LORDY LORDY LOOK WHO’S LORDY
ACTS 2:36-41, 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-6
INTRODUCTION... Our Daily Bread, July 31 1992 [sharing an article]
In 1991 a Gallup poll showed that 78 percent of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die. However, many of them hardly ever pray, read the Bible, or attend church. They admit that they live to please themselves instead of God. I wonder why these people would want to go to heaven. In an article title, “Are We Ready for Heaven?” Maurice R. Irwin points out that only 34 percent of the American people who call themselves Christians attend church at least once a week.
In the article mentions that the people polled “admit they live to please themselves rather than God.” Do you think that is still true? I realize that this article was written in 1991, in another century, in another millennium even... do you think it is still true? Do we still live for ourselves rather than God?
READ ACTS 2:36-41
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-6
I would like to take a few minutes and dissect these verses from these two passages before I pull them all together into one thought. We’ll look first at the Acts passage and then we’ll move on to the 1 Corinthians passage.
I. ACTS 2:36-41 AND THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST (THEOLOGY)
VERSE 36
We find verses 36-41 in context of Peter’s very first sermon. He is preaching to the crowds at Pentecost. In verse 36, Peter makes a supremely important statement. He first of all states that all Israel, and all of us, can be assured about what he’s about to say. It is a Truth. It is a Fact. It is not a theory or a question, but something proved by the Holy Scriptures of God and attested to by His prophets. The statement is this: “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” As silly as this sounds, we need to go back to school for a moment and visit our English class. We need to remember our verb tenses: present, past, future. I want you to- look at this verb “has made” and tell me what tense it is in. We find that in the statement “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” that the Lordship and the Savior status of Jesus is already given. The authority has already been given. The moment that God made Jesus Lord and Christ was a past moment! Jesus being Lord is already a certainty and a reality because it has already happened.
What does that mean exactly? It meant for Peter’s listeners and for us that Jesus is Lord of All, whether we choose to acknowledge this or not. It means that Jesus was already extending the offer of salvation to Peter’s listeners.
VERSE 37
These people as they listened realized the implications of what Peter was saying. Jesus had been made Lord of All Creation and Savior of the human race by God. This was a done deal. And they were faced with a choice. Their question is appropriate: “Brothers, what shall we do?”
VERSE 38-39
In verses 38-39, Peter then offers the people listening the way to access and accept Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. He states that they first must repent. Repenting is changing your way of life and admitting that we have sinned against God and went our own way. Repenting is the beginning of saying to God, I accept Your Son’s sacrifice for my sin. Peter also states that they should be “baptized.” We have to realize that Peter is saying to these people that they must submit to the will of God and take Him as Lord and Savior. This means doing things God’s way. Jesus showed us God’s way when He was baptized by John the Baptist. Peter also states that they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the mark of those who take Jesus as Lord.
Verse 39 explains to us that the offer of salvation is for all people. The Promise of Salvation is offered to the children and the distant relatives of all those hearing the message. Peter states that the message of salvation is for “all whom the Lord God will call.” Since Jesus is Lord of all, He calls all people, but not everyone answers. All people have the opportunity and the offer of salvation given to them. They either accept it or reject it.
VERSES 40-41
Verses 40-41 share with us that those who accepted the message was about 3,000. I find it interesting that it is stated in that way. “Those who accepted.” I find it interesting that it does not say that “all who heard the message were baptized” or “all who heard Peter were baptized.” It does not say that. Some accepted the message and others rejected it. Some accepted Jesus as Lord and others rejected Him.
SUMMARIZE IF NEEDED
II. 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-7 AND THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST (PRACTICAL)
1 Corinthians is a very important passage when looking at the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is important because it focuses more on practical matters of lordship than the Acts passage. The Acts passage is more theological.
There was a situation in the church at Corinth that was a great concern to Paul and to many Christians there. Chapter 8 deals with food or meat that has been sacrificed to idols. We may think that this is a silly topic to write about, but it is not. There were three groups in the Corinthian church and I want to try and explain their thought processes to you.
The first group could go to the market or other vendor and buy whatever food they wanted and would consume it without a second thought. They knew that some of the food probably had been used in pagan rituals, but who cares? Idols are not even real! One steak is just as good as another. One chicken is just as good as another. The second group would go to the market and would see that some of the meat that was for sale had been sacrifices to pagan gods. If they bought this meat and ate it, were they not helping the worship of those pagan idols. If they purchased from these vendors, more meat and wore worship would happen and so there would be a vicious cycle. Not only that, they were eating meat given to false gods and somehow that made them unholy. The third group was somewhere in the middle and did not know really what to think. They could see both sides and yet could not agree what was right or correct.
