Why Do You Call Me LORD LORD and Not Do What I Say?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 5/3/26

Devotional

Day 1: When Words Outpace Obedience

Jesus stood on level ground, His eyes fixed on disciples who’d left everything to follow Him. Crowds pressed in, hungry for healing, while His closest learners absorbed His upside-down kingdom: blessings for the poor, woes for the full. Then He pierced them with a question that still echoes: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ yet ignore My words?” The title “Lord” meant absolute authority—a claim contradicted by half-hearted obedience. [30:12]

Jesus exposed the gap between lip service and life service. To call Him “Lord” while disregarding His commands isn’t mere inconsistency—it’s rebellion. He confronts our tendency to admire His teachings while avoiding their cost. His question isn’t for skeptics, but for those who’ve already pledged allegiance.

Where does your “Lord” sound more like a religious habit than a surrender of control? Identify one area this week where you’ve said “yes” to Jesus with your mouth but “no” with your choices. What practical step would close that gap today?

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?”
(Luke 6:46, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one specific command you’ve avoided obeying despite calling Him Lord.
Challenge: Write down one Jesus-command you’ve rationalized away. Post it where you’ll see it daily.

Day 2: Thorns Don’t Bear Figs

Jesus gripped a fig branch, its fruit plump and sweet. “No good tree bears rotten fruit,” He declared. Thorns can’t produce grapes; hearts overflowing with greed can’t manufacture generosity. He diagnosed His followers’ hypocrisy: their words called Him Lord, but their actions revealed competing allegiances. Fruit always exposes the root. [40:28]

God cares about what grows from your core. Your words about Jesus matter, but your choices—how you spend, speak, or steward—reveal what truly rules you. A heart submitted to Christ’s lordship naturally yields forgiveness, integrity, and love—even when it’s costly.

What “fruit audit” would Jesus perform in your life this week? List three recent actions or decisions. Do they align with His character and commands? Where do you need to let Him prune dead branches?

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.”
(Luke 6:43–44, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where your actions have misrepresented Jesus’ lordship.
Challenge: Text a trusted friend one area where you need accountability to bear better fruit.

Day 3: Digging Past the Surface

Two builders faced the same storm. One dug through shallow soil until his shovel struck bedrock. The other piled bricks on sand, prioritizing speed over stability. Jesus warned: hearing His words without obeying them is like building on sand. Survival depends on digging deep into obedience. [42:19]

Obedience anchors your life when trials hit. Surface-level faith—attending church or knowing Bible verses—crumbles under pressure. True discipleship means letting Jesus’ words reshape your decisions, relationships, and priorities daily. Storms test what foundation you’ve chosen.

What storm-ready obedience have you postponed? Is there a hard command—forgiving someone, stewarding money, or purity—you’ve avoided implementing? What first step can you take today to start digging deeper?

“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them… is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock.”
(Luke 6:47–48, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God for courage to obey one difficult command that feels like “rock digging.”
Challenge: Set a 10-minute timer today to journal one action step for that command.

Day 4: Silver, Gold, and Open Hands

Jesus watched a widow drop two coins into the temple treasury—her entire livelihood. Later, He warned rich listeners: “Woe to you who are full now.” He exposed how wealth can numb us to dependence on God. The Father declares, “The silver is Mine, the gold is Mine” (Haggai 2:8). Stewardship is worship. [56:23]

Money tests lordship. Clenched fists over “your” resources reveal distrust; open hands acknowledge God’s ownership. Tithing isn’t a transaction—it’s training your heart to seek His kingdom first. Every dollar spent reflects who you truly serve.

When did you last audit your spending as a act of worship? This week, track where your money goes. What percentage aligns with eternal priorities versus temporary comforts?

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… Put me to the test,” says the Lord of hosts.
(Malachi 3:10, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific provisions He’s given you this month.
Challenge: Give 10% of your next income to a ministry or need that honors Christ’s lordship.

