Now, please turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. We'll open our Bibles there. We'll bow together then for prayer before we read the Scriptures and come to the Lord's message. Our Heavenly Father, we again bow in Thy presence. in the Saviour's name. And we wait before Thee with the desire that we will know the help of the Spirit now as we come to the reading and the preaching of Thy Word. Bless our waiting hearts. Speak to our souls. Grant us Thy presence. And move among us, we pray, for we ask this all in Jesus' name and for His sake and for His glory. Amen and amen. Before we read the Scriptures, may I say, as I just mentioned briefly there in the announcements, that I am commencing a series of messages today that really are based upon the subject of Christ's headship and all that that means to His Church in various areas. And during the course of this message, I will be dealing with matters that devolve from the headship of Christ over His Church. There are some subjects that I have dealt with in the adult Bible class, and people have said to me, why will you not preach that in the morning service? Because there are those who get to the Bible class, or those who can't get to the Bible class, but are at the morning meeting and don't hear these particular messages. And that has been said to me quite a few times over the past few years. And I want to deal with some of those subjects, therefore, on Sunday mornings. Subjects that in many ways are distinctives of the free church. And I will be dealing with those in the will of the Lord over the weeks that lie ahead of us. Again, seeking to sound forth where our church stands on various issues and various policies of the church. For example, baptism. I've never preached on baptism, but I will be preaching on it. in these coming weeks and the head covering and matters like that that need to be dealt with from the pulpit that people might know just where the church stands clearly in their own minds. So we're commencing today. We're going to read here in Ephesians 1 and we will commence at verse 15. Now you all know me well enough to know that when I say we're setting out to do a series of messages, I am not sure when it will end. I'm not sure how long it's going to take. Just as the Lord leads me, I have the thing in my heart to do so, and the desire in my mind to preach these matters. And what I say right now will apply probably to this message today. I don't think I'll get it finished, but we'll start by reading here in Ephesians 1, verse 15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." That's the knowledge of Christ. "...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints! And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And I put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." And we know that God will bless the reading of this His own Word. Now, the first verses of this passage that I have just read with you introduce a new section in this epistle, a section that actually continues on into chapter 2. In the previous main section that ends at verse 14, Paul unfolds the nature of the blessings of which the Lord's people have already become partakers. But he then proceeds to inform the saints of God that he is praying constantly that they will have a deeper, that they will be given a deeper and a richer understanding of the things of the Lord, a richer understanding of the gospel that they had espoused. His words indicate that it is by the illumination, the illuminating power of the Holy Ghost that this increased understanding of spiritual matters is actually given. And therefore, the thrust of Paul's prayer is that the Lord would give his people, by the spirit of wisdom and revelation, a fresher, clearer insight into their position in the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul's words show that there was one truth in particular that He wanted these people in Ephesus, and of course, therefore the church as a whole, to grasp, and He spells it out in the beginning of verse 19 in those marvellous words, "...and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe?" Now, the sense of those words is very clear. The ability to believe the gospel or to rest by faith in Jesus Christ is given by the Lord to the sinner. Furthermore, that inability to believe in Christ and be saved comes by the operation of the exceeding greatness of His power. Words that actually refer to what we call the omnipotence of God, divine omnipotence, which simply means all power. God's power is unlimited. He is therefore all-powerful. And that is the power that enables a sinner to trust in Christ for salvation. That is the teaching here when you come into verse 19. It is very clear from the flow. of the apostle's teaching, that he wants God's people to get this truth into their hearts. He wants to get it home to them, and therefore you will find that he sets out to illustrate this teaching by drawing a parallel between the power that enables the sinner to believe and the power that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Look with me at verse 19 and read it with me. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe? There is God's power given to those who believe, the power that enables them to believe. He goes on to say this in verse 19, according to, in other words, it's the same power, that's what he means, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ. when He raised them from the dead. That is a most marvelous statement. It is an amazing statement. It's astounding. Paul is essentially revealing here that salvation is a spiritual resurrection. And he develops that theme, of course, on into chapter 2. But resurrection from the dead, remember, can only be effected by divine power alone. Human power obviously has no place. in the resurrection of the dead. It is the omnipotence of God. It is the working of God's mighty power that raises anyone from the dead. And therefore, as we read these verses, we are being told that it is that same power that raises the dead that actually brings a sinner from being dead in his sins to