Sermon Tone Analysis

Luke 6:46

*Jesus is Lord of All, or He is not Lord at All*

 

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”[1]

 

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ll else being equal, we have as much power in our service before the Lord as we have obedience to His commands.

We enjoy great music provided by some of the most talented musicians any church could hope to enjoy, wonderful fellowship, and I would like to think that we have sound preaching with careful exposition of the Word of God.

However, I observe that we are utterly lacking in one major component of worship, and that is dependence upon the Master for power to win souls and to advance His cause.

Our failure of obedience before the Master is our failure to pray together.

I know that the various Bible study groups pray together, and for that, I am grateful.

I have no doubt that the members and adherents of this congregation pray.

However, as is true of many, perhaps even most, contemporary evangelical churches, we no longer enjoy times of extended congregational prayer.

We have convinced ourselves that we are too busy to come together specifically to pray as a congregation.

Our failure to pray as a congregation is rebellion against the will of the Master.

Jesus taught that disciples “ought always to pray” [*Luke 18:1*].

While speaking of events that will come upon the earth in the last days, He urged His followers to “stay awake at all times, praying” [*Luke **21:36*].

His words are echoed by Paul who insisted that Christians are to “be constant in prayer” [*Romans **12:12*], to “continue steadfastly in prayer” [*Colossians 4:2*], and to “pray without ceasing” [*1 Thessalonians **5:17*].

The Apostle also taught disciples to be “praying at all times in the Spirit” [*Ephesians **6:18*].

We cannot seriously question that we are taught in the Word to be dependent upon the strength provided by the Lord, and that the means He has established for us to appropriate His strength is prayer.

As we have witnessed in messages presented during the previous weeks, the model demonstrated by the apostolic churches was to invest time in corporate prayer as the congregation met specific challenges.

The message today confronts our lack of obedience as a congregation, challenging each of us to review what it means to call Jesus Lord.

It is not directed at any one person, but it is rather intended to be an encouragement for each of us to review our relationship to Jesus Christ as Lord over our life.

If there is one group confronted by the message, it is we who have received appointment as elders.

*What Does it Mean to Call Jesus “Lord?”*  “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’?”

In the text, Jesus asked a penetrating question concerning His relationship to disciples.

That question provided opportunity for the Master to warn disciples to take care to build their lives on a solid foundation.

On another occasion, Jesus affirmed that He was indeed Lord over His disciples.

You will doubtless remember that before He observed the final Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus tied a towel around His waist and washed the disciples’ feet.

The Word of God informs us that “when He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to [the disciples], ‘Do you understand what I have done to you?

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am’” [*John **13:12**, 13*].

Jesus Christ is Lord, and all who have been born from above have acknowledged that truth and live in obedience to Him.

In our English tongue, the word “Lord” enjoys a fine English heritage.

The word is not borrowed from another tongue, as is true for so many of the words we use.

It is derived from the Old English word */hlāford/*, which in turn is derived from two words (*/hlāf/* (loaf) and */weard/* (keeper)).[2]

So, at the first, a “lord” was the “keeper of the loaf.”

He was the one who guarded the stores of a manor.

In time, the word “lord” came to speak of one who is ruler, one to whom obedience and service is owed.

In the Greek, the word translated “Lord,” conveys a similar meaning.

When applied in a non-religious context, the word */kúrios/* speaks of a ruler—one who owns or controls property, such as slaves.

In a religious context, however, the word is applied to God.

In using the word in our text, Jesus identifies Himself with the Living God.

You know very well that the Word of God is quite clear in declaring, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

With the heart, one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation” [*Romans 10:9, 10*].[3]

The Greek construction, together with the quotation from *Joel **2:32* in *verse 13*, suggests that “Lord” [Greek, */kúrios/*] is to be taken as “*/the Lord/*,” that is, Yahweh.[4]

Those who regularly share the services of the congregation will know that I often use these verses from the Letter to the Romans, especially as I conclude the message.

I do so because they clearly present the will of God for the salvation of all who will receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

I know that some, hearing the call of the Spirit will respond in faith, believing the message of grace and thus be saved.

However, I sometimes wonder if we who are Christians have heard these verses so frequently that they have lost their pungency and impact for us.

Nevertheless, the Word teaches that it is as we submit to Jesus as Master of our life that we receive Him as Saviour.

We know that we cannot make Him Saviour at one point and Master at another.

Though there are people who ridicule what they derisively refer to as “lordship salvation,” we cannot escape the declaration of the Word of God that Jesus is Lord.

Paul, in the passage cited in Romans, says that it is as we “confess with [our] mouth that Jesus is Lord” that we are saved.

The word that is translated “confess” is the Greek word */homologéō/*.

The word means, quite literally, “to say the same thing.”

In other words, to confess Jesus as Lord is to agree with God that Jesus is indeed very God!

To confess Jesus as Lord is to bow before Him as sovereign over our life.

To confess Jesus is Lord is to adopt the spirit of the apostolic church when they prayed, calling Him “Sovereign Lord,” */Despótes/* [e.g.

*Acts **4:24*].

We are assured in Scripture that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” [*1 Corinthians 12:3*].

Moreover, we are told that an awesome day is pending when “at the Name of Jesus every knee [shall] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” [*Philippians **2:10**, 11*].

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Why would you wait to confess Him as Lord over your life?

Now is the time to submit to Him as Lord—now, as He now offers you eternal life.

Today is the day when sin can be forgiven and you can receive the life that He offers.

Should you decide to wait, you have no guarantee that you will receive another chance to believe.

Unsaved, you will face that awful day when the same confession will be made by all mankind, but the confession at that time will be the grudging admission coerced because all are driven to their knees by the glorious revelation of the Son of God.

As the Word of God declares, “Now is the day of salvation” [*2 Corinthians 6:2b*].

God, speaking through His servant Malachi 400 years before the Advent of His Son, confronted a wicked tendency of His people to treat Him with disdain.

“A son honours his father, and a servant his master.

If then I am a father, where is my honour?

And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.

But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’

By offering polluted food upon my altar.

But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’

By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised.

When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?

And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil?

Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favour? says the Lord of hosts.

And now entreat the favour of God, that he may be gracious to us.

With such a gift from your hand, will he show favour to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.

Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!

I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering.

For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised.

But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts.

You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering!

Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.

Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.

For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations” [*Malachi 1:6-14*].

Indeed, we must ask, “if Jesus is Master, where is His fear?”

If Jesus is ruler over my life, I need to ensure that I give Him the respect due His Holy Name.

He deserves my best service and my greatest deference as I bring myself into submission to His Word.

He is worthy of my deepest devotion and of my full obedience to His will.

We are assured that Jesus calls His people to look to Him for life and for strength.

However, should we deliberately continue to walk according to our own desires, we dishonour Him.

He commands us to come into His house to worship Him.

Instead of seeking what we can get from worship, Christ calls us to give of ourselves in worship.

He is to be exalted through the way we conduct our lives and through the expression of a submissive spirit.

We are called to serve Him, rather than serving our own desires.

*How Is Christ’s Lordship Revealed Through our Lives?*