In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the authority of Jesus Christ, quoting from Romans 14:9 and Matthew 28:18. He warns that those who reject or ignore this authority will face judgment and wrath from God. The preacher also highlights the significance of Jesus' birth and crucifixion, stating that God demands complete allegiance, devotion, and obedience to Jesus. He emphasizes that the final verdict on our lives will be declared by Jesus, who has been given authority over all things by God. The sermon concludes with a call to surrender to Jesus and humble oneself before God for salvation.

Just pick up and say what I've been saying now for nearly two weeks. Come at it from still another direction and speak to you from the 14th chapter of the book of Romans at verse 9. Romans chapter 14 and verse 9. And while you're turning to that, we quote from the last chapter of the book of Matthew where the Lord Jesus Christ says, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore. Go ye therefore. I want to speak to you tonight on the question of authority. And we read in the ninth verse of the 14th chapter of Romans, and the purpose of the death of Christ and of his resurrection for to this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. And the purpose that the Lord Jesus Christ had in mind to accomplish by dying and being raised from the dead was to earn the right to be the Lord of all mankind. All authority is given unto me, said this one who died and God raised him and gave him all authority. It is a solemn thing to remember that almighty God requires of you that you believe that he manifest in the flesh, was born in a cow stable in a little humble city of Bethlehem, and that you stayed in obscurity for almost 30 years and suddenly appeared upon the scene asking a man to baptize you and saying that you needed to be baptized for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And that immediately after that baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove and God parted the clouds of glory and earth heard God's voice, the Father's voice. This is the son of my love in whom I'm well pleased. Listen to him. And he walked the shores of God's earth for three or three and a half more years, went about ministering, doing good, raising the dead, healing the sick, and proclaiming, I'm here, the kingdom of God is here. That he wound up in the hands of sinful men and they took him and nailed him to a tree on Golgotha's hill. That he was buried in other men's clothing and his body was perfumed with spices provided for other people. That he was buried in another man's tomb and the Roman government set guards there having sealed the tomb. And that as far as this world knows, his body, if we could find it, we could dig long enough, we'd find a little handful of dust over yonder on Golgotha's hill, somewhere outside the city of Jerusalem, and there would be all that remains of this one called Jesus. For no human eye has ever seen the Son of God since that put his body in a tomb. And as far as this world acts and lives and walks, there was a man by the name of Jesus who lived and made some claims and got what is coming to him by being crucified on a cross and buried in another man's grave, and that's the last of him. Ladies and gentlemen, God demands that you believe that that person was God manifest in the flesh, that he is the Savior who for us men died on a cross to bring us in the saving relationship to God. And God put all his eggs in one basket, and God requires you to believe his testimony against everything that the world has to offer, and the penalty for not acting on God's testimony is eternal hell. That's some requirement. That's some requirement. I don't blame you for going to hell if you don't get the wax out of your ears and sit up, take notice, and begin to do what God Almighty tells you to do. You're going to land in hell because what God asks men to believe is absolutely the silliest thing I ever heard of, or it is the God's truth, take it or leave it. God demands that Ralph Bartlett so believe the testimony he has given as to who that baby was, as to who that person hung on a tree is, as to who that one they put in another man's grave. And he asks us to believe on the testimony of this book that he raised him, he God raised that one from the grave and exalted him and made him L-O-R-D, Lord, absolute dictator and despot over every human being who ever lived from Adam down to the last man. And you look me in the eye and tell me that you are waiting for God to do something else. And I look down and tell you that he holds your feet to the fire of believing his testimony. And if you can't or you won't at any rate, if you don't, God's got nothing for you but judgment and wrath. Now, if I thought up a wild story like that, you'd run me out of town, but I've given you the story of the word. