Jesus is Your Lord

February 11-12, 2014 - Jesus Is Your Lord – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (KJV).

*The earliest creed or confession of the New Testament Church was not that Jesus is Savior, but that Jesus is Lord. Jesus Christ is specifically “Savior” 16 times in the New Testament and “Lord” more than 450 times. [Creed means a statement of the basic beliefs of a religious faith 2: a set of guiding principles or beliefs]  [*Notes from QVLA Bible]

It was said that some of the evangelists taught the people that Jesus can be your Savior without necessarily being your Lord. No one can receive Jesus as Savior without receiving Him as Lord. Peter preached that Jesus is both Lord and Christ (Ref. Acts 2:36-40). This was a very important part of apostles’ teaching and it was called, the creed. It was their basic belief that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior.  

 *“Lord” (Greek: kyrios) means having power, dominion, authority, and the right to master. When the New Testament Christians called Jesus “Lord” this was not just an outward profession but an inward sincere attitude of the heart by which they made Christ and His Word Lord over all of life. [*Notes from QVLA Bible]

There are two examples I would like to share. The first one was Stephen who acknowledged that Jesus is Lord even when Stephen died as martyr. When they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and he fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. (Ref. Acts 7:59-60). [Acknowledge means recognize the rights or authority of or to admit the truth]

The second one was Paul who acknowledged that Jesus is Lord over his health. Paul said, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, “My gracious favor (grace) is all you need. My power works best in your weakness” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (Ref. 2Cor.12:8-10).

“… God raised him (Jesus) up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 NLT). 

Do you confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord as well as your Savior? Guess what my response was to this question? A song: Yea, Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord! (Latin Hymn, Frederick Oakeley, tr., Sing His Praise)

    Song: He is Lord

He is Lord, He is Lord

He is risen from the grave

     and He is Lord.

Every knee shall bow,

     every tongue confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

(Inspiring Choruses)