Jesus Our Lord (Acts 2.29-39, 1 Corinthians 8.4-6, Matthew 7.21-23)

Introduction

No figure in the history of the world has had a greater impact than Jesus of Nazareth. No one has had more books written about him. No one has been the subject of as many songs as he has. We’ve sung a couple already this morning. No one has had more paintings done of him – and we don’t even know what he looked like!

In every possible way, his life is totally matchless and completely beyond comparison.

We’ve been looking at Jesus our righteousness, our friend, our wisdom and our saviour over the last few weeks. In the next few weeks we’re going to look at Jesus our peace, our joy, our life, our shepherd and our king.

But today, in both morning services, the theme is Jesus our Lord. What does it mean that Jesus is Lord?

Radical Affirmation

I’ve have just finished Andrew Wilson’s excellent little book Incomparable, in which he talks about four words that change the world. Very often it’s phrases of four words that spark revolutions, or shape societies or turn the tables on tyranny. Four simple words.

“I have a dream.” That explosive phrase sent a shiver down the spine of every African American and turned the tide in their struggle for civil rights.

There’s a statue of Winston Churchill just off the Champs-Elysees in Paris that I used to drive past once a week. There are four words, in English, engraved on the plinth. And those four words galvanised the people of these islands against the evil of Hitler. “We shall never surrender.”

I can’t say those words without feeling patriotic and ready, if it came to it, to lay down my life to defend our freedoms.

There are hundreds. Make love not war. Power to the people.

And, perhaps slightly less rousing and inspirational, from the last general election, “I agree with Nick.” 

When you think about it, many of the major turning points in history (and I don’t think the last general election was one of those), many of the major turning points in history have been marked by subversive rallying cries of four simple words.

But the most subversive, the most counter-cultural, the most radical, the most table-turning of them all is this: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” 

We find it hard to appreciate in the West today - we can’t relate to it easily - but in the 1st Century Roman Empire, the most dangerous thing you could say was “Jesus Christ is Lord.” In many parts of the world today, it still is.

From Morocco across North Africa, throughout the Middle East and deep into central Asia, all the way to Indonesia and as far as China; from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Christians are dying every day for saying “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

According to the International Bulletin of Missionary Research 170,000 people are killed every year for their stated belief that Jesus Christ is Lord. And many more are beaten and imprisoned and have their houses burned down.

Last week in the Spectator there was an article showing that of all terrorist attacks committed against religious groups over 80% are directed against Christians who refuse to back down from saying “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The Meaning of the Word “Lord”

What does the word “lord” even mean? We certainly don’t use this word in the way that the first Christians did in New Testament times.

When we hear the word “lord” in a modern context, we think of things like the House of Lords; out of touch, slightly otherworldly but generally harmless old men in decorative gowns.

Everybody knows they have no real power and there is a growing political mood to abolish them altogether – or at least replace them. But Jesus is nothing like a member of the House of Lords.

If we don’t think about the House of Lords, we might think of lords of the manor; slightly eccentric landowning gentry who live in castles or stately homes and employ butlers and maids. But Jesus is nothing like a lord of the manor.

Or we think of the time lord, Doctor Who. Or of cartoon characters like Lord Snooty. Or mythological legends like the Lord of the Rings. Jesus is nothing like any of them either.

None of the ordinary usages of the word “lord” in modern English even faintly approach what the word meant in New Testament times.

So what do we mean when we call Jesus “Lord”?

We’ve used the word 24 times in our first two songs and Communion prayer already. We’ve hardly noticed at all. It’s (like) similar to when some (like) teenagers say “like” several times (like) every sentence, I don’t think most of them know they’re doing it. In the same way, we aren’t aware that we are using the word “Lord” most of the time.

The word we translate as “lord” (the word in Greek is kyrios) has changed over the years. It was first used in ancient times by a school pupil to address his or her teacher. It was a bit like calling teachers today “Sir” or “Miss.”

When I go into Saint Mary’s school, in front of the children I address the teachers as Mr Moorfoot and Mrs. Carver instead of David and Shirley - which is what I call them in the staff room. It’s about modeling respect and manners.

But the word “lord” evolved over time. It was later used by employees to address their employers. Then, later still, it was used by slaves whenever they spoke to their owners.

Only after that did the word progress in status to become the word the subjects of a kingdom would use to address their sovereign, “my lord, the king.”

And finally, the word began to be used in the context of worship. Worshippers would pray to their god as lord.

By this time, Roman emperors had claimed divine status. You had to accept Caesar as one of the gods. We know from archaeology that Roman coins had Caesar’s image on it with the inscription Caesar divi filius (“Caesar son of the divine”).

They used to take that very seriously. Everyone had to burn a pinch of incense in the temple dedicated to the emperor and say “Caesar is lord.”

That didn’t mean that Caesar was the only lord. No one thought that, not even Caesar. You could still have your favourite god as long as you worshipped Caesar as well.

The Jews were given a legal dispensation. The Romans knew it would only cause riots so they said that the Jews didn’t have to.

