His Lordship

November 5, 2006

I.            DANCER

A.   RUN AWAY

B.    ABUSED

C.    DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERSON WHO FED HER & THE PERSON SHE OBEYED

D.   THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT JESUS HAD WITH HIS DISCIPLES

II.            LUKE 6:46-49

III.            REASONS THEY CALLED JESUS “LORD”

A.   HE HEALED THEM WHEN THEY WERE SICK

B.    HE FED THEM WHEN THEY WERE HUNGRY

C.    HE WAS “ENTERTAINING”

D.   BUT WAS HE REALLY LORD OF THEIR LIFE?

E.    DEFINITION OF “LORD”

   The one to whom a person belongs, about which that person has power of deciding; one who has control of another person (owner); title of honor, expressive of respect & reverence.

IV.            BUILDING A ROCK SOLID LIFE

A.   ILLUSTRATION

1.     Wadis & September Rains

2.    Torrential Floods in the Winter

3.    Dry River Beds in the Summer

B.    FOOLISH BUILDER

1.     Short Sighted

2.    Saw No Value In the Extra Expense or Hard Work

3.    If Less Was Spent on the Foundation More Could Be Spent

a.     on the Chandelier

b.    on the Wall Paper

c.     on the Furniture

d.    on the Kitchen Counter Tops

C.    WISE BUILDER

1.     Considers the Future & the Problems that Will Come

2.    Chooses the Rocky Location

a.     Not for Its Rugged Beauty!

b.    Much more difficult to build

c.     More expensive

d.    Hard work to cut out the foundation stone

D.   VERSES 47f

1.     Read Them

2.    Three Basic Elements of Christian Discipleship

a.     Reception [Come to Me]

b.    Information [Hears My Words]

c.     Application [Puts Them Into Practice]

E.    PURPOSE OF THE FOUNDATION

1.     To Create Stability

2.    But You Don’t Just Stop with the Foundation!

3.    A Foundation Is Laid So It Can Be Built Upon!

F.    CONSIDER THE DISCIPLE

1.     Foolish Disciple

a.     Interested in personal comfort

b.    Finds comfort in the information

                                           i.            Go to Heaven when I die

                                         ii.            He might heal me or my loved ones

                                      iii.            He’s with me always

c.     Contentment is the name of the game

2.    Wise Disciple

a.     Eager to hear God’s word (small group Bible study, Sunday school, etc.)

b.    Understands that the information learned must be put into practice!

                                           i.            James 2:17

   In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

                                         ii.            James 2:24

   You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

                                      iii.            James 2:26

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

c.     When we obey what God says we have a rock solid life

                                           i.            Obeying Jesus instruction on forgiveness, kindness, & mercy allows us to keep our relationships so our friends and family will stick with us during the tough times.

                                         ii.            Obeying Jesus instructions on money means that we are not materialistic or up to our ears in debt.

                                      iii.            Obeying Jesus' instructions about lust and adultery of the heart will allow us to keep our marriages strong.

                                       iv.            Obeying Jesus' commands about anger and rage will keep us from landing in jail, the hospital, or the morgue.

                                         v.            Obeying Jesus commands about not judging and criticizing will save us from creating resentment in others and we will make friends and not enemies.

                                       vi.            Obeying Jesus instructions to be careful about false teachers will keep us from being spiritually deceived and ripped off

V.            No Bad Dogs by Barbara Woodhouse

In a dog’s mind, a master or a mistress to love, honor, and obey is an absolute necessity. The love is dormant in the dog until brought into full bloom by an understanding owner. Thousands of dogs appear to love their owners, they welcome them home with enthusiastic wagging of the tail and jumping up, they follow them about their houses happily and, to the normal person seeing the dog, the affection is true and deep. But to the experienced dog trainer this outward show is not enough. The true test of real love takes place when the dog has got the opportunity to go out on its own as soon as the door is left open by mistake and it goes off and often doesn’t return home for hours. That dog loves only its home comforts and the attention it gets from its family; it doesn’t truly love the master or mistress as they fondly think. True love in dogs is apparent when a door is left open and the dog still stays happily within earshot of its owner. For the owner must be the be-all and end-all of a dog’s life.

VI.       George Mueller’s Secret

To one who asked him the secret of his service, George Mueller said: “There was a day when I died, utterly died;” and, as he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor—“died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will—died to the world, its approval or censure—died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends—and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.”

VII.            The real test of our Christianity isn’t seen in our work or activity, or even in our theological purity. It’s found in this: when we have an opportunity to wander away, to disobey, to leave his presence, do we choose instead to stay close to him, to abide in Christ, to obey?

VIII.            WHY DO YOU CALL HIM LORD?