Bill Johnson - The Lordship of Jesus
By the way, Eric and Candace send their love. They were back in Austin, Texas. Yes, yes, yes—the nation of Texas, we honor you! They were there having a meeting with the leaders of the several Bethel churches that we have around the country and world. Did you guys get her introduced earlier? Yes, you did. Okay, all right! So New Zealand is here; we’ve got the Southern Hemisphere covered. We’re just working on the rest. Anyway, they send their love to you. They are doing such an amazing job. The fastest land mammal is a toddler who’s been asked, «What’s in your mouth?» I will drink you under the table! I whisper this to my coffee as we hide from morning people. Don’t forget to drink water and get some sun—you’re basically a houseplant with complicated emotions. I wish mosquitoes sucked fat instead of blood! Can I get an amen on that one? One more, one more: I’m going to get a bumper sticker that says, «Honk if you think I’m sexy,» and then I’m going to sit at a green light until I feel better about myself.
We had a great story this morning—a testimony from one of our staff. Someone from their past, who was fairly resistant to being involved, ended up, many years later—10 years, I think—with cancer. They came here for healing, but they arrived in time for the service on Friday night. They walked in the back and fell flat on their back, which happens to some of us. They fell under God’s power and felt the healing love of God; it was like a fire moving through their entire body. They went back home to get examined, and they began radiation the very next week. However, they got home and, in fact, couldn’t find any cancer whatsoever! I was just in the great privilege of being with Hillsong in Sydney about 3-4 weeks ago. They go to Australia again tomorrow, but I was in Sydney with Hillsong and then in London with them. Sydney has 30,000 people, and London has 20,000. You know I like to direct traffic when I’m doing healing meetings and stuff, but you can’t do that with such a large group. So you just have to call it out, and guess what—Jesus still shows up and heals people! It’s amazing!
It was incredible to call out conditions and have a brief prayer—maybe 10 or 15 minutes. There were just so many extraordinary miracles, including metal disappearing and deaf ears opening—the list goes on and on! It’s just so fun. One of the most fun miracles was at a leaders' event I did in Bradford. I’ve done it for the last six years, I think. There was a guy there who broke his arm; I mean, there was a woman out of a wheelchair—she had been in a wheelchair for like ten years. Another gal, who was hunched over with a large growth on her back, could only see the ground because of her physical position, and that lump just disappeared! She stood upright, put the crutches down, and walked without them! And there was a guy, yeah, that’s pretty cool—a guy who broke his arm kickboxing and had a metal plate put in it that stuck out about an inch beyond the regular bone. He had a bunch of friends with him, and they were praying and praying, but nothing happened. So one of them felt led to tell him he needed to forgive himself, and as soon as he forgave himself, he watched it disappear!
Come on! Michael, my assistant, and Mike, our intern and medical doctor—so I love having him there because he examines all these people. He examined them and found nothing wrong—no metal plate left whatsoever! Can’t discern any plate at all. But maybe the coolest miracle was Tim Eldridge, who heads up this particular event. He and his wife Su have been walking with another friend of mine across the food court, which lies between two of the main buildings on their campus. As they’re walking, a guy comes up to them and says, «What is this?» This is like the third day! He says, «What is this event?» Tim says, «Well, it’s a Christian conference; we have leaders in from around Europe, and we have this meeting.» The guy asks, «Why do you ask?» and then shares that ever since he’s been there, he’s been having visions and dreams. So Tim just shared the gospel with him, and after hearing it, the guy says, «Okay, what do I do?» I mean, you’ve got fish jumping in the boat when they start doing it that way! He got born again right there in the parking lot.
Now, we are going to pray for anyone with PTSD, bipolar disorder, dyslexia, or any kind of brain issue. I want you to stand because we’re going to pray for you! I truly believe that the Lord is healing this today; it’s always on His mind. However, I felt very strongly this morning when I came in early that this was something He was going to address. Those who are watching on Delta TV, Gideon, know this because the healing word knows no distance; it is as present in your home as it is here. Bethel family, you know what to do: stand around these folks and very simply lay hands on them.
