WHO’S THE BOSS
Romans 14:7-12
INTRODUCTION:
1. If there is one subject that Christians need to hear about more than any other, it is this matter of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
2. ILL: Who’s the Boss? Last Christmas my wife and I went home to the Philadelphia – South Jersey area where I grew up, to visit with my family. The people in this part of the country have a very pronounced accent. They say “mawl,” “basketbawl,” and “how ya’ doin’”. As we shopped in the Deptford mall, we heard a man and his daughter having a rather amusing conversation. The daughter obviously did not want to obey her dad and was fussing about having to do so. The dad asked her the question, “Who’s da bowss?”
3. Who’s the boss in your life? Who is in control? Who is lord?
4. Many people talk about “making Jesus Lord.” The truth of the matter is, you can not make Jesus Lord, God has already beat you to it.
5. Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
6. The central message of the Bible is that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The fact that He is Lord demands that we submit ourselves to Him. All of history is moving towards the moment when all of God’s creation will declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
7. The word “Lord” is kurios in the Greek. It is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Adonai, which means Lord and carries with it the idea of a master-servant relationship in which the servants only right is to do the will of his master. Interestingly, it does not denote a master-slave relationship, rather, specifically that of a master-servant. The difference is that a slave has his rights taken from him – he has no choice. However, a servant willingly gives up his rights out of a heart of love to serve his master.
8. It does not matter about your background or social standing, your riches or your poverty; Jesus Christ deserves to be Lord of your life.
9. ILL: Queen Victoria When Queen Victoria had just ascended to her throne she went, as is the custom of Royalty, to hear a rendering of Handel’s Messiah. She had been instructed as to her conduct by those who knew the custom, and was told that she must not rise when others stood at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. When the magnificent chorus was being sung and the singers were shouting “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!” she sat with great difficulty. It seemed as if she would rise in spite of the custom of kings and queens. Finally, when they came to the part of the chorus where with a shout they proclaim Him King of kings and Lord of lords, suddenly the young queen rose and stood with her head bowed in recognition of the One and Only true King and Lord – Jesus Christ!
10. THEREFORE, WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
WHY?
I. BECAUSE OF THE REALM OF HIS LORDSHIP V. 7-8
1. Romans 14:7-8
2. In verse 7 and verse 8 we are confronted with the fact that Christ is the Lord whether we live or whether we die. The point is that we are to submit to the Lord in everything.
3. The idea of Lordship is the fact that Jesus, on the basis of who He is and what He has done, has power and authority over every area of our lives.
4. First, He is the Lord of life V. 8
5. Notice the phrase, “we live unto the Lord…”
6. One of the greatest problems in Christianity today is irresponsible living. This is the result of our misunderstanding the doctrine of the grace of God. Seemingly, people think that the grace of God is a license to sin and live any way they want to live. This is called antinomianism, and Paul had an answer for this practice.
7. Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?”
8. The grace life is one that is lived under the absolute control of the Lord Jesus Christ.
9. Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
10. Christ must always come first in everything, for He is first.
11. Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
12. Second, He is the Lord of death V. 8
13. Notice the phrase, “we die unto the Lord…”
14. Death is not the cessation of life; it is only the change of life. When a Christian dies he passes from this life into the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
15. II Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
16. Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
17. Beyond the grave the Lordship of Christ is universally acknowledged.
18. Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
19. We see that whether alive or dead we are subject to the Lordship of Christ.
20. ILL: Payday someday An Atheist farmer often ridiculed people who believed in God. He wrote the following letter to the editor of a local newspaper: “I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet, I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service.” The editor printed the man’s letter and then added this remark: “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.” The editor was right.
II. BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTS OF HIS LORDSHIP V. 9
1. Romans 14:9
2. The death and resurrection of Christ are inseparable with His Lordship. In fact, we completely misunderstand the nature of the redemptive work of Christ if we fail to realize that Christ died and was resurrected in order that He might be the Lord of the dead as well as the living.
3. He has the right to be the Lord of our lives because of what He has done for us.
4. First, He died to purchase us V. 9
5. Notice the phrase, “To this end Christ died…”
6. Why did He die? To pay the price to secure the release of convicted criminals – you and me (Romans 5:12)! He did not just shed blood, He died shedding His blood in my place!
7. Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
8. I Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
9. When we understand the nature of our redemption, we realize that there is no part of us that the Lord has not purchased and bought outright.
10. I Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
11. Stephen Olford said, “He alone owns our eyes to view His world. He alone owns our hands to do His work. He alone owns our feet to walk in His way. He alone owns our minds to think His thoughts. He alone owns our hearts to love Him fervently.”
