Jesus is Lord Over All

Introduction: Trust

Book by Frank Moore: Jesus is Lord

A recent news program began a series on protecting our children. All of us do all we can to protect children, particularly our own. Household cleaners go behind childproof locked doors, outlets have protectors over them, create safe places for them to play, and as we get older we “dare” less and less and ask the children to follow suit. Friday night Henley was walking outside the banister. It’s a full 18” drop and several in the household were “concerned” for his safety, that he might fall a full 18”. I laugh; we become overcautious as we age. (Wait until he climbs the tree to the top or we find him on the roof.)

The news program went further. They hired a camera crew and an ice cream truck to go into a neighborhood and sell ice cream. When the children came and approached the truck, a completely strange vehicle, a completely strange driver, he invited the children onto the truck to “pick out” their favorite ice cream. He went 3 for 3. All three children he asked to come on board, came on board. Imagine the shock and awe of their parents when the news crew showed parents the results.

This test happens everyday with our allegiance. As children, teens and adults, we are asked constantly “who is your god?” What and why do you answer the way you do? Whom do you serve?

I want you to consider the credentials of Jesus Christ as Lord today.

In Paul writes to convince, in Paul give practical advice. Are we convinced Jesus is the head of the church, the head of the home, the head of our life? Do we subscribe, consecrate, hand over, withhold nothing, hand Him the keys, allow Him to drive, call Him Lord, bow before Him, recognize Him as King and serve Him faithfully?

Jesus Actively Participates in the Preservation of Creation

Richard Dawkins, the chief atheist of our day wrote a book in 2008 titled The God of Delusion. In it he expresses his concern for those who put their trust in God this way: the belief in God isn’t just intellectually wrong but also dangerous for human advancement.

From this book, a series of billboards began to appear around the country. They held messages such as: “In the Beginning, Man created God.” Or, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

Those are amazing statements. When pressed, these atheist cannot give a simple answer to a very simple question. “Where and how did the world begin.” Atheist answer, I have no idea. Second best answer, “I choose not to think about such things.”

Their world revolves around self as Lord, not Jesus as Lord. They want to be free from the so called bondage of living under a set of rules. When truly, the guiding principal of Christ create the very freedom they are seeking.

Norman Geisler, Frank Turek, and David Limbaugh offer a counter book. The title; “I Don’t have enough Faith to be an Atheist.”

They maintain that denying the existence of God requires more blind faith than does believing in Jesus Christ.

When John the baptist asked “are you the one or should we expect another?”

Jesus answered, tell John,

Matthew 11:5 NKJV

The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Jesus actively participates in the preservation of His creation.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, i once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.

If we can digress for just a minute: (homework)

The Bible Nowhere tries to prove the existence of God

It is troubling, that the scriptures don’t give us more about God without us. The Bible is God’s plan of salvation for us. Where was He before He allowed time to begin? Before He numbered our days, or formed us in our mothers womb?

In God is already, so is the Son, and so is the Spirit who hovers over the water. We have birthdays, so do all created things. God does not. There is never a time God wasn’t.

Colossians 1:17 NKJV

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

In Exodus, from our Bible study on Sunday mornings: : I AM WHO I AM. Translated, the one who causes all things to come into being. He is he being who gives our being reality. Because He exists, we can exist. Our life flows from His.

Faith is the Way of the Cross

Trust, or faith, the Hebrew word “aman” means: the voluntary approval that man gives to the revelation of God and our self committal, or trust of our entire selves to the control of such truth.

I hurt, feel wounded, grieve for and am angered by theft. When someone steals your stuff. Have you had a wallet, a phone, a purse stolen> A laptop, someone break into your car? It hurts, you feel violated

I allow people to borrow without question. If it breaks i’ll fix it or replace it. I don’t worry about such things. But when someone steals...

I am particularly injured when the theft is in the form of personal identity. What a cheap, low blow to do to someone. And when their hard earned savings are taken, well. That person or persons saved their money, which means they said no to some things and were prudent stewards, and with the click of a mouse! Gone!

Do you know the story of Bernie Madoff? Bernie set up a fake investment firm in the 1980’s and convinced the best of the best to allow him to invest their money; 64.8 billion dollars worth. That he put in his own bank account and spent on his own lavish lifestyle, producing no return whatsoever!

Bernie Madoff brought financial ruin to hundreds of individuals, and several high profile non profit organizations.

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Who do you trust? How can you trust?

Who or what are you going to call Lord? We are cautious so we weigh our options.

We discretely call hobbies, sports teams, work environments, family vacations, fantasy teams, video gaming, lord, when we ascribe our awakened hours to setting them up forsaking the Lord’s worship and work. We fail to bring glory to His mane when we revel in everything else and place Him last on the list, when we make Him a check box on our weeks agenda and then fail often to arrive at the appointed place for worship.

How do you show Him He is Lord and number one in your life? How do you show Him he comes first before all else? There is only one way, and you can’t fool Jesus! So many tried, so many failed. He knows your heart.

So many today examined the credentials of Jesus, named Him as Lord, but ascribe a small l to their lord. He is lord, small l most days, weeks months. No worship, no praise, no alone moments of shear joy and worship with the King of Kings. But when life’s trouble comes, and it will come, they want to run back and are hurt when the answer they want doesn’t ring their ears quickly?

I don’t know you He seems to say.

That kind of faith living isn’t LORD it is lord.

Scripture for Today

Paul helps the church of Colosse which he never visited. Founded by Ephaphras, this word carried to them by Tychicus and Onesimus.

Christ gives us a perfect picture of our invisible God v 15

The Father chose to create the world and everything in it through His Son. v 16

We notice Christ is Lord over the Church v 18

We notice Christ is Lord over the Church

All things are created for Him

Through His death he presents you blameless (here is that word again)

Not yet perfected but with the very best intentions to serve Him by faith you are blameless and He, Jesus holds you up before the Father and says, no dad, this child is one of ours.

Last: v 17, He is before all things and in Him all things consist.

How many of you ate glue when you were a child?

Elmers glue is the bomb! White when you apply it, invisible when it dries. Mom never knew it was broken!

Jesus is the invisible glue, holding all things together and will one day judge all things. Good, bad, left, right, sheep goats.

I serve a risen savior He’s in the world today, I know the He is living whatever men may say, i see His hands of mercy I hear his voice of cheer, and just the time I need him He’s always near, He Lives, He Lives, Christ Jesus lives today, He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way, He Lives he Lives, salvation to impart, you ask me how I know He lives he lives within my heart.

He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord, every knee will bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.