We direct your attention this morning to the 5th chapter of the book of Matthew. I want to speak to you on the subject of the Lordship of Christ, as we define what we mean by Lordship. The Lordship of Jesus Christ, Matthew 5, verses 17 and 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." I'm going to continue reading in verses 19 and 20. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God." What do we mean by the Lordship of Jesus Christ? That is our theme this morning that we want to try to give a proper definition thereunto. In this statement here, the Master states his own personal pronoun several times. And he says that I am not come to destroy the law, that is, the law of Moses, or the prophets. I haven't come to undermine what the prophets preached. Because I haven't come as a destroyer, but I have come as a fulfiller. And I say unto you that heaven and earth shall pass away, that is, what has been taught in the past is going to continue into existence. And that heaven and earth shall not pass away till all of it is brought to fulfillment. And that whoever understands my teachings in such a way that they go out and teach men to break even the least of the commandments, they shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever shall teach men to observe all of these commandments, then the same shall be called the greatest. For I say unto you, who was this person that was doing the talking? And in what way was he teaching that was different from the way the people in that generation were being taught? Go over to the close of the message in the seventh chapter of the book of Matthew, and you'll see the impression that the Sermon on the Mount left upon the hearers that day. Verses 28 and 29 of Matthew 7. It came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings that people were astonished at his doctrine, or his teachings. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." In other words, Jesus was teaching in such a way that when he made statements, I say unto you, it was being understood that he was speaking as if God himself were speaking. Because when the scribes taught the people, in order to make it authoritative, they would always quote from some other scribe in order to back up their statements. But Jesus did not have to quote for a higher authority. He appealed to himself, I say unto you, as the highest of all authority. This time last week I had the opportunity of speaking in southern Florida. on the East Coast in a church that I'd never spoken in before. It was a most helpful week for me, for it reminds me that when I go out to speak, it's good to get to speak in a church once in a while that is not of your persuasion. And the message I brought last Sunday morning is the message I'm bringing now, because the way it was received then, I want to play it again, Sam. just to make sure that I am not off base. Because it was not well received at all, and I want to bring it in the same light to see just how you receive it, and remind myself the privilege it is of preaching in a congregation that for the most part believes what you believe. Because when you run into a situation in a church which does not believe what you believe, then it quickly comes to the surface. So we're dealing with the Lordship of Christ, the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, what it means. And we are presenting now this first definition that Christ claims to have authority in himself. He does not have to look to others for approval. but that he can stand and say that I am the final appeal. This is what you have been hearing, you have heard it said like this, but I say unto you." And six times in the Sermon on the Mount he said, you have heard it hath been said, but I say unto you, this is how it is. He could also on another occasion make such a statement as this, I am the way, the truth, and the life. no man cometh to the Father but by me." He claimed to not only be an authority from God, he claimed to be the sole authority from God. That everything which was to be made known of God to man, he claimed that divine right and that privilege. So that Jesus was not the founder of an ecumenical religion. which embrace many, many different beliefs and many, many different ways of approaching God. Jesus set forth that there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. I am that way, that truth, and that life. And that we must enter in at this straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereafter." Now turn with me to the book of Mark, chapter 10, as we begin to work this thing through of what we mean by the Lordship of Jesus Christ, that none can stand on an equal par with Jesus. He claims that exclusive privilege, and God has so approved of Jesus that he has raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand, and there is only one person there. Mohammed's not there, Confucius is not there, Abraham is not there, only Jesus Christ is at the Father's right hands. He claims that exclusive privilege and right. Now in Mark chapter 10, and begin reading in about verse 40, here is the occasion in which the disciples are asking in the person of James and John, to be seated on the right hand and one on the left when Jesus sets up his kingdom. And Jesus states back up into verse 35, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And I interject this thought as I did last Sunday morning. I'll try it out upon you how you receive it. It is the mark of a false humanistic religion that uses God for self-desires. It is not the privilege of men to go to God and say, this is what I want you to do for me. It is God's prerogative to have his desires made known unto men. Now watch on, he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? What is it you really want?" And they said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy glory. When you establish your glorious kingdom, we want to be in the political system, we want to be the one that's right here and the one that's over here. That's where we want to be, that's our desire. And Jesus said unto them, You know not what you are asking. Can you drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? And this