-
I simply want to deal with:
-
"one Lord" in verse 5.
-
Beginning in verse 4, there is
-
"one body and one Spirit
-
just as you were called to the one hope
-
that belongs to your call.
-
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
-
one God and Father of all who is over all
-
and through all and in all."
-
Father, I ask You for the help
-
that we need to embrace this,
-
to know this.
-
I want to be able to say
to my brethren here
-
what needs to be said,
-
what should be said,
-
what honors You to have said.
-
I pray, Lord, take our minds,
-
take our thoughts, guide them.
-
We pray, Lord, for an endowment
-
of the Spirit's working
and power and energy
-
so as to transform,
-
so as to fill our minds
-
with the spirit of
wisdom and of revelation
-
in the knowledge of Him.
-
Expand our understanding.
-
Expand our minds.
-
Expand our thoughts.
-
Expand our awe, our worship.
-
I pray in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Amen.
-
One Lord.
-
It's concise.
-
He just says it.
-
I know that's not all he says,
-
but that's all he says about the one Lord.
-
Just bang!
-
Right before that, it was one hope.
-
Right after that, it's one faith.
-
Different things.
-
He's got seven specific unique "ones"
-
that he throws at us.
-
There's one Lord.
-
No definition.
-
No information.
-
Just that.
-
One Lord.
-
It's kind of like the Lord's Day.
-
I've thought about this.
-
We build whole doctrines
around the Lord's Day,
-
but you know "Lord's Day" is
only used once in the Bible.
-
It's very interesting, it's used
-
as John is writing and talking
-
about Jesus walking
amidst the candlesticks
-
and Jesus Himself is going to deliver
-
these seven epistles to
these seven churches.
-
And John says, "I was in the Spirit
-
on the Lord's Day."
-
He doesn't define "Lord's Day."
-
You know when you're
talking to God's people
-
and you don't define things,
-
it's typically because the author,
-
the writer assumes
-
that the people to whom he's writing
-
understand what he's talking about.
-
And the thing is if we had just actually
-
read from the very first
verse of Ephesians
-
all the way up to chapter 4:5,
-
there would be no doubt in our minds
-
about who Paul was talking about.
-
You know, but let's be certain
-
about who he's talking about
-
because the reality is arguably
-
Paul uses the term "Lord"
-
with regards to the Spirit and the Father.
-
I say arguably because
it's not super clear
-
and depending on the
translation you have, it's difficult.
-
For that matter though, it's not difficult
-
when Jesus looks up there in Matthew 11
-
speaking to His Father
-
and He calls His Father
-
"Lord of Heaven and earth."
-
So that name, that title is used
-
probably of the Spirit in
2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
-
Probably Paul uses it with regards
-
to the Father in
2 Corinthians 6 towards the end.
-
But by and large, Paul uses the term
-
250 to 300 times
-
and usually there is no question
-
about who he has in mind
-
when he uses this term.
-
But look at Ephesians 1:2.
-
"Grace to you and peace
-
from God our Father
-
and the Lord Jesus Christ."
-
And again in verse 3,
-
"Blessed be the God and Father
-
of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-
You see, when he speaks of the Father,
-
he calls Him God.
-
When he speaks of Jesus Christ,
-
he calls Him Lord.
-
This is very typical in
Pauline literature.
-
Very typical.
-
Ephesians 1:15,
-
"For this reason, because I have heard
-
of your faith in the Lord Jesus..."
-
Verse 17, "The God of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
-
the Father of Glory."
-
Look at Ephesians 3:11.
-
"This was according to the eternal purpose
-
that He has realized (or carried out)
-
in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-
Any question about who Paul means
-
when he says "one Lord"?
-
And if you still have any doubts,
-
look at another verse with me.
-
Look at 1 Corinthians 8.
-
Because here, Paul is identifying
-
God the Father
-
and the Lord Jesus Christ
-
separately, distinctly.
-
They're not the same person.
-
They're separate.
-
And he gives more information.
-
He doesn't leave us in doubt at all
-
about who he's talking about.
-
1 Corinthians 8:5-6.
-
"For although there
may be (listen to this)
-
so-called gods..."
-
What Paul is recognizing
-
is there are people out there
-
who call all sorts of things "god."
-
There are all manner of gods
-
in people's estimations
and in people's minds.
-
And "lords."
-
So-called because they're not real.
-
"...So-called gods in heaven and on earth,
-
as indeed there are many
gods and many lords."
-
So-called.
-
"Yet for us, there is one God,
-
the Father from whom are all things
-
and for whom we exist
-
and one Lord." There it is.
-
Any doubt about who this is?
-
"One Lord Jesus Christ
-
through whom are all things
-
and through whom we exist."
-
One God and Father.
-
One Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Now, listen to me very carefully.
-
We don't want to imply
from such a statement
-
that God the Father is
never called "Lord."
-
Or, that the one Lord Jesus Christ
-
is never called God.
-
You don't want to imply that.
-
Both the Father and the Son
-
are called Lord.
-
Kurios in the Greek.
-
Both are called Lord in the same verse
-
as Jesus Christ quotes
from the 110th Psalm
-
the words of King David.
-
You know the verse.
-
And He says this, He says,
-
"The Lord..." That is God the Father.
-
"...Said to my Lord..."
That's Jesus Christ.
-
"...Sit at My right hand
-
until I put Your enemies
-
under Your feet."
-
Who's sitting at the
right hand of the Lord?
-
The Lord.
-
"The Lord said to my Lord,
-
sit at My right hand."
-
See, in Scripture, the title is used
-
for both Father and Son.
-
And likewise, "God" -
-
God the Father.
-
But that doesn't mean
that the title of "God"
-
is never given to Jesus Christ.
-
And in fact, once again,
-
as the Old Testament -
I believe it's Psalm 95
-
is quoted by the author of Hebrews
-
in Hebrews 1.
-
You know what he says there?
-
He says, "But of the Son..."
-
You remember, he's saying
-
what God said of the angels.
-
But God says of His own Son,
-
"Your throne, O God..."
-
This is God the Father
-
speaking of His Son
-
and He says, "Your throne, O God..."
-
The Father calls His Son "Theos."
-
"...Is forever and ever;
-
the scepter of uprightness
-
is the scepter of Your kingdom.
-
You have loved righteousness
-
and hated wickedness.
-
Therefore, God, Your God..."
-
Theos.
-
It's God speaking to God.
