This evening, we will be examining Jesus: Your Life Lord! We are used to the term "landlord" but Jesus is not just a landlord, He is in charge of lives. So He is your life Lord. And what does that mean? What does it entail? What’s the nitty-gritty of that? That’s why the Holy Spirit will be taking us on that journey, to understand, so that when we say "I have received Jesus as my Lord and my Savior", has Jesus just come to occupy a space in your house? Has Jesus come to occupy a space in your wardrobe? Has Jesus come to occupy a space in your handbag? Has Jesus come to occupy a space in your diary or in your note? That’s not it.
Listen to Podcast: JESUS CHRIST: YOUR LIFE LORD
Jesus has come to be the Lord of your life. And it has several implications and we are going to see that as we journey along with the Holy Spirit. We are going to start our observation by looking at the book of Luke chapter 9, which will be our major text. The book of Luke chapter 9, let’s read from verse 57 and we will stop at 62. If you had a New King James Version like mine, you will see that the heading of that portion of the Scripture says, The Cost Of Discipleship. Now let’s read what the weighty words of Jesus were in those verses.
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57- 62
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to him, that’s Jesus, Lord I will follow you wherever you go, Is that not fantastic? The man on his own said to Jesus, Lord! He acknowledged Him as Lord. He said Lord, my owner because when we look at the word ‘Lord’, what does it mean? ‘My Ruler, my Master, my Superior, the one that has authority and influence over me’. He said I will follow you Lord. Remember that’s the word he used, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go. In 58, and Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air has nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Why did Jesus say this? Some of us will wonder, is it that Jesus didn’t have a bed or He didn’t have a house or is it that Jesus was homeless at the time? No! Jesus could not have been homeless right? Because He had biological parents, He had siblings. Most importantly, He had disciples that had been called to Him and that follow Him. So, if He had nowhere to sleep in that sense, He could have slept in the house of Peter or John or James right?
But He said in this verse, He said Foxes have holes, that means the holes of foxes is made fit for them, foxes don’t sleep elsewhere, the holes of foxes is custom made for them. The wiring of foxes, they will not sleep in nests, they will sleep in holes. And He said birds of the air, they have nests, they have the place of their residence which they have been wired to sleep in from the beginning. He said but there is a problem, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, what was Jesus saying here?
Jesus was saying to that man, to that passionate man, he had not become a disciple, he had a desire to become a disciple, he had a desire to follow Jesus, he even acknowledged Him as Lord and Jesus was looking at his heart, Jesus was looking at his life and He made that statement to him that foxes have holes, birds have nests but in your life, I don’t see where I can lay my head because Jesus has been wired in his DNA as the Son of Man to inhabit in the hearts of men. And he said to that man, even though foxes have holes and birds have nests, the Son of Man does not have, in your life, even though you call me Lord, I don’t have a resting place in your life.
Let’s go ahead and see other examples, in verse 59, then he said to another, that is one right? Listen to another, He said follow me. Now this was Jesus inviting, you know the first example, we saw in 57, this was a man volunteering to be a disciple, a man yielding himself to be a disciple but still could not accommodate Jesus. This was a man of his own volition, who came to Jesus and said Lord, wherever you go, I will follow you. Men look at the outward appearance and the outward words but Jesus was looking at his heart. And Jesus addressed his heart, foxes have holes, birds have nest but in your life, the son of man does not have where he will lay his head. That’s a category of disciples.
Disciples that actually acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus but their lives are not available. Disciples that actually say Yes Lord, I’m passionate, I’m zealous. They speak to God with their hearts but their mouths are far off. He cannot lay his head on their lives. Jesus cannot depend on them. They are disciples that make a lot of noise. On their Facebook status, oh! I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. On their Instagram page, daughter of Zion but in their lives, Jesus is only available on their social media. In their hearts, there is no place for Jesus to lay his head. The Lordship of Jesus is a campaign. It’s not a conviction. That’s some disciples.
