The focus of this article is to give us an understanding into what the Lord will be starting with us this year; The Lordship of Christ; How we can benefit from the several things that the Lord is communicating to us in this season is by understanding the Lordship of Christ. And that's why the Holy Spirit is taking His time to start us with this body of knowledge, the Lordship of Christ. And I will love us to start from the book of Romans 4:6-9, why is the Lordship of Christ important? Why is it vital? Why is it that we must connect to the Lordship of Christ to benefit anything in the kingdom? Romans chapter 14:6-9, “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord, he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat to the Lord. He does not eat and give God thanks. Verse 7, for none of us lives to himself.”
This is the picture; this is what we must get to our spirit this year. Whether you are in the kingdom of God or not, whether you are a believer or not, he said, it is a categorical statement that every human being on the face of the earth, must take to heart that none of us live to himself). If you have been deceiving yourself that you have been living to yourself, it's not true; Apostle Paul said this. And Apostle Paul is so fit to say this, because when Apostle Paul was reading to us, his CV/Dozier/Resume; you will see that Apostle Paul had been there, he has done that; before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was living a life, he was schooled by Gamaliel, he was passionate.
He was a man that you could call diligent; a hard worker. But what he was doing, he was doing it against the Lord. How do I know this? When he was on the road to Damascus, Jesus intercepted him, and he said, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Do you think you can kick against the goads? Meaning that Apostle Paul was actually working, he was diligent, but he was kicking against, he was working against the Lord. So, it is possible that you are living your life, you are doing the things you are doing, and you are living every day: waking up, sleeping, eating, and doing all that you are doing. But don't think you are doing it to yourself because no man is an island. No man sits on the fence on this earth. You either belong to God, or you belong to the devil.
Because the Bible says, you are the servant of whomsoever you obey. So, you're obeying someone. And that's why Apostle Paul said in verse seven, for none of us, believers or unbelievers are living to himself, no one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. You don't die to your own kingdom, you don't live to your own kingdom; as fantastic as that idea might be to you, whatever Empire you are building, whatever legacy you are building, whatever dynasty you are building, you are building it to someone, you are building it to a kingdom, you are building it to a particular Lord. And that's why Apostle Paul made us understand this in verse seven, which is the crux of our conversation; for none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself, verse 8, for if we live, we live to the Lord; we now have a choice, a freewill.
So, if we choose to live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or we die, we are the Lord's; verse nine, for to this end: “this is the reason why Christ died, so that we live and die not to ourselves but to the Lord. That is the reason why Christ died” for to this end, Christ died and rose and lived again that He might be Lord. So, Jesus went through all that sacrifice, not to be your attendant, not to be your errand boy, Jesus did not go through all that He went through so that He can be an errand boy for the believers, Jesus did not go through all that He went through so that He can be a consultant; it is so that He can be Lord: that He might be Lord of both the living and the dead.
So, no one lives to himself; this year 2023, you must understand that no one lives to himself. In 2022, the way you lived, you lived to someone, and the question is, to whom did you live? And this year, God has given us a brand-new opportunity, a brand-new privilege to live correctly. He said, to this end, Christ's died that He might be Lord. So, the Lordship of Christ is not a joke, the Lordship of Christ did not come on a platter of gold, the Lordship of Christ came on the altar of His life; scarcely for a good man, will anyone die. While we were yet sinners, so He didn't die for good people; Christ died for us while we were still in the miry clay, while we were still wallowing in our sin, He died, and He died in hope that He might be Lord; not an errand boy, not a consultant: He died to be Lord, that He might be Lord of both the living and the dead.
So, what is the impulse of this? This year, the Lordship of Christ must take priority in our lives. What is the Lordship of Christ all about? What is the Lordship of Christ all about? I want us to see Colossians chapter 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men; why is the Scripture not saying do it as unto the king? Why is it, Lord? It says, whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Whatever you do this year, do it as unto the Lord; who is the Lord? Christ Jesus is the Lord. Why is the word Lordship important? Lordship is important because it talks about ownership. A Lord is One that has ownership rights and control. So, when we're talking about the Lordship of Christ, we're talking about the ownership rights and control of Christ. So, you see that Jesus is not our consultant, Jesus is not our errand boy: when He pleases you, you just want to consult Him.
Jesus, what do you think about this? Should I, do it? Or should I not do it? Should I go or should I stay? And you do that once in three months. That’s a consultant; Jesus is not. Whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, not unto men. So, you are not expected to live your life as a man-pleaser, you are not expected to live your life trying to look at the mood of people. Is he happy? If he's happy, I will do it; If he's sad, I will not do it. If she's happy, I will smile, if she is not happy, I will frown, no! that's not how we were called; we were called to do it heartily as unto the Lord and not to men. Verse 24, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ‘do you know that your reward is coming from Jesus?’ If you will know the One that pays your check, you will please Him, if you know the One that is going to tick you good for next level; you will please Him, but often time, we look at the men that He uses, and not the Lord that uses men.
