Embracing Jesus: Lordship, Prayer, and Eternal Life

I think that there should be a class, as you kind of get into freshman, sophomore, junior year, definitely senior year of high school, called "Things You Should Know By Now."

Because there are, you know, a series of people becoming adults that don't know how to do things. You know, I again, I'm not a curriculum creator, but I think, you know, you should learn to change a tire at some point. You should know things because eventually you're going to need to know some things.

Why do you learn things? You learn things because there is the faith that eventually I'm going to need to put into practice the things that I learn. And so I think a great idea for a curriculum would be, "Hey, things you should know by now."

There are an extraordinary amount of things that I do not know. If this button fell off my shirt right now, what would I do with this shirt? I would throw this shirt away because I don't know how to put on a new button on a shirt. I do know how to change a tire; some people don't know how to boil water.

And you know, things you should know by now. And what we're going to look at today is, as we tail at the end of 1 John, John is going to tell us there are some things you should know by now. There are some things that if you've been reading this letter, there are some things that you should lock into and anchor yourself in, not necessarily for today, but for when you need it someday.

Why do you learn how to change a tire? Because there might be a time where you blow out a tire. It's no good to learn how to change a tire when you're on an interstate, cars whipping past you, and you don't know what to do. You need to know before.

And so that's what John is going to say. Hey, there might come a time in your life where there are some challenges and some frustrations, but if you can know some things ahead of time, you can set yourself up for success when there is.

So as we kind of start in verse number six this morning, if you have a printed Bible and want to follow along, 1 John chapter 5, verse number six, and for the rest of his letter, he's going to tell us six things that we need to know. We're going to look at the first three this week; we're going to look at the second three next week.

Things that you should know by now. And here's why it's so very important: sometimes what I know and what I feel are different. Sometimes in the moment, I feel so strongly, and if I am led by what I feel in the moment, man, I might go in a bad direction.

I might feel like going this way because I've had a long day or I'm tired or me and my spouse aren't getting along. And so I feel some things, but truth ultimately overcomes what I feel. Some of us have made decisions, right, based on a momentary current feeling, and we look back to regret that.

I wish that I would have held my tongue. I wish that I wouldn't have said what I said when I was angry or hungry or tired because I said something that in the moment felt so right and felt so true. But when I calmed down or when I got a good night's sleep or when I got some food in my system or when they apologized, I remembered what was true.

I said some things in anger, but it's not that the feeling wasn't real; it's just I forgot what was true. And sometimes those two things are different.

And so John is going to tell us six things, again, that you should know, that I should know. If you've been tracking with his letter to this church, here are some things. He's almost kind of doing a review of all the things we've talked about. I want to kind of give you bullet points, and these are some things that you should know, not necessarily for today, but for someday.

Because you're going to have some feelings, and your feelings might be different than what's true. And so the first three this morning, if you're following along, if you're taking notes, if you got your Bible with you, here's the first one: I can know Jesus as Lord. I can know that.

And some days when Jesus doesn't answer the prayers that I want him to pray, or on some days when Jesus doesn't agree with what I want to know and what I want to do, I have to remember, well, what's true is even though I feel this way, what's true is that, well, Jesus is Lord.

That I have invited him to not just be my father, but he's also my Lord. He is the director of my life. So we're starting in 1 John chapter 5. We're going to start in verse number six. If you want to follow along, otherwise it'll be up here on the screen for you.

Let me just read this for you: "And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross, not by water only, not by baptism only, in other words, but by water and blood. And the spirit who is truth—that's what we're looking at. We want truth. The spirit who is truth confirms it with his testimony.

And so we have three witnesses: the spirit, the water, and the blood. And all three, what do they agree on? They agree that Jesus wasn't just a good person, that Jesus wasn't just a good teacher. They agree that Jesus was God's son, that he was the Messiah, the Christ.

I don't know if you know this or not; if you don't know, it's no problem. That Christ is not Jesus's last name; that Christ is a title. Christ means Messiah or God's final King.