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. Listen. Listen. That baby will soon be singing Christmas carols. That baby, that person whom the religious people of his day looked over carefully and decided he wouldn't do and nailed to a cross, that person God demands that you give him all the allegiance of your heart, all of the devotion of your soul, and all of the obedience of your will. For the final verdict on your life and mine will be declared by that man, a man in glory, into whose hands Almighty God has turned over everything, the devil, his angels, and you, and everything else. I'm telling you, that's some demand. I'm telling you no wonder that nobody ever gets saved that doesn't roll up his sleeves and spit on his hands and violently assault the fortress of the kingdom of God. Apart from God, God's Holy Spirit awakening faith in you as you hear faithfully his word. No human being could possibly believe and believing do what God Almighty says you must do or go to hell. My Lord Jesus Christ tells us that he died and was raised from the dead in order that he, not somebody else, that he might be Lord, not you, not me, but he, in order that he might be Lord. There is absolutely no salvation for any human being except under the rule of Christ who holds in his hands the gift of eternal life, which is the gift of himself. If the Jewish nation had received the King, they would have found salvation under the rule of their King. And if you will bow to the Lordship of Christ now, you'll find salvation under his rule, for he is Lord because he's Savior. And in that sense, don't you folks now get too deep in theology, in that sense, he's the Savior of all men as well as being the Lord of all men. He's your Lord because he bought you. He's your Lord because he owns you. He's your Lord because he died on the cross for you. Because he is Savior, he is Lord. And his Saviorship is found inside of his Lordship. And you can believe all the brethren tell you and all of the facts that you want to believe, but you'll never know what it is to have the peace of God that passes understanding until you do for the Lord what the Jews refused to do for the King. Bow down and receive him, submit to him as your Lord, and in submission to him you find peace and you find what we call salvation. I want to ask you tonight whether the question of authority has been settled in your life agreeably to Almighty God. It's such a solemn thought, I know I'm not capable of preaching it or presenting it like it ought to be, but God Almighty won't accept anything except perfect agreement with him about who Jesus is and about what has been turned over to Jesus because of his blessed death on the cross. Hear me now, professing Christianity is becoming rotten to the core because men and women inside and out from pulpit and pew refuse to agree with Almighty God about what he has declared Jesus Christ to be. The question of authority, every kingdom has to have a king, every home has to have a head, every church has to have a head. That awful lie about a church being a democratic body and governed by the majority vote of the people was hatched in hell. The church is not a democratic body. The church is a group of people who have a head and they're the subjects and that head is the Lord Jesus Christ. And all of the splits and all of the hell and all of the corruption in our organized churches today can be traced directly back to the fact that this generation of church people by and large refuse to be under subjection to Jesus Christ, to Jesus Christ. There's just one person who's ever been given the right to run a church and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. There's just one person who's ever been given the right to run this world and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's just one person that's ever been given both the right and the authority to run your life and mine and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's been given that right. He's been given that right. And unless you are in agreement with God on that, you are silly to call yourself a Christian. This hell raising, authority rejecting, every man doing that which is right in his own sight type of so-called Christianity, is blatant rebellion against God Almighty, testimony that Jesus Christ, his well-beloved Son, is Lord over every human being, both saved and damned. For it takes the Lord to save a man and it takes the Lord to damn a man. And the Lord has got many a weapon on his hand and he's got to do something with them. And he's going to save them or damn them, one or the other. No other person's got the power to save a sinner and no other person's got the power to damn a sinner. No sinner saves himself and no sinner damns himself. Jesus saves and Jesus damns. And as your Lord, he'll save you or as your Lord, he'll damn you. That's the testimony of the Word of God. Jesus Christ didn't die so much to be your Savior, he died to be your Lord. And as your Lord, he is the Savior. But this Bible I hold before me knows nothing about a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ. Five hundred and twenty times in the New Testament, this one is called Lord. Twenty-eight times in the New Testament, he's called Savior. Eight of those times it's referring to the Father. Five hundred and twenty times in the New Testament, this one who was born in a calf stable and wound up on a Roman cross is declared by the Holy Spirit to be Lord. Twenty times exactly in the entire New Testament, he's called Savior. The evidence is in the favor of his Lordship. Five times in the New Testament, the words Lord and Savior occur together in the same verse of scripture. In each one of these five occurrences where the term Lord and Savior occur, in the New Testament, he's called Lord first and Savior second. For ladies and gentlemen, I guess we will go on to hell and never believe it, but the only one under God's shining sun who can save man from the penalty of his sin and take him to glory is the one whom God has set to be Lord over all mankind. The Lord is the Savior. The Lord is the Savior. Who is the Savior? Who is Jesus Christ the Lord? The Savior is the Lord of glory. The Lord of glory. Jesus died that he might be Lord. He is