Advent: The Lord
One Verse Advent • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Scripture memory: next few weeks I’ll pull out a key verse from each of the next books: Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
When we start Hebrews, how about we pick one chapter of Hebrews to memorize.
FIGHTER VERSE
FIGHTER VERSE
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
SERMON
SERMON
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
I’ve got two more days as Executive Director of Amnion. Lots of great memories.
A couple of winters ago, I was leaving for the day walking out to my car and slipped on the ice and fell on my side behind the car on the driver’s side.
You need to know, with two metal knees it’s extremely uncomfortable getting up on my knees so I could stand up.
So there I lay, behind my car, in the parking lot of Amnion wondering what I was going to do.
Then I thought of the security cameras that were recently installed - all I could picture was the staff gathered around the security monitor laughing at the sight of their large ED wiping out and landing in a heap on the ground.
Then on top of that, a man walks by walking his dog. Need some help? I’m dead weight; I didn’t want to burden him.
I know you’re all wondering:
How did Mark get up again?
Is he still laying there in the parking lot?
What I should have for lunch?
To answer your questions:
Yes I did get up again...that same day even
I unlocked the car with my key fob
slithered on my side to the front door and opened it
mustered the courage to get on my knees
and pulled myself up using the door handle and front seat
All the while thinking the Amnion staff is still watching from inside, only now with bags of popcorn.
There’s a point to my humiliation, I promise.
EXPOSITION
EXPOSITION
In our One Verse Advent series, we are on the last word of the verse...
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
This proclamation from the angel is filled with amazing truth: the one born that day was born for us, for lost mankind. He was born in Bethlehem, of the house and lineage of David, which makes this baby a descendant to the throne, a king. He was born a Savior, the promised Christ, the Messiah, and Lord over all.
Certainly these truths were received by everyone, weren’t they? Hardly. It wasn’t the case back then, and it’s not the case now.
The polite one will say: Oh, I’m glad you choose to believe that, but I believe something differently.
We live in an “enlightened” culture where truth is not absolute but relative, which means that truth varies based on personal perspectives or cultural contexts.
You’ve got your truth and I’ve got mine.
They are not as popular today, but I still see an occasional co-exist bumper sticker.
[show slide]
It sounds nice, and we should strive to live at peace with all people, but when we come to core Christian beliefs, there is no middle ground.
When Jesus made this statement to his disciples...
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Is there any middle ground there? Are there many roads that lead to heaven? According to Jesus - there’s only one way, through him.
Or how about Peter’s proclamation...
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is found in no one else? No other name, Peter? Isn’t that a little narrowminded?
When it comes to Jesus, there is no middle ground, he never gave us that option. You can’t have a bit of Jesus mixed with a bit of Muhammed and a bit of Confucius. With Jesus, it’s all or nothing.
Two weeks we talked about Jesus as Savior. Do you want to be saved from your sin and its consequences? There’s only one Savior - Jesus.
And last week we talked about him being the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ. He is not one of many Messiahs; he is the one and only Messiah.
Today, we examine the claim that Jesus is Lord.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
So, let’s look at what Scripture tells us about Jesus being the Lord from Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let’s dig into this passage.
GOD EXALTED HIM
GOD EXALTED HIM
Therefore God has highly exalted him...
Jesus reigns supreme.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
When a judge enters a courtroom, everyone stands—not because of personal preference, but because of recognized authority. Jesus’ lordship carries far greater authority, established by God Himself.
NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME
NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name...
Jesus has no rivals, there are no powers greater than him.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Continuing in Philippians...
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The name Jesus was given to him at birth. Countless people throughout his life would call him by that name and yet their knees were unbowed.
It wasn’t until Jesus humbled himself on the cross, obeying the will of the Father, that God exalted him.
And through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we truly come to see Jesus for who he truly is: Christ and Lord.
Peter in his sermon at Pentecost proclaims...
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,
he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Note what Peter wants Israel to know for certain: that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Not self-proclaimed, but determined by God the Father.
No middle ground. None of this nonsense of you believe what you want and I’ll believe what I want.
Know for certain that Jesus is Lord.
SLIP SLIDING
SLIP SLIDING
Back to my slipping on the ice story....
Let’s say I didn’t believe in ice or believe that ice was slippery. It wouldn’t have mattered...down I went.
Or let’s say I didn’t believe in gravity. Again, it wouldn’t have made any difference. When my feet slipped out from under me that day, gravity kicked in and down I went. The evidence that gravity is real: There I was behind my car, sprawled out on the ground.
You see, there are undeniable truths in our world. It doesn’t matter how many people do or don’t believe them, they are still true.
Before the judgment throne of God, do you think bowing the knee to Jesus will be optional? Only for those who believe that he is Lord and deserving of their submission?
No, ALL will recognize him for who he truly is: King of kings and Lord of lords. ALL will bow before him, but that doesn’t mean all will be saved. For many, many people, it will be too late and they will spend eternity haunted by the fact that they chose to ignore the truth.
