In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of staying prepared and facing the challenges that come our way, rather than seeking to escape or leave. He uses metaphors such as the wheat and chaff, the good fish and bad fish, and the sheep and goats to illustrate this point. The preacher also affirms that Jesus will be Lord forever, and warns against preaching lies that are not aligned with the truth of the Bible. He explains that salvation is not in our hands, but in the hands of God, and that it is God who opens the way for us to make Jesus our Lord.

This morning, we're bringing a message on the Lordship of Christ. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 16 is the text. And he hath on his fester and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Or did I see that text clearly? Let's read the context again with verse 11. And I saw heaven open, it's closed now. For now the Lord went back to heaven, she shut her doors. The only way you can get in there for God to open it. But now it's open for the Lord to come out. And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse. And he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as the flame of fire. On his head were many crowns. And there had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses. Clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth was a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. Then comes our text from which we have our subject. And he hath on his vesture done a sigh. That's something that the world can see publicly. A name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are inviting your attention this morning to our message that I feel that will be greatly blessed of God. And a message that we sorely need at this hour. And if you've ever listened in all of your life, I want you to listen this morning. We're going to ask one question and answer that question. And the question is, what is the issue? There's never been but one issue. There never will be but one issue. What is the issue? The issue is, who is the boss? That's an issue in your home. That's an issue with you on your job. That's the issue in the police department. In the sheriff's department. With the FBI. That's the issue in Washington. Issue in Congress and Senate. In the Supreme Court. It's the issue in the schoolhouse. It's the issue in the churchhouse. It's the issue in the dwellinghouse. That is the issue, and there's always been. Who is the boss? Well, you and I are going to see this morning that the Lord is the boss. Jesus is the Lord. Then if Jesus is Lord, then Caesar is not the Lord. If Jesus is the Lord, then the government is not the Lord. And if Jesus is the Lord, then your husband is not the Lord. And if Jesus is the Lord, then your pastor is not the Lord. The whole battleground all through the ages has been and is now. Who is the Lord? The battleground of the New Testament was not what Jesus did. But who is Jesus? John chapter 10. Jesus said, why do you take up stones to stone me? Which of the good works are you stoning me for? He knew, of course, what the issue was. He asked them a question to bring it out. And they said, for a good work we stone thee not. Who would stone him for opening the eyes of the blind? That's a class of people that's liability. Who would stone him for healing the sick? Who would stone him for raising the dead? So long as he didn't raise a wicked man from the dead. And he never did. He raised seven people from the dead. And all of them were saints. Then, which of the good works are you stoning me for? They said, for a good work we stone thee not. But because thou being a man makest thyself God. Jesus Christ didn't hesitate to make himself equal with God. He didn't hesitate to take the title of Son of God. He didn't hesitate to say that he was God. He didn't hesitate to make himself equal with God. He didn't hesitate to forgive human sin, knowing that nobody but God had the power and authority to forgive sin. He did not hesitate to accept human worship. And he did so. And if he's not God, that would be the height of blasphemy. So, my Christian friends, my fellow believers, and our pilgrims and strangers and sojourners, as we come this morning to bring the message on the Lordship of Christ, if you've never settled it, I want you to settle it. And in Revelation chapter 19, there are five things crystal clear that I give you as a matter of introduction. First, it's crystal clear that Jesus is King of Kings. Second, it's crystal clear that Jesus is Lord of Lords. That's clear. And it's crystal clear that Jesus was the Lord in the past. It's crystal clear that Jesus was the Lord in the present. And it's crystal clear that Jesus will be Lord in the future. Therefore, he is Lord. And your great danger is making him Lord. He is Lord. If you have the power to make him Lord, you have the power to unlordship him. And anything you desire, you can undecide. And remember that your battleground is not to make a decision. Your battleground is to face the issue and remember that Jesus is Lord. Philippians chapter 2, verse 9, 10, and 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. He's at the top. He's the boss and he is Lord. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should do a bow. When Jesus was here, he said, You've got to bow to me or kill me. And you have to do one of the two. And they said, We're not going to bow to you. So they killed him. That's your issue right now. You've got to bow to Jesus or kill him. There cannot be any other alternative. That every knee, that takes in the knee of B.B. Caldwell. That takes in the knee of Michael Griffin. That takes in the knee of every man, every woman in the universe. Every knee shall bow to the knee of things in heaven and things in the earth and things under the earth. That every being in hell must bow at the name of Jesus. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Not a has-been. Going to be. Jesus is Lord. To the glory of God the Father. Therefore, as we come to study this morning and to bring a message on the Lordship of Christ. You face that in salvation. You face that in justification. You face that in sanctification. And you will face that in glorification. So we're coming to ask a series of questions. Question number one. Wherein is Jesus Lord? Well, he is the risen Lord. They killed him as a man. And he got up as God. Oh, my. They never saw Jesus, nobody but a man. John 10, thou being a man, makest thyself God. God had to become man in order that he should die. And the God who was never sick was made sick, that he might heal you. Healing is in the atonement. And we trust by God's grace at an early date to bring a message on it that's got to come. Because the Lord's people are in the midst of the demon spirit, all of these diseases, and we'll not be able to perpetuate and move forward without this mighty, mighty truth. Wherein is Jesus Lord? He is the risen Lord. They killed him as a man. And he got up as God. Not only that, but he is the reigning Lord. Glory to God and the Lamb forever. Killed him as a man. He got up as God. Called his way back to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Simply means he's God's right hand man with the reins of eternity in his hands. And he's there at this moment. He is Lord of creation. Everything was made by him. He is the Lord of the angels. He made the angels. Not only that, but he's the Lord of the spirit world. Every good angel, every evil angel is under his dominion and is under his power. And he has power, supreme power over the devil and demons and the good angels and over every human being in this great universe. Not only that, but he's the Lord of the Sabbath. The word Sabbath just means one thing. That you dishonored God in the Sabbath and we're doing the same thing today. Sabbath means one thing and only one. It means rest. Never has meant anything else. And when you make a God out of the Sabbath and have your say because you keep the Sabbath, you're no better off than the old ancient scribe and Pharisee. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, see? So he's the Lord of the Sabbath. He's the only one that can give you rest. Not only that, but he's the Lord of the quick and the dead. Romans chapter 14 and verse 9 said, For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. See, he is Lord of the dead wherever they are and he's the Lord of the living wherever they are. Acts 2.36, Therefore let all of the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom you crucify. Notice that phrase. The spirit of God continuing the scripture is to record our sins with the death of Christ whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ. He is God and he is the anointed ruler and has been and is at this moment. Question number two. Where is Jesus now? If you ever listened, I want you to listen now and see where is Jesus now. And wherever he is, that's where you is. The scriptures are clear that we were identified with him in his life, in his death, in his burial, in his resurrection, in his ascension, and in his present being. And seated at God's right hand, you are reigning with him now positionally and could be experimentally if we get in where the shades of love lie deep. Are you listening? Where is Jesus now? He is in heaven on the throne reigning. Do you like that? Not a goon to reign. Here is where I differ with my pre-millennial brethren. They teach that Jesus is a king in exile somewhere on the beautiful isles of somewhere and none of them knows where. Are you listening? Ladies and gentlemen, he is not a king in exile. He is a king on the throne at this very moment. And you have the privilege of reigning with him and ruling with him right now. And he has power over hell, over life, over demons, over good angels, bad angels. He has power and he wants to give that power to you so long as you and I exercise that power for the glory and the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Where is Jesus now? He is in heaven on the throne reigning as prophet. And you are a prophet and you are reigning with him. He is in heaven reigning as a priest and you are a priest and you are reigning with him. He is in heaven as king and you are reigning with him. God made us prophets, priests, and kings. He is reigning now as judge. You have a right to judge. 1 Corinthians 2.15 He that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. See it? All that we could get in on this thing. If I don't have the power to judge, then ladies and gentlemen, how am I going to win? I might kill a good man. See? You have the power to be a judge in the see things and to make decisions. Not only that, but he is in heaven on the throne reigning as mediator. Now you and I are not mediators between God and man. Only Christ is that. But you and I are mediators to mediate a matter. He has two neighbors in a row. You and I can be used as a mediator to bring them together to settle a difference. You and I can be used as a mediator in mediating and helping people to get truth and to get deliverance and to be set free. 1 Timothy 2.3-7 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved. You like that? Personally, I believe all men will be saved. And to come unto the knowledge of the truth and to find out who the men are. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man. And it's the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all. Don't like that out of course, it's sad. And to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle. I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not. A teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. Paul recognized that Jesus Christ was in heaven, on the throne, reigning now. And he recognized his position. And you need to see this. And need to have faith to believe it. And if you're a little bold and little cold feet, just get close to the Father and get warmed up. And make it up in your mind. Glory to God and the Lamb forever. I'm identified with Christ. How could you? Because you're in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.17 it says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, where is Christ? He's in heaven. Then you're already in heaven, positionally. And you're in heaven down here. I thought I was in hell. No, you're in heaven down here. Heaven is a state as well as a place. And this earth is a place. Heaven is a place. I do not find in the Bible where I'll ever go to heaven. I believe heaven is going to come here. As I've tried to tell you time and again, time and again, to talk about I'm going somewhere. I'm not planning to go anywhere. I'm planning to stay here. I was talking with a preacher friend of mine a few days ago. And he said, well, I thought we would get ready to leave here. And I said, you've been told a lie, brother. In the Bible, God never told you to get ready to leave here. He told you to get ready to stay here. In the face of what's coming, I said, the tires are going to be taken out and the wheat's going to be left. The chaff are going to be taken away and the wheat's going to be left. The bad fish are going to be taken away and the good are left in the pond where they're swimming. And the goats are going to be taken out of the pasture and the sheep are left here. Ladies and gentlemen, you and I need to see what this great truth is and get in gear and follow the Lord and move. Question number three. How long will Jesus be Lord? Well, I have good news for you. He'll be Lord forever. You like that? Oh, my. He'll be Lord forever. And I want to give you five reasons why that He will be Lord forever. And the first one is that He is the Lord God. The Lord God means Jesus. Every time in the Old Testament, every time in the New Testament, I find the expression, Lord God, it always points to Jesus. See? Even in the book of Genesis, it speaks of the Lord God. But in Genesis 1-1, in the beginning, God. See? But you move on down, it comes to the Lord God. It was the Lord God that made man. Oh, what a play. What wonderful revelations God will give us. He is the Lord God. Not only that, but He is the Lord Thy God. Not only that, but He's the God of the Hebrews. Not only that, but He's the God of the ages. And if He's the God of the ages, He will forever be Lord while the ages of eternity roll on. Not only that, but His throne is forever and ever. I like that, don't you? Hebrews chapter 1, verse 8 and 9. But unto the Son He said, Thy throne, O God. Notice the change. Shown that Jesus is God. He was God. He is God now. He always will be God. O God. But unto the Son He said, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with oil of gladness above Thy followers. Never occur to you that you're in Christ, you're in heaven, you're in the seat of authority, you're in reigning, you're in victory. Everything that Christ is, you is. See? Not going to be a has-been, but is now. And the devil would keep you blinded and keep you tricked and see your position. Why eat peanuts and crackers? There's nothing wrong with peanuts and crackers, except you've got a good steakhouse there. That'd be wicked and sinful for you to sit down like a rat eating peanuts and crackers when you've got a good steak at hand. Think about it, children. Oh my God, you have a right to tell the devil what to do instead of letting him tell you what to do. You have a right to tell the demons what to do instead of letting them tell you what to do. You have a right to tell this wicked world what to do instead of them telling you what to do. The great prophets of God, all through the scriptures, recognized this great truth even before our Lord came. They recognized this great truth. And the great prophets of God, they moved through the Old Testament with deliberate speed before Calvary. And if they could move with this power, with this authority, with this success, with deliberate speed, what ought not we to do on this side of Calvary with all the light, love, and liberty that God may give us? Question number four. What is the meaning of the Lordship of Christ? What does it mean? Well, first it means that Jesus is absolute Lord. The word absolute is an adjective that's describing something. And it means He is absolute, nothing above. God has given Him a name which is above everything. That at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow. Every tongue should confess. But, just one thing, Jesus is Lord. Then that's the issue, hasn't it? Is now, who is the boss? Not only that, but it means that He is absolute sovereign. If the devil can do one thing that God can't keep him from doing, then Jesus is not sovereign. He's not Lord. That devil and demons, wicked men and women, gold