Jesus Is Lord: Is He Yours?

In Paul's letter to the Philippians, we read in chapter 2, and in verses 6-11, the following about the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, 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. I will stop there, friends. The Apostle Paul is here stating in very clear terms that Jesus is Lord positionally.

God has exalted him. He suffered, he died, and was buried, and on the third day he rose again, where he ascended into heaven, where he now sits at the right hand of the Father, and he earned that right by way of a bloody cross. So positionally Christ is Lord.

He is over all things. Then the Apostle goes on to say in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 8, Yea, doubtless, and I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. Here, Paul makes a distinction of Jesus as Lord positionally, and now acknowledges him as his Lord personally.

He says, Christ Jesus my Lord. Can you honestly and sincerely say that, friend? Is Jesus your Lord? The early church understood this truth in a very real and practical application to their daily living. Christians living in the Roman Empire during the reign of Nero swore allegiance only to Christ as Lord of their lives.

Everything was expected to be subservient and in subjection to Christ as Lord in their lives. The Roman government required that its citizens appear at certain public places to burn a pinch of incense to the emperor, but the Christians considered this emperor worship and they refused to do it. They would only worship Christ alone as their king.

Government authorities sought to weed out this rebellion by seeking them out, confiscating their goods, and even punishing them to the death. The cry was, the Christians to the lions, but the early Christians knew that to follow Jesus came with a price, a sacrifice, and often that sacrifice was their lives, but their testimony stood strong. When Paul says, Christ Jesus my Lord, it really meant something back then.

Shouldn't it mean something to us now, friends? As modern believers, what cost counts and what counts cost with anything truly worthwhile in life? For the Christian, the Lordship of Christ means you were bought with a price and that price was Christ's blood. As a blood-bought believer, your time is no longer your own, your money is no longer your own, your body is no longer your own. Christ must be a complete master.

Is Jesus Lord of your daily living? Is self on the throne or is Christ on the throne? To have Jesus as Lord means self has been dethroned and another is enthroned there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, friends. In Matthew's Gospel, we have the words of Christ Jesus.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. That means, friends, that Lordship is obedience, obedience to Christ as Lord. Can you honestly call him your Lord? I like what the evangelist Mordecai Ham said regarding this truth and Mordecai Ham saw revival just about wherever he went.

Towns were turned upside down under his preaching. Billy Graham was saved in a Mordecai Ham meeting. Listen to what he said, friends, and I quote this from his biography.

I preached the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. I allowed for no compromise but hammered this one thought that Christ Jesus must have first place, first call, and first allegiance. I made that the keynote of all my meetings.

My objective was to direct their lives to center on Christ. Well, that wraps up this message, friends, on Jesus is Lord. And lest I forget this, I wear a red wristband on my right wrist that I can see throughout my day and it has three words in capital letters that always catch my eye.

Jesus is Lord.