Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.17 - February 1975

 

Why We Call Jesus 'Our Lord'

 

Sermon by Rev. D. K. Baird, Th.Grad. on Colossians 1:13,14

Scripture reading: Psalm 111, Colossians 1:9-23

Psalter Hymnal: 135, 85, 386, 164:1,2,3,4, 488

 

Every one of us has moved at one time or another – perhaps many times.

Many of us have moved from one house to another, or from one town to another.  Many have even changed countries: no bigger thing is possible.

When we make a move we usually go to something better.

That was the reason so many migrated after the War to come to Australia.

And when we move it usually takes a while for it to sink in.

We have to get used to the new place, and it takes a while to realise what are the benefits and facilities of the new set up.

This Lord's Day, number 13, is concerned with the phrases in the Creed which declare that Jesus is "His only begotten Son, our Lord".

And especially is Question 34 an important one in asking us "why do you call him 'our Lord’?”

That's a good question isn't it?

Why DO we call Jesus "our Lord"?

In getting to the answer to this question we are going to take a Biblical text: Colossians 1:13,14.

This verse will show us clearly why we call Jesus "Lord".

It is because of what He Himself has first done: it is because of a great change that He has caused to happen to us.

We spoke about changes and moves a moment ago.

But this change which Jesus has implemented on our behalf is the biggest that can happen to anyone.

And it is a change that, more than any others, takes a long time to get used to.

The benefits of this move are so great that it takes a whole lifetime to appreciate the wonders of them all.

This change is that from the dominion of darkness... to the kingdom of God's beloved Son.

It means coming into an entirely new situation where we have the Son of God as OUR LORD, and where we call Jesus "the only begotten Son, our Lord."

Let's look firstly at the "old place": the dominion of darkness;
and then at the new place: the kingdom of God's beloved Son.

1.  THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS.

This is a place where the authority of darkness is supreme; where evil is the order of the day, and where the power of the devil reigns.

Where is this place?

Is it in Uganda, in Ethiopia, in Northern Ireland, the Middle East?

Is it in the ghettos of New York, or behind the Iron Curtain?

No – it cannot be isolated like that at all.

It is no geographical pocket of evil or corner of sin.

This place is, in a way, everywhere: it is all around us.

The dominion of darkness is all over the world.

There is not a town or city where this cannot be found.

A clue is this: Christians have been delivered from it.

Christians are no longer in it, but non-Christians are all still in it.

It is: the state of affairs existing in the lives of unbelievers.

The dominion of darkness is the set-up, the state of affairs, the realm, the way of life of non-Christians.

Now we are briefly going to look at this dominion of darkness, not because we are sadistic or something, but because we need to see the greatness of the deliverance we as Christians have.

In other words we are going to make a comparison between this dark place and the kingdom of Christ.

And that should make us incredibly thankful.

It is always good to compare yourself with someone else who is worse off for then it is easier to appreciate the gifts you have.

The "dominion of darkness" is of course a place of great darkness.  And by this the Bible means it is a place of dark, sinful, sinister things.  Where everyone is feathering his own nest, and where it is just too bad about your neighbour.

It is where there is greed, pride, jealousy, hatred and bitterness.

In this place the citizens worship their own gods of security, promotion, and prestige.

The Lord's ways are disregarded, and His kingship is not accepted.  Everyone does what he thinks is best for him to do.

It is also a dark place because all these sins, and the many more that are there, are quite unforgiven.

The Lord is noting them in His book.

And He has withdrawn Himself from the people because of these sins, and has declared that punishment will come upon them.

Actually the misery of it all has already begun.

People sometimes ask: "Do you believe in the devil?"

And my answer is: "I most certainly do!"

You see, the dominion of darkness is the dominion of the devil.

For he has unbelievers in his grip and power.

He really has his subjects over a barrel.

Because as long as their sins remain unforgiven and their lives unchanged, they belong to him; and he is a cruel master.

The dominion of darkness.
  This is what the Catechism calls, "all the power of the devil”.
  For anyone here who doesn't know Jesus, that is your situation.
  It is a dreadful condition to be in, and it can only get worse.

BUT: we are thinking today of why Christians call Jesus "Lord".
  And we shall now see that it is because:-
            Jesus has rescued us from this terrible dominion of darkness.

2.  THE KINGDOM OF GOD'S BELOVED SON.

This is the second place: another area of authority; another realm or dominion; another state of affairs or set-up.

We know that this second place is there because Paul says that you and I (Christians) are in it!

We have been transferred into it from the other place of darkness.  Again this new realm is not isolated to some particular place.

It is not some ideal place such as Paris or Hawaii or Bermuda.

No it's not in any one geographical place – it’s everywhere.

And it exists side by side with the other realm of darkness, although it is completely the opposite to it.

Let's look at the wonders of this great place, because the Lord has put us in it, and we should know something of the country we live in!

You know you can live in a country and yet not know much about it.  That's why we have these "Go See Australia" ads.

