His Unquestioned Lordship

Known for his unique ability to simplify profound truth so that it can be applied to everyday life, Adrian Rogers was one of the most effective preachers, respected Bible teachers, and Christian leaders of our time. Thanks for joining us for this message.

Here's Adrian Rogers. Find Luke chapter 2. It's the story of the birth of the baby of Bethlehem. Listen, who is this child? The wrong answers are multitudinous, infinite.

There is one right answer. Let's look in verse 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. That's who he is, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

May I ask you a personal question? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? That's the first question.

You do. Then may I ask you another question? Is he your Lord?

Now, don't answer easily because I want you to think about it. It's one thing to say, yay, verily, I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, but the second question follows. Is he your Lord?

Let's be more specific. Is he Lord of your tongue? Is he Lord of your time? Is he Lord of your treasure? Is he Lord of your talents? Is he Lord of your testimony? Is he truly Lord? Is he Lord in deed as well as word? It's one thing to sing, bring forth the royal died in and crown him Lord of all.

It's another thing to mean it. Jesus Christ is called Lord far more than he is called Savior. He's called Lord 747 times in the New Testament. He is Lord. Every so often someone says, well, I've decided to make him Lord.

Too late for that. He is Lord. Acts chapter two, verse 36, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. The question is not, will you make him Lord?

The question is, will you submit to his Lordship? Can you imagine what it meant to those Jewish shepherds that night to hear the angel say, I'll call his name Jesus or Mary to hear that? And the angel say, for unto his born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. What does that word Lord mean? What did it mean to these shepherds? It meant Jehovah to them.

Jehovah, God almighty. The angel was saying he is co-equal, co-eternal with the almighty. The angel said, you'll call his name Jesus. That's what the parents were told, the earthly mother and child of a heavenly father, Jesus. There's an Old Testament name, Jesus, only it's pronounced in the Old Testament, Joshua, Yeshua.

Do you know what it means? Jehovah saves. This baby is the Jehovah that saves. That name Jehovah is used 7,000 times in the Old Testament and in the King James version of the scripture that I'm preaching from, it's translated Lord. Under you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. Now, when a pious Jew was reading the scripture and he came to that word that's translated Lord, Jehovah, Lord, when he came to that, he would bow his head and worship.

He would never even pronounce the word. He held it in such awe. When a scribe was translating the scriptures and he came to that word, he would put down his old pen just to write that word and then the angel said, there's born a savior who is Christ the Lord. His given name is Jehovah saves. Now, he is the Lord. For these shepherds to bow and worship him is an amazing thing. Think of what that said in that day and think of what it meant for a Gentile to say in that day, he is Lord. Because Rome held sway over the world at that time and the emperor was Caesar. And Caesar was more than an emperor to these people. He was a God to them. And in order to get along in the kingdom, you had to say, Kaiser Kurios, Caesar's Lord. But now for a pious Jew to say this baby is Lord, was a costly thing. For a Gentile to say this baby is Lord was a costly thing because when they said that, they were saying Caesar is not Lord.

There's one Lord and his name is Jesus. That's the reason so many of them were put to death. They could have gotten along splendidly if they had said that Jesus is a God and we'll put him in a little niche in the pantheon with all of the other gods.

But they wouldn't say that. They said, neither is there salvation in any other. For there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. That's why they were thrown to the lions in the Colosseum.

I can see the little crowd there huddled in the Colosseum and they are singing. He is Lord, he is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Just before their blood would red in the mouths of those lions.

I don't know what happened this way but it could when the apostle Paul laid his head on that chopping block just before his head toppled into a basket and his blood ran down into the Tiber River there. The executioner may have said to him, do you have any last words? He would have said, yes, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord. Now, I'm asking this question, not do you believe in his lordship.

I'm asking this question this Christmas. Is Christ your Lord? I want to mention three things that are true if Christ is your Lord and I pray God will write them upon your heart. If you are willing to confess him as Lord, that's one, the confession of his lordship secures salvation. Now, that's the point, let me give you the principle. The principle is this, that we cannot receive what Jesus gives and refuse who Jesus is.