Declare that peace of the Lord, the Shalom of heaven, come over them and heal everything that was stolen or damaged. Some of them have issues because of trauma, so we just declare trauma has no more effect on this life in Jesus' mighty name. We rebuke trauma, asking for a healing grace, that You would release that healing presence of Jesus. In fact, peace is the word I want you to declare over them—literally over their minds and hearts—the peace of God to be released to them right now in Jesus' name. Healing of the brain so that those with dyslexia and similar afflictions be released from that and be healed now in Jesus' name. I want you to declare it to them: we bless you in the name of the Lord, we bless you in the name of the Lord. Declare sound; a sound mind is your portion. Amen. Amen.
All right, you did good; you did good. Good, and be seated. Yes, yes. All right, several years ago I faced a real challenge physically and ended up with a small growth in one of my intestines. They found it and had to remove it. Long story short, they got it out, and everything’s fine, but for a season I could eat very little, and then for a while, I couldn’t eat anything; I couldn’t even drink. They fed me intravenously, and that wasn’t nearly as fun as they said it would be. It’s a great weight loss program, but it’s not really what you want to do. I spent a lot of time in a recliner until I got to a hospital, and then I was in bed for a while. I would read, as I do anyway; I’m constantly in the word, but during that time, it was very intent.
I have made it a practice over the last 40 years or so to read not so that I have a teaching but to read for me, just for me, and then learn and take from whatever I’m reading and share that with you. That’s my practice. But even more intently, I would come to the scriptures and read. I spent a lot of time in Psalms, and today we are going to study Psalm 23. I think I read the 23rd Psalm every day for two or three months, besides the other things I was reading and reviewing prophetic words. I would watch prophetic ministry times; I just tried to acquaint myself with what God says about my life instead of the circumstances surrounding me. It was a very difficult time; I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I’m so glad I was able to go through that journey and know the peace of God through every single twist and turn. Don’t ever underestimate peace because it’s the station of His mind over you. The peace of God is a manifestation of His mind having an effect on your environment because He’s not nervous about anything.
If you’re anything like me, you have the ability to make a mountain out of a molehill and to take the simple and make it very complex. It’s a gift I have—hang around me long enough, and I’ll show you how to do it! But it’s true, and what happens for many of us as we walk with the Lord is that we tend to exaggerate the size of our problems so we feel justified in our fear. We exaggerate the size of our problems so that our anxiety is logical. Yep, we need to read the Bible—that’s what we need to do! I can tell we’re going to read the scripture together. We’re going to read Psalm 23, and I’m actually going to read it to you from three translations. Today is a bonus day! We’re going to do the New King James—that’s what I study, I know—and then we’re going to do the Passion Translation, which will be extra passionate; and then we’re going to do the Amplified, which is extra loud. So, we’re just going to have our good, good, good Swedish.
Again, Psalm 23—how many of you have memorized this, perhaps even as a child? You know it’s probably the most well-known portion of Scripture on Earth. It is quoted; in a TV show, when somebody dies, a priest during a funeral oftentimes will quote at least part of the 23rd Psalm. It is famous or well-known for a good reason: it is that good. The problem with it is that we’re too familiar with it. Some of the richest insights I encounter in my reading often happen when I try to read this for the first time again. Sometimes, just simplifying things, or changing to a different translation, can help me see it from a different angle.
Have any of you ever written something, and when you finished, you proofread it and everything was perfect? Then someone else read it and said, «Hey, you forgot a word here,» and you couldn’t see it when you read the word? Yes, I have entire paragraphs that I see on the page, but they’re not there! That’s why God gave us editors—created by God to help us not look foolish when we certainly could. However, sometimes we slip into that automatic reading mode; familiarity causes us to skip over things we really need to hear as though it were the first time. So I pray that today would have that effect on you as it is having on me.