What the spirit confirms and Jesus's blood on the cross confirms and his baptism confirms is that Jesus was more than just a really holy good teacher; that he was the Christ, the Messiah. He was God's final King.

Starting again in verse number nine: "Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about the Son."

And so when I have a right view of Jesus, everything else shapes itself behind it. If I just have the view of Jesus that he's, I mean, he was inspiring and he was a great teacher, but he wasn't Lord, he wasn't Messiah, that he wasn't God's son sent to the world for the redemption of humanity, when I just think of him as a teacher, then here's what I can do: I can say I don't really care what you say about this, but I really like what you say about that.

I can cherry-pick. I can say, "Boy, this is encouraging that, you know, the thoughts and the plans you have for me, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future." I like that. "Forgive those who persecute you"? I'm not interested in that. I don't want to do that.

And when I have the view of Jesus that, man, I can just kind of—he's a great teacher and I'm inspired by him and I can follow him when I want to follow him, I can do what I want to do. And if Jesus agrees with me, then even better.

But when John says, man, if I have a right view of God, I'm going to recognize that he is Lord, that he is the one because of what he accomplished on the cross through his blood and because of the spirit leading me to repentance.

When I cross that line of faith, I let go of me being the director of my life. I let go of me letting my feelings be the director of my life. I say Jesus is Lord, which means I am not Lord.

And so even when I don't feel like it, I'm going to follow him. Even when I don't act like what he's asking me to do, I'm going to follow him because he's more than just a teacher. He's more than just an inspiration. He is the Lord of my life.

And we love what John said: that God is love. Absolutely. Oh, so grateful that God is love. But from his love also comes his lordship. When I accept his love, I'm also accepting his lordship. He is Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah, God's final King. He is the king of my life.

The Apostle Paul would put it this way in Colossians: "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation." Guess what? I am part of creation that he's supreme over.

That for through him God created everything. I'm included in that, so were you. In the heavenly realms and on Earth, he made the things so we can see and the things that we can't see, such as thrones and kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and not only through him but for him.

Everything. He existed before anything. And what does he do? He holds all creation together. He's also the head of us. We are the church; we're the ecclesia. Christ is the head of the church, which is his body—that's you and I.

That when you accept the love of Jesus, you also accept the lordship of Jesus. You accept that Jesus is the head of me, the church. He is the director of my life. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.

And so here is what he is: he's first in everything. And so the question that you have to wrestle with, the question I have to wrestle with, is where does Jesus rank in your life? Is what Paul says true about me? Is he first in everything?

Well, I have to be honest enough and say, well, not always. Not always. Sometimes my emotions are first. Sometimes what I want is first. And when I go in that direction, here's what I'm saying: I love your love, Jesus, but your lordship is something that I can do without.

I'm so grateful for your forgiveness, but your kingship over my life? Nah, I think I'll be the king of my own life. But John says there are some things you should know by now.

And there's going to be a time and a season of your life where the lordship of Jesus points you in this direction, and your emotions and your feelings and culture pull you in that direction. And you have to decide in that moment, who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? Is he just an inspiration? Is he just a prophet? Can I cherry-pick what I like and discard the rest? Well, John says, well, if Jesus is who Jesus said he was, then I have to shape my life to that truth, not shape Jesus to what I feel.

And so what I can know that I know that I know is that I can know that Jesus is Lord, and I put myself up underneath his lordship. Why? Not to earn his love, but because he's already loved. Not so that Jesus is pleased with me, but as a response that you poured out your life while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.

He poured out his love; he called me into his family. And because of that, I place myself under the lordship of Jesus Christ. So you should know that. I should know that. Not only that, but we should know that, and I'm going to live forever.

I can know that I am going to live forever. That this life here in this moment, it's just momentary. It just comes and it goes, but there is another life coming. Picking it up in verse number 11: "And this is what God has testified. He has given us, the people who get up underneath the lordship of Jesus Christ, what has he given us? Well, he's given us eternal life.

