By the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we will be looking at another series. And in this series, we will be looking at The Revelation of Jesus Christ, that’s the series the Holy Spirit will be leading us through. Under that broad series, we will be looking at the title: The Lord Jesus Christ.
Listen to Podcast: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We are going to start our observation by looking at the book of Acts chapter 2, there was an account in that Acts chapter 2 that will be a foundation for other Scriptures that we will be looking at Acts chapter 2 verse 36 to 37, this was an encounter, this was the message of Apostle Peter after the Holy Spirit had come upon them and he was preaching to the men of Israel, and this is what he said. He said in verse 36;
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2: 36-37
Therefore let all the house of Israel know; now at this time, his audience were the house of Israel because they were the men and women that gathered to celebrate Pentecost on that day and they heard what was happening at the upper room. And Peter, and the other apostles and the disciples came to meet them and were preaching the message of the kingdom to them and at this point Peter said Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made this Jesus, this contentious Jesus, this Jesus that has become an issue between fathers and sons, daughters and mothers, that has brought a rift in some families, this Jesus, this contentious man that you feel was born by one of your people, of your brethren, that was born by Joseph the carpenter that was raised by Mary, that his brothers are in your midst, this Jesus.
And he said that know this assuredly that God has made, so it wasn’t Jesus making himself, that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified. You crucified him but this Jesus, God has made him both Lord and Christ. God has made him not just Lord, God has made him not just Christ but both Lord and Christ, that is very instructive. God has made him both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this in verse 37, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? What will make a group of people hear something and it cuts to their heart? And they asked willingly, of their own volition, what shall we do? It’s revelation. Up until this time, they had thought Jesus was just a prophet. Up until this time, they had thought Jesus was one of those prophets that God raised up because there were undeniable proofs that the hand of God was upon him, they couldn’t deny that because he wrought mighty miracles in their midst. He raised the dead, he healed the sick, some facts that they cannot deny.
And that’s why you see that many people are perpetuated in this ignorance thinking that Jesus is one of the prophets. If you go to meet some people, do you know Jesus, they tell you yes, they don’t deny that Jesus every crossed this earth, they don’t deny that Jesus had some peculiar powers and workings, they don’t deny, that’s for those that actually come in plain truth, they don’t deny that they saw that Jesus was a special one but this revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ is the problem of the world. The revelation of Jesus Christ is what is contentious but that is where the power is.
He said this Jesus, is not an ordinary Jesus because if you think it’s just about the specialty of the name. Go to Brazil, there is a lot of Jesus there. In fact, don’t go too far, just switch on your TV and watch maybe a football match that Man city is playing, there is guy called Gabriel Jesus. So this Jesus is not just talking about the name Jesus or the peculiarity of that name. It’s talking about a personality that is to be revealed. Peter said, while he was preaching by the Holy Spirit, that this Jesus, has been made by God, both Lord and Christ, that’s the revelation of who this Jesus, he is both Lord and Christ. And until we come into the fullness of this revelation, we can’t operate in the fullness of his personality.
The personality of Christ is tied to the revelation of his person. Until you know the revelation of his person, you can’t operate in the fullness of him. He said The Lord Jesus, He said He has made him both Lord and Christ.
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.
1st Corinthians 12: 3
I want you to listen very carefully, therefore I make known to you that no one, it’s not possible, no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed. It’s not possible. And no one can say that Jesus is lord, why not Jesus is king? Why not Jesus is a prophet? So there is a revelation tied to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Its strong. He said so no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So this revelation is not known by every Tom, Dick and Harry, this revelation is as revealed by the Holy Spirit so when you say Jesus is Lord, don’t think it is a mere saying. It’s a revelational knowledge. Jesus is Lord. So no one can say it, talk less of meditating on it, talk less of living it except by the Holy Spirit. This makes us to understand that the revelation of Jesus as Lord is critical in kingdom walk. In fact, it’s the starting point of the revelation of Christ.
Until you know, until you can say that Jesus is Lord, you have not started walking in the fullness of his personality. Jesus is Lord! No one can say it except by the Holy Spirit. You will think that maybe Apostle Paul was exaggerating, No! He wasn’t because there came a time, when there was a conversation, and Paul the Apostle said even demons, they acknowledge, they know, they know that Jesus is Lord but that revelation has not translated to anything for them. It has not brought them to repentance. It has not brought them to Jesus because you will notice, when Jesus went to the mad man at Gadarene and the legions were in him, what’s the first reaction, they bowed.
