PRACTICING THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
A. In many ways, a healthy synonym for LORDSHIP is THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE.
B. Concerning THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE, I want to mention a few things that relate to the LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ in our lives.
A. The Holy Spirit is a PERSON. In John 16:7-8,13-15, He is referred to as "Him," "He, and "Himself."
B. The Holy Spirit LOVES US, otherwise there would be no grief. You can only grieve someone who loves you. The greater the degree of love, the more profound the grief.
C. The Holy Spirit "SEALED" OUR SALVATION for all time (Ephesians 1:13;4:30).
A. By disregarding His Presence in him.
1. He does this by harboring motives, thoughts, words, deeds, and lifestyles that grieve Him (Ephesians 4:31).
2. He does this by giving Him a sinful, morally unclean place (his body) in which to dwell (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).
3. He does this by practicing poor habits. Some examples might be as follows.
a. Tardiness in appointments (church, work, school, and home). These are usually because of poor self discipline (Ephesians 5:16).
b. Gossip about others (Proverbs 6:12-19).
c. Poor management of money (Luke 16:11).
d. Disregard for the laws of the land. If he breaks the law, he may expect his children to do the same (Romans 13:1-7).
B. By distrusting His Word about him.
1. The Christian is suppose to place his complete faith and confidence in the promises of God's Word (Romans 14:23).
2. Willful sin, and a sinful conscience that accompanies it, dampen one's assurance of, and response to, the promises of God's Word (1 John 3:21).
3. For instance, Romans 8:16 tells us, "The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
4. A sinful conscience often causes one to doubt whether or not he is genuinely saved.
C. By disobeying His counsel to him.
1. Read 1 John 2:20,27, where unction and anointing refer to the Holy Spirit and His ministry of enabling the Christian to understand the things of God.
2. The Holy Spirit does this primarily through the Word of God. See Ephesians 6:17, John 17:17, and 2 Corinthians 3:18.
3. When the Christian reads the Bible with a clear conscience, the Holy Spirit teaches the true meaning of what he reads, stores it in his memory, and stands ready to bring it forth when needed.
4. When the Christian fails to read the Bible the Holy Spirit has little material with which to work. Consequently, the Christian remains a Spiritual babe in Christ (1 Peter 2:2).
D. By manifesting little or no Spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22,23).
1. Note that "fruit" is singular. Many teach that all nine parts are in the one fruit. When one isn't Spirit-filled, some, if not all, of the ingredients are absent, or at best weakened.
2. We make excuses for the loss of these but the cause is the lack of the Spirit-filled life.
E. By being content to remain a babe in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1,2).
1. When Paul first visited Corinth, he fed the believers with the elementary milk of the word because they were weak and young in the faith.
2. Later when Paul wrote to them, they still had not improved enough to receive deeper truths.
3. The teaching which Paul had initially given to them was suitable to their condition at that time. He didn't try to force beef steaks down the throats of infants. He knew that "too much" is often more harmful than "too little."
a. It requires great Spiritual discernment and sensitivity to accurately determine what, when, and how to teach any group of Christians.
b. An example of a genuine Pastor is found in Jacob in Genesis 33:14 when he said, "I will lead on softly according as the children be able to endure." He knew that a convoy can only move as fast as its slowest member.
c. It is often suggested that Esau is an example of an impatient counterfeit Pastor who seemed more interested in the speed and show of his accomplishments than the care of the flock.
4. The cause of the Corinthian's Spiritual immaturity was in them, not in Paul's style or content of teaching.
5. The thing that grieved Paul was that they apparently didn't want to "grow up into Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).
A. Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
1. In Matthew 27:48, one filled a sponge with vinegar. There was no part of the sponge in which vinegar was absent.
2. Similarly, when one wishes to be filled with the Holy Spirit, he yields all to Him.
B. Absorb (listen to, read, and meditate upon) as much of the Bible as he can, since the Holy Spirit guides Christians primarily through the Word of God. John 17:17,19 says, "Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth."
C. Put on Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts (Romans 13:14).
1. "Put on Christ" includes giving the control of your entire life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. "Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts" means to cease indulging evil desires.
D. Fill the mind and heart with Psalms, hymns, Spiritual songs and the joy of the Lord (Ephesians 5:19, Matthew 12:34, and Acts 13:52).
E. Maintain a spontaneous expression of thankfulness to God for (Ephesians 5:20), and in (I Thessalonians 5:18) all things.
F. Submit to (or, cooperate with) one another (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5).
G. Be bold in rebuking sin (Acts 13:9-12), and in testifying for the Lord (Acts 4:8-12).
H. Exalt Christ in everything (Acts 9:17,20).
A. What have we learned?
1. Three things about the Person of the Holy Spirit.
2. Five ways by which Christians may grieve Him.
3. Eight ways by which Christians may delight Him.
B. To grow in LORDSHIP, let's avoid that which grieves, and do that which pleases God (including the Holy Spirit).
Bob Bruton