“It is time.” The little boy is told by his mother that it is time for his bath. The little fella is not excited too about it, but he agrees to stop what he’s doing and head for the bathroom. The woman who is his servant – his mother – knows exactly what temperature to make the water. She puts some bubble bath into the tub as it is filling up, and it smells wonderful. The boy gathers up four little boats to play with while he takes his bath. As he sinks into the warm water, setting his flotilla into the fog of bubbles, he decides what game he’ll play. And soon there is a battle between the four warships. But he is in charge. When one ship seems headed for the far end of the tub, he pushes two others after it. When one disappears in the fog, the boy blows the bubbles aside and exposes the danger. But it is not cannon fire or torpedoes which sink the ships. It is the tremendous storm and waves which the lord of the bath sends over the gunwales of the little boats. He also uses the wash cloth to send a flood of rain down on the little ships. The boats are at the mercy of the elements, but it is the boy who is in control. The little fella is the absolute sovereign of the bath. He is the lord of the tub. He determines which ships sink and which remain afloat. He determines how big the waves are. He decides how long the battle and the bath will last. Even his mother is under his dominion.
I would like to use that little story as an illustration of something infinitely greater and more important. The scripture which we read a few minutes ago was our text for last week’s morning message. It concluded with: “I am GOD, and there is none else.” Isaiah tells us that – “In the LORD have I righteousness,” and “in the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified.” Jehovah says, “I am the LORD” and – “and there is NO GOD else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” Then, if you will remember, in the afternoon last week, we considered some of the Lord’s surprise visits, beginning with the disciple’s miraculous catch of fish. Christ, as a stranger, asked the disciples as they finished fishing, “Children, have ye any meat?” No? Then “cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” “They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” And what was John’s conclusion after seeing Christ’s sovereign control over fish? “It is the LORD.” The Lord, Jehovah, is the undisputed governor over little things like fish. He is the king over everything.
The title of this message is “The LORD is Lord,” or to put it more Biblically, “Jehovah is Lord.” He is God. The doctrine of Jehovah’s lordship could very easily be the foundation of all other Bible doctrines. This the solid rock on which our house is built and which gives our house the ability to withstand the storms. Even though this doctrine is down-played in many churches today, I believe it is absolutely essential. Even though some aspects of this doctrine offends some professing Christians, I am going to lay it out before you once again. Jehovah is God – the only God; He is sovereign; He is the King of His creation and has ultimate control over all things. Furthermore – Jehovah is the Saviour – the ONLY Saviour. As He said, in Isaiah 45:21 – there is NO God else beside me; a just God and a SAVIOUR; there is none beside me.” “There is none other name under heaven whereby we MUST be saved.”
Let me break this down: Jehovah’s lordship is innate, intolerant, infinite and incredibly gracious.
Jehovah’s lordship over all things is INNATE.
That word “innate” falls a little short of the mark, but it is the best that I could find. “Innate” typically refers to something which is born in someone. It is a natural part of that person from the beginning of his life. For example, sin is an innate part of every one of us. We were born with it. But God didn’t have a beginning; He was never born, so I really need to find a better word than “innate.”
Yet my point is valid: Jehovah’s sovereign lordship over all things has been His from the beginning – from the beginning of everything. Jehovah didn’t become God. He wasn’t elected President of the Universe; He didn’t ascend to His divine throne. Jehovah is and always has been the absolute master and sovereign king over all things.
This is not a theory, and it is not up for discussion. You could say that God’s lordship is historical even though it preceded history. Before the creation of the universe – and humanity within that universe – there was nothing except Jehovah. When He created the heaven and the earth, He obviously preceded and superceded that creation. When He said, “Let there be light,” light began, and by their very natures God became lord of that light. We could, once again, go through each day and each point of the six day creation, highlighting the fact that Jehovah is the governor and in complete control over each and every aspect.
For example, during the creation week, the Lord created a garden just before He created the first man. God created that first garden, making every tree, every flower, ever vegetable in that garden His by right. And – there would be no human life, if Jehovah had not created Adam. God is superior to human life. So if God should say to the man, “Thou shalt not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil,” He has every right as Lord of the garden and Lord of the man whom He created
It is not just a “good idea” to make the all-wise, all-seeing, all-powerful God Lord over your life. He already is. We cannot “make” God anything that He isn’t already. And we cannot take anything away from the Lord, because He is the Lord – sovereign over all. The Lordship of the Lord is not up for discussion or debate. The Lordship of God is what it is, whether or not anyone else likes it. And by pointing to the Lordship of God, I am saying that all authority in this creation belongs to Him. He deserves and demands proper respect, because He is the lord. Yes, He, in His sovereignty has permitted a tiny degree of rebellion, but that rebellion is temporary and futile. I’ll return to this in a minute.