Day 5: Unclenching Forgiving Hands

Peter once asked Jesus, “How many times must I forgive?” Christ responded with a story about a servant forgiven millions who then throttled a man owing pennies. The punchline: “If you don’t forgive others, your Father won’t forgive you” (Matthew 6:15). Unforgiveness claims God’s mercy for ourselves but denies it to others. [01:06:41]

Harbored bitterness proves we’ve resisted Jesus’ lordship. Forgiveness isn’t excusing harm—it’s releasing your right to punish so Christ can heal you. Like the servant, we’re called to mirror the mercy we’ve received, even when wounds run deep.

Who have you secretly vowed to “make pay” for their wrong? What would it cost you to release that person to God’s justice instead of your own?

“If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
(Matthew 6:14, ESV)

Prayer: Name one person you’ve struggled to forgive. Ask Jesus for strength to release them.
Challenge: Write a letter (to keep or burn) expressing forgiveness to that person today.

Sermon Summary

Luke chapter six stands as a compact, piercing call to discipleship that centers on one urgent question: why call Jesus Lord and not do what he says? The text frames three compressed yet weighty movements. First, kingdom life inverts ordinary expectations by pronouncing blessings on the poor and hungry while warning sorrow upon the rich and comfortable. Second, true love issues as practical mercy toward enemies, not merely reciprocal affection. Third, judgment and forgiveness shape relational ethics, with mercy offered as the default posture when reconciliation is possible. Luke’s diagnosis uses the metaphor of trees and fruit to show that inner character determines outward action, and his question about calling Jesus Lord exposes a gap between confession and obedience. The repetition Lord, Lord underscores the emotional intensity of the claim without guaranteeing submission. The closing illustration of two builders sets the stakes: hearing and doing produce a life anchored on rock that weathers storms, while hearing without doing results in ruin. Practical application flows directly from this logic. Confession of Christ must translate into lordship across finances, Sabbath rhythm, sexuality, media consumption, speech, forgiveness, daily priorities, and the substitutes people use to numb pain. Obedience, not mere information or feeling, produces transformation. Communion and an invitation to kneel provide an opportunity to respond by surrendering areas of control and asking for the Holy Spirit’s help to make Jesus Lord in concrete ways. The biblical summons resists a privatized faith that keeps Christ as rescuer but rejects him as ruler. Scripture repeatedly connects love and obedience, calling followers to doers of the word so that faith finds stable, visible expression in moral choices and communal life. The result is not rigid legalism but a life formed from the inside out, where confession and conduct align and the kingdom’s upside down wisdom becomes visible in everyday decisions.

Key Takeaways

1. Lordship requires practical, daily obedience Obedience is the natural outworking of naming Christ as Lord. Saying Lord twice in the Greek text intensifies the claim, but intensity without submission divorces worship from action. The builder parable clarifies that spiritual survival depends on doing, not only hearing or feeling. [30:12]
2. One's fruit reveals the heart The tree and fruit metaphor diagnoses spiritual health by observable outcomes. Persistent patterns of speech, action, and desire reveal the treasury of the heart more reliably than occasional religious language. Honest self examination looks for consistent fruit rather than isolated moments of devotion. [39:45]
3. Love shows itself as mercy Kingdom love does hard, counterintuitive things like blessing enemies and praying for those who harm. Mercy toward others proves that love has moved from sentiment to sacrifice and shapes communal restoration over moral superiority. Forgiveness becomes the posture that enlarges God’s grace in relationships. [36:53]
4. Priorities expose true allegiance How weekly time, money, and attention are arranged testifies to who holds ultimate authority. Seeking first the kingdom means ordering daily plans around God’s reign rather than treating God as a leftover commitment. Reordering priorities invites transformation of both habit and heart. [68:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:36] - Missionaries and Announcements
[25:15] - Kids Church and Logistics
[27:00] - Series Introduction: Good Questions
[27:32] - Hypocrisy as a Barrier
[32:51] - Sermon on the Plane Context
[34:52] - Upside Down Blessings
[36:53] - Love as Mercy
[39:45] - Diagnosis: Tree and Fruit
[41:47] - Builders Illustration and Obedience
[68:01] - Areas for Lordship and Submission
[73:28] - Communion Invitation and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 6:46-49 (ESV)
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

