"JESUS, MY LORD"

INTRODUCTION

1. The expression "My Lord" is used but a few times in reference to
   Jesus...
   a. David wrote, "The LORD said to my Lord..." - Ps 110:1
   b. Mary said, "...they have taken away my Lord" - Jn 20:13
   c. Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" - Jn 20:28
   d. Paul wrote, "...Christ Jesus my Lord" - Php 3:8

2. Yet it is important that every Christian...
   a. Thinks of Jesus as "My Lord"
   b. Appreciates what it means to have Jesus as "My Lord"

[To help us better understand what it means to have Jesus as "My Lord",
let's consider the title of our study ("Jesus, My Lord") and focus our
thoughts on each word, beginning with "Lord"...]

I. JESUS, MY "LORD"

   A. THE WORD FOR LORD IS USUALLY "KURIOS"...
      1. Related to the word "kuros" meaning "power"
      2. Variously translated "master", "owner"
      3. Describes one having "power" or "authority"
      -- Certainly Jesus has such power or authority - cf. Mt 28:18

   B. ANOTHER WORD FOR LORD IS "DESPOTES"...
      1. From which we get the word "despot"
         a. Today it is often used in a bad sense
         b. E.g., "a person exercising power abusively, oppressively, or
            tyrannously"
      2. Its primary definition is "a ruler with absolute power or
         authority"
         a. Used in reference to God - Lk 2:29; Ac 4:24; Re 6:10
         b. Used in reference to Christ - 2Ti 2:21 (Master); 2Pe 2:1
            (Lord)
      -- Stronger than "kurios", for it speaks of having "absolute"
         power and authority

[Who has the power or authority to claim to be MY master, MY owner?  The
Christian should answer...]

II. "JESUS," MY LORD

   A. JESUS IS TO BE MY LORD...
      1. As He Himself taught His disciples - Jn 13:13
      2. The apostle Peter also proclaimed Jesus as Lord
         a. To the Jews on Pentecost - Ac 2:36
         b. To the Gentiles at Cornelius' home - Ac 10:36
      3. The apostle Paul also proclaimed Jesus as Lord
         a. By virtue of His death and resurrection - Ro 14:9
         b. To Christians, Jesus is the only Lord - 1Co 8:6; Ep 4:5
      -- Jesus is the one who is our "kurios", our "despotes" (our Lord
         and Master)

   B. THIS RULES OUT ANY OTHER "LORDS"...
      1. Such as my self
         a. I.e., my own will - cf. Ga 2:20
         b. No, we must deny self and follow Jesus as Lord - Lk 9:23-24
      2. Such as my flesh
         a. I.e., my own fleshly desires - cf. Ga 5:24
         b. No, we must crucify the flesh, and look to Jesus as our
            example - Col 3:1-11
      3. Such as the world
         a. I.e., anything outside my self which would lead me away from
            the Lord - Ga 6:14
         b. This would include such things as:
            1) Work and family - Lk 14:15-24,25-27
            2) Philosophy and traditions of men - Col 2:6-10
      4. Such as our brethren
         a. Certainly we are to submit to one another - cf. Ep 5:21
         b. But some seem to fear their brethren more than they fear the
            Lord!
            1) E.g., watch their language and conduct in the presence of
               brethren
            2) E.g., attend services only to please the brethren, or get
               them off their back
      -- While we may submit to those in authority (e.g., husbands,
         elders, government), it is because we have made Jesus our "one
         Lord" above all others!

[Many Christians live as though their self, their flesh, the world, or
their brethren were their "master" or "owner".  It may help to avoid
this divided loyalty if we truly make...]

III. JESUS, "MY" LORD

   A. THINKING OF JESUS AS "MY" LORD...
      1. Thinking of Jesus, not simply as:
         a) "The" Lord, as easily professed by those who simply accept
            Jesus intellectually
         b) "Our" Lord, as often professed by those whose acceptance of
            Jesus is influenced primarily by one's environment (parents,
            spouses, brethren, etc.)
      2. Thinking of Jesus as "my" Lord"
         a) Making it a more personal commitment to His authority and
            power
         b) Making it more likely that as individuals we will heed what
            He says - Lk 6:46
      -- Jesus will not be our true master and Lord unless we view Him
         as "my" Lord!

   B. ATTITUDE OF JESUS AS "MY" LORD...
      1. Involves a disdain for the things of the world - cf. Php 3:7-8
         a. Such as popularity, prestige, family
         b. Willing to suffer loss of these things if necessary
         c. Consider such things as rubbish in contrast to our Lord
            Jesus
      2. Involves a consuming desire to know Christ - cf. Php 3:8-11
         a. To know Him personally
         b. To know His righteousness
         c. To know His power
         d. To know His sufferings
      3. Involves constantly pressing on toward perfection - cf. Php 3:
         12-14
         a. Not complacent in one's service to Christ
         b. Not satisfied with one's level of spiritual growth
         c. Willing to leave the past behind
            1) Neither glorying in past accomplishments
            2) Nor wallowing in past failures
         d. Reaching forward, pressing toward the goal
      -- Paul's attitude demonstrates the attitude of one who has truly
         made Jesus "my" Lord, the attitude of maturity as a disciple of
         Jesus! - cf. Php 3:15

CONCLUSION

1. Such is the attitude of one who really has made Jesus...
   a. "My" Lord!
   b. "My" Master!
   c. "My" Owner!

2. What is Jesus to you...?
   a. You might acknowledge Him as "the" Lord
   b. You might join others in praising Him as "our" Lord
   -- Have you submitted to Him such that you can rightly say, "Jesus,
      MY Lord"?

3. Jesus would have us accept Him as Lord...
   a. For He has all authority, and expects us to observe what He
      commands - cf. Mt 28:18-20
   b. Yet He warned of those who profess His Lordship, but fail to truly
      demonstrate it - cf. Mt 7:21-23

Are you doing the Father's will, and so demonstrating that Jesus is
truly "your" Lord?