-
"...Has anointed You
with the oil of gladness
-
beyond Your companions."
-
So if the Father and the Son
are both called Lord,
-
if the Father and the Son
-
are called God -
-
both of them in Scripture -
-
why does Paul insist that there's one God?
-
And that there's one Lord?
-
Clearly Paul's not trying to deny
-
that the Father is the Lord
-
or that Jesus Christ is God.
-
What he is emphasizing is this -
-
this is important to recognize -
-
there's only one God and Father of all
-
and that's not Jesus Christ.
-
Right here in Ephesians,
-
look at chapter 1:3.
-
"Blessed be the God and Father
-
of our Lord."
-
See, sometimes because
Father is closest there
-
we say well, yes, He's Father to Christ.
-
He's Father of the Son.
-
He's Father.
-
But you know, both God and Father
-
ought to be included there.
-
He's the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Look at Ephesians 1:17.
-
"The God of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-
And you know what's very interesting?
-
The Scriptures never say this in reverse.
-
Never.
-
The Father is over all.
-
And even in the end,
-
though Christ is definitely said to be
-
equal to the Father,
-
you need to recognize this,
-
and then 1 Corinthians 15
-
when this whole thing is done,
-
Jesus Christ offers this whole thing up
-
to His Father.
-
The Father said,
-
"You sit at My right hand
-
until I put everything
in subjection to You."
-
And the end's going to come
-
and Jesus is going to have to put down
-
every single enemy,
-
but when they are all put down,
-
it says "except the One who put
-
everything in subjection to Him."
-
God the Father is over all
-
and He is the God of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
That is never said of Jesus Christ.
-
Jesus Christ is a different Person.
-
And He is not God the Father.
-
But then there is this,
-
equally true.
-
Though the Father is called Lord,
-
He is not the one Lord Jesus Christ.
-
We have to get this.
-
The Lord Jesus Christ
-
shares our humanity.
-
He is the God-man.
-
Listen to this in Luke 1:43.
-
Don't look at that. Just listen to me.
-
Elizabeth - do you remember what happened
-
when Mary came to her?
-
The babe inside Elizabeth jumped.
-
And do you remember what Elizabeth said?
-
She said, "Why is this granted to me
-
that the mother of my Lord
-
should come to me?"
-
Now, Scripture never calls her
-
"the mother of God."
-
But it calls her the mother of the Lord.
-
Be clear on that.
-
The Lord. Who is He?
-
The Lord is a Man.
-
He's the God-man.
-
He's the Son of David.
-
Listen to this.
-
This one Lord is Lord
-
because He suffered
and died and rose again.
-
Listen very carefully.
-
Listen to this.
-
Romans 14:9 says this,
-
"To this end, Christ
died and lived again."
-
The Father cannot die and live again.
-
The Father is God.
-
He's the one God over all.
-
Through all, in all.
-
He's not man that He should die.
-
But the Lord Christ died and lived again
-
that He might be Lord.
-
You see that?
-
You hear that?
-
"Lord of the dead and the living."
-
That cannot be said of God the Father.
-
Christ is Lord by right.
-
He's Lord by purchase.
-
You know this.
-
Jesus Christ,
-
who being in the form of God -
-
the form.
-
That doesn't mean not God.
-
Being in the form of God means He is God.
-
He was God.
-
He's in the form of God.
-
And being in the form of God,
-
what does Scripture say?
-
He didn't count His being God
-
that which should hold Him back
-
from humbling Himself
-
and taking on the likeness of mankind.
-
He didn't grasp it.
-
He didn't hold it.
-
He didn't let it be a deterrent.
-
But what did He do?
-
He emptied Himself
-
and He took upon Himself
-
the likeness of a servant.
-
And He took upon Himself
-
the form of mankind.
-
And being found in the form of man,
-
what did He do?
-
He humbled Himself.
-
And He became obedient to death,
-
even death on the cross.
-
And you know what the Scripture says?
-
Because He did that, therefore -
-
He had to do that.
-
He had to leave the glory of heaven
-
and become this humbled
empty servant Man and die.
-
And it's because of that
-
that the Father has highly exalted Him
-
and given Him a name
-
that is above every name.
-
And that name is Lord. It's not Jesus.
-
It's the name "Lord."
-
So that every knee might bow
-
and every tongue confess
-
that Jesus is Lord
-
on this earth,
-
in heaven,
-
under this earth.
-
And every tongue will confess
-
that He is Lord
-
to the glory of the Father.
-
But see, it's the "therefore."
-
You have to tie it.
-
He's Lord by right.
-
That can never be said of the Father.
-
He is Lord by right, yes.
-
He is over all.
-
All authority is His,
-
but you have to recognize,
-
Jesus came as a man.
-
He came as the second Adam.
-
He came as one to earn His right,
-
earn His place,
-
earn the purchase price.
-
And it's because He came,
-
it's because He overcame death
-
and hell and Satan and the grave -
-
it's because of that that He now
-
has the right to stand as Lord
-
of both the living and the dead.
-
This is what Scripture says.
-
And that cannot be said of the Father.
-
There is one God and Father of all
-
and there is one Lord Jesus Christ
-
and they are separate.
-
Very much so.
-
There is but one Lord Jesus Christ.
-
And the thing is there's never been
-
anyone like Him at all!
-
And there never will be!
-
One who is both
Son of David and Son of God.
-
There has never been another.
-
One who is man,
-
and yet He is the Word who was God,
-
and the Word became flesh.
-
God manifest in the flesh.
-
Never has there been anyone like Him.
-
Never.
-
There's never been anyone like Him
-
in the world before He came.
-
There will never be another like Him
-
in this world until He
Himself comes again.
-
He stands entirely alone
-
in all the glory of His
absolute uniqueness.
-
That's not to diminish from
the glory of the Father
-
or the glory of the Spirit,
-
but He's unique - one Lord.
-
One.
-
And so, I came to this verse, and I said -
-
last week I dealt with one body,
-
one Spirit, and one hope
all in one message.
-
So I looked at this.
-
Okay, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
-
Do I deal with all three of those?
-
And make some progress to get smiles
-
from all the Medina children.
-
But you know what?
-
You know what jumped out at me?
-
What jumped out at me
-
are the words that Jesus said in John 16.
-
When Jesus said that
"when the Spirit of truth comes,
-
He will glorify Me," I thought this:
-
I've got the Spirit.
