Submitting To His Lordship

In John 20:28 the disciple Thomas saw the risen Christ and he said, "My __________ and my God." Today there are many who do not recognize Jesus as Lord. But the Bible tells us that there will come a day when "E_____________ knee will bow" (Philippians 2:10) and "E_____________ tongue will confess that ______________ _______________ is ____________, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11). Someday the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth and all people will realize that He is the KING OF KINGS (the greatest KING of all!) and the ______________ OF ____________ (the greatest LORD of all!)--see Revelation 19:16.

What do we mean when we say that Jesus is Lord? A lord is someone who has authority and power, someone who is mighty and supreme. A lord is someone who is in charge, someone who is the boss or someone who gives the orders. My lord is someone who is over me and someone that I should listen to and obey and respect.

Think of your class in school. Who is the lord of the classroom? Who is the person who is in charge of the class? Who gives the orders and the assignments and the homework? Who is the boss? Who is the authority in the classroom?

Who is the "lord of the school"? Who is the person who is in charge of all the teachers? Who do the teachers need to obey and respect and submit to? Who is your teacher’s boss? ___________________________________

The word "lord" in the Bible is used to describe several different relationships between people. Let’s look at some of these:

Various Relationships

1) The term "lord" is used of a King or a Ruler.

In Genesis 40:1, who is called "lord"? ________________________ The man who was in charge of the land of Egypt was Pharaoh the king! He was the lord of the land of Egypt. In Acts 25:25-26 the Roman emperor is called "lord." He was king over all the empire and the people in his kingdom would often be told to say, "CAESAR IS LORD!" By saying this they were making him even more than a mere man; they were confessing that he was like a God. [When the early Christians said, "Jesus is LORD," they were saying that He was the only true God.] Who is the "lord" or leader over the United States of America?_________________________ Who is the "Lord" or supreme Ruler over the entire UNIVERSE and beyond (Revelation 17:14)? _________________________________________

2) The term "lord" is used of a slave owner.

In Colossians 3:22, servants (slaves) are told to obey their masters or lords in all things. In the days of the New Testament there were many slaves and every slave belonged to a slave owner whom he called his lord or his master. Did the slave tell his master what to do or did the master tell his slave what to do? ___________________________________________________ Who gave the orders, the master (lord) or the slave? ___________________________

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Romans 14:8. Who is our Master and Lord and Owner? _______________________________________ Just as a slave served his master, so the believer is able to serve the greatest Master of all, the Lord Jesus Christ!

3) The term "lord" is used of a father.

In Matthew 21:30, the word "sir" is the word "lord." This son called his father "lord." Which of the two sons described in Matthew 21:28-30 did what his lord (his father) wanted? _______________________________

Who is the boss in your family? Who must make the most important decisions? Who runs the house? Who is the head of the house? [Sadly, some fathers are not the leaders that they should be in the home even though this is the role that God intended for them.]

4) The term "lord" is used of a husband.

According to Genesis 18:12 and 1 Peter 3:6, what did Sarah call Abraham? __________ Is the husband under the wife or is the wife under the husband (1 Corinthians 11:3)? ___________________________________________________ Should the husband obey the wife or should the wife obey the husband (1 Peter 3:1,6)? _____________________________________________ [Of course, the wife should always obey her husband unless he should tell her to disobey God.]

5) The term "lord" is used of a spiritual leader.

In 1 Kings 18:7, E_____________ the man of God was called "lord." Also, in 2 Kings 6:5, Elisha is called "lord" or "master." These were mighty men of God and people were to respect them and to recognize that their authority came from God.

Should we love and respect those spiritual leaders that God has put over the local church (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)? ______

6) The term "lord" is used of an owner.

In Matthew 20:8 a man is called the L_________ (or OWNER) of the vineyard. Also in Luke 19:33 the word "owners" could be translated "lords."

If you own something, then you control it and you are the boss of it. If you own a bicycle, then no one else should use that bicycle without your permission. You are the lord of that bicycle!

7) The term "lord" is used of an employer (boss).