The evidence that Jesus is Lord: those who receive him will enter into the presence of the Father. Those who reject him will be sprawled out spending eternity in hell.
Whether a person ends up in heaven or hell, God the Father will be glorified because either way God’s justice and mercy have been satisfied.
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It pleased the Father to exalt Jesus above everything else, and it will bring the Father glory when all creation bows before the authority and majesty of His Son.
Jesus is not merely Savior—He is Lord. One day, every person will acknowledge this truth. The question is not if we will bow, but when and how. Today is an invitation to willingly surrender, trust His authority, and experience the life that flows from living under His loving rule.
Paul writes to the Romans...
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Listen to this commentary regarding this verse from Wuest Word Studies...
The word "confess" is homologeō, made up of homos, "same," and legō, "to speak," thus, "to speak the same thing," thus, "to agree with some person with reference to something." To confess the Lord Jesus means therefore to be in agreement with all that Scripture says about Him, which includes all that these two names imply. Robertson translates, "Confess Jesus as Lord." The name "Jesus" is the transliteration of the Greek Iēsous, which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew name we know as "Jehoshua," the latter meaning, "Jehovah saves." The name "Lord" is Kurios which in the Greek version of the Old Testament is used for the august name "Jehovah," and by its use, implies deity. Thus, to confess Jesus as Lord includes a heart belief in His deity, incarnation, vicarious atonement and bodily resurrection. Robertson says, "No Jew would do this who had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios in the LXX is used of God. No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshipping the emperor as kurios. The word Kurios was and is the touchstone of faith."
Do you confess that Jesus is Lord? Do you agree with everything Scripture says about him, that he is Savior and Lord?
Back when I was on the board of Amnion from 2010-2013, we had to deal with the false teaching that you could accept Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. Eventually over time, you would come to see him that way, but at first, salvation was the priority.
Spurgeon addressed this in his day...
I cannot conceive it possible for anyone truly to receive Christ as Savior and yet not to receive him as Lord. A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding it as a burden, he gladly surrenders himself – body, soul, and spirit- to the Lord who has redeemed him, reckoning this to be his reasonable service.
How ridiculous to think you could trust Jesus for eternity, but not yet for your daily living.
Jesus is both Savior and Lord and deserving of our bended knees and and our surrendered hearts.
Jesus said...
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
To confess that Jesus is Lord is to lay down our own will, to sacrifice our own desires to follow and obey him.
Another wonderful quote from Spurgeon...
Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life. If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both at home and abroad, his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction. Not only action and language, but spirit and temper must be changed.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Listen to Jesus’ emphasis on doing the will of the Father...
“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.’
I like this quote from G. Campbell Morgan...
There is something infinitely better than doing a great thing for God, and the infinitely better thing is to be where God wants us to be, to do what God wants us to do, and to have no will apart from His.
To have no will apart from his. This is living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
So here is where I’d be prone to ask: Is Jesus Lord of your life? But that’s the wrong question because Jesus is Lord of all, including Lord of my life and Lord of your life.
Again, we’ll know this is true when HE determines our eternal destination - either in heaven or in hell.
The more accurate question is this: Have you submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Are you putting to death your own wants and desires and daily walking in obedience to his will?
CLOSING
CLOSING
To say “Jesus is Lord” means more than acknowledging His existence. It means recognizing His authority over every area of life—our choices, values, relationships, and future. Salvation in the New Testament is closely tied to this confession. Lordship is not a burden; it is the pathway to true freedom.
As we close out this Advent series and come to the end of 2025, may our passion to follow and obey our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be rekindled anew.
That babe born in Bethlehem is no longer clothed in meekness but clothed with majesty.
Therefore, here is my 2026 wishlist for each and every one of us:
PEACE
PEACE
First, no matter the circumstances, may you experience the true peace of God.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Prayer: Lord, I desire that peace that you promise. Help me to trust you more and more.
EYES FIXED ON JESUS
EYES FIXED ON JESUS
Second, no matter the circumstances, may your eyes be fixed on Jesus.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Prayer: Lord, help me to fix my eyes on you, not my circumstances.
ABIDE IN CHRIST
ABIDE IN CHRIST
Third, may you continually abide in Christ through the year.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to abide in you so that I draw life from you, the true vine, in order that fruit be produced through me for your glory.
RELY ON THE POWER OF GOD
RELY ON THE POWER OF GOD
My last wish for each of us: that we would not look to our strength, but rely on the power of God at work in and through us.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms...
Prayer: Lord God, may the same power that raised Jesus from the dead do its work in and through me. As Paul wrote...
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
These are the very things I’ll be praying for - for you, for our church, for myself, and for my family:
Peace of God
Eyes fixed on Jesus
Abiding in Christ
Relying on God’s power, not my own
Happy New Year and God bless you!
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
CLOSING SONG
CLOSING SONG
How Great Thou Art
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