It looks as if every order in the spiritual realm is known but we, that are spiritual beings in Christ, Children of God, we have not come into the fullness of the understanding of this revelation and that is why the Holy Spirit is emphasizing in this way because until the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ is opened up to us, the revelation of Jesus Christ and the revelation of his Lordship, because there are different sides of the revelation of Jesus Christ, but we will be looking at the Lordship part today.
Until we see him, until we know him, until we connect with him, there are certain things we can’t connect to spiritually, and that’s why the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3 that see, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. No one! That’s how serious this matter is. What does this mean? 1st Timothy 2:5, we need to give scriptural reference to all these things.
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1st Timothy 2:5
There is one God and one mediator, this Scripture I read it because some people have issues calling Jesus God. So this verse gives credence to the fact that this Christ Jesus that you are talking about is God, He say, for there is one God and one mediator, between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So, because he is God and he is also a mediator, It gives him authority and influence. When we talk about being a Lord, it talks about the authority and influence of that person, that person is a master. And the lordship of Jesus, he did not get it on a platter of gold. Apostle Peter said God made him. God made him Lord and Christ. God said to him, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your foot stool.
So God made him. The Bible said about him, that for the glory that was set ahead of him, the lordship that was set ahead of him, that authority and influence that he is going to have over everyone and everything, he endured the cross, despised the shame and there laid for him, that authority and influence, his Lordship, so he is God.
I want us to see Acts 10 verse 36, so for those having issues, how do I call Jesus God, He is God. God made him. This was also Apostle Peter speaking, this was an encounter he had when God sent him to Cornelius;
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
Acts 10: 36
The one which God sent to the Children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all, did we see that? He is Lord of all, is He Lord of some things? No! He is Lord of all. Number on, we have established that God made him Lord and Christ and that this man Jesus Christ, this personality of Jesus Christ, the Bible says He is Lord of all. So the Lordship of Jesus is not on some things, it’s on everything. Everything! His Lordship is on everything. He is Lord of all. The Bible says that he has been given a name that is above every other name, that at the mention of the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess of things in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth. So that gives us the jurisdiction of his Lordship, He is Lord of all. Everything is within his jurisdiction, principalities, powers, dominion, rulers, name them. He is Lord of all including the devil. He is Lord of all.
And we are taking time to look at these things so that we can walk in the fullness of the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. So, when we say Jesus is Lord, that revelation will mean deeper things to us. You say, I am under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you know what that means when you say it. I want to go to 1st John chapter 4 verse 15, having known that Jesus is Lord, what is our posture. When we have known, what happens to us?
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1st John 4:15
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. Did we see? Whoever confesses. So, it’s not everyone, ‘who’ is conditional? Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God. I want to tell us the implication of that, that’s the problem some people have and that’s why the Holy Spirit is dealing with this, how can I say that Jesus is God and I still say Jesus is the Son of God? He said, whosoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, whosoever comes to the revelational knowledge, because this thing is about revelation. Some of us want to logically present it. We want to logically arrange it. Does it make sense, does it not make sense?
Oh! Jesus said, Blessed are you that do not see but yet believeth. Blessed are you that you have not seen, it doesn’t make sense, it’s not logically arranged, but yet you believe. That’s the same thing he said here, whosoever confesses in faith that Jesus is the Son of God because once you accept that Jesus is the Son of God, you are accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ because he is the Son of God, that is why He is the Lord over all. And He said, whoever confesses, God abides in him. Is it not the same thing we read in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3, that see there is a revelation you connect to it that tells us the kind of spirit that dwells in you and these things mark a difference between those that are for God and those that are against God because now, there are so many false prophets and teachers.
You will see some people, they will come and stand and preach for 45 minutes or 1 hour that they are preaching, the Lordship of Jesus is not mentioned once. The revelation of Jesus being the Son of God and being God himself is not mentioned once. They would rather pick some areas in the Scripture so that they can look as if they are for God and speak about those things that excite people. The Bible says in the end time, people would have for themselves teachers, because they have itchy ears, it’s only what they want to hear that they want the preacher to say. So, the preacher also knows and will say the things they love to hear.
