Submitting to Christ's Sovereignty — Alan Redpath

The Confession of Jesus as Lord

I would like to read to you tonight, my dear friends, from Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 and 10. And I'm reading in the translation of the New English Bible, which renders these verses in this way. If on your lips is the confession, Jesus is Lord, and in your heart the faith that God raised him from the dead, then you will find salvation.

For the faith that leads to righteousness is in the heart, and the confession that leads to salvation is upon the lips. This verse reminds us of the greatest event in history. An event by which the majority of the world's population fix the date in their calendar.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our text is but one of many in the New Testament which emphasizes the fact that that event is not only unique in history, but it has a vital and dynamic message for every one of us today.

Humanity's Revolt Against God's Authority

Now let me begin by answering a basic question, what's it all about anyway? Says someone listening to my voice this evening. The story in a nutshell is this. Man was in revolt against the authority of his creator.

He had determined to run his own life, and to make this world his playground for his own amusement. Instead of submitting to the sovereignty of God, and making this world the training ground for his development for heaven.

The consequences of this choice proved disastrous. And God, having spoken by warning and entreaty in many different ways, eventually invaded this human race by the virgin birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

He lived before men the kind of life which God expects all of his creatures to live. It was a God-centered life. I delight to do thy will, O God, he said. It was a self-emptying life. I do nothing of myself, I do always those things that please him.

It was a men-serving life. For the Son of Man came not to be minister unto, but to minister. And to give his life a ransom for many. That life was a total contradiction in all its principles. To all others who have been involved in a revolt against God.

And all of whom have lived self-centered, self-seeking, and self-serving lives. That principle of life which Jesus lived constituted such a rebuke to the standards that men had set themselves, that they couldn't take it.

And so they murdered him. It was impossible to do otherwise and continue in revolt. It was either end our rebellion and submit to his way of life. Or maintain our rebellion and get rid of Jesus. This is the course that the world chose.

That God raised him from the dead. Not just to live a few more years down here and then die again. For his was not a revival for a while, it was resurrection forever. For death had no more dominion over him.

And God exalted him to his own right hand. Far above all. But Jesus is not at a vast and unreachable distance. The word says to us, the word is nigh thee. Even in my mouth and in my heart. That is the word of faith which we preach.

For the resurrection of Jesus Christ was by no means the end of the story. It was only the beginning. There was some who saw its meaning. The meaning of his life and the significance of his death. And to such he revealed himself.

As alive from the dead. He showed them his hand and his sign. He received from them the confession of their lips. The faith and love of their hearts. And another miracle happened. These and only these found salvation.

The New Principle of Christ-Centered Life

A few weeks after he had risen. He fulfilled another promise given to them both before and after his crucifixion. I will send you another comforter. And he shall be with you and in you forever. At that hour you shall know that I am in my father.

You are in me and I am in you. You shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me. Yes, they found salvation. Salvation from one principle of life to another.

From self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. From self-seeking to self-emptying. From self-serving to men-serving. And gripped by that new principle. The very life of the one who lived it. Now living within them.

They swept through the world like a prairie fire and revolutionized history. Somebody says to me, very interesting. But that doesn't happen today. Pardon me, it does. For whenever men are mastered by those principles, the same revolution takes place.

The fact that it is so little in evidence is no discredit to the Christian faith. Nor any reason for rejecting it. Rather it's a tragic condemnation upon those of us who profess it. But that is still not the whole story.

The greatest chapter of all is yet to be written. For God is not dead, I repeat. He is not willing that one should perish. But that all should come to repentance and believe and be saved. And soon the same Lord Jesus shall come again.

In like manner as he went into heaven. And those, listen to me, those who like those disciples have received and realized the significance of his life. Death and resurrection. And therefore have ended our revolt.

And submitted to his authority. And have therefore received that new principle of life. And have started living in accordance with it. We too shall find salvation. In a sense of completeness that we just don't know.

For one day such will be taken to be with Jesus. And live and reign with him forever. In a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Those who have chosen to remain in revolt. Will be condemned by their own choice to an eternity of misery.

The first fruits of which have been sampled already here and now. For all the wretchedness and suffering of these days. In which we live stem from man's revolt against God. Were men not so blind they would surely have seen enough evidence.

