Raised up here is both a reference to his resurrection and in Acts 1, verse 9, uses the same language as far as the language used to describe his ascending through the clouds to sit at the right hand of the Father. And of that, we are all witnesses, they say. It's always good when our interpretation, as tedious as it might be at times, is immediately affirmed by the scriptures themselves. It's a good place to be. So David and Peter attest that this was true about Christ, not David. And my question for us is, do you believe that too? Do you believe that David was talking about his resurrected Messiah coronated at the right hand of the Father? Do you believe the witness of the prophets and the apostles of the plain reading and application of the scriptures, or is your faith in your feelings? Is your faith in your experiences? As someone, I think, very wisely declared recently in our Thursday Bible study, that there is no your truth, there is only the truth, and it's established by the God, or God. Will you continue denying God's word, or will you submit? So this is the one of whom David prophesied, but there's also He who is the great kingly son of David, the apostolic witness continues, verse 33, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What? When did that happen? Notice Peter puts Jesus' exaltation into the past tense, not the future. And Peter is therefore not talking about Jesus' second coming, but something that occurred at the end of his first coming. In fact, what we have here is an elaboration on an event. It's the event that occurred in Acts 1-9. And when he said these things, they were looking on, and he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And now we have an elaboration, being therefore exalted to the right hand of God. And we said at the time that the reference to this exaltation is pretty subtle. But the interpretation here just 10 days later is not so subtle. He is being very clear. Peter claims that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God the Father. And Peter is claiming again that Jesus is David's immortal descendant and he is sitting on David's immortal throne and now having taken the reins of this immortal universe governing kingdom. I want you to imagine then at his, the language of exaltation. It's not just something that happened to him, it's something that is happening also in heaven. Imagine the fanfare. Imagine the pomp. Imagine the celebration of heaven, of angels, of those asleep in Christ, of the father, as the son returns home to his rightful place. However, he's different. He's come home bringing with him a perfect, glorified, sinless human nature. So that now sitting on the throne of history and eternity is the God-man. And he will never cast off his humanity so that you will always have someone who represents you at the right hand of the father. He will never cease to represent us. He will always be our king and husband, the exalted Christ sitting on the throne of power. Do you believe that? Do you live your lives as though Jesus has not been coronated, that we're still waiting, that we have to somehow do this for him? Do you live your lives in Christ convinced, emboldened, encouraged, that your king reigns? On your worst days, he's still reigning. On your best days, he's still reigning. In your worst trials, he's reigning in power, sanctifying your affliction to you. And there is nothing, no one, in all of time who can ever rip him down from his throne. Have you lived that way? Does it impact your confidence under godliness? Does it impact your confidence to kill sin in your own lives and in your own heart? Does it impact your confidence in how you witness, whether it's on campus or in your home? on social media, in your work, in our culture, to your families. You don't have to wonder if one day Jesus will conquer. You don't have to wonder if one day Jesus will rule. He is ruling now. He is seated on the throne now. Nothing and no one can stop his redemptive agenda, and there is no valid grounds then for sheepishness. For sheepishness in our faith. So that's the one who is the great kingly son of David. In fact, his first great coronating gift to the church destroys the grounds of all weakness in our witnessing to him. This is our ninth point, who poured out the Holy Spirit that they are witnessing. Let's keep reading in verse 33 here. And having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. Notice the language here, this is that Jesus poured out the Spirit. It's true that the Father and the Son did it. The Holy Spirit, his presence within the church, is abiding with us, is empowering the church with gifts, with offices, with officers, with redemptive abilities. It is the first coronation gift of the mighty Christ. To his bride. To his church. Over his kingdom. to his queen still on earth. The Holy Spirit now tabernacles with us and we are his temple. The Old Testament temple will soon be gone and not to worry, the New Testament temple has arrived and it's universal. We can experience it just as much here as they do in Russia, as they do in Africa, as they do in Jerusalem. It does not matter where it is. Jesus reigns with resurrection life characterizing his reign and is the Holy Spirit then who applies, grants, and powerfully wields that life upon you and in you. And Peter is saying, this is what we are right now seeing. The event that David is talking about, it's happening right now. That's why I'm preaching, interrupting your terrible interpretation of what we're doing here. Jesus' ascension and the Father caused the wind, the Holy Spirit to show up in the form of wind and speaking in tongues. You had to understand who Jesus was in order to understand what's happening right now. Peter is literally standing up in the power of the Spirit during the very outpouring of the Holy Spirit and he's declaring the relationship between the Son and