Let me say that again. You cannot receive what Jesus gives, that's salvation, and refuse who Jesus is, that is his Lord. Let me look again in verses 10 and 11, and the angel said unto them, fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior.

Yes, he is a savior, but what kind of a savior? A savior, which is Christ the Lord. What is the great need in the world today? Is it information? Is there money in a sea of information?

Knowledge may double truth, never. If it is information that we need, God would have sent to us an educator. What is the need in the world today? Is it technology?

We're afraid of our technology today. If technology had been the need, God would have sent a scientist. What is the need in the world?

Is it money? Do you think that your problems would be solved if you had more money? If money had been the need, God would have sent an economist.

Do you think the need is more leisure? Maybe God should have sent an entertainer. No, our great need is salvation, is it not? And so God sent a savior, and I'm amazed and blessed that he sent the message to humble shepherds, and old Herod, the king, never did quite get it. He never did quite understand, but shepherds, humble shepherds understood the message.

Why? Because God has hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes. Do you want to understand who Jesus Christ is today? Then lay your intellectual pride in the dust and come to him and say, Lord, reveal this truth to me. Sing it and say, it'll come, let us adore him, Jesus Christ the Lord. Now, I said that the confession of his lordship secures salvation. That's the only way to be saved. Put in your margin Romans 10 verses 9 and 10. Listen to it.

This is black print on white paper. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Do you know what the Greek construction literally is? That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What is the confession? Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord. Now, are you saved? Before you answer, may I ask, is Christ your Lord? Now, if Christ is not your Lord, God sent me to tell you, you're not saved. You say, well, I accepted him as Savior. The Bible never says accept him as Savior.

The Bible says receive him. When I got married, I didn't receive Joyce as housekeeper. I took Joyce. I said, I do, and I meant it. I gave all of me to all of her.

I've learned a lot more about me and a whole lot more about her since that time. I didn't mean what I did when I said I do, but I meant it when I said I did. You cannot come to Jesus Christ with your fingers crossed behind your back and say, well, I'll have a little saviorhood today, but no lordship, thank you.

It's not a cafeteria line. One of the greatest preachers ever lived was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Let me quote, and I copied it out for you. Listen to it. Spurgeon said, if the convert declares that he knows the Lord's will, but doesn't mean to attend to it, it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Did you hear that?

Listen to it again. If the convert declares that he knows the Lord's will, but doesn't mean to attend to it, it is your duty, your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Don't imagine the gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their savior while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still in love with sin.

If I do so, I tell them a lie. I pervert the gospel. I insult Christ.

I turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. Now the great Spurgeon was not saying you're saved by good works, but he's saying you're saved by someone who is the Lord. A savior, which is Christ the Lord. You cannot have a come in savior and a stay out Lord type of salvation. What is it all about?

What is the bottom line? Why did Jesus step out of heaven? Why did he walk the shores of Galilee? Why did he settle the dust with his blood?

Why? May I give you a scripture? Listen to it. Romans 14 verse nine, for to this end, here's the bottom line, here's the purpose, listen. For to this end, Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord, both of the dead and the living. That's it.

That's it. That's a good verse to memorize, is it not? Let me give it again. Romans chapter 14 and verse nine. And so, listen, the confession of his lordship secures salvation. I cannot receive what Jesus gives and refuse who Jesus is. Will you say amen to that? Now, you may be waltzing into hell thinking you're going to heaven because you have never ever taken self off the throne and received the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation is by grace, but God does not save rebels. Have you bowed the knee to Jesus Christ? I don't say tip the hat. I don't care what you believe about him. Have you bowed the knee to Jesus?

What is the principle? You cannot receive what Jesus gives and refuse who Jesus is. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the what? The Lord. All right, now, here's the second thing I want to lay on your heart. The confession of Christ as Lord not only secures salvation, the confession of Christ as Lord simplifies service.

