A. As you know, we are in a sermon series about the 7 ones that equal unity.
1. God wants His people to be unified and the 7 ones are the things that unite us.
2. So far in our series we have discussed the one body, the one Spirit, and the one hope.
3. Today, we want to talk about a subject that is one of the most challenging and most offensive of the 7 ones – there is one Lord.
B. Why would I call it the most challenging and offensive of the “ones”?
1. Because everyone might agree that there is one Lord, but they want the one Lord to be them, not someone else, and for many, certainly not Jesus.
2. The truth of today’s sermon is really very simple: Jesus is the one Lord and that means He’s in charge; He’s the Master; He’s the King.
3. The apostle Paul clarified this truth clearly when he wrote to the Corinthians about eating food sacrificed to idols, he wrote: 4 About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him. (1 Cor. 8:4-6)
4. I like the way that Paul contrasts the many “gods” and many “lords” (lower case) with the one “God” and one “Lord” (upper case).
a. In truth, there are many lower case “gods” and “lords” – these lower case “gods” and “lords” include everything from the government, to our bosses, our parents, our spouses, ourselves, our addictions, including our cellphones.
5. Bob Dylan was right when he famously sung “you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
a. The chorus of his song says:
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.
b. If the only choice were between serving God and serving the devil, then most of us would quickly choose God.
c. But Satan, the great deceiver and the father of lies, has convinced many that we don’t have to serve anyone, and that we can do as we please.
d. But make no mistake about it, if we don’t choose to serve God, then we are serving Satan.
e. If we are self-serving, then we are ultimately Satan-serving.
6. Here’s the other thing that makes this truth so offensive to some – Jesus is Lord whether I believe in Him or not, or whether I think He is the Lord or not.
a. My lack of belief in Jesus or my failure to acknowledge His lordship has no impact on the fact that Jesus is Lord.
b. Similarly, I might refuse to believe that Joe Biden exists as a human being or refuse to acknowledge that he is the President of the United States.
1. But my lack of faith and acknowledgement doesn’t change the truth that he exists and that he is president.
c. Similarly, I might refuse to believe that gravity exists or that it is in control of things on our planet.
1. But my lack of faith in gravity doesn’t change the truth that when I jump off the roof gravity will bring me crashing to the ground.
C. In addition to the fact that this truth is offensive to many, it is also challenging for all of us.
1. What makes it so challenging is our struggle to allow someone else to be our Lord or boss.
2. One of the most important issues that must be settled in every person’s life is the question of “Who’s the Boss.”
3. And the truth is that God is “the boss” and the sooner we allow Him to be our boss the better off we will be.
D. So, what does the Bible say about God being the “boss” and Jesus being the “one Lord?”
1. When Paul wrote saying that there is one Lord and that Jesus is that one Lord, this doesn’t imply that God in general is also not addressed in Scripture as the Lord.
2. In the Old Testament, God is referred to as Lord hundreds of times and the word that appears is usually the word Adonai – which means Lord or Master and always appears in the plural and possessive cases which points to the “three-in-one” Godhead.
3. Another word for Lord that appears in the Old Testament and is always in all capital letters is the word YHWY or Jehovah, which is the personal name for God that describes His eternal, self-existence, “I AM.”
4. In New Testament the Greek word used for God and Jesus being the Lord is the word Kurios.
5. Jesus is described as “Savior” 35 times in the New Testament and He is described as “Lord” over 700 times.
6. Unfortunately, many people are happy to view Jesus as their Savior, but are not very interested in Him being their Lord.
7. But the truth is: Jesus cannot be our Savior without also being our Lord.
E. As we have been studying these seven ones that lead to unity, I’ve been trying to help us understand our one God who exists in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
1. We’ve already spent a sermon focusing on the one Spirit, and at the end of the sermon series we will focus on the one God and Father, but today, we are focusing on the one Lord, who is the Son of God.
