When do YOU Want Jesus Christ to Rule?

Prophesied events about Babylon the Great were given in the year 603 BC. This is a very interesting prophecy that God gave because as Babylon had its first emperor, God actually spoke to that emperor, and He showed him what would happen over the next 2,600 years, approximately, to that Babylonian kingdom. And He gave it to him in a vision, and He showed him what would happen all the way down to what we celebrate here today, including what this day is about. Join me over in Daniel 2, verse 37.

Here Nebuchadnezzar, some 2,500 years ago, 2,600 years ago, has God giving him an image as a prop, as it were, so that he can see the future all the way down to where we are right now. And from here we can see through the book of Revelation what transpires just ahead until what the meaning of this day is fulfilled, when that is fulfilled.

In Daniel chapter 2, in verse 37, he says, you, O king Nebuchadnezzar, are a king of kings. For the Lord God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. And wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of heaven, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all.

This would be a continually morphing Babylon, Babylon the Great, it's called at the end time. Various iterations of it, but it's the same mind, the same head. It says here in verse 30, 8, at the very end, you are this head of gold. In other words, the concept, the mindset, the religion, the domination, the autocracy, the power, the destruction. This would be the mindset that will carry on for the next 2,600 years. Verse 39, some of the details of this morphing is, after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours, and then another. In one historical reference about the kingdoms or the empires, Babylon had the initial ideas, they had the religion, they had the priesthood, they had the gods, they had the processes.

This all came from Babel and was developed, and Babylon perfected it under Nebuchadnezzar. What Persia did, the Medes and the Persians did, was copy it. They basically took the same images, same gods, and they redressed them and renamed them. Greece came along and it inherited those same gods that same way, the same concepts. They developed them and tweaked them, brought them up to a very high level of science and art. The Romans now come in. It says here, this third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over the earth, and then the fourth kingdom, verse 40, the Romans shall be strong as iron.

They weren't so bright, they weren't so brilliant, they didn't have any finesse, they didn't really have the culture, so they kept Greece's culture. They call it Hellenization of Rome, the Hellenists, the Greek culture. They just had the same basic pillars with little different capitals on the top. They had the same gods, they just renamed them, basically the same religion, but they came in strong as iron, and as much as iron breaks into pieces and shatters everything, and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all others.

So we see here the whole legacy of Babylon the Great is crushing its dominance. It's infecting with falsehood, but it's an autocracy that is domineering. It's powerful, but it's not right, but it's ruling, and it crushes, as it says, all the others. Now we know down through time there will be revivals of that Roman Empire, and so when we come through these prophecies arriving today, we are given notice of Babylon's state in our world, in our time, because this is a continual prophecy.

We look in Revelation chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 10, and it just details the catastrophic events, beginning with four horsemen that ride, and it's one catastrophe after another, where a third of mankind, I'm sorry, a quarter of mankind die through those things. We have six trumpets that sound, and we today are celebrating the Feast of Trumpets. We'd like to focus on the seventh trumpet, but there are six trumpets that sound, and in those six trumpets, greater misery gets unleashed, and deaths of another one-third of surviving mankind takes place.

Continuing on in Daniel 3—Daniel 2 now, we'll skip to verse 44. So now we come forward to just ahead of where we are, just beyond what we find in Revelation chapter 1 through 10, the first 10 chapters of Revelation.

So God is going to set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. And that's what we're celebrating when we celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. That's what we focus in on. We focus in on that seventh trump. We focus in the one that, as the image in Daniel had 12 toes of miry clay, a stone—not by human hands—a stone comes and crushes and destroys the entire Babylonian mindset system—religious, deception, and that autocratic rule, and all of its wrong laws. We are looking forward here to something called the return of Jesus Christ. Let's go to Revelation chapter 11 and verse 15, and we'll pick up what you and I like to focus on and what God likes to focus on when we come to the Feast of Trumpets. Revelation chapter 11 and verse 15. Speaking of this kingdom that God said in Daniel will stand forever, we find this now being inserted. Revelation 11 and 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come in the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints.