We don't realise how much scenic beauty there is right here, all around us.  And, brothers, and sisters, WE live in the Kingdom of God's Son.

Well then let's go see it!
We might find there is more to be seen and enjoyed than we thought!

The most important thing about this place is the person in charge.
And it is none other than the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Seeing it is the kingdom of God's beloved Son, he is of course, the King.
And that is by far the most wonderful thing about it.
In fact every other benefit flows from the fact that Jesus is King.

Good rulers should protect and provide for their subjects, and that is just what Jesus does.

He is the Lord and the King of this place, as well as being the hero and Saviour of it too.

But what did we do to get into this kingdom?
Nothing.
The Bible tells us that we did not get ourselves in there.

It is not as if we made up some tricky plan, climbed over the wall, and got in by our own skill.

No.  Colossians says, "HE has delivered us and transferred us.'  Someone else got us in, and that someone ("He") is God the Father.

We were out there in the darkness, heavily guarded by the devil and his forces.

But God made a daring commando raid, and rescued us, and brought us into his own compound.

In simple terms he showed us something of the darkness we were in, and so convinced us that we must get out.

And we were only too willing to go with him.

That was a very loving thing for the Father to do, wasn't it!?
  To take us out of the devil's kingdom and put us in his own.
  To transfer us out of the devil's family and into his own.
  Because we were, by nature, children of the devil, you know.

We weren't always in this family of God – with God as our Father.
  So we are really God's adopted children.
  The Father decided he wanted us in his family too.

God's Word makes it quite clear, brothers and sisters, that this is something we as Christians ALREADY HAVE.

It is not something we are working towards,
            and that we hope to make sometime in the future.
No ― we HAVE it now.

And we HAVE it, because the Father has given it.

Do you see what our text says:-
  "He HAS delivered us from the dominion of darkness." And...
  "He HAS transferred us to the kingdom of His Son."
            and we shall also see that:
  "We HAVE redemption."  and
  "We HAVE forgiveness.”

You will never be happy and at peace until you grasp that.  If you are still trying to get yourself out of the devil's dominion, it will just keep being a most miserable, frustrating experience.

We must always realise: we HAVE BEEN transferred.
The change HAS been made.
We are now in a different country: the Kingdom of God's beloved Son.

― ― ― ― ―

But we have not seen half the wonder of it yet...
            ― of what we have in the kingdom of God's Son.

Colossians says, "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

And as in the Catechism:-
            "He has redeemed us, body and soul from all our sins,
             not with gold and silver, but with his precious blood."

In fact we would never even be in the kingdom of God unless our sins had been forgiven.

For it is through the blood of His Son that the Father has transferred us to His kingdom.

Because if our sins remain unforgiven, the Father will not even have us at his place.

I said before that good rulers always look after the interests of their subjects.  God's Son certainly looked after us.

To bring us into his kingdom, he shed his own blood to redeem us, to buy us back.

That's love: when the king himself gives his life for you!
Not many Prime Ministers would do that!
And that is quite a price to pay, isn't it?  The Son's own blood.

The blood of the eternal, natural Son of God, was what got you out of the domain of darkness!

So you can see why it is called "precious blood."

It just could not be more precious, because there is no one more important than God's Son.

And the set-up you are now in, brethren, is this:-
  Your ruler and King is Jesus – the Lord; your Lord.
  God the Father is YOUR Father, and YOU are a child of God.
  And the order of the day is: grace, mercy, peace and joy.
The Father has transferred you into this kingdom.
The Son of God has shed his blood to buy you into it.
And you now have forgiveness of sins --
            all the guilt of your sin has been removed far away.

Psychologists tell us that everyone wants to feel loved and wanted, and even owned.

Well, that longing should be satisfied now.

For in the Kingdom of Christ, Christ has loved you, wanted you, and now owns you too.

For he is not only the Saviour, but the King, the Lord.

Scripture tells us he has redeemed us FOR HIMSELF.

A special people who have a worthwhile aim in life at last, namely to share in promoting the cause of their king and Lord.

Everyone wants a cause to uphold and fight for: well, now you have one.
  Why do we call Christ Lord – when we pray, when we speak of him?
One of the reasons is because "He has made us his own possession."
We belong to him, and He wants us to obey Him.

But that is not always easy, is it?

Even though we are IN the Kingdom of God's beloved Son,
            we often slip back into those old ways again:
            the ways of the dominion of darkness which we have left behind.
  Because after all it is not so easy sometimes to get used to a change.
  When we move from one place to another,
            especially from one country to another,
            we often think back to that old place,
            and "old habits die hard".

And we still as Christians have the taints and scars of the dominion of darkness upon us.

And it takes a while to get rid of them all -- all of life in fact.
Even though we hate them ever so much.

But Jesus is still "Lord".

And why is He my King, my Lord?
Because of all that had been done for us.

The text says, you remember,

  "He (God the Father) has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

After he has done all that, who wouldn't want to call him "Lord"?

Who wouldn't want to treat him as Lord by doing his will?

And by more and more trying to get away from the old habits of the past?

Amen.