And he said in verse 59, then He said to another, this one is different, ‘you, follow me’. He called and beckoned on this one but listen, but he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. I want to read that particular verse in another translation. That particular verse 59, in the amplified version
59 And He said to another, Become My disciple, side with My party, and accompany Me! But he replied, Lord, permit me first to go and bury (await the death of) my father.
Luke 9:59 (AMPC)
And he said to another, become my disciple, side with my party and accompany me but he replied, ‘Lord’. That one also acknowledged him, ‘Lord, my Owner, my Master, my Superior, the One that has authority and influence over me, permit me first’ but what did the Bible say? ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’ but he said No! Let me seek the other things first, permit me to shift the order of things. Lord, allow me to swap things a little bit. He said first, permit me to first go and bury and this translation says his father had not died, he is awaiting the death of his father so he wants to go, let his father die then he buries his father, then he comes to follow.
59 Another time, when he invited a man to come with him and to be his disciple, the man agreed—but wanted to wait until his father’s death.
Luke 9:59 (The Living Bible)
In the Living Bible, that verse 59 says another time, when he invited a man to come with him and to be his disciple, the man agreed but he wanted to wait until his father’s death. Those are the kind of people that will say ‘Jesus, you called be to be your disciple, in fact it is a laudable thing to be your disciple. There is no other thing that is greater than being your disciple. Do you know I love what you are doing? Do you know I am passionate about what you are doing? But allow me to be a Principal first, when I become Principal in that Secondary School that I am working. Then, I will follow you’. So there are many people that have agreed, ‘Jesus, you are my Lord. I want to be your disciple but wait let me first seek the other things. Let’s swap things a little bit. I am not comfortable with the structure that you put in place. Let me swap it a little bit. Let me seek the other things first. Then let your kingdom and its righteousness be added unto me’. That’s another one but what did Jesus say to him? Jesus said to him, ‘let the dead bury their own dead but you, but you that I have called, you that I have put my mark upon. You, go and preach the kingdom of God’. I want to read it in the amplified;
60 But Jesus said to him, Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and publish abroad throughout all regions the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:60 (AMPC)
But Jesus said to him, allow the dead to bury their own dead but as for you– If I am your Lord, if I am the one that has authority and influence over your life, if I am your superior, if I am your ruler, if I am your master as you have professed, this is what I want you to do. Allow the dead to bury their own dead but as for you, this is my desire, this is my will, Go and publish abroad, throughout all the regions the kingdom of God.
60 Jesus replied, “Let those without eternal life concern themselves with things like that. Your duty is to come and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God to all the world.”
Luke 9:60 (The Living Bible)
In the Living Bible, it says, Jesus replied, let those without eternal life concern themselves with things like that, what you want to do is not of eternal value. Your duty, your responsibility is to come and preach the coming of the kingdom of God to all the world. This was a disciple that Jesus called. There is a calling on the life of that disciple but this disciple said, ‘I am aware of the calling, I am not ignorant that you have called me, Jesus, it’s not that I am struggling with you but I am only asking for permission. I don’t want to struggle with your will. I don’t want to sound difficult Jesus. Just give me the permission. I don’t want your perfect will for my life. I want your permissible will. Just permit me, let me go and do this first. Let me make money first, let me buy that car first. Then I will come back’. That’s a category.
All of them, note, they acknowledged Jesus as Lord, no wonder Jesus said, it is not all that call me ‘Lord, Lord’ that will inherit the kingdom because they will say Lord with their lips, their heart is not saying Lord. There is a difference. Jesus does not respect or honour lip service. No wonder he gave a parable concerning a man that had servants or sons and he told one, go and do this for me and that one said I will go and he did not go. And he said to another, go and do this for me and that one said I will not go but that one went and did it. Which one is justified? Who one actually did the bidding of the father. The one that said I will not go but eventually went. So, Jesus is not concerned about what you say, He is concerned about what you do. These person acknowledged Lord but in their heart, was Jesus their life lord? Could Jesus order their steps? Could Jesus tell them what to do? That’s the question.
