Lord of Ass
Adonai – Gen. 15:1f
Video: Hot and Cold clip – Is your life making a difference. Does it produce a reaction?
Trans: I believe the answer to this question can be answered by determining who is on the throne. Truth is, no one has ever done anything great for God until they settled the issue of who is Lord. (A. Rogers quote on brokenness) Who is in charge?
Review: I’ve been studying God’s name to know who He is and how He relates w/ us. Truth is, I’ve been a X-tian for 27 yrs, and in some ways I’m meeting Him for the 1st time.
Trans: You might be thinking, “That was an interesting clip. What does it have to do w/ God and me? Everything! B/c His name begs the question – Who’s in charge?
Name: Adonai – is used over 300x in the O.T. and no less than 747x in the N.T. Greek word – kurios – translated Lord. Adonai is translated with the capital “L” only.
Note: Adonai means – God is the Lord of all. He is the master, ruler, and owner of everything. Nothing escapes Him or catches Him by surprise. He knows all, sees all, and controls all. (Consider Ps. 139) Thus, this clip asks a very relevant question – who are you serving? Who is really in control of your life?
I BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION (Abraham and Adonai)
Note: In Gen. 12, Abe left his country to follow God. He obeys the Lord until Egypt where he resorts to a lie to protect his wife. He and Lot move are so blessed they have to separate. Then God calls Abe to rescue Lot from S/G. By ch. 15 things are good. Abe knows God in charge, yet he questions Him b/c he doesn’t have a son.
Verse: O Sovereign (Lord) LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? Gen. 15:2
Note: He calls Him “Sovereign” w/ his lips but in his heart he is filled w/ doubt. So God takes him outside and shows him the heavens and tells him to count the stars.
Story: I remember in college, I was struggling to finish b/c of a lack of funds and personal frustration and my grandmother did a smart thing – she gave me a present. She gave me a frame w/ a note that said – this is for your diploma. It changed everything.
Note: God says, “Abe, I placed the stars in the heavens, do you think your childlessness is insurmountable to me? I’m BIG! I can handle it.”
Note: Abraham was suffering from “ME-ology.” When he didn’t understand something or when things started getting difficult, he balked at the Creator. So God was forced to take him through a process to teach Abraham that He is Adonai – the Lord of all.
Point: In truth, God often has to take us through a similar process to bring us to the understanding He is the Lord of all we own, all we are, and all we do.
Note: Adonai was teaching Abraham 2 truths – Adonai owns and controls everything and we must obey Adonai in everything
Note: Since God has possession of me I must be in submission to Him. Since He is Lord, I must live under His leadership. Since He is owner of everything, I am but a manager of the resources He has given me. I exist for Adonai; He doesn’t exist for me.
Verse: The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Ps. 24
Quote: The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but it’s Master. Forsythe
Trans: God took Abraham – our forefather in the faith through the process of showing him who is really the boss – and He will do the same w/ you and me too.
Trans: If you look throughout the O.T., anyone who ever did anything great for God had to learn how to submit to Adonai. They had to make Yahweh their master. Moses, Joseph, David, Gideon, Daniel, even Samson, had to come to terms that God owns it all – He is large and in charge – and that they had to trust and obey Him. You can’t call Him Lord if you’re unwilling to live a life of submission.
Trans: So what does it mean to have God as your Adonai and Jesus as your kurios?
II FOUNDATIONAL INSTRUCTION
A Lordship (Surrender) 15:1
Note: The litmus test in determining if you’re following Adonai is to ask: Have I surrendered everything to Him? Am I willing to trust and obey in all things?
Insert: Lordship is about submitting to God’s AUTHORITY. As creator, He has a right to express His will over mine, and we must submit to His authority. (Malcohm clip)
Insert: James 4:7 tells us to submit to God – to come under His authority and care.
Verse: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High (El Elyon) will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (El Shaddai). I will say of the Lord (Adonai), “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God (Elohim) in whom I trust.” Ps. 91:1-2
Note: Truth is, we’re programmed to submit to something – built for worship. We’ll either be a slave to sin and self or the bondservant of Christ. What really rules your life?
Quote: The definitive test on whether a person belongs to Christ is a willingness to bow to his divine authority. MacArthur
Trans: We need to understand that at its core, sin is a rebellion against God’s authority.
Insert: Have you ever seen a straight river? Canals are straight, but rivers meander. The natural tendency of a river is to take the easiest route. So rivers are crooked, and they run downhill. People are like rivers. They’re too lazy and immature to put forth the effort to follow God. It’s easier to watch T.V. than to pray and obey.
B Ownership (Sharing) 15:
Note: Ownership recognizes POSSESSION. It understands that as a Christian I possess nothing but that I am fully possessed by the Almighty.
1 I am God’s Possession – purchased through His blood.
Note: Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the H. S., who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 1 Cr. 6:19
Note: When I surrender to Christ in salvation, I also sign over the title deed to my life. I no longer belong to my self – I belong to Him. He is my owner and boss.