Lord for three reasons. The Lord Jesus Christ is God's Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ is your Lord by God's decree. He is not your Lord by you accepting him. He is not your Lord because you receive him. He is not your Lord because you consent to his Lordship. He is your Lord whether you consent to it or not. He is your Lord whether you bow to him or not. He is your Lord whether You accept him or not, he is your Lord, but you believe in him or not, he is your Lord. That is God's law, that is the decree. One thing is certain. If heaven and earth last forever and ever, and forever in hell, one thing is certain. God has appointed Jesus Christ as your Lord, and he is the Lord of every human being. In Psalms chapter 2, I read these words, Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree of the Lord, that said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee, ask of me. I'll give you the whole outfit, I'll give you the heathen for thine inheritance, and the other most parts of the earth for thy possession. You run into scriptures about men denying the Lord who bought them. Don't try to explain it the way he did buy them. He bought Lordship over them. He bought Lordship over them. I think perhaps the most solemn thing I ever face sinners with, and I can't explain it, in most places it causes most no small stir. I quote from John's gospel, chapter 17, the most solemn thing I ever tried to face. I sure hope I know a little bit about what it says. I can read you, quote, what it says. I may not understand what it means, but if I can understand just a little what it means, if it means half of what it says, I think it's the most tremendous thing I ever face sinners with. Here it is, as thou hast given him, he's talking to the Father, as thou hast given him, to him is the Lord, as thou hast given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life. Where is eternal life? It's in the hands of this one, to whom all authority has been given. It's in the hands of this one, to whom every human being has been turned over. Ladies and gentlemen, it's in the hands of men and women. Jesus went to a bloody cross for, listen to me, as thou hast given him, him, him, him, all this world don't believe it, but God does. He's turned everything over to his Son. He's turned you over to his Son. He's turned you over to his Son. He's turned me over to his Son. Oh, the Son's gonna pass a verdict on me, and set a judgment on me, as thou hast given him authority over all flesh, in order that, having all authority, he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. That's a solemn verse of scripture. If that verse means half what looks like it means, I'm telling you the God's truth. It's time you came down off your high horse and humbled yourself in the sight of God and became a beggar in his sight. For salvation's in the hands of the living Son of God. Eternal life is not at the end of the acceptance of a proposition. Eternal life is the gift of a living Christ. That's solemn. Jesus Christ, the virgin born, so says the Bible. The crucified, so says the Bible. The risen, so says the Bible. The exalted, so says the Bible. The interceding, so says the Bible. The raised, so says the Bible. The coming of the dead, to judge, so says the Bible. He's Lord. He's Lord. He's Lord. If you believe that, you'd do one, two things. You'd curse him, tell him, go on back to hell and leave you alone. That'd be consistent. Or you'd become a beggar at his throne. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me whole. It is solemn that Jesus Christ is Ralph Barnard's Lord, whether I recognize him or not. He's Lord, despot. There are seven titles given, my Lord, in the book of the Revelation. Every one of them carrying with it the meaning of absolute dictator. He is my absolute dictator. Who fixed him that way? Almighty God. Almighty God. The difference between a saved person and a person still on the road to damnation. Both of them have the same Lord. One of them is happy about it, and the other is not. One is free from the reign of Christ. The other finds his freedom in the rule of Christ. One of them is in the rule of Christ. The other grits his teeth and tries to act like there was no Christ. What a wonderful thing to have your hand taken by a nailed, pierced hand and lead you. That's what salvation is. Jesus Christ is Lord by God's decree. Jesus Christ is Lord because he deserves to be Lord. I don't. You wouldn't mind me, would you? Not if you got incense. You wouldn't follow me, would you? Not if you got incense. No, no. Oh, there's one who deserves to be Lord. He's not a misfit, brother. He actually deserves throne rights in my life and yours. In that classic passage, do you know it by heart? I'll read it. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought, if not robbery, to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He did all that. He did all of that. He did all of that. What did he do that for? Romans 14, 9 says, So he could be your Lord. So he could be my Lord. And praise God, he is your Lord. And praise God, he's my Lord. And salvation is found in men who gladly receive the word. I sure am glad to have him as my Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. He deserves to be Lord. And then he's Lord because he desires to be recognized by men and women. I know I can't handle it. It's a little too deep for me. But he was a man. Had to be a man to be my Savior and Lord. Had to be a kinsman redeemer. Had to be kin to me in order to redeem me. Isn't that right? He wasn't a blank machine or a hatting machine. He was a man. He was like us, wasn't he? In all points except sin. Isn't that right? That's what Scripture says. And as the man Christ Jesus, this is mystery. There was something set before him. The book of Hebrews says who for the joy that was set before him. Glad to have him as my Lord. Praise the Lord. He deserves to be Lord. And then he's Lord because he desires to be recognized by men and women. I know I can't handle it. It's a little too deep for me. But he was a man. Had to be a man to be my Savior and Lord. Had to be a kinsman redeemer. Had to be kin to me in order to redeem me. Isn't that right? He wasn't a blank machine or a hatting machine. He was a man. He was like us, wasn't he? In all points except sin. Isn't that right? That's what Scripture says. And as the man Christ Jesus, this is mystery. There was something set before him. The book of Hebrews says who for the joy that was set before him. Who for the joy that was set before him. There's some great goal of joy set before the man Christ Jesus. And he looked at it. The part of the end of the rainbow they call it. He kept his eyes on it. And he believed it. The man Christ Jesus. He wasn't a ghost. He was a man. He's all God. But he's all man. Who for the joy that was set before him. Endured the cross and despised the shame. I don't know whether I know how to interpret that or not. But I think here's what it means. I've studied like passage in the book of Isaiah. And it sort of tears up some of my theology. But as soon as that gets torn up, the better off I'll be anyhow. Listen to me. Jesus Christ would like for you to recognize his Lordship now. He'd rather save you than damn you. He would. Judgment his strange work. He delighteth in mercy. He's rich in mercy. He's got the saving gift of death. And the joy that was set before him. Was the prospect. That man would work. Man would let the power of God. Would come up with no man. He'd fall head over heels in love. And he'd have a people to love. And a people to whom? Who loved him. He wants to be loved. There never was a human being. That didn't crave love in Jesus Christ. Was the one perfect human being that ever lived. Everything about him craved for somebody to love. And somebody to love him. And come hell or high water. He's going to have a people. For his grace and praise his grace. To the praise of the glory of his grace. Who loved him. He desires. To be your recognized Lord and Savior now. He'd rather save you. He's not going to get any joy out of damning you. Not a bit. Why he says he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But boy he takes joy in his people. He'd rather win your recognition of him now. Than to force it later. Who for the joy that is set before him. Endured the cross and despised the shame. Ladies and gentlemen. To roll up your sleeves. And well for the refusing. Is to snatch. From his lips the cup of joy. Which is set before him. What a wicked thing to do. He desires. Your recognition. Of his throne rights to your life. Now. It gives him joy. It gives him joy. What does his Lordship by God's decree. What does his Lordship by virtue of his death. What does his Lordship by virtue of his desire imply. Three things quickly. Entire submission to it. Entire submission. To Jesus Christ. That is a strange type of salvation. That everybody brags about now. That knows nothing about daily choices. And daily surrender. And daily decisions. And daily submission. To the living Lord. That stuff they call salvation. That we prayed about. That we say we received one time. Some time ago. And we got it up on a shelf. If we ever need it. We'll pull it down. God help us. Nothing like that in the New Testament. The only type of salvation I find in the New Testament. Is the type when men actually. Meet a new master. Who is their savior. Who died for them. And hand in hand. The willing sinner. Is led by the living Lord. To the desired haven. Ladies and gentlemen. The Lordship of Christ. Implies and demands. Entire submission. To Jesus Christ. The Lordship of Christ. Demands. Absolute. Ownership. By Him. Of me. And mine. Ladies and gentlemen. The Christians. Of the New Testament. Were described as people. Who first. Gave themselves. Unto the Lord. We've got a nice little stuff. Called Christendom now. That affects our belief. But not our faith. But in the New Testament. Christian people. Were people Paul could write about. Who first. Gave themselves. Amen. In the New Testament. Christian people. Are people who are talked to in this language. Ye. Are. Not. Your own. You're bought with a price. Isn't that right? Christian people in the New Testament. Were people who were possessed. And worthy possessed. Of. The Lord. Jesus Christ. And the Lordship of Christ. Involves unquestion and obedience. In that plaintive word. Almost a sarcasm. The Lord Jesus says. Ralph. What you hope to gain. By. Calling me Lord. Lord. It's nice and orthodox. And not doing the things. Which I say unto you. Brother. If there's anything. On God's earth. That will keep a person. Coming to Christ. For forgiveness. And assurance. If there's anything on God's earth. That will never let a human being. Settle down on the leaves. If there's anything on earth. That will provoke. And provide. That honoring. And trusting. And following after the Lord Jesus. It is the claim. Of him. To be the absolute dictator. Demanding utter submission. Demanding. That I am not my own anymore. Demanding. Absolute obedience. Absolute obedience. To him. To him. To nobody under God's shining sun. But