the point where he savingly believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that power, that divine power, you put it this way, that brings a sinner out of the grave of his own spiritual death. It's that power, that rock that he wrought in Christ when he raised Him from the dead, that enables a man to believe the gospel and come to rest by faith in the Savior. Now here, then, is the reason why there is this reference to the Lord's exalted state in this passage. It is for the purpose of having us understand the nature of the power that enables a sinner to believe the gospel. Because there is a reference here to the Lord's resurrection and His exaltation to the right hand of God. You see it in verse 20, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all it says. Here is why we have this reference. to the Lord's resurrection and to the Lord's exaltation. Paul is describing. Paul wants these people to understand the mighty power of God that enabled them to believe. And the best way that he can get that home to them is by showing them that the same power that gave them the grace to believe the gospel is the power that brought the Lord from the dead and raised Him right up to the right hand of the Father on the throne of grace. That means really that the reference here to the Lord's resurrection and exaltation is what you call incidental. is brought in as an illustration of the power that saves the soul and gives a man the grace to believe. In other words, experience this spiritual resurrection, indeed this spiritual exaltation. Because as you go on into chapter 2, you'll find that Paul comes back to this theme about the believer being raised up by divine power and able to believe the gospel and is actually lifted up to the place and the level where, positionally speaking, he is seated with Christ in heavenly places. That is the major theme of these verses in chapters 1 and 2. But Paul brings in this reference to the resurrection and the exaltation of Christ to illustrate what the power actually is that saves the soul. Now I've explained to you the setting of the verses on which we're going to focus here today to begin with. in this message and in this whole series of messages. We have here this matter of the Lord's exaltation, His exalted position, which is a most blessed and important subject for our consideration. I firmly believe that the truth of the Lord's exaltation, or headship, is vital to the spiritual well-being of the church. It's a truth that is designed to encourage the Lord's people in the midst of all their struggles and difficulties, in their earthly pilgrimage with all its difficulties and all its trials. The old writers, I mean the old commentators, the old preachers, always referred to the church in this world as the church militant. And that description is accurate, it is appropriate, in that it is a reminder of the fact that the church is on the battlefield in this world, in combat with a relentless foe and in the midst of great spiritual dangers. But the truth that will encourage the Christian in those circumstances is this blessed revelation of the exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. And indeed you will find that while it's brought in here incidentally in this passage, Paul goes on, as I mentioned, to show in chapter 2 that it certainly has a bearing on us at this moment. Because in chapter 2 verse 5 and verse 6 we are told that we know they have been quickened together with Christ. but that we have been raised up together to sit with Christ in heavenly places. In other words, positionally, legally speaking, the child of God by virtue of His union with Christ, now get it well, Christian, is actually seen by God to be in union with Christ on the throne. And that is marvellous. What an encouragement that is as we go through this life. and we fight our battles and we seek to stand for the Saviour and stand for truth. We are in union with Christ on His throne. Christ's exalted state. Here then is this truth that we are going to come to today as we find it brought before us, especially in the closing verses that we read together. I note with you first of all the seat of His exaltation. It says in verse 20, He raised Him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. God the Father raised Christ from the dead. He exalted Christ to his own right hand. There is the seat of exaltation. The action that is described there that is actually raising Christ up to sit at this position, the right hand of God, is the prerogative of one who is a king. It is the king's right. to place another person in the seat or the position of regal authority. Kings place at their right hand those whom they design to honour, those whom they wish to join themselves or with themselves in their rule and in their dominion. Now, God the Father is described in Scripture in 1 Timothy 1.17 as the King, eternal, Invisible, immortal, the only wise God. What that means is this. No mere creature could ever be associated in the honour and in the authority and in the majesty that belonged to Almighty God as the King. Immortal, invisible and eternal. No creature could be brought to the right hand of such a King. But here is Christ who has been brought to that very position. Look quickly at Hebrews 1.13 where it actually states this. If you take the angels of God who are far higher than man, supernatural beings, supernatural creatures, and yet the angels of God are not afforded such a position, such a privilege. Look at Hebrews 1.13. This is actually one of Paul's arguments here. with regard to the deity of Christ and the majesty of Christ. He says in Hebrews 1.13, "'But a witch or the angel,' said he at any time, "'sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'" And of course the inference is that the Lord never gave angels that blessed privilege and that blessed position. It belongs to Jesus Christ alone. And therefore, you will find in the Scriptures on a number of occasions that the Lord Jesus Christ is said to have been exalted to the right hand of our Father, to the King. And that means that the