Jesus by name, and Jesus by title

Jesus is Lord - Part 2

Recap …

Name and titles of God …
- Name is Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins
Titles …
- Saviour, Christ, Son of God and Lord.
To be included in his family we must confess these titles
- If we do not we are excluded.
Any denial of these truths is regarded as apostasy.

Introduction …

Today we must deal with the title we did not discuss last week …
- Namely Jesus is Lord.
The reason why I separated them is because in a general sense the first three place the obligation to act on Jesus himself and not us.
- He must save, he must die to fulfill the mandate as Christ, he is the pre-existent Son of God creating and controlling all things.
- We simply accept the truth and confess it. Own it.
  - By acknowledging these truths we are included as a free gift from God.
The Lordship of Jesus is …
- Equally true …
  - And we are called to confess it … Romans 10:9
- But in confessing it, it places on us massive obligation.
  - Jesus said …
    - Why do you call me Lord and not obey me … Luke 6:46
- Remember I said that when we enter into an agreement with another party there are T’s and C’s attached.
  - That is very true in acknowledging Jesus as Lord.
    - The offer is Jesus as Lord and Saviour … or no deal
- So …
  - Jesus is Lord … but is he my Lord.

Jesus is Lord …

In the New Testament there are …
- About 25 references to the word Saviour.
- But 600 to the word Lord … Kurios
  - The obvious conclusion is that Lord is a massively important topic.
  - The problem we have is that Lord along with Christ is often used as another name for Jesus instead of a title …
  - Consequently they lose their true meaning and significance.
God in Creation …
- In the accounts of creation we notice that the triune God is involved
  - In Genesis we read God created the world and everything in it … Genesis 1 and Ephesians 3:9
  - In John 1:3 'Through him (Jesus) all things were made.'
  - The Spirits involvement is recorded in Genesis 1:2 and Job 26:13
- It was created by the word of His mouth … Genesis 1:3
  - He said “Let there be “
  - He created from nothing … not thru evolution… Hebrews 11:3
- Consequently all of creation and all created things belong to him…
  - Earth …Psalm 24:1
  - Animals …Psalm 50:10
  - Heavens … Psalm 89:11
  - All mineral wealth … Haggai 2:8
    - All of this by virtue of the fact that he created them from nothing…
- So when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt he GAVE them the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites, Amorites because it was his to give… Exodus 13:5
  - I will give it to them … I am the Lord… Exodus 6:8
  - I will give it to them forever … Exodus 32:13
  - And the Lord promises to drive the people out so that Israel may dwell there… Exodus 33:1
God is sovereign …
- the Lord does whatever pleases him in the heavens and on the earth in the seas and in their depths … Psalm 135:6
  - He does what he wants, involves whoever he wants and whenever he wants.
- Lord of Lords and King of Kings… Revelation 19:16
Acts 17:26-28 makes our position as humankind very clear …
- In him we live and move and have our being
- He sets the times and the place where we live.

It matters not whether we believe it or not … it is fact.
- History proves it even though men deny it.
Peter preaches and says …
- Be assured that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ… Acts 2:36

And Paul writing to the Philippian believers says …
- 'Every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord'… Philippians 2:11
There is no doubt that in the scripture we are taught over and over again that Jesus is Lord.
- And the meaning of the Greek word used, Kurios, is …
  - Master, possessor, supreme authority, king, owner.
    - Because he created all things and is sovereign he is …
      - Master, owner, king, supreme authority. …
The obvious question then becomes …
- Is this sovereign Lord … my Lord.

Becoming a Christian …

Entering into relationship with God requires faith in who Jesus is …
- Only he can forgive because of who he is …
  - We claim him as our Saviour.
- But Peter in his 2^nd epistle refers to Jesus as … X4
  - Our Lord and Saviour… 2 Peter 1:11
- Paul writing to the Romans says …Romans 10:9
  - We must confess Jesus as Lord … Kurios
    - And believe that God raised him from the dead
      - Then you will be saved
- So we must believe …Jesus is …
  - The Son of God … proof lie in his resurrection.
  - The Christ … God’s sacrificial lamb
  - The Lord … Kurios … Master, owner.
- When I mentioned T’s and C’s last week this is what I was referring to …
  - You can’t take Jesus as Saviour only …
    - The offer is as … Lord and Saviour.
There is a problem …
- The demons believe that as well …
  - On 2 separate occasions Jesus is confronted by men possessed of evil spirits … Mark 1 and 5
    - In both incidences they recognize Jesus as the Son of the most High God… Mark 1:24 & Mark 5:7
  - They knew who he was and his authority…
    - But they did not acknowledge him as their Lord…
      - They were in rebellion against his authority over them.
        
