LORDSHIP IN SERVICE
"So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you'" (John 20:21).
We use the term "the Lord Jesus Christ," but so often we treat the word "Lord" as a term of affection, not as a title. If we could only realize Who He is, and recognize His authority in our lives, half of the worries and problems that beset us would vanish. Many of these problems are caused by two — faced Christian living. Trying to serve two masters, instead of owning one Lord.
Statistics generally accepted for the world wastage-rate on Christian mission fields overseas show some searching facts. First they tell us that out of all the men and women who go to a foreign field, about half return after the first period of service. Some are back before the first period is finished.
Secondly they say that after ten years, only ten percent are still on the field. We realize, of course, that for some, the reason for not returning is the twin problem of health and home. But when there is so much eagerness to go out first of all, and such an obvious point of weakness in the going out again, might it not be that some who went should not have gone at the first? Could it be over-enthusiasm, an emotional reaction to a challenge given?
We want to face this problem in the light of the sovereignty of Christ.
The full title of Christ is: "Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Notice the order of the words — He is not only our Saviour but Our Lord and Saviour.
Much gospel preaching dwells on Jesus as our Saviour, but almost ignores the first title — "Lord." Unfortunately, dwelling on "Saviour" emphasizes what we get out of the work of Christ. If we use the word "Lord," the emphasis is on what we must give Him. To leave out the Lordship is to be selfish, because it means that we want the riches without the responsibility.
Christianity is not a democracy, it is a dictatorship — and that is where many of us go wrong. We do not believe in lords and kings in America — we have elected representatives. We pretend it is so in our spiritual lives. If we do not agree with the Lord, we elect representatives — usually ourselves!
But the whole structure of our faith in God is built on the words of Christ in Mark 12:29- 30: "The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Remember, too, that Christ said in John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep My commandments."
If He is my Lord then I am His slave to command. It is my responsibility to run at His ordering. The slave never questioned an order given. He had no right to — he had no rights at all. His lord held the right, the reason, the responsibility; the slave had only to produce the results. Is Jesus Christ our Lord in this way?
With this thought in mind let us look at John 20:21: ". . .as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Now see this same thought in John 17:18: "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." This is the act of our Lord — He sends. This is, once again, one of the simple truths in the word we so often overlook. Just as in Philippians 2:7 we do not "do," we "are made," so here we do not "go," we "are sent."
This is the real basis of our responsibility in service — not to go here, or go there, as we feel there is a need, but to go as we are sent. Sometimes we are so busy "going" that we are not available to be "sent." Even service on the mission field has the same basis. We do not go simply because we are sorry for the poor heathen; we go because we are sent.
Isaiah responded the correct way. "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, And who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me'"(Isaiah 6:8).
Let us think of the idea of being sent: "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).
Just as He was sent by the Father, He says we are to be sent. Notice — Jesus did not "go," He "was sent."
1. Sent for the Same Purpose
We also share the purpose for which Christ was sent. If we can find His purpose, we can know our purpose. The answer is given in John 17:4: "I have glorified You on the earth. . . ."
The main purpose Christ had on earth was to glorify the Father. Saving sinners was a sub-heading under glorifying. The Westminster Catechism is relevant again:
"What is the chief end of man?"
"Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."
Many Christians think that their chief aim in Christian service is to win souls, to preach the gospel, to get on with the job. This sounds very natural. But our Lord sends us first of all, to glorify God. Not to quit our jobs and rush off to the mission field — our first purpose is to glorify God. See how comforting this is to a faithful soul. There can be a lot of glamour in being a missionary — I know because I am one. We have given up so much for the Lord, etc. etc., and we come in for such a lot of praise and hero-worship.
Someone said to me recently, "Oh, I think you are wonderful, you've given up such a good job, with such excellent prospects, all for God!" Nonsense! I didn't give it up — I was sent! I can do no other!
Often God is more glorified in the quiet witness of a busy mother living to the glory of God in a needy neighborhood, or a workman or storekeeper glorifying God by a radiant faith that shines in the place of other people's failures and defeats. Yes, we are sent first of all to glorify God.
How did Christ glorify His Father? The answer is in the other half of verse 4: "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." He glorified God by finishing the work which He was given to do. The work was not something He thought up — He was given the work to do, and He finished it!
What a challenge is there for us — finishing a task we never chose. One of the weaknesses of our churches today are the Christians who get bright ideas to start a job, but when it gets too irksome they drop it and start something else. We meet them everywhere, Christians rushing around first to one thing then to another. It all looks so busy. Jesus said: "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." What a difference!
