Remember last week - the funky glasses or the special measurements were needed so you could experience a certain depth and a certain beauty set before your eyes. As Christians, when we live in the 3 dimensions, it’s how we experience the most out of our walking with God.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk (about) in them.”
“Workmanship” = work of art or a masterpiece. The reason God wants us to walk about is because the good works the Holy Spirit produces through us, reflects the masterpiece we are in Christ!
I’m concerned that many Christians are stuck in the shallowness of life instead experiencing the deepness of this extraordinary relationship in Jesus Christ! Before you got married to your spouse, can you remember the dimensions of that relationship? Jill and I went from shallow to serious over a 3 year period, and with each dimension came a new depth, a new trust and a new commitment within the relationship.
My promise to you regarding this series, if you are shallow and sour in your relationship with Christ and crusty and cranky in your walk with Christ – all that will vanish when you live in the 3 dimensions of abundance! So with that said, let’s look at the 2nd dimension that every Christian is to daily experience: Surrender!
“I Surrender!” – What an incredible statement when it comes to a police officer chasing down a bank robber! What a more powerful statement when it comes from our mouths to God’s ears!
Let’s go on the streets of Angels Camp as we asked the question, “What does it mean to you to surrender to God?”
Do you realize that most of the problems we face in our personal lives are connected to the lack of genuine surrender in an area of our lives before it becomes a bigger problem! If you worry, that’s because you will not surrender to trusting the power of God. If you’re angry, that’s because you will not surrender the person or the event connected to anger, to the peace of God. If you’re a bitter person, that’s because you will not surrender to the forgiveness of God.
GET THE PICTURE? Let’s be real honest with each other, most of us can talk up a real good fight about surrender, but we lose the battle most of the time! I struggle with it and you struggle with it! But the reality is, when it comes to this dimension to living the Christian life, it is paramount that each of us re-examine this subject! And we wonder why our walk with God is so shallow, so miserable, so defeated?
I want to bring you face to face with the most powerful 7 words in the Bible:
Acts 10:36 “…Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all.”
Will you say it with me… now that didn’t hurt too badly! You can plant your life on this one verse and then live one of the most fulfilling journeys God has for mankind!
Notice something very interesting about this verse – it contains the 3 most common names used for Jesus in the N.T. - “Jesus” “Christ” “Lord”.
• “Jesus” = His human name. If you were his buddy growing up, you would have called him “Jesus”! A very common name in that period of history.
• “Christ” = His holy name. That name was given to Him because He’s “Messiah” or the Anointed One!
• “Lord” = His heavenly name. When we all get to heaven, that’s what we will call Him!
It’s like this - He is the Sovereign, I am the subordinate, He is the Master I am the slave, He is the Ruler, I am the servant, He is the King, and I am the subject in His kingdom! Now, the moment we get this messed up – our lives are in a mess!
LifePoint: The title “Lord” describes the way we relate with Him and how Christ responds to us.
Listen, we were not created to be self - focused and self - centered little kings ruling miniscule kingdoms with the population of only one! You see - at salvation, mercy cut a huge hole into our self made prison and now grace invites us to step into something so much larger and so much more significant