James 1:22 (ESV)
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 6:46, Jesus repeats “Lord, Lord” when addressing His followers. What does this repetition emphasize about the disconnect between words and actions? [46:16]
How does the metaphor of trees and fruit (Luke 6:43-45) diagnose the relationship between inner character and outward behavior? [39:45]
What practical examples of resisting Jesus’ lordship were mentioned in the sermon (e.g., finances, priorities, substitutes for God)? [55:04]
What contrast does Jesus draw between the two builders in Luke 6:47-49, and what determines their outcomes?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus link emotional intensity (“Lord, Lord”) with the warning about disobedience? How does this challenge modern ideas of faith? [47:10]
The sermon emphasized that “hearing without doing” leads to ruin. How does James 1:22 deepen our understanding of this warning?
What does the “foundation on rock” represent in Luke 6:48? How does obedience anchor a life during trials?
How does loving enemies and showing mercy (Luke 6:27-36) differ from “reciprocal affection,” and why is this distinction vital for kingdom living? [36:53]

Application Questions

“Fruit reveals the heart”: What persistent patterns in your speech, habits, or desires might indicate areas where Jesus is not yet Lord? How could you invite the Holy Spirit to transform these? [39:45]
“Love as mercy”: Is there someone you’ve struggled to forgive or bless? What practical step (e.g., prayer, a kind act) could you take this week to reflect God’s mercy? [36:53]
“Priorities expose allegiance”: Review your calendar and budget. What adjustments would better reflect seeking God’s kingdom first? [01:08:01]
“Jesus substitutes”: What do you turn to for comfort or escape (e.g., media, food, busyness) instead of Christ? How might you surrender this to Him? [01:10:14]
“Obedience, not information”: Identify one command from Luke 6 (e.g., blessing enemies, generosity) you’ve heard but not practiced. What would doing it look like today?
“Foundation-building”: Where is God calling you to “dig deep” in obedience, even if it’s costly or slow? How can your small group support you?

Sermon Clips

45s

#JesusLordToObey

“``Jesus is not just your savior to listen to. He is your lord to obey. He's not just your savior to listen to. He's your lord to obey. And the reality of his lordship has hit me like a like a running into a wall this week as I prepare to preach. He is not just my how many of us love the fact that Jesus is our savior? Amen? I mean, I think of oh, praise God for saving me from my sin. But he doesn't just sign up to be savior. He signs up to be lord. He signs up to have control.”

47s

#CommitmentOverComfort

“Lot of people claim to be Christians. They love the comfort that Jesus offers them, but they don't like the commands that he asked of them. They like to be inspired by his words, but we don't like to be submitted to his will. We love him as our rescuer. We hold him at arm's length as our ruler. He is savior and lord. He he he doesn't just give us the option of coming and saying, hey, I'll offer you salvation. You just kinda come to me half heartedly and we'll kinda you know, it'll be all good. He he says to his followers, if you're going to follow me, then you need to do the things that I'm calling you to do.”

44s

#EmotionIsntObedience

“Why do you call me lord, lord? It's almost a level of worship. Why do you why do you use this really strong language about me, but not do the things that I say? Being emotionally moved is not the same as being obedient. Just because you are emotionally moved by something, that doesn't mean that you're being obedient to that thing. And so, yes, there is a level of emotion that's happening here. Yes. The the disciples, the followers are calling him lord, lord, but that doesn't mean that they're being obedient to the things that he's called them to do.”

44s

#KnownByYourFruit

“And I think Luke is thinking in this section kind of of of the way in which things kind of happen. And and he almost makes a diagnosis and then asked this important question and then gives a prognosis for what you can expect if you kind of follow through on that way of living. The diagnosis is found in verses 43 through 45, and here you'll see the text on the screen. In Luke chapter six verse 43, the diagnosis that Jesus makes here or that Luke captures for us is that for no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. Here's the main point of this section. Each fruit excuse me. Each tree is known by its fruit.”

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Why Do You Call Me LORD LORD and Not Do What I Say?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 5/3/26

Devotional

Day 1: When Words Outpace Obedience

Day 2: Thorns Don’t Bear Figs

Day 3: Digging Past the Surface

Day 4: Silver, Gold, and Open Hands

Day 5: Unclenching Forgiving Hands

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Why Do You Call Me LORD LORD and Not Do What I Say?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 5/3/26

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