Jesus the King: Philippians 3:20 - You may not have realized it, but you are an expatriate. You are living in a country that is not your own. You have renounced your native citizenship and taken an oath of loyalty to a new nation. That is – if you are committed to Jesus Christ. And your adopted country is not a democracy; it’s a kingdom, and Jesus is King. So, today, we want to look at what it means to know Jesus as your King, not just as your Coming King, but your King right now.

Matthew 2:1-2; John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:15-17

They were probably Persians, the magoi who traveled from the east to find and worship the newborn king of the Jews. Like all honest seekers for truth, they were searching to know and understand prime reality, that is, the foundational principle that explains the source and reason for our existence. 

They bowed before a Jewish baby who later would be introduced as the WORD, the Logos, understood by the Greeks as the rationale of all life. And John tells us that the WORD became flesh, and all who receive Him become children of God. We may have our own epiphany as Jesus becomes personal and real to us.

Think about these truths about the Epiphany of Jesus: 

1. The Creator, Sustainer, and Owner of the universe came to earth; Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:14
2. He came as a baby; Matthew 2:1
3. He was revealed to gentile astrologers who worshipped Him; Matthew 2:1-2
4. He has co-existed eternally as God; John 1:1-3
5. He has enlightened the world; John 1:4-9
6. He is not recognized or well-received; John 1:10-11
7. He enables us to be born of God; John 1:12-13

While we do not know the Apostle Paul’s last spoken words, quite likely his last written words are found in 2 Timothy 4. How appropriate that at the end of his life, Paul continued his focus on his calling. He never disengaged from his life mission — to serve Christ and build people and the Church. What a great example to all of us, regardless of our age. Notice his priorities: 1) Declaring the word of God fearlessly, vv. 1-5; 16-17, 2) Finishing well, vv. 6-8; 18, 3) Mentoring and managing relationships, vv. 9-15; 19-22.

What’s next? What’s the next huge tragedy to rock our country? Hurricanes and mass murders have taken center stage while terrorism and nuclear threat from rogue nations are lurking behind sheer curtains ready to destroy us. And every issue gets politicized to further divide and weaken our nation, which can’t even agree on how to honor our flag or national anthem.

Meanwhile, followers of Jesus gather in small groups. They are the Church, the only eternal society on planet earth. Sola ecclesia — only the Church will survive, and that’s why we must observe our Master’s mandates for Church leadership. 1.The Creation Mandate; 2:11-15, 2. The Overseer Mandate; 3:1-7, 3. The Server Mandate; 3:8-13, 4. The Church Mandate; 3:14-16