-
I believe the Spirit is in this place,
-
among this people.
-
And this Spirit's business
-
is to exalt Jesus Christ.
-
And if that Spirit is with me,
-
I ought to be able to take those two words
-
"one Lord" and if the
Spirit's in exalting His Son,
-
that ought to at least
produce one message,
-
probably a lifetime of messages.
-
It's like we heard in the first hour.
-
Probably you couldn't even fill
-
all the world with all the messages
-
that ought to come forth from this
-
if the Spirit really let loose.
-
One Lord. Now, here's the thing,
-
remember what's going on
here in Ephesians at this point?
-
The Apostle is concerned with what?
-
What's he concerned with?
-
What was there in verse 3?
-
Where are we getting
all these "ones" from?
-
Unity.
-
It's the unity of the Spirit.
-
All this flows from what you saw
-
there in verse 3.
-
Paul's thinking ought to be clear on this.
-
One Lord,
-
therefore one church.
-
It's a uniting doctrine.
-
One Lord.
-
One Lord.
-
And that just cuts through
-
all the many distortions that men suppose
-
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
One Lord.
-
There aren't many Christ's.
-
There's the one we heard
about in the first hour
-
who men tend to be offended at.
-
The Cornerstone who men tend to trip over.
-
But you know what happens is
-
they trip over it
-
and they recreate Him
-
so that He's not trippable.
-
They recreate Him so that
He's not offensive.
-
People don't want an offensive Christ.
-
And so what they do is they redefine Him.
-
Muslims redefine Him.
Catholics redefine Him.
-
Hindus redefine Him.
Buddhists redefine Him.
-
Atheists redefine Him.
-
The truth is there's a lot of people
-
that call themselves orthodox Christians
-
and they're redefining Him.
-
There aren't many Christ's.
-
There's one.
-
It doesn't work that you
have your version of Jesus
-
and I have mine.
-
You don't define Him.
-
And I don't define Him.
-
He is not one thing to one,
-
and another thing to another.
-
There's nothing more uniting than this:
-
one Lord.
-
Therefore, one church.
-
2,000 years ago, Paul spoke
-
of the fact - you remember when he was
-
speaking to the Corinthians?
-
He was actually rebuking the Corinthians
-
and He was saying, you know what?
-
You guys will tolerate when somebody
-
comes in here and they set before you
-
another Jesus.
-
You're all too quick to tolerate that.
-
What's that?
-
Another Jesus?
-
Yeah.
-
Other than who Paul preached.
-
Oh, it was common 2,000 years ago
-
and it's common today.
-
Paul himself admits, have you ever read it
-
there in 2 Corinthians 5?
-
Paul says this -
-
now he's commending the Corinthians.
-
He said "we no longer regard men
-
according to the flesh."
-
And he said you know, we did one time
-
regard Christ according to the flesh,
-
but not anymore.
-
What does that mean?
-
What's flesh?
-
The best we can do in our humanity.
-
It's the best men can
do in defining Christ
-
who don't have the Spirit.
-
That's what that is.
-
We think of Christ -
-
do you remember how you thought of Christ
-
before you were saved?
-
Christians in here,
-
how did you used to think of Him?
-
Oh, I'll tell you this, I definitely
-
thought about Him according to the flesh.
-
My thinking about Him was
altogether transformed
-
when the Spirit of God
took the blinders off.
-
I'll tell you this, He became
-
altogether glorious in my eyes,
-
and He was not before that.
-
What does that mean?
-
You know what people say.
-
You know what they do
according to the flesh.
-
You know that.
-
I remember this -
-
I remember being in the tool room
-
there at Miller-Kerton.
-
I remember the foreman out there.
-
I said, "Jesus Christ is God."
-
He said, "No, He's the
Son of God, but not God."
-
How do men redefine Him?
-
Whatever the Catholics say,
-
they say we need Mary.
-
We need Mary more.
-
So, however they define Christ,
-
He certainly isn't sufficient.
-
Him saying on the cross, "It is finished,"
-
they not only need Mary,
-
they need purgatory
-
to try to pay off the rest of this thing.
-
You see, everybody's for redefining Him.
-
The Muslim - what does he say?
-
"Well, He's a prophet.
-
We'll give Him that much,
but He's not God.
-
He didn't die on that cross for our sins."
-
Redefining.
-
Everybody wants to redefine Him.
-
Because you know what?
-
We heard this in the first hour.
-
We've got Christmas coming up.
-
Oh, that is one of the greatest
redefinings of Christ.
-
You say, are you going to observe
the day or not observe the day?
-
I'll tell you this:
-
The world and the world who
approaches Christ by the flesh -
-
let's put Him as a baby in a manger.
-
And that's perpetually in their mind
-
how they want to imagine Him.
-
Or that's another error of the Catholics.
-
They like to portray Him dead
on that crucifix all the time.
-
Yes - dead Christ, baby Christ.
-
"That's what we want. He's not offensive."
-
Another says Christ is important,
-
but we need more.
-
We need our own efforts.
-
We need our own works.
-
He's a great man, but that's all.
-
Some say like the Jehovah's Witnesses,
-
they say He was created.
-
That's all. He was created.
-
He's an angel.
-
He's Michael.
-
The Jews - what did they say?
-
Well, He's not the Messiah.
-
Did you see?
-
I saw on Drudge that some snake
-
came out of the wailing wall.
-
They're like, oh, that's a sign!
The Messiah's coming!
-
Oh, they totally redefine Him.
-
The Jews in His day said He's a deceiver.
-
Paul Himself said I thought
to do many things
-
contrary to Him and against Him
-
before my eyes were opened.
-
I saw Him as an enemy to the truth.
-
I saw Him as a deceiver
-
and to be resisted
-
and to be fought against.
-
Brethren, we've got people all around us
-
redefining Christ.
-
However they redefine Him,
-
it's so that He's not offensive.
-
Not offensive!
-
But as soon as you say He's God,
-
as soon as you call Him one Lord
-
and He's got every right to
have authority over you
-
and you are going to bow to Him,
-
oh, that's offensive!
-
The builders - they rejected Him.
-
The world - they reject Him.
-
This offensive Christ they reject.
-
They redefine Him.
-
Some think Him a name -
-
this was very common with myself
-
and with my family and with my friends.
-
They think Him no more than a name
-
to use when you're cursing
-
and when you're swearing.
-
Some imagine Him as a Christ who smiles.
