The King Of Glory: Claiming His World, Cleansing His People, And Conquering His Gates Series

Introduction

I want to begin today by asking you a question about ownership. What does it mean to truly own something?

Perhaps you think of the deed to your house, the title to your car, or the receipt for a precious family heirloom.

These are things we possess, things we have a legal right to. But our ownership is temporary, isn’t it?

We are but stewards for a fleeting moment in time.

This morning, the psalmist David lifts our gaze from our small claims of ownership to the ultimate, absolute, and eternal claim of Almighty God.

If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Psalm 24.

We will stand in awe of a King whose claim is not written on paper but upon the very fabric of the cosmos.

This psalm, traditionally sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, is a majestic procession in three movements.

It shows us the King’s rightful dominion, the King’s required devotion, and the King’s dramatic doorway.

> “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”

(Psalm 24:1–2)

1. The Foundation of All Things: The King’s Unquestionable Dominion (vv. 1–2)

David begins with one of the most sweeping and profound declarations in all of Scripture:

“The earth is the Lord’s.”

Notice the totality of this claim. It is not just the empty land, but “the fulness thereof.”

Every mountain and valley, every ocean and river, every lion in the Serengeti and every sparrow that falls from the sky — it all belongs to Him.

Every field of grain and every hidden gem beneath the soil is His.

And it is not just the physical world, but “the world, and they that dwell therein.”

Every soul in this room, every person in our city, every nation, tribe, and tongue on this planet — we are all His.

You may think you are your own, that you are the captain of your soul, but the Bible begins with a different premise:

You were created by God, and therefore you belong to God.

Why? What gives Him this right?

Verse 2 provides the unassailable reason:

“For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”

He is the Creator. He is the Architect. He is the Engineer.

He spoke, and reality came into being. He commanded, and order emerged from chaos.

His ownership is not based on purchase or inheritance; it is based on the foundational act of creation itself.

While men build their kingdoms on shifting sand, our God has established His world upon the deep, conquering chaos and demonstrating His supreme power.

Application:

This means we must live our lives not as owners but as stewards.

The breath in your lungs is a gift. The beat of your heart is a loan.

The money in your bank account, the talents you possess, the time you have each day — it is not yours. It is the Lord’s.

And one day, we will give an account for how we managed the King’s property.

This truth should humble us and reorient our entire lives around His glory, not our own.

2. The Condition for Fellowship: The King’s Holy People (vv. 3–6)

After establishing God’s infinite greatness, the psalm pivots to a deeply personal and searching question.

If God is so vast and so holy, how can we, small and sinful as we are, ever hope to approach Him?

> “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” (v. 3)

This is the question of all humanity: How do I get to God?

How can I have fellowship with my Creator?

The world offers many answers — be a good person, perform religious rituals, gain secret knowledge.

But God Himself gives the answer, and it is a standard of absolute perfection.

> “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

(vv. 4–5)

Let’s look closely at this fourfold requirement:

Clean Hands – This speaks to our actions, our outward deeds.

Have our hands been instruments of righteousness, help, and healing? Or have they been stained by sin, greed, and harm?

A Pure Heart – This goes deeper, to our motives and intentions.

Why do we do what we do? Is it for the praise of men or for the glory of God?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity – This is about worship.