THE NATIONAL HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE
Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, Legon
THEME: JESUS CHRIST: LORD OF THE NATIONS
TITLE: THE MANDATE OF OBEDIENCE: RESPONDING TO CHRIST’S
LORDSHIP
1991
By Rev. Dr. Brew-Riverson

SYNOPSIS
This revelation of Christ’s path to Lordship challenges followers to prove their faith
through radical obedience, service, and fruit-bearing.

The wind of change throughout the world has brought a new awareness throughout all
nations. I believe that those who refuse to see the signs of the times do so at their own
peril. It is quite obvious that men take pride in their own structure and hardly take
seriously any signs or the word of God in prophecy. A lot is happening to the lives of many
nations, and it is true to say that no nation is excluded.
It is quite common now to hear people talk about the demise of communism. Those of
us who have lived our adult years through the last forty and fifty years have seen the
threat and havoc brought by Nazism, the conduct of the second world war and the defeat
of Nazi Germany.
We have seen the birth of the United Nations, the emancipation of larger area of Asia,
Africa, Latin America, the reality of the Cold war and the constant threat and fear of the
annihilation of mankind through a nuclear confrontation, the creation of the nation of
Israel and the continuing crisis in the Middle East marked by unprecedented wars and
the remarkable ways in which they were ended. The over running of East European
countries by the sheer might of Soviet Commission, the Seven-Day/Israel Arab War, the
marathon of Iran-Iraq, the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq and the threat of a third world
war. The miracle of how the invasion of Kuwait was ended, the multitude of coup de tats
especially in Africa and the constant changes in governments, the creation of the
European Community. The breakdown of communism in USSR, the coming into being of
a new Namibia, the sudden change in attitude in Apartheid in South Africa, heralded by
the release of Nelson Mandela. The miracles of the churches in South Africa coming
together and the confession of the Dutch Reformed Church admitting its complicity in
the air of discrimination and Apartheid. The civil war in Liberia and the continuing
evidence of man’s inhumanity to man. Side by side, all this is the continuing gap between
the haves and have not, the rich and poor, scourge of disease, AIDS, and natural
disasters.
The governments of the world and all the scientific advancements have not been able to
deal with these. Neither have religions been able to affect those areas nor given answers
to these woes. Is God aware? Yes, God is aware, and it is this world with all its problems
and conflicts that Jesus Christ came. He owned up to claim recorded in Luke 4: 18 and
19; Isaiah 61: 1-2 – announcing good news to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, preach
deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, set at liberty them that are
bruised, preach the acceptable year of the Lord. It was to Him that the prophets looked
for salvation and answers to all the confusion.
“The government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called, Wonderful,
Counselor, the Majesty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase
of His government and peace there shall be no end.” (Is. 9: 6-7)
PROPHECY
How seriously shall we take prophecy? 2nd Peter 1: 20-21 says “But first note this: no
prophetic writing is a matter for private interpretation. It was not on any human initiative
that prophecy came, rather it was under the compulsion of the Holy Spirit that people
spoke as messengers of God.” It is in this view that we need to listen to what the Spirit is
saying.
There is also the witness of John, the Apostle, to whom a special revelation was given.
Speaking of Jesus Christ, he says
“Behold, He commeth with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also who
pierced Him, and all kindred of the earth shall wail because of Him. I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to
come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1: 7-8)
The vision to John included those who have believed from all nations who worship Christ
the Lord what He has done through His sacrificial death on the cross, confirming our
prophecy; “And I, if be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32). It
is a fact that Jesus has been lifted up, and He has a design behind it and that design
includes you and me. It is as the serpent that was lifted in the wilderness and those that
looked on that serpent lived. But how are they going to see the Christ? Are some of us
making it impossible for people to see Jesus through our very structures?
“After this I beheld and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations
and kindred and peoples, and tongues, stood before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands, sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb.” Verse 11;
“And behold all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the
four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
saying, Amen, Blessing and Glory, and Wisdom and Thanksgiving, and Honour, and
power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen! Rev. 7: 9-10.
It is to Jesus that is sang; “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come.
Rev. 4:8. It is He who is addressed. This is the prophecy, and the Lord is not asking what
you and I are going to do but what He is seeing in the future. The Bible is being interpreted
into the remotest languages that we find. This is done by people who have denied
themselves the comfort, coming fact to face with sickness to translate the Word of God
that others might have life. Very soon, no one will have the excuse that he has not heard
the word of God. Communism, the Russian Revolution has been around since 1917, but
the scripture says, a thousand years is but a day in the sight of God. In Rev. 4: 11,
“Thou are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seal for thou was slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people and
nation (Rev. 5:9).
It continues to say, that that day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. This assurance
is so strong in the hymns we sing;
Earth, rejoice, our Lord is King
Sons of men, His praises sing
Sing ye in triumphant strains,
Jesus the Messiah reigns
Power is all to Jesus given,
Lord of hell and earth, and heaven
Every knee to Him shall bow,
Satan, hear and tremble now.
HOW DOES HE BECOME LORD OF THE NATIONS?
How does He claim His Lordship? We are told in no uncertain terms that it was by the
path of humility that Jesus attained His high position of Lord. Philippians 2 explains that
Jesus Chris was in form of God, yet He laid no claim to equality with God, but made
Himself nothing, assuming the form of a slave. Bearing the human likeness, sharing the
human lot, He humbled Himself and was obedient, even to the point of death, death on
a cross. Therefore, God raised Him to the heights and bestowed on Him the name above
all names, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and in the depth
and every tongue acclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Those of us who respond to Jesus’ call, He expects us to take up our crosses and follow
Him. He wishes us to obey Him so He can do whatever we ask Him. He expects us to bear
good fruit. Should we fail to obey Him and produce good fruit, He says “Why do you call
me Lord, Lord and never do what I tell you?” (Luke 6: 46)
Christ is the Hope of every nation. He delivers us and restores us to our original selves.
He is Lord and is to be obeyed as He is also judge. We need to wait for Him always, ready
like the five wise virgins, we need to labour and use our talents so we can be rewarded.
We need to care for the poor, redeem them from poverty so that when He comes, He will
send us to heaven instead of rejecting us for our indifferences.