Opening illustration: Play video “The Stool.”
Introduction: A throne - a seat so magnificent that only an exalted person can occupy it. Many brave warriors have fought and died to claim such throne. It is the place of authority and sovereignty. A throne is the single most important and central piece of furniture in a kingdom. Kings come and go but the throne stays as long as the kingdom exists.
Now imagine you have that throne in your heart. A throne that is being fought for every day. A throne that is so central to your life that who/whatever sits on it rules your heart, passion and desire. Do you know who or what is sitting on that throne? Because the answer to that question drives who you are as a person.
Everyone knows who should, and who should not, sit on the throne.
• If the throne is in Buckingham Palace, we expect the Queen of England to take the throne … not some random visitor to the palace.
• If the throne is in the Oval Office, we look for the President of the United States … not one of the White House interns.
• If the throne is in a court of law, we stand and wait for “Your Honor,” the judge, to take his seat … not the courtroom bailiff.
Why? Because a throne is a special seat. It’s a seat that communicates who is in charge. It’s a seat that shows who deserves special deference in that context. The person on the throne has greater responsibility than everyone else and we expect them to also have greater wisdom befitting such responsibility. The other seats bend to the throne and when there is a conflict between opinions, the person on the throne has the last word.
Every one of us has our own throne room. No, I’m not talking about the big chair in your living room, or the seat at the head of your dining room table and certainly not the “porcelain throne” in your bathroom! Your throne is in your heart and in the throne room of your heart, every decision passes for judgment. Who or what ever sits on the throne of your heart determines the direction of your life.
Do you know who sits on the throne of your heart? Here are some questions to help you discover who or what is enthroned in your heart. Slowly ponder and answer these questions:
• Who do I most want to please?
• Whose opinion matters most to me?
• Who am I absolutely unwilling to disappoint?
• Who do I sacrifice the most for?
I would follow this person anywhere. So, who is it? Who’s on the throne? Is it your spouse? Your boss? Your Mom? OR Whoever? When asked how we should set priorities, most Christians will give the Sunday School answer: "God first, then family, then ministry, then everything else." But in day-to-day living, how often do we practice this?
Who sits on the throne of your heart?
1. People (Matthew 8:21-22; 10:37)
If I asked you today what is the most important thing in your life what would your answer be. Many times, we instantly answer our family, wives, husbands, kids etc. In the past I have put family on the throne of my heart and that lead to serious problems between us. Would you go home every day and tell you wife she is #2. The point being that God is #1. When my parents learnt that they are not #1 in my life, it was all out war. It offends all those you love. Are you in or out? In fact, in Matthew 8:21-22; 10:37 Jesus reminded his disciples about this very thing.
Let’s not forget Martha prioritized what she had to get done; Mary prioritized her relationship with Jesus, who taught us a lesson that still applies today: Don’t let busyness interfere with relationships. Choose people over things but God above all. I know this is not always easy. I struggle with this imbalance daily because I know that if I only focus on people, my work will never get done. But if I focus solely on tasks, I do so at the expense of relationships. So, what’s a guy to do? Many a times our parents, spouse, grandparents and even children become our idols. They take the place of God on the throne of our hearts. In such circumstances, God either takes a second place or is out of the frame and is left in some cold corner of our heart. When family or friends become our idols, at some point they fail us (because they are mortal) and then eventually we run to God. We only run to Him when everything else fails. Why do we not make Him the king of our hearts right from the beginning?
An idol is any person, object or activity you give a higher priority in your life than a relationship with God. An idol can be your home, your job, a vehicle, a relationship, or even your family. An idol can be a pet, a computer, or what you look at on that computer. An idol can be alcohol, drugs, sex, or any sin. An idol can be the work you do for the Lord that consumes all your energy and time. God says He’s a jealous God. He wants our time and attention above and over other things.
2. Possessions (Matthew 19:16-22)
I believe that the throne belongs to one King. The King who created the universe and everything in it. The King who created you and everything you are - including your heart. That King created the throne in your heart where He's supposed to sit and rule. For some people, money is sitting on that throne right now. Their lives are driven and focused on getting wealth in any way they can. Having a great job without any ethics doesn’t really matter. For some, pleasure and comfort is king. For others, it's sex. For many, we are the ones who are sitting on that throne!
So, why do many people seek the "things" first? Many people's top priorities seem to be jobs, houses, cars or other material things. To seek means "to crave, pursue, to make sacrifices to get, to go after with all of your strength and all of your heart." It is a mistake to crave and pursue possessions, believing they will give us the lasting peace, joy and contentment that only come from God's presence in our lives.
Take a moment and ask yourself, "What am I seeking? What do I spend most of my time thinking or talking about? How do I invest the majority of my energy?" These are important questions you need to answer from your heart.
When I started out life, I was earning really well but realized quickly that it did not bring me the joy God intended. Have you ever been in this place? Maybe you've wondered what's wrong with me, like I did. Well I was wading in shallow waters and it was time to step out into the deep."
