The Lordship of Christ

[0:00] Let me talk about the Lordship of Christ. In John 13, 13-16 our Lord says this, Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am.

[0:17] If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.

[0:32] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

[0:43] These words here, we can use them without thinking really, can't we? Master, Lord, Teacher, Instructor, Lord, Master, Controller.

[0:56] Really He exerts Lordship over our lives by calling us to follow Him, to be like Him. And the question for all of us is, have we submitted to the personal Lordship of Christ over our life?

[1:10] Have we surrendered to Him? He comes on the scene and He says to us, follow me. He urges us to leave our own way of walking and to take His path.

[1:23] 1 John 3 verse 2 it says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

[1:38] Wouldn't it be great to be in a church where everyone is like Jesus? I want to urge you to be like Him. 1. Serve like Jesus.

[1:51] John 13 verse 15 it says, For I have given you an example that you should do, as I have done to you. 1 John 14 verse 15 it says, Let us know that you should do, as I have given you an example of how we are to live, how we are to treat others.

[2:06] 1 John 14 verse 15 it says, He was a servant, He stooped down, and He took that humble place. He says, Wash one another's feet. 1 John 14 verse 15 it says, Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

[2:26] 2 John 14 verse 15 it says, Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 3 John 14 verse 15 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

[2:49] 4 John 14 verse 15 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

[3:00] 5 John 14 verse 15 when we become a Christian, we give our heart to Christ. This is only possible because he first gave his heart for us.

[3:11] He humbled himself to the death of a common criminal. 5 John 14 verse 15 Do we have that attitude of service, of humility? 6 John 14 verse 15 very few are willing to take the mantle of a servant.

[3:24] 7 John 14 verse 15 They would rather have the rights than the responsibilities of serving God. 8 John 14 verse 15 They would rather have the recognition than the inconvenience, the spotlight than the hidden place.

[3:36] 8 John 14 verse 15 How is your attitude? 9 John 14 verse 15 Will you take up your towel or throw in the towel? 10 John 14 verse 15 Are you a servant? 10 John 14 verse 15 Will you be serving on his majesty's service, at his majesty's command, 11 John 14 running his majesty's errands, obeying his majesty's orders?

[3:56] 11 John 14 verse 15 A good servant is committed, unselfish, available, sacrificial, giving, devoted, 11 John 14 reliable. 12 John 14 And they serve not out for position or praise, not looking to receive the credit or 12 John 14 desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde desde shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

[4:48] He repeats this again in chapter 15, John 15, 12 through 13. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

[5:04] John 15, 17. These things I command you, that ye love one another. 2 Timothy 2, 24 says, And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men.

[5:18] And we all have a calling, a challenge here, to be gently pointing people to the Saviour, to the truth that they can be saved.

[5:30] I urge you, be like him, be like him today, love like him, have compassion, have a heart. Romans 5, verse 8 it says, Do we love like him?

[6:10] Is our love a self-sacrificing, self-denying, selfless love, giving without expecting anything in return, loving without limits and reservation, with no strings attached, utterly undeserved, unwarranted, unselfish, not always reciprocated, yet not a love that shies away from challenging at times.

[6:35] Our Lord left the Pharisees under no illusion about their need to repent. Now this love will speak the truth to you. This love will challenge and stand against error.

[6:46] This love will plead for what is right and godly. This love is not weak, it is strong, resolute, devoted. It will go the second mile. It will be steadfast.

[6:56] So love like him. Thirdly, suffer like him. 1 Peter 2, 21 For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps.

[7:12] This part of being like him isn't going to sound too attractive for you. But if you must follow his example, there will likely be times you will be asked to suffer like him.

[7:24] Verse 19 talks about enduring grief for making a stand of conscience, of even suffering wrongfully. Verse 20 It speaks of doing well and suffering for it.

[7:35] In verse 23 it says that our Lord was reviled and he did not retaliate. When he suffered it says he didn't threaten in return. Are we prepared to cross that line where we are willing to be even misunderstood, criticized, abandoned for our faith and stand for the Lord?

[7:55] 2 Timothy 2 verse 12 it says, If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Now first the cross, then the crown. Now be willing to be like him in bearing your cross, in following in his tread, following in his bleeding footsteps, bearing scoffing rude, facing criticism and hatred for his namesake.

[8:20] It's a telling verse in Isaiah 53, 3. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not.

[8:32] How did they treat our Lord? He was treated like a vile person. Made fun of. Looked down upon. And we didn't consider his worth.

[8:44] People didn't consider him worth anything. Are you prepared to take the lowest place? To take the shame of insults and hurtful remarks? To bear the pain of hateful treatment, persecution?

[8:57] To be mocked and forsaken by friends? To be ill-treated? John 15, verse 18 through 21, it says, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.

[9:13] If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

[9:23] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

[9:36] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. To be like Jesus. Fourthly, we should go like him.

[9:50] John 17, verse 18 says this, John 17, verses 15 through 16, John 17, verses 15 through 16, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

[10:09] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Being like him will mean that we will be willing to go like him, to be sent like him.

[10:19] Luke 19, 10 tells us why he was sent. He says, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. His service is our service.

[10:32] His love is our love. His suffering is our suffering. His mission, his sending, is our mission, our sending. John 20, 21, it says, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you.

[10:46] As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Are you ready to be like him? Like him.

[10:58] To serve like him. To love like him. To suffer like him. To go like him. There are many different ways we could seek to emulate him, to be like him, to follow in his steps, to walk in his way, to aim to keep in his shadow, to follow his example.

[11:21] We can also be like him in having his Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit that led him, that drove him, that compelled him. I urge you today, be like Jesus.

[11:33] Be like him. Have that Christ-like spirit. Be godly, god-like. Be like him this week. Find a place to show his service to others.

[11:44] Find a way to extend his perfect kind of love to another. Find a comfort when you face suffering for his name's sake and be sent like him. Yes, go like him into your mission field.

[11:59] Think, what would Jesus do? And act like it. Simply, be like him. Oh, to be like thee.

[12:10] That is our prayer.!