And those who fear your name, small and great.

So part of this return of Christ, the establishment of his rule, is a reward. A reward.

And on this day, we can be excited, as 1 Corinthians 15 tells us in Thessalonians, that at Christ's return at the seventh trump, when it blasts, the dead and Christ rise first, and then those saints who are alive and remain will join him. The reward for your servants, the prophets and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, happens at that time.

But there's a lot of challenging things that lead up to that. You know, Revelation 1 through Revelation 10. That's heavy, heavy stuff. Heavy stuff. We have to be true saints. We have to be called, chosen, and faithful all the way through. We have to endure to the end in order to be saved. We have to, you know, be crucified with Christ. We have to suffer as he did. Those things are part of our reward because we're the only generation that will ever face Satan.

They won't in the millennium. They won't in the second resurrection. We are it. And that's why we will have a reward that is called the better resurrection in the New Testament. It's the one where we will, like Christ, be first fruits, having conquered Satan and his mindset. We will be the bride of Christ. We will dwell in the temple of God with Christ. We will sit with him on his throne.

And yes, it'll be wonderful that we can help God bring other children in during the millennium and that second resurrection period. But those will be the population of eternal beings in God's kingdom. The first fruits will be the rulers, and they'll reign with Christ. They'll be the bride of Christ.

So let's talk about reward. In anticipation of your reward, as we look forward to this day finally coming, I'd like to ask, I think we should all be asked, the most important question. There is a question that is the most important question, and it needs to be asked of you and me. Your response to the most important question dictates your eternal future. What will happen to you? Whether you'll live forever and be part of the bride of Christ, or whether you'll go through the lake of fire and you won't be there forever. But there's very good news. Very good news. If you answer the most important question correctly, you will have an incredible future, just mind-blowing. It will be so fabulous to be with Christ on his throne, with him forever, reigning, ruling as a God being in and with God the Father and serving them forever. It'll just be beyond belief. Or very, very bad news if you choose the wrong answer. But it's one question, and it is the most important question. The sermon title today is the most important question. It is, when do you want Jesus Christ to rule? When do I want Jesus Christ to rule? That's the question. That is the most important question that will be given to any human being. When do I want Jesus Christ to rule? As we see society deteriorating or have problems, we often say, oh, God's kingdom come. God's kingdom come. Do you really know what you're saying when you say, your kingdom come? God's kingdom come? Do you know what your kingdom come means in the Bible? The kingdom of God in Scripture actually revolves around that word kingdom, which has two distinct and separate meanings.

Realm and Rule. So when we say, your kingdom come, which do we want? Are we looking for the territory to come, the realm to come? Are we looking for, I don't know, better things to see, better things to do? That is the realm of God's spirit kingdom. Jesus said, anybody who comes into the kingdom can't be flesh and blood, be like spirit, be like air, you have to be born again. That's going to be wonderful. But also in God's eternal kingdom is his rule, because the kingdom has, it has territory, realm, and it also has rule, and that's perfect in the kingdom of God. When you and I think about the kingdom of God, what is it we want? We want Christ to return? Why? Let's examine realm component of the kingdom of God. Oxford Languages says, is Jesus Christ bringing the territory back to earth? Is he somehow jerking the spirit kingdom of God, leaving the Father in the dark, and bringing the spirit kingdom here, which no human can, you know, flesh and blood can't enter? No, that's not it. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of God, and we are in this earthly, physical, temporary part of, of, of what God is doing.

What is Jesus bringing? Let's think about that. And we think about the territory. Who owns it? Does Satan own the territory? Psalm 24, 1, the earth is the Lord, and all its fullness, the world, Psalm 24, 1, the earth is the Lord, and all its fullness, the world, and those who dwell therein.

This is God's. The people are God's. We see in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 16, through Jesus Christ, all things were created in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. He created all of that. So everything that exists is already owned by God.

Next, the other component of God's kingdom is the rule. Who wants the rule of God?

Now that becomes an interesting part of the question. See? When do you want Jesus Christ to rule? I've been in the church, well, 73 years I've been attending church.

