WHO IS THE BOSS OF ME?

To whom should we – must we – render obedience?

I. WHO SHOULD BE ON THE SEAT OF POWER IN OUR LIVES?

A. God.
1. Matt 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all
the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:
for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

B. Christ.
1. Matt 25:31-34 When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then
shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the
sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

2. Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race
that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.

C. One throne.
1. Rev 22:1-5 And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve him: And they shall see His face; and His
name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and They shall reign for ever and ever.

II. TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LORD, WE MUST PUT THINGS IN THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE.
A. Seek first the kingdom of God.
1. Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you.

B. We are to prefer the things of God.

1. Matt 16:21-27 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto
Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised
again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:
this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an
offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then
said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my
sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

1
 2. Rom 8:5-9 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the
Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.

3. Gal 1:10 Or do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I
should not be the servant of Christ.

4. Acts 5:27-29 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest
asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and,
behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then
Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

III. WE NEED A GODLY ATTITUDE.

A. As exemplified by John the Baptist.
1. John 3:30-31 He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all:
he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all.

B. As exemplified by Paul.
1. Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.

IV. THE SEAT OF POWER IS NOT OURS TO ASSUME.

A. Christ is to have the preeminence.
1. Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

2. 3 Jn :9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them,
receiveth us not.

CONCLUSION: Heb 4:14-16

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need.

WHO IS ON THE THRONE OF OUR HEARTS?