And see verse 61, and another also, we are looking at 3 different scenarios here, the first scenario somebody that willing said I will follow but his heart was not ready. Somebody that Jesus called himself, follow me but gave excuse, asked for permission to do other things first with his life before yielding it to Jesus. Let my life be relevant for other things first before you can Lord it because I don’t know how you will Lord it. Is that not what some of us do, I don’t know how you will Lord this life so let me have my life first, then I can now give you when it’s little or not relevant.
Let’s see another scenario, verse 61 and another also said Lord I will follow you but let me go first and bid them farewell who are at my house. Do you see another one? See, Jesus I am ready to follow you but there is something imminent that I must do, I am not going forever. I am just going for a season. I am just going for a time, its defined and my assignment is simple, I am not going to start a business but let me go to my family, to people in my house, let me say bye bye to them first and say ‘see oh! Jesus, I have planned to follow him and now that I have planned to follow him, I am here to say bye bye to you people, whatever you people think, now tell me before I go’. I want to read that verse in the amplified,
61 Another also said, I will follow You, Lord, and become Your disciple and side with Your party; but let me first say good-bye to those at my home.
Luke 9: 61 (AMPC)
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will come, but first let me ask permission of those at home.”
Luke 9: 61 (The Living Bible)
In the Living translation, it says another said yes lord I will come but first let me ask permission, I love that word, in the living Bible, because that one puts its nicely, let me say bye bye but that’s not the truth, in his heart he wants to go and ask for permission. He said let me ask permission of those at my house, let me look at what my daddy will say, let me look at what my mummy will say about this first, if it’s okay with them, I will follow you. That’s another category.
‘Jesus, you know if it’s is left for me, I am ready but let me go and ask for permission from my parents. Let me go and talk to my elder brother. Let me talk to my elder sister, let me talk to my wife first. Let’s look at it, if Jesus can fit into our life style’. He said ‘let me first go’ but see what Jesus said, but Jesus said to him, no one having put his hand to the plough, no one having volunteered, having being called, having being assigned, put his hand on the plough looking back is fit for the kingdom. You don’t ask permission from anyone. You don’t go back home.
When Elijah was going to anoint Elisha, he was doing business and he placed his mantle on him and the Bible says immediately, he didn’t go and ask for permission. He didn’t say ‘See Ah! You people come, come, come oh! They placed a mantle on me so what should we do with this business now, should I transfer it? Should I? It said, he slew, he slew all the oxen. He ended it there. He put a stop to it and followed.
I want to read what Jesus said in that verse 62 in the Living Bible, I will read it first in the amplified;
62 Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke 9: 62 (AMPC)
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 9: 62 (The Living Bible)
Jesus said to him, no one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back to the things behind is fit for the kingdom. The living Bible says but Jesus told him, anyone who lets himself be distracted, I love that. The wife of Lot became distracted when her salvation came. When she was called to come out from among them, she was still looking back, she was distracted. Oh! Sodom and Gomorrah! And she became a pillar of salt. See, he said lets himself be distracted from the work, from the assignment, from the calling I planned for him. So, what Jesus was saying is, his hand on the plough is about a work, an assignment, a call. ‘is not fit for the kingdom of God’. Another translation said He is useless for kingdom work.
Anyone that is distracted, looking back at the things you have left behind. He said considering what will people think of this my new decision? This my new decision to follow Jesus, how will it sound to people back at home? How will they consider this life that I have chosen, that Christ has chosen for me, how will they look at me? What will be their disposition towards me? Jesus said such is not fit, such is useless specimen for the kingdom because the kingdom of God requires full attention.
I want to go back some verses in that chapter 9 and see what Jesus said, in verse 23 to 26;
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:23-26
Then he said to them if anyone desires to come after me, if anyone desires to be my disciple, if anyone desires that I be the Lord of their lives, let him deny himself. Deny himself from going to bury his father, going back home to say bye bye, not creating room in their heart for Jesus and take up his cross daily. That’s how Jesus can be your life Lord, you deny yourself daily, take up your cross daily and follow Him.
