Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians
chapter one. Today we're going to look at
the Lordship of Christ, just in Sunday school here. Now oftentimes,
oftentimes folks will talk about the Lordship of Christ. It's
been a hot topic for many years in professing Christianity, the
Lordship of Christ. You've probably heard folks say,
just make Jesus Lord of your life. You ever heard that? You hear that often time. in
professing Christianity circles. But God beat everyone to it already,
because God has made Christ Lord, and he's been Lord since eternity.
And he's Lord now, and he will be Lord forever. But sometimes
when folks talk about that, they talk about, just make Jesus Lord
of your life in salvation. And then when you start to talk
to the folks about what they believe, you find out they really
don't believe he's Lord. We believe from the scriptures
that Christ is Lord over all. Not just salvation, but providence
and everything. And we'll look at that today,
how Christ, the Lordship of Christ in light of him being Lord over
all things, over all people, Lord in salvation. He is Lord,
period. He is Lord. So let's look at
Ephesians chapter 1, we'll look at verses 20 to 22. And keep in mind, the Lordship
of Christ. Which he wrought, verse 20, which
he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above
all principality and power and might and dominion. every name
not his name, not only in the world, but also in that which
is to come. And has put all things under his feet. So here the scripture
plainly declares that all things are under Christ's feet. That
means he's Lord. That means he's King. And gave
him to be the head over all things to the church. He's Lord over
all things and he's Lord in the church too. He's Lord in the
church. So some folks have suggested
a person can be saved, but not make Jesus Lord of their lives.
That's why they say that silly statement, just make Jesus Lord
of your life. Because when they say that sometimes,
they're saying that, well, you're a Christian, but you haven't
made Jesus Lord of your life because you're struggling with
all these kind of things. Well, I've got news for them. The Christian
life is a constant struggle. And the Christian life is a constant
struggle from beginning to end because we're sinners. Because
we're sinners. But we who believe are saved
sinners. Saved sinners. And Jesus Christ
is our Lord. We acknowledge his Lordship. We don't make him Lord. We acknowledge
his Lordship. He's already Lord, beloved. He's
already Lord. So this statement, just make
Jesus Lord of your life, and you're supposedly a Christian,
and you just make Jesus Lord of your life. Number one, we
don't make Jesus Lord. And number two, the scriptures
never proclaim that Christ is not Lord to the believer, because
Christ is our Lord. And if you go through scripture
and you read different portions, you will see the people say,
Lord, the leper, Lord, if that will, you will see it constantly,
constantly. So it's an acknowledgement and
acknowledgement of who Christ is. So the statement that religious
folks make is totally foreign to scripture. It's outrageous.
It's outrageous. As I said, we don't make Jesus
Lord, God has already beaten us to it. Acts 2, 36 says this. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ. God hath made him that.
And God made him that from eternity. He's the son of God. He's the
creator. He's the creator of all things.
So let's look at some some points from scripture with this in consideration. That the scriptures declare that
Jesus Christ is Lord. Turn if you would to Zechariah
chapter 6 verse 5 and then put your finger in Acts chapter 10.
The scriptures declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, not only in salvation,
not only in salvation, But beloved, He's Lord over all.
He's Lord over all. Zechariah chapter 6. He's Lord
over all. The Old Testament proclaims this
and the New Testament proclaims this. Zechariah chapter 6 and
Acts chapter 10. Zechariah chapter 6 verse 5.
And the angel answered and said unto me, these are the four spirits
of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord
of all the earth. the Lord of all the earth. And then turn over the New Testament.
So there's the Old Testament declaring this truth. Look at
the New Testament in Acts chapter 10, Acts chapter 10. The New
Testament reveals who he is. Acts chapter 10, verse 34 to
36. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive
that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth
him and worketh righteousness accepted with him. The word which
God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ, look at this, He is. See, we don't make Him. Look
at what it proclaims here, beloved. He is Lord of all. That's our Savior. That's our
Redeemer. We acknowledge His Lordship.
He's already Lord. He's already Lord. So let us
consider the first point. The Lordship of Christ manifested.
Manifested. In Acts 2.36 it says that God
has made this Jesus whom he crucified both Lord and Christ. God manifested
the Lordship of Christ when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in heavenly places. And we see
this in our text, in verse 20 of our text. which he wrought
in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places. Mankind denied Christ's
lordship by crucifying him. God vindicated Christ's lordship
by resurrection, by resurrecting him and exalting him to his right
hand. Peter the apostle declares in
Acts 2.36 again, that God hath made this Jesus whom he crucified,
both Lord and Christ, both Lord and Christ. Turn, if you would,
to Luke, chapter 2. Luke, chapter 2. And I'll read
Romans 1, 4, which says this, "...and declared to be the Son
of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead." So God has made Jesus both Lord
and Christ in the sense of declaring Him to be so through His resurrection.
