Is Jesus Really Lord Of Your Life?

Is Jesus Really Lord Of Your Life?

While my friends and I are out street witnessing, we run into a lot of professing Christians. Recently a guy that was inebriated claimed to be a Christian. Another guy seemed to affirm our handing out Gospel tracts, yet still asked us if we had any weed to sell. Now maybe you aren’t in this extreme of situation, but I ask you: Is Jesus really Lord of your life?

Have you truly repented of your sins and surrendered your life to Jesus? Has your life been radically transformed as in a dead person being raised to life? You may think this is a silly question, but unbelievers are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. When God grants you repentance and faith in Jesus, you are made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). It most definitely is a dead person coming alive – spiritually alive that is.

Does Your Life Reflect This?

Professing Christian, does your life reflect this? Do people that know you, do they see a difference in you when you came alive in Christ compared to when you were spiritually dead in your sins? Is Jesus really Lord of your life? How do you know? Can you really tell a difference? Or do you profess Jesus with your lips while your heart is far from Him (Matthew 15:8)?

What I’m asking is, do you know that you know that you are truly saved? Is Jesus truly Lord of your life? Jesus says And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment (Mark 12:30). Does this describe you tonight? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?

In case you didn’t notice, this is a tall order. We are to love God with all of ourselves, our whole being. I have to admit, preparing for this message this week has been very convicting for me. Do I love God with all my heart? Sometimes. Do I love God with all my soul? Sometimes. Do I love God with all my mind? Sometimes. Do I love God with all my strength? Sometimes. Do I do all of these all the time? Nowhere like I should.

The Three T’s Question

I’ve heard preachers ask the three T’s question. What do you do with your time, talent and treasure? This question will show you pretty quickly how your heart is with God. Yes, most of us have to work. But do you say a prayer before work and then think about God again at 5 pm? Or do you walk with the Lord throughout the day? Sadly, I have to admit there are days when I’m so busy that I don’t walk with the Lord as I should. It is more like I think about Him again on my drive home.

What about your talent? What do you do for the Lord? Please don’t misunderstand me, we are not promoting any kind of a works-based salvation. But if you love the Lord and you are truly saved, your works will follow. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:14-20)

A Saved Life Is A Changed Life

You cannot work your way to Heaven. You cannot earn salvation. But a saved life, is a changed life. How has God radically changed your life? Are you a new creature in Christ? Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). As new creatures in Christ, we want to please the Lord. But we don’t do Christian “works” to earn God’s favor. No, we work for the Lord because He first loved us and saved wretched sinners such as we were.

What do you spend your talent on? Yourself? On others in meaningless pursuits of what you call happiness? Are your talents spent on worldly pursuits? Or are you serving our Lord Jesus Christ? Then there’s your treasure. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). Jesus says these words. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Who or what has your heart tonight? Is it our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you tithe? Do you give to further God’s kingdom? Again, who or what do you spend your money on? Nobody hardly writes checks anymore, but people used to say that you could look at a person’s checkbook and see what they really love. Who or what do you really love tonight? Do you love the Lord?

Lord Of Your Life

Oh folks, is Jesus really Lord of your life? Who or what has your heart? If God is convicting you tonight, then this is a good thing. Repent. Repent of your sins and truly surrender your life to Jesus. All of yourself, your whole being – heart, soul and mind. Don’t just give Jesus lip service. Truly love the Lord with all your heart. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Like I mentioned earlier, this message convicted me while preparing it. I’ve been extremely busy the last couple of weeks at work. In fact, I’ve still been working some nights after I get home. I’ve noticed on those nights that I do so, I’m really tired by the time that I do my normal hymn singing, Bible reading and praying.

Short Change

In other words, I’m letting my job short change my time of worshiping the Lord. Yes, we need to work (and it’s biblical to work – For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat 2 Thessalonians 3:10), but work should not be all consuming. It shouldn’t take away from our time with the Lord.

Now, I’ve admitted my shortcoming tonight, will you admit yours? What is keeping you from drawing closer to the Lord? What is keeping you from loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Is Jesus really Lord of your life? If not, cry out to Jesus tonight. Turn to Christ and live. Live more abundantly in this life – by walking with Jesus every step of the way.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living (Romans 14:7-9). Jesus is Lord. Be completely surrendered to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

(This message was proclaimed at Missouri State University on March