Last week, I began a series on the core values of Charles Town Presbyterian Church. It is good for us to have a refresher as to what is important to us as a congregation. This week, I am going to be concerned with the Lordship of Christ – Honoring Jesus Christ as Lord through worship, prayer, and sacrifice.
This core value is a confession of sorts, with three points of action. In this core value, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, which includes us. Philippians 2:5-11 reminds us that one day all the earth will confess Christ as Lord.
The Lordship of Christ in our lives is demonstrated in three responses:
- worship,
- prayer, and
- sacrifice.
Last Sunday, while teaching confirmation, I was able to share an important point about worship: God is the audience, not us. Sitting in the congregation, focusing on what is happening “up front,” might make it feel like we are the audience, but in worship, we are the ones appearing before God. So, whatever we bring – our attitude, our prayers, our musical offerings, our monetary offerings, our sermons – should be done in a way fitting for the One who receives them. Christ is more than worthy of our worship, having given his life so that we could have eternal life.
Prayer teaches us dependence on God, and this is a key part of understanding the Lordship of Christ. When we say, “Lordship of Christ,” we are speaking of the process of yielding control of our lives – every part of it, to the will of God. Prayer gives us a place to cast every care and joy before Christ our Lord, and in the process, we learn to trust him and depend on him in all things.
Sacrifice is how we model our faith to others. This involves giving our time, talent and treasure to the purposes of God. Everything we have comes from God, and when we sacrifice, we are returning to God that with which we have been entrusted. God is pleased to use our sacrifices to further his kingdom. Engaging in work for Christ’s kingdom, which we call ministry, takes time. There are specific works requiring specific kinds of skills, abilities and service (talents). And, finally, it requires giving of resources (treasure), which is also a part of our worship.
All of this is done because once we profess faith in Christ for salvation, we are no longer our own, we belong to God. We were ransomed by Christ unto God, and as children of God, we must learn how to live for God.
May God continue to bless each of us as we learn how to submit to Christ’s lordship.
In Christ,
Pastor John