Of the disastrous result of living on the wrong principle. And they would have responded and repented and turned to the Lord. But no. The revolt continues. The suffering increases. Until one day God again will invade humanity.

And will say thus far and no further. And his rule will be established. And the last opportunity for salvation will be ended. And heaven and let me say hell. Will be populated by those who have chosen the one principle of life or the other.

That's the story. And the pivot on which it turns. Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And your reaction and mine to it. Mr. Duncan said to us last night. That this convention could be a day of destiny.

Indeed it could. Let me therefore bring the words of this text home to you. In three simple and I trust clear statements. The confession which this truth demands. On your lips is the confession Jesus is Lord.

Confessing Jesus as Lord

That is infinitely more than saying I believe in Jesus. Most of us do. Very few would deny the facts revealed in scripture. Though perhaps they might argue about their significance. But listen. A belief which merely accepts facts.

And does not lead to action is invalid in the New Testament. Where would we all have been. If Faraday and Edison had believed the facts about electricity. But not tested and applied them. Or if Bell had learned the facts about the telephone and not proved them.

It might have been a blessing. But I want to say to you friend that the confession of Jesus Christ. On my lips as Lord. Implies nothing less than the total collapse. Of my personal rebellion against God.

Oh but you say I'm not in rebellion against God. I believe in him. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. All right. Wait a minute. Let me ask you. Each one of you. May the spirit of God ask this question to your soul.

On what principle of life are you living? God-centered or self-centered? Self-emptying or self-seeking? Man-serving or self-serving? In other words. Who is at the center of you? Who are you seeking to please?

Whose service are you in? Let us face it. How many have said they believe in Jesus. Even accept all the facts of Christian doctrine. Believe their Bible. Attend their church. Profess to worship God. But are still basically rebels.

That's why so many people in the world today ask. Is God dead or alive? Because they see so little indication of his existence. In the lives of those of us who profess to believe in him. The confession of your lips.

Jesus in his Lord. Involves a complete revolution of your whole life. From the center outward. It means the acceptance of the principles upon which Jesus lived. And which demanded then as they do now a verdict.

Either beloved, and this is the issue with which we would be faced. In the presence of the Lord tonight. Either I must continue basically with a rebel in my heart. Either that and crucify Jesus again.

And face the judgment of a holy God. Or I must end the rebellion. Confess him as Lord and find salvation. There is no third course. In May 1945. The only way in which World War II was to be ended. Was by unconditional surrender.

To all three major powers. In the light of subsequent history. It all seems so fantastic. But the principle is right. For you cannot end war. Until you end the cause of it. And you cannot end rebellion in your heart against God.

Until there is total capitulation. To Jesus as Lord. And that is not a second blessing. You cannot have Jesus as Savior. And then if it suits you choose him as your Lord. Either he will be Lord of everything or he will be Lord of nothing.

The confession that this truth demands. Jesus is Lord. Second. The conviction which this truth declares. If in your heart. Not please in your head. But if in your heart. There is the faith that God raised him from the dead.

I would not feel it worthwhile spending a moment. Arguing for the facts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are beyond dispute. The story could have been refuted many a time in a moment. If only the Jews or the Romans could have produced his body.

But they couldn't. And if the disciples stole it. Do you think they would have suffered so much for something they knew wasn't true? Absurd. But listen. Nobody can be won to Christ by argument. There is a conviction attaching to this truth.

Far deeper than the intellectual acceptance of certain facts. It concerns the heart. A recognition deep down in the soul of every one of us. That the fact that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Has immense significance. For by that mighty act. Heaven has answered the verdict of earth upon the life of Jesus Christ. God has declared his acceptance. Before the throne in heaven. Of the principles upon which Jesus lived.

Do you remember these words? He made himself of no reputation. He took upon him the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself. And became obedient unto death.

Even the death of the cross. Wherefore. Wherefore God hath exalted him. And given him a name that is above every name. That is the name of Jesus. Every knee shall bow. And every tongue confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord.

This man. Rejected by all other men. Has been accepted by God. The principle of life. For which the world had no room. Is therefore God's principle of life. Because he lived it. And never departed from it.

