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Why Call Me Lord?
Introduction, (Luke 6:46-49)
46."Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do
what I say?
47."I will show you what he is like who comes to me and
hears my words and puts them into practice.
48."He is like a man building a house, who dug down
deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not
shake it, because it was well built.
49."But the one who hears my words and does not put
them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the
torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
I. JUST WHAT DOES IT MEAN, JESUS IS LORD?
A. The Word "Lord"
1. By definition is a title of respect, and denotes not
only power and authority, but also ownership, and submission.
2. When used in reference to Christ the word "Lord"
may be taken in the most literal and complete sense of the word. He is our Lord! He has all power and
authority over us. And as Paul put it in I Corinthians. 6:19,20, "You are not your own; you were bought at
a price."
3. Jesus Christ is Lord.
B. Phil 2:9-11
1. God has highly exalted his son. Have we done the
same?
a. Have we set Jesus up as Lord of our lives?
Families?
b. Is he Lord of our time? Checkbooks? Credit
cards?
c. Have we exalted him as head of the church?
d. Have we lifted him up that all may see him?
e. I would dare say he is not our Lord if we have
not! If we hold back, or are lukewarm, or ashamed, or too busy with other things, how can
we call him Lord?
2. It says "at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow."
a. Have you bowed before the Lord? Have you
humbled yourself, or do you still reign?
b. Have you submitted before the Lord in all
things? Is there anything you would not do or would not give?
c. Have you laid your abilities at his feet? Do you
use your talents and skills for the Lord? How can he really be Lord until we've surrendered all
to him? Sometimes we're willing to do big things, but when it comes to something small we refuse.
3. "Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord."
a. We need to verbally confess Jesus Christ is
Lord.
b. If we take a stand for Christ verbally people will
hold us accountable to that stand. Maybe that's why we sometimes don't take a stand - because
we know our actions don't live up to it. But they must if Jesus is our Lord.
II. THE WISE MAN BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON A ROCK
A. The Key Is In Verse 47, of Luke 6. The wise man does 3 things in this verse. He comes to Jesus, hears his words,
and puts them into practice.
1. First of all he comes to Jesus. If you want to be wise,
if you want your life built on a solid foundation, then come to Jesus.
a. This is never a promise of an easy ride. Christ
does not promise the storms will not come.
b. In fact, the storms will come. The floods will
rise. The wind will blow hard. It's guaranteed.
c. But if you have a solid foundation built on the
Lord Jesus Christ, your life will stand firm.
2. Secondly, he hears his teachings.
a. Rom. 10:17 says faith increases by hearing the
Word.
b. Take advantage of every opportunity to hear
his word.
c. When Jesus walked upon the earth sometimes
there were thousands who gathered to hear his teachings. They valued his teachings.
d. What happens if you miss a meal during the
day?
1. You get hungry don't you?
2. Your stomach tells you about it, maybe a headache.
3. More often than not, you tell others you missed a meal, or were too busy to eat.
4. How come we take such notice when we miss lunch or dinner? And how come its so
hard to diet from physical food, but we can go on a spiritual fast and last for days. Some
go for weeks, even months.
5. We should be hungry for the teachings of Christ. We should be in church every
Sunday. Develop a loyalty. Make it priority. Study your Bible at home. If Jesus is Lord
we will do these things. According to v. 47 the wise man first of all comes to Jesus.
Secondly he hears his teachings.
3. Thirdly, he obeys the teachings. He practices them.
a. This is the clincher. It's good to come to Jesus.
It's good to hear his teachings. But this is what consummates the relationship, the Lordship with
Jesus.
b. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the
word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Think about it. Do you deceive yourself?
How can you deceive yourself? By coming to Jesus, by hearing his teachings, but not
practicing them! Who is at risk for this kind of deception? It wouldn't be the people that don't
come. It wouldn't be the people who don't listen to the word. We're the ones at risk because
we're the ones who come and listen. Examine yourself. Don't be a fool!
c. This is why I disagree with those who say we are
saved only through faith. Invite Jesus into your heart they say. Once saved always saved. Those
ideas are not taught in scripture.
1.Paul does say we're saved by faith. But he teaches Christian living to back it up.
2. James teaches that faith without works is dead. We must be doers of the word and not
hearers only.
d. I John 2:3-6.
1. The verse is self-explanatory.
2. If we keep his commandments - we know him.
3. If we claim to know him, but don't keep his commandments - we're liars.
4. Let's stop kidding around. If we're not living for Jesus we're liars.
e. I'm not talking about a person who falls into sin,
realizes it, confesses it, and is again right with God. That person's better off then a professing,
lukewarm Christian who isn't living for the Lord. I'd rather be a confessing Christian than a
professing Christian! Jesus says, "I will spew him out of my mouth."