the Spirit. Now, this actually is grounds for another point regarding discerning charismatic claims and Pentecostal claims. For instance, one of the things that you see within the Charismatic Worship Service is the assumption that what we have to do, every single worship service, is recreate Pentecost. Since Jesus' ascension triggered Pentecost, and that was a one-time event, therefore Pentecost is a one-time event. I know that there are echoes. We will look at those later, all right? You cannot create or recreate Pentecost in worship service. You can simply enjoy its realities. It's already been worked for you. Is this what we need? Do we need to understand the intersection of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? Do we need to understand these events, these divine persons, each of their works? This is the reason we've been preaching on the Trinity in the evenings, and why in a few weeks we're going to do a long session on the work of the Holy Spirit. Because depth in your Christian life and in your walk starts in one of two ways. Either when you finally start putting sin to death and you do that through faith in what each person of the Trinity does, or when you start realizing which person of the Trinity does which work in salvation. Do you need then to grow in your knowledge of the Holy Spirit? Do you need to understand his ways and his word better? I wanna make this appeal. Come, when we start this next section, come. Please, come to evening worship. We're gonna unload all of it. We got at least 20 different topics that we are going to meditate on so that you can grow in your understanding of how to walk by the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit's work and job is and what he does. So it's Jesus who poured out the Holy Spirit that they're witnessing. And all of this is to the effect that his kingdom, by his spirit, shall have no end. Verse 34. For David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Not David's, but the Messiah's kingdom will endure until all his enemies are brought into subjection to him. Atheism. Agnosticism, skepticism will be crushed by King Jesus. Hinduism, Islam, even Judaism will come to nothing. Scientism, the deification of capitalism and socialism, statism, collectivism, communism, all of it will be crushed by the Messiah using a scepter. All other monarchs in Psalm 2 are bid to kiss the sun in loyalty. Demons, demonic powers, black arts, new age religion, Satan himself, the schemes of the world, the philosophies, the movements and philosophers will either all be destroyed or they will be converted into his kingdom. Do you believe that Jesus is ruling and reigning now? Do you believe Jesus will fully consummate his reign? If not, repent. because otherwise you will be on the wrong side of the swaying of a scepter. If so, why do we engage the world, its values, its schemes, its systems, as though it will win, as though we're missing out on something? Paul repeats this idea in one of the most famous passages of the New Testament in Philippians chapter two, verses nine through 11. Therefore God, that'd be the father, has highly exalted him, that is the son. But notice that that's in the past tense, not the future. And bestowed on him, again past tense, the name that is above every name. Why did he do this in the past at his ascension? So that, here's why, at the name of Jesus, at his preaching, at his declaring, at his sharing, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And I know that some of us want that just to be about his return. It's not just about his return. That is the agenda of Christ the Messiah now. It's not a future agenda. It's Jesus' current redemptive agenda. He is aiming for total, worldwide, universal rule. And will continue, his rule will continue on into the new heavens and new earth. Don't ask me how the transition happens, okay? We're not dealing with that part right now. There will never be a time in the future where Jesus is not on his throne. And while we do not and cannot interpret moment to moment reasons and providences for why things happen or the ups and downs of cities, states, peoples, nations, and what goes on in our own lives, the one thing that this text is clearly claiming is that all will be subject to him. All are under his scepter and rule to the praise of God the Father. Golly, and you know what that means? That means that the Jesus that they murdered The father sat up on the throne. That's not good for the enemies of the cross. At some point, they and we all have to stop and ask ourselves, did we get this interpretation right? Did we see him correctly when we rejected him? Because the reality is that we should be repenting, this is the last point, we should be repenting to and receiving, and be received by faith alone. Verse 36, let all the house of Israel then, the unbelieving Jews, therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Because God made the one that we killed Lord and Christ, that is bad news for any of us who would reject him. It's our sin that held him there to the cross. It's their sin that led to his rejection. We are guilty. They are guilty. We should all repent and we should fly, all of us, fly to the very Jesus that we killed with our sin, that we killed with our rebellion, with our hatred against God. Otherwise, what do you think happens to his enemies, to those who killed him, who rejected him? He crushes. Will you therefore really hold on to your rebellion and to your sin? Will you really allow that to be who you are? Repent of your sin, beloved, like a child repentantly turning to their mom and dad when they are being disciplined by them. Run to the judge of all in faith. Run to Christ, who is gloriously seated on the throne, Run to him in faith so that he may die for your sins too. This is the apostolic testimony of Pentecost. Last question. Is it yours too? Amen. Let's pray.