Verse: I been crucified w/ Christ and I no longer live, Jesus Christ now lives in me. The life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loves me and who gave His life for me. Gal. 2:20
2 I am a Steward of God’s Possessions
Word: Steward – one who manages the affairs of another. He recognizes that God owns it all and has entrusted His possessions into the care of His people for His glory.
Truth: Everything I have belongs to God and He has given it to me to use to live my life to the fullness of His glory. As a steward, my role is to care for His possessions.
Precept: Just b/c something is in your possession, it doesn’t mean that it’s your possession.
Truth: God expects us to use our time, talents, and treasures to honor Him and one day I will give an account for how we have managed His blessings.
Action: One of the best ways to remind ourselves that we belong to the Lord is to make sure He is Master over our money. Some of us aren’t fully devoted in our discipleship b/c we’re more committed to cash than we are to Christ.
Verse: No one can serve 2 masters. He will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Money. Mt. 6
Note: Take the stewardship challenge – give the 10% that belongs to God and manage the other 90% according to His will and you will experience His blessings.
Verse: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Mal 3:10
C Relationship (Supporting) 15:
Note: Relationship is about COVENANT. It’s about committing and relying on another. It’s about putting your total trust in someone knowing that they’ll never betray you.
Note: As Lord and Master – Adonai promises never to leave or forsake you. He promises to be a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Adonai longs to care for each of us in an intimate saving relationship. He longs to support our pursuit of Him.
Verse: Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever, and to take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Ps. 61:1-4
D Discipleship (Serving) 15:
Note: Discipleship is FOLLOWSHIP. It is serving others as Jesus would serve you.
Insert: Are you a servant? When do you serve? When it’s easy, convenient, or mandatory? It’s time to give your all to Adonai b/c He has given His all for you. Remember Joshua’s words, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (24:15). If you’re not serving God in a ministry right now, then you’re not following Him – your following someone or something other than Him. Determine where you can be used to help others know, grow, and show Christ, and begin serving.
III PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Trans: God is serious about being our Lord. It’s not a game – eternity hangs in the balance.
Verse: Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in you name drive out demons and perform miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, Depart from me you evil doer, I never knew you! Mt. 7:21-23
Note: Jesus is coming to the end of his sermon on the mount and finishes it off w/ a lesson on Lordship. Just prior, He said that it’s difficult to enter into the Kingdom and that we should beware of false prophets who would mislead us. Now he turns his attention to False Followers. He begins w/ a rather startling remark – not everyone who calls out Lord, Lord – Adonai, Adonai on judgment day will be saved.
Note: The people in question have been walking a religious path mixed w/ a little of Jesus and a lot of other things b/c they call him Lord. We’re talking church members - possibly pastors, deacons, and Bible study leaders. They’ve heard scores of sermons on how Jesus demanded first place in their lives, but never really thought that it fit into their “lifestyle”. Besides, Jesus didn’t really mean those things about denying self or taking up your cross daily and following Him. He really didn’t expect us to let him reign as king in ALL areas of our lives. But Jesus turns around and says “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Point: Lip Service is never enough – God requires life surrender.
Note: What is really disturbing is the word “many.” Jesus says, “Many will come….”
Point: There are lots of good people in this church and others like it who think they’re saved, but they aren’t. There are even more people outside of this church that know enough about God but they think that if they are good enough they’ll be okay.
Note: Knowing the correct password – saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance – isn’t going to get you anywhere w/ me. What is required is serious obedience – doing what my Father wills. I can see it now – at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourself important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’ Eugene Peterson (the Message)
Note: Jesus says there’s a difference b/w lip-service and life surrender. It’s easy to confess God w/ our lips yet deny him w/ our lives – to recite a creed, instead of live the Christian life – to do good things, instead of change the way we think and act. Jesus was saying words and empty deeds aren’t enough. The key to acceptance before God is in doing the will of God.
Note: But weren’t they doing? Weren’t they going the extra mile? They were busy – prophesying, casting out demons and performing miracles. But they failed to recognize what the Lordship of Christ really demanded.
Insert: When you make Jesus your Savior, you also make Him your Lord. If you’re living as if you have fire insurance thinking that you can ignore His rule in your life, then I have some bad news for you. You’re LOST! Now the good news, it’s not too late to get things right. You can receive His grace today and establish His rule on the throne of your life.
Quote: There isn’t an inch of any sphere of life of which Christ the Lord doesn’t say, ‘Mine.
Quote: God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him. Murray
Story: Beth Moore at the Airport (optional)
Trans: It’s amazing what Adonai can and will do w/ a life totally surrender to His Lordship.
Action: I want to close this PM by asking you to do something. God calls Himself the Sovereign owner of everything, including you and me. We’re called to be servants. If you’re ready to give everything to Him, I want you to just bow your head. While you’re doing that, would you also take your hands and form a fist? If you’re ready to give Him everything, will you now slowly open your fists to indicate that you’re surrendering before Him and that you’ll serve Him w/ everything in your being.