Look at Luke, chapter 2, verse 11. For unto you is born in this
day, this day in the city of David the Savior, which is, what's
his name? Christ the Lord. That's his name. That's one of his titles. He's
the Lord. Whether people believe it or
not, we don't make him Lord, do we? That's one of his titles. That's who he is. So we see the
Lordship of Christ manifested right there in scripture before
us. The next point is the Lordship of Christ is universal. Look
in our text in Ephesians one. Look in our text here. The Lordship
of Christ is universal. And the way some people say it's
just in salvation. No, it's universal. His Lordship
is universal. He rules and reigns. He rules
and reigns. Look at this in verse 22. And
God has put all things in God. It says, and hath put all things.
Well, who's the one who did that? God. put all things under his,
that's speaking of Christ, feet, and gave him to be head over
all things to the church. This is what God did. This is
what God did. God did this when he set Christ
at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities
and powers, in might and dominion, in every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. The
Lord Jesus Christ is Lord over all creation. There's not, there's
not a, there's not a Adam in this world and we can't even
see them. There's not an Adam in this world
that is not, that Christ doesn't know about it and that Christ
doesn't keep it and hold it. Every single, do you know that
by him all things consist? Do you know that, do you ever
see in the summertime, you see them dust floating? You can't
see them in the naked eye, can you? But when the sun comes in
and you see all that dust floating, do you know that every single
piece of that dust is ordained by God to be floating there?
A.W. Pinkwater at one time, and I
just sat there stunned as he did that. There's not a thing
that he doesn't keep in place. His lordship is universal, beloved,
it's universal. Mark 1462, and Jesus said, I
am, and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting in the right hand
of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. He has all power,
beloved. God has exalted the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's seated at the right hand of God. Acts 531, him hath
God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior,
for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. He gives
to us repentance and forgiveness of sins. And it's only through
Christ. It's nowhere else. Nowhere else. Turn, if you would, the Philippians,
chapter two, verses nine to eleven, you know, that. The lordship
of Christ is so universal that one day every single knee shall
bow. Every single person that's ever lived upon this earth will
bow. Will bend their knee. Folks who said, I don't believe
in him, They're gonna bow to him. They're gonna bow to him. Look at this, Philippians chapter
two, verses nine to 11. Think of this. Think of the very
ones who yelled out crucify him. And we know, we know that we
would have done the same thing in our natural state. We know
that. But think of the ones who, the
Roman soldiers who beat him. Wherefore Philippians two verses
nine and 10 or nine to 11. Wherefore God has all the also
highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every
name. Only salvation in the name of
Christ. No other name. That at the name of Jesus, every. Look at that, every knee. Every
knee should bow up things in heaven and things on earth and
things under the earth. And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Folks will one day acknowledge
the Lordship of Christ. Oh, my. And our prayer is that
they do it in this life. Because if they only do it in
that there, they are doomed. Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is
the holy spotless lamb of God, and he's exalted in heaven for
such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. And
he is sat down, beloved. He sat down. The reason he sat
down because the work is finished. Oh, if we could just rest in
that, it's done. Now, the high priest of old,
they never sat down. There was never any rest for them. When
they were in the holy of holies, there was no chair. But Christ is sat down because
he is the all those high priests were just pictures of Christ.
And he's done in the works done. And he is sat down on the right
hand of the majesty on high. And he and what do believers
do? Looking under Jesus, looking and we just look, don't we? We
just look to him, looking under Jesus, the author, the beginning
and the finisher. It's finished of our faith. Of
our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross. The spies and the shame and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God. So where is
Christ right now? He is reigning right now. My savior, and if you're a believer,
your savior. Is raining right this second
and the next one and the next one, and he will never, ever
abdicate his throne. And no one will ever take him
off his throne because why he is Lord and his lordship, as
I said, is absolutely universal. People may people may deny him.
People may shake their fists at him. He's still Lord. He's still God. He's still upon
the throne. And I just thank God that he
revealed himself to me. I'm sure. He didn't leave us
where we were. Oh, what a merciful God. And
he has all power, beloved. Turn, if you would, to Mark or
Matthew, I mean, up to 28, Matthew 28, verse 18. He has all power. And all that power has been given
to him by the Father. He's Lord over everything. Everything. And think of that. He's Lord over everything. And he was that in glory, wasn't
he? Before he came to this earth.
Think of that. He's Lord over everything. What condescension. that Christ himself, the one
who's Lord over everything, becomes a man, the God-man, to redeem
his people from their sins. Let us just think on that. Our
God did that for us. For us. Look at Matthew 28, 18, and Jesus
came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in
heaven and earth. Notice the words all, the one
word all power. If someone has all power, what's
that mean? It means they have all power, doesn't it? This power is universal.
