WHAT IS LORDSHIP?

Consecration Month

Why Talk about money?

Jesus’ #1 Topic!

16 of Jesus’ 38 parables

about money

(42%)

The Bible offers

500 verses on prayer,

< 500 verses on faith,

> 2,000 verses on money!

Why?

Jesus spoke about money,

not because he was obsessed

BUT because he knew

money was a heart issue.

People frequently,

lose relationship with God

over money.

The Devil uses money

to seduce us

powerful negative force.

According to Jesus:

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The issue of money

is really a fight

for the human soul.

We have two choices

Make God Lord of all

or make money, self, and Satan Lord

This morning,

begin a series entitled

“‘Stewardship is Lordship.’”

Quote by Chuck Colson,

“The greatest challenge facing the Church today, is to reassert the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”

EGW:

“As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith...

--

“Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with the cares of this life. Present the world before them in its most attractive light, that they may lay up their treasure here and fix their affections upon earthly things...

--

Make them care more for money than for the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom and the spread of the truths we hate,

--

and we need not fear their influence; for we know that every selfish, covetous person will fall under our power, and will finally be separated from God's people.”

We must understand

this is a fight

for our souls!

We have two options:

Make God Lord of All

Or

Make Money, Self, and Satan Lord!

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Gallup Poll said

Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith.

In other words,

they come to church on the weekend,

...

live like world

rest of the time.

For most Christians

God is master

few hours a week

Self is master

rest of the time...

Worldliness

God defines worldliness

1 John 2:16 ESV

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Lust of the Flesh - a passion for sensual satisfaction

Lust of the Eyes - an inordinate desire for the finer things of life

Pride of Life - self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done

Worldliness is

preoccupation with

ease

and affluence.

It elevates creature comfort

to the point of idolatry;

large salaries

comfortable life-styles

necessities of life.

Problem Is:

God is Lord

while at church

Rest of week

my desires are Lord

Time as Bible Worker

everyone is going to heaven...

Church members in America

10% cannot be found

20% never attend Church

25% never pray

30% never read their bible

40% never give to the church

50% never attend an evening service

60% never give to world missions

75% never assume any responsibility

85% never attend midweek service

95% never have won 1 person to Christ

Yet 100% believe that they are going to heaven.

Now these are the words of Jesus:

Matthew 7:21 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Lordship series

4 weeks

Satan fears

our submission to

Lordship of Jesus.

Consecration Month

chance grow

spiritually.

OK,

now let’s get started.

What is Lordship?

5 things Jesus teaches

about Lordship.

1. Lordship is accepting the sovereignty of the Lord God.

Very foundation.

It begins

Accepting the sovereignty of God.

Matthew 13:45–46 ESV

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Lord = master

Master has control.

Master dictates life.

This pearl

became all-consuming desire

Examples in society

homeless addict

gamer that doesn’t leave home

business man never fulfilled

Where are we Christians

sold out for Christ?

give up everything

for His kingdom?

Romans 6:9–11 ESV

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

As we come to Christ

we experience death

death to sin.

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Les Goertz

Prayed but nothing changed

Secondly

2. Lordship is placing God first in your life.

What does that mean?

Mark 10:21 ESV

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

I give you my heart

except this little piece.

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

3. Lordship is accepting responsibility and accountability.

Lordship is accepting what God has given us and doing something with it.

Matthew 25:14–30 ESV

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

5 Observations:

1. God entrusts blessings to us.

2. God’s gifts are not equally given.

One received 5, one received 2 and one received 1.

3. People respond differently to what God has given them

vs. 16-18 5 talents went out and got 10. One with 2 went out and got 2 more. One with 1 talent went away and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

4. All of us will be accountable for what we did with what God gave us.

(We won’t be accountable for what was not given us [Rom. 2]).

vs. 19 master came after long time and settled accounts with them.

5. There is a reward for our willingness to develop the talents that God has entrusted to us.

vs. 20,21 5 talents, well done

2 talents, well done vs. 23

vs. 24 1 talent, you are a hard man, I was afraid, and went away and hid in ground, and you have what is yours.

God expects ROI!

Why did investers have

different success?

2 men looked at

Master’s expectations,

as a blessing.

But 1 man

looked at the Master’s expectation

as a burden.

Stewardship is

taking seriously

God’s expectation

for ROI...

What will you do

with what you have?

I can’t give to banquet

I don’t have any income...

2 Lessons on Stewardship

Stewardship is investing what you have been given.

We will be called to account about the use of our talents

Talents:

time

energy

money

Rarely have a lot of all

those with money

rarely have lots of

time and energy

those with energy

rarely have

lots of money...

Give back

what you have...

General William Booth was once asked to reveal the secret of his success. After some hesitation, tears came to his eyes and he said, “I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I have, men with greater opportunities, but from the day that I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of what Jesus could do with them, I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth.”

Lordship is: (Review)

1. Lordship is submitting to the sovereignty of God.

2. Putting Him first in our life.

3. Accepting that what He is giving us as a blessing in our life.

The next thing about Lordship is:

4. Lordship Is Doing the Will of God.

Not only important what you say. It is more important what you do.

Matthew 7:21 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:21–27 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

As Christians

we can know everything.

God is not about

information

action!

Our salvation is

based upon

what we did with what we have!

That is definition

of stewardship...

Gallop Poll

Claim one thing

live another

How is your life

Out of this place?

Adlai Stevenson

Lordship Sermon

“Oh Lord, use me, USE ME. Use Me.”

thought about consequence

“‘Oh, of course Lord, use me in an advisory capacity.…’”

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Last thing about Lordship.

5. Lordship is about personal obedience, regardless of the cost.

Lordship is when

I personally obey God,

regardless of cost me.

Story

John 21:15–23 ESV

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Jesus comes back

after his resurrection

visits Peter

denied him 3 times.

“‘Peter, do you love me?’”

Until now

you were in charge

but soon

you will be martyred like me.

TRUE SURRENDER

That is Lordship.

That is stewardship.

The story is told of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia (336-323) and conqueror of Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia, almost all of the known world. One day Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city and Alexander raised his voice and demanded to see the king. When the king arrived, Alexander ordered him to surrender the city and everyone inside. The king laughed, “Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!” But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a cliff. The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, his soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After 10 soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to die at the command of this leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “When Christ calls a man, From a sermon by Christian Cheong, True Seekers – 6/28/2010)

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Lordship Checklist:

1. Do I accept God’s sovereignty and complete ownership in my life?

You are not your own. You are bought with a price.

2. Is God first in every area of my life?

Little Piece or all?

3. Am I ready to give an account to God today concerning my management of His possessions?

4. Am I right now, doing everything that I know to do that is right?

5. Have I personally settled this Lordship issue? If not now, when will I?

That’s the issue, isn’t it?

If not now, when will I?

Powerful Month

The most miserable

Christians.

Who haven’t settled the Lordship issue.

Always wrestling with God.

NO! You can t have that!

If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Bruce Larson had an unusual way of convincing people to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ.

New York

RCA Building

5th Avenue

Atlas

Struggle

Catholic

Jesus 8-10

APPEAL