crops, butterflies, mosquitoes, red worms, whatever it is, all of creation, all of the stars, the moon, and the sun, and everything is under the tremendous power of Jesus Christ at God's right hand. And He holds the scepter in His hand. And He earned that scepter in a special way at Calvary. See it? Now, He was Lord in the Old Testament, but He's Lord twice now. Isaiah chapter 6, In the year the king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, who's that? That's Jesus. I saw the Lord high and lifted up. All right. Now, He has additional glory. In John chapter 17, He's praying for that additional glory. He had all the glory that you could think about in the Old Testament. But He comes to John 17, and He said, Father, Father, give me the glory that will be given to me when I face to death and raise from the dead. Go back to heaven in His glory. No wonder He's absolute. Not only that, but it means He does as He wills. Then, if that be in the case, what are you afraid about? He can handle your husband. He can handle you. He can handle that toad frog. He can handle that bullfrog. He can handle that dog. He can handle that demon. He can handle that devil. He can handle the nations. Everything is in the power of Jesus Christ. Why be ashamed? Why take pride? Pray, God, You and I are to rise up. God, I'm coming through. I may not get through, but I'm on my way. Nobody can be defeated that would see this great truth in Him. Not only that, but the times and seasons are in His hands. He said, Summer, I want you to be winter and snow. Fall, I want you to be spring. And stop fighting, instead of dying. Are you listening? The times and the seasons are in His hands. Not only that, but the people and nations are in His hands. If China ever finds out that Jesus is Lord and that nation is in His hands, Germany, Russia, every nation in the earth is in His hands. And the tiny little baby is in His hands. And one of the most marvelous statements ever felt from the lips of the Son of God is in Matthew 10. Jesus said, Now the snowbird dies. And if he sits at the bedside while the snowbird dies, what will it do when one of His sons dies? What are you afraid about? He's got the keys to heaven. Don't worry about it. The keys are on His belt. And that's something extra that He merited in His time. Not only that, but eternity in His hands. Eternity is in His hands. They say, Well, sinner, your destiny is in your hands. That isn't so. The destiny of every man is in the hands of the risen, ascended, glorified Lord. Your destiny is in His hands. Not only that, but salvation is in His hands. In my country, they preach salvation in the hands of the sinner instead of the hands of the Savior. I say, That isn't so. Quit preaching! Why? I was talking with a preacher last Thursday, last Wednesday. I said, Mr. Caldwell, what will I have to do to participate in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? The Lord will reign. You speak about it. I said, Quit preaching lies. And I didn't bat an eye when I looked at him. I said, My brother, why would God pour out His Spirit on you, me, or any man to preach lies? Well, am I preaching lies? I said, If you got out of the book, it's true. If you didn't, you got out of some other book. It's all probability a lie. Last Monday, I looked to preachers in Atlanta, and there I told them the same thing. I said, Quit preaching lies. Why would the Holy Spirit, why would God anoint you to preach a lie? He wouldn't anoint me, you, and nobody else. And remember, that salvation is not in the hands of the sinner, but it's in the hands of the sinner. John 17, verse 1 to 3, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, listen, the hour is come. What an hour! Glorify thy Son. I had the glory in the Old Testament, but I'm coming to an added glory. I can't explain it, how that you could add anything. God, I know you can't take anything from Him, but here is something that's added. Don't explain, just proclaim. Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. Now notice the glory here. As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him. You can like that out of court, if you want to, and damn your own soul, but there it is. God has a people, and He has had that people from the foundation of the world, and the names are written in the land. Look up! Why? And Jesus is looking in the past, present, and future. When He comes to Calvary, hanging, speeding, dying, He never had great joy in all His life. Hebrews 12, 2, tells you with great joy He goes to Calvary. Notice. As many as thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, thy Son. Question number five. How is the Lordship of Christ essential to salvation? Now, in my neck of the woods, they divide Jesus into two parts. They say, you take Him as Savior, and a little bit later you can make Him Lord. But that isn't so. Fact of the matter, you face the Lordship first, and then the Savior. See? And the Lordship of Christ is absolute essential to salvation. No man can be saved till he comes to face the Lordship of Christ. When you come to Jesus, you don't come to Him as Savior. You come to Him as Lord, and surrender to Him. That's the issue. Surrender to Jesus as Lord, and then He becomes your Prophet, Priest, King, Judge, Savior, and everything else. It must be settled here. God will never lift the white flag of peace in no man's soul till all rebellion has been conquered. Question number six. How is the Lordship essential to the baptism of the Holy Ghost? You can never be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and