And this life is in—not our behavior. It's so important. Don't get it twisted. The life is not in you being a good person. The life is that you accepted the love of Jesus. You got up underneath the lordship of Jesus, and you're going to live forever with Jesus because of Jesus.

And all of this, he has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Whoever has the son, what do they have? They have life. Whoever does not have God's son—this is an important theological point—does not have life.

That the life that Jesus pours out, they don't have that. They're still going to live forever, but they're going to live forever without the life of God. I have written this to you, verse number 13: "I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

And so again, we've said it over and over again in this series, is that Christians, followers of Christ, can know with 100 percent rock-solid certainty I have a home waiting for me in heaven. That Jesus has purchased my place in heaven through his blood on a cross, and I am welcomed into that with open arms, not because I earned my way there, but because I trusted my way there.

That's what we talked about last week. But knowing that I'm going to live forever should impact how I live today. Knowing that this moment right here, right now, is just for a moment, and then it's gone. It's like a vapor, and then gone. It should impact how I live today.

And so there are two decisions that we all have to make. The first one determines where I'm going to live. Where am I going to live forever? Because if scripture is telling us the truth, if Jesus is telling us the truth, if John was telling us the truth, is that when this life is over, we will live somewhere forever.

We'll either live with God or we'll live without God. We'll live connected to God or we'll live separate from God, but we all will live forever. And the choice is yours. The choice is mine. I get to decide. I get to decide where do I want to spend eternity.

Do I want to spend eternity with God in heaven? Do I want to spend eternity separated from God in hell? It's my choice. It's up to you. And the pushback against this—and I can appreciate that—the pushback against this is, "Kyle, I just don't think that I can believe. I just don't think that I can believe that a loving God would send people to hell. I just don't think I can go with you on that because that doesn't sound very loving."

And I can—that's a reasonable argument. But let me just, if I could just push back just a little bit with that and, you know, wrestle with this. I want you to imagine for a second that a young man pursued my daughter Bella, was attracted to her, and, you know, they were old enough, and Bella was not interested.

Bella said, "No, I don't want to date you. I don't want to spend any time with you." And this guy just would not take a no for an answer. "No, I really want to be your boyfriend. I really want to be your husband. I'm pursuing you, pursuing you." And Bella just keeps saying, "No, no, no, no, no."

And this goes on for years. And finally, me as a father says, "Bella, you don't have any choice. I'm going to lock you in with this person. I know that you didn't want to spend your life with him, but you don't have a choice. You're going to."

Here's what you would say about me: "You're not very loving. That's not what a loving father would do. A loving father would not force Bella to be with somebody that she didn't want to be with."

If we live our life—if I live my life saying, "God, I don't want to be with you. I'm not interested in spending my life for you. I'm not interested in accepting your pursuits of me. I'm going to live my life."

Then if God forces us to be with him for all of eternity, well, that's not very loving because we've already said, "I don't want to. I'm not interested. I don't want to spend my life for you."

And so God gives us what we want. God allows us to choose. If you don't want to be—with Jesus, I'm not required to be. God is not going to force me to be with somebody that I don't want to be with.

And so I have to decide: do I want to be with Jesus or do I not? Do I want to accept his love or do I not? And you, me, watching online, you're not required to. It's up to you, 100 percent your choice.

But the invitation is available that in spite of all the baggage and all of the chaos and all of the problems and all of the shrapnel you've left in your wake and that I have left in my wake, I am still invited to be with Jesus. His love covers, the scripture says, a multitude of sins.

And so no matter what my life has looked like up to this point, if I decide at the very last second of my life, "Jesus, I'm going to follow you," I'm going to follow the thief on the cross's example and cry out to you at the end, Jesus says, "Welcome home. Today you're going to be with me in paradise."

But man, we're invited to make that decision. That is appointed once for a man to die and then the judgment. What is the judgment? Well, did I want to follow Jesus or did I not?