Psalm 23, verse 1: «The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.»
Let me take the Passion Translation: «The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd; I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love; His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where He restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure; He leads me along in His footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to His name. Lord, even when Your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for You already have. You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace; the comfort of Your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for You are near. Listen to this phrase: You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. Oh, wow! You anoint me with the fragrance of Your Holy Spirit; You give me all I can drink of You until my heart overflows. So why should I feel fear of the future? For I am being pursued only by Your goodness and unfailing love. Then, afterwards, when my life is through, I’ll return to Your glorious presence to be forever with You.»
That was good. One more: «The Lord is my shepherd to feed, guide, and shield me; I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in fresh, tender green pastures; He leads me beside still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness, which is uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but for His namesake. Yes, even though I walk through deep, sunless valleys, the shadow of death, I will fear no dread or evil, for You are with me; Your rod to protect, Your staff to guide—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my brimming cup runs over. Surely, only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days, the house of the Lord and His presence shall be my dwelling place.»
This is a glorious Psalm that needs to be revisited. Verse one says, «The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.» Oftentimes, our problem is not financial; it is a lordship problem. The issue of lordship—"The Lord is my shepherd"—is where this begins. It does not ignore that there’s conflict, warfare, devils, or darkness. It gives us insight into how He takes us through that process—not for defeat, fear, or anxiety, but for triumph, that His name would be exalted and we would be strengthened. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
We are the worst at diagnosing our own problems and circumstances. Many think they have relational issues, while they actually have lordship problems. Many struggle with fear and anxiety, which is just the result of the absence of lordship. I can take any small problem and make it so large in my mind that I forget who Jesus is; but no problem is impressive, no problem appears big in the face of the One who defeated everything on our behalf. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Sometimes the Lord yokes us together with people—maybe in a work context, or it could be a family upbringing, any number of things. When you’re yoked with someone, the yoke only hurts when you try to go a different direction than they are going or when you try to sit while they are sitting. The Lord uses the circumstances around us to teach us to walk like Jesus.
Sometimes the pain we feel, which we are certain is someone else’s fault, is actually a lordship issue. Yes, we can go now. The Lord is my shepherd—the Lord, the master, the ruler, the wonderful, gracious Father, the benevolent, kind, caring leader that we have. He directs my life, and I will tell you my greatest weakness over the last 40 years is that I have assumed I know the will of God in a matter. It’s never a choice between something evil and something good or something moral versus immoral, or honest versus dishonest—that’s not the issue. Those issues have long been settled; the issue is doing the right thing that God directs or the right thing hoping to bless it—a good thing.
He’s such a great Father; sometimes He covers me. He tells me, «I’ll cover you; just do something in My name,» even if He wasn’t a part of it. He shows grace, just like a father would, and I’m thankful for that because He saved me from a lot of foolishness. Other times, He leaves me hanging, but it’s not punishment. It’s like, «Son, if you can feel the pain of the moment you’re in, it will help your memory the next time you get in that situation.» I often think I already know what He wants from me. Does that make sense to anyone else? I feel I already know; I saw Him do this, this, and this—obviously this is what He wants. But that’s not always the case; it’s that assumption that gets me into trouble.
I receive a lot of encouragement, especially from David. His life speaks to me the most, as there were times he would forget to pray or seek the Lord in the most obvious details. He would pray for things I wouldn’t even think to pray for; I just assumed, well, this is what God wants, and that’s it. He’s Lord, He’s Lord, He’s the King of Glory, He’s the Lord of all Lords. He is my Savior; He is my benevolent dictator. He is a kind and perfect father; He’s loving, He covers me, and He empowers me. But He is Lord, and that’s never to be forgotten. He is absolutely Lord, the Lord of all, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That day is coming, but we have the privilege of doing it every day of our lives.
