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WHAT A SAVIOR! #5
WHATEVER YOU SAY, MR. PRESIDENT
In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Billy Graham has a number of cute anecdotes about his personal friendships with a whole row of American Presidents. We certainly don’t have time to relate all of them, but by all means, get a copy of the book and enjoy it for yourself. One of Graham’s more fascinating relationships was with a colorful Texan we all remember as LBJ. Even though Graham tended to lean toward the Republican agenda in his personal convictions, he was still extremely close to both Kennedy and then his Democratic successor.
Johnson was a larger-than-life, devout, but often profane chief executive. Often, Graham admits, the President would slip up and let a swear word out in the evangelist’s presence. “He would quickly turn,” Graham writes, “and say, ‘Excuse me, Preacher.’” Graham showed up in Washington once and checked into a local hotel. Then the phone rang. “What are you going over there?” LBJ wanted to know. “There’ll be a car there in 15 minutes. Your hotel is over here.” Once, in the election year of ‘64, while Billy and Ruth were enjoying a stay at the White House, the President showed his preacher friend a list of possible Vice Presidential nominees. “Which one would you pick?” he wanted to know. Ruth immediately kicked her husband under the table, causing him to yelp. Ouch! How come? And she told him, “Honey, your job is to preach. Limit yourself to moral and spiritual advice, not political.” LBJ immediately bowed his head and said, “Ruth, that’s exactly right.” A minute later, when Ruth and Lady Bird left the room, the President nudged Graham and whispered, “Now what do you really think?”
Down in Texas, where Graham endured a few harrowing visits, LBJ would roar around the ranch at 90 miles an hour, over all kinds of terrain. Once he and Billy were in a deluxe-model type of car, zooming at almost the speed of sound, like always. All of a sudden, Johnson deliberately steered the car right into the Pedernales River. What in the world? Graham almost used a colorful word or two himself . . . but it turned out, Johnson had a specially made kind of James Bond amphibious car that turned into a boat! “Most people jump out when we hit the water,” Johnson said to his friend. Graham just shrugged, now that the color was returning to his face. “You’re the President. I figured you knew what you were doing!”
Graham’s favorite story, though, was about a Texas patrol officer who accidentally pulled over this errant speeder for doing 90 on the Interstate. Lo and behold, when he walked up to the window with his ticket book in hand, he saw the United States of America’s 36th President behind the wheel. So the story goes, he blurted out, “My God!” LBJ looked the kid in the eye and said in response: “And don’t you forget it!”
But you know, even though this book sparkles with so much wit and warm color, I find an interesting lesson here. LBJ moved into the White House soon after November 22, 1963, of course – and instantly was granted the authority that came with the Oval Office. There were a few times when Billy Graham accidentally slipped up and still called the White House’s new occupant “Lyndon.” And after a raised eyebrow from the new leader of the free world, he soon remembered to always say “Mr. President.” Because this man from Texas WAS the leader; he had the authority and power. Our U.S. Constitution had given it to him.
In the same way, friend, as you and I continue to study the unique personhood of one Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the same principle is true, only magnified a thousandfold. Jesus Christ has authority: over His church, over this planet, and over the universe He has created. It is His. He is the ruler over it. Whether you voted for Him or not, everything we see and are is truly His.
Right at the end of the book of Matthew, as Jesus is getting ready to return to His heavenly home, He tells His followers, His subjects:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”
We already quoted earlier from a passage in Colossians 1, but here’s a bit more that we find pertinent for our Friday study. After reminding us that Jesus Christ did create all things, and that He holds them together, Paul makes this assertion:
“He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have SUPREMACY.”
I remember a newly elected “General Conference” president in my own denomination saying with true humility: “Really, brothers and sisters, Jesus is the head of this Church.” And he was right! Not only for my faith community, but for the worldwide Christian Church. It is Jesus’ Church! He wields authority over it. If church leaders find a verse that says things should be such-and-such because Jesus Christ says so, than that settles it. Because He has authority.
Speaking of going 90 miles an hour and then not paying a Texas-sized fine to the cops, there’s a Bible story in Mark chapter 2 where the CHP – that’s the Capernaum Highway Patrol – comes after Jesus with their red lights going and the sirens breaking the still Sabbath air. “What’s the matter with You?” the Pharisees scold, getting their ticket books out and beginning to write up a hefty ticket in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. “It’s the Sabbath! You and Your disciples just walked through a field and picked some heads of grain. That’s working! That’s harvesting! According to Article 17, Section 3, Subheading Q11, that act could be construed as starting up a fast-food restaurant.” And Jesus, who has authority over grainfields and over days, firmly said to His would-be arrestors:
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
I want you to think about something with me here – if you’re a Christian. If not, please listen in too. But you know, any time we refer to Jesus as “Lord,” what are we saying? We’re acknowledging His authority! We’re admitting – or rejoicing – that He is over us, that He is our Master and we are His servants. What He says goes.
There’s a marvelous story in Luke 5 where Jesus is preaching and teaching from an unusual pulpit: the back end of a boat. That’s a convenient place to have an altar call, because the baptismal pool is built-in. But after the sermon and the stories that morning, Jesus says to Peter: “By the way, push the boat out into the deep water and toss the nets out again.”
Now, if you’re Peter, the experienced fisherman, what do you maybe want to say to Jesus? Especially if, as it turns out, the men had fished all night for a total catch of zero. Nada. Zip. No fish and no fun. You’d be tempted to say, “Uh, you know what, Jesus? You’re the preacher and former carpenter. You preach. I’m the fisherman. I’ll decide when and where to drop down the nets. Anyway, according to this tide chart – which You know nothing about – and as I calculate the currents in my head, and according to the spawning patterns of salmon and catfish, there ain’t no fish out there right now anyway. So mind Your own business, LORD.”
But what does Peter say instead? It’s very simple. He does say, “You know, Lord, we tried all night and didn’t come up with nothin’. BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets.” And the catch was so huge that the nets broke and the boats almost sank. True story.
There may be a command in God’s Word that doesn’t ring entirely true to you. Maybe even from the lips of Jesus. Friend, that’s a beautiful response we might copy from Peter. “Lord, I don’t grasp the purpose of this one yet. I don’t know all things. My spiritual vision is very limited and I know it. But because You say so, and because You truly are my LORD, I will do what You ask.”
First thing Monday I want to share with you a powerful essay by the insightful John Stott. Be sure to join us for that. But right here let me give you just a couple of lines, and this is from his bestselling book, The Contemporary Christian:
“The early Christians,” he writes, “gave Jesus a God-title (‘Lord’), transferred to Him God-texts (regarding the salvation He bestows and the homage He deserves) and offered Him God-worship (the bowed knee).”
How is it for you, friend? Is Jesus Lord of your life right now? Do you truly worship Him as fully God and fully the King and Ruler of everything you have and are? Are you willing to follow Him when you’re convinced something is His will? Are you willing to fish from whatever stream He directs you to? Worship in the way He invites you to?
There are some kings and some Presidents that we can’t wait to get rid of. But letting yourself become the grateful subject of Jesus as LORD is going to be the best choice you ever made.
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