-
I saw something on Daniel the other day.
-
It was meant for children.
-
And Daniel is put down in the lion's den
-
and he's spared and he comes out
-
and there's the king.
-
And the king prayed and fasted all night.
-
And Daniel says, "The Lord sent his angel
-
and He protected me."
-
And then the king says,
-
"Throw those who accused them
-
down there into the lion's pit...
-
tomorrow."
-
And in whoever's caricature of this,
-
Daniel says, "Well, I'll pray for them
-
because God's merciful."
-
As though what?
-
Those men were thrown
down in there immediately
-
and devoured.
-
People want to redefine!
-
This is offensive!
-
We don't like that kind of Christ.
-
That He'll send His
angel to protect Daniel,
-
but then allow the lions to just devour
-
the wicked men.
-
That is the kind of Christ we have.
-
Many people see and they imagine
-
Christ as some pathetic, effeminate,
-
pale, anemic, dove-eyed pushover.
-
Have you ever seen the pictures of Him?
-
But there is one Lord.
-
There is one Lord.
-
And we don't define Him.
-
The one Lord Jesus Christ of Scripture -
-
who is He?
-
In the beginning was the Word.
-
He was there.
-
He was with God.
-
And He is God.
-
And you can't get away from that.
-
Don't redefine Him.
-
And that Word became flesh.
-
True man.
-
God became man.
-
This is what it took to
rescue us from our sins.
-
This is the Christ.
-
And He did become sin.
-
He did die on a cross.
-
And He died on the cross
-
as a substitute for sinners.
-
He became sin
-
to cancel the record of our debt.
-
In Him Scripture says are hidden
-
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
-
This is the Christ of Scripture.
-
He did die
-
and He did rise
-
and He is alive and He ascended.
-
And Scripture tells us He is seated
-
at the right hand of the majesty on high.
-
And He reigns.
-
He is at the right hand of the Father
-
and all of His enemies are being made
-
a footstool for His feet.
-
He is highly exalted by the Father.
-
He has been given a name
-
that is above every name.
-
And I'll tell you this,
-
every knee will bow to Him.
-
And it doesn't matter who
you're following right now.
-
You could say Confucius had the wisdom
-
or Mohammed - whatever you have,
-
you can admire Mary,
-
you can deny it all.
-
You can say I'm an atheist
and I don't even believe.
-
It doesn't matter.
-
We are all headed to an
appointment with Him.
-
This is the one Lord.
-
He's Lord.
-
And our knees are going to bow
-
and our tongues are going to confess.
-
And there is no getting around that.
-
He is exalted.
-
The one Lord is God.
-
Scripture says He's the radiance
-
of the glory of God.
-
He's the exact imprint
-
of the nature of God.
-
Scripture says that the Son
-
declares the Father.
-
In Him you behold the glory of God
-
in the face of Jesus Christ.
-
And this one Lord -
let me tell you about Him.
-
He's not this effeminate, pathetic thing,
-
anemic thing.
-
I remember my great-grandmother
-
had that typical picture of Jesus
-
that I showed the kids
-
during Vacation Bible School,
-
and I asked all the kids, "Is this Jesus?"
-
And they all shouted, "Yes!"
-
And I said, "No! It's not Him!"
-
It's somebody's idea of Him.
-
Somebody's invention of Him.
-
Let me tell you something.
-
The Lord of Scripture was a man's man.
-
Not like this effeminate
thing some imagine.
-
The one Lord - He cleansed the temple.
-
He took a whip in there.
-
Did you see what He did?
-
He could come in to a meeting
-
of a bunch of high leaders
-
and He could say,
-
"If you sit in the first seat,
-
you sit in the best seat,
-
you're going to be humbled."
-
And He could look right in
their eyes and say that.
-
He could come before those Jewish leaders
-
and He could look them dead in the eye -
-
He took them on.
-
He took them on. He said, "You're wrong."
-
He said, "You're going
to die in your sins."
-
He looked at them and He said,
-
"I am the Messiah,
-
but you won't believe Me."
-
He stood toe to toe with them.
-
This one - He walked
those roads of Palestine.
-
It's the Middle East under that sun!
-
He wasn't white. He wasn't pale.
-
He was out there in the sun.
-
He was a man's man.
-
He was a friend of tax
collectors and sinners.
-
He walked around with a
bunch of Galilean fishermen.
-
He had carpenter's arms
-
and carpenter's hands.
-
This was the Christ of Scripture.
-
And He was gentle and tender
-
with impure women,
-
a woman of the city.
-
Mary Magdalene had seven demons.
-
And He was not afraid.
-
With those Jewish leaders
-
and all their convictions
about the Sabbath,
-
He'd go right up and heal somebody.
-
He'd give them their sight.
-
This is the Christ of Scripture.
-
He wasn't afraid to go to a wedding
-
and make the best wine.
-
This is the Christ of Scripture.
-
Some people imagine Him
-
altogether other than He is.
-
He was willing to enter in
-
to men's celebrations.
-
He loved weddings and good wine.
-
Fearless.
-
He went toe to toe with the devil
-
out there in the wilderness.
-
They tried to get rid of Him.
-
They couldn't tolerate Him.
-
But you know what, they tried to
get rid of Him and He came back.
-
They killed Him. He rose from the dead.
-
They sealed the tomb. He breaks the seal.
-
You can't get rid of Him!
-
And as much as mankind
-
wants to get rid of Him
just like they did back then,
-
this one Lord - you don't get rid of Him
-
because He is Lord.
-
Lord means He's sovereign.
-
He's the owner.
-
He's got the authority.
-
This is His.
-
We are His. This world is His.
-
You remember this,
-
He is Lord of both the
living and the dead.
-
That doesn't mean those
-
who are the cemetery over there.
-
Listen, on judgment day,
He is going to judge
-
the living and the dead.
-
They're all going to be conscious.
-
He doesn't mean some are
still over in the grave.
-
What He means is some
are alive spiritually
-
and some are still dead in their sins.
-
And He is Lord of you.
-
And you'll know it that day
-
when your own tongue confesses
-
and your own knee bows.
-
Brethren, the wise path
-
is to submit yourself
-
and surrender to this Lord.
-
That's the wise path.
-
Many have tried to stop it,
-
but it can't be stopped.
-
His Kingdom.
-
What we're told is it's a
kingdom that's forever.
-
His kingdom goes on and on and on.