Here He starts this psalm by describing the condition of a disciple. It doesn’t mean what it says: «I shall not want.» It doesn’t mean I’m not going to have another need tomorrow, or that I won’t have a difficult decision to make. It doesn’t mean any of those things. It doesn’t mean that if you have a problem in your life, then Jesus obviously isn’t your Lord. That’s the opposite of this psalm. This psalm describes how to live life in such a way that, regardless of your circumstances, you always come into a place of breakthrough because Jesus is Lord. Notice in the psalm, it says, «for my name’s sake.» Every victory you and I experience is celebrated by all of creation because they see His plan worked. The scripture says, «wherever two or three of us are gathered in His name, He is in the midst.»
He’s already in me, but there’s an increased measure of His presence when we come together in His name. So, when two or three of us gather in His name, Jesus stands in their midst. All of creation celebrates it because His plan worked. It’s actually possible to create in people who are born again the capacity for unity that only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have known throughout all eternity. All of creation looks at that and says it worked, and there’s a celebration of who He is. So, when He says «for His name’s sake,» He’s describing that it is imperative and vital for all of creation to see and witness the effect of His plan. In fact, Romans chapter 8 talks about all of creation groaning and travailing. We have some good music going on somewhere, yes, the beauty of cell phones. One meeting I attended, I said, «Someone needs to get that phone away.»
Of course, when your phone rings, it’s kind of a moment of celebration. That night, they had the holiday on their phone, so the Lord is looking for one simple thing: our acknowledgment of His lordship. It’s not complicated; it may be hard, but it’s not complicated. Jesus is Lord, and in that place, there is such rich fulfillment that it’s possible for you and me to stand in the face of adversity, difficulty, challenges, whatever we might be facing, and say, «because He’s my shepherd, I actually am lacking nothing.»
It’s in that context that we are able to testify of His goodness in our lives. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Some of you need to be made to lie down. He leads me beside still or quiet waters. I had a phrase go through my mind a few weeks ago in Sydney; see if this helps anyone. Many of us struggle with guilt and shame in equal measure to our overemphasis of our own role in our conversion. Do we have a role? Yeah, I chose Him, but He first chose me. I love Him, but He first loved me. I put my faith in Him, but the faith was a gift from God. Anytime we overemphasize, we take on too much responsibility when, in fact, He’s looking to lead us into a place of abandonment and trust. Maturity is where I represent Him well in power, wisdom, and love, yet I remain as a child. I never grow out of dependency; I only grow deeper in dependency.
The issue of lordship will be a concern throughout all eternity, but it is never punitive in the sense of punishment. It is never a restriction in the sense of confinement to who you are born to be. Instead, it is a restriction designed so that all your efforts can focus on who you were created to be. It’s controlled strength, if you will; a better term would be directed strength. The lordship of Jesus always encompasses your eternal purpose; my eternal purpose is always in mind. We can stand fully representing Jesus accurately. I truly believe that before He returns, there will be not just individuals but a generation that represents Him well in purity, true holiness, great power, and great wisdom, which will result in the transformation of cities and nations. Alright, He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul.
The word «soul» here, although often associated with mind, will, and emotions—which is valid—is used about 750 times in the Bible and is often used to describe our whole being: spirit, soul, and body. When He says He restores my soul, it means He restores me completely; everything about me becomes healthy again. Sign me up for that! It restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. That phrase appears again. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. One of the most important things I discovered during that particular season was this: I will be honest; I was sick. I kept waiting for the word of the Lord that would clarify everything for me, but it just didn’t come. It was silence. Whenever He is silent, it’s not punishment; it’s because He’s already spoken, and His silence will help you find what He’s already said. It’s not the silent treatment; He’s not like us giving each other that treatment; He is a gracious Father. Everything is done out of love.