This lordship is universal. Whether people believe it or
not, he is Lord over all. And as I said, we do not make
Him Lord. Not at all. Not at all. The believer acknowledges
Lordship. Lord, only You can save my soul.
You are my shield. You are my defender. Only You. And it'll cheer our hearts when
we think about these things. It cheers our hearts when we
think that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. When we meditate upon
that and just ponder the fact that He's far above all princes
Principality and power and might and dominion. Look at Ephesians
1.21, far above all principality and power and might and dominion.
He is far above all principalities, all power, all might and dominion. Everything, and I mean everything,
is under his dominion. Everything. And when we as believers
think of that, what comfort that gives us. What comfort that gives
us. The one who keeps my soul is
the very one who has power over everything. No wonder Paul wrote, who can
separate us from the love of God? Oh, goodness. He's far above
all principality and power and might and dominion. Everything
is under his domain. Looking in our text again, it
says in every hour, it says all spiritual principality, power
and might and dominion. He's Lord over the angels, all
the angels. Holy and fallen. And the holy
angels, they gladly acknowledge His Lordship. Turn, if you would,
to Revelation chapter 5. The holy angels gladly acknowledge
Christ's Lordship. Look at Revelation chapter 5.
And they willingly perform His bidding. And when we get the
glory, oh my, we will be worshiping our Lamb. Look at Revelation
chapter 5 verses 11 to 14. And I beheld and heard the voice
of many angels round about. Hold on. Before we go too far,
folks, folks, sometimes they like writing books on what heaven's
all about and what we're going. I like just to read in Revelation
what it says about heaven. This this will warm your heart,
beloved. This will warm your heart. Look, look at this. And
I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the
throne, and beasts, and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000
times 10,000, and thousands of thousands. A number that no man
can number. Saying with a loud voice, now
what do they do? Worthy is the Lamb. Why is he
worthy, beloved? Because He has all power. He has all dominion. He is Lord over all. Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and blessing in every creature
which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth. and
such as are in the sea and all they that are that are in them
heard I say and blessing and honor and glory and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever
and ever. This is the one spoken of in
that text who keeps our souls no matter what we go through
on this earth. This is the one who keeps us. No matter what
confronts us. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. Jehovah. Jehovah is my shepherd. The one
spoken of here worthy is the Lamb. Oh. We also know that our Lord and
Savior is Lord over political rulers. It says all principality
and power and might and dominion. Folks got in a big ol' uproar
over the election, didn't they? Folks still getting in
a big ol' uproar. Scripture declares this, the
king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water,
he turneth it whatsoever he will. The Lord does whatever he, you
know, our leaders just do God's bidding. And they don't even know it. You know, wise rulers acknowledge
the Lordship, the Lordship of Christ, the Lordship of our God.
Nebuchadnezzar said this in Daniel 4.37, Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven, all whose works
are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he's able to abase. Those who walk in pride, he brings
them low. He brings them low. Now foolish
rulers, turn if you would to Psalm chapter 2, foolish rulers
deny, deny the Lordship of Christ. They deny, unbelievers deny the
Lordship of Christ. But foolish rulers especially,
they deny, they deny His Lordship. Look in Psalm 2 here, look at
this. Kings of the earth set themselves
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed.
Oh, they shake their fists at God. They try to take God out
of everything. They try, don't they? They try. Look at this. Let us break their bands asunder
and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh. Feeble man. Nothing but dust
to the Lord. The Lord shall have them in derision. There's our king. Right there. Oh, he's Lord. He's Lord. No one can make him abdicate
his throne. We're just animated dust. We're
created beings. He's Lord over all. Do you think
of this? I was thinking about this this
week. The Lord's hanging on the cross,
right? And he had said that he could call, he could call, and
I think John and I have talked about this before, he could call
Twelve legions of angels, he said. Twelve legions of angels. That's 6,000 angels per legion. One angel killed 100,000 men. Do you know what that means? The whole world could be wiped
out. Multiple times. Yet he hung upon that cross. And he paid everything that God
demanded for my sin and for all the sins of his people. And he
cried, it is finished. And he is victorious, beloved.
And that's our God. That's the one who rules over
everything. Oh, what comfort and peace that
gives us. Oh, what comfort and peace. He's
Lord over everything. Do you know he's Lord over all,
all nature? Psalm 24, one and two says this,
the earth is the Lord's. This is his earth. This creation
is his, everything. The stars, everything we see
and don't see is his. He just spoke it all into existence. That's how powerful he is, beloved. That's our God, that's our savior. And He is Lord. The earth is
the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell
therein. For He hath founded it upon the
seas. And people are saying that God's
done all He can do to save people. Now the rest is up to you. That's
utter foolishness. Oh my goodness. He hath founded
it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. This makes
our salvation even more amazing, doesn't it? that the God of heaven,
the one who has all power, has saved us and redeemed our eternal
souls. My, what a great God we have. He's Lord over all. He's Lord
over every person. Look at Ephesians 1.21, it says
here, every name that is named. He's Lord over the saved and
the unsaved. He's Lord over everything. This is who the God of the Bible
is, not what some man's telling people, saying lies on God. This is the God of the Bible.