I can stand at an empty tomb. With the apostle Peter. And face death. And say. It was not possible that he should beholden of it. Of course not. For he has robbed the grave of all its sting. Because he has grappled with sin.

And died to all sin. Because of the principle on which he lived. In total submission to God. But that isn't everything. In accepting that principle of life. God has rejected all others. For in accepting God-centeredness.

He has rejected self-centeredness. In accepting that life of self-emptying. He has rejected the principle of self-seeking. In accepting men's service. He has rejected self-service. He has accepted the one.

And rejected the other forever. I'm not talking tonight. About God's pronouncement upon vulgar sins of immorality. Which not only he but many of us would condemn. But I am saying to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ tonight.

That a man of the university. The refinement of civilization. But be utterly self-centered. And that's the principle that God condemned. By taking Jesus out of the grave. And setting him at his own right hand.

God is saying this is the only principle of life. That can have fellowship with me. And therefore the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Is the condemnation of every other principle of life. For my Bible says.

Neither is there any other name. And that means character. Neither is there any other character under heaven. Given among men. Whereby we must be saved. That is the conviction of this truth. And when the Holy Spirit comes upon a congregation.

And comes upon a heart. He convinces of sin. Because they believe not on him. Of righteousness. Because I go to my father. And of judgment. Because the prince of this world. The devil has been judged.

I do not ask you what your head would say. But I ask you what your heart says. If the confession is on your lips. That Jesus is your Lord. And the conviction is in your heart. That God has raised him from the dead.

Then something is going to happen. What is it? Thirdly. The character which this truth demonstrates. If the confession is on your lips. That Jesus is Lord. And the conviction in your heart. The faith in your heart.

That God has raised him from the dead. You will find salvation. Not please a formula. Not please a simply a statement of doctrine. Not a passport into heaven. In spite of the kind of life I've lived. Not an unwarranted presumption.

That I can go on living on the old principle. And yet expect one day to be ushered into the presence of God. In spite of it. Because he is merciful. Only join a fundamental church you know. And all will be well.

That kind of thing. No no. For listen. Unless the principle of life is changed. My destiny remains unchanged. I quote that great prince of preachers C .H. Spurgeon. Who in his daily readings which are so precious to me.

Each day says in one of them. An unholy life. Is the evidence of an unchanged heart. And an unchanged heart is the evidence of an unsaved soul. What value asks Spurgeon. Is the grace that a man professes to receive.

As heaven's free gift for forgiveness. Which leaves him totally the same. After he received it. Of no value at all. Oh no I repeat. Unless the principle of life is changed. Unless there's been a revolution at the very center of my being.

Unless there's been the capitulation of self. And the infirmment of Jesus. There is no change in destiny. When I see Jesus risen. I see what God intends me to be. And salvation is just that. He made me for that kind of life.

He made you for that kind of life. Not for self centeredness. But for Christ centeredness. And then for the pouring out of your life. In the service of others. He's rejected the one principle. But only that he might set up the other.

He rejects the failure of my life. And it's sin. Only to take the marred vessel. The defeated life. And remake it. He rejects me in total failure. Only to remake me in his image. In his likeness. By his life.

Dwelling within me. The resurrection in other words. Is the end of the first man. Culture and everything. And your nature. No matter how long you live. Will never be improved. Will never be different.

Will never be refined. Will never be made Christian. God has only one thing for human nature. Calvary. Death. That having passed the sentence of death upon what I am. He may replace what I am by what Jesus is in me.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead therefore. Is the end of the first man. And it's the beginning of the second man. The birth of a new race. Of which Jesus Christ is head. Let me make this personal.

The New Birth and the Family Resemblance

And immediate. I do not know. What may be involved in the life of anybody listening to me today. I only know my own heart. What may be involved. Because you have lived as I have done. On the wrong principle.

With the wrong power at the center. With the wrong person in authority. With self instead of Jesus on the throne. In the lives of some it has meant. Bruising. Spoiling. Vice. Lust. Passion. Sin. In the lives of others it has meant an amazing self-righteousness.

Even with a religious cloak attached to it. But in the sight of God. The one is no different from the other. I know not. What may be the effect in your life of having lived on that principle. But the question tonight is.