-
This is the one Lord.
-
And when He comes,
-
He will not come in weakness,
-
but in power and in glory.
-
And you know that text that says
-
you bring those enemies of Mine before Me;
-
those who did not want
Me to reign over them,
-
you bring them here
-
and slaughter them before Me.
-
Listen, if you continue to resist,
-
if there are any in here,
-
you continue to resist
this Lord Jesus Christ -
-
He is Lord.
-
He is Lord.
-
And what He's doing right now
-
is He's showing you kindness.
-
That's what Scripture says.
-
He showers you with kindness,
-
not to make you think
that everything's okay
-
or to make you think
-
that your twisted image of Him is okay.
-
He's giving you a time now
-
for all of us,
-
we're on death row.
-
All of us.
-
But we are given a time to seek pardon.
-
And Him being kind to us
-
does not indicate necessarily
-
that you're pardoned.
-
Don't misinterpret.
-
Maybe you've been in the place
-
where you trusted something else -
-
you've trusted yourself;
-
you've trusted in your own opinions
-
and your own strength;
-
you've trusted Mary
-
or you've trusted Mohammed
-
or Ganesh there in India
-
or Confucius or science or aliens.
-
But I'll tell you this,
-
when you take your last breath,
-
there will be one Lord
-
and one Judge of all.
-
We have an appointment with this one Lord.
-
Now listen, to deny Christ
-
doesn't simply mean that He never existed.
-
To deny Christ simply means
-
to define Him other than He is.
-
You say, how do you know that?
-
Listen to what Scripture says.
-
"Who is the liar
-
but he who denies
that Jesus is the Christ?"
-
Messiah.
-
"This is the antichrist."
-
Notice what he doesn't say.
-
It's not the person who simply comes along
-
and says, "Jesus never existed."
-
He's not even going there.
-
That's not the issue.
-
The issue is this:
-
if you deny that Christ is
-
who Scripture says He is,
-
you're attacking Christ.
-
You're denying Christ.
-
"This is the antichrist,
-
he who denies the Father and the Son."
-
Wait, wait.
-
How does he get the Father in there?
-
Well, because of this:
-
The Father is the one who declares to us
-
who Jesus is.
-
If you say, "I don't think so,"
-
this has to do with
the Father's honor as well.
-
Because basically to deny Christ,
-
to say He's other than who He is
-
is to call God a liar.
-
That's the issue.
-
"No one who denies the Son
-
has the Father."
-
Be careful there.
-
People love to say we have the same God.
-
Do you ever hear that?
-
I hear that. "It's the same God."
-
"I'm from another religion,
-
but our god is your God."
-
Okay, wait a second,
-
how do you define Christ?
-
As soon as they define Christ different,
-
not the same God
-
because if you deny the Son,
-
you don't have the Father.
-
"Whoever confesses the Son
-
has the Father also."
-
Listen, if you don't have the Father,
-
it means you don't have God,
-
no matter what you may think,
-
no matter how you may think,
-
no matter what your trust may be in.
-
No matter how certain you are.
-
No matter what hope you're resting on.
-
I'll tell you this,
-
if the Christ you have is
not the Christ of Scripture,
-
you don't have the Father.
-
Only the Christ of Scripture is the way
-
to the Father.
-
No one comes unto the Father
-
except by the biblical Christ -
-
not the Christ of our own imagination;
-
not the Christ we invented;
-
not the Christ somebody else invented
-
in some false religion.
-
There is one Lord.
-
One Lord.
-
The thing that we need
to recognize is this:
-
The Father - this one God and Father
-
is the God and Father
-
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Their identities go together.
-
Do you notice that?
-
Do you recognize what I'm saying?
-
If you redefine the Lord,
-
then He's no longer the God and Father
-
of our Lord Jesus Christ
-
because our Lord Jesus Christ is one Lord.
-
He's got definition.
-
There is a way He is.
-
There is a way that God
expresses to us who He is.
-
God has borne witness concerning His Son.
-
He is the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Redefine Christ - you've just redefined
-
the God and Father of
that Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Their identities are
integrally tied to each other.
-
That's the reality.
-
Listen to this.
-
"Let all the house of Israel
-
therefore know for certain
-
that God has made Him
both Lord and Christ,
-
this Jesus whom you have crucified."
-
Did you get that?
-
The Father has made Him Lord and Christ.
-
Jesus Christ is the one Lord
-
by the decree of God the Father.
-
God made Christ Lord.
-
Now this is interesting.
-
(incomplete thought)
-
I know many of you,
-
you've often heard:
-
"We don't make Jesus Lord."
-
God made Him Lord.
-
We don't make Jesus Lord. He is Lord.
-
Well, that's true.
-
We don't make Him Lord.
-
Lots of people talk that way
-
and you know that.
-
No one makes Him Lord except the Father.
-
He is Lord.
-
And like I said, He's not
only Lord to Christians.
-
He died, He went to that
cross, and He rose again
-
that He might be Lord of
both the living and the dead.
-
On judgment day, Acts 10:42 says,
-
"He is the one appointed by God..."
-
Again, notice that.
-
God made Him Lord and Christ.
-
God appointed Him to be Judge.
-
Of who?
-
The living and the dead.
-
Those who are saved;
those who are not saved.
-
Those who are Christians;
those who are not Christians.
-
But here's the thing,
-
God making Christ Lord
-
is interesting from another standpoint.
-
Jesus must be made Lord to be Lord.
-
Certainly, we don't make Him that,
-
but isn't that interesting?
-
Wait. Jesus in the beginning
-
was the Word and the Word was with God
-
and the Word was God.
-
Doesn't His being God make Him Lord?
-
Why does He have to be made Lord?
-
If God becomes man,
-
why does He have to be made Lord?
-
Those are the kind of questions
that come through my mind.
-
But you know what you find in Scripture?
-
It's as a man, as the God-man,
-
as the descendant of David,
-
He as a man,
-
He has an earthly, manly King,
-
He needs to be made Lord.
-
What's so unique about Him
-
is that He is actually a man
-
who has been committed with all authority;
-
one who bears our very nature,
-
(incomplete thought).
-
His being God -
-
it didn't automatically make
Jesus of Nazareth one Lord.
-
Listen to this.
-
Listen to these texts.
-
I've already mentioned
Philippians 2 where it says,
-
"Therefore, God has highly exalted Him..."
-
Why?
-
Because He emptied Himself.