Jehovah is, by his very nature, Lord of heaven and earth. He is innately God, which means He is automatically sovereign over everything. He determines the Santa Anna winds; they are not the result of global warming. He controls global warming, not man and his burning of carbon fuels. And, even “the king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” – Proverbs 21:1.
Furthermore, in His Lordship, Jehovah is INTOLERANT toward rebels and their insurrections.
God’s lordship is not something to admire in Him, even though it is admirable. It is not simply something worthy of worship, and we shouldn’t stop at praising Jehovah for His sovereignty. God’s Lordship is far more practical and demanding than our worship and praise. When someone refuses to live under His divine dominion, then there will be divine reprisal. It is not a matter of whether or not the tsunami of judgment will come against rebels, it is a question of when. Along with everything else, the Lord is in sovereign control of time – yours, mine and His. He determines when the time is right, because just as light and life belong to Him, so does time. Jehovah says in Ezekiel 7:12, “The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.”
The pinnacle of creation was Adam, not the spotted owl in Oregon or the Redwood in California. As beautiful as was the first light, it paled in comparison to the man who was created in the image of God. As spectacular as are the aurora borealis, a rare orchid, or a reclusive exotic bird, Adam was the summit of God’s creation. But that man’s position was still under the Creator, and it didn’t give him any authority for disobedience. When the best-of-the-best sinned against God, Adam came under His judgment, instantly dying. When there is rebellion against God’s kingship, there will be divine reprisal and retaliation.
In Malachi, God said, “I am the Lord, I change not.” He is not any less King today than He ever has been. And He said in Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The word “Behold” tells us to recognize the obvious. Be surprised if you must, but there really shouldn’t be any surprise. “All souls are mine.” Lord, why are all souls yours? “Laying aside the fact that I created them, and as a potter has power over his clay I can do what I want with my creation… Laying aside the fact that I created you all, I am the sovereign king over all things, including every one of you.” “All souls are mine… and the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “There are no exceptions. There will be no breaks. I don’t grade on a curve.” “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” – James 2:10. And “the wages of sin is death.” The eternal, divine and sovereign king has spoken. God, as the lord of all, has said it, and that settles it.
And by the way, the Lordship of the Lord is INFINITE; it is eternal.
Jehovah was the sovereign Lord over everything when there was nothing. And on the seventh day of creation, when He rested looking at all that he had made, he said that everything was good. Among other reasons, it was good, because everything was in its proper place – subject to its Creator. And Jehovah is still LORD of lords and King of kings. Lucifer, in his rebellion, has not usurped a micro-erg of the power or authority of God. And not one atheist, agnostic, deist, ecologist or humanistic activist has diminished the Lord’s authority.
I wonder how many years Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices at Jehovah’s command and at His altar. Over the years they might have offered the blood of several hundred sheep or goats. They might have grown tired of the same worship and same service week after week, but the Lord had not. There were no expiration dates stamped on those sacrificial sheep. The sovereign God has said, “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” “If you want the blessings of forgiveness and atonement, you must present sacrificial blood to Me.” So when Cain balked at God’s sovereignty, presenting fruits or vegetables as an offering, it was an act of rebellion. It wasn’t a mistake, ignorance or anything else. And even if it had been a hundred years after their first pair of sacrifices, Cain’s deviation from the will of the infinite God was sinful. It was worthy of divine judgment, and judgment fell upon that sinner, because the Lord is lord.
And by the way, Jehovah will be Lord and God throughout eternity. This is why Christ called the “alpha and omega?” He cannot change. He is forever Lord. And the authority which He possesses today will be His during the Millennium and into eternity.
And speaking of the Millennium, at the close of that thousand year reign of the Messiah, God will put an exclamation mark on His sovereignty. John the Apostle saw by way of revelation “a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. At that point the Lord over humanity will call all the unredeemed rebels from their confinement in hell. And they shall hear Him say,“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written into the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Jehovah is never going to cease to be the absolute Lord over every aspect of His creation and His people.
BUT – even with these things being true, the Lordship of the Lord is INCREDIBLY gracious.
Despite the sovereign decree that “the wages of sin is death,” not every sinner will die that second death. Despite the fact that every child of Adam is an innate sinner – as well as a sinner by deliberate choice… Despite the fact that every child of Adam deserves to be cast into the eternal hell of the lake of fire… There will be millions of Adam’s descendants who will not hear those words of eternal condemnation.
