“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36 NIV)
Jesus is not Lord and Messiah because I want him to be. It is God who has made him that. The world may say that Jesus is a fictional character. They may say that he was an enlightened teacher. They may say he was a good man who was misunderstood and came to a tragic end. Or they may even say that Jesus is one of the greatest men ever to live. But what really matters is who God says he is. Whether you choose to believe it or not, he is Lord.
But your response to the Lordship of Jesus is of utmost importance, the most important decision of your life. Your eternal destiny depends on that response. Those who accept the Lordship of Jesus in their own lives and follow his leading will have eternal life with him. Those who choose otherwise face eternal destruction and separation from God. If you are reading this and Jesus is not Lord in your life, I implore you to turn to him in repentance and surrender. Don’t delay.
And, if Jesus is your Lord, I would encourage you to continue to follow after him as his disciple, learning what he has to teach you. And putting it into practice. In truth, if you do not live in obedience to him, he is not really your Lord.