This is the reality of it. And we're just looking at what
scripture says. That's all we grace preachers
do. We look at the scriptures and say, this is what it says
with trembling hands. This is our God. This is the
one who's redeemed my soul. It's not my opinion, it's what
the Bible says. And it's marvelous. And it gets
more and more and more and more incredible as we pilgrimage through
this world. Oh, what a God. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4.12. There's only
one name. There's only one. That's Christ.
That's Christ. He's Lord over everything. Lord
over the church. Look at verse 22. And hath put
all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church. Christ is the head of the church.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church. He is the savior of the body.
Why is he head? Why is he the preeminent one?
Because he has all power. Because he's Lord. Because he's
the head and we're just the body. He's the one who gets all the
preeminence. I was talking to Jean-Claude, and oh, we were
talking about, oh, how we just want to preach Christ and just
put Christ before us, y'all. Because he's the only hope, not
the preacher. I'm a safe sinner. Just like everyone else. Look
to Him. Look to Christ. He's the one. He's the one who can keep us.
He's our Savior and our Redeemer. And only Him. And He gets all
the glory, all the honor, all the praise, all the preeminence.
He's both Lord and King. He's both Lord and King of the
believer. He's not just my Lord. He's my King. He's my Savior. He's my Redeemer. He's my everything. Oh, what a great God we have.
And let us, this last point here, let us consider this. The Lordship
of Christ is eternal. It's eternal. His Lordship is not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come. Not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come. It's forever. It's forever. What does that
mean? That means our salvation's forever too. He's Lord. He's Lord. He's not. He was Lord, not only
in this age. But also in that which is to
come. He's a he's he's Lord from eternity. He's Lord in this age. He's Lord in that which is to
come. And he's Lord in eternity future. His Lordship is eternal because
he's eternal. He's eternal. Turn, if you would,
to 1 Peter 3 and Isaiah 9. Put your finger on Isaiah 9.
1 Peter 3 and Isaiah 9. Where is Christ now? Beloved,
He's in heaven. He's gone into heaven. And the
scriptures declare this to be so. And He is reigning. He's reigning right now. That brings me great comfort.
The one who keeps my soul is the one who reigns right now.
And his lordship, his reign will be eternal. And it is eternal. Look at 1 Peter 3, verses 22.
1 Peter 3, 22. Who has gone into
heaven, that's where he is. And is on the right hand of God.
Look at this. Angels and authorities and powers
being made what? Subject unto Him. This is why we say if God don't
save you, you'll never be saved. Because everything is subject
unto Him. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
God's doing. It's not man's doing. It's God's
doing. And if you're saved, rejoice,
beloved, rejoice, rejoice, because you have obtained mercy. Mercy. Look at Isaiah chapter
9, verse 7. of the increase of his government,
and this ties into how his lordship is eternal, of the increase of
his government in peace, there shall be what? No end. Isaiah 9, 7. No end. No end. It will never end. Upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.
No end. No, the zeal of the Lord of hosts
will perform this. His reign is forever. Luke one
thirty three says this and he shall reign over the house of
Jacob forever. Forever. That's us. And of his kingdom, there shall
be. No end. No, and it'll never end, never.
So the Lordship of Christ, which is clearly proclaimed in Scripture,
as we have seen, is confessed by all those, and only those
who savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We acknowledge
His Lordship. We don't make Him Lord, we acknowledge
His Lordship. Look and live, isn't it? We've
looked and we've lived. God's made us willing and we've
looked and we live that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus Christ and shall believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart man believeth
under righteousness and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. Someone asked Paul one time,
what must I do to be saved? There's nothing you must do. Paul's response was magnificent.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou shall be saved. Have you believed? The redeemed
of the Lord acknowledge. We acknowledge the deity of Christ
and the fact that he has all power. We acknowledge that he's
absolutely sovereign and that he presently reigns in glory.
And believers confess him as their savior. confess Him as
their Savior, and they rest in His redemptive work, all that
He accomplished on Calvary's cross to save us from our sins.
And believers bow to the Lordship of Christ, acknowledging His
Lordship. Acknowledging His Lordship. We
don't make Him anything. He's already Lord. And if you're
saved, that Lord, the Lord, has had mercy upon you. Oh, it's
wonderful. It's wonderful. Oh, Lord Jesus, we come before
thee, acknowledging your Lordship, that you are Lord over all, over
every circumstance in our life, over everything that comes before
us, that you are Lord. Help us just to trust thee and
just to rest in thee, Lord Jesus. And we give you all the glory.
We love you because you first loved us. In Jesus name. Amen.