Christ Mastered Life
Matthew 6:19:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Money”
Matthew 6:24
Every person has a Master something by which he is ruled or governed
A. Some are Mastered by Power
1. Alexander the Great was a ruler and general. He built a world power by conquering the other powerful kingdoms of the world. He cried when there were no more powerful kingdoms to conquer. His life was mastered by the desire for power…He died in disgrace in a drunken condition
2. Hannibal the great general is another man whose life was mastered by power. He sought to build his world kingdom by the sword and was able to fill three-bushel measures full of gold rings from the fingers of the slain. His life was mastered by the desire for power…He died in a foreign country, a victim of poison by his own hand.
3. Caesar was mastered by the lust for power. He conquered 800 cities and dyed his garments in the blood of a million foes. His life was mastered by the desire for power…He died at the hand of his best friend.
B. Some are Mastered by Property
1. Those are people who desire only riches. There are many people who though may be unconscious of it are completely mastered by the desire of wealth.
2. The Rich Ruler and Jesus. His riches were too important to him. He could not give them up. His life was mastered by what he had. Luke 18:23 “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth”
3. Remember the rich man and Lazarus. His master was wealth. He was consumed with what he had and what he could get. What happened to him…Luke 16:23 “In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.”
C. Some are Mastered by Self
Jeremiah 10:23-
1. By self I mean just what the poet said:
“Living for self and self alone,
And none but self besides,
Living as though Jesus had never lived,
As if he had never died.”
2. The self mastered person forgets that life is more than just living for self
3. The self mastered man forgets that none of us are here just simply to obtain more wealth, eat three meals a day, but that we have a charge to keep, a God to glorify, and a lost and dying world to teach about the saving Grace of Jesus.
4. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20, he realized the danger of being mastered by self.” Paul said “I die daily” 1 Corinthians 15:31
5. Me, myself, and I are the traits of a self-mastered person.
6. A self-mastered person forgets that he is a steward of the Almighty God, and that real life extends out beyond self and selfish interests.
7. Cain was mastered by self, and he slew his brother.
D. Some are Mastered by Christ
1. I am so glad that throughout the past and today many are completely mastered by Christ. There are many men and women, whose hands, feet, all their body, their business, all is ruled by Jesus Christ.
Why is it so important that Christ completely masters your life?
1. Because of the influence it has on your own life.
a. If you allow Christ to rule supremely in your life, it will change you on the inside and on the outside.
b. Peter: Had an impulsive nature, can’t you just imagine his language. A fisherman that Jesus transformed into the solid rock. Christ mastered his life, because he allowed God to rule.
c. Saul: A man that persecuted Christians. God transformed his life from Saul to Paul, a tender hearted Christian and the great soul winner. A man that wrote 2/3 of the New Testament.
d. Read Ephesians 2:3-10
e. John Newton: A drunken sailor, Christ mastered his life and he composed the words of Amazing Grace How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see.
f. Christ can master a life. He can change a person from the inside to the outside. All he need is all of you.
g. Proverbs 3:5-6
h. 1 Corinthians 2:12
2. Because of the influence it has on others
a. This world has heard of Christ, but they want to see Christ in our lives
b. They cannot see Christ in our lives, unless Christ is the master of our live. Unless Christ is completely yielded to Christ’s Love.
c. Our duty as Christians is to show the world of Christ’s power to transform their entire nature.
d. General William Booth: Was once asked, the secret to his success. He hesitated a second and with tears coming into his eyes he replied, “I will tell you the secret, God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brain than I, men with greater opportunity, but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of what Jesus Christ could do for them, on that day, I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth there was.” Christ mastered his life
e. A young man in the Arkansas Ozarks surrendered to preach, he made plan to enter school. Then he was in a car accident and crippled for life. His ambition was crippled. He became a ferryman across one of the streams, he was crippled but Christ mastered his life, and one man could name 70 people he had led to Christ on the ferry.
f. Moody: Christ mastered his life, left a Boston shoe store, and led thousands to Christ.
g. Dave Draveky: A major league ball player, who allowed Christ to master his life.
h. Christ wants to master your life.
i. Allow Christ to rule in your life. Let him rule all of you; completely give every thing to Him. Let him have all of you.
Every one needs a master. Remember something or somebody is mastering your life. Don’t let sin, self, the desire for money, but let Christ. Christ and Christ alone had the right and authority. Christ and Christ alone has the qualifications for a complete mastery of your life.
Who is your master?
Christ is not valued at all, unless he is valued above all.