And if I have decided, if you've decided that, "No, Jesus, my life is fine without you," then God will give you what you want. God will give you what you wish. But once we have accepted the love of Jesus and once we have placed ourselves up underneath the lordship of Jesus, we decide where we want to live.

This is maybe the next step that some of us have not often thought about: that we decide then how I want to live in light of eternity someday. What do I do today in light that I'm going to—if I've accepted the love of Jesus and I've placed myself under his lordship, in light of that, how do I live my life today?

This is what Paul said in 2 Corinthians: "So whether we're here in this body or away from this body, what's our goal?" Well, our goal is to please him. Again, this is the question that only you can ask: is the testimony of your life saying, "My goal, yeah, it's to please him," or if we're honest, can we say, "Well, really my goal is to make more money and to gain more things and to get popular and to rise against"?

What is the goal? Paul said, "Man, the goal of your life in light of eternity is I want to live to please him."

Let me give you this example: imagine that this rope here is our life, and this part right here, the screen, this is our life just right here. I'll be 42 later this year, so, you know, if God gives me another 42 years, I'm roughly halfway through.

But then all of the rest of this, this is eternity—millions and millions and millions of infinity years. But here's the problem that most of us face, and I'm guilty of it. Let me just tell you, I spend my life focused on this right here.

And I get so worried about, "Well, what about this? And what about that?" And I forget, man, I'm stressing out about this, and I've got all of this waiting for me. And I'm losing sleep because they did this to me, but I've got all of this waiting for me.

And so my goal sometimes, if I'm honest, is to find a better relationship, find a different relationship, make more money. And I'm just so focused on this little moment right here that I forget, man, Jesus invited me. The goal of my life is to please him.

And go on an awesome vacation. Come on, somebody, get you a vacation in and buy that new car and move into a bigger house or add on to your house. Man, I'm pro all of that.

But if that's the focus of your life, you're going to arrive at this point when you cross that line and think, "I kind of wasted it." I mean, I'm in heaven, no question. I kind of wasted this moment here on Earth.

Jesus spoke to this. Jesus spoke to this. He said, "Don't lay up treasures here. Don't spend so much time right in that little tiny moment." How many nights of sleep have you lost because of just a moment?

How many weeks of your life have you kind of thrown away because you were just so spun up about what the boss said? How much time have you spent in strife and in frustration and in bitterness and in unforgiveness just focused on this little tiny bit?

Jesus said, "Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't store up for yourself treasures here on Earth because, I mean, eventually those are going to get destroyed. All that stuff I'm working for, all that stuff that I'm giving myself ulcers about, all that stuff that I'm just striving for, striving for, it's going to be destroyed.

Well, thieves are going to break in, and they're going to steal. Instead, don't just focus on this. I mean, this is important. I'm not saying this isn't important. But instead, store up treasures—look at the rest of it—have a bigger view, have a bigger picture than the right here and the right now.

Don't store it for yourself treasures in eternity's coming. I'm going to live forever. And so my decision to live with Jesus forever impacts how I live today.

Don't store up your treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy and the thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, what I'm spending my life on, well, that's where the desires of my heart will be also.

I can know I'm going to live forever. And if I know that I'm going to live forever, it should impact how I live today. I get to decide where I'm going to live. But more importantly, once I've made that decision, it's not just hanging on for dear life until I get to heaven someday.

You know, how am I going to live? How can I use my talents and my treasure and my ability and my time to make an impact on this world for eternity? How can I use what God has placed in my hands? It might be big or it might be small to make a difference in eternity.

I don't want my life to just be bookended by this life. I want my life to make impacts. I want my life to ripple down the ages, not because I'm so great, but because I stored up things. My heart was aligned with what God wanted me to do.

And so, man, I live this life, and I went on the vacations, and sometimes I bought new stuff, and I did all the fun things. But that wasn't the focus of it. The focus was, man, because eternity is coming someday, I want to change and shape my life to where Jesus wants me to live my life today.

