Brand New Life, Part 2 - Under New Management, @imagechurch Dumfries, VA

A brand new life, something to start fresh, to bring new hope to our dark lives, starts ONLY with Jesus.

Quiet time, not just the time that we spend in the Word, but the time that we spend being quiet. We live in a busy world, and many of us choose not to be quiet.

Our pride separates us from being under someone else's management. If we cannot allow ourselves to be managed by another person, how can we hope to submit to the authority of God in EVERY aspect of our lives.

Sometimes new management is necessary to get things done. If we claim to follow Jesus, then He should be the manager of our lives, replacing ourselves. Even with Christ managing our hearts, we are called to manage the things that He has given to us: time, talent, & treasure.

More than a new manager, we need a new Authority in our lives, a heavenly Authority: Jesus Christ.

This centurion understood not only the authority that Jesus has, but also his own position before Christ. There is faith and humility in this brief statement from the centurion.

To the Jewish culture, going to the home of a Gentile made them unclean. This soldier understood the culture and respected it humbly saying that Jesus need not come to his home. Even deeper than that, knowing that the culture views this as unclean, yet still Jesus offered to come to his house.

This centurion, who was under the authority for his entire career, understood that he needed new authority, a higher authority in his life. Rome would have NEVER allowed a someone to call another person "Lord" and yet this centurion did just that, he saw the truth of who Jesus was.

Looking at the lineage of Jesus, we can see that God uses unlikely people to accomplish His plan. God can and will use us, when we submit to His authority.

Many of us say that "I believe that Jesus is God, and that I understand His authority, and that I submit to it." Unless we submit to the basics of the authority of Jesus, using our time, talents, & treasure how we are told to in the Bible, we cannot claim to live for Him.

It is not our place to always know "why" we are called to submit to the authority of God, but to understand that His authority is the True authority.

Asking "why" we are called to obey things in our lives is a good thing, it gives us innovation. But the authority of God is to submit faithfully, not always knowing why.

Faith in Jesus will lead us to submit to His authority. Jesus marvelled at this man's faith. Image Jesus marvelling at our faith!

v 12 speaks to what will happen to those who do not believe in Jesus. If we claim to believe in Jesus, God, and in heaven we CANNOT deny the existence of Hell and in what will happen to those who do not believe.

We do not need a new "manager" in our lives, what we need is NEW LIFE found ONLY in Jesus!

Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes and heart of someone to the Truth of Jesus, but we are all called to present opportunities for the Holy Spirit. After that, we must live to show those around us what that NEW LIFE really means to be lived daily.

This centurion understood the authority of Jesus, and knew that He need only say the word and his servant would be healed. Rome could never do such a powerful move, but Jesus could and the centurion saw and understood this. Faith in Jesus moves our hearts to show His authority.

If we are in charge of our lives, who will be magnified?

Imagine this... what would happen if we truly submitted to the authority of Jesus and had faith that Jesus could accomplish the impossible.

Created over 1 year ago