gtcotr/ws070313
This
week we begin our third module in a one year commitment to Prayer and Discipleship.
We will begin this lesson concerning Lordship with two:
Key Scriptures
Luke 6:46 “But why do you
call Me ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone
who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Thus
far in our LifeShape Prayer and Discipleship series we have studied to discover
the truths of the Bible and established in our own hearts fundamental beliefs
which every Christian should hold dear and sacred to themselves before God and
in the face of a world in need of a clear witness. These truths include:
· One God, Jehovah
Almighty, Author and Sustainer of the Universe
· Man created in God’s
image
· Original sin and
resulting separation
· Virgin birth of Jesus
the Messiah
· Life, death, burial
and resurrection of the Son of God
· Salvation by grace
through faith in Christ Jesus
· Water Baptism
· Indwelling of the
Holy Spirit
Once
redeemed from sin, every Born Again Believer steps into New Creation Realities which
include:
· A New Nature
· Access to grace,
power and provision
· Angels on Assignment
The
first two modules covered Salvation and what we get when we are Born Again. Now
we begin Module 3 entitled: New Creation
Responsibilities. These next 12 building blocks will teach us concerning
what every Believer in Christ should do since we are Born Again.
By
this time you should be saved, water baptized, filled with the power of the
Holy Spirit, and growing in the grace of your new nature. Thus far your
Christian experience may have been rightly focused on you and how being Born
Again blesses and impacts you. Like a new born baby, life is all about them and
their needs. However … it’s time now to grow up into Christ and begin to take
on some personal responsibilities for the Kingdom of God.
For
this reason our first Life Block lesson in Module 3 teaches us the New Creation
Responsibility of Lordship. Lordship is a concept foreign to many believers and
not widely taught in western Christianity. To begin learning about Lordship,
let’s read a passage of scripture yet to be fulfilled.
Revelation 19 NKJV
11 ¶ Now I saw heaven opened,
and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
12 His eyes were like
a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written
that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed with
a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies in heaven,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His mouth goes
a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will
rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And He has on His
robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
This
passage gives us a glimpse of a future moment when the Lordship of Jesus Christ
shall be irrefutably confirmed both in heaven and on earth. This picture which
is painted in exact words shows us the importance of establishing who is Lord
and will eternally rule over all things.
The
Apostle Paul confirmed the Lordship of Christ Jesus in his letter to Believers
at the Church in Philippi:
Philippians 2
9 Therefore God also has
highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those
under the earth,
11 and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as
you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in
you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Sinners
should be encouraged to make Jesus their Savior however, once born again,
Believers need to be challenged to make Jesus the Lord of their life. The
Lordship spoken of in the Bible is more than a mere confession … it is rather a
demonstrated commitment.
The
word Lord can be found 6749 times in the Bible; 687 times in the New Testament
and more than 75 times in the book of Matthew alone. Who is Lord is evidently a
very important point God is making.
The
New Testament word translated into the English word “Lord”
is the Greek word: “Kurios” (koo’ ree os) –
which means: Lord; Owner; Supreme Ruler; or Master.
Our
Lord and Master is that one or that thing we serve above all else.
Matthew 6:24 "No one can
serve two masters (Gk: Kurios = Lord); for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and money.
Money
is not bad however we are admonished to submit to the Lordship of Christ and
His control over our lives above pursuing our own personal interests and
increase. The devil has successfully used the promise of personal gain to move
many people away from obedience to God’s Word.
1 Timothy 6
10 For the love of money is a
root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in
their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But you, O man of God,
flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have
confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 ¶ I urge you in the sight
of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who
witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
14 that you keep this
commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,
15 which He will manifest in
His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of
kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be
honor and everlasting power. Amen.
The
most important thing a Christian can do in this life is to commit to the
Lordship of Christ and follow His Word above all else.
Important Points
1.
Our first step to becoming a responsible Christian is to begin
submitting every area of our life to the Lordship of Jesus. This includes our time, our talents and our
treasury.
2.
Lordship is not determined by what we say but rather revealed by
what we do.
3.
Be cautious when motivated by thoughts of personal interests or gain.
4.
Whoever or whatever currently controls you is your Lord and you
their servant.
5.
Every knee shall one day bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is
Lord!
Supporting
Scriptures
· Acts 10:36
· Romans 11:35&36