That means there will be a few murderers in heaven – escapees from the lake of fire. There will be rapists, corrupt politicians, used car salesmen, and former priests of Baal and Mary in heaven. Some people may say to themselves that those who deal in heroin and child pornography don’t deserve forgiveness. And they are correct. Those people don’t deserve salvation from their sins. But the truth is – no one deserves the forgiveness of the intolerant and holy God of the universe.
But the thing to remember is that Jehovah really is the sovereign King. He can do whatsoever He chooses to do. And if He should choose to save the most wretched person in any particular generation, He will do so. I’m sure that many of the Christians in Antioch, were skeptical when Saul, their persecutor and murderer, was baptized and presented to the church there. But those who fully accepted the sovereign lordship of the Lord, embraced that new believer. God can save anyone He chooses to save. “And the murderer’s heart is in the hand of the LORD… God turneth it whithersoever HE will.”
But, consider, the manner in which the sovereign God turned that man’s wicked heart. Without employing an evangelist to preach the gospel to Saul, the Lord spoke to him. He knocked the man to the ground, and God the lord of Light commanded a light brighter than the sun to burn down upon him. And God basically said, “Bow your knee before me, and acknowledge that I am the sovereign God.” And the future Apostle, did bow, throwing himself at the feet of the King of all souls and all kings.
The Lordship of the Lord demands, without any leeway, “Acknowledge that I am God.” Repent before me. Have a complete change of mind about Me and about yourself. Admit that you are sinner and unworthy of the least of my grace. Turn to me or else. Turn to me, in the fashion which I have determined, or face eternity in judgment. There is no room for anything less than full surrender to the gracious King. The Bible says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.” The word “Lord” is not just a TITLE of God. It is not God’s ALIAS or a part of Christ’s SURNAME. “Lord” is who God is. He is King of kings, Lord of lords and sovereign over everything.
Last week we spent a few minutes looking at Philippians 2, but I’d like to point out something which I didn’t emphasize at the time. Philippians 2:9, speaking of Christ Jesus says “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, of 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 honored name which God the Father gave to His eternal Son was “Jesus.” That at the name of “Jesus” every knee should bow. And while in that humble kneeling position, “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.” Certainly every tongue will one day honor the Lord Jesus Christ. But this verse says much more than that. Every tongue will admit that Jesus is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. The Son of God is the absolute monarch over every person, place and thing in His creation.
I believe that if someone has been brought to the point of yearning for forgiveness of his sin, he must come to Jesus Christ as not only his potential Saviour, but also as his LORD. Paul said, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
The sovereign God – the LORD of Lords – the Judge who opens and shuts the doors to hell – does not give eternal life to people who only want to escape the judgment they rightfully deserve. He doesn’t save those who superficially utter the words, “Lord Jesus forgive me of my sins.” He saves those who “confess with their mouths Jesus as Lord” as well as Saviour – Romans 10:9.
Bible Christianity is absolutely intolerant in this, because God is infinitely intolerant. It is abundantly clear throughout the Bible that Jehovah says, “I am God and there is none else.” That makes this conclusion inevitable: “Turn to ME in order to be saved from your sin and judgment.” The New Testament evangelists declare, “There is NONE other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Christ does not simply add to the world’s knowledge of God or of deliverance from sin. He is not the crown in the process of human redemption. He is not the capstone to be placed on the pillar of converging human religions. He supplants and supercedes them all, because He is, as the second person of the Trinity, the King. The gospel message is intolerant and adamant. All who are saved, all who would like to be saved, must bow before Jesus, the Lamb of God. They must bow before the LORD Jesus Christ as their king as well as their Saviour.
If God has done what the Bible says He has done in Christ – If in the will of the sovereign God, Christ Jesus became the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins… Then it is not unkindness when the preacher declares that truth and exhorts sinners to repent and to trust Christ. If the God who created you, died as the only acceptable sacrificial Lamb, then under the will of your Creator, you need to bow before that sacrifice. And, if that Saviour is also the Lord of creation then you need to bow before Him in that regard as well.
If a building is on fire, and someone knows that there is only one door available through which to escape, then it would not be unreasonable to exhort, to push, to pull and even to kick people toward that one door. By the order of the Lord of lords, Christ is that door. And He demands that you escape the flames while on your knees. He demands that you enter His salvation in submission to His authority as well as His grace.
We are all sinners – sin is innate to our natures. But in the Lord’s sovereign grace, He has prepared a way of escape from the penalty of our sins. I plead with you, humbly put your faith on the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver you. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”