2. Jesus chose to submit to the plan of the Godhead that put Him in the role of the Lamb of God, the Savior and Lord.
3. The apostle Paul beautifully described Jesus’ choice and it’s result in Philippians 2: 5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(Phil. 2:5-11)
4. Could it be said any more concisely, beautifully, and powerfully than that? I don’t think so!
a. Jesus was God and is God, but He took on human flesh.
b. He served us by being crucified on a cross.
c. And because of that, He has been given the name and position of Lord.
d. All this is according to God’s plan and is for God’s glory.
e. Jesus is Lord and when Jesus returns and everyone appears before Him on judgment day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
f. But for those who had not confessed Jesus as Lord during their lifetime, the confession on judgement day will not save them, it will be too late for that.
g. But those who made that confession and lived out the Lordship of Jesus during their lifetime, they will be saved.
F. And so, the role of Jesus as Lord is made clear in the New Testament.
1. It started at Jesus’ birth when the angels identified Him to the shepherds as “Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:11)
2. During the first sermon preached about Jesus after His resurrection and return to heaven, Peter said: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)
3. Then when Peter was sent to a Gentile named Cornelius and saw that God wanted both Jews and Gentiles to be saved through Jesus, he declared: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:35-36)
4. And here in the letter to the Ephesians where we find the 7 ones, including the “one Lord;” we find Paul explaining that Jesus is the one Lord.
a. Paul opened the letter: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:2)
b. Paul continued later in chapter 1: This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. (Eph. 1:15-17)
c. Then in chapter 3, Paul explained: This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Eph. 3:8-11)
d. Over and over, Paul points our attention to our Lord Jesus Christ – the one Lord.
5. How and when did Jesus get this “right” to rule over us and the one Lord?
a. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained: 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. (Rom. 14:7-9)
b. It is because of and through Jesus’ death and resurrection that He was given the position of Lord of both the dead and the living.
G. So, how and when does Jesus become a person’s personal Lord and Savior?
1. It happens when a person turns in faith, with repentance, confesses Jesus as Lord, and is baptized into Christ.
2. Jesus said: “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. (Lk. 9:23-24)
3. Paul wrote: For through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus. For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. (Gal. 3:26-27)
4. Paul wrote: This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation…For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Rom. 10:8-10, 13)
5. These are the things that we must believe and do that bring us into Christ and give us access to His grace and forgiveness, but a word of caution is necessary.
6. A person can’t just make this profession and be baptized and then think they are good to go and that nothing further is necessary.
7. There is a continuance and a faithfulness and an obedience to Christ that is necessary to keep us in Christ.
8. We must remember Jesus’ warning at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, when He said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’” (Mt. 7:21-23)
9. In Luke 6, Jesus asked the question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” (Lk. 6:46)
10. Ongoing obedience to our Lord Jesus is required for us to be in good standing with our Lord.
11. We sing the children’s song The Lord’s Army with the words: I’m in the Lord’s Army, Yes Sir.
a. It’s the Lord’s Army – He’s the General – We obey His orders.
12. I like what happened once when the Marine Corp color guard had been scheduled to perform the flag ceremony at the dedication of a new elementary school.
a. The day before the ceremony an official from the school called the Marine Corp sergeant and asked if he would be sure to send marines who like children.
b. The Marine Corp sergeant replied: “Please understand: if I tell them to like children, they will like children.”
c. The Marines are taught to understand authority and follow orders – they understand who is in charge and so must we.
H. When Jesus is truly our Lord, then two things become reality: ownership and discipleship.
1. Ownership means that we don’t see ourselves and our lives as our own any longer, but we recognize that we now belong to Jesus.
a. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul reminds us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
b. Ownership means that we belong to Jesus. He made us and He saved us. We are His and His alone.
c. His ownership over us includes every part of us: our money, our possessions, our relationships, our career, our talents, our thoughts, our emotions and our dreams.
d. Everything belongs to Jesus and we are His stewards who must use everything we are and everything we have for His glory and the good of His kingdom.
