Thanks, Jesus, for Saving Me…I’ll Pass on Your Lordship!
Here’s the BIG Question…Are you claiming Christ is Lord but not surrendering to His Lordship in your life? Remember, we don’t MAKE Him Lord, He always has been and always will be…are you submitting to Him as Lord?
Whether intentional or just careless, often after grace and salvation are taught and “achieved,” we either assume or ignore what we are saved for and called to be…His disciples. In order to be His disciples, we must submit to Him as Lord.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
As preachers, teachers and any/all followers of Christ who take seriously the Great Commission, we can’t just assume that mature disciples just happen upon receiving salvation and then send out babes in Christ to show others how much God loves them (and for that matter how much we love them) by simply serving them. This requires humility and patience…neither of which we have much, or any of, outside of Christ and our maturing as His disciples.
Don’t get me wrong, we need to be in and be His Church, we need to serve and give. But we first need to understand what it means to surrender to Christ as Lord:
- His Love is the Source – We love because He first loved us and only as a believer can we grow in His Love and Lordship and as we…
- Learn to love Him above all else and with all we are
- Are set apart for His purposes
- Know and learn to love who we are in Christ so we can then
- Love and serve others as we do ourselves, then we can…
- Build loving relationships that
- Glorify Him and draw others to His Love and Lordship!
Grace by Faith
If a person is not moving in faith in Christ then they are not being motivated by His Grace but by something else…emotion, pride, reward/gain, etc.
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5
Over the next few weeks we’ll explore some of God’s commands, principles and teachings for the sake of our maturing in Christ and The Holy Spirit. Only when we take the time to do so can we begin to build loving relationships and make disciples. Obedience is expected and we should be held accountable, and graciously hold others accountable, upon our decision to receive His gift of salvation. However, maturity takes time and as mentioned earlier…humility and patience.
GOD’S GIFT AND OUR WORK
How are we doing with the following teachings and principles from God’s Word? How are we to help and expect young followers of Christ to be able to love, share, disciple and help grow others as disciples in Christ if we’re not teaching and training these principles from His Word? Love (it’s commanded); seeking Him with all our heart and His Kingdom and righteousness as first priority; sanctification (big word that I’ll explain in time); study; discipleship; authority; relationship, including and especially, marriage and family and His Church.
How can we disciple others if we are not growing and maturing in the disciplines of His Word and in His will ourselves? We will discuss spiritual disciplines as we continue with the L&L message but so we are not pushing folks out the door to serve who are totally unprepared to do so.
We’ve flipped the script! And when it’s God’s script that’s flipped, there’s trouble! Let me ask a couple more questions…Why do we spend all our time trying to “save” people…a work that only God can do? NOTE: We are certainly to share the Gospel message as the foundation for everything else we’re doing but salvation is ultimately His work and gift to us.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23…It is a gift and it is in Christ OUR LORD!
Why is it that we spend so little time and energy doing the very work that He has called us to do…maturing as disciples that make disciples?
HIS KINGDOM, HIS FRUIT
We cannot let programs, buildings, pride or “success” get in the way! We need to move from a corporate success model to His Kingdom fruit model and in faith let Him be responsible for the fruit that we simply bear! His Fruit is disciples growing together in genuine, loving relationships in Christ…the currency of His Kingdom! Every relationship flows from our relationship with Him.
For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:7-8
If we think that showing up, signing up and serving is what makes Him Lord then we’re sorely missing out on what it means for Him to be Lord and for us to be His disciples. It is good and worthwhile to show up, sign up and serve but it must be an overflow of who we are in Him. Are you spending time to know and love Him above everything else? When you do this it will make all the difference in all you do and especially in all other relationships.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
It will require all of us who truly know Him as Savior and Lord but He is able!
Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – When you consider your relationship with Christ do your actions reveal Him only as your Savior or are you submitting to His Lordship?
Love and Lordship…Action Item – Spend some time in His Word and in prayer and ask The Lord to reveal areas in your life that you have not submitted to Him?
Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!