Conquered by a Living Lord

Well, today is my anniversary, friends. On May 22nd of a certain year, I was called to preach by thrice holy God to call sinners to repentance and salvation from sin. I've been faithful to that call as a preacher of the cross.

Friends, I've penned this message tonight with the tears of a broken heart for the souls of men, and I have bathed it in the agony of prayer with the hope that someone, some sinner, will hear it and be brought to saving faith in the Lord Christ. I'm going to be honest with you tonight, friends, and like we say in the South, I'm going to give you the oil straight from the can. I'm not going to honeycoat my message tonight, friends, because the days are too short and folks drop into hell all around us.

There's too much of the spirit of antichrist in the land to be playing games with the souls of men. While I'm here, I'm going to do my part to pull souls out of the fire. That's biblical, isn't it? In Jude we read, and others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

This whole world, friend, is one big house fire where people perish night and day. I don't know if anybody gets saved these days in this country where we have watered down the gospel to where it merely is water on a lathe as we butcher the souls of men and baptize them into our slaughterhouse of churches and call that salvation. The tiny, impotent Jesus that we have shrunken down to our size or smaller is a mockery of the living Christ of the Bible, who sits on a throne at the right hand of the Father, and he earned that right by way of a bloody cross.

But we, instead of preaching a Christ who is a living Lord who has rights and claims on all followers of him, we hand out our little candy coat of Jesus, like we hand out a free stick of chewing gum, and folks gladly take him and chew on him for a while until the flavor goes out of their religion. Listen to me, friends. About 60 years ago, in this once great country we call America, the churches banded together and they cast a vote to whitewash the bloody gospel to make it more appealing to sinful man.

So we got out our pliers and pulled all the teeth out of all its cutting truths. Then we diluted it to make it more palatable to sinful man, to where it hasn't the power to save a flea, much less a person hardened and bound in sin. Now that's the very reason why our so-called churches today are full of nice-looking people who have never been awakened to their lost condition, never come under conviction of sin, who have never been conquered by the Lord of glory.

They're strangers to a work of grace upon the heart that only a thrice holy God can perform by the supernatural act of regeneration. I believe, friends, that the world is okay with a God that will leave you alone and not interfere with your daily living, but this world still hates the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in our pagan society today that you can imagine some kind of belief in some kind of God and folks will leave you alone, but you better not dare talk about the Lord Christ.

I believe in many of our churches today, friends, that Christ is rejected because they reject the doctrine of the Lordship of Christ Jesus. We must do all we can to recover the gospel of the Son of God that presents a sovereign Lord of absolute authority. My message this evening, friends, is entitled Conquered by a Living Lord because if you want a hope of heaven, friend, and if you have any chance of staying out of hell, then you must be conquered by that Living Lord who has rights and claims on all followers of his.

But if you only have a candy-coated Jesus of an empty religious profession that will fail you when it's time for you to die, then you'll just drop into eternity and go down into the black, dark region of hell. I'm going to make some statements, friends, that will shock most of you because most of you are not accustomed to hearing the gospel as it is found in my Bible. It's no longer preached in this country.

Like I said, we have whitewashed the gospel to make it more acceptable to men. Well, here is my shocking statement. There is no salvation without repentance, and there is no repentance apart from utter surrender to Jesus as Lord.

You'll either be conquered by him now, friend, or condemned by him then. It's heaven or it's hell. Hear me now.

It's time to quit playing games in church and calling that salvation. It's time to be true to the souls of men instead of trafficking in their souls with easy believism in an attempt to grow our churches. This is a day, friends, a day of ministers with bloody hands because they refuse to warn men.

Well, I'm here to warn you, friends. I want you to hear me tonight. Hear me tonight, friends, as I bring this message before you because your very eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

It hinges on how you receive a revealed Christ. I will speak tonight on man's rebellion against God of the Bible and man's rejection of the Son of God. Men today will gladly take a Savior who can get them into heaven, but they want nothing to do with Jesus as Lord in the person of the risen Christ who's a living, reigning Lord.

But if God saves you, friend, in his mercy and by his grace, it will be because you've been conquered by him and you've come to Christ Jesus in utter surrender and total submission to him as Lord. I doubt there's any doctrine more hated today than the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Now, that's my message this evening, friends, and you better pay close attention to it if you want to have an interest in his merits, in his saving blood.

I'm going to preach an exalted Christ to you, to you tonight, friends, a Christ who hung on a scandalous cross for sinful man. The Jesus of the Bible is one whom God has exalted to be a prince and a Savior, and he has power to save. The power of canceled sin sets the sinner free.