Here's the principle. We cannot confess him as Lord and serve any other master. Now, if he's Lord, then he is your master. He himself said, no man can serve two masters. When you said yes to Jesus Christ, when you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, listen to me, that was the last independent decision you ever made.

From there on, you don't make any more independent decisions. He is Lord, he is master. And look in Luke chapter 2 verse 17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. Their lives now are transformed, going about with a testimony.

Now, their lives and their decisions are drastically changed and narrowed. Some years ago, I heard about a young pastor who came to a church, a moderately small church, about 300 members, and one of the giddy ladies in that church said to him, you're going to have a difficult time trying to please all 300 of us. He said, madam, there's only one I'm going to try to please. His name is Jesus.

It's always him that ought to be good enough for the rest of you. Jesus. You see, he is the one that we serve.

We don't serve other people. Now, there's only one question that you ask after you bow the knee to Jesus Christ and receive him as Lord and Master and Savior of your life. It's the question that the apostle Paul asked on the road to Damascus, Lord, what would you have me to do? Lord, what do you want me to do?

You see, it simplifies service. Lord, what do you want? The best advice that anybody ever gave to another person was the advice that Mary gave that day when Jesus was turning water into wine. Before he did it, Mary said to the servants, whatever he says to you, do it.

You'll never get better advice than that. But when he says to you, do it. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Now, my life is to please Jesus. If I please Jesus, it doesn't matter whom I displease. If I displease Jesus, it really doesn't matter who I please. And the way to please Jesus is to obey the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I say it simplifies service. Have you ever decided to go out to eat? We all have. We get in the automobile. So, where do you want to go? Well, I don't know. You want some Chinese? I don't know. You want to go to Mexico? I don't know.

How about Italian? I don't know. And here's a car that's going this way all through the neighborhood like this. Turn here and you turn there. You're not going anywhere. But have you ever decided that you're going to a place before you get in the automobile?

Well, that's a lot of crooks and turns, doesn't it? You see, once you know that your life is under his control, you don't have to make so many little decisions because you have made one big decision. Now, it doesn't mean that you don't have to pray and ask him for guidance, but listen.

It is the last independent decision you'll ever make. Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all. Now, when you say Christ is Lord, that doesn't mean it is Christ and. It's never Christ and self or Christ and the world. It is Christ or self and Christ or the world. You see, he is alpha and omega.

That means he's the bookends. You don't add anything to the Lord Jesus Christ. Not Christ and, not Christ after. Let me give you a passage of scripture I copied out for you.

Verse 29, look in verse 57. Now, Jesus now has those who want to follow him. And it came to pass as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests.

But the son of man, that was Jesus' term for himself, the son of man hath not where to lay his head. He said unto another, follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first.

Now, that's the religion in America. We have in God we trust on our money, but me first on our hearts. Me first, suffer me first. Allow me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first, let me first.

You are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of heaven. Suffer me first.

Allow me first. May I tell you, if Jesus Christ doesn't come first, he doesn't come at all. You see, no one can serve two masters. Jesus said that.

It's absolutely totally impossible to serve two masters. His Lordship means that he's first. It's summed up in Matthew chapter six, verse 33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. When you say it and mean it that Jesus Christ is Lord, say it and mean it, it secures salvation.

When you say it and mean it, it simplifies service. Now here's the third thing. When you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, that subdues Satan. The confession of his Lordship subdues Satan. Here's the principle.

The principle is this. We need not fear what Satan does when we know who Jesus is. When we know who Jesus is, he is Lord. The devil hopes you never really truly understand the authority and the power that you have when the Lord of heaven and earth lives in your hearts. Look in Luke two, verses 10 and 11, and the angel said unto them, Fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

There's one fear that removes all other fears, and it's the fear of God. And this baby was born that he might take away fear. You see, he calls him a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The word Christ, look at it, comes from the Greek word Christos, which is a translation of the Old Testament word translated Messiah. When it says he is Christ the Lord, it means he is the Messiah. Well, who is the Messiah? Why did the Messiah come?