B. Go Back To Luke 6, v. 48.
1. The person who comes to Jesus, hears his teachings,
and practices them is like the man who goes out to build a house. He digs in deep. He builds on a solid
foundation. When the storms of life come his house stands firm because he has built solidly on Jesus
Christ.
2. Remember Noah. God called him into service, told
him it was going to rain and he should build an ark. Noah not only listened but obeyed! The storm did
come. It rained and it thundered, and there was lightening. The floods came. But Noah and his
family were safe. They came. They listened. They obeyed.
3. Then there was Abraham. God called him to leave
his home, his country and even his family. Abraham obeyed. And God blessed him. He made of him a
great nation.
4. The there was Moses. God called him to lead the
Israelites out of Egypt. Moses listened. But he also obeyed. He went to work. He didn't feel confident.
He didn't feel qualified. But he went to work and
God equipped him.
5. These all heard the word and then did it. They built
upon solid rock. And Heb. 11 says every one of them will be in the kingdom.
III. THE FOOLISH MAN BUILT UPON THE SAND, Luke 6:49
A. Notice The Difference Between The Wise And The Foolish.
1. The wise man.....
a. Came to Jesus.
b. Heard the teachings.
c. Practiced them.
2. The foolish man came, heard, but did not practice!
a. That's the difference. The emphasis is
obedience.
b. The foolish man...
1. Reacts by ignoring the teachings,
2. Or gets offended,
3. Or justifies himself comparing himself to a neighbor,
4. Or finds fault with the preacher or the church,
5. Or says, "No one came to see me so I'm not going to obey Jesus."
6. Or "No one else does their part so I'm not going to do mine."
c. I would suppose every congregation has some of
the wise and some of the foolish.
1. There are those who hear and respond with obedience.
2. There are others who hear and don't respond at all.
B. This Is The Trouble With The Foolish Man.....
1. "If you choose a habit you also choose the
consequences of that habit." "Chose a path, chose a destiny!"
a. We need to look beyond the moment and see
further down the road what our decision, or habit or course of action will bring.
b. If we choose to ignore Jesus' teachings today we
are the foolish man and we'll meet the same end.
2. It's true he heard the teachings. That's better than
some who allow all kinds of excuses to keep them away.
3. But he didn't practice the teachings. He lived his life
as he wanted. He refused to yield 100% to Jesus. He was building on sand. When the rains came,
"immediately" his house fell.
4. You remember the case of the rich young ruler? He
came to Jesus asking "What must I do to be saved?"
a. So far he's on the right track. He came to Jesus.
b. Jesus told him, "Sell your riches, take up the
cross and follow me." He came to Jesus. He heard the teaching.
c. But he went away angry. He refused to obey.
He was a hearer, not a doer. He probably enjoyed his riches the rest of his life. But unless
he was converted at some later time, he won't be in the kingdom. What a foolish man! What a
poor man!
5. There are many examples of such foolishness.
a. Adam/Eve heard the words of God, but did not
obey.
b. Naaman the leper listened to Elijah tell him to
dip 7 times in the Jordan River. At first he refused to obey. Such a simple thing. It was only
at the pleading of his servant that he obeyed.
c. The Israelites, as they were about to enter the
Promised Land, God told them to go and take the land. He promised to deliver it into their
hand. But they refused to obey and as a result they all died and never did enter the promised
land. It was their children who went in, the next generation.
d. It is so foolish to hear the teachings but not do
them. Obedience is the key between the wise and foolish.
IV. I WOULD URGE YOU THIS MORNING TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
If you build on the Lord you'll never have to answer
this question, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Can you imagine standing
before the Lord on judgment day?
A. It's Good To Call Him "Lord"
1. We've already read that God has exalted his name,
and expects us to call him Lord.
2. But Matt. 7:21 tells us not everyone who calls him
Lord will enter the kingdom!
a. We take the name of the Lord in vain if we
claim his name, but don't do the things he says.
b. It is not enough to "call" him Lord. We must
make him Lord. We must submit. We must do the will of his father which is in heaven.
3. Remember when they crucified Jesus they gave him
a crown and scepter and put a purple robe on him. They bowed and said, "Hail, King of the Jews." I
suppose that was no more a mockery than those today who call him "Lord" but don't do the things he
says.
B. If you're in the Lord, submit to his power and authority. Build your house on the solid foundation of hearing and
doing, and Jesus will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
C. If you're not in the Lord, won't you make that decision today?
1. Believe the message of the kingdom and that Jesus is
the Christ, the son of God. Come to him, and listen to his teachings.
2. Repent of your sin. Turn from your sinful ways and
attitudes.
3. If you haven't been immersed in the name of Jesus
Christ as a result of this belief and repentance, please do so soon.
4. Make Jesus Christ your Lord in every sense of the
word.