He said in verse 24, for whoever desires to save his life will lose it because this is where the issue is, when Jesus wants to be your life Lord, it looks a s if you are losing your life, you are losing your identity, you are losing your ambitions, you are losing your plans, you are losing your strategies. You are losing it but Jesus said it is true, that is actually how I lord your life, you lose it. He said for whoever desires to save his life will lose it. So whoever desires to follow me will lose his life. No wonder Apostle Paul said I die daily. In fact, I am dead. This life you see me living now, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me so He is my life Lord, You will see him saying I am Paul the Apostle of Christ Jesus, Paul, bond servant of Christ Jesus, I don’t have a life. My life is already lost in Him.
And he says but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. I want to read it in the expanded Bible,
23 Jesus said to all of them, “If people want [anyone wants] to follow me, they must ·give up the things they want [deny themselves; set aside their own interests]. They must be willing to give up their lives [?take up their cross] daily and follow me. 24 [?For] those who want to save their lives will give up true life [?lose their life/soul]. But those who ·give up [lose; sacrifice] their lives for me [my sake] will ·have true life [save their lives/souls]. 25 It is worthless [What good/profit/benefit is it?] to have [gain] the whole world if they themselves are destroyed or lost. 26 If people are [For whoever is] ashamed of me and my ·teaching [message; words], then the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and with the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
Luke 9:23-26 (The Expanded Bible)
Jesus said to all of them, if people want, anyone wants to follow me, they must give up the things they want. So, what is it that you want? Jesus said you must give it up, deny themselves, set asides their own interest because what happens to those disciples from verse 57 to 62 is that they had their own interests, they had things they wanted, wanted to be a good son waiting on the father to die so that he can bury him, does it not sound laudable? Does it not sound like the proper thing for him to do? but Jesus said if people want, if anyone wants to follow me, you must give up the things you want, you must set aside your own interest, they must be willing to give up their lives, take up their cross daily and follow me, for those who want to save their lives, give up true life, lose their life, lose their soul but those who give up, sacrifice, lose their lives for me, for my sake will have true life. So you give up the existing, the shadow of the real thing and you now gain the real thing, that’s was the promise of Jesus.
23 And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. 24 For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]. 25 For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself? 26 Because whoever is ashamed of Me and of My teachings, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in the [threefold] glory (the splendor and majesty) of Himself and of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:23-26 (AMPC)
In the Amplified, he said, I am taking my time to read it because, those words sounds deeper, it has deeper meanings and he said to all, if anyone wills to come after me, let him deny himself, disown himself, disown Omolara, the Omolara that you have ever know, disown her, what does it mean to disown? Don’t associate with! Expel! Let go! He said forget, re-emphasizing it, forget, lose side of himself and of his own interest. Refuse and give up himself and take up his cross daily and follow me, cleaving steadfastly to me, conforming only to my example and if need be, in dying also.
For whoever will preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it but whoever loses his life for my sake, he will preserve and save it from the penalty of eternal death. Those are the words of Jesus not mine. So, we will see the implication of Jesus being your life Lord. It is holistic. Its deeper than the things we see. It has to become a conviction in our heart. We must lose ourselves, we must come to a point where we disown ourselves. And that’s what he says, if Jesus is your master and your ruler, he must be able to control your itinerary. If you are still in control of your itinerary, Jesus is not truly your life Lord. You still have your own interests, you are executing your own plans. You are living your own life, then you should check it, Is Jesus truly your life Lord. If Jesus is your life Lord, you won’t have a plan of your own, you don’t have an itinerary of your own, you don’t have a vehicle of your own.
