If You Believe With All Your Heart

If You Believe With All Your Heart

Even in our current secular society, many people will profess that they believe in Jesus. We see it all the time in Springfield, MO as well as other parts of the country. A friend of mine that is an open-air preacher that lives in North Carolina recently posted a video of a cowboy that professed that he believed in Jesus. But when my friend prompted him with more questions, the guy said some really, crazy stuff. 

He said the William Shakespeare wrote the King James Bible. The cowboy said that God made us in His image and since He gave us free will to sin, then God is sin. He also said that he had repented and trusted Jesus, but turned right around and argued that the Bible wasn’t reliable. Folks, this man may have been a little more out there with his wacky ideas than usual, but him believing in a Jesus that he created in his own mind and not the Jesus of the Bible is nothing new.

Many people do this every day. I did it for 33 years while I was a false convert. I didn’t have the crazy weird ideas of the cowboy my evangelist friend encountered, but I did create a Jesus in my mind that was all loving, always forgiving and overlooked my blatant, presumptuous sins.

My Created Jesus Was An All Forgiving Jesus

This Jesus I created forgave me no matter how stumbling drunk I was, just as long as I asked for forgiveness before my head hit the pillow. But I didn’t read the Bible every day back then. I didn’t understand the Scriptures. I didn’t understand that Jesus said if you love Me, keep my commandments (John 14:5). No I didn’t understand that God says we are to be holy because He is Holy (1 Peter 1:16).

I didn’t know the Bible because I didn’t read the Bible; but I would argue with anyone and everyone and tell them my beliefs, my opinions. Back then I never backed up those beliefs with Bible verses, but I sure spouted off my opinions quickly when needed. I now see how utterly foolish I was all those years. It wasn’t until I completely surrendered my life to Jesus Christ after God revealed my sinfulness to me and His Holiness that I repented and put my faith in Jesus. That’s when I believed in Jesus with all my heart.

The Message Tonight: If You Believe With All Your Heart

The message tonight is if you believe with all your heart. Please listen to these verses found in Acts 8: And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot. And Philip ran to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Does He Speak Of Himself Or Of Some Other Man?

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom does the prophet speak of? of himself, or of some other man?

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

They Are Missing: If You Believe With All Your Heart

What are so many people missing when they profess belief in Jesus, but not belief in the Jesus of the Bible? They are missing: if you believe with all your heart. Phillip told the Ethiopian eunuch that he could be baptized if he believed in Jesus with all of his heart. Yes, all of his heart. Phillip was talking about a total surrender to Jesus Christ. Surrendering your whole life. Holding nothing back. A complete and utter surrender to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

You can’t come to Jesus and say, “I will give you everything except my getting drunk or getting high.” You can’t say, “I will surrender all except for my chasing women or looking at pornography.” You can’t say, “I will surrender all except for my love of money.” Jesus is Lord; Lord of all and he rightly demands a total surrender of your life to Him.

Too many professing Christians are running around trying to get people to make decisions for Jesus. Our Lord is not running for office. He isn’t looking for votes or decisions. Jesus Christ is looking for true followers. He’s looking for true disciples. Jesus is looking for those who are willing to forsake everything and follow Him.

Jesus Christ Is The Son Of God

As the Ethiopian eunuch said, “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Our Lord is the sinless Son of God. He is the only Savior of mankind. There is no other. Jesus is the one who was born of the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, never sinned one time, yet went to the cross to suffer and die for sinful men and women.

He took the punishment that you and I deserve over our sins. We are the rebels. We are the ones who have sinned against God. Jesus never sinned, yet He bore the brunt of God’s wrath over guilty sinners. He endured unimaginable pain and suffering.

Jesus was bruised for our transgressions and by His stripes we are healed. Christ Jesus suffered, bled, and died on the cruel cross and He rose from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan. The Lord Jesus came to save His people from their sins. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. But you must believe with all your heart.

Jesus Didn’t Halfway Die For Your Sins

You can’t half-heartedly come to Jesus and be saved. He didn’t halfway die on the cross for your sins. He suffered, bled and died. Jesus gave His all and He saves those who surrender their all to Him. Not that you can earn salvation in anyway, but completely surrender to Him. Admit that you are a sinner. Confess and forsake your sins. Put your trust fully in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. Cry out for God to save you. Repent and submit your life to Jesus Christ the Lord.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).

Oh, do this tonight. You can be saved; if you believe with all your heart. Believe in Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Put on the Lord Jesus. Put on His righteousness through repentance and faith. Don’t hold anything back. Surrender your life utterly and completely to Him. Come to Jesus. Bow at the Savior’s feet. Repent and believe the Gospel and be ye saved. Be saved today. Today is the day of salvation. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ.

Don’t Half-Heartedly Believe In Jesus

Oh tonight, don’t half-heartedly believe in Jesus, believe in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t go through life just believing some facts about Jesus Christ, then die in your sins and go to Hell. Don’t count on a one-time prayer or a one-time religious experience to save you. Have you truly repented and surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? Do you believe in the Lord with all your heart? Are you truly born-again? Has Jesus changed your life? Are you a new creature in Christ Jesus?

If not, what is keeping you from confessing your sins to God? What’s keeping you from admitting that you are a sinner? What’s keeping you from crying out for God to have mercy on your very soul? What sin do you love so much that you are willing to let it drag you to Hell? Oh, what is keeping you from repenting from your sins and believing in Jesus with ALL your heart? What are you still holding on to so tightly that you won’t let go of?

The Ethiopian eunuch wanted to know what was keeping him from being baptized and Phillip answered if you believe with all your heart, you may be saved. The eunuch answered that he believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Oh, I’m pleading with you tonight to be like the Ethiopian eunuch, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Believe this with all your heart. Hold nothing back. Believe with all your heart and be saved.

Be Saved Tonight

Be saved tonight. Don’t put it off. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says: (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3). You either truly love Jesus or you hate Him. There is no neutrality with Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. Is He your Lord? Is He Lord of your life?

Have you repented and put your faith in Him? Have you believed with all your heart that Jesus is the Son of God? I’m asking you if Jesus is your Lord and Savior? Have you repented and surrendered your life fully and completely to Him? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus with all your heart? If not, do so tonight. Turn from your sins and turn to the Lord Jesus. Believe in Him. Believe in His finished work on the cross.

Trust Jesus Not Not Yourself

Admit that you are a sinner. Confess your sins to God. Cry out for God to save you. Believe in the Lord Jesus with all your heart. Call upon the mighty name of Jesus and be saved. Repent and believe the Gospel. Don’t trust in yourself, your good works or in anyone or anything else.

Trust in Christ alone. Only Jesus saves. He came to save His people from their sins. Be one of His people. Repent and put your trust in Him.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Trust in Jesus with all your heart. Believe in the Lord Jesus with all your heart. Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. Jesus is looking for followers, not decisions or votes. He’s looking for true followers. Many times, Jesus said “Follow Me.” Will you do this tonight? Will you follow Jesus Christ our Lord? Will you believe in Him with all your heart? Will you repent and believe the Gospel?

(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on October 13, 2017)