11. Second, He rose to pardon us V. 9
12. Notice the phrase, “to this end Christ both died, and rose…”
13. A pardon is an authoritative act reversing a sentence given under a guilty verdict. His resurrection is the purpose for our justification.
14. Romans 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
15. He alone has the right to forgive sins. In His earthly ministry on several occasions He forgave sins.
16. Mark 4:10 “The son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”
17. ILL: Louis XII Before Louis XII ascended the throne, he had been cast into prison and kept in chains. Later, when he did become king, he was urged to seek revenge but he refused. Instead, he prepared a scroll on which he listed all who had perpetrated crimes against him. Beside every man’s name he placed a cross in red ink. When the guilty heard about this, they feared for their lives and fled. Then the king explained, “The cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His cross forgave His enemies and prayed for them."
18. Third, He revived to possess us V. 9
19. Notice the phrase, “Christ both died, and rose, and revived…”
20. The word “revived” is an interesting one. It carries with it more than just the idea of simply coming back to life. It literally means “to raise from a sitting or lying position because of sickness or death, and be restored to a former position of authority.”
21. Jesus Christ died, was buried, rose again after three days, spent forty days on earth, and then returned back to heaven.
22. Mark 16:19 “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
23. John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
24. Ten days after Jesus ascended back to heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit came and now He indwells or possesses every believer in Christ.
25. There is nothing quite as dangerous as an empty or vacant house. It is a trouble spot for robbers, thieves, and drug addicts to take over and set up shop. The same is true for any area of our lives that is not under the direct control of the Lord Jesus Christ. God created us to be inhabited by His Spirit.
26. ILL: Under new management When a company takes over another company, there is often a sign posted outside the premises announcing, “Under New Management!” No sign so accurately summarizes what takes place in Christian conversion. When Christ takes over a life, that life is literally “under new management.”
III. BECAUSE OF THE REALITY OF HIS LORDSHIP V. 10-12
1. Romans 14:10-12
2. In these verses Paul confronts us with the startling truth that every Christian will one-day stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account or explanation for why we did what we did in this life. This will occur between the rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Christ.
3. II Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
4. The word translated as “judgment seat” is the word bema, which was a raised platform in each Greek village where the local judge sat and meted out his rulings.
5. ILL: The bema-seat After the Grecian Olympic games were all over the runners, wrestlers, and successful athletes assembled before the “Bema” or judges stand. This stand was an elevated seat on which the Umpire sat. The winners received a crown of laurel leaves as a symbol of their accomplishments. Others received no reward; they had lost the victor’s crown. But, while there was no reward, there was no punishment either. They were not cast out.
6. This is not a judgment of sin, for our sins have been dealt with at the cross (Romans 8:1). Nor is it a judgment to determine our eternal destiny for that was settled the moment we trusted Christ as our Savior. Rather, Christians works will be evaluated and rewards will be either gained or lost.
7. I Corinthians 3:10-15.
8. What will we give an account of at the judgement seat of Christ?
9. First, how we have used our tongues
10. Matthew 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
11. Second, how we have used our talents
12. Matthew 25:29 “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath not.”
13. Third, how we have used our treasures
14. Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and dust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
15. Fourth, how we have used our time
16. Ephesians 5:15-16 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
17. How we submit to the Lordship of Christ now, will determine how confidently we will stand before Him on that day!
CONCLUSION:
1. ILL: Christ as Lord Dr. Graham Scroggie was speaking at a conference in England on one occasion when he was approached by a young woman who had been greatly stirred by his message on the Lordship of Christ. Walking up to him at the close of the service, she said, “I want Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life, but I am afraid God will send me overseas as a missionary, and I do not want to go.” Dr. Scroggie opened his Bible to Acts 10:14 and explained how absurd Peter’s answer was to the Lord. God had revealed to Peter a vision in which there were all manner of four footed animals, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. A voice came to Peter saying, “Rise, Peter, kill, and eat.” But Peter answered, “Not so, Lord!” The preacher went on to explain, “A servant never dictates to his master.” Therefore, to say, “Not so, Lord!” was disrespectful. Dr. Scroggie advised the woman to cross out the words “not so” and leave the word “Lord,” or to cross out the word “Lord” and leave the words “not so.” He handed her his pencil and walked away. For some time she struggled and finally, with tears in her eyes she crossed out the words “not so” and repeated affirmatively, “Lord! Lord! Lord!”
2. When are we going to quit saying “not so” and start saying “Lord!”?