I was hoping to receive that word; I was hoping someone would call or write. There were many uplifting things given to me, which were wonderful, but it was never that breakthrough word or moment I sought. All that existed was sickness. I was in the hospital for a while, and two people with kidney transplants came in and left before I did. There was a third person who was there when I arrived, so they all graduated before I did. I was there praying, seeking that word. I had great friends come to pray for me and talk with me, which was wonderful—zero complaints—but I was looking for that breakthrough word, and it never came. What I did find was overwhelming peace. After reflecting, I realized two things came out of that experience: number one, bold faith stands on the shoulders of quiet trust. What He was looking for in me was not merely bold faith but quiet trust. He was trying to build something deeper within me.
While I had been working to illustrate, demonstrate, and pursue bold faith, He was seeking to develop a rest in me that would allow quiet trust to be the foundation for a new level of bold faith. I hope that makes sense. Here’s the main point I wanted to mention this morning: He says, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You are with me. I came to the realization that there are measures or manifestations of His presence that you can only find in the valley of the shadow of death. He manifests Himself differently in different contexts and situations, and there’s an aspect of His presence you can only find in that specific context.
Why would He take you through the valley of the shadow of death? Because He believes in the work He has done in you. He is confident in the great work He has accomplished in each of us. He is confident enough to trust us in perilous situations. If a true, sufficient new creation had not taken place within our hearts when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, He would never place us in such an environment because we would be devoured in an instant. But He enables us to navigate those situations.
He doesn’t create the evil; he doesn’t create the darkness. But where he wants to take us, we walk through, and I tell you, the longest way through a trial is to try to do it apart from the Lordship of Jesus. The quickest way through a trial is what Jesus says: «Lord, there’s only one shortcut—Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord.» That’s how you go through. But what I came to realize was that I didn’t have these thundering words and thundering encounters. After spending years in this, I have hardly even talked about this. I just felt that this morning might be a good time to discuss at least some of what I experienced, that there was never that life-changing moment.
But at the end of it, I could tell I had discovered an aspect of his countenance, of his face, that I could not have found anywhere else. Because that was the treasure I came out with, it was absolutely worth it—absolutely worth it. He goes on and says, «You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.» Oh boy! You prepare a table for me. You see it and read it: «You prepare a table before me.» You prepare the table and place it in the middle of the enemies. What is the table? A table is a place of nourishment, interaction, fellowship, family, and intimacy. Remember Mephibosheth in the Old Testament? His legs were lame, but he was brought to the table of the King, so his lameness was covered at the table of the Lord. Here’s this table of deep fellowship, closeness, and tenderness with God, and God says, «I’m going to put it in the middle of the enemies.»
What has happened to so many believers is that all they can see are the enemies, and they define their circumstances by the enemies they see instead of defining their circumstances by the Lord, who is seated across the table with intimate interaction and fellowship. There is a place of intimacy and fellowship with Him that actually causes all these hellish things to dissolve and disappear. It’s not even that they’re gone; just that they don’t matter. The Bible says, «If God is for you, who can be against you?» It doesn’t mean no one can be against you; it just means no one can be against you and have a chance to vote. No one against you ever gets to vote. They have no ability to contribute to a conclusion or decision that’s been determined by the one who is the Lord, the Lord who prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
I think one of the most frequent challenges I see among people I love and care for is that they are so aware of the enemies that are there and not the Lord who is there. You know, in your darkest situation, it’s a table of fellowship. Most people don’t have a financial problem; they have a lordship problem. They don’t have a relationship problem; it’s a lordship problem. It’s not an anxiety issue; it’s a lordship issue. That’s really at the heart of so many things. That’s when I try to fix things myself instead of being in that place of tender surrender. Do I make a mountain out of a molehill? Do I exaggerate the size and effect of something? Here the Lord is telling us, «Listen, I’ve set you up for victory ahead of time, and just to prove it, I’m going to take you through a dark valley. When we get there, I’m going to set up a banqueting table, and it’s going to be you and me sitting down.»