In which family am I living? Is it the family of the nature with which I was born? Or is it the family of the redeemed? And there is one basic test. There will always be a family likeness. A specific moment in a family.

When a baby arrives. And all the relatives come round to see this great sight. And immediately everybody says you know. She is the image of her mother. Or she is just like her father. You know. And they look and see.

Well there is the family resemblance. Of course because there is a blood relationship. This is inevitable. My friend. When a man is born of the Holy Ghost. And he is regenerate by the Spirit of God. And there is imparted to him the very nature of Jesus Christ.

There is inevitably another family likeness. The nature with which you were born. Was incarnate in you at the moment when you first breathed. The nature with which you were born again. Is incarnate within you by the Holy Ghost.

From the moment of your redemption. And God demands an evidence of this. In your likeness. To the Lord Jesus. Is your humanity. An arena. Which is displaying the loveliness. Of the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Are your motives his motive. Has there been an end of revolt. And submission to his authority. If not. Then this glorious truth of the resurrection. Is no song in the night season for you. It is the thunder of the judgment of God.

Upon my self-centered living. It constitutes a great urgent personal call. On this first Sunday of Keswick. To an immediate repentance. To an immediate surrender. To an immediate abandonment of self-centeredness.

And the acceptance of a Christ-centered life. But if I say tonight. In my heart he loved me. And he gave himself for me. In his cross. I know that there is healing and forgiveness for all my sins. I am accepted therefore in him.

And crucified with him. And ascended with him. And he becomes my Lord and my Saviour. And I become his servant. And he communicates to me the dynamic of his life. And I have found salvation. The only good thing about a Christian.

Is Jesus. I have been a Christian now. For more than 30 years. And I am just as evil. Just as sinful. Just as capable of descending into utter complete degradation. But for the grace of God and the power of the blood of Christ.

Now as I was 30 years ago. But I am here to say to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That the law of the spirit of life in Christ. Sets a man free from the law of sin and death. I am here to say to you.

That when you know the end of rebellion. You begin to know the beginning of the revolutionary power. Of God's Holy Spirit. Francis Ridley Havergill wrote a hymn. Which we all remember and often sing. Can you remember it?

Take my life and let it be. Have you ever considered that hymn carefully? Where and at what point of this hymn do you think rebellion ceases? Take my hands and let them move. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold. Take my intellect and use. Take my will and make it thine. You're not at the end of rebellion yet.

Take my heart it is thine own. It shall be thy royal throne. No you're not at the end of rebellion yet. Take my love my Lord I pour. At thy feet it's treasure store. You're still not there. But here you are now.

The very penultimate line of the last verse. Take myself. Take myself. And I will be ever only all for thee. And I say folks do you know what would happen if that takes place in your life? Do you know that the town from which you come and to which probably you're going to return will have such a shock it'll wonder what's really hit it.

For they will come back to Keswick a group from Keswick a group of people from your church and from your town and that town will be confronted by a little company of folk in whose lives revolt has ended.

Submission to Christ has become the new principle. And do you know something else? What happened to Jesus will happen to you. Either men when they meet your Christ centered life will end their revolt and get right with God or they will continue their revolt and get rid of you.

No man in this world and in this generation so utterly completely degraded and so utterly sinful no man on the true Christian principle of commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord into whose life there has come the very flood tide of God the Holy Ghost no man can live in the presence of neutrality.

In the presence of such a man it will be impossible for people to be neutral. And I want to say to you that urgently that's what Britain needs to face before it's too late. And let me say to you though I believe in such it won't be through mass evangelism it won't be waiting for Billy Graham to come back to this country much as I'd like to see him.

It won't be through any great name or through any great personality it will be through a nobody like you and me submitted to Jesus as Lord and Sovereign of every bit of my life through whom the Holy Ghost has absolute sway to reach out in rivers of living water to others.

Would you be that man? Would you?

A Call to Courageous Witness

There's a little air depot, station, airport whatever you like to call it down near Ramsgate and in the last world war a pathetically small handful of British men fought from there the Battle of Britain.

