Trusting Jesus as Lord
This morning I spoke to our academy students about trusting Jesus as Lord. That is not the only time I have spoken on that topic, of course, but I had a question turned in from one of the middle school students, so I was answering it. I think it is a subject many people misunderstand.
I gave them the illustration of going to the doctor. When we go to the doctor for some type of ailment or injury, we go with the belief that the doctor is intelligent and able to help us. We trust the doctor, or we would not go. However, sometimes we do not do what the doctor tells us to do. In those cases, we may say that we believe in the doctor and that we trust the doctor, but we don't. It is only if we trust enough to follow his or her instructions that we really trust.
The same is true for Jesus. He is Lord. He is All-powerful and All-knowing. When He tells us what to do, we should trust Him, and do it. If we don't obey Him, we are not trusting Him as Lord. Listen to what Jesus said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who says to Me "Lord, Lord" shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
None of us will ever be perfect this side of heaven. That is not at all what Jesus was trying to tell us. He was trying to say that we must surrender to Him as Lord of our lives and have a relationship with Him, in which He is the "Boss" or the Lord. When that happens we will trust Him in such a way that we will do God's will, instead of our own will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 6-9.
March 24 – John 1:43-51
Pray for your friends. Then, make a list of three of them who need the Lord or who need to be in church. Make plans to invite them to the revival services and to bring them, if that would help them come.
I gave them the illustration of going to the doctor. When we go to the doctor for some type of ailment or injury, we go with the belief that the doctor is intelligent and able to help us. We trust the doctor, or we would not go. However, sometimes we do not do what the doctor tells us to do. In those cases, we may say that we believe in the doctor and that we trust the doctor, but we don't. It is only if we trust enough to follow his or her instructions that we really trust.
The same is true for Jesus. He is Lord. He is All-powerful and All-knowing. When He tells us what to do, we should trust Him, and do it. If we don't obey Him, we are not trusting Him as Lord. Listen to what Jesus said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who says to Me "Lord, Lord" shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
None of us will ever be perfect this side of heaven. That is not at all what Jesus was trying to tell us. He was trying to say that we must surrender to Him as Lord of our lives and have a relationship with Him, in which He is the "Boss" or the Lord. When that happens we will trust Him in such a way that we will do God's will, instead of our own will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 6-9.
March 24 – John 1:43-51
Pray for your friends. Then, make a list of three of them who need the Lord or who need to be in church. Make plans to invite them to the revival services and to bring them, if that would help them come.