My husband and I were watching a video last night and as we were watching that video, you know, once you become spiritual, you are able to judge and discern, and we were telling ourselves, No! No! No! Jesus is not mentioned once, we have been watching for over 15 to 20 minutes, Jesus has not been mentioned once, the Lordship of Jesus has not been entrenched, the glory of God has not been seen in this activity, false! Then we said to ourselves, what is this pastor trying to do, what is he trying to do? And we were watching, what is he trying to do? And we watched some more, for 5 minutes, what is he trying to do, we’ve not heard Jesus once, we’ve not heard the Lordship of Jesus mentioned because there is something. The devil will never enthrone or glorify Jesus. Never! He said no one saying Jesus is Lord can say it except by the Holy Spirit. So, you know the kind of spirit dwelling in such, be careful. In these last days, it looks as if the revelation of Jesus is getting scarce.
And that’s why we have to be careful as children of God. We want to be on the lookout. Is Jesus been glorified? Is the Lordship of Jesus been established here? If He is not, run away. Another spirit is at work there. It’s only via the Holy Spirit that the Lordship of Jesus is established. So, if the Holy Spirit is not the one controlling the affairs of that place, run away because these days, it’s such a thin line so we must always be looking forward, looking at how the revelation of Jesus can be seen.
When Jesus was going to introduce the Holy Spirit, He said He will take of what is mine and He will give it to you. He will remind you of the things that I have said. He will not speak of his own. As he hears me say, he will say too. That’s the Holy Spirit. So, you hear somebody talking and it’s not as Jesus has said, you hear somebody ministering and it’s not a remembrance of what Jesus has said, the Holy Spirit is not there. He is not there because the Holy Spirit has come that the revelation of Jesus can be known to the whole world, that’s all that it’s about. So, if you another strange manifestation, there is something happening.
So, when there is a confession that Jesus is the Son of God, know that you have come in terms with the revelation of Jesus Christ and that means God is in you. It’s the revelation of Jesus that affirms that God is in you. We must know these things. God is concerned about us, He said the end time , when it comes, He said they will do it in such a way that even the very elect will be deceived. That’s why we have to be careful.
So, when the Holy Spirit is bringing this kind of teachings, let’s not deflect it. Let it sink into our spirit. Let it bring us back into the consciousness of who we believe in, that’s the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to see a Scripture in 1st Peter chapter 3, we will read 14 and 15;
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 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;
1st Peter 3:14-15
But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats or be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and always be ready to give defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. I want to read it in the Amplified, because I love the way it puts it;
15 But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.
1st Peter 3:15 (AMP)
But in your heart, set Christ apart as holy, it’s an instruction, in your heart, set Christ apart as holy, that’s why he says sanctify the Lord God in your heart, its talking about Christ Jesus. So, when we see the Lord God in the New Testament, it’s talking about Jesus. Now he said but in your heart, set Christ apart as holy and acknowledge him. Acknowledge him, what does that mean? In Proverbs the Bible says trust the lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, The ‘Him’ that we are acknowledging now is Jesus Christ, acknowledge his Lordship, revere him as your Lord, acknowledge his Lordship in your life, set him apart, that means in your heart, let Jesus be enthroned.
There is a saying that people usually say back then and we are still saying it now, because I don’t want to just leave it to back then, what will Jesus do? It’s a way of enthroning Jesus in your heart, of setting him apart. Oh! Jesus! revering him, acknowledging him, acknowledging him as the doer of every good thing in your life. In the morning when you wake up, you say to him, ‘Jesus I thank you, Jesus I glorify you’. You have a mental image of Jesus in your heart. You are not thinking about any other one, you are thinking about Jesus. You are glorifying him, you are magnifying him. That’s how you are acknowledging him. You know he is there, you know he loves you.
You know he cares for you and you are reciprocating the same love to him. ‘Oh, Jesus! Thank you for dying, thank you for taking the death on the cross, thank you for not abandoning us to sin, thank you for loving us the way you do, thank you for sacrificing yourself and resurrecting on the third day, thank you for going to hell and stripping the devil of all his powers, and thank you for giving us victory, thank you for making us conquerors and overcomers. You are acknowledging him but this very thing is what is getting missing in our churches, getting missing in our service.