I can know that I can know Jesus as Lord. I can know I'm going to live forever. And when I know things, it's going to impact the way that I live.

And then here's the third one for today. We'll catch the next three next week. I can know that God answers prayer. And this is good news. I can know Jesus as Lord. I can know I'm going to live forever. And I can know that I know that I know Jesus is Lord.

Now this one right here is probably at least one sermon, maybe a series of sermons in and of itself, but I'm going to condense it into about 10 minutes, so just hang with me. I'm going to talk really fast, and I'm going to show you a bunch of scriptures, so just hang on real fast.

This is verses number 14 and 15. Let me find it. Okay, verse number 14: "And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything." Important part: "that pleases him."

And since we know he hears us when we make our request, we can also know that he will give us what we ask for. Now that is a really amazing verse. The problem with that verse, though, is that some people have pulled that verse totally out of context and have built a whole theology around it that says if you just have enough faith, God will do what you want him to do.

That if you just pray the right way and say the right things, that you can convince God to do things that he wasn't going to otherwise do. And hey, oh, that didn't work out for you? The reason that didn't work out for you is because you didn't have enough faith. It's a you problem.

And that's the danger. And I could take that, and I could write a book, and I could say the book on how to get God to do your stuff is available in the back for $14.99, and I'm going to give you the six principles for God to do what you want him to do.

And boy, people would be so happy, and yes, I want God to do what I want God to do. And now it says right here, I mean, let me just read it again: "And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for."

Well, I've got a wish list. I've got some things that I want God to do. Here's the problem: we forget that it's according to his will. What did it say before that? "When we ask for anything that pleases him."

You see, prayer is not just presenting God with a wish list of things. "God, fix this and help me and give me, and I need this." And for many of us—and let's be honest, me sometimes—that is kind of the extent of my prayer, just giving my Christmas list to God.

"Hey, could you take care of this? Like, could you take care of my to-do list?" But prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. That's what we often think about prayer—that I have to pray my way through God's reluctance, that God doesn't really want to do this.

But if I just pray the right way and if I hold my tongue the right way and maybe if I say it the right way and for long enough, then I can get through God's reluctance, and he'll do—that's not prayer. That's not prayer.

Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it's tapping into God's willingness. There are things that God is willing and wanting to do. And when I get the right idea of prayer, the prayer life that I have shifts dramatically.

It's not such—it's suddenly not trying to push through God's reluctance to do this, but if I can, I can faith him into it. No, I tap into his willingness because God knows what's best, and God wants what's best.

And God wants to give you everything that you would want him to give you if you were wise enough to ask for it. God wants to give me everything that I want him to give me if I was willing and wise enough for asking.

Another way to say it is this: that God will either give us what we ask for or give us what we would have asked for if we knew what he knew. That God will either give us what we ask for or he will give us what we should have asked for or what we would have asked for if we knew everything he knows.

And so prayer is not—and following Jesus is not envisioning and launching new things and coming up with ideas and saying, "Hey, God, catch up to where I'm going." Prayer is saying, "God, where are you leading? Where are you moving? And let me get behind it."

It's saying what Jesus taught us to pray: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." It's not, "Hey, God, I've got this great idea, and I'm off to the races, and hey, God, catch up. I'm moving."

It's saying, "God, what do you want done in my world?" Have you ever noticed that every time Jesus prayed or did something in his ministry on Earth, it happened? Do you know why? It's because extraordinary faith led Jesus to extraordinary surrender.

Jesus had more faith than anyone, and what did that faith lead him to? That faith did not lead him to, "Here's my wish list. Here's my to-do list." The faith that Jesus had—and we're invited to follow in Jesus' footsteps—led Jesus to extraordinary surrender.

He never used his faith for his own purpose, for his own power. He used his faith for the leverage and the benefit of other people, and we're invited to follow Jesus.

So here's what I want to do. I want to give you about six verses really fast that Jesus says this exact thing, and then we're going to read that 1 John 5:14 and 15 over in light of that.

