Committed Vs Submitted

COMMITTED VS SUBMITTED

EXODUS 2:11-14 4:1-5&20

BRBC 9-12-04

INTRO: HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THE CHURCH OF TODAY DOESN’T SEE THE THINGS HAPPEN THAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY CHURCH. (IN THE BOOK OF ACTS) I THINK IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE CHANGED. WE HAVE STRAYED FROM WHAT THE CHURCH WAS ORIGINALLY. FORGET ABOUT THE CHANGES OF THE LAST 2000 YEARS, JUST CONSIDER THE LAST 200 YEARS. THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ARE SUBTLE AND YET MAJOR IN THERE SCOPE. A FEW EXAMPLES;

PUBLIC PROFESSIONS OF FAITH – BAPTISM - WALK AISLE

CHANGE FROM SERVE & SACRIFICE TO PAY AND PRAY

CHANGED FROM REPENTANCE TO REDEDICATION

CHURCH BEGAN TO CALL FOR COMMITTED MEMBERS

INSTEAD OF SUBMITTED DISCIPLES.

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS LAST EXAMPLE, COMMITTED MEMBERS VS SUBMITTED DISICPLES. I FEEL THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE FALSEHOODS IN ALL OF THE MODERN CHURCH. HERE IS WHY.

COMMITTED = “TO PLEDGE OR GIVE” =

“I COMMIT (PLEDGE OR GIVE) MYSELF TO GODS WILL

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR GOD. I COMMIT…

MY TIME – MONEY – SERVICE – FAMILY – GIFTS – ETC.

SUBMITTED = “TO YIELD POWER AND CONTROL TO

ANOTHER” “TO SURRENDER”

I SUBMIT (YIELD TO GODS POWER AND CONTROL, I

SURRENDER) MYSELF TO GODS WILL.

WHAT GOD CAN DO THROUGH US. I SUBMIT….

MY TIME – MONEY – SERVICE – FAMILY – GIFTS – ETC.

DIFFERENCE? WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM YOU?

A PLEDGE OF YOUR LIFE TO HIM?

OR A SURRENDER OF YOUR LIFE FOR HIM?

LET’S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES….

COMMITTED SUBMITTED

ABRAHAM – ISHMAEL GEN 22 OFFERING OF ISAAC

GIDEON – JUDGES 6 FLEECE’S JUDGES 7 VICTORY WITH 300

JONAH – GO TO NINEVEH, NO! REVIVAL COMES TO NINEVEH

PETER – MAT26:33-35 3 TIMES ACTS 2:14-41 V40-41

JOHN – MATT. 20:21-22 DRINK? AUTHORED 5 BOOKS OF NT

PAUL – ACTS 7:58 STEPHEN “TO LIVE IS CHRIST TO DIE IS …”

JUDAS – COMMITTED TO FOLLOW JESUS , NEVER SUBMITTED

JESUS – JOHN 5:19 – NEVER COMMITTED ALWAYS SUBMITTED

ONE MORE EXAMPLE. WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE CALLING OF MOSES. TURN TO EXODUS 2 AND LET’S LOOK AT THE LIFE OF MOSES, SEE WHERE HIS COMMITMENT ENDED AND HIS SUBMISSION BEGAN….

I. HE IS COMMITTED

A. KNEW GOD AND HIS WORK V11 “LOOKED AT THEIR

BURDENS”

B. DID WHAT HE COULD DO V12 SIN

C. FOUND IT WAS NOT ENOUGH V13-15 WILDERNESS

II. HE IS SUBMITTED CHAPTER 4

A. V2 GOD SAW ALL HE HAD – A ROD

B. V3 GOD SAID SURRENDER IT

C. V4 MOSES SUBMITTED TO GOD

1. GAVE GOD POWER OVER THE BUSINESS END

2. GAVE GOD CONTROL OVER HIS LIFE – BIT

D. V5 GOD WOULD BE SEEN – RESULT OF SUBMISSION

III. HE IS USABLE ….

THINGS ONLY GOD COULD DO! BEING SUBMITTED REVEALED GOD TO THE WORLD, THE ULTIMATE GOAL…

A. 7:14-20 A SAVING GOD

1. HARD HEART CAUSED WATER TO TURN TO BLOOD

2. HARD HEARTS - BLOOD TO FLOW FROM CALVARY

B. 8:16-19 A GOD OF GLORY

1. GOD GOT GLORY THRU LICE (V19)

2. CAN HE FROM A SUBMITTED SAINT?

C. 10:21-23 A GOD OF LIGHT NOT DARKNESS

1. ALL DARKNESS COULD SEE THE LIGHT V23

D. 14:16 A GOD OF DELIVERANCE

E. 17:5-6 A GOD WHO PROVIDES WHAT WE NEED

F. 17:8-13 A GOD WHO PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE

G. 17:11-13 A GOD OF UNITY

CLOSE: MANY OF US ARE COMMITTED TO GODS WORK. WE ARE TIRED, FRAZZLED, FRUSTRATED AND READY TO QUIT. OUR COMMITMENT BECOMES A WEIGHT OF BURDEN RATHER THAN A SOURCE OF JOY. FOR MANY YEARS THE CHURCH HAS TAUGHT THIS IS ENOUGH, BE COMMITTED!. IT IS NOT! IT IS SIN! IT IS A LIE THAT SAYS “I PLEDGE MYSELF TO DO WHAT GOD WANTS DONE”. GODS WORK CANNOT BE DONE BY HUMAN HANDS.

IT CAN ONLY BE DONE BY HIM THRU HUMAN HANDS AND HEARTS. JESUS SAID "IF ANYONE DESIRES TO COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF (COMMITTED) , AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME. FOR WHOEVER DESIRES TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE (SUBMITTED) FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT.

PRAY

INVITATION

SOME HAVE COMMITTED THEIR LIVES TO THE WORK OF JESUS. YOU WORK HARD FOR GOD,

BUT YOU NEED MORE. GODS INVITATION TO YOU THIS MORNING IS TO BECOME SUBMITTED TO HIS WILL. THEN HE CAN WORK THRU YOU. THEN YOU WILL SEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE THAT ONLY GOD CAN DO. JOY AND POWER AND PEACE WILL RULE IN YOUR HEART, FAITH WILL GROW. NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE.

YOU HAVE A STICK – LIKE MOSES’ ROD, IT REPRESENTS YOU AND ALL YOU HAVE. MOSES LAID HIS ALL BEFORE GOD. GOD BLESSED AND SAID PICK IT UP. MOSES SUBMITTED TO GOD AND WAS NEVER THE SAME PERSON AGAIN. WRITE YOUR NAME ON IT BRING IT TO ALTAR AND LAY IT BEFORE GOD AND THEN WE WILL PRAY.