Have you closed with Jesus? That’s the key question we tackle in this episode of Monday Devotions for Church Communicators. We dive deep into the core of what it means to engage in church communications work, emphasizing that it's not just about the tasks at hand but about nurturing a personal relationship with Jesus. We explore three powerful scriptures that remind us of the essential connection we need with Him to find purpose and strength in our work. If you’re feeling frustrated in your role, it might be time to reflect on your relationship with Jesus and consider whether you’ve truly made that commitment. Join us as we discuss how closing that personal transaction with Him can transform your approach to church communication and provide you with the support you need to thrive.

Takeaways:

1. Church communication is fundamentally about knowing Jesus personally and fostering that relationship.
2. In our roles as church communicators, relying on Jesus empowers us to endure challenges and frustrations.
3. Evaluating our relationship with Jesus is essential, similar to assessing our human relationships.
4. The act of 'closing' with Jesus represents a serious commitment to turn over our lives to Him.
5. Establishing a relationship with Jesus requires acknowledging our need for His forgiveness and guidance.
6. Daily engagement in prayer, Bible study, and service is vital for maintaining our connection with God.

Week 17 Have you closed with Jesus? Something to consider if church communications seems impossibly difficult.

Our verses for this week are there's actually three of them.

1 John 5:11 and 12 where it says, "And this is what God has testified he's given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life. Whoever does not have God's Son does not have life."

And then Matthew 7:21 23 where it says, "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as Lord, but they still won't enter the kingdom of heaven.

The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven on Judgment Day. Many will tell me, lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and perform many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you. Go away."

If you've read the selections of this book in order, and if you've been doing church communications work for any time at all, you may have one or two responses.

Either the words here have been an encouragement and a challenge to you in your work as a church communicator, or perhaps they seem empty and your job remains a frustration.

If your job seems a constant frustration beyond any solutions in technology or work setting, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to take a few minutes to examine your relationship with Jesus. Church communication is ultimately and at its core, about Jesus.

Unlike other types of communication work, you'll have a hard time doing church communications work if you don't know Jesus.

Knowing Him, listening to our shepherd's voice is essential if our work is to pass the test of eternal value and to be bearable as we do it day by day.

Please now take a few minutes by yourself without distraction to read this section and consider what follows.

Here's one way to evaluate your relationship with Jesus. Evangelists in the past used a term we don't often hear today when they would ask,

Have you closed with Jesus?

Their use of the term "closed" was taken from real estate back then, and they used it just as we do today. You can look at a house, walk through it, admire it, want it, even invest in getting a loan on it. But until you close on it, the house is not yours.

What happens when you close?

Not only does the house truly and legally become yours, but for that closing to take place, you must give up something, usually a considerable amount of money, and you must commit to continue investing in the house until you own it, free and clear.

No analogy is ever perfect, but this is a pretty good one to explain what it means to know Jesus personally.

You can look at Jesus from far away. You can even get up close, perhaps visiting or regularly attending a church to examine his teachings. You might also even work at a church and and do communications work in his name.

But unless a personal transaction takes place, unless you know Jesus personally and he knows you, you haven't closed with Him. That act of closing with Jesus is a serious commitment.

That closing takes place between you and your God in prayer, where you admit that your sins have kept you from God and you recognize that Jesus death on the cross paid the penalty for those sins that you could not. And you ask Jesus to become the forgiver and leader of your life.

If you've taken those steps, you've closed with Jesus and you've moved into an eternal relationship with Him.

There's no monetary or human effort, no cost in those ways to do this transaction, meaning there's nothing you can do to pay for or earn a relationship with Him. At the same time, before making that closing transaction, the Bible does encourage you to count the life caused.

The Bible is clear that the cost involved in closing with Jesus is that you now turn over the control of your life to Him. Your priorities, your time, your focus, your decisions are now all to be under the leadership of Jesus.

You aren't asked to make monthly payments, although giving regularly to your church and those in need is an expectation of all Christians. But you are required to give up your time daily in the study of God's Word, in prayer, and in service to your world in the name of Jesus.

In return, the Christian receives much more than an earthly house that would deteriorate. The Christian is promised an eternal home in heaven and on earth, peace, strength and joy for whatever life God gives.

I'm bringing this up because at this point in this book or podcast, whichever way you're taking in this information, as I've said earlier, doing Christian communication work is one of the hardest jobs available. And to last in it, you need every resource available in Jesus.

You must have a personal relationship with him for his strength to flow through you to do this work, you must be on good terms with him to do it happily.

A relationship with God is personal, more than a theology or or a belief system or a set of rules, one with much more, but no less than the personal qualities of a relationship with an earthly friend.

If you've not closed with Jesus. before you do, count the cost of following Him.

And if you're prepared to commit your life to him, pray this little prayer that I'm going to read to you. Pray it and you will close with Jesus. Here's the prayer.

"Dear Jesus, I admit that though I've known about you for a long time, I've kept you at arm's distance. I don't want to do that anymore. I admit that I need your forgiveness for the things I've done.

I realize that in coming to you, I acknowledge that you died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. And I want you to come into my life to be my forgiver and leader.

I realize that in doing this, I turn over the control of my life and eternity to you, and I pray that you'll help me to live a life worthy you. Thank you for your salvation and for being willing to have a personal relationship with me forever. Amen."

If you sincerely pray that prayer, welcome to the family of God!

More than ever before, you'll have Jesus beside you as you do your work for Him.

Be sure to read your Bible every day and go to a church that preaches the Bible, and you'll grow and experience the reality of a friendship that will never end. Now, if you've already prayed that prayer, or did it a long time ago, take some time to evaluate your ongoing relationship with Jesus.

If you're in a relationship with him, how's it going?

We take time to evaluate our human relationships, and it is essential to give time and attention to our relationship with Jesus.

Is it the happy, peaceful time you want it to be? Is there a bit of resentment festering? Talk to Jesus about it. Is there sadness inside you that you feel won't ever end? Share it with Him.

Have you forgotten to be thankful for food and shelter that many of our brothers and sisters around the world don't have? Catch up on your thanks. Do you forget he wants to help you in every detail of your life? Invite him to share everything this moment.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me," the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13. And now that your relationship is right with Jesus, charge into your day and your challenges in church communications in his strength.

Let me pray for you now,

Lord Jesus,

I really pray that everyone who is listening to this would take time to evaluate their relationship with you.

If they don't know you, Lord, I pray that they would consider asking you to their Savior, that they would look at their life very carefully, that they would realize their need for you, that they would pray that you would forgive their sins and become their forgiver and leader.

Lord, for those who know you, help us all to take time to evaluate our relationship with you, just like we would anyone that we really love and want to be with.

Help us to look at our honesty with you at if we're sharing, if we're being the kind of person that you want us to be, and if there are things we need to work, work on, I pray that we'd ask you to help us in doing them. Now. Go with us throughout this week. Help us to love you, serve you, and walk with you in everything that we do in your name. Amen.