is a reference to his sufferings on the cross, for he has already been physically baptized in Jordan by now. And they said unto him, We can. There is another mark of improper religion, boasting in abilities. And Jesus said unto them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, you are going to suffer with me. And with the baptism that I am baptized with, thou shalt be baptized. But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared." That is, this thing is already established. and you're not going to change what God has prepared. He's already established who's going to be on the right hand and the left, and it's not my privilege to change that," Jesus stated. Then when the ten heard it in verse 41, they began to be much displeased with James and John. That's usually the mark of division in a group of people, is that when people begin to get their eyes off of God and begin to get their eyes on what they want and what they desire. And now everybody starts turning in on one another. Now watch in the statement, Jesus called to them and said unto them, You know that they which are accounted to the rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them. Here our Lord defines what lordship is. He says, your request is wrong because you are following the political system of this present world. The Gentile rulers which exercise lordship, that is, they are put into this office, they have the privilege of exercising their options over others. They have authority to rule over others. But he said, you in my kingdom, this is not going to be the way my kingdom is going to work between the Lord and the servant, because if you want to be great, don't seek to be the Lord, but seek to be a minister and to serve others, even as the Son of Man, the Lord of glory himself, came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life of ransom for many. In this statement, our Master defines lordship, and he says it is the authority to rule and exercise your options over the lives of others. Whoever is in the place of the Lord, they are the person who makes the ultimate decision. Thus, if we define this in our Lord's own definition, then his lordship consists of his own authority or power to exercise his options over the affairs of the lives of men. Now, secondly, let's go to John chapter 17 and verse 2. What does lordship mean? Secondly, it is the right to use your own power as your own wisdom sees best. God has ultimate power. He has power to create the heavens and the earth, and the Bible says he did it. But he also has power to create thousands of heavens and thousands of earth. But he only chose to create one. Why? Because his wisdom saw best how to use his power. A lord is someone who has ability, but they also have wisdom to know how to use that ability. And it's when someone abuses that ability that they usually run into problems with those whom they are attempting to govern. Now, watch in John 17, verse 1. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. and this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Notice in Jesus' high priestly prayer here of intercession, he states that he has been given power over all of the human race. He has ability to exercise his options as a ruler over all flesh. That means every kindred, tribe, and tongue is under the authority of Jesus Christ. But now he exercises that power of eternal life to give to as many as the Father has given unto him. That is, he uses his wisdom as to how that power is to be directed. He doesn't just, as God could have, spoke a thousand worlds into existence, but he spoke one into existence. And Jesus could speak a thousand more worlds into existence, but he does not do so because it is not prepared or in the plan of God to do so. So Jesus uses his power as the wisdom of the infinite God has ordained. And he gives eternal life, which is defined as the knowledge of the character of the true God and of his Son, Jesus Christ, to men. And he does it as he exercises his options to do so. On Psalm 115, verse 3, we have here a definition of what it means to rule in the heavens. that all authority has been given unto Jesus Christ. And as in Mark chapter 10, Jesus has defined the authority to exercise lordship over the lives of others. Psalm chapter 115, and verse 2, the heathen ask the question of believers. Where is your God? What's your God like? And the reply from God's people is this. Our God is in the heavens. Well, what does that mean? We ask you a question. What's your God like? We didn't ask where he was at, we asked what is he like? And the believers reply, Our God's in the heavens, and here's what it means to be in the heavens, the latter part of verse 3. He hath done whatsoever he hath wought, if pleased. Now, that's what makes God distinct from all other gods, small g's, is that God is the only being who is able to control all of the affairs of heaven and earth so as to bring to pass that which pleases him in his purpose. No other god can do that. And then the remainder of the 115th Psalm is a description of the limited God's conjured up in the minds of men's imaginations. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, they speak not, and eyes have they, but they see not, and ears, and you're well familiar with that portion of scripture. All of this is a description of a limited God. A God who may have eyes, but he can't see with them, so he has limitations. But the one true God of heaven and earth, to know him in eternal life, is that he is able to bring the past whatsoever he hath pleased. Now, is that all right with you? As I said last week, it might as well be, because it's not going to make any bit of difference. If you don't like it, God's going to go right ahead and do what pleases him, because he holds the options. We don't. We are limited beings, and we can only control the little, minute affairs of our life, and you let those things backfire on us, and we feel like that we're lost if we feel like we can't even control our little lives here. God never has had that feeling. God did not look down in the Garden of Eden and see Adam and Eve fall into sin and say, Oh my, everything is out of control here! I've