Is Jesus The Lord of Your Life?
by Pastor John Jester
Is Jesus truly "Lord" of all areas of your life, including your time, talents, and treasures (your money and possessions), and all the time?
If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all!
Our Monterey Bay Christian Church mission statement is "To teach everyone to live unconditionally surrendered to Jesus Christ".
For many Jesus may have been accepted as their Savior, they being thankful He died for them on the cross, but they may not have ever fully surrendered their wills and lives to Him, accepting Him as Lord. According to scripture, He is both; 2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (Also 2 Peter 1:11, 2:20, and 3:2).
The fact that we are not only to accept Jesus as Savior, but also as Lord, is made clear in Romans 10:9 "...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Although many may have a hard time accepting we are saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), we humans may have an even harder time surrendering our lives to Jesus, and truly accepting Him as Lord over all areas of our lives, and at all times. Only by Jesus help can we ever accomplish this, but as Paul said in Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
This point is further made by reviewing Matthew 7:21-23:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
This passage shows that obeying Christ proves whether He is truly the Lord of our lives, rather than merely saying He is.
We encourage you, if you have not already done so, to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Give Him complete control and look to Him to direct you in every area of your life, and at all times! Then you will have the very best for your life! You must repent, and become Christ-centered, rather than self-centered; doing what He wants for you, rather than what you would like or think is best.
After repenting, be baptized, burying the old self, and then come up out of the watery grave as a new person. He will give you His Holy Spirit to help you in following Him! Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
This will be the best decision you can ever make! God bless you, as you follow Him in every area of your life, and at all times!
Repentance & Baptism
Here are some of the instructions I'm given as a Pastor, followed by scriptures about repentance.
BAPTISM OVERVIEW
Baptism is a ritual that symbolizes for Christians the death and burial of the former, unbelieving self and its rising up
out of the watery grave to new life in Christ. Peter preached, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
When a person has received the gift of faith in Jesus, that person usually will seek to be baptized. When a
pastor is approached by a believer seeking baptism, he should review the meaning of baptism with the individual and
help the believer prepare for the ceremony. Pastors should ensure that 1) the person is repentant,
acknowledging that he or she is a sinner in need of God's mercy and 2) accepts Jesus Christ as his or her personal
Savior and Lord.
After the believer is baptized, the pastor should offer him or her continuing discipleship training so that the new
Christian may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
MINIMUM AGE FOR BAPTISM
Scripture does not set forth adult maturity as a criterion for baptism. Apparently,
Daniel, David and Samuel were among those God called into his service while they were still
in their teen years. Polycarp, the disciple of John, was apparently baptized before he
was a teen.
Therefore, the church sets no minimum age for baptism, leaving the decision to the discretion
of the child, parents and minister.
Baptism of a young person is a decision that needs to be made with the involvement of the
minister, the parents and the young person. A young person requesting baptism should
not be baptized if the parents object to it. However, if the parents are approving
of the baptism and the minister feels the child has come to faith in Christ, the baptism
may be performed.
BAPTISM GUIDELINES
Advise the individual(s) to wear appropriate clothing which they do not mind getting wet.
Men and women usually find shirts and some sort of pants or swimsuit convenient. Dresses
or skirts are sometimes difficult to keep submerged. Remind the person that some kinds
of clothing become transparent when wet and should therefore be avoided.
BAPTISM CEREMONY
The ceremony should begin with prayer, asking God's blessing on this joyous occasion.
Conclude the ceremony with laying on of hands and prayer for the Holy Spirit to walk with and lead the person.
SCRIPTURES ABOUT REPENTANCE
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 24:46-47 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead
on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and
have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to
the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their
repentance by their deeds.
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,
not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,
but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Timothy 2:25-26 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them
repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has
taken them captive to do his will.
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not
laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and
eternal judgement.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Revelation 3:14-19 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one
or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my
mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do
not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white
clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So
be earnest, and repent.
During our Sunday services we studied the book of Joshua from the Holy Bible. Of the many lessons within this wonderful book is one lesson which stands out to me. It is found in Joshua 9. The heading of this chapter is captioned "The Gibeonite Deception".
This chapter answers the question as to whether a follower of God can be deceived. And the answer is yes, we can! What we find here is Joshua and the Israelites relying on what they were being told, what they saw, and even by what they tasted, to determine what decision to make. What Joshua, and the Israelites, failed to do, however, is found in the latter part of verse fourteen. We find that they made a bad decision and were deceived because they "did not inquire of the LORD."!
They didn't ASK God!
This is a major lesson for each of us! We need to always ask our Lord for guidance, and talk to Him, before making decisions! Of course, we then need to listen to His answer(s)! And then, obey, and follow Him!
He might guide us to read literature or seek out someone or others for direction, or He might simply provide the answer directly to us. If we are led by Him to gather information we then need to go back to Him with it and ask for His direction and guidance before making a final decision.