To crush Satan's kingdom. Do you know the first prophecy in the Bible? It's found back in the book of Genesis, chapter three, verses 14 and 15.

Listen to it. God is addressing Satan. Here he's taking the form of a serpent. And the Lord said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all the cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and thou, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. Now verse 15, here's the first prophecy in the Bible.

And I will put enmity, boys and girls, that means warfare. I will put warfare between thee and the woman, that is between the serpent and the woman. And between thy seed and her seed, that is the descendants of the serpent, Satan's devilish kingdom, and the descendant of the woman, between thy seed and her seed, it, the seed of the woman, shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Pastor, what on earth is all of that about?

Well, first of all, let me say, this is a very strange passage. The old rabbis used to scratch the heads and look at this, and they said, we don't understand this. The seed of the woman, it's not the woman that has seed. The seed comes from the man, not the woman. Notice Adam is there, but Adam is not mentioned at all.

Adam is out of this thing. Now here's a woman who's going to have descendancy, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The seed of the serpent is going to bruise the heel of this child but he's going to crush your head.

He's going to put his heel on your head and crush it. He's a virgin-born child, a little baby. The seed of a virgin is going to crush the serpent's head. And, friend, when you receive that child into your life, the crucified, risen Son of God, you have a power in you. That is awesome. You say, well, I'm not afraid of the devil.

Well, he ought to be afraid of you. You have awesome power in you. To confess that Jesus is Lord subdues Satan. Listen to Revelation chapter 12 and verse 11, and they overcame him whom the serpent, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. What is your testimony? Your testimony is that Jesus Christ is Lord.

You belong to him and he belongs to me. A great scripture here to put in your margin is Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he's talking about us now, the children of Adam. We're partakers of flesh and blood.

Everybody here is in flesh and blood. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise, now speaking of Jesus, says the same, that God, that is, took flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Why did Jesus take flesh and blood? Why did he step out of the glory? Why the incarnation?

Why the virgin birth? So that he might die. God in spirit cannot die.

God is spirit, and they that worship him, in spirit and in truth. The wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth it must surely die without shedding of blood. There's no remission. Jesus had to take flesh and blood that he might become a sacrifice upon that cross.

But in so doing, he brought Satan's kingdom crashing down. I got a letter a while back. Dear Dr. Rogers, I love the cute little stories you tell about children. I've been a kindergarten teacher in Covington for 21 years, and just when I think I've heard it all, something else will pop out of their little mouths.

I thought you would appreciate this. Last year we were making Santa Claus when one of my students asked me whose birthday it was. I told him Jesus. Another child said, I thought he got stabbed on the cross. Someone else spoke up and said, it's okay, because he busted out of the rocks. Well, I like that. He got stabbed on the cross for him, but he busted out of the rocks, didn't he? This teacher said, I didn't say anything else.

Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the last answer. When you say my sin is under the blood, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. When you bring your life in alliance with his divine will, and you simplify service by saying, I will follow him any time, any place, anywhere, any cost, then friend, you're going to find out that Satan will cower before you. He trembles. He trembles at a holy Christian. He cowers before a man of God. So long we've said, devil, if you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.

That's not good enough. You need to be on the offensive. The devil will try to mold you in to this world system. When you not only believe it in your heart, but confess it with your mouth, you know what's going to happen?

You will get bolder and bolder. People say, well, I get saved. What am I going to do about that old crowd? You just confess Jesus is Lord, they'll leave you.

You get bold in the Lord, you're going to have to go out so you can tell them about Jesus. What does the confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ do? It'll do the same thing for you it did for these shepherds. It secures salvation.

It simplifies service. It subdues Satan because, my precious friend, he is Lord. Do you believe it? Now, is he your Lord? If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.