to him. To him. But he demands it. Why call you me Lord? Lord. You'll never graduate. The way you'd rest on your laurels there. Brother. Why call you me Lord? Lord. And do not the things. Which I say unto you. I come. For this solemn word of closing. The recognition. Of the Lordship of Christ. Is the act. Of you. You. Can either ignore him. Or recognize him. You can live in God's world. As if you. Had the right. To live. Your life. But God commands you. To recognize. His throne rights. And to be glad in them. And bow to them. And here's where we come. To the one thing. That break the heart. Of any hitchhiking preacher. And any godly pastor. I look you in the face. Tonight. Tell you you living in a generation. That's not paying. One bit of attention. To God's claims. About his son. And I look you in the face. Tell you tonight. That the one thing. That is more heartbreaking. About this day. Than anything else. Is the fact that men. Just are not one bit. Interested and listening. To this word. And since the only way on. God's earth. A sinner can be saved. Is by God awakening. Faith and repentance. In him. And since the only way on earth. He ever does that. Is as men faithfully. Listen to his word. This generation going to hell. Brother. Because. God. Commands you. To do. What you never will. Nor can do. Apart. From a faithful. Hearing of God's word. He claims repentance. No one. Can. Call. Jesus Lord. In the spirit. And the spirit. Uses this word. To bring. The claims of God. About his son. And preach them on men and women. And everybody. Has to get paid. Or men and women will face. With the claims of God. About his son. In this book. That's the way people get saved. Some of them bow to him. If it's true. That no man can call. Jesus Lord. Except in the spirit. Likewise it's true. That every man. Can call him Lord. In the spirit. And the spirit. Works in connection. With a listen. To this book. He's not flitting about the trees. He takes. This book. That's true. Whether anybody believes it or not. Sometimes the spirit. Makes the book to live. And Jesus Christ. Leaps out of the pages of the book. And men gladly bow. And with Thomas say. My Lord. And my God. I can't press. The claims of God. About his son. On sinners very well. But the Holy Spirit. Is in the world to do that. Some of you's been doing that. For a long time. You've been hiding. Behind the doctrine. Or something. You're going to hide behind it. Trouble is chances are. You'll be successful. And go to hell. There'll be a lot of orthodox. Calvinist in hell. Because so many of them. Were clear. On doctrine. They said Lord. Lord. That's orthodox isn't it. Didn't we cast out. Demons and prophesy. And do many wonderful works. In your name. That's orthodox isn't it. But they weren't acquainted. With the Lord. And he wasn't acquainted. With them. But the Holy Ghost. Is not sent down here. To damn. Men and women. He's sent down here. To take the things of Christ. Press them on men and women. That's the reason we pray. For God. To take his truth. And press his truth. Not in the strength. Of a man. But in the strength. Of the Holy Ghost. Face men and women. With God's claim. For his son. He's your Lord. He's your Lord. You gonna bow to him. Now. Or then. But he's your Lord. He's your Lord. He's your Lord. During the. First World War. A Red Cross nurse. At the point of death. And she was attended. By a sister nurse. Red Cross nurse. Just a little while before the. Red Cross nurse met death. She began to move her lips. She's almost gone. She. Began to say. Bring. Bring. Bring. And the nurse. Attending her. Thought perhaps she wanted a sip of water. And she brought her some water. She shook her head. She didn't want any water. And she rested a little while. And recklessly she began to move her lips. Bring. Bring. And the attending nurse. Thought she wanted God's book. She brought the Bible. But the dying woman shook her head. She didn't want the Bible. And after resting and getting some more strength. She began to say. Bring. And the attending nurse. Brought her a pad of paper and a pencil. Thought perhaps she couldn't speak it out. She'd write out her request. She waved her head. She didn't want that. She rested a little bit. And breathed as deep as she could. And then slowly but surely. On the palm of her hand. She lifted herself to almost a sitting position in the bed. And then with her last strength. She began to say. Bring. Bring. Bring. Bring forth. The royal diadem. And crown him. And crown him. Lord. Of all. God blesses. The man or woman. Who will oh wicked soul. Bring. Forth. To his face. And says. Lord. I'm in your hands. What. Will. Thou. Have me. To do. That's where salvation is. Where the sinner. Surrendered to the Lord. Jesus Christ. I'm in your hands. What do you have me to do? Amen. Amen. Amen. Our father in Jesus name. We've tried in our bumbling way. To present again. What you've said about your son. And what you demand of men. About your son. We rejoice. Tonight. That one day. Every knee shall bow to him. One day every tongue confess. And we further rejoice. In the gospel of God's saving grace. While the candle of God's long suffering. And patience burns. Men are commanded. To bow down. To this appointed Lord. And in his Lordship. Find. The salvation. That he bought. On Calvary's cross. We pray now that the spirit of God. One more time. May press the claims. Of this marvelous Christ. God's son. Upon every human being. Here. For his name's sake. We pray. Amen. We're going to stand. And sing some songs. You've got one picked out. Number 18.