Christ Jesus sits on a heavenly throne in authority, and from that throne he works repentance in men's hearts and breaks the chains that bind them and sets them free. That's the Christ whom I serve, Jesus, the risen Lord of whom the apostle Paul speaks of in Romans. For to this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Listen, friends, the apostle Paul preached Christ the Lord, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. I believe we have filled our churches with baptized rebels who live in rebellion against the holiness of God. You join the church, but your past still floats on the water behind you.

The same sins still beckon you. They call you, and you answer them gladly. You say you did better next time, but next time comes, and it's the same or worse.

You make some new resolutions and press on and call that religion, but it won't wash with a holy God who sent his only begotten son to die on a cross for sin. Jesus didn't die so you could make a few resolutions and smuggle your soul into heaven. The Lord Christ died on a bloody cross so sinners can be reconciled to a holy God.

And the only way you're going to be reconciled back to God, friend, by pardon and forgiveness of sin, is a total surrender to the Lordship of Christ by being conquered by a bloodstained savior from sin who now sits on a throne ruling his Lord, a living Lord. I know men in ministry who preach themselves, but they don't preach the Christ who emptied himself. They sure don't preach the Lordship of Christ the King.

I believe there is someone here tonight who's made some good resolutions for Jesus. You may have reformed yourself, friend, just enough to pass muster at church, and you look pretty good compared to some other rascals. You're not as bad as you could be.

You've been in church now for a while, and you even serve in some capacity there. You consider yourself a good Christian. You assume all is well with your soul, but good resolutions won't keep you out of hell.

Good behavior won't keep you out of hell either, for you are a rebel still. Your nature's been unchanged. You don't mind taking to Jesus if he can smuggle your soul into heaven, but you don't want nothing to do with the Lord.

You can live with Jesus so long as you can still sit on the throne of your life and rule there, but you are a rebel still. I know what I'm talking about, friends. I was a baptized rebel for years.

I was a Sunday school teacher for years, but I was not conquered by the Lord Jesus. I ran my life the way I wanted to. I sat behind the wheel of my vehicle and drove it where I wanted to.

I lived for me, myself, and I, and I was miserable the entire time. You can't play footsie with God and be happy, friend. It can't be done, but bless God in his mercy.

There came a day in my life where I was conquered by the Lord Christ. I could no longer rebel against him, and bless God, he saved me, but he had to first get me lost. He had to show me I was on my way to hell, and not only that, but I deserve to go there, and if you're honest with yourself, friend, so do you.

Let me tell you three things about man. Man is a rebel, and so were you. Man is guilty, and so were you.

Man is a guilty rebel, and so were you in your out-and-out rebellion against God Almighty. Now, here are three things, friends, about Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Are you a lost sinner? Secondly, Jesus was crucified for sinners. Are you a big sinner? Jesus died, and was buried, and ascended back into heaven, where he sits on a throne at the right hand of God. Listen to me, friends.

He's a living Lord. He is Lord, but Satan has blinded the minds of all those outside of Christ. The veil has to be taken away to see a revealed Christ.

The scales have to fall from the eyes to see that risen Lord. You get saved, friend, by receiving a revealed Christ, but you must come to him as Lord of your life. He must be a complete master.

He has rights and claims on all that follow him. He purchased those rights by his own blood. Your life is no longer your own.

In 2 Corinthians we read, and he that died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. He is a living risen Lord, and if you want him, must get to where he is. You must be conquered by him.

You must be brought to the place of a lost sinner whose only hope is in that remedy for sin. Hear me now. You must come to a sovereign Lord whom you have committed treason against by sin.

You must come to him and throw down your shotgun of rebellion at his feet in utter surrender and subjection to him. He is Lord. He is Lord.

He's either going to be a candy cane Jesus to you or a complete master. Listen, friend. Salvation is in Christ Jesus, but you better make sure that your Jesus is a complete master.

Your body is not your own. He owns it. It belongs to him.

He purchased it with his blood. Your time is not your own, for you have to give an account of how you spent the time he gave you. Your money is not your own.

It never was, he says. The silver is mine. The gold is mine.

You better get rid of a phony God friend who can't keep you out of hell. If you have a candy cane Jesus that some false teacher handed you who is not the Jesus of the Bible, then you will live within the doors of a church, rest upon a false foundation of an empty religious profession. And when tough times come into your life, which they are guaranteed to do, you will fall into apostasy and die in your sins and rot in the devil's hell because that candy cane Jesus you hold in your hand will melt in hell.

It's good for nothing because he's not the God of the Bible. You want a God who won't get in the way of your daily living and you have willing to play with a false God. You're playing with dollies, a grown man playing with dolls, an adult woman still playing with her dolls.

It's time to get serious, friends. I've got a responsibility to be honest with you. It is this preacher to warn you, friend, of your great danger of dying in your sins from hanging on to a candy cane Jesus.