Lord Jesus Christ is thereby seen to be co-equal with the Father in being and in essence and in majesty and in glory. Now, in 1 Timothy again, and turn with me this time to that little book, 1 Timothy and chapter 6, you'll find similar words to those that I quoted from chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and look at verse 15. It says, which in his times he shall show, that his God shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now look at that title, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It's ascribed to God the Father. He is the King Invisible, Immortal, Eternal, but He's called here the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Now turn to Revelation chapter 17, and we find in a couple of places in Revelation, here in chapter 17 first of all, that these very words of this title are ascribed to Christ. Revelation 17 and verse 14, it says, "...thee shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings." And then chapter 19 of Revelation and verse 16, and there we have it again, "...and he hath on his vesture..." Revelation 19, 16, "...he hath on his vesture, on his thigh, a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. My friend, notice this. This title that belongs essentially to deity, that belongs to the great King only, is ascribed not only to the Father, but to the Son. And therefore, the son is, as I put it earlier, co-equal with the father. This kind of title signifies that the one who bears it is an absolute monarch and he's subservient to no one. That's just how absolute it is. You'll find it, for example, used of men in one instance in Scripture that I'm aware of. And it is, and I'm going to turn you to it now for time's sake, but in Daniel chapter 2, where Daniel is interpreting the great image's meaning to Nebuchadnezzar, the man who had the dream about the image, he tells Nebuchadnezzar that he is the first, or his kingdom Babylon is the first in that image, the head of gold. You may remember something of the details there in Daniel 2. And as he interpreted to Daniel, he says this to him, Thou art a king of kings. Now what did that mean in the human realm? It meant that Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute monarch. He was what we call an autocrat. He ruled and was subservient to no one, and furthermore, no one was equal to Nebuchadnezzar. No one was on the throne beside him. He was the sole ruler. He was the king of kings in that realm. And that helps us to understand the tremendous import of this title that is here ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Scriptures that I have shown to you. And bringing all these details together, it is clear therefore that the seat of the Lord's exaltation, He is at the right hand of God the Father, is the seat, listen, of absolute dominion and absolute authority. He is an absolute monarch on His throne. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the seat of exaltation, go back with me to Ephesians here, that seat of exaltation occupied by Christ is occupied by Him in His humanity. I want us to think with this here for a moment or two as we make our way through this point of the seat of the Lord's exaltation, He's actually on that throne, to put it very simply, as the Man Christ Jesus. This is the marvelous thing about our Savior's person and the position that He now holds and occupies. We know that He came into the world, He assumed our humanity, the Word was made flesh, and as the God-Man He discharged His whole life and ministry. It culminated then in His ascension to heaven. He came into the world. He took our nature. He lived in it. He died in it. He arose from the dead in that humanity. He went back to heaven in that humanity. And He sat down at God's right hand in that true humanity. And that means that the seat of the Lord's exaltation is occupied by a man What a marvelous thought that is! Occupied by one who is truly man. Turn to Acts 1 and see this with me, because this is the clear testimony of Scripture. Acts chapter 1, and look please at verse 9. And I know you're familiar with the verses, most of you. But do turn to them, look on with me and follow through the reasoning that the Scripture gives us. Acts 1 verse 9, we read here of the Lord's ascension, and as we read these verses we find that they teach a number of very important matters. They teach that the Lord ascended and entered into heaven in His true humanity. It says in verse 9, when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. My friend, when it refers there to He being received up, it means that bodily and physically, in His own humanity, the Lord ascended up, and they saw Him go up, and then the cloud enveloped Him and took Him out of their sight. It wasn't a phantom that ascended. It was a man. who ascended up to glory. The second thing you notice here is that He retained that humanity because it says here He will return in the same form. It says in verse 11, this same Jesus, notice those words, this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven. This same Jesus, the one they saw, the visible, and the tangible Christ, the Man whom they saw. And they are told now, the same One is going to come back. That means that while He is on the throne, He is there as the Man. That's borne out in other places. I again will not take time to turn you to Daniel. But sometime you may read Daniel 7, 9, 13, and 14. And then you read of the judgment day and it says the Ancient of Days did sit. And then it says that the Son of Man came. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to the Ancient of Days. And He receives the authority to carry out the final judgment. Now listen to the title that's given to Him. That's always an emphasis of our Savior's real humanity. And therefore, there's no doubt about it, the Lord Jesus Christ is on the seat of exaltation. He's there in His real humanity. He's there as the God-Man. And my friend, that means that you and I, as His people and His church in its entirety, because He's the head of the church on this exalted seat, We are in union with the man on the throne. He is the God-man. He is God of very God. He is man of very man. But the point we are seeing today is that He is there as the man upon the throne in His real humanity. And that means, you see, that in the seat of His exaltation it signified that the work that He did on earth is finished. If you go back with me to our text or where it lies, you will notice what it says there in the reading in verse 20. It says, "...which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." Notice how it says that the Father raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand. And that means that in view in those words are a succession of events. There is the death of Christ. There is the resurrection of Christ. There is the ascension of Christ. And therefore, the throne is inseparably linked in all of this, or in view in all of this. He raised Him from the dead. There's the death, but there's the resurrection. And He set Him on His own right hand. And what is the message of all that? The message is this, His work was done. God raised him up from the dead because his work was finished and divine justice was satisfied and therefore he took the throne. And he was seated on that throne as a signal to his entire church and even to all men that the work that he came to do on this earth, he completed. When you think about sitting down It speaks of rest, it speaks of work finished, it speaks of that which you were given to do having been accomplished. And how often you find that, my friend, in the New Testament Scriptures, Hebrews 1 verse 3, who being the express image of God and the brightness of God's glory when He had by Himself purged us from our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty and High. or even Hebrews 10 verse 12, that tremendous statement about the exaltation of Christ that puts it so well, that this man offered one sacrifice for sins forever and then sat down at the right hand of God. My friend, he's there today in his humanity and he's there today because his work is done. And that means that the one who's on the throne who represents us, represents us as our Head and our King, having made the atonement, having satisfied divine justice, having given Himself a sacrifice for sin, and He is on the throne today to pray for us and to represent us as our Priest-King. For that is how the Bible describes Him. Again, I will not take time to turn to Zechariah 6, 12 and 13, but there it speaks of Christ prophetically as the priest-king upon His throne who shall build the temple of the Lord. But come with me right into the heart of this matter, of the seat of His exaltation. He is there as a man. He is there because His work is finished. and therefore he occupies the seat of exaltation as what is called the mediatorial king. In what sense is Christ king at this moment in glory? Well, he's there as what I've just put to you, the Mediatorial King, because the language that is employed here and in other places in Scripture signifies that the Lord Jesus Christ was seated by the Father at His own right hand, not only because His work was done, but as a reward of that work. Christ was rewarded by the Father for the work that He did by seating Him at His own right hand. He is there therefore as our Mediatorial King. rewarded by God the Father for all that He has done. In Luke 22, 29, the Lord tells us that. He says, "...and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me." Notice that. He tells us there that God the Father appointed to Him and for Him His kingdom. And that involves, that includes His seat at God's right hand. That was appointed to Him by the Father as a reward of suffering, as a reward of His death. Then turn to Matthew 28. Look with me there in that marvellous chapter where our Saviour speaks about His own headship and authority in very clear words and in very clear terms. Matthew 28. Look at verse 18. It's a very important verse. You need to understand its meaning. Grasp what it says, Matthew 28, 18, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Notice how the Lord refers there to all power, and the word means authority. All authority, He says, is given unto me in heaven and in earth. And then He goes on to make this statement. Remember, he makes this statement here in Matthew 28. As one who has risen from the dead, he's about to ascend to the Father and he says, all power is given to me. What he's saying is this, that the power that he has is invested in him. It's given to him as the one who has finished the work and now the Father rewards him and he gives him all this authority. And my friend, that authority is invested in Christ as the triumphant Redeemer of His people, about to take a seat at the Father's right hand and rule as the King over all things. Isn't that what Paul says in Philippians chapter 2? He says there he humbled himself. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Then it says, wherefore? God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every other name. My dear friend, it is as clear as can be. Our Lord is on that seat of exaltation simply because, and yet wonderfully because, He finished the work and the Father rewards Him and therefore all power belongs to Him. Now what does that mean for the church here on earth? Well, we are told At the end of Matthew 28, look at it, those next two verses, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." What does it mean for Christ to have this seat of exaltation? The God-man on the throne, his work finished. There is the Mediatorial King. What does it mean for Him? And what does it mean for us? It means, my dear friend, that since He is on that throne of exaltation and is the mediatorial King, His work on this earth cannot fail. It means that there's a future for the work of God right through until He comes again. For He says, I'm with you always, and He says that against the background, all power, all authority is mine. And therefore, until the Savior returns in this world, that authority of the mediatorial King is and will be exercised without fail and without intermission. What does it mean for us? It