In the book of Proverbs, the Bible says the heart of men is in the hands of the Lord. Why is the heart of men in the hands of the Lord? He is the owner, so He controls it. Do you think if God wants you to do something, you will not do it? You will do it; you know why? The Bible says it is the Lord that works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Why? Because He is Lord. The reason why the Lord works in us, is because we have released ourselves to His leadership; to His Lordship. If you have not released yourself to the Lordship of Jesus, He cannot walk in you both to will and to do. When Jesus intercepted Paul on the way to Damascus, He said, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? You can't kick against the goads and Paul said, Lord, what should I do? And immediately, Paul made that statement; what happened? Jesus started controlling him, directing him. He said, go into the city, you will meet a man and he will pray for you, stay there and you will be restored, and you'll be told what to do. Without that, in the entire life of Saul, at the time before he became Paul; he was not controlled by God, he did not do the things of God because the Lordship of Christ was not activated in his life.
So, for us as believers, for that Scripture to come true for us, then we must submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus; Lord, what should I do? Lord, how should I live this life? It is a question of purpose. If the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. The reason why you are seen tossing to and fro and do your things is that you don't understand that Jesus is your Lord. He has ownership rights and control over your life, over your destiny, whether you live; it is to the Lord, whether you die; it is to the Lord. That's why Apostle Paul was bold to say, if I live, it is to your own advantage, if I die, it is good for me; because whether I live or die, he said I've been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me: He died that He might be Lord.
Receiving the death of Jesus; that's why Apostle Paul said that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Because when I get into that realm, that experience, I am in full submission to the Lordship of Christ. Christ died and was buried and resurrected and lived again that He might be Lord. Not so that we consult Him. And that's the reason why many believers are not walking in the authority of Christ because we're not in submission to His Lordship. We don't understand what Lordship means. He said, knowing that from the Lord we will receive the reward of the inheritance; so, everything God has prepared for us this year, the reward of the inheritance comes to us under the authority of the Lordship of Christ, because you are living, not to please men, but the Lord: so, He will reward you, as you please Him.
In verse 24, he says, for you serve, did he say the Lord Jesus serves you? “He said knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” The question is, do we truly serve? Because if you serve the Lord Christ, then He is your Master. You don't consult your master; you take instructions from your master. So, we take instructions from Christ, we live the life of Christ, we do the works of Christ, we speak the Words of Christ; it is to Him we live: in Him we live, in Him we move, in Him we have our being. Where do you show up? The reason why we're not getting the reward of His inheritance is because we are showing up. Last year, how many times did Christ show up, and how many times did you show up? Because you will be rewarded to the degree of how Christ showed up in your life, not how many times you showed up.
He said knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve. The inheritance is because you serve, the inheritance is not because you are looking good, the inheritance is not because you come to church, the inheritance is not because you have a good attendance or a good relationship with the man of God. The reward of the inheritance is because you serve the Lord Christ; not men, not pastors, not at Bishop, not Archbishop, but that you serve the Lord Christ. That's what the Lordship of Jesus is all about. So, for us to get the reward of the inheritance this year, we must serve Him as Lord. First Corinthians chapter 8:6, “Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; (as the Lord is speaking to us, let's be evaluating ourselves, are we for Him?) and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live”. There is one Lord Jesus Christ; so, the Lordship of Jesus is established.
The Bible says it pleased the Father, to give Him a name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee bows and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. So that the Lordship of Jesus was established by the Father. He said, we have one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we have one Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have one Lord? Because if you have one Lord, you will serve that Lord. How many lords are there in your life? One Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things. Number one, through whom are all things: so, there is nothing you are looking at physical or spiritual, visible or invisible, seen or unseen. The Bible says through whom are all things: all things are things. So, the Lordship of Jesus Christ is over all things, and through whom we live. Are we living, am I living through Him? The reward of the inheritance this year, is to the degree, is to the frequency that Christ shows up in your life.
The days you show up, no reward; but the day Christ shows up, He rewards; because he said, and through whom we live: so, we live for the Lordship of Christ, we serve the Lord Christ. Every time His name is mentioned, it's about His Lordship, it is about how He has ownership and control. In the book of John chapter 1:1-6, he said, in the beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, through Him, all things were made, there is nothing that was made outside of Him. So, He has ownership rights and control, but because we have free will, we must choose to submit ourselves to His ownership rights and control. In Heaven, angels are not struggling to submit to Jesus, the four living creatures, the 24 elders, they are not struggling; it is us. In the book of Revelation, see what Apostle John wrote, he said, and when they behold, they will cast their crown and they will cry out, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.