You may have read Churchill's war memoirs and you will have read in what was a masterly understatement of Churchill that when he discovered that every British fighting plane was in the air and they hadn't one in reserve he confessed to being just a trifle anxious.

And at that time when a little group of men you would have found them if you could have had permission to go into that room in that airport sitting there perhaps having tea and sandwiches with all their equipment on.

There would come a call just a little group of men that daily was getting smaller and smaller. There would come a call enemy planes approaching in strength at such and such a height from such and such a direction.

Those men had been out perhaps on three missions that day. They'd come back at half strength. Their planes were damaged. Some of them were scarcely air, could scarcely be airborne. Do you know what reply they sent to headquarters?

Message received and understood and without question they were in the air without any reservation. They were into battle and into fight to win. Beloved as I close my message tonight in the name of the Lord Jesus can you say to him, Lord, message received and understood in my name regardless of what it may cost me I go into battle to triumph in the power of the indwelling Christ.

Praise God that this very first night at Keddie can turn defeat into victory despair into joy disillusionment into happiness and a sense of utter uselessness into a sense of being usable in the hand of God stop the rebellion and throne Jesus.

And in all these things you'll be more than conquered through him or not. Let us pray. We're going to close the meeting in a moment with our heads bowed before God. I would say to you that I would love tonight to have had an after meeting for instruction.

But there are other services. There's the young people's meeting, the open air. There's the need of being loyal to our landladies and all the arrangements with them. I'm not going to hold an after meeting therefore but I'm asking very simply one thing.

The Invitation to End Rebellion

Is there a man, a woman, a fellow or a girl here right now who is prepared to end rebellion and stop living for themselves and living for the Lord to acknowledge that the cause of defeat has been that the wrong person has been in control self instead of Jesus.

Then I want to give you, before I close in prayer a simple opportunity to confess that fact if God has been speaking to your heart tonight you long that this confession may be on your lips. That Jesus is Lord and the faith is now in your heart that God has raised him from the dead.

You shall find salvation. Yes, you shall find salvation. And here and now the living loving Lord will meet you at the point of your repentance you meeting God like that friend then between you and him may I ask that such a transaction gets you to your feet.

And those of you who are so enduring I invite at this very moment just to stand where you are. And then I'm going to close in prayer for you a moment's quiet that God may see this decision getting you from your heart to your body.

Standing up doesn't save anybody. It's a confession that Jesus is Lord. Is that your confession now? Well then just stand where you are and we'll close in prayer in a moment. Just remain standing quietly one by one.

If the Lord has spoken to you tonight no more I but Christ I invite you to stand. Are there others? In this great tent. God bless you. Just keep standing. Amen. Let this be a definite transaction marking the beginning of life on a new principle.

We hold the meeting for not more than 30 seconds. If there are others will you please take the opportunity. And then we'll pray especially for you the Lord. Bless you. Just keep standing now we close in prayer.

God bless you sir. Close in prayer. For those who tonight are making this public commitment to Jesus Christ our Lord. If others desire to stand you may do so as we pray. Dear Lord we pray that thou will forgive the poverty of our witness the unworthiness of our testimony the inadequacy of what we have to say that we cry to thee that thy Holy Spirit in spite of it may break through into hearts and reveal Jesus as Lord.

And that here tonight there may be the beginning of life on a new principle in which it is no more I but Christ. See especially we pray thee with those who have stood and are standing. May this commitment to them be real and definite and vital.

May be even now they're knowing a peace that they've never known before the peace of God which passeth all understanding which keeps our hearts and minds through Christ. And oh Lord take us out into this week to disturb us disturb us from our compromise and from our being at ease in Zion and to confront us with the demands of thy sovereignty and with the wonderful provision of thy spirit to live out thy life in each one of us.

We ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen. Would you be seated. Please. May I say I'm handing the meeting back now to our chairman. I'll just ask if any of you who stood tonight would like to speak to any of us on the platform.

We'll be at the front of the tent immediately after the service. May the Lord grant that his spirit may continue to hover over this congregation and over this convention in increasing measure. As the week goes by we are seeing one closing verse of number 65 Jesus master whose I am purchased thine alone to be.

Some of us will be able to sing that verse in a new way tonight. Let us stand and sing it together and then quietly disperse.