How much do we revere Jesus Christ? How much do we acknowledge Jesus Christ? The more we see him, the more we revere and acknowledge him and the more we be like him, that’s how it works. You don’t attract an anointing you don’t respect. If you don’t respect, honor and revere the anointing of Jesus Christ, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you cannot attract his personality, You can’t grow into the fullness of him, and that’s why we see that many of us are having challenges growing into the fullness of him because we don’t respect, honor and acknowledge and revere the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the anointed one with his anointing.
Until we come to that point, where Jesus is all that matters, where everything becomes shadows in the light of him, where He is our focus. The Bible says looking unto him, the author and the finisher of our faith, where our focus is him. He said if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself. When He becomes the object of our worship, the centre of our attention, that’s acknowledging him, that’s revering him, that’s honoring him and he said set Jesus apart, let no other throne survive, let no other love compete, let Jesus in your heart be in a class of his own. Jesus alone, no one else! That’s acknowledging him. And the more we acknowledge and revere him, the more we are attracted to his anointing, the more we are like him.
But many people have swapped the order, if Jesus anoints me, if I get him anointing, I will acknowledge him, I will revere him. Let me be demonstrating ‘small small’ power, ‘small small’ wisdom, I will love Jesus. No! It’s when you revere, acknowledge and love him that he will pour himself to you. I want to read Ephesians chapter 5, there is something there for us and I want to use it as an example;
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Ephesians 5:22-23
Wives submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. This how we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ in submission. He says wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. So as to the lord, we submit. The way we acknowledge the Lord Jesus is in our submission. How submitted are we to his will, to his word? It tells us how we acknowledge him. When Jesus words are not an opinion, it’s not an advice, its law, it’s a commandment, then he is your Lord. He said for the husband is head of the wife so also Christ is head of the church and is the Savior of the body. So, as the husband is the lord of the wife, Christ is also the Lord of the church, and how should wives submit to their husbands, their Lord- in submission, reverence, respect. That submission also means respect, acknowledge, revere. The same way, Christ is telling us as his church, his body to submit, acknowledge and revere him. The same way the Lord Jesus Christ is just one of the personalities we come across.
You know yesterday, my husband and I were watching a video and a young lady that was possessed, she was confessing and what baffled me, at some point in the video I said Jesus, thank you for not burdening us. You did not say Ah! Now, you’ve worshipped me for a while, now I want you to be worshipping angel Michael. In fact I want you to go to Angel Gabriel, he has some things for you, Now go to Ruel, Go to Raphael, we are now worshipping all the angels in heaven. He said see, don’t worry, they are all under me, I am the Lord of hosts. Submit to me. They, like you also submit to me. In fact, they are your ministering spirits because you are heirs with me and you are co-laborers with me.
Imagine that, I said thank you Jesus, I am not a slave, I am a Son because you need to see the number of demons, this girl was bringing out that she used to worship, plenty! But God has said, I have made Jesus, Lord and Christ, worship him, revere him, acknowledge him. If you do that to him, I, God abides in you. Is it not interesting? You need to see what those that are serving Satan are going through. Hardship! Slavery! Bondage! For the promise of things that will perish but we have a promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus. And He is the giver of eternal life.
So He said we should submit to him, and he says see, but in your heart, set Christ apart, I am reading that 1st peter 3:15 , as holy and acknowledge him as Lord. He is not your equal. He is not your ‘boy boy’. Acknowledge him as Lord. Acknowledge him as Master. Acknowledge him as Ruler. He said, always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who ask you to account for the hope that is in you. People will ask you, so this Jesus that you are going about, can you explain why you are just living your life with reckless abandon like this? You say because Jesus is Lord, no one else. God made him Lord and Christ and he is the Lord of my life.
He said always be ready to defend your faith in God, give a logical defense to anyone who ask you to account for the hope that is in you but do it cautiously and respectfully. You need to see the arrogance in the kingdom of the devil. They lack respect. They lack courtesy. Everything about them is just wrong but everything about us is right because Jesus is Lord.
The whole essence of this is that we acknowledge Jesus, everyday of our lives, we acknowledge him. See, He loves us in spite of us so what do we do in return for his love? When we were undeserving, He said while we were yet sinners Christ died. He is the lamb that was slain before the foundation of the earth was made. Jesus is Lord. How do you respond to his Lordship? It will mark the difference between you and that person that is ignorant. This revelation will mark the difference. How do we respond to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? How do we respond? There is a response Jesus expects from us.