That wake-up call of being a shallow Christian did not appease my soul. I wanted the "fruit" of God's Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience – and all operating in my life but I wasn't seeking that, so my "roots" weren't very deep at all. I had it backwards … as many of us do at times. We want the money, the house, the platform or whatever our thing is. So, we pursue that rather than the true treasure of God's presence.
Just like a tree needs roots to go down deep and spread wide in the soil for it to grow strong, healthy branches that can withstand the elements, Christians need to develop deep spiritual roots in Christ. Our lives need to be deeply rooted and grounded in the Word of God and in His love – not our "stuff." We soon find that out when the storms of life come, and our "things" don't make us so happy anymore. That's because those things can't give us what we truly need. And it doesn't matter how much stuff you have if you're miserable.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying it's bad to want nice belongings or to desire a good life. But we need to examine our priorities when it comes to those things. We need to learn to seek God's face and not His hand. If we will seek His face, His hand will always be open to us. It seems that so much of the time, we get it the other way around, going after possessions as if we'll never get what we want if we don't. But I encourage you to think about what it will be like at the end of your life. I know that's not a pleasant thought, but do you really think you'll be concerned about your stuff? Or do you want a relationship with Jesus?
We must establish our lives in Christ. If we are to be truly joyful – with or without all the stuff—we must learn to trust our lives to God. If we will pursue His kingdom and His righteousness, we will see what it means to be content in life. As the apostle, Paul said, "… I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
The key is to seek God’s Kingdom first and His righteousness. Pursue God; seek His face and not His hand. Go after a relationship with Him as if it is everything! You will find that if you seek His face, His hand will always be open to you. So, learn to be content in your relationship with God; He knows everything you need. What or who is on the throne of your heart?
3. Self (Matthew 16:24; Galatians 2:20)
When the people of Israel wanted a king to rule over them, they were basically rejecting God. They were saying to God that they didn't want to be ruled by God any more. They want to choose their own king. Historically, we know where it led them. The king was rejected by God and God Himself would choose another king, David - a typological character for the true King, Jesus Christ.
We too have been rejecting God in our hearts every day. The battle for the throne in our hearts is constant. We put something or someone else apart from the rightful King to sit on that throne. We put our own desires, selfishness, and dreams in that throne and let it drive our lives. We don't like it when God rules. We even crucified Christ to take Him down from that throne! We alone now sit on that throne.
But Christ is claiming that throne again! Through the same crucifixion where we took Him down, God is exalting Him higher than ever before! Jesus is the rightful King of that throne in your heart. For years that throne has been occupied an evil king that only brings destruction and death to its kingdom. Through repentance we are taking down whatever false king occupying that throne and in faith we now know that Christ has claimed that throne for Himself.
You have a throne in your heart. It is the most central place where everything in your live is driven from. It is a place of ruling and authority. That throne is never empty. If you don't have Christ sitting on that throne, you will have some other false kings sitting on it. No, that throne can never be empty. Not for a second. So, if you don't have Christ sitting on it, you will be ruled by something else. Only Christ, the True King, can give you live when He rules. Other false kings can only lead to destructions and death. Who is sitting on that throne of your heart?
4. Christ (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 22:37)
The Israelites rejected God as king over them. They chose to get an earthly king also to the throne of their hearts. And so, do we very easily. We can put not only people but also work or possessions on the throne of our hearts. And when we do that we automatically reject God. We don’t necessarily mean to reject God we just do.
It does matter how we live our lives. It does matter what we choose day in day out. Every day we make a decision about what is most important in our lives. Every day we choose who sits on the throne of our hearts. All this matters because what’s on the throne of our hearts rule our lives. By choosing someone/something else than God we reject God. Possibly the very last thing we’d like to do. Yet we might do it day in day out. Without thinking. That’s why we need to be intentional. No more living carelessly, unthinkingly.
When we keep God on the throne of our hearts we are not alone anymore. God is with us. God will help us to live intentionally. But we can’t serve other gods. There is room only for one God on the throne of our hearts. Who is it going to be?
John the Baptist’s heart was … I must decrease that Christ might increase. And it’s the old, precious cross taken, not just a cross but the cross. It is no longer I but Christ. The cross as revealed to me a sinner is pardoned; the cross revealed in me the saint is purified; the cross revealed through me the Savior is proclaimed to a world that has no answers except the one He has put in your heart as a stewardship. You must have the throne room of the Lamb there.
We live in a generation where apathy is the norm, not the exception. We are known for our addiction to video games, lack of interest, and irresponsibility. Researchers suggest that this is the most biblically illiterate generation in history! It’s time to change that. When Jesus tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” this is not a suggestion but a command. So, let’s be the generation of David’s, the generation of Joshua’s and Caleb’s; the ones who boldly take a stand for the one true God.
Application: Who sits on the throne of your heart? Who holds the top priority in your life? Who is your idol or who do you idolize? Apparently, that is your king and god. Will you make Jesus sit on the throne?