It basically means every time you say, «I love you,» to Jesus, he puts it on the devil’s intercom. Jesus makes the devil listen to your affection and love for Him because he places the table in the presence of the enemy, not so the enemy can kill, steal, and destroy, but so there is ongoing testimony of the nature of God in His redemptive purpose in fallen humanity to restore us to a place that reminds the enemy, «You did not win; you only set us up for a greater victory.» Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Has anyone ever had the chocolate sundae at Moonstone? Can you say, «Will of God»? Yes? Why? For those of you who are not enlightened, it’s a large goblet on a platter. They fill it with ice cream and then pour chocolate on it until it overflows, filling the plate. Will of God overflows. The outcome of this is your chocolate sundae overflowing. He says, «My cup overflows.» There is more pouring through me than I could possibly contain. I am a fountain of resource in life for countless numbers of people because I’ve remained in a place of trust in the darkest of times. What’s happened in me is that He’s created in me a fountain of life that will feed and nourish many. It is the result of the lordship of Jesus, as He can trust you with greater capacity and greater influence simply because you have found His presence in the darkness and made that your feeding place.
The result is that you will have more than you could have asked for, more than is even necessary. Your cup overflows, your head is anointed, and your thought life is immersed in the anointing of the Spirit of God. Out of your heart flows rivers, rivers, rivers of living water. He then ends it with this: «Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.» The Lord goes before me; I have two angels behind me—goodness and mercy. They just pick up the slack. They keep going; don’t stop now! This is no place to stop. They pick up the things I drop, but this goodness and mercy dwelling in the house of the Lord means you were designed to live in the manifested presence of the Lord. Did I mention the person who got healed at the Friday night service?
I’m sorry, this is my third service; I forget what I say. Hi, good morning! A person walked into a room and was healed of cancer without anyone praying for them. Several years ago, one of our international staff members was coming through customs in San Francisco. The customs agent, an international skeptic with a green card who works here, asked, «Where do you work?» He said, «Bethel Church.» The agent responded, «Is that the church that has a prayer house up in Oakland?» He said, «Yes, it is.» The agent then said, «Let me tell you a story: A friend of mine was dying of stage four cancer. He drove up to Redding, walked into the prayer house, and was completely healed of cancer.» They drove back, and then he looked at the pastor, stamped his passport, and said, «Welcome home.»
What happened? Somebody’s cup was overflowing! That mindset of lack has to go; the lack mindset is only the product of fear. It is not true; it is not truth. I may be walking through a valley of the shadow of death, but I am not a person bound by lack; I am a person in process. I like outcomes; He likes process. I like the end result, the breakthrough, the miracle—whatever. He likes the journey. We think differently because of that. I want the outcome, and He says, «Ah, but you get to trust Me the whole way.»
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever doesn’t mean you come to church forever; it means we live in His presence continuously. Everywhere you go, the house of the Lord becomes manifest. It’s always a chance in a crowd this size that there would be people who have never made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, healing, or deliverance. Jesus went to a cross with you in mind and made it possible for every person in this room, at a moment like this, to place their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and for healing and transformation of a broken life. Everybody in this room needs it. Everyone has been brought to this point today for this reason: Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and He’s inviting every person here who may not have a personal relationship with Him. He’s inviting you into a personal relationship with Him.
If there’s anybody here in that position, just say, «Bill, I don’t want to leave the building until I know that I’m at peace with God, that I know what it is to be forgiven, that I know what it is to be brought into God’s family.» I want you to put a hand up right where you are. I don’t want to miss anybody who does this, so please put your hand up now. I want to see who you are. There’s someone right over here—yes, wonderful! Anyone else? Okay, my back over here—there’s another one—wonderful, wonderful! It’s the most beautiful thing! This guy who owned the food truck just asked, «What do I do?» And this is what you do: you just respond to the invitation of King Jesus to enter into life.