Our great and wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wants the very best for us, the full and abundant life, as He states in John 10:10b: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
To have the full and abundant life we must remember to always "inquire of the LORD" before making decisions! He always has the very best answers! We can then avoid being deceived, and making the wrong decisions! - Pastor John
I heard of an individual that came to a pastor for counseling. The pastor asked, "Have you prayed about this?", and the person replied, "No". There's a saying, "First to the throne, and then to the phone". Sometimes we might not even need to go "to the phone" if we have asked our Lord about a particular issue, and then listened for His answer, and obeyed what He said.
I know of a couple of church meetings that never opened in prayer to ask for His guidance. Of course, then too, we need to listen, and, obey what He tells us.
A church leader once gathered people together to discuss an issue and one participant exclaimed "We don't need to pray about this!". How sad! He reflected often on this person's life and wondered how many things in their life they had not prayed about, or perhaps not prayed enough about. Sad indeed! Should there be any area of our life we leave our Lord out of? None!
A beautiful scripture is Matthew 11:28-30, in which Jesus tells us to "learn from me". If we spend enough time with our Lord and intently surrender and listen He might directly lay upon our heart and mind the answer to what we are dealing with. If He does, it will never conflict with scripture; an excellent reason to know God's Word, the Holy Bible.
Matthew 7:7-8 tells us to ask, seek, and knock, progressively aggressive terms, with seeking being more aggressive than asking, and knocking more aggressive than seeking. We need to be aggressive and diligent in wanting to know our Lord's will!
John 10:27 tells us our Lord's sheep listen to His voice, and follow Him. We need to ask, take time to listen intently to what our Lord tells us, and then, with His help, obey.
Jesus modeled for each of us that prayer must be a priority in our lives. It is a must, not an option. We must also learn to listen to Him, discerning His "voice"/His impression upon our hearts and minds. Mark 1:35-37 states: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Today cell phones, television, books, radio, CDs, the garden, work, etc., are "looking for you!" There can be distractions galore!
Jesus also modeled spending extra time in prayer, praying in detail, and listening, before making big decisions. Jesus "spent the night praying to God" before choosing the apostles. Luke 6:12-13: One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.
Proverbs 3:7a tells us "Do not be wise in your own eyes." Don't assume; ask! Listen! And, obey!
We each have 168 hours per week. We need to make praying, listening, and obeying our great Lord our priority! And if anyone should ask you "Is Anyone Talking to God?" you can truthfully say, "Yes! I am!". - Pastor John
Here are lessons from Jesus prayer life that if applied will help us have an exciting, and effective prayer life!
Remember: To be like Jesus, pray like Jesus!
Mark 1:35-37 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Lessons: Put prayer first! It is a necessity! Have one-on-one time with God. Even with a busy schedule and people wanting a piece of Him and His time, Jesus put praying first on His list of priorities. We must do the same if we want to be all we can be, fulfill our spiritual potential, and God's plan for our lives!
Mark 6:45-47 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. Lessons: Sometimes we may need to get away from people to be able to pray, and be alone with God. Away time can be pray time. Walk time can be talk to God time. Being out of doors and seeing His creation might also help us in our prayer lives.
Luke 5:15-16 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Lessons: We must find time and a place to pray to God alone. Praying to God is a necessity, and the source of the power and guidance we all need!
Luke 6:12-16 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Lessons: When major decisions need to be made, spend more time in prayer. Start praying early in the decision making process. Be thorough. Ask God questions. Be quiet at other times and learn to listen to Him! Then, with His help, obey!
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Lessons: If we have a bad habit or addiction to put out of our lives, a good habit or character quality to put in, or something we rightly desire, unless our Lord tells us otherwise, never stop praying for it!
Matthew 26:42-44 He {Jesus} went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Lessons: We must always pray for the will of God rather than our own! We must be alert and not fall asleep spiritually. We can pray about the same thing many times, with heartfelt prayers, pouring our hearts out to our great God!
Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Lessons: Put our hearts into our prayers! He hears, and will answer in His way, and time! Realize we will always be heard if we have a heart and mind that is surrendered to God's will!
If we apply these lessons, and Pray Like Jesus!, we will have a wonderful prayer life, an enjoyable time with our Maker, and will make the very best decisions! So remember: To be like Jesus, pray like Jesus! - Pastor John
"The Center of God's Will"
The following six points were part of a sermon given at Monterey Bay Christian Church. The scriptures below them will help each of us get, and stay, in the Center of God's Will, when they are applied!
Prayerful Steps to be in the Center of God's Will
1) Come to God with your will surrendered
2) Ask God for guidance
3) Ask God if He has a preference
4) Ask God to open and close doors
5) Ask God to make things 100% clear
6) Wait on the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-7
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.Return to top
Don't Be a LAZYdicean!