Often, I've thought and others around me have thought, we want Jesus Christ to come and rule sometime in the future. In the meantime, we'll just kind of, you know, hit some high points.

That's what the Jews want. They don't want Christ's rule, do they? They don't want it now. Oh, they want the Messiah to come later, but they don't want Jesus Christ's rule. The Jews of Jesus's day sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man reign over us, rule over us. He told Pilate, I am a king, that I was born. Pilate said to the Jews, here's your king, we have no king but Caesar, crucify him.

How much do we want Jesus Christ to rule over us, to rule over us?

The word bessalia, translated kingdom, has this primary medium, meaning from Thayer's lexicon, royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. Not to be confused with an actual kingdom, but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. When do I want Jesus Christ to rule over me? We've had an intruder in the realm. This intruder showed up first as a serpent, as far as we see in Genesis, right? And he intrudes and he tries to get people to disavow God as the ruler, Jesus Christ. And God, Jesus Christ, in the Old Testament, had many individuals who were following him, but by the time you get to Genesis 6, the whole world was corrupt. So God brought a flood. Jesus Christ is reigning. God the Father is reigning. They're over it. It caused a flood to wipe out humanity and started over with Noah, eventually started over with their own people that they created, created miraculously out of an old woman and an old man, a baby called Isaac, who had Jacob, became Israel. And God said, I have made these people for myself. You know, we find that Israel, God told Samuel, they have not rejected you. They've rejected me from ruling or reigning over them.

This has been the story. You see, this has been the story down through time. Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 14 now, and we're going to look at the realm and the rule that is available to you and me. God is not calling the whole world right now. He didn't call Nebuchadnezzar, even though he gave him insight. He did not give his spirit to Israel, although he did lead them and wanted them to follow him, but they rejected his reign, his rule. God's rule has been thwarted by this invader, Satan the devil, for 6,000 years or more. In verse 14 of Deuteronomy 10, indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God and also the earth with all that's in it. So everything we see in the heavens and the earth, it all belongs to God. It's his. It's his territory. It's his realm. But let's back up in context to verse 12 and see something that's offered to you and me. And now Israel, the Israel of God we are in the New Testament. What does the Lord your God require of you? Notice what is the Lord your God? The Lord meaning the authority, the supreme authority, your God require of you. Here's a God ruling over us, you see. But to fear the Lord or revere the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and to keep the commandments.

This ruler commands of us and his statutes which I command you today for your good.

Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God and the earth with all that's in it. Verse 20, and you shall revere and fear the Lord your God, you shall serve him, and to him you shall hold fast. This is what we're given. This is the opportunity you and I have to come under the the rule of God, the rule of Jesus Christ, the Father, and Jesus Christ now. And this is our only time to do that. And that's a big part of the message today. This is our only time to do this. When Christ returns, the reward will be given for whether we have invited and submitted and followed the rule of God in our lives today. Bible encourages us, called ones, to choose the rule of God in our lives. The reward is given when trumpets is fulfilled, when the Feast of Trumpets and its meaning is fulfilled. Let's notice again Psalm chapter 50 and verse 10, the context of God's realm along with his rule.

Psalm chapter 50 and verse 10. For every beast of the forest is mine. This is current. This is now. God owns it all.

And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. Verse 12. If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you. All the world's mine and all its fullness. I'd just go eat something. He's kind of jesting there. Verse 14.

Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. So here we have realm. It's all God's, but he's offering you and me to make a choice to come under his rule now. Offer to God thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon me in the day of trouble. The day of trouble is ahead. Jesus Christ foretold the day, the day of the Lord, the day of trouble, the day that's coming that would erase all mankind before Christ's return if he didn't intervene. And he doesn't want you to go through that. He doesn't want his church to be part of that. He said, be a person of prayer and be watchful so that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things.