Because with all of his power and with all of his ability, here's what we're going to discover: Jesus was not here to do his own will. With all of the faith that he had, he wasn't here to get God to do the stuff that he wanted God to do.

And so John, the same writer, records all of these things that Jesus said. We're going to fly through them. Buckle up. Here's what—here are the words of Jesus: "I can do nothing on my own."

Wait, Jesus, you're the most powerful person ever. Of course you can do things on your own. Well, yeah, I mean, I technically could, but I'm not going to.

But Jesus, you've got great faith. Don't you have something? No, I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just because, well, I'm not coming up with an idea and saying, "God, catch up."

I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. Here's another one: "I don't speak of my own authority." Well, Jesus, you're the most amazing extraordinary speaker ever. Why wouldn't you?

Well, yeah, I mean, I could inspire you, but I don't speak from my own authority. Why would I do that? I'm not here to leverage what I can do. I'm here to—it's about the Father.

The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. So Jesus, you're telling me with all of your faith and with all of your ability and with all of your oratory skills, you don't ever say anything that just pops into your—no, I only say what the Father tells me to say.

Well, Jesus, you've got so much faith. Yeah, and my faith leads me to say only what Jesus—or only what the Father wants me to say. Here's another one: "And I know his commands lead to eternal life."

The lordship of Jesus. So I say whatever the Father tells me to say. Jesus on this Earth was up underneath the lordship of his Father. And so he said, "I'm just going to stay with what the Father tells me to say."

It's chapter 6, verse 38: "For I have come down from heaven." Why did you come, Jesus? Did you come to build your own platform? Did you come to make a—no, I came to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

But Jesus, you're awesome. Jesus, you've got so much faith. I mean, you could start a movement. Yeah, that's not my purpose. It's not what I'm here for. I'm not here to do my own will.

Continue, and this is the will of God: not that I should come up with an idea and say, "God, hey, catch up. Look at where I'm going." No, this is the will of God that I should not lose even one of all those he's given me, but that I should raise them up on the last day.

For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. Jesus, are you telling me that your life here on Earth is for other people? That's exactly right.

You're telling me that you're going to leverage all of the things that are at your disposal for people other than yourself? That's exactly right. All the faith that you have, it's going to be leveraged for people outside of you? That's exactly right.

So if we were to summarize all of what, again, the words of Jesus, here's what Jesus—why did he do what the Father wants done, say what the Father wants to say, pursue what the Father wants pursued?

And when I place my life up against this, how do I stack up? Do I do what the Father wants done? Do I say what the Father wants to say? Do I pursue what the Father wants pursued?

And so then in light of that, in light of what Jesus said, who had extraordinary faith and who we're invited to follow, who had way more faith than you and me, now let's read again 1 John chapter 5, verses 14 and 15, and see how impossible it is for me to write a book, "Six Steps to Get God to Do What You Want Him to Do," in light of what Jesus said.

"We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him." Because I'm here to do what God wants me to do and say what God wants me to say and pursue those that God wants me to pursue.

And since he knows that he hears me, I've got great faith, but my faith leads me to great surrender. I've got extraordinary faith, but it's not for my own benefit; it's for the benefit of those around me.

Where is God leading me? Since we know he hears this person of great faith whenever I make my request, well, what request would I make? Well, it depends on what God's saying. It depends on what God's doing. It depends on where God is leading.

Because I'm following in the footsteps of Jesus. It's not trying to overcome God's reluctance; it's tapping into his willingness. There are some things that God wants to do on this Earth, and if I'll tap into that because of my faith, he will do them through me.

Jesus said, "Greater things will you do than I have done." Again, a verse that pulled out of context means, "Wow, look at what a great life I can lead." I look at the life of Jesus, and you're telling me I can do greater things than Jesus did? Come on, somebody.

And then when I remember that Jesus did only what his Father told him to do, he said only what his Father told him to say, and he pursued only what his Father told him to pursue, then that means that Jesus was great surrendered.

