“You are holding what is destined to be one of the worst-selling books of all time.” – Todd Friel
This is an ‘endorsement’ for a new book entitled The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus: Bowing to the Gracious Despot by Mike Abendroth. The endorser’s point is simple: people don’t like to be ruled because they want to rule. And therefore, they don’t like Jesus the king because they prefer Jesus their buddy. This of course, is nothing new.
Abendroth has the deck stacked against him a bit. This also helps support the need for such a book.
It is clear from reading the book that the author has a burden for people to see God as he is revealed in Scripture. God is revealed as a King, a Monarch, a Despot, a Lord. So Abendroth works to show what that means and looks like.
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 unpacks the biblical data for God being king. In Part 2 we read of the practical implications of this theological truth.
To be honest, when I got the book in the mail I couldn’t put it down. I plowed right through it. This is because of its topic, cadence, and tone.
1. Topic: As mentioned above, this topic is one that desperately needs to be addressed within and without the church. I need to hear this. As I read this I was continually reminded of the fact that Christ is the great and eternal King. He will forever reign. This supremacy demands my worship.
2. Cadence: The danger in a book with a weighty theological topic like this is to get bogged down quoting every Dutch guy throughout history. But Mike is sneaky. He teaches you deep theology without you knowing it. Like a theological Jedi he keeps you moving along without you realizing it. He walks you into the depths of this topic and fills you with rich, regal truth. It also helps that Mike is extremely funny and imaginative. Therefore, you sometimes have to pull the car over to think about the illustrations he uses. Trust me, they are unique.He mixes in a Samurai suicide story to explain the importance of this doctrine for the church. He gets you thinking a bit. Also, there are so many one-line statements that remind you over the greatness of Christ. One of my favorites referring to the throne room of God: “Jesus took away the no-tresspassing sign and replaced it with a welcome mat.”
3. Tone: Another challenge when you write a book that is culturally foreign and theologically heavy (brain work) is to make it cold and distant. Mike doesn’t do that. One way you know that he has done a good job presenting the biblical Christ is that you find yourself wanting to be ruled by him. He is so infinitely glorious and far superior than any other ruler! You find yourself fearful of him and welcomed in him. This is a good place to be; welcomed by the omnipotent.
Many times I have heard people say that they were greatly impacted by Pink’s The Attributes of God and I was too. His chapter on sovereignty was a great help for me. This book by Abendroth has the potential to have a similar effect. It takes a topic like the Kingly rule of Christ and chases it down and makes thoughtful application. The topic and tone along with the fact that the author includes application questions and a hymn at the end of each chapter makes this book ideal for small group studies or even as an evangelistic tool with an unbelieving friend.
I really enjoyed and benefited from the book. I suggest you pick one up for yourself or a friend (Amazon Link).
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