        Hense they were excluded.
It does not help to know about Jesus …
- We must accept him as our Lord and Saviour.
- Those are the terms and conditions.
  - You can’t have the one without the other.
Jesus said …
- Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do the things I say … Luke 6:46
  - Then he equates the disobedient one as a fake believer.
  - One who says the right stuff but rejects his lordship.
- So an essential part of being a Christian is submitting to the Lordship of Jesus in my life

Owning Jesus as Lord …

In our society we do not like the term lord…
- It has for us a system of privilege and subjection …
  - Where people lord it over one another. .. the boss and the labourer.
    - It denies me my freedom…
      - I have a right to do as I please.
Peter in his epistle highlights the privileged status we attain by subjecting ourselves to the lordship of Jesus… 1 Peter 1:3-12
- You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Once you were not a people but now you are the people of God… 1 Peter 2:9
  - Can you see the massive change in status in acknowledging Jesus.
  - There are 4 things there … study Peter and find many more.
  - But for our purposes I concentrate on only one this morning …
    - A people belonging to God.
The people Peter was writing to understood very clearly the terms and conditions pertaining to slavery …
- At most market places slaves were traded like any other commodity.
  - They were human beings but a commodity like chairs, apples, steak whatever.
  - Once the price was paid they belonged to the purchaser to do with them as they pleased.
    - Your authority over them was absolute … even their offspring became yours.
      - Their loyal service and obedience had to be absolute as well
- Jesus speaking to the Jewish authorities who claimed they belonged to God, says … John 8:44-47
  - You either belong to God or to Satan …
  - They rejected Jesus and were planning to kill him … proving they were not Gods people but were slaves of the devil… John 8 vs 34,35,44
  - With no place in the family of God … John 8 vs 35
- When Adam sinned he sold humanity out to Satan …
  - Who Jesus refers to as the Prince of this world… John 12:31
    - So when we commit sin we are doing the deeds of your father
      - You are slaves to sin … John 8 vs 34
But Scripture makes it equally clear that when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that status changes …
- Once you were in darkness now in the light
- Once dead in sin now alive in Christ
- Once of your father the devil now of your father God.
- Once you were not a people now you belong to God
Clearly faith in Jesus as Lord brings about a change in ownership or status.
- Peter speaks about being redeemed … 1 Peter 1:18
  - Which means bought back… traded as in slavery
  - Bought with a price …vs 18,19
    - A ransom for many … Matthew 20:28
When slaves experienced a change in ownership they …
- Belonged to another …
- Were responsible to serve another
- The previous owner had no right or title to them.
- You were not your own you belonged to him.
- He is your lord, master, supreme authority.
- He has sovereign right … could do with you as he pleased.
- You needed to obey at all times.
For some slaves that was nothing short of hell on earth …
- For some it was great and when offered their freedom they willingly chose to stay with the master.
  - It all depended on the slave owner …
- This is the picture Peter paints as he describes redemption …
  - Redemption is the process whereby we are bought back by God
  - The ransom is the price paid by Jesus.
  - Once paid a change of ownership takes place.
    - Now we become slaves of righteousness
    - A people belonging to God …

Conclusion …

Paul writing to the Corinthians says …
- You are not your own … you are bought with a price …
  - Therefore glorify God in both body and spirit… 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.
Herein lies the great obligation …
- The slave cannot dictate to the owner …
- Why call me Lord and not obey … Luke 6:48
  - Truth is if you do not obey I am not Lord.
But when there was service and obedience the owner could even make the slave a son and adopted as heir…
- It all depended on the Master…
  - Some like the devil were ruthless …
    - Ask any addict.
  - Some like Jesus …
    - Who loves all men …
    - Whose plans for us are for good and nor evil.
Yet when it comes to surrendering our will to him it is a slow and painful operation …
- In theory we know it is for good
  - But in practice we hang on to the reins for dear life.
  - We do not want to say Lord …
    - Anything, anywhere, anytime.
- Dr Scrogge at Keswick convention …Acts 10:14
  - Peters vision of the foods from heaven … kill and eat … not so Lord
  - Lady … I want Jesus as Lord of my life … what shall I do.
    - Cross out either Lord or not so.
- Like Peter we say … Not so Lord … (?????)
  - That is the choice we make
Samuel Zwemmer … the Apostle to Islam coined the phrase…
- If he is not Lord of all he is not Lord at all …
  - I think … I hope he is wrong
  - Because I struggle every day … with almost every decision I make.
Peter says …
- In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord… 1 Peter 3:15
- I have a God given desire but a Lawrence driven refusal.
I think I know better than He does.
- I am just a disaster waiting to happen.
  - Why do our marriages fail
  - Why our relationships with others falling apart
  - Why our finances in a mess
  - Why our health failing due to addictions
- Often it is because we say Lord Lord but do not do the things he says.
The Bible uses the title Lord 600 times and Saviour 25 times
- We use it the other way around.
  - Why is that so.

Jesus by name, and Jesus by title - Part 2 of 2

Written by:

Lawrence Payne