And well, I can do all things and more than Jesus did. That means that I just surrender. I just surrender. I just surrender.

We also know that he will give us whatever we ask for because he's willing. And when I tap into his willingness and change my perspective that I'm not just trying to overcome his reluctance, it just changes the way that I pray.

Because God's plan for you is always more than just about you. God's plan—have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? It's the same as Jesus: do what the Father wants done, say what the Father wants to say, pursue what the Father wants pursued.

And when you—and when I move from give God a to-do list and a wish list and trying to overcome his reluctance to saying, "God, I'm waking up this morning, and the answer is yes. What's the question?"

God, I'm waking up this morning, and here's the blank check of my life. Where are you leading me? What do you want me to say? What type of things do you want me to do? All of a sudden, your prayers are going to start to get answered.

You've been frustrated that God's not answering your prayers? You might be praying wrong. You might be. And I know that can be even offensive. Is it possible to pray wrong? Yeah, you might have tried to overcome what God was not going to do.

And you can't faith God into doing what God's not going to do. You're not going to convince God to do what God doesn't want to do, and neither am I. It's not because you don't have faith; it's because God is wiser, and God sees further.

And God will give me what I ask for, or he will give me what I would have asked for if I would know everything that he knows. And so great faith is shown by great surrender.

And so I can know Jesus is Lord. I can know I'm going to live forever. And when I have the right view of prayer, I can know he's going to answer.

And so here's the question for you: you've got to do something with this. Is Jesus your Lord, or is he just an inspiration? Is Jesus a good teacher, or is he Lord?

Have I accepted his love but kind of cherry-picked his lordship? John doesn't give us that option. If God is love and I want to move in that love, I also accept that he is Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah, God's final King.

How are you spending this moment? Some of you are at the beginning; you're right here, and it feels like you've got so much. But some of us are closer to the end. Some of us are in the middle.

But here's what we know: in light of eternity, this is—are you spending too much time here? Are you spending too many sleepless nights focused on just this thing?

And I know what happened to you wasn't fair, and what happened to you shouldn't have happened. But are you wasting this? Are you looking at this and letting bitterness and unforgiveness and strife build up in your heart?

Not if you have a view of eternity; you won't. So how are you spending this moment? And then do your prayers—do your prayers reflect the will of the Father?

Does your prayer life, when you get on your knees before God, does it sound like, "God, here's my to-do list and here's my wish list. Hurry up; I've got to get to lunch later," or like Jesus?

Great faith is evidenced in great surrender. And so I'm just going to do what the Father wants done, say what the Father wants to say, and pursue what the Father wants pursued.

Heavenly Father, it's a new day. The answer is yes. What's the question?

Let me pray with you. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the love that you poured out on us. Thank you that you loved us enough that while we were yet sinners, Jesus came to die for us.

And so in light of that, Lord, would we place ourselves up underneath the lordship of Jesus Christ? It is so tempting in this world to cherry-pick the things that feel good and to cherry-pick the things that make us feel right and then to discard the rest.

But that's not the Christian way. And so, Lord, help us to live underneath the lordship of Jesus Christ. Lord, in this little moment that we have, help us to spend our life doing the will of the Father, to spend this little moment in light of eternity.

Lord, I'm praying for those that might have never chosen to live with you for eternity, that the truth and the reality of eternity would ring deeply in their heart, and they would decide, "I want to spend eternity with a God who loves me," and accept what you've already poured out.

And all of us, Lord, we're all guilty—every one of us—of presenting you with a to-do list and a wish list. And so, Lord, would you help us change our focus from overcoming your reluctance to tapping into your willingness?

That we would wake up and say, "God, today I want to do what you want me to do, and I want to say what you want me to say, and I want to pursue what you want me to pursue."

It's a difficult thing to do, Lord, in this life that we live. But by your grace and through the Spirit's strength, would you help us? In your name that we pray, amen.