Right? And in Revelation, you know, the woman, the church, is taken away from Satan and his wrath, taken away for three and a half years to a place prepared for her. He's inviting us. Call upon me in the day of trouble, in the great tribulation. Before it begins, I will deliver you and you shall glorify me. That's what we want. But to the wicked, God says, what right have you to declare my statutes or take my covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast my words behind you? In other words, freedom of choice. Everyone has freedom of choice. When do you choose Jesus Christ to rule, to reign? When is that? Is that not now, maybe in the future, begs our response, doesn't it? When do I want to have Jesus Christ rule over me? Now is the only time that's available for the firstfruits and the bride who are working towards that qualification to be reigned by Jesus Christ. When you think about it, there is no other time. If you go to Matthew 7, verse 21, we find there are those who claim to be, I guess, Christian or call him Lord, but Matthew 7, verse 21, it's not possible. It's not possible if they haven't come under his reign now, as he will tell us. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, supreme authority, my supreme authority, shall enter the spiritual realm of heaven, the kingdom of heaven. You won't enter that realm of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father in heaven submits to our authority, submits to our reign, submits to our rule. Now many will say to me in that day, oh, you know, supreme authority, supreme authority, haven't we prophesied in your name? We've told that you're coming back. We've preached a gospel about your return someday. Like that's going to get somebody saved? Jesus is going to return, but that wasn't his message. He said, repent. Repent, didn't he? He said, for the kingdom or the rule is at hand. I'm here. I'm here, but they wouldn't let him reign. Will you let him reign?

Many will say, Lord, Lord, haven't we prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name? Didn't done many wonders in your name, and I will say to them, I never knew you. Depart from me. Notice you who practice lawlessness. Lawlessness is insubordination to the rule of God.

It's defying the laws and the rules of God. This is not just an instruction book. This is a rule book. This is what God tells us to do. How to think, how to live, what to be, how to become, how to do it. If we submit to that, it is taking self and humbling ourself to do what God wants us to do, which is good. It's right. It has blessings, it has benefits, it has eternal glorification. It is all wonderful. But if we are selfish and say, no, I'll take the heavenly future, but I'm not going to submit to you. I'm going to be lawless to what you tell me to do.

That doesn't work. And the whole point is, this is the timing. In that day, he says, in that day, people will come and say, many will come and say, we don't want to be caught short saying, oh, well, someday I was thinking you were going to come, and then I would submit to your rule. No, this is our time to be ruled by Jesus Christ. In Daniel 12, verse 2, talks about those who sleep in the dust will come to life at the return of Christ, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting shame. They won't be there. The point is, when Christ returns, when this feast of trumpets is fulfilled, the judgment takes place of what we did, who we are, what we did in our lifetime now. So again, when do I want Jesus Christ to reign and rule in my life? He has been ruling for 6,000 years in the lives of those who have requested it, those who wanted it.

He needs to be ruling in your life and mine.

David was a man after God's own heart, I would say largely because he wrote Psalm 119. If you look at Psalm 119, it is a heartfelt acceptance of the rule of God.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity. They walk in his ways. You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently, and it goes on like that for the longest chapter in the Bible. That's submission to the reign and the rule of God in our life.

In Luke chapter 1 and verse 31, when Jesus was born, we find that he was born to rule. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 31, the angel says to Mary, Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. This is Luke 1, now verse 32. And he will be great, he will be called the Son of the highest, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob, or Israel, forever. And of his kingdom there will be no end. Jesus then, during his ministry, sent seventy out to preach the gospel to the house of Israel only. The house of Israel has not wanted to come under his reign, his rule, not wanted to submit to him.

Luke 19 14, his citizens hated him, sent a delegation after him, saying, We will not have this man reign over us. That's Luke 19 14.

Jesus has always been ruling over servants who submit to him. A servant recognizes a master, recognizes authority. They're submissive. They're servants.

