Saying Yes

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, radio friends. How in the world are you? You doing alright today? Well, I trust so. Bless your heart. I’m fine, thank you. Nice of you to ask. I feel great. Praise the Lord. No complaints. And I’m so grateful for the privilege of being with you for just a few moments by way of radio as we look at the Word of God. A million years from now, what will be important? What kind of a car you drove? What kind of a house you lived in? How much money you made? What clothes you wore? What clubs you belong to? What promotions you achieved? I doubt it. A million years from now, you and I’ll be talking about the very things we talk about every day on the radio, the eternal Word of God, His truth, His will, His purpose working through you and through me and through millions of other believers across the world. Oh, that’s what counts. And that’s what makes these broadcasts significant and worthwhile for you and for me. Thanks for being there, on the listening end.

Look at Ephesians 4. Now we talked about the unity of the Spirit, that’s verse three, and in developing that thought, Paul talks about one body, that’s the church, all of the believers in all the world, one body, one Spirit, that’s the Holy Spirit, one hope of your calling, that’s the hope of achieving God’s purpose through the living person, the Lord Jesus, who is Himself, the embodiment of our hope for eternal life. One Lord, that’s where we were the last time we got together, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. That’s the unity of the Spirit. Then in verse seven, you begin talking about the variety of God’s gifts. “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”, and he talks about the different gifts. We’ll get into that later on. Right now we go back to that phrase, “one Lord”. Greek word, “kurios”, Lord–used often and often in the New Testament. They called Him Lord and He accepted that. He said to His disciples one day, “Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye do well for so I am.”

No question about the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ knew exactly who He was and why he was there. He said, “For this cause came I into the world.” He knew why He was there. He knew what He was and who He was. These people who mumble about the fact that there wasn’t any awareness on the part of our Savior as to His deity, they are simply either ill-informed or deceptive. Read your Bible and you’ll find that the Lord Jesus Christ always knew that He was and is what He always will be, Lord of all. One Lord. Lord of all. Acts 10:36, “He is Lord of all.” “Lord over all,” Romans 10:12. And then Lord both of the dead and the living. He’s Lord of people who’ve gone by in the pages of history and He’s Lord of everyone who lives today. Jesus is Lord. Now, how do you make that personal to you? I talked a little bit with you about putting it into the different situations of life. As we looked for illustration purposes at the second chapter of Philippians, you recall that, “Lord of your feelings, Lord of your motives Lord of your mind, Lord of your personal relationships, Lord of your methods, and Lord of your ministry or your message.”

That’s the first, about 16 verses of Philippians Chapter Two. It occurs to me, however, that we still need something to get a handle on it for ourselves. Let me refer you then, to the passage that deals with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. “Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the believers, was on his way,” the Bible says, “to Damascus, and he had letters with him that of authority, that if you found any of this way, that’s the way they characterized believers in that day. The way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Now suddenly there was the light shining from Heaven and he fell to the Earth and a voice saying unto him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’ And he said, ‘Who art thou, Lord?’ The Lord said ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the ox goad.’ And he trembling and astonished said ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ The Lord said unto him ‘Arise and go into the city, it shall be told thee what thou must do.'” Then he went on into Damascus, and Ananias came and prayed with him, and Paul’s blind eyes were opened and he was able to see and then immediately went out and gave out his testimony concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alright, that’s, in brief, the story of what happened at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Now, what is the point that will make it real in my experience and in yours? There are two questions that you need to ask and answer if you want the lordship of Christ to be real; the first is, “Lord, who art thou?” He, trembling and astonished, said, “Who art thou, Lord?” Well, you say, “I know all Him, He’s Jesus.” Yes, that’s right. But He says, “I am Jesus.” You go back to Matthew 1:21, “Thou shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.” The root meaning of that word, the name of Jesus, the root meaning of it is “Jehovah will save”. And so he referred them to the fact that He’s the Savior. That’s where you start. The Savior, the one through whom salvation comes. Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.” One mediator, He’s the only one who can get you through to God. Jesus our Lord Himself said, John 14:6, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

So you have the sovereign will of God, “No man can come to me except the Father draw him.” You have the sovereign will of God, and you have the distinct way to God turning out to be a person, a wonderful, lovely person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is He? He’s the Savior, He’s the only Savior. He’s the God-appointed Savior. He is God Himself in the flesh, come to pay your debt of sin and to raise you in the heavenlies to sit with Him and to be identified with Him and to be seen by holy eyes, through Him. God looks at you through through Christ’s work on the cross. Jesus, who are thou?
What else? He said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Recognize the fact that before and until you become a born again believer, all that you are doing is fighting against God. Paul speaks in Romans verse, what is it? About eight of chapter five, “When we were enemies by wicked works, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.” Enemies? Yes. “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”

See, he thought he was persecuting Christians. God said, “You’re persecuting me. If when we were enemies,” it’s verse 10 of Romans 5, “enemies, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Has it dawned on you, my friend? You’re not a Christian yet, some of you. You’re religious enough to listen to Cook once in a while, if for no other reason then to find something you can argue about. That’s alright. I’m glad you’re listening. But you’re not a Christian. You’re not a believer.

Do you realize that all that you’re doing, is fighting against Almighty God? That is a sobering thought. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that.” Oh yes, you would, because you’re doing it. “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” What you do in ungodly ways, and in Christ-rejecting ways, and in a secularist philosophy of life, the kind of a lifestyle that says, “I can get along without God.” What are you doing? You’re actually fighting God, the one who said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” That’s the second thing in knowing something about the Lordship of Christ.

And then the third thing is, it’s hard for you to kick against the ox goad. Now, this appeals to farmers, those of you who’ve been brought up on the farm, you’ve all seen the tendency of cattle to resist going in either into the cattle shoot or even into the barn sometimes, and so you have to prod them along. Now, the fact of the matter is, is that the cow always loses. [chuckle] That’s the fact of it. He can kick, he or she, can kick and back up against the goad, all it does is hurt a little more. That’s what the Savior is saying to Saul of Tarsus.

He said, “There isn’t any percentage in this. You’re fighting something that you can’t win it, you always lose, hard for you.” Bible says the way of transgressors is hard. All you buy for yourself, by yourself will, all that you buy is heartache. “I wanted my way, don’t tell me, ask me,” was the phrase of a well-known show business person for many years. “Don’t tell me, ask me. I’m gonna do it my way.”

All that you buy with that is heartache and disillusionment, and sorrow and pain. Hard for you to kick against the ox goad. The cow always loses. Why don’t you say yes to God today, friend? And for those of you who are believers, remember, the Lordship of Christ means saying yes to Him. It means saying yes to Him.

We’ll get at the second phrase the next time we get together. But for now, let me remind you, there are so many areas of our lives where real peace and real joy will come only and immediately when you say, “Alright, Lord, you win. I’ll do it your way.” You never need to be in doubt about the will of God on anything that matters. Anything that matters, God will guide you. “The Lord shall guide thee continually,” the Bible says. So, say yes to him today, will you? Don’t be kicking against the ox goad. Remember, the cow always loses. Let God win.

Dear Father, today, help us to say yes to your blessed will, in Jesus’s name I ask this, Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!