means that we submit to the rule and the reign of our King. It mentions in these verses at the end of Matthew 28, a succession of things, go ye therefore and teach all nations. That literally means, make disciples. It therefore is speaking of evangelism, the conversion of the lost. They're being brought to Christ. They're being taught. Beyond that again, in other words, make them disciples. Then it says, baptizing them in the name of the Trinity. Then it goes on to say, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. My dear friend, everything there, essentially, but the Christian life is summed up. And it's summed up for us by our King. All authority is mine. My work cannot fail. I'll be with you to the end of time. But listen, in the meantime, evangelize. In the meantime, gather the converts together and the families together and baptize them and teach them the things of God. My dear friend, it's elementary and it is something, while it is basic, yet it is something that you and I must heed today. Here are the commands of the King upon His throne. As I said earlier, I intend to preach on the subject of baptism in this series. Why? Because it's commanded here by the King. And therefore, I want to deal with that subject among other subjects that the King tells us to know and follow and observe His teachings with regard to the work and experience of His people on this earth. Go back to Ephesians quickly and look at the scope of his exaltation. It says here that the exaltation of Christ is very wide in its scope. I say that because of the tenor of the language. It's set forth in verse 21. far above all principality and power and might and dominion, in every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet." There is the scope of the exaltation of Christ. As I say, it is wide and far-reaching. And these words here tell us something of its scope in a very vivid way. Notice, it is universal in scope. It says in verse 21, far above all principality and power and might and dominion. Now, those words refer to the angelic world. They refer to both good and evil angels, actually. If you look at chapter 3, verse 10, of Ephesians, you'll see how the same words are used of the good angels. Ephesians 3 verse 10, it says, "...to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known," and this reads this way, "...through the church." The manifold wisdom of God. This verse is telling us that the good angels, the holy angels, actually learn about God's wisdom as they watch God dealing with sinners, saving them, bringing them into the church, making them His people. That's how the good angels learn the wisdom of God. It's a marvelous thought. Here are the holy angels watching on. Remember something, my friend. Remember it well. The angels are present at this service. 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 10. I'll be dealing with the head covering. It says there, for this reason ought a woman to have the sign, that's what it means, the sign of being and submission on her head. Once it's in a worship service, why? Because of the angels. The angels are present when we gather to worship God. And we are actually told, we are therefore to observe their presence by being reverent before God. But that's only by the way at this point. The angels of God are in Ephesians 3, verse 10. They watch on. They're present in our meetings. They see how God saves people and leads sinners on and sanctifies them. And I tell you right now, they watch on with amazement. The holy angels watching as God saves and God sanctifies and God builds His church. And they are taught the wisdom of God thereby. How marvelous that is! But then these terms, principalities and powers, also refer to the evil angels. And that's shown in chapter 6 of Ephesians. Look at verse 10. It says, well, there you have the beginning of the whole passage on the Christian armour. I'm not going to take time to read all the verses, but in verse 12 again it says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. And obviously these are the evil angels. We'll go back to Ephesians chapter 1, therefore, and look at those words again. Here is the scope of the Lord's exaltation, and it's a universal scope, because for one thing, He's far above all angels. Whether good or evil angels, they're all subservient to Christ. Ephesians or Hebrews 1.14 tells us what the good angels are sent out by Christ to do. They are sent forth as ministering spirits, ministering to those who are heirs of salvation. Christ sends out His angels constantly to attend His people and to watch over His people and to minister to His people. And then, my friend, the evil angels are subservient to him, because in 2 Peter 2, 4 and in Jude verse 6 we are told that they were cast down to hell. to be reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is clear to us plain, Christ's exaltation is universal. The greatest beings above men, that is angels, are all subservient to Jesus Christ. Look here again at these words in Ephesians 1 verse 21. And notice the next term where it says, "...and every name that is named." Now what does that mean? Well, the thought here is of creatures, again, who have a title or a name of authority among men. And, of course, there are many like that, aren't there? There are men who rule and men who govern, and they're given various titles. And, of course, they're given those titles to identify them with regard to their office and their position and their work. And we accept that. We have no problem with that. We have no problem calling the Queen the Queen. or the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister. You may have a problem with him, but you have no problem in knowing that that's a title that belongs to a man who holds that office. That's what's in view here. Every name that is named. You see, among men there are those who are powerful regarding their office and their authority. But my friend, we're shown here that they're all beneath Christ. Therefore, isn't His exaltation universal in its scope? But it goes even farther than that. That tremendous