It is in this context that Paul writes verses 4-7. Paul states several truths in these verses that were true in his day and are still true today:
* there is only one True God in the world (verse 4)
* idols are nothing and are made up and used by man to replace God (verse 5)
* God is Our Father (verse 6)
* God is the Creator of the Universe and all of it came from Him (verse 6)
* Jesus is Lord (verse 6)
* Not everyone realizes these truths are real or accepts them (verse 7)
What does that last truth mean for the Corinthian Christians? What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord? Paul tells these men and women that we can exercise our freedom in Christ to the point that we wound someone’s conscience. Those who considered it sin to eat meat were wounded when they saw their brothers and sisters partaking in idol meat.
Did it matter that the meat was sacrifice to idols? – NO
Did it matter who they bought their food from? – NO
Did it matter that those of weaker faith saw it and it may have caused them to sin? – YES
Did it matter that non Christians saw them eating and it ruined their witness? – YES
Paul gives them instructions that they should refrain from eating meat sacrificed to idols to aid their brothers and sisters in Christ. What were they to do? Would they listen to Paul and not be a stumbling block to their brothers and sisters? Would they live their life as they saw fit?
III. THE ISSUE OF LORDSHIP
You see, here is the issue of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is Lord of my life, what does that mean? People want Jesus as their Savior, they want to be rescued from sin’s eternal consequences, but part of the package is receiving Him as Lord of our lives. This means submitting to the Lordship of Christ, turning over the reins of our lives, repenting of our sins, changing our plans--unconditional surrender. Turning to Jesus does not mean we become perfect; it means we have a new Master, new priorities, a new direction, and a new destination. It means there is a change in how we live--Jesus has made a difference in our lives. Genuine faith is verified by living for Jesus. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). When we come to Jesus, we’re admitting that we’re tired of living our own way.
Please hear me on this. Jesus needs to be the Lord of your life. There are so many people who think that they are Christians who are going to be headed for Hell on the Last Day. They think because they come to church every so often that Heaven is the place for them. They think if they’re a good person they will get into Heaven. They think that just because they got wet they’re entitled to Heavenly bliss. Folks, it matters what your life looks like after you come to faith. It matters if Jesus is really your Lord or not.
It matters if you never read your Bible. How can He be Lord of your life if you don’t know what He says to you?
It matters if you rarely pray. How can you have a relationship with someone you never talk to?
It matters if you don’t know what you believe. How can He be Lord of your life if you are still an infant Christian after years and years?
It matters if you make decisions on your own and don’t ask God. How can He be Lord of your life when you control all the aspects of your life: family, job, sex, living arrangements, etc.?
I matters if you live your life the way you want and ignore Him. How can He be Lord if you live consistently against His will?
Folks it matters! It eternally matters! The answer is of course that for many of us Jesus is not Lord and we are going to Hell. Matthew 7:24-29 describes for us people who say to God, ’Lord Lord’ and yet do not do as He says. The reality is that Lordship means we come to Jesus, listen to Him, and also obey. Lordship means we have more than the right words to say, but that we follow those words with our faithful actions.
IV. THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF LORDSHIP
A. Lordship is accepting the sovereignty of God.
B. Lordship is placing God first in your life.
C. Lordship is accepting responsibility and accountability.
D. Lordship is doing the will of God.
E. Lordship is personal obedience.
CONCLUSION
Jesus was referred to as a Master by many people during His life. They were calling Him Master and giving Him respect and authority:
1. A certain scribe (Mat. 8:19; Mk. 12:32)
2. The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes (Mat. 9:11, Mat. 12:38; Jn. 8:4, Mat. 22:15-24)
3. The Publicans (Mat. 17:24)
4. The Rich Young Ruler (Mat. 19:16)
5. A Pharisaical lawyer (Mat. 22:34-36; Lk. 10:25)
6. His disciples (Mk. 4:37-38, Mk. 13:1)
7. Some from Jairus’ house (Mk. 5:35)
8. One of the multitude (Mk. 9:17)
9. The Apostle John (Mk. 9:38)
10. James & John (Mk. 10:35)
11. Simon Peter (Lk. 7:40)
12. Andrew & John (Jn. 1:38)
13. Martha (Jn. 11:28)
14. Mary Magdalene (Jn. 20:16)
Do you call Him Lord and Master?