-
How?
-
In becoming a servant
-
and becoming man
-
and becoming obedient
-
even to death on the cross.
-
Therefore, God highly exalted Him
-
and gave Him this name.
-
Or how about this?
-
John 5:22, "The Father judges no one,
-
but has given all judgment to the Son."
-
But notice, the Father has given
-
all judgment to the Son.
-
John 5:26, "As the Father
has life in Himself,
-
so He has granted the Son also
-
to have life in Himself."
-
Isn't that interesting!
-
It's like it's not automatic.
-
It's given.
-
It's bestowed.
-
It's granted.
-
We get these verses at us all
the time throughout Scripture.
-
Matthew 28:18,
-
in light of the Great Commission,
-
Jesus came and said to them,
-
"All authority in heaven and on earth
-
has been given to Me."
-
Do you recognize what that's saying?
-
Even in heaven where He sits
at the right hand of the Father
-
all authority has been
given to Him in heaven.
-
The angels are at His charge.
-
What goes on in heaven,
-
what goes on on this earth.
-
But, "all authority has been given to Me."
-
Matthew 11:27,
-
"All things have been handed over to Me
-
by My Father."
-
Hebrews 1:2, "But in these last days,
-
He has spoken to us by His Son
-
whom He appointed heir of all things."
-
It's appointment.
-
It's bestowal.
-
It's handed over.
-
It's granted.
-
"The Father loves the Son
-
and has given all things into His hand,"
-
John 3:35 says.
-
Acts 10:42, "He is the one
-
appointed by God to be Judge
-
of the living and the dead."
-
John 17:2, Jesus praying to His Father
-
about Himself says,
-
"You have given Me authority
-
over all flesh to give eternal life
-
to all whom You have given Me."
-
John 6:57 - it's just amazing.
-
John 6:57,
-
"I live because of the Father."
-
I love that text.
-
1 Corinthians 15:27,
-
"God has put all things
-
in subjection under His feet."
-
"Let all the house of Israel know
-
and be certain that God has made Him
-
both Lord and Christ,
-
this Jesus whom you have crucified."
-
There's one Lord.
-
God has made Him what He is.
-
His life derives from God.
-
His authority from God.
-
It is God who defines Him.
-
It is God who has given
Him what defines Him.
-
This one Lord Jesus Christ.
-
And if you change this description,
-
if you seek to alter the definition
-
of Jesus Christ, this one Lord,
-
and what He is and who He is
-
and what He has done -
-
if you say, "No! Jesus is not like that,"
-
then you call God the Father a liar.
-
Because God the Father
-
has indicated to us that this is exactly
-
the identity of His one Son.
-
This one God and Father
-
has described the identity of His Son.
-
And the identity of the Father
-
is uniquely integrally tied
-
to the identity of the one Lord.
-
And I'll tell you this,
-
has this not always been
-
that which not just offends people
-
over Jesus Christ,
-
but offends people about the church?
-
We are intolerant at this point.
-
We can tolerate sinners
-
of all different shades.
-
But we are intolerant at this point.
-
There is an intolerance in Christianity.
-
When somebody comes to us and says,
-
"Oh, our god is the same God as yours..."
-
Intolerance. No way.
-
Not when your "christ" is
different than our Christ.
-
No way. Intolerance.
-
We cannot tolerate that.
-
If we do, it's not true Christianity.
-
It's not biblical Christianity.
-
No way.
-
In fact, if you have not seen
-
and you are not persuaded
-
of this intolerant aspect of Christianity,
-
you probably have never come face to face
-
with true Christianity
-
and with the one Lord
-
and the one Spirit
-
and the one God and Father of all.
-
This Christ of Scripture must stand alone.
-
He is entirely unique.
-
There is one Lord.
-
What do we read?
-
"There is salvation in no one else,
-
for there is no other name given among men
-
under heaven by which we must be saved."
-
His uniqueness, brethren,
must be preserved.
-
And that unifies us.
-
That's what Paul's getting at.
-
This unifies us.
-
One Lord.
-
Therefore, one church.
-
One Christ.
-
We don't redefine Him. We can't.
-
We are intolerant.
-
This one Lord. One Lord.
-
This is what defines our Christianity.
-
If you think that you can find God
-
apart from and without this one Lord,
-
you're altogther mistaken.
-
Altogether.
-
Paul said this, "What we proclaim
-
is not ourselves,
-
but Jesus Christ as Lord..."
-
You want something -
those of you that go out today -
-
you want something in your message?
-
Maybe sometimes you wonder, what do I say?
-
What do I say when I go up to the door?
-
I'll tell you this you can say:
-
Jesus Christ is Lord.
-
And you've got to do with Him.
-
Let me remind you as you're sitting there
-
drinking your beer,
watching your football game.
-
Or, sitting there
anticipating Thanksgiving.
-
There is one Lord
-
and you've got an appointment
with Him and so do I.
-
Oh brethren, this one Lord.
-
What have we been told?
-
If you confess with your mouth
-
that Jesus is Lord
-
and you believe that God has raised Him
-
from the dead - have you
ever thought about that?
-
You just kind of pass over that.
-
"Oh, well, we have to
confess Jesus Christ."
-
No, it says if you confess Him as Lord...
-
Lord.
-
You see, there's a surrender.
-
When you say, "Lord... Lord!"
-
You're saying, "I'm not Lord."
-
I lay down my weapons.
-
I'm surrendering to follow You,
-
to be saved by You in
whatever way You save.
-
But if you confess with your mouth
-
that Jesus is Lord
-
and you believe in your heart
-
that God raised this Lord Jesus Christ
-
from the dead,
-
Scripture promises you will be saved.
-
You reject this Christ as Lord?
-
You cannot be saved.
-
Every one who calls
on the name of the Lord...
-
There it is - the Philippian jailer -
-
what must I do to be saved?
-
Call upon the name of the Lord.
-
See, Paul says when we preach,
-
we preach He is Lord of all.
-
Don't just skip over that
-
like that's some sort of trivial addendum
-
to His name, like we put a Mr. or Mrs. -
-
like we just call Him
the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
We kind of fly over it.
-
No, you need to take it seriously.
-
Jesus took it seriously.
-
He looked at people
one day there in Luke 6.
-
He says, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,'
-
and not do the things I say?"
-
You see, there's an inconsistency.
-
If you say it with your mouth,
-
you need to believe it in your heart.