lost control, what are we going to do? Son, what happened? This wasn't the way we had it planned. What are we going to do now? And then have to sit around trying to come up with the plan of redemption. No, my friend, the Lamb of God was slain in the purpose of God from the foundation of the world, and before there was ever a sinner on the scene, there was a Savior. Before there was ever a sinner, there was a Lamb in the pasture. His name was Jesus. He was ready to go to save sinners. And the cross of Jesus Christ is not an ambulance sent to the scene of an accident. What happened in the Garden of Eden was displeasing to God's revealed will, but it did not sneak up on the blind side of God. So as a result, why God can set and rule and reign in the heavens and the earth, and where sin abounds, what do we now know? Grace does much more abound. So in order to manifest the attribute of his grace and mercy, there must be permitted by the decree of God, sin, to enter the world. God holds the options, he's the Lord. And if he doesn't hold those options, then we have no assurance that we're ever going to see him in glory if he is not the sovereign ruler of heaven and earth. But our God is in the heavens, he's able to do whatsoever he hath pleased. Thirdly, lordship is not only the ability to rule over others, and it's not only the privilege of using the options. of your ability to determine what the outcome shall be, but lordship is the ability to control all the events of life so as to fulfill one's own good pleasure or purpose." Matthew 28, verse 18. Our Lord could give the Great Commission here in this form. Let me read it to you. Matthew 28, verse 18. This is the marching orders of the Church. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven, and where else? And on earth. Our God's just not out there in the heavens, he's exercising his good pleasure down here on earth as well. As a result, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." That's the marching orders of the Church. Someone says, What right, what business do you have to intrude into my affairs, to knock on my door or to send a track, give me this track? Mind your own business. It is our business. It is our business. What right does any Christian representative have to knock on somebody's door or to witness in the name of Jesus Christ and to intrude into the lives of men? Because Jesus Christ says he has all authority given unto him, and all men owe him allegiance. That's why. It's his world, not men's worlds. Thus he could say, if you encounter opposition, you remember I have authorized you to go and teach whatsoever I have taught, and I will be with you with that authority even unto the end of the world. So Christians have marching orders to witness unto the honor and glory of Jesus Christ because he has been granted all authority. Now let's go to John chapter 19, and let's see how he exercises this authority, how he exercises his wisdom. The nineteenth chapter of John. Jesus appears here before Pilate, Pilate being the ruler who can determine the outcome of the trial. Jesus has been charged with blasphemy. by the Jewish leaders, and we read in verse 8, "...when Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and he went again into the judgment hall and said unto Jesus, Whence art thou? where do you come from? But Jesus gave him no answer." Now, watch what this ruler of the Gentiles stated to him. Remember, Jesus has defined for us in Mark 10. that they which rule in the Gentiles exercise lordship over others." Now, let's see how Pilate understood this, what he means to exercise lordship. Then said Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? You're not going to answer me? Knowest thou not I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Don't you know that I, as the Lord, have the option of either speaking a word and releasing you, or I have the option of speaking a word and having you crucified. And you're going to sit there silent. You sit up in this court, Jesus, and you show respect unto the honor of the court. I'll hold you in contempt. I'm the one who determines what your outcome is going to be. Now look how Jesus answered this Gentile Lord. Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. How did he reply? Yes, you think that you hold the options, Pilate, of whether I'm going to the cross or whether I'm going to be set free. I want to remind you. there's someone else who's holding the options. And he's above you. He is ultimately God himself. And he has determined whether I shall be released from your court or whether I shall be crucified. And you cannot exercise your options as a ruler in the kingdom of the Gentiles until God, first of all, exercises his option to determine how he's going to let you go. Now that's humbling, isn't it? We have elections here in our United States of America, in our democratic form of government, in which we vote for two individuals for president. who determines who the next President is going to be. You say, well, the American people do. Now, Pilate, hold it just a moment. The American people go and they cast their options, but each option is under the control of the God of heaven and earth. how those individuals are going to vote, how they're going to be influenced. For God raises up kings and he puts down kings, and he doesn't necessarily do this apart from human instrumentality, but he is in control of all the human instrumentalities. Richard Nixon can win the electorate and be the most powerful man on earth, and twenty-four hours later He can be waving this on a plane. But he was leaving not as a victor, he was leaving humiliated. For God raises up kings and he pulls down kings. Now, what is this but saying? Pilate, you claim as a man, you hold me in the outcome of your decision. Pilate, I remind you that before you can exercise your decision, God must first of all approve it in the courts of heaven. That means then that Jesus could look that earthly king right in the eye and say, I will go to the cross because God has ordained it for me to go to the cross. I have the power to give my life, and I have the power to take it again." And as he was hanging there