Okay, you might ask, "What is a LAZYdicean?" It's a slight change from the wording you find in Revelation 3:14-22 about the Laodiceans. You see, these people were not on fire for the Lord. They were downright L-A-Z-Y! Spiritually lazy! In the scripture they're called lukewarm, a temperature our Lord does not like! The New King James Version states being lukewarm will cause our Lord to "vomit" them out of His mouth! Doesn't sound too pleasant does it? Let's read it:
Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Sadly, sometimes the term "laid back" really might mean "lazy".
Rather, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be a FILLadelphian! Yes, this too is a variation, from Philadelphian. We can read about these people in Revelation 3:7-13. Our Lord only says good things about them. We need to strive to so please our Lord that He would only say good things about us. How can we be a FILLadephian?
Here are some ways to help:
On our weekly Spiritual Growth Bulletin which we give to everyone each Sunday we have the following write-ups (you can see a sample by clicking here: Spiritual Growth Bulletin):
Grow to be Christ-like! Apply Spiritual Disciplines and become all we can be! 1) Pray 2) Listen 3) Study 4) Fast 5) Meditate
6) Fellowship 7) Serve 8) Give 9) Solitude 10) Worship 11) Balance 12) Simplify 13) Sacrifice 14) Obey.
Crucify the Seven Deadly Sins! 1) Ego 2) Envy 3) Anger 4) Laziness 5) Greed 6) Gluttony 7) Lust.
Feed Ourselves Spiritually Each Day!
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), listen to our Lord, and follow Him (John 10:27). Pray for discernment and the Lord's guidance before you study. Get informed so you can be transformed into Christ-likeness (Romans 12:1-2). We need to be renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Knowledge alone puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1); it must be applied (Matthew 4:4). Get into God's Word and get God's Word into you! The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things. Major in the majors; minor in the minors. Keep the main thing (Jesus as our Lord and Savior) the main thing. Dallas Willard: "It's easier to debate the Bible than it is to submit to it".
So, don't be a LAZYdicean, be a FILLadephian! - Pastor John
Return to top
Need Money?
These are difficult financial times for many people. By the time you read this you may be wondering where to get the money to pay your taxes, everyday expenses like food and shelter, and other bills.
One of the Bible stories I find very helpful and encouraging when it comes to having sufficient money to pay our bills is found in Matthew 17:24-27:
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
Let's look at these verses a bit more closely and see how they apply to you and me today.
One, it tells us that Jesus paid the temple tax. We're also told in Romans 13:7 that we should pay our taxes to the authorities we live under.
We also see an example of doing something so others are not offended.
We further see that very possibly Peter, and perhaps Jesus too, did not have the money to pay the tax. But Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is also our Provider. He isn't broke! He can direct each of us to the solution to every problem, including not having enough money to pay a tax, or any bill!
We learn from these verses that we can always go to our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for any need (Philippians 4:19). Jesus has all the answers.
We additionally learn that we must listen to Him. And then, obey Him (John 10:27)! Jesus is still there for each of us! He is still working miracles. He has not, nor will He, run out of miracles (Ephesians 3:20).
I also find it interesting what Jesus did not tell Peter: He didn't tell him specifically what part of the lake to go to, nor what exact time of day or night to do so. Merely, go fishing, and the first fish you catch open it's mouth, and you'll find the coin!
We also notice the coin was the exact amount needed; no more, no less. Jesus can still provide for all of our needs, not necessarily our greeds (Philippians 4:19).
So take heart! We can, and should, always look to our great and wonderful Lord, Savior, and Provider, Jesus, for our every need. We need to then listen, obey, and follow where He leads (John 10:27). - Pastor JohnReturn to top
God Has a Positive Answer (click on a scripture/verse) YOU SAY GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES You say: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) You say: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30) You say: "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you (John 3:16) (John 3:34) You say: "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9) (Psalm 91:15) You say: "I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6) You say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13) You say: "I'm not able" God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8) You say: "It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28) You say: "I can't forgive myself" God says: I forgive you (I John 1:9) & (Romans 8:1) You say: "I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19) You say: "I'm afraid" God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7) You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7) You say: "I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30) You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
Return to top
Helpful Words From God
(Click on the verse)
You are sad John 14
You have sinned Psalm 51
You are facing danger Psalm 91
People have failed you Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you Psalm 139
You need examples of faith Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared Psalm 23
You are worried Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt or critical 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is bigger than God Psalm 90
You want a victorious life Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself Psalm 87
You require courage for a task Joshua 1
Inflation and investments are hogging your thoughts Mark 10:17-31
You are depressed Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly John 15
You are losing hope Psalm 126
You feel the world is small compared to you Psalm 19
You want to bear fruit John 15
Paul's secret for happiness Colossians 3:12-17
You have a big opportunity/discovery Isaiah 55
To get along with other people Romans 12
For dealing with fear Psalm 47
For security Psalm 121:3
For assurance Mark 8:35
For reassurance Psalm 145:18
FEED Your Faith, and Starve Your Doubt!
Return to top
Visits: Copyright © 2009 Monterey Bay Christian Church