In Luke 19, now in verse 15, the next verse, And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, rulership over the realm, then he commanded these servants. Now, whoa, whoa, hang on. He gave these servants some things, and he said, Occupy till I come. Right? And then he goes to receive a kingdom, or the rulership, and to return. It's while he's away that these servants are under his rule, his church, those who are in the body of Christ. And we are given work to do. And so it was in verse 15, when he returned, now seventh trumpet, here he comes, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to whom he had previously given the money, or the Holy Spirit, to be called to him that he might know how much every man had gained by trading while he was gone before his return. That's now, you see, in our life. This is our time to be developing that treasure that he wants, that holy righteous character. And so, verse 16, the first came saying, Master, Master, you're my ruler. Your Mina has earned ten Minas. And he said to him, Well done, good servant. You've been reigning over him the whole time, because you were very, you were faithful and very little. Have authority, or as they are translated, have the power to rule, the power of rule, over ten cities. It is by submission to authority and the rule of God that we can then be trusted to help Jesus Christ reign at his return over the millennium for a thousand years. The saints will reign and rule with him for a thousand years. If we don't let him rule and reign, how could God bring us into his kingdom? We would be like another Satan. Well, I don't really want your rule, but I've got some ideas here. Just give me a bunch of power.

I'll take care of it my way. He can't do that. I remember some of my early years, Mr. Armstrong would ponder and say, you know, I think it all comes down to one thing, you know, at the resurrection. God just has to know, well, we submit to his authority. He's got to know that. That's what this life is all about. We can ponder these things and we can look in the scriptures.

The point is, now is our time to be under Christ's reign. This is our opportunity. And then we're rewarded when the seventh trumpet blows and we're resurrected. We come up. Then that's our judgment and we get a reward.

There are three ways I'd like to point out that we can submit to God in Christ's rule today. Three ways, three areas that we might focus on in developing submission to the rule of God and doing this right so that we can absolutely be trusted. Point number one, the first way is to repent and be baptized and be led by the Holy Spirit.

That is the casting off of me as the ruler or any other form or, you know, ideal or entity or false God or whatever it is. Repenting to that and instead being baptized to die to the old mindset and come up and live a new life with Christ leading me. Matthew 28, 18. We find Jesus is reigning and ruling right now. Matthew 28, 18. Oversome. Who are those? Matthew 28, 18. Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, speaking to the disciples now, after his resurrection, he's been to the Father, he's come back, and he says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Authority. Rulership. Verse 19. Since all authority has been given to me in heaven and earth, therefore go and make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Verse 20. Teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. That's the gospel right there. Go out and teach them to submit and obey me. He's here. He's available. Tell them to repent. Tell them to do everything I have commanded you.

And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. You know, sometimes individuals we know are called. Sometimes they're another generation of church members, and they sort of see this option of baptism or maybe career, sports on the Sabbath, you know, maybe picking a maid out there, maybe, you know, doing some things, going out and sowing some wild oats or whatever it might be, you know. And then you have the church. Church is kind of restrictive. I'll put that one on hold.

And this really becomes, I don't know, a choice that people make. Do they want to be baptized now? And some who are called say, well, not yet. Not yet. And they'll play this game. Well, if I don't get baptized now, I could always come up in the second resurrection, right? I'd still be in God's kingdom. You know, there's the game. What is that saying? I will not have Jesus Christ rule over me. That's what that's saying. No, I will not submit to the rule of Jesus Christ now. Maybe someday, but right now I'm going to go and let Satan and his world and his society reign over me. I'm going to let Babylon in one of its revivals. That looks more enticing to me.

Sadly, this opportunity we have now is the better resurrection, and it's the only window for that better resurrection. And there will be a general population in the kingdom of God, but if you read in Revelation 22, it's only their kings who will come into New Jerusalem and bring their glory there to the headquarters. We don't see the population ever coming to New Jerusalem. Just the kings. So, to miss out on the better resurrection by choosing to not submit to Jesus Christ, that's not answering the most important question correctly, is it? Whether or not you can sneak in at a second resurrection and hope to still at least qualify for that. The second point is, we need to submit to God's established line of authority. Submit to God's established line of authority. Humanity wants to rebel against authority. People want to be free. They don't want any rules, they don't want any laws. They want to do it my way, and I'll just take this Bible, and I'll go home and do it myself. That's not the way it works.

God has established authority, and it begins at the top with God. Let's go to Colossians chapter three and verse 15. Colossians chapter three and verse 15.

