Jesus Is Lord: The Essential We Can’t Ignore

As we kick off our new Essentials sermon series at Grace City, we’re starting with the one truth everything else is built on: Jesus is Lord. This isn’t just theological language—it’s the foundation of the Christian life. Lordship isn't optional. It’s not just a nice idea. It’s everything.

Not just a Savior when we’re in trouble. Not just a comforter when life gets hard. Not simply a teacher or spiritual guide. He is Lord—final authority, full leadership. And that reality either shapes everything, or it shapes nothing at all.

The Challenge of Lordship

In Acts 2:36, Peter declared, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” This was more than a sermon — it was a line in the sand. Jesus is not one voice among many; He is the King of kings.

Truthfully, we love the idea of Jesus as Savior. A Savior rescues, comforts, and forgives. That version of Jesus feels manageable. But Jesus as Lord? That confronts our desire to stay in control. That’s where surrender becomes real.

Still, if we claim that Jesus saved us, we must also surrender to His leadership. If He saved your life, He gets to lead your life.

Salvation Is a Transfer of Ownership

Too often we treat salvation like spiritual insurance—something we carry “just in case.” But salvation is a transfer of ownership. It’s saying, “I belong to Him now. He’s in charge.”

Belief alone isn’t the starting point of real change. Even demons believe in Jesus. What sets us apart is surrender. Lordship is the difference between knowing about Jesus and letting Him govern every part of your life.

Imagine being rescued from drowning and then saying to the lifeguard, “Thanks, but don’t tell me how to swim.” Absurd, right? But spiritually, many of us live this way.

Confession: Signing the Contract

Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Confession is more than silent belief. It’s spoken surrender. It’s your spiritual signature—transferring the rights to your life over to Him.

And that stands in sharp contrast to the cultural mantra of “speak your truth.” The gospel doesn’t tell us to speak our truth. It tells us to speak the truth: Jesus is Lord.

We Don’t Graduate from Surrender

Colossians 2:6 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.”
We start with surrender. We grow through surrender. We never graduate from it.

Discipleship isn’t about tacking Jesus onto your busy life. It’s about opening new rooms in your heart and saying, “You can have this too.” The longer we delay surrender, the more our spiritual lives glitch and freeze—like devices that need an overdue update. Real growth means we let Jesus take over the areas we’ve been protecting.

Where Is He Not Lord Yet?

This is the question that calls for honesty:
Where is Jesus Savior in your life—but not yet Lord?

Is it finances?
Is it your relationship?
Your ambition?
Your habits?
The parts you think are too dark or too messy?

He already knows. And He’s not looking to shame you—He’s ready to free you. There is no healing without honesty. And there is no freedom without surrender.

The Starting Point of Everything Else

Lordship isn’t just one of the essentials. It’s the first, the center, the foundation. Every other piece—family, evangelism, discipleship—flows from this core truth. Without it, those things become preference or performance. But under Jesus’ lordship, they become vehicles of transformation.

This isn’t a message of striving harder. It’s not about earning anything.
This is an invitation to surrender deeper. Because when we give Jesus full access, He gives us full life.

So as we begin this Essentials series together, let’s start here:

Every essential begins and ends with this—Jesus is Lord.