Christ glorified His Father in another way. John 8:29 says: "I always do those things that please him." (The One that sent Him.) Always, all those things that please Him. Check this with the last verse in John's gospel:
"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."
Many other things — always those things that please the Father.
Christ glorified the Father in His unfaltering obedience — always, in all things (Luke 2:52 and Luke 3:22). We can truthfully say that the measure of glory we yield to God is the measure of obedience we return to Him. This is shown most solemnly by the Lord in Matthew 7:21: "Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
Response to Lordship is tested not by the works done, but by the obedience given. In Matthew 7:22 those who profess to call Him "Lord" tell of the many wonderful works which they have done, but Christ refuses to own them. Religious activity is no substitute for obedience to God.
These two thoughts of finishing the unchosen task, and doing it in complete obedience, are beautifully illustrated for us in the last recorded letter of Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). He finished his course in full and faithful obedience.
2. In the Same Manner
Even so have I sent them — in the same manner. In what manner was Christ sent by the Father? When we learn that, we can then apply it to our own hearts.
An examination of John 6 from verses 35 to the end of the chapter shows the gradual build up of opposition to Christ.
Compare the thoughts of verse 41 — "The Jews then complained. . ." and verse 52: "The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves. . ." With verse 61: "his disciples complained. . ." and verse 66: "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." The disciples were infected by the complaint of the Jews — why? Verses 56 and 57 caused the breakdown — "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."
The Amplified Bible brings out the reaction of the disciples to this truth — verse 60: "When His disciples heard this, many of them said, This is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?]"
The reason for this breakdown in relationships was that the Lord brought in the new challenge that hurt them. These disciples didn't mind being with the Lord when there was all the excitement of the healings, and the miracles, and the feeding of the 5,000.
They didn't mind being occupied in seeing all the sights — but now the Lord was teaching that "occupation" wasn't enough. His new call was to "identification" and not "occupation." Verse 57 makes this so clear: "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father. . . ." The same "as" and "so" message — "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of [or through] the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me." The link that united the Father to the Son has to be that by which we are united to Him. We have to continue to feed on Him, the ultimate form of identification. We become what we eat — if I eat poor food my physical health will suffer, if I eat infected food I will be ill, if I eat poisoned food I will die. Jesus says we have to feed on Him.
I remember once seeing a Moody Science film which showed how very quickly the food we ate traveled along the blood stream to the extremities of the fingers. Food eaten and passed into the blood stream was proved to be reaching all over the body in a matter of seconds.
If I feed on Christ and continue to feed on Him, it will affect every part of my being — my mind with its thoughts, ambitions, associations; my emotions with the quickly responsive reactions; my will, when infilled with the living Christ, will be alive to do His will.
The living Christ will bring the tingle of life to all my personality, a pure, holy, godly life. All this is in the present tense — we continue to feed on Him. He continues to live in us and that is how He sends us — Even so send I you — in the same manner, identified with Christ in every part of my being.
This again to us is the challenge. This is where it hurts. We don't mind having a church life in which we are fully occupied with committees, groups, activities, choirs, societies, etc., but when the Lord, your Lord, my Lord, calls us, not to a church life with its happy, respectable activities, but to be identified with Him in what may prove to be loneliness, despising and forsaking, then verse 66 comes true again, and many of His disciples still go back and walk no more with Him. Occupation — yes; identification — no.
This does not mean that I become a kill-joy — no, for the joy of the Lord fills my heart. But it does mean that I must be "not of the world" as He was "not of the world." "Remember the word that I said to you, 'The servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20). See once again the Lord talking to His servant, your Lord talking to you.
The whole of the Old Testament is a repeated presentation of the fact that "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39). When God's people recognized this fact and humbled themselves, then they prospered.
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. . .and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11).
Notice this stipulates every knee, not only the heathen but the Christians too. He is Lord of all.
This is good old-fashioned theology which is often forgotten in these modern days. God is still the same. His attributes are still the same. Revelation 4:11 is an everlasting truth: "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." Press home to your heart the truth that my first aim is to glorify God. Challenge yourself on this point, asking, Does my life glorify God even now? Do my dress, my habits, my friends, my speech, and the books I read glorify God?
This is one of the most humbling and challenging thoughts in the Word of God. To use a military term "Operation Glory is Priority Number One." Failure on this point, to glorify God, means failure to the words — Even so, send I you.
This is the challenge that weeded out the disciples. The "Good time" followers soon broke away when the call to identification came.
"So send I you. . . ."