Luke 16:3-5 tells of a man who was a steward. He was an unfaithful steward and he lost his job! His boss fired him because he did a poor job! The employer is the boss or the lord of the workers! He can hire them or fire them! He can tell them what to do and he can pay them whatever he wants (Matthew 20:9-15)! He’s the boss!

The Need For Someone to be Lord

Could you imagine a baseball team without a coach or someone in charge? You might have five players who all want to pitch and three others who want to play first base. When it is time to bat all nine players want to be first up to bat!

Someone needs to be in charge! Someone must make the decisions and tell the players what to do and where to play and when to bat. And someone must decide who will play and who will sit on the bench. The coach or the captain or someone must be the boss!

In our country we have one leader who is called the President of the United States. What would happen if we had 50 leaders? In a time of war or some other national emergency who would make the important decisions? What if 25 of these leaders decide to do one thing and the other 25 leaders decide to do another thing?

Think again of yourself in the classroom. Suppose you had no teacher and every student was his own boss. Every student could decide when he would study, when he would read, when he would talk, when he would go outside to the playground or athletic fields and when he would go home. Without someone to be lord over the class, do you think you would learn very much? What if you decide it is time to read and think but everyone else decides that it is time to talk and laugh?

Suppose you were hired to work in a supermarket. As you began your first day of work you discovered that no one was your boss! You were left completely on your own. No one told you what to do. No one gave you any instructions. No one checked up on you to see if you did your work. You didn’t know what to do or how to do it. Is this the best way to run a supermarket?

What Does It Mean to Submit?

We have already seen how the word "lord’ is used to describe different relationships. Let us again consider these seven relationships as we think about who should submit to whom:

1) The subjects or citizens should submit to the King.

There are great problems in any country when the people rebel and revolt against the ruler and refuse to be under his rule and authority, assuming that the ruler is not way out of line.

2) The slave should submit to the slave owner.

3) The children should submit to their father.

The children need to realize that there is someone who is over them that they are to love and obey and respect (fear--see Malachi 1:6).

4) The wife should submit to her husband.

5) The believers should submit to their spiritual leaders.

6) The person who does not own something should submit to the owner.

If I borrow a electrical devise from you, then I should follow your instructions about how to use it and when to return it.

7) The worker should submit to his boss.

What does it mean to submit? It means that I am under the authority of someone! There is someone over me that I am to listen to and obey and respect. That person is the boss, not myself. That person gives me the orders and I obey them and carry them out!

Submitting to His Lordship

These principles of submission apply to my relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. When I was saved, I confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3). I said, "He’s my Boss, my Master, my Owner, my Lord! He’s the King of my life and He’s the One who is in charge! I take my orders from Him! He is the Lord of my life!"

Carefully read Luke 6:46. Did these people call Jesus "Lord"? _______ Did they do what the Lord said? ______ Did they submit to His Lordship? ______

Who is on the throne of my heart?

SELF
OR CHRIST?

I'm my own boss!
I'll do what I want!
I'll do my own thing!
No one tells me what to do!

He's my boss!
I'll do what He wants!
I'll do His will!
Christ tells me what to do in His Word, the Bible!

Submitting to His Lordship is something that we must learn. The disciple Peter had to learn about the Lordship of Christ. Consider these passages and MATCH them with Peter’s words:

We are often just like Peter. We need to learn that our Lord knows what He is talking about and He never says anything that is not right or that is not true. Our Lord never makes a mistake! We may not understand many things, but our Lord understands and He knows what He is doing! We must believe what our Lord says and do what our Lord says even though we may not understand it!

When is the best time for you to say "HE IS MY LORD!" and to keep on enjoying His Lordship (His ability to be Lord)? WHY?

What authority does He have over your life? Do you run your own life or does He run your life?

1.	_____	Matthew 16:21-23	A.	"Not so, Lord. I can’t do what You told me to do!"
2.	_____	John 13:4-8	B.	"No Lord! What You just said is not true. You do not really need to die."
3.	_____	Acts 10:13-14	C.	"No Lord, You are making a mistake, You should not wash my feet. You do not know what You are doing."

CHAPTER 7