But Christians did have to. The authorities would say, “Look. You can keep Jesus. That’s fine. But you’ve got to bow down to Caesar as well. All you’ve got to do is burn a pinch of incense once a year and say three little words.”

It was your patriotic duty, like standing for the national anthem, saluting the flag or curtseying to the queen. If you refused to say “Caesar is lord” you were seen as anti-Roman and disloyal.

But if Jesus Christ is Lord, he is Lord 100%, not 50%, 80% or even 95%. “Jesus is Lord” means only Jesus is Lord. As someone once put it, if Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all.

Think about this; a husband is 95% faithful to his wife. How faithful is he? For every ninety-five times a man sleeps with his wife he sleeps with five other women once each. Would you call him faithful? Of course not. 95% faithfulness is called infidelity.

That’s why Christians in the 1^st Century didn’t back down. They were thrown to the lions and torn limb from limb. Because Jesus is Lord, no one else. They were burned alive, used as fuel to light the torches in Nero’s garden. Because Jesus is Lord, and Caesar is not.

The question is why? What has Jesus done that deserves your total commitment and my exclusive allegiance?

There are three answers, they each begin with “R” and you can find them in our three readings. 

His Resurrection

Firstly, he deserves our allegiance as Lord because of his resurrection.

In our reading from Acts, just 50 days after Jesus was crucified by a baying mob in Jerusalem the Apostle Peter is preaching to a crowd of onlookers in the same city.

And now, Peter is saying to his listeners “he was killed, and you killed him.” But then he says this: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it and he has poured out [the promised Holy Spirit] as you now see and hear.” 

The evidence was right before their eyes. The outpouring of the Spirit with signs and wonders was visible and audible proof that Jesus was alive again.

And then Peter says this; “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 

That’s why he is Lord. No one else has ever managed to overcome death - but he has. 

You can go down to London and visit Westminster Abbey. You’ll see tablets of stone marking the buried remains of the great and the good. Our greatest leaders are buried there, our most brilliant scientists are buried there, our most inspirational artists are buried there.

There are monuments and shrines the world over marking the final resting places of the world’s most admired figures. But Jesus has no tomb and no memorial.

Why not? Because he doesn’t need one. He is alive today and he is Lord over death and hell, holding the keys to both.

His Reign

Secondly, he is Lord because of his reign. Take a look at our second reading from 1 Corinthians 8.

The Apostle Paul is writing to a young church in a city that was full of idols and false gods. He says that in the world there are hundreds of them. There are. There are 33 million deities in Hinduism alone. But when you add them all up, says Paul, they amount to nothing because even though you can pray to them and burn incense to them, they have no power.

They don’t heal anybody when they’re sick, they can’t answer prayer, they can’t forgive your sins and if you suffer from addictions you’re on your own - they’ll do nothing for you.

“Even if there are so-called gods” he says, “…there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

All things come from him. He speaks and things come into being. He is Lord of creation. That’s his reign. 

We live through him. He is Lord of our lives. He changes lives, he heals the sick, he answers prayer, he forgives sin and sets you free from your addictions. That’s his reign. 

He said “All authority has been given to me.” He is Lord of all. That’s his reign. 

His Return

And thirdly, Jesus is Lord because of his return.

The New Testament tells us the story of what he did when he came. But did you know that one verse in every 30 in the New Testament tells us that he’s coming back?

In our gospel reading, Jesus talks about the day when he will return and one of the conversations he will have. Let’s listen to what he says again.

“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you.”

What does Jesus mean here? He is saying that a verbal profession of faith with nothing to back it up is not enough. “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord.” “Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord.”

He’s talking about people who give lip service. You know when we say that someone is “all talk.” That’s what he means here.

But these people are able to talk of their prophecies. Is it a surprise to you that you can prophesy and still not get to heaven? Shouldn’t we eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy? Yes, but the Bible says that there are false prophets who claim to have a word from the Lord but who speak on their own authority.

But these people talk of driving out demons and doing miraculous signs. Is it a surprise to you that you can do signs and wonders and still not get to heaven? Shouldn’t we expect to see signs and wonders when the kingdom advances? Yes, and I pray that we will see more of that than we do. But the Bible also says that in the last days there will be counterfeit signs and wonders. It says “test all things.”

What will the Lord Jesus look for when he returns? He tells us.

“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.”

He will look for those who are, in a word, obedient. Obedient to what God says here (holding up a Bible). That’s what it really means when you say “Jesus Christ is Lord.” What he says goes.

He will say to those who just pay him lip service, without anything to show for it “I never knew you.”

He will look for those who know him. Many people know about him. But do you know him? Is he Lord of your life?

Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike talk about “God.” That’s all well and good. But have you ever noticed that those who really know him in their everyday conversations often talk about “the Lord.” It’s not an expression unbelievers really use.

Ending

So there you have it. Jesus Christ is Lord.

If Jesus is Lord of my life, he’s got first refusal on my money and my time.

He is above my family, my career, my leisure and my holidays.

The way I use language and humour, the way I interact on the Internet, the way I drive, how much I eat and drink, the tone I use when speaking with members of the opposite sex - all that and more - we make it our aim to glorify God because Jesus Christ is Lord.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 27th October 2013