-
And if you believe it in your heart,
-
if there's truly been
repentance - remember,
-
a change of mind -
-
what is that change of mind?
-
It goes from seeing Christ as small,
-
insignificant, not the Lord - I'm Lord.
-
I call the shots.
-
No.
-
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
-
and you don't do the things I say?"
-
You see, if there's repentance,
-
if you really have had a change of mind,
-
if you're really believing on
-
and calling upon the Lord...
-
Acts 2:21 there on the day of Pentecost -
-
"It shall come to pass
-
that everyone who calls upon
-
the name of the Lord shall be saved."
-
We must be intolerant
-
because no other Jesus can save.
-
There's one name under heaven
-
among men whereby we must be saved.
-
His name. Not another.
-
One Lord.
-
He's the Savior and there is no other.
-
"I am the way, the truth, and the life."
-
"There is no other way to
the Father except by Me."
-
But there is a way to the Father.
-
And don't despise that way.
-
Don't ignore.
-
We must be intolerant.
-
One Lord.
-
He alone.
-
We must never say that God
can be known without Him.
-
We must be utterly
intolerant at this point.
-
And because all true Christians are
-
intolerant at this point,
-
that very intolerance
unites every one of us.
-
I could meet somebody far away
-
in another country and it's like,
-
"Describe your Lord to me."
-
Amen. We are united.
-
But if you say to me:
-
I don't care where I meet you.
-
I could meet you right here
-
in my own house.
-
Right here at home.
-
And you say to me:
-
Christ isn't enough. I need purgatory.
-
Or you say to me He was
a prophet, but He wasn't God.
-
Or you say to me,
-
He's weak. He's effeminate.
-
We need something else.
-
We don't have the same Christ.
-
Intolerance.
-
We're welded into one by this
-
absolute unity where there's intolerance
-
about the Person of Christ.
-
Listen, this is not the
height of arrogance.
-
Some might suppose that.
-
When there's intolerance, people say,
-
they're mean; they're mean-spirited.
-
They don't accept other people.
-
No, it's not the height
of arrogance and pride.
-
Actually, for unity, for us all to be one,
-
for us to all be intolerant
-
around these truths,
-
actually if you go back to Ephesians 4:2,
-
it calls for humility.
-
This is the height of humility
-
because we're not inventing this.
-
This isn't us being lifted up
-
in our own pride
-
in defining who Christ is.
-
No.
-
We've been where you are
-
and we've come face to face.
-
And what we had to do
was bow to this Christ.
-
We had to surrender.
-
Actually, what is humility?
-
What's at the heart of it?
-
The heart of it is proper
estimation of self,
-
proper estimation of Him.
-
We bowed to God's description of His Son.
-
Totally inconsistent to call Him Lord
-
and not do the things He says.
-
You see, if you call Him Lord,
-
and you do the things He said,
-
that's a picture of humility,
-
not of pride and arrogance.
-
It's a picture of surrender.
-
We're surrendering to Him.
-
We will not surrender
-
to other people's definitions of Christ.
-
Because we're surrendered to Him.
-
It unifies.
-
Just listen to this.
-
You know this text,
-
but listen to it in light
of all that I'm saying.
-
"The one who observes the day..."
-
Some people observe days
-
who are Christians.
-
And some other Christians
-
don't observe the same day.
-
We could bring in Sabbaths,
-
we could bring in Passover.
-
Whatever.
-
But listen to this.
-
"The one who observes the day
-
observes it in honor of the Lord."
-
That is key.
-
He's Master.
-
He's sovereign.
-
He's in control.
-
And when I do what I do,
-
whether I keep it or don't keep it,
-
it's in surrender to Him.
-
See, I'm doing what I
think He wants me to do.
-
And I'm honoring Him.
-
That's unity. You know what?
-
Even if you come to a different conviction
-
about keeping the Sabbath,
-
you keep it in honor of Him.
-
I don't keep it - that
doesn't disunify us.
-
Because what we're both seeking to do
-
is honor the same Lord.
-
That unifies us.
-
And that's the very point of Paul.
-
"The one who eats,
-
eats in honor of the Lord,
-
since he gives thanks to God.
-
While the one who abstains,
-
abstains in honor of the Lord,
-
and gives thanks to God.
-
None of us lives to himself."
-
You don't.
-
And you don't die unto yourself.
-
"If we live, we live unto the Lord.
-
If we die, we die to the Lord.
-
So then, whether we live or whether we die
-
we're the Lord's."
-
He's owner.
-
"For to this end Christ
died and lived again
-
that He might be Lord
-
both of the dead and of the living."
-
One Lord, brethren.
-
One Lord.
-
This is the most unifying of realities.
-
Christians, think about it,
-
we're soldiers under one Commander.
-
One Commander. One.
-
He's not divided.
-
There's one Lord.
-
He has one purpose. He has one agenda.
-
He has one plan, one goal, one purpose.
-
He is not at odds with Himself.
-
He has one will,
-
one agenda, one direction.
-
He's taking us all somewhere.
-
There's movement here.
-
The Lord is moving
-
towards the end of time,
-
towards when He'll come.
-
There's a plan.
-
There's some place we're headed.
-
We're moving under this one Commander
-
and He is Lord.
-
He is my Lord and there's one Lord,
-
so you don't have a different one.
-
He's your Lord.
-
The issue for each of us
-
is are we surrendered to Him?
-
His purposes are singular.
-
Where's He going?
-
All authority has been given to Me.
-
So what does He have to say to us?
-
Okay, you go to all the nations.
-
You know what His purpose is?
-
His purpose is that Jesus Christ
-
would be lifted up before all the nations.
-
It's the glory of God.
-
And you know what?
-
When people bow down and they say,
-
"He is the Christ,"
-
that glorifies God.
-
Have you seen how when
that widow's son was raised
-
and they even just said,
-
listen, He is a prophet, but
He's more than a prophet.
-
When they said "the great prophet,"
-
"God has brought a prophet into the land,"
-
you notice what it said?
-
They glorified God.
-
The glory of God is as
we take this message
-
because all authority has
been given to this one Lord.
-
And we go seek to make disciples.
-
Every nation is going to bow down.
-
Every nation is going to
be represented there
-
on judgment day.
-
And we're to go. We're to go out there
-
and we're to lift Him up,
-
even though we may be different members
-
and differently gifted, the reality is
-
that we have this one Lord
-
and He's pressing the
whole church forward.
