Decisions of Faith: Embracing Jesus as Lord

Devotional

Day 1: Responding to Jesus' Call to Follow

In our spiritual journey, the first step is responding to Jesus' invitation to follow Him. This is not a passive acceptance but an active decision to pursue a relationship with Him and embrace the life He offers. This choice requires intentionality and commitment, leading to transformation and growth in our spiritual journey. Jesus' call is personal and unique to each of us, inviting us to leave behind our old ways and step into a new life filled with purpose and meaning. As we respond to His call, we begin to experience the transformative power of His presence in our lives, shaping us into true disciples. [02:00]

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you feel Jesus is calling you to follow Him more closely? How can you take a tangible step today to respond to that call?

Day 2: Moving from Familiarity to Faith

The story of Jesus' siblings, particularly James, highlights the challenge of moving from familiarity to faith. Despite growing up with Jesus, James initially did not believe in Him as the Messiah. It was only after Jesus' resurrection that James transitioned from skepticism to belief, unlocking new possibilities in his life, including his role as a leader in the early church. This transition from knowing about Jesus to truly believing in Him is a crucial decision that opens the door to spiritual growth and deeper understanding. Familiarity can sometimes hinder true belief, but when we choose to believe, we allow God to work in and through us in powerful ways. [11:50]

"And he said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.'" (Mark 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where familiarity with Jesus has hindered your faith? How can you move beyond this familiarity to a deeper belief in Him today?

Day 3: Embracing Jesus' Exclusive Claim

Jesus' declaration that He is the only way to the Father challenges the idea of multiple paths to God. This exclusive claim requires us to decide if we believe in Jesus as the sole path to salvation and a relationship with God. It is a decision that demands careful consideration and personal conviction. By embracing this claim, we acknowledge Jesus' unique role in our lives and commit to following Him wholeheartedly. This decision is not just about intellectual agreement but involves a personal surrender to His lordship, trusting in His promises and aligning our lives with His teachings. [16:41]

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6, ESV)

Reflection: How does Jesus' exclusive claim challenge your current beliefs or understanding of God? What steps can you take to embrace this claim more fully in your life today?

Day 4: Confronting the Trilemma of Jesus' Identity

The trilemma—Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord—forces us to confront His claims about Himself. This decision determines whether we accept Him as the Lord of our lives and commit to living according to His teachings. It is a pivotal moment in our faith journey, requiring us to examine the evidence of Jesus' life and the truth of His words. By choosing to accept Jesus as Lord, we open ourselves to the transformative power of His presence, allowing Him to guide and direct our lives. This decision is not just about acknowledging His divinity but involves a personal commitment to His lordship. [36:30]

"But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15, ESV)

Reflection: How do you currently perceive Jesus' identity? What evidence or experiences in your life support this perception, and how can you deepen your understanding of Him as Lord today?

Day 5: Experiencing the Transformative Power of Belief

True belief in Jesus is not just intellectual assent but involves a personal surrender to His lordship. This decision transforms our lives, opening the door to a deeper relationship with God and aligning us with His purposes. As we examine the claims of Jesus and the evidence of His life, we are invited to make a decision that will define our faith journey. This transformative belief requires us to trust in Jesus' promises and live in accordance with His teachings, allowing His presence to shape and guide us. By surrendering to His lordship, we experience the fullness of life that He offers. [25:01]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways has your belief in Jesus transformed your life? How can you continue to surrender to His lordship and experience His transformative power today?

Sermon Summary

Summary:

In our journey of faith, we are called to make pivotal decisions that shape us into true disciples of Jesus Christ. The first decision is responding to His invitation, a call to follow Him and embrace the life He offers. This is not a passive acceptance but an active choice to pursue a relationship with Him. The second decision, which we focus on today, is to believe in Jesus as more than just a historical figure or a moral teacher. This belief is not merely intellectual assent but a deep, transformative faith that acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the only way to the Father.

The story of Jesus' siblings, particularly James, illustrates the challenge of moving from familiarity to faith. Despite growing up with Jesus, James initially did not believe in Him as the Messiah. It was only after Jesus' resurrection that James transitioned from skepticism to belief, a decision that unlocked new possibilities in his life, including his role as a leader in the early church and author of the Epistle of James.

Believing in Jesus requires us to confront the claims He made about Himself. Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," asserting His unique role as the path to God. This exclusive claim challenges the notion of multiple paths to God and demands a decision from us: Is Jesus who He says He is? The trilemma presented by C.S. Lewis and popularized by Josh McDowell—Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord—compels us to decide if we will accept Him as Lord of our lives.

This decision is not just about acknowledging Jesus' divinity but involves a personal surrender to His lordship. It is a commitment to live in accordance with His teachings and to trust in His promises. As we examine the claims of Jesus and the evidence of His life, we are invited to make a decision that will define our faith journey and open the door to a deeper relationship with God.