I won't rest until I press the claims of Christ on you this evening, his claims in his sovereignty and authority. Christ must be your Lord. Christ must be your Lord or he will be your judge.

God must get you to the place, friend, where in your rebellion to the rights and claims, Christ has his Lord. You fall down in submission and your cry becomes, I can rebel against him no longer. I surrender.

I surrender. But listen, friend, you've committed treason against him. You've committed treason against his authority in your life.

You may have made a public profession of him with your lips, but your life never ever once was laid up on the altar of sacrifice. You've lived selfishly to yourself and to your pleasures, but now it's time to get honest with yourself and honest before God and come to the place of sincerity where the robber meets the road. Will you bow to Christ as king? Will you bow and surrender to Jesus as a living Lord, a Lord who rules over you, friend? If you get saved, friend, one thing has to happen.

Hear me now. Self must be dethroned and another must be enthroned in your life. And that person is the Son of God who was crucified upon a cross for sin.

He gave his all on Calvary, hanging there, bleeding there, agonizing there, suffering there, becoming a curse there, dying there. How can you hold anything back from him? A candy-coated religion won't keep you out of hell. So what if you joined a church? So what if you've been baptized? So what if you served there and you have a good reputation? What good is it if Christ is not your Lord? You can say it with your lips and not mean it by your life.

Jesus says so. He says, many will say unto me on that day, Lord, Lord, what does Jesus do with these baptized hypocrites and liars? Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Are you doing his will, friend? Does Christ rule in your life? Are you doing his will or are you doing your will? Are you doing as you please? If Christ is not your Lord, then his response to you is, and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me ye that work iniquity. Listen, friend, you will either bow to a Lord or stand before a judge.

We read in Philippians chapter 2 verses 10 and 11, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Are you ready to quit playing footsie with the world and come in surrender to Christ as Lord? God must have his will in your life, friend, or it's hell to pay, hell to pay. Are you ready to come to him and say, I can no longer rebel against him.

I surrender to his rights and claims on my life. I'm gonna sing a hymn, friend, and if God's been dealing with your rebellion and his spirit has brought conviction, then you come as I sing. Listen, friend, God will cross you at your point of rebellion.

He will put his finger on the sore spot in your life that you refuse to give him. Lay your rebellion down, friend, before it's too late. Come take up his cross and follow him no matter the cost.

Tear up that paper Jesus you've been holding and come to a reigning Lord who sits on the throne of authority. Listen, you must be stripped of every false hope, friend, and pointed to Christ alone for salvation. That's why I'm here tonight, but if you want that salvation, then there must be an utter committal to Christ as Lord.

He is Lord. He is Lord. You either have him as your Lord or you have him as your judge.

If you have him as your judge, then when he puts his foot on your neck on that day, when he makes his enemies his footstool, then there'll be hell to pay. You must bow to the Lord Christ. There is no salvation without repentance, and there is no repentance apart from utter surrender to Jesus as Lord.

Don't believe the false gospel that's been fed to you in this country, friend. Don't take that easy believism. It's either submit to the Lord Christ or stand before the judge.

You will either be conquered by him now or condemned by him then. Is there someone here who is weary of sin and sick and tired of playing church and calling that salvation? Is there anyone here who wants to get serious with God tonight, to get so serious with him that you're willing to be conquered by him to have him reign on the throne of your heart? Listen, friend, if the Spirit of God's been dealing with your tortured soul in this message, friend, it's time to throw down that shotgun of rebellion at the feet of a sovereign and stack arms. Stack arms or just go on to hell.

The Lord Christ who was slain will either be your Lord or he will be your judge. He will rule over you now or he'll rule over you then when he binds your hand and foot and casts you into a devil's hell. You will either repent or keep on running from God like the coward that you are.

Is there a man or woman here who will do a gut check in the conscience and say, I can no longer rebel against him. I surrender to the claims of Christ on my wretched life. I can no longer rebel against him.

I'm going to close our time, friends, by singing a hymn. If God's been confronting you in this message, then you come to Christ. If the Spirit of God's been troubling your conscience, then come to Christ for forgiveness of sin.

Jesus will save every sincere heart that comes to him. His saving power flows out to all. Hear me now to all who come in repentance, confessing they are sinners and own them as their Savior and Lord.

You cannot divide them in two, friends, and choose the half you want. You must yield yourself in utter committal to him. Come to that bloodstained Savior from sin who is reigning Lord.

Throw down your rebellion, friend, and be conquered by that living Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. Come as I sing. He is Lord.

He is Lord. He is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow.

Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Lord. He is Lord.

He is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Don't refuse him, friend. He is Lord. He is Lord.

He is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.