This is written in a way that you can just kind of fly over it, and I believe miss what it's saying.

Have, first of all, in this established authority, have a submissive and intimate relationship with his son, Jesus Christ, who is his name is the word of God, Revelation 19, John 1, and other places. Colossians 3, 15. And let the peace of God, if you capitalize peace, the Prince of Peace, the peace of God is Jesus Christ. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Is Jesus Christ ruling in your heart through the Holy Spirit? Is that what's got the reins?

To which also you were called. We were called in one body, and that body is Jesus Christ. And let him rule in your hearts. Verse 16. Let the word, it says of Christ, the word of does not appear. Let the word Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Are you letting Jesus Christ dwell in you? He said, my father and I will not leave you orphans. We will come. We will dwell with you. John 17. They want to be at one with us. They want to be in us. So many times, the Holy Spirit dwelling in you are God dwelling in Jesus Christ dwelling in you. Let the word Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. This is submitting to that authority of God the Father through his son, Jesus Christ, and that Holy Spirit that comes in and is available to rule in our hearts, to dominate our thoughts and our decision-making, especially as we have choices to make throughout the day. In verse 17, and whatever you do with this led by Jesus Christ dwelling in you, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. What does that mean? In other words, all you're doing is going to be somehow in the name of Jesus Christ. Here's what Adam Clark commentary says, do it all because he commands it, and do it with desire to honor him. His authority should be the warrant and his glory the aim of all our actions and words. This is how you grow in faith and the reciprocal favors that God gives us. We give it back through glorifying him and doing things in word and deed that glorify and honor God. That individual Christ can use to reign with him. That individual can be trusted with glory and power and rulership, not just because they submitted to a bunch of laws that were rigid, but they've internalized them from the heart, and they want to be like them, and they're dwelling in each other, and the mindset is there, and they're true family. As we continue on in this same passage, the authorities, the line of authorities context continues to include imperfect humans. This is where we often have some of our greatest challenges. I'm not letting a human tell me what to do. Or, that human offended me, so that's, you know, that. If you haven't been offended yet, you will be. Bible says offenses must come. God needs to have human authorities offend you to see how you're going to react. You're going to react like Satan and trump off.

So we go on to imperfect human authorities in verse 18. Why submit to your own husband? Have you ladies ever found a perfect husband? There's some testing right there.

Husbands, we have superiors over us. Have we ever had a perfect pastor, a perfect senior pastor, a perfect, you know, head of this or head of that, or department head, or whatever in the church? No, we sometimes we get offended. Things aren't fair. Things aren't right. Great. Great. It's all working just the way it should. Are we letting Christ reign? Are we doing what He says to do? Are we submitting? Husbands, love your wives. Are we submitting to that? Are we submitting our time, our focus? Are we sacrificing some of that to our wife, to love them as Christ gave Himself for the church? That's an authority over us that is telling us to do that. Do we do that? Verse 20, children, obey your parents in all things. There's a good one. You kids, are your parents perfect? No? Well, guess what? Just write then, because that's your test. Obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. He didn't say obey your parents when you think they're right.

No, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. Because we parents, we make mistakes, but it pleases the Lord when the children submit to the authority anyway. And Jesus authorizes other human authorities. In 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 13, continuing on, you're not going to hear this type of a message in politics today. You're not going to hear it out on the internet today. 1 Peter 2 and verse 13, because everybody wants to, you know, throw off any kind of restraint and rule. 1 Peter 2 and verse 13, therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man. You know, there's some really dumb ordinances out there, in my opinion.

Four lane roads, speed limit, 40 miles an hour. Are you kidding me? You go to Texas, they got a two lane road, and it's 70 miles an hour, and you're holding on and thinking, who put that spine there? But four lanes, 40 miles an hour, just down the road here?

That bothers me. Question becomes, will I drive it? Or how close to 40 will I drive it? And it's kind of like a conversion meter, you know, the speedometer is like less converted, more converted. I don't know. I don't think I'm all that converted with my conversion meter.

But that's what it says. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the King as supreme. Hey, Peter's saying this, to the King as supreme? Who is the King?