While the Holy Spirit was preparing me for this message, He wanted it to be practical, I don’t understand it. I am sure Bro. Abiola will know that we used this word in evangelism on Sunday but it didn’t sit in my spirit, you know, it’s just something the Holy Spirit said. It didn’t sit deep in my spirit. Until I started driving out this morning, and the Holy Spirit said to me, pick those boys, Ah! In fact I count my car as a sanctuary, where I pray in the Holy Ghost, I worship. And He told me if you don’t, you are disobeying me, it was clear. I now said, okay. They were constructing the road, it was awkward to park where I parked. In fact if my husband was there, he will not allow me but I did it and these boys entered. It now became another struggle. I picked them, I have obeyed right? And I was going, and I was playing a music, I now increased that at least, let them be listening to the gospel song that I was playing.
And He said minister to them. Ah! I said these young boys are just going to school They will say this woman, because she wanted to preach to us, she now picked us. He said is it your car? I said No Sir! He said preach to them, I now said okay, that when I get to the bridge in front and I take a bend so that I can concentrate because the road is really bad, that I was going to start. He said no problem. I got to the bridge, I passed it. He said you’ve not started. I said yes, I want to really leave the bridge. He said you’ve left the bridge. I said yes Sir. Then I said I am in for this, there is nothing you can do about it.
And I started and after the boys dropped, he told me and that’s a lesson I can’t forget and I want this message to sink deep in our spirit. He said, if I am the Lord of your life, then I own everything, including your time. So, you are never in a hurry and you disobey me, you are never in lack and you disobey me, you are never in plenty and you disobey me. In all things I am the Lord, I dictate your itinerary. I said Yes sir. So that’s what Lordship is, I dictate, I rule, I instruct.
So I rule over your time, I rule over what you do with that time. I rule over everything. I am your life Lord. This life, anything that is associated with it, I Lord it. So, when we say with say with our mouth, confess with our mouth, we must believe with our heart, there must be a deep seated conviction in our heart that Jesus is my life Lord. He lords my life. There is nothing that I do outside of him. My itinerary is as instructed, what I do is as he has designed. This life is as he has called it.
13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
Mark 3:13
In Mark chapter 3 verse 13, He said and he went up on the mountain and he called to him those he himself wanted, and they came to him, so they responded, then he appointed 12 that they might be with him, do we see that? And that He might send them out to preach. So he appointed them to be with him, lording over their lives and it said that he might. So, he had the prerogative right to tell them when and what to do. That he might, as he pleases, as he desires and the example that He is showing us, is the example, he himself follow. He said as I hear my Father say, I say. As I see him do, I do. As my Father has sent me so send I, you, how did the father send me? He sent me to do his will and as I hear him say I say and as I see him do I do. So, in the same way, the same way the Father lords it over me, I, also lord it over you. As you hear me say, as you see me do.
So, that’s why when Jesus was saying, many will call me Lord, lord, and I will say depart from me, workers of iniquity. What Jesus was saying, He is not talking about unbelievers, He is talking about disciples, disciples that have not created a place in their hearts for Jesus to lay His head. Disciples that are giving Jesus excuses, that permit me to do these things, permit me to serve my interests and I will come back and do yours. Disciples that are saying, let me go home and see what they will think about these assignments that you are calling me to.
He said They will come on that day, they will say ‘Lord Lord’ and I will say ‘depart from me, I wasn’t your life Lord’. You are only calling me lord with your mouth, it is not a deep seated conviction in your heart because you did not live your life like I was the lord. In all the number of years that you spent on the earth, I was not your Lord. Because everything we do, there is a record in heaven. All the times, the days, the months, the years, how many times has Jesus truly been the Lord of your life? This calls for deep meditation, deep reflection. How many times?
Let’s not go far, because going to 2009 will give us bad debt, this 2020 from January 1st to today, the 27th of January, how many times has Jesus been the Lord of our lives. Let’s reflect on it. Let’s ask him for mercy, let’s ask for grace. Jesus, I want you to be my life Lord from today, I want to quit giving excuses. I want to stop giving excuses. Help me! Help Me! Help me Lord.