2. Discipleship means that we follow after Jesus and we obey His Will and His Word.
a. Whatever we think and do must be shaped and directed by God’s Word.
b. Discipleship isn’t something to only do on Sunday, it must be something we do every day.
3. Jesus’ Lordship over our lives is a 24/7, 365 undertaking.
4. So, I want to encourage each of us to ask ourselves how seriously am I taking the Lordship of Jesus in my life? Am I properly living out God’s ownership and my discipleship?
a. Whenever we choose to do the thing we know God doesn’t want us to do, then we are not living under Jesus’ Lordship.
1. Things on Jesus’ “don’t do” list include things like: hatred, greed, lust, gossip, slander, anger, worry and selfishness.
b. Whenever we don’t do the things we know God wants us to do, then we are not living under Jesus’ Lordship.
2. Things on Jesus’ “do” list include things like: love, mercy, forgiveness, service, trust, purity, and sacrifice.
I. I hope that none of us will ever view the Lordship of Jesus as some kind of oppressive burden, rather I hope that we can understand it as the great blessing that it is.
1. Here’s what makes the Lordship of Jesus better and different than any other kinds of lords.
2. Jesus is a self-sacrificing, benevolent Lord, He is not a self-serving and cruel Despot or dictator.
3. Self-serving and cruel dictators are harsh, arbitrary and unpredictable.
4. In contrast to that, Jesus exercises His Lordship like a loving shepherd cares for his sheep.
5. The Lordship of Jesus is not something we should fear, but something we should welcome as a blessing, provision and protection.
6. When we allow Jesus to be in charge and allow Him to drive the car (so to speak), then we are in the best of hands, because He knows the right way to go and He gets us there safely.
7. When we allow Jesus to be our rightful owner and we obey His commands and follow His leadership, we are more than blessed.
J. Allow me to end with an illustration that I have used before – it illustrates another one of the great blessings that comes from the fact that Jesus is Lord and how we are blessed when He is our Lord.
1. The illustration comes from Bruce Larson’s book, Believe and Belong.
2. For many years, Bruce ministered in NYC and when someone was struggling with whether to surrender their life to Christ and Jesus’ Lordship, then Larson would take them on a walk from his office to the RCA building on Fifth Avenue.
3. In front of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas straining to hold the world on his shoulders.
a. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden.
b. Larson would tell the person that that’s one way to live – a person can try to carry the burden of their life all by themselves.
4. But on the other side of the street opposite this statue of Atlas is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and Larson would take the person into the sanctuary and show them a statue of Jesus as a boy of 8 or 9 years old who is without effort holding the world in one hand.
5. Larson would tell the person: “We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, “Lord, I surrender my life to you, since you are already carrying and sustaining the whole world, I want you to be in charge of and carry mine as well.”
6. Jesus is already Lord, and I hope each of us will allow Him to be our personal Lord and Savior?
K. And when all of us together, submit ourselves to the same one Lord, He unifies us in the one body and one Spirit, and one hope.
1. So, have you become a follower of Jesus and allowed Him to be your Lord and Savior?
2. Through faith, repentance, confession and baptism a person is saved and added to the church.
3. If you have already become a follower of Jesus and a member of God’s family, then you must continue to follow and obey Jesus as you live out Jesus’ ownership and Lordship through discipleship.
Resources:
• Ephesians and Philippians, Jay Lockhart and David Roper, Truth for Today Commentary, 2009.
• The Basis for Christian Unity, Steven Cole
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-26-basis-christian-unity-ephesians-44-6
• Ephesians 4:4-6 Basis for Church Unity, http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/eph4v4.html
• The Basis for Unity, Brent Kercheville, Westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com
• The Lordship of Jesus, Sermon by David Owens
• Adonai – the Supreme Lord, Sermon by David Owens
• Claiming His Lordship, Sermon by David Owens
• There is One Lord, Sermon by Roger Hasselquist, SermonCentral.com