you can never be filled with the Spirit till you come to recognize the Lordship of Christ. It must be recognized in salvation. It must be recognized in sanctification. And when you come to the matter of being filled with the Spirit, you must recognize the Lordship of Christ, because He's the one that's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Matthew 3.11. John the Baptist, the great preacher, said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me, he that cometh after me, shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Therefore, Jesus is the dispenser of the Spirit. He has been exalted to give the Spirit. Jesus is in reach of faith, and repentance and faith is the way to Jesus. The greatest damage that's ever been done to historic Christianity has been what's been done here lately, and they call it soul damage. It is soul damage. Ladies and gentlemen, when God gets ready to save a sinner, and He saves him any time He wants to, He's sovereign. When He gets ready to save a sinner, He'll lay hold of that sinner. He will light His candle. The Bible said, the Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. He will light that candle. When He lights that candle, here comes light. Here comes conviction. Here comes all of these things. And God has laid a hold of that soul to bring that soul into salvation. Question number seven. How can I make Jesus my Lord? That's a good question, isn't it? How can I make Jesus my Lord? Well, I'm here to tell you you can't do that. God must do that. But there is something for you to do, as I'm going to show you. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and in verse 3. Will you listen? Wherefore I give you to understand that no man, that's total in a business, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. See it? How can I make Jesus my Lord? Are you listening? You must bow to six things. And if you don't bow to them, you will apostatize and fall away and die until the hill forever. You must bow to six things. First, you must bow to the sovereignty of God. God has a right to save you or damn you. Second, you must bow to the Lordship of Christ. There can be no salvation without bowing to the Lordship of Christ. And third, you must bow to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. No peckle-witted preacher or goober-headed preacher can lead in about Jesus. You have not that authority. You have not that power. You must bow to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. He's the only one that can lead you to Jesus. See it? Everybody you lead to Jesus will be sent to hell unless they get saved. Children, we must scream this thing. Our church is filled with bastard convicts. And it's all because of these low-down, dirty, stinkers. People call themselves soldiers. Are you listening? You must bow. Fourth, you must bow to the authority of the Scriptures. You must. If you're not willing to bow to the authority of the Scriptures, then you will never be saved. God will never save you. Psalms 138, he said he put his word above his name. Did you get that? He put his word above his name. How would he ever save any man who did not bow to the authority of the Scriptures? And fifth, you must bow to salvation by sovereign grace. Now, the only way you can be saved is by grace, but common grace saves no man. You've got to be bowing to particular grace, and God is sovereign in grace. There is the sixth thing that you must bow to, and I want to pause long enough for these thoughts to sink in. Sixth thing you must bow to, and here is our battle. You must bow to your rebellion against God. Every sinner is in rebellion against God. You must bow to your rebellion against God. All right, now, God crosses all men at the point of your rebellion. That is where he crosses you. That's in salvation. That's in sanctification. There's just one thing that keeps you from getting saved, and this is it. Just one thing that keeps you from being filled with the Spirit. This is it. Who is the boss? Jesus is the Savior. He's the Sanctifier. Follow me? All right, now, he crosses all men at the point of their rebellion. There are three places in the Bible that God crosses all three of them. This takes in the whole human race. He crosses you at the point of your rebellion. First is the Negro. Where does God cross him? Like he does all... No, no. Take your time. I want this to go on record, and I trust my colored friends will buy this tape, and if you're not able to buy it, bless God, I'll give it to him. He's empty. Where does God cross the colored man? At the point of his rebellion. What is his rebellion? Servitude! Well, I'm not going to be the second one, okay? That's what the Bible tells me. God created the angels to serve men. Investigate the Scriptures and you'll see that they're servants. And our colored friends is a servant race. They're not to be put in bondage. Oh, no. But they are a servant race. God can bless them and bless us. And God ordained it so. At this hour, they have been misled. Second, God crosses the Jew and what's his point of rebellion? He crosses the colored man at the point of his rebellion, that's servitude. He crosses the Jew at his point of rebellion, and what's that? The Lordship of Christ! Every time Peter and Paul are preaching to the Jews, it's the Lordship! And they start to face Him. When they come to the Gentiles, something else. All three are things involved. To the colored man, it's servitude. To the Jew, it's Lordship. To the Gentile, what? It's rebellion! You can't do a thing. Not one thing.