Do you know what the Caesars were like in his day? Who were killing the apostles? Who were killing Jesus Christ to, you know, submit to the King as supreme or to the governors? Remember Pilate? Verse 15, for this is the will of God. God wants to know if we will submit to authority, or do we have an out? Do we have an excuse? Well, I don't have to do that, because I don't. And there it is. And then we also have human leaders in the body of Christ, God's church. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11. Ephesians 4 verse 11, and he, Jesus himself gave some to be apostles, plural. Prophets, plural. Some evangelists, plural. Some pastors, plural. And teachers, plural. We're not talking about solo rebel people who left the fold. Some individual, like a diatrophys, who went off on his own and declared himself to be something and got a following. Oh, he's a minister, so whatever. I can go off and rebel with him. You know, that's happened throughout my lifetime. I've known many of them. I've heard some of their excuses. I've read some of their excuses. And they all had an excuse. Something about them, they were being restricted, so they had to leave and go start their own church. They had to take a following and go off. No, he gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers as leaders. And this is a body, a singular body. It's not all split up. The third point is submit to the doctrines that Christ teaches through that ministry, plural, not minister, not solo rebel, not somebody who had a great calendar concept or some little, you know, new moon thing and takes off, say, I'm a minister too, so you can follow me. You know, we'll get in the kingdom. We've got 500 of those out there. No.

Submit to the doctrines that Christ teaches through his ministry.

I came into the church in 1951 and went to the Feast of Tabernacles in Belknap Springs, Oregon. It was the first feast site we ever had in this era of the church. Second year, we went to Seagler Springs, California. It was the only feast site in the church. Third year, we went to Big Sandy, Texas, and it was the only feast site. We went there until 1960 or 61, and we outgrew that site. We kept building buildings, and they're always too small, so we kept expanding and expanding. Finally, in 1961, the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California, had an arena. It was an open-air arena. It was snowing outside, but anyway, we sat under the roof, and Big Sandy was the site, and Squaw Valley was another site. And then a few other sites popped up. Pocono's in 1968 and up in about the same year, a year before, in British Columbia, Penticton, and sites began to pop up. The point is here, the church has always been the church, but then you have individuals who come along and say, oh, but I have to leave. I have some special thing, or this wasn't fair, and they'll play the fair card and get sympathy. And here we are now. It's ridiculous. You go to the feast, and you're probably on the plane with other pastors going to other feast sites in the same country, the same members we used to have, all chopped up. Everybody's got hall rentals. Everybody got plane fare. You know, it's ridiculous. God doesn't want it that way. So submit to the doctrines that Christ teaches through His ministry. Verse 12, Ephesians, these plural, this group of ministry, or servants, is for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, service, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.

An example of this is we are observing the Feast of Trumpets here today because of our submission to Jesus Christ's appointed ministry. That's the only reason we're here. How did you know when to come? Let's go to Leviticus chapter 23 in verse 2, and we'll see. Leviticus chapter 23, in verse 2. Here God is talking to the leaders he appointed, and he said, speak to the children of Israel. It's not the children of Israel speaking. They're not deciding. They're not involved in this. You speak to the children of Israel, and you say to them, the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. These are my feasts. Verse 4. These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. It's the priesthood, or in the modern New Testament period, the ministry who proclaims the feast at their appointed times.

Now, if you want to know why we proclaim them at the times we do, you can go to ucg.org website, click on the resources tab. You'll see study papers. Click on study papers, and there are two study papers. One is called the Hebrew Calendar Summary, and the other is the Hebrew Calendar Appendices. And we in the Council have developed this through the years, and it really pointedly shows why we keep the feasts when we do. And the core of it is because the ministry is appointed to say it. Not some minister, not somebody with an idea, not some individual with another calendar—there's lots of calendars out there—but the ministry. And we have always done this, and we continue to do that. The question is, do we all do that? Do you, do you submit to that?