on the cross, nailed by his feet and by his hands, the text says that he could have called twelve legion of angels and set himself free. Do you recall when they came up to capture him, that is, the Roman army? That when they asked, Are you him? When he replied, what happened to that army? The text says the whole army fell backwards to the ground just by his one reply. Why? Because that's the same voice which blows the hurricanes, that's the same voice which speaks, and all the affairs of heaven and earth are held in their orbit. That's Jesus Christ. He holds the options. So while it looked like, from human viewpoint, that Pilate was holding the options and controlling Jesus, all the time Jesus had Pilate under his option. Jesus could have spoken life to Pilate, and Pilate would have bowed before him the way that soldier did there at the cross. and said, truly, this was the what? The Son of God. Do you believe that? Jesus could have done so with Pilate, but he opted not to, because he didn't have to. God does not have to do what we think he ought to do. That is his prerogative. That's what makes him distinct from all of us. For his ways are what? not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. In raising four children, it's been a difficult thing to try to convey from an adult perspective to a child what you'd like to have done, isn't it, you that are parents? And that's because it's difficult to get the experience and the insight and the know-how that an adult has to try to convey that unto a child. And so there are times when I, as an earthly father, instead of giving a reason, I've just said to one of my children, trust me and do what I say. My people, if our Heavenly Father, the One who knows all things, who knows every detail, knows so much more than we, then it's not incumbent upon us when things happen that we don't understand why they're occurring. to say, well, maybe God knows something that we don't know. Maybe God has an insight into this matter that we don't know anything about, and he's calling upon us as his people, trust me, trust me. Even though it may seem like that with the words of the disciples when the ship was going down, Master, don't you even care for us that we're perishing? It may cause us to misinterpret the character of God. But God doesn't always come and give us an explanation for what is going on. He could, but he opts not to. And so God is the one who is able to do of his good pleasure and of his purpose. Seeing, then, that lordship is the ability to rule over others, to exercise their power if their wisdom sees best, so as to bring to pass their purpose. then when Jesus says, I say unto you, he is executing divine authority. He's claiming that privilege which no one else has had given unto them. And he was speaking unto us, not as a man to men, not as a philosopher to a group of philosophers, but he was speaking as God to men. For he was God incarnate in the flesh. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the final, was and is the final messenger of God to men. There will be no more messengers. Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2 says that God, who at sundry times in divers' manner spake unto time past unto us by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, Jesus Christ. And when Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, beginning his earthly ministry at age thirty, there was a voice from heaven who said that this is my beloved Son, hear ye what? Hear ye him. He's the completion, the final voice of God from heaven to man. So let all the Herbert W. Armstrongs and all the modern-day prophets have their mouths ceased. He's the final one. Mr. Armstrong, notwithstanding, who said the truth of God disappeared for 1,800 years after the early Church disappeared until God restored his truth through his teaching in Herbert W. Armstrong's ministry. That's not true. God's truth has never disappeared. It has always had its advocates, it has been marching on through the centuries. And that truth is not a man, it is the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He holds the options. He is able to call out his Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He is God's final messenger to men, and heaven and earth may pass away, but not one of his teachings shall ever fall into failure. This is the Lord with whom we are dealing. Now, I don't know about you, but that gives me a little consolation then, that the world is not resting on my shoulders. That when I stumble and fail, that God has allowed me to stumble and fall, but he is still holding the options. And if these be not the words of life, what will we put in its place? If Jesus Christ is not the one who is at the right hand of God, able to do of his own good pleasure and his good will, then my people, why are we here today? What are we meeting for? Are we here just to worship an unknown God, pat ourselves on the back as some type of a Christian support group, or are we here to worship and to serve Jesus Christ? I present to you this morning. Jesus is Lord of glory. And it takes the divine work of the Holy Spirit to enable the sinful soul of man to see that. But when that work was done in Saul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus, when he was smitten to the ground, and he cried out, Who art thou, Lord? Who are you? The reply was, I am Jesus. whom you kick against. I'm the Lord. And you know what the second question of Saul's that came from his mouth was? Who can tell me? Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? If you ever see Jesus as the Lord, this thing of serving him will fall right in place. But if you view him as just a philosopher, a good teacher, then you'll sit and you'll argue with him about some things he teaches. If you view him as just another man of your equal, then you'll incorporate him into your life as your equal. But if you see him as God in the flesh, you'll acknowledge him as Lord. And the next question will be, how can I be of service to you? Because I'm the servant. Do you love him as Lord? Do you acknowledge him as Lord today? Is he the master of your life? That is our proposition. Let's stand together.