And they started shouting, worthy is the Lamb! Nobody was persuading them, nobody was cajoling them, nobody was telling them, can't you see Him? Won't you worship Him? They acknowledge Him and we, because we have free will must choose Christ. We must choose to live for Him, we must choose to serve Him; it is a choice. And this year, what will be the defining factor in our lives and what will align us with what the Lord has made ready for us is that we choose Christ and align with Him. When Jesus walked the earth, when He came in human flesh and was born; unto us a Child is born and unto us, a Son is given. The Bible says the government will be upon His shoulder, and everything that Jesus demonstrated on the earth is to show us that the government is actually on His shoulder. He came to show us His Lordship.
Before Jesus came, did you hear any person walking on water? Jesus walked on water and beckoned Peter to come and Peter walked on water; defiling every law that was present on that water, because He is Lord. He showed that He is the Lord of the sea, and He is the Lord of the waters. When Jesus raised the dead, He showed His Lordship over death. He Himself died and resurrected from the dead, shaming death and the grave. Showing that He is Lord over the grave, showing that He is Lord over death. When Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fishes, Jesus was showing to us that He is Lord over food and that He is Lord over nature. And He fed the first time, 5000; He did it again, 3000 Only men, and children were not included, women were also not included.
So, when God is communicating to us that see, the cattle upon a thousand hills are Mine, silver and gold are Mine; everything belongs to Me. He is telling you that when you submit to Him, He will show you how to walk the way He walked. He said as I am so are you in this world. Jesus forgave sins; the woman that was caught in the very act of adultery, He said where are your accusers? She said, they all left. He said go, I do not condemn you; go and see no more. He forgave people of their sins, showing His Lordship over sin. In Matthew chapter four, He was tempted by the devil and the devil brought all his best arsenal to the temptation ground. If you are the Son of God, turn this stone to bread. Jesus defied him; He was Lord, and He showed His Lordship over the devil and his tricks.
Jesus healed all manner of diseases, there was a man that was born blind; Jesus healed him and he could see; he could not see from birth. Jesus shows that He is the Lord of the body. Jesus cast out demons; the madman in Gadarene who was heavily possessed by demons, so demon possess that he took over a whole territory; and Jesus stepped into it and He showed His Lordship over spiritual forces. And that's why the Bible says He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and you are seated with Him; if you serve Him. You are seated with Him far above principalities and powers. The dimension of things we will walk in this year is to the degree of our understanding of the Lordship of Christ. He said we're seated with Him, far above principalities and powers. He cast out demons unapologetically, He said get out of him, they negotiated, in fact, don’t send us into the abyss but send us into the pigs and He said, you can go; one word. Lord! Jesus is Lord. Everything is for His sake. And that's how we must live this year; everything for His sake. Serving Him, not serving ourselves but serving Him.
I want us to see Philippians chapter 3:7-10, “But what things were gain to me, (this is Apostle Paul giving us his testimony) these I have counted loss for Christ. They don't matter, what are the things that matter to you that will not allow you to serve Christ? Is it what people will say? Are they your friends, your family? What is it? Apostle Paul will say, what can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it persecution, or famine? They said nothing can separate us, and that's how we must live this year. He said, but what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss of Christ. Yet, indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; he had come to accept Him as his Lord. Can you speak boldly like Apostle Paul, my Lord, nothing else matters because I serve my Lord, nothing else matters because my Lord is involved; I have no fear, I have no worry, I have no anxiety because my Lord is in charge. He will not suffer me to be moved.
Let’s see the testimony, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and I count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Where do you want to be found this year? To be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, not having my own ideas, not having my own opinion, not having my own ambition; which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him: you can't know Him if you don't serve Him, you can't know Him if you don't come in alignment with Him, you can't know Him if you are not joined to Him. And that's why, when Jesus was always asking disciples to join Him, to follow Him, it is so that they can know Him.
He met a rich, young ruler; who said to Him, what can I do to really please God, so as to have eternal life? And He said to Him, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and follow Me; and the man looked at Him, for Your sake! I should abandon everything, I should sell everything that I have, I should change my identity, I should forsake everything? And the man did not see Jesus as worthy enough to abandon everything for. And we look at him, saying what kind of man is that? He loves money or he loves his possession. Are we not like that? What are the things we can leave for His sake? What are the things we can count as rubbish for His sake? When we don't see the wind, we don't see the rain; can we endure for His sake? Can we hold on for His sake? He said that I may know Him. I continue to pursue: that I may know Him, I continue to be purposeful: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering.
Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He said, if they hated Me, they will hate you, if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you, for a servant cannot be greater than His Master. Does that fear you? Does it scare you? For His sake, can you endure persecution? For His sake, can you endure backlashing? For His sake this year, can you look like a fool? Your mates have gone and they are doing great things and Jesus says stay, and you know you are staying for His sake. Or will you leave to prove a point? Are we going to serve the Lord Christ? Serving Him is serving His interest, serving His kingdom, serving His agenda. Will we live like that this year? That I may know Him, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death. The hallmark of our purpose this year is that our lives are centered on Christ Jesus. Everything should revolve around Him, raising your children should revolve around Him, being the wife of your husband should revolve around Him, being the husband of your wife should revolve around Him; everything should revolve around Him.
The hallmark of our purpose is that we are aligned and associated with Christ, in tight communion with Christ: His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His glorification. The Lordship of Christ means that Christ has ownership, rights, and control over us; nothing else matters, only Christ Jesus. And this is not possible without the power of the Holy Spirit. I want us to see First Corinthians chapter 12:3, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Let me explain what that accursed means. Jesus is of no relevance, no one by the Spirit of God scorns Jesus. Do you know what it means to scorn? To take with levity, make a mockery of. To call Jesus accursed is to make a mockery of Him. No one living by the Spirit will make a mockery of the Lordship of Jesus, because Jesus is Lord; is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No one led by the Holy Spirit will make a mockery of the leadership of Jesus; the Lordship of Jesus. And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
So, for you this year to walk in tandem, in alignment with the knowledge of Jesus, in service of Jesus: it will be powered by the Holy Spirit because, throughout this year, you cannot say Jesus is Lord over your finances, Jesus is Lord over your marriage, Jesus is Lord over your children, Jesus is Lord over everything you are doing, except by the Holy Spirit. Why? the flesh lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; so, it is powered by the Holy Spirit. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, without the influence of the Holy Spirit, without the insight of the Holy Spirit; we cannot live for the Lordship of Christ, we cannot be inclined with the Lordship of Christ, we cannot be aligned with the Lordship of Christ. And why is it important that we align ourselves with the Lordship of Christ? Why is it important that we incline ourselves with the Lordship of Christ? I want us to see Philippians chapter 3:12, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” First question, has Christ Jesus laid hold of you?
If Christ Jesus has laid hold of you, then, you must lay hold on the reason that Christ Jesus has laid hold of you. The Lordship of Christ Jesus in your life is to the end, that you serve the purpose of God, you serve the agenda of God, and you serve the will of God. So, Christ Jesus has also laid hold of you; Christ Jesus lays hold of you when you are submitted to the Lordship of Christ. When He has laid hold of you, then you must lay hold of the reason why He has laid hold of you. So, the Lordship of Christ is to the end, that you and I fulfill our assignment, fulfill our purpose. There is a reason why God sent you to the earth, you can't do it outside of Christ, you must do it in Him. So, you must first be found in Him for you to be found in the assignment; in the will, and in the purpose that God has sent you for.
First Peter chapter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” This year, this is the word you should run with: sanctify the Lord God in your heart. What does it mean to sanctify the Lord God in your heart? Serve the will of the Lord Jesus, connect to the will of the Lord Jesus, and align with the Lordship of the Lord Jesus; then you are prepared to give an answer, and you are ready. We are not already until we submit to the Lordship of Christ, we are not ready to run for God this year until we submit completely to the Lordship of Christ, because is in Christ, that we please God. And that's why Jesus did not come for a religion. Jesus was not introduced so that we can have another religion, He has come to show us the way to the Father, and He has come to show us the way to please God.
Do you want to please God, you want to see God, you want to live for Him? Look at Me, be in Me. That's why the righteousness we have is not of ourselves; the Bible says our righteousness is like a filthy rag, but when we come in the righteousness of Christ: coming in the righteousness of Christ is coming under the Lordship of Christ. When you come like that, you are perfect before God. God is not looking at your imperfection, God is not looking at your shortcomings: God is looking at Christ when He sees you because you have put on His righteousness. So, when you are working for God this year, the work you do for God is not acceptable when you do it yourself; in yourself.
The work you do for God is acceptable when you do it in Christ; under the Lordship of Christ and this is not so that we can start the year spiritually, it is so that we understand that this year is spiritual, it is so that we understand that the life we're living is spiritual; it is not to get us excited that let us start the year right, let us be pious and all sanctimonious because it's a new year we don't want to make mistake; no! it is not about that. It is about the life we're living in God, how we must truly live; for no man lives for himself. It is an effort in futility when any man lives for himself. Whatever you do for yourself is empty. Apostle Paul says, on the last day, it will happen that all our works will be presented and will be tried in the fire.
Whatever you do for yourself will burn away, but whatever you do, in Christ is what will be eternal, it is what will stand the test of time, it is what will be recognized in heaven. Are we ready to start this year with Christ?
