Surrender to Jesus As Lord — E.A. Johnston

The Exalted Name of Jesus

The devil hates the name of Jesus. It gets under the devil's skin every time Jesus is mentioned. There is power in that name. In Philippians chapter 2, beginning in verse 5, we read, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and 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 God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Lordship of Christ is a forgotten doctrine of the modern church. In fact, about 60 years ago, friends, most churches quit preaching that message altogether. You'd be hard-pressed today, friends, to hear a pastor preach on the Lordship of Christ, on the claims and rights of Christ on a follower of his, because if you preach his Lordship, then you have to preach hard against sin.

And if you preach against sin, then you must preach on the doctrine of a place of punishment for sin, which is called hell, and if you do that, you're gonna upset the good deacons. I wonder how many of my hearers have ever surrendered to Jesus as Lord.

Living Under the Lordship of Jesus

I wonder how many of my hearers actually live their life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If Jesus isn't your Lord, friend, you are in a heap of trouble, because you cannot divide Christ in halves and choose the one you want that best suits you.

You cannot separate his saviorship from his Lordship. He is Prince as well as a Savior. You must surrender to Jesus as Lord. Sadly, many in our churches today have gotten out their pocket knives and have carved out for themselves a God they can live with, one that won't get in the way of their daily living.

But that's not the Christ of the Bible, because Jesus is Lord. Jesus came to earth doing good, healing the sick and giving sight to the blind, and he was arrested, falsely tried, and cruelly crucified.

Christ's Sacrifice and the Cost of Discipleship

He suffered, died, and was buried. He rose again and ascended back into heaven, where he now sits at the right hand of the Father, and he earned that right by way of a bloody cross. Listen, friend, if you're saved, you were bought with a price, and that price was his blood.

For when you're saved, your time is no longer your own, your money is no longer your own, your body is no longer your own. Christ must be a complete master. I'm going to ask you, friend, if you never have done it before, to surrender to Jesus as Lord.

Transparent Submission to the Sovereign King

Now is the time for transparency and honesty. Get serious with God now, friends, because God gets serious with those who get serious with Him. Let's get serious with God and come in submission to Him.

Salvation isn't a decision, friend. Salvation is surrender to a sovereign who sits on a throne. You must come in humility, throw down your shotgun of rebellion at His nail-pierced feet, and surrender all you are to all He is.

And He is Lord. He is Lord. Let us pray.