Key Takeaways

1. Responding to Jesus' Invitation: The first step in discipleship is responding to Jesus' call to follow Him. This decision is not automatic; it requires a conscious choice to pursue a relationship with Him and embrace the life He offers. This response leads to transformation and growth in our spiritual journey. [02:00]
2. Belief Beyond Familiarity: Familiarity with Jesus, as seen in the story of His siblings, can sometimes hinder true belief. Moving from knowing about Jesus to believing in Him as the Messiah is a crucial decision that unlocks new spiritual possibilities and growth. [11:50]
3. The Exclusive Claim of Jesus: Jesus' declaration that He is the only way to the Father challenges the idea of multiple paths to God. This claim requires us to decide if we believe in Jesus as the sole path to salvation and a relationship with God. [16:41]
4. The Trilemma of Jesus' Identity: The trilemma—Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord—forces us to confront His claims about Himself. Our decision on this matter determines whether we accept Him as the Lord of our lives and commit to living according to His teachings. [36:30]
5. The Transformative Power of Belief: True belief in Jesus is not just intellectual assent but involves a personal surrender to His lordship. This decision transforms our lives, opening the door to a deeper relationship with God and aligning us with His purposes. [25:01]
** [25:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:00] - Responding to Jesus' Invitation
[03:50] - Decision to Believe in Jesus
[04:54] - Jesus' Family Dynamics
[06:43] - Familiarity and Faith
[08:20] - The Problem of Familiarity
[10:54] - Jesus' Limited Miracles in Nazareth
[11:50] - James' Journey from Skeptic to Believer
[13:02] - Understanding True Belief
[14:07] - The Depth of Faith
[16:41] - Jesus' Exclusive Claim
[17:45] - Believing in Jesus as the Way
[19:37] - The Challenge of Belief
[21:09] - Examining Jesus' Claims
[23:32] - The Decision to Believe
[25:01] - Unlocking New Possibilities
[27:16] - Jesus' Divine Claims
[28:38] - The Self-Existence of God
[30:15] - Jesus' Claim of Eternal Existence
[31:02] - The Son of Man Prophecy
[32:44] - Jesus' Identity and Mission
[36:30] - The Trilemma: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

Sermon Clips

So it's responding to his invitation, right? We looked last week how Jesus invited everyone to follow him, but not everyone responds, correct? It's like everyone has the invitation to know him, to follow him, to do his will, but not everyone responds to that invitation. And so you can probably think of people that you've invited them, you've told them your testimony, you've spoken to them about Jesus, but they're too busy. They got other things going on in life. And they never respond to the call of the Lord Jesus. [00:02:13] (36 seconds)

And so even though Jesus is going from town to town working incredible miracles, setting people free, opening eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf and teaching magnificent truth. But when he comes to his hometown. No miracles there. Because they were too familiar. They were too close. And it's the same problem with the brothers of Jesus. Now what do we know about the brothers? At least one of the brothers, we know for sure, that he became convinced. [00:11:31] (30 seconds)

However, Jesus was very, very exclusive. He says, there's not many ways. There's not many roads. There's not many paths. In fact, he says, I am the only path. When Thomas, Thomas, who you got to love Thomas, Lord, we don't know where you're going. What's going on here? We have no idea. How can we know the way? And Jesus says, I am the way. The only path. No one comes to the Father except through me. [00:17:01] (36 seconds)

So this is the decision that I'm focusing in on this morning. It's a decision that if I believe that there is a God, there's a creator, there's a power, that it's greater than me. See, not every body makes this decision. There's a lot of people that I can convince that there is a God versus there is no God, right? That's not as difficult as the decision we're talking about this morning. [00:19:02] (26 seconds)

I can convince people that there is a higher power, there's a force, there's an energy, there is something beyond the things that we can see and hear. And there's a lot of people that are there, but they're not fully convinced that Jesus is that force. Jesus is that power. Jesus is the word of God made flesh. And that's the decision that we have to focus in on. [00:20:36] (26 seconds)

also in me adam dragoon y 'all would want to lock me up right put a straitjacket on me this dude thinks that he's god see if i taught you that that is not a good teaching jesus is claiming if you believe in god you should also believe in me thomas says we don't know where you're going we don't know the way jesus says i am the way if i stood up this morning and i said i adam dragoon i am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except through me you cannot know god unless you listen to my teachings how crazy is that how insane does that sound to you and yet that is exactly what jesus was telling his followers so the question is is he worthy of that kind of faith is jesus truly the son of god is he who he claimed to be anybody have a thought or question oh sabans [00:21:28] (67 seconds)

Because I want to make sure that everybody in this place, so let me just take this opportunity to drill down on this decision to believe in Jesus. So, is it possible to grow up in church and never make this decision? Is it possible to be part of a Christian family and never make this decision? Is it possible to hear a thousand sermons and never make this decision? [00:23:32] (33 seconds)

jesus said that's me that's who you're talking to and so that's the claim they the people that he was speaking to that day in that false trial they did they they had not made the decision that jesus was telling the truth okay so josh mcdowell in the 1970s wrote a uh wrote a fantastic book called uh more than a carpenter and it's uh it kind of focuses in on this question is jesus who he says he is presenting the biblical and the historical evidence that jesus is more than just a carpenter but he uh he repeats what's called the trilemma and this originally came from c .s lewis his argument the trilemma goes like this jesus we know for sure jesus made a claim to be god we know that for sure there's no question about that jesus made the claim to be god you believe in god believe also in me and so that presents all who know about jesus a trilemma and the trilemma goes like this there's only one of three possibilities either he is a liar or he's a lunatic or he is lord we do not have any other options and so if you don't believe in jesus as lord then you have to believe that he is either a liar or a lunatic you don't have any other option you cannot say jesus was a good teacher a good religious leader he was a moral and ethical person he was a founder of a new religion he was a influential person you can't say those things because good teachers don't teach that they are god good teachers do not say the only way to god is through me [00:34:35] (116 seconds)

Have you made the decision to believe in Jesus, not just having information about him, but you have surrendered your life to him as the Lord of your life? That's the decision. [00:36:40] (12 seconds)

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