statement in verse 22, "...and hath put all things under His feet." Isn't that universal? All things under the feet of Christ. Now those words, all things under His feet, are a quotation from Psalm 8. What is man that thou art mindful of him, the son of man, that thou visitest him?" And so on and so forth. It goes on to say this, "...and have put all things under his feet." Now, those words, while they can be referred to normal, ordinary men like us, yet in their ultimate they refer to Christ alone. All things under His feet. And let me say something. According to these words right here, or how they're used right here, that prophecy is already fulfilled. All things are under Christ's feet. Some would try to tell you, in their eschatological views, that this hasn't happened yet. But it says here, "...and hath put all things under his feet." Turn over with me to Hebrews quickly. I say quickly because I make of this finish today, Hebrews chapter 2 and look at verse 6. Here is Paul actually quoting that Psalm, Psalm 8, or from it. And He says in Hebrews 2 verse 6, "...one in a certain place testified, saying," and it starts the quotation from Psalm number 8. And then go down to verse 8 of Hebrews 2, "...thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." Now listen to the next words. Here are Paul's comments on that. "...For in that he hath put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him." Then he says this, and this is very interesting, "...but now we see not all things put on them." What is he saying? He's saying it, and I put it to you this way, you know what the problem is? The problem is with us. All things are already under Christ's feet. The problem is you and I just can't see it. We look at the circumstances, we look at the events in the world, and we say to ourselves, what's going on? Are things out of control? What's the end of it all going to be? My friend, the problem is, we do not see it yet. Indeed, you could broaden it out and say this, the whole world has no idea of the fact that already Everything is under the feet of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ is reigning on the throne. And the scope of His exaltation is universal. And He is simply waiting for the day when He will come to show that all things are already under His feet. And I take you now to 1 Corinthians 15. Because you'll find these words used again in 1 Corinthians 15, and in that very fashion that I've just mentioned. 1 Corinthians 15, and look with me at verse 24. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." Now listen carefully. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. That's the key verse right here, because that fixes the time that's in view. And what is that? Well, when will death be destroyed finally? When Christ comes at His resurrection. Later on in the chapter we're shown that. O death, where is thy victory? And so on. And it's announced, it's proclaimed in the wake of our Lord's coming and the rapture of the church, you want to call it that? And the glorification of the saints. At His coming, then death is destroyed. My friend, the Bible says right here that death is the last enemy. And that means there can't be any more enemies after the Lord has come. That means they're all trodden down. Finally, at His coming, because He's already reigning and is throughout time bringing his enemies to nothing. Think about that. Where is the kingdom of Babylon? It's gone. Where are the great heathen hordes of the Middle Ages? They're gone. The Ottoman Empire. Where's Napoleon's empire? Where's Hitler's empire? Where are they all? They're all gone and destroyed, never to rise again. Oh, the devil will have one final kingdom raised up among men, the kingdom of Antichrist. But it also will be put down because Christ is reigning and will simply come. to destroy the final great conspiracy against the throne. Because His exaltation is universal in scope. It's also eternal in scope. It says here, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Marvelous words. The exaltation of Christ, my friend, is not going to end with the demise of this world. is going to continue into eternity. He is the King Eternal. And He's at the throne, and on the throne, and all things are under His feet. And therefore, in this world and in that which is to come, He will reign. And then what, as I close today, what is the scheme of His exaltation? I'll just read the verses as I close. Ephesians 1, 22 and 23, "...and hath put all things under his feet." Now listen, "...and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." And those words mean this. Christ is exalted to the throne at the right hand of God for the great scheme or purpose of benefiting His church. Get it well. All that Christ is, as the exalted King, is to His church for her benefit, her salvation, her well-being, her nurturing, her defense, everything you mention. It's all here. Head over all things to the church. Oh, see it well, men and women, our King reigns today for the sakes of people like you and me. Just take it that way, because that's what it means. Poor, feeble, sinful, ill-deserving sinners like us, and Jesus Christ has been exalted for our sakes. And therefore, we have nothing to fear, nothing to dread. Oh, that you, who are not yet saved, would come to know Him. Let us bow together before the Lord. So let us bow quietly in God's presence as we come to the end of our meeting. May the Lord take the Word and write it on our hearts for His own praise. O God, our Father, use Thy Word this day. Write it on our minds. Apply it to our souls. Give us understanding of the things of God. And draw us, Lord, to seek after Thee and to rejoice before Thee and to magnify the name of our great King. Be with us today. Bless Thy people who will remain for the Lord's Supper. Touch our weeping hearts. And, O God, may Thy Spirit go with us and bless us. And may Christ be glorified among us. For we pray all this in His name. And I may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with every child of God, both this day and forevermore. In Christ's name, Amen.