-
We are moving towards eternity.
-
We are all moving towards judgment day.
-
We're all moving in the direction
-
of having to stand and face His approval
-
or His disapproval.
-
He's the Judge of all.
-
Remember, "I was naked
-
and you clothed Me."
-
"Well done, good and faithful servant!"
-
Have you ever heard that?
-
It's His approval.
-
It's His approval.
-
Brethren, the most unifying thing
-
that this church can have is not
-
that we be clones of each other
-
and not that we all have
exactly the same convictions,
-
but when all of our convictions
-
are motivated by this one Lord
-
and by His will and
desiring to please Him,
-
surrender to Him, follow Him,
-
be about His business,
-
that is the most unifying thing
-
that can possibly happen in a church.
-
The thrust. What is the thrust of it all?
-
Hastening towards the day of His return.
-
Hastening. Moving to that day
-
when every knee shall bow,
-
with finality and exclamation,
-
that end is going to come.
-
And what?
-
Every enemy subject to Him.
-
Every principality, ruler, power,
-
brought to bow down.
-
Everyone including the last enemy death.
-
And Jesus Christ is going to turn
-
the whole thing over to His Father.
-
That is the end.
-
We're under the command of one Lord.
-
He's moving the troops.
-
One body should respond to one Head.
-
All nations - wherever God's
people are found bowing down.
-
This unifying reality.
-
Brethren, there's nothing more certain.
-
He that is with us is greater
than he that's in the world.
-
Christ came to destroy
the works of the devil.
-
Help has been laid upon one who is mighty.
-
He is Lord.
-
Listen, to surrender to Him
-
is the safest thing imaginable.
-
Because He's good.
-
He doesn't rule like
the tyrants of this world.
-
He doesn't rule like
the ways of bloody Islam
-
or bloody Catholicism.
-
He doesn't rule that way.
-
He rules by kindness.
-
And He rules by shedding His own blood.
-
He is Lord because He laid
down His life for sinners
-
and was raised from the dead.
-
And He comes in kindness.
-
And He said, "I desire
mercy, not sacrifice."
-
That's the kind of Lord we have.
-
We have the kind of Lord
-
who hung out with prostitutes
-
and tax collectors.
-
We have the kind of Lord
who saves sinners.
-
We have the kind of Lord
-
who is beckoning that people come to Him.
-
We have the kind of Lord
-
who was willing to empty Himself
-
and be humbled and become a servant
-
and become man so that He might die.
-
That's the kind of Lord that we have.
-
And He is Lord.
-
And just because He has come
-
in weakness and humility in the past
-
doesn't mean He's going to come like that
-
when He comes again.
-
He has risen.
-
He is exalted.
-
And it is expected that you
bow down before Him
-
and surrender to Him.
-
And if you do, there's
salvation to the uttermost.
-
He will save you.
-
He will take you to glory, to paradise.
-
He will wash all your sins away.
-
This is the kind of Lord we have.
-
There is no other.
-
This is the one Lord.
-
The one Lord Jesus Christ
-
that we all have to do with.
-
He is Lord of the living and of the dead.
-
And He is the one God has appointed
-
to judge every single one of us.
-
On that judgment day,
-
you want to stand before Him
-
having had all your sins washed away
-
by the Judge.
-
He won't need convincing.
-
He'll bear the wounds glorified.
-
He'll bear them.
-
There'll be no convincing of the Judge
-
because He Himself is the
one who poured out His blood.
-
But I'll tell you this,
-
if you stand before Him on that day
-
and you did not willingly
bow the knee to Him here,
-
that day is going to be most terrifying.
-
Paul said, "...knowing therefore
-
the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
-
And we would persuade you.
-
Don't misinterpret His coming as a servant
-
and His coming gentle
-
and His coming meek
and lowly the first time.
-
Don't misinterpret that.
-
Because when He comes again,
-
it will not be to offer you salvation.
-
If you have not taken it,
-
it will be to come and
destroy His enemies.
-
And be certain, that day is coming.
-
It's appointed.
-
It's appointed to you to die
-
and then it's appointed to
you to face this Christ,
-
this one Lord in judgment.
-
And if you stand there in your sin,
-
He will give the word:
-
"Depart from Me,
-
you workers of iniquity."
-
And you'll not resist.
-
You will go because there is one Lord.
-
And whoever you think it is,
-
in that day you will know,
-
and your own tongue will confess.
-
Your own knee will bow.
-
Can you imagine the picture?
-
All the offspring of Adam.
-
Through all the ages. See them there.
-
There's almost 8 billion now.
-
Who knows how much longer life will go on?
-
The world will go on.
-
Can you imagine all the masses of mankind?
-
You know what the noise is
-
if I suddenly asked all of you right now
-
to just drop to the floor.
-
There would be that noise
-
and then silence for the most part.
-
Can you imagine just that sound
-
of every knee,
-
every head bowed?
-
Can you imagine it?
-
There He stands.
-
Absolutely above all.
-
A name above all names.
-
In His glory.
-
In His power, in His authority,
-
in His beauty.
-
It will be breathtaking.
-
In one sense, there
will be something in us
-
wanting to not lift our eyes,
-
(incomplete thought).
-
For those people being forced,
-
they'll want to run and
find a mountain to cover them.
-
But for us there will be a beauty,
-
I don't know that
even as our knees bend
-
we'll be able to take our eyes off of Him.
-
Such glory, such majesty.
-
This is reality.
-
There is one Lord.
-
And we're going to see Him.
-
Oh, you want to see Him with a smile,
-
not with a frown,
-
because He's the Lord.
-
And to have pleased Him,
-
that'll be everything in that day.
-
To have displeased Him,
-
you'll desire the mountains
to fall on your head
-
and hide you from His eyes.
-
You will wish to be
anywhere but in that place.
-
Father, we want to do honor to Your Son,
-
the one Lord Jesus Christ
-
here in this place.
-
We want to honor Him.
-
We want to magnify Him.
-
We want to proclaim Him.
-
He is Lord.
-
You've made Him such.
-
Father, we thank You.
-
One mediator.
-
One Lord.
-
One way.
-
There is but one Christ.
-
One Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Lord, we pray, reveal
Him to us all the more.
-
Give us new sights, new glimpses,
-
new perception,
-
new manifestations.
-
Come, Lord Jesus, reveal Yourself
-
more and more we pray in Christ's name,
-
Amen.