If you reject the rule of Christ through all of these avenues, whether it's family or whether it's even local leadership or ministerial leadership or observance when we're told to assemble, how can God trust anyone who rejects his authority? How can he, how can he—we all say, oh yeah, we'll all rise. He can't. So please repent. And me too, anywhere in our life that we have any of these layers of authority, and we're not submitting to them, let's repent. Let's repent and come under the reign and the rule of Jesus Christ. Being under the rule of Christ includes submitting to humans that he appoints. In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 17—notice very carefully—Hebrews 13, 17. There's a little story that goes with this. You might look up and say, oh yeah, well you're a minister, you're on the council and all that stuff. You're authority, so you know, you know what it's like to be under authority. Well, let's just read this.

Obey those who rule over you. There's the rule. Do you want Christ to rule over you? Do you want God and Christ and their appointees to rule over you? Now? And be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. You know, the United Church of God has the most unique set up.

I am under authority, all kinds of authority, and I am an authority, and so are you. And it's a wonderful thing because this way we all get to be authorities, mothers over children, right? Deaconesses, you know, when the deaconess tells me to come line up, it's time to eat, you know, get in line, I obey, right? Other times, I get to choose the president of United Church of God, along with 11 others, right? As soon as we choose him, he's over us. Not just him, he's got Ministerial Services guy under him over us, and not just him, we've got a regional pastor, RP, down in Houston, that's over us. And not just him, my son-in-law, who wasn't even born when I was a pastor, is over me. Okay? I mean, this is great. You can go in, you can be a council member, and when the council is in session, I'm over Steve Myers, Rick Shabie, I tell them what to do, right? As soon as that council meeting ends, they're over me. It's great. It's really wonderful. So the whole point is here, we're in this together, and we need to obey those who rule over you, and that can change. That can change from the person who comes up here and says, everybody rise, he's in charge. Turn to page 56, and you do that. And we'll now sing. We all have certain roles and authorities that we need to submit to. The Feast of Trumpets has a breathtaking reward for those who choose Christ's rule. Now, let's go to Revelation 14 in verse 1. Revelation chapter 14 verse 1, as we wrap this up. I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000, having his father's name written on their foreheads. Okay, you can just see yourself in that group. I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of mighty waters. Verse 3, they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne. Verse 4, these are the ones who are not defiled with women. They are virgins. These are those who follow the lamb. They are submissive to his rule, wherever he goes. They were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Wow. That's what you get for being submissive to authority. Authority that sometimes isn't fair, it's challenging, etc., etc.

In Revelation 15 and verse 3, 15 and verse 3, it says, they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb.

If you're going through the book of Deuteronomy with the church right now, you just read the song of Moses.

It's interesting that the song of Moses is sung by these individuals.

The song of Moses details the reign of God now and how some didn't want it and had to be corrected. But the song of Moses and the song of the lamb, saying, great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are your ways, O King of the saints. Jesus Christ is your King now, if you're a saint, King of the saints.

Who shall not revere or fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy, for all nations shall come and worship before you. Everybody is going to worship. Everybody is going to submit to God's rule sometime. Now is our opportunity. In conclusion, so when do I want Christ to rule me? If you have been baptized, please raise your hand. Keep it up. At your baptism, you stated these words, I now accept Jesus Christ as my Lord, my Master, my High Priest and King.

Congratulations. You answered the most important question correctly.

And your reward is on its way. Let's conclude with 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 3. Obviously, we have to keep pursuing being submissive to God and to Christ, but notice how the Apostle Paul congratulates you. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 3.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you abounds towards each other.

Verse 5, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. That is the realm and the rain in the spirit kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. Verse 6, since it's a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. Verse 8, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord, which was repent and keep my commandments. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony of you among you was believed. Therefore, verse 11, we also pray for you always that God would count you worthy of his calling. This is our calling, brethren. This is our time. You're doing well. We're all wanting the rain of Christ in our life, and we look forward to welcoming that rain to cover the entire earth as the waters cover the sea and ultimately in the second resurrection. And then for all times to be supporting the rule and the reign of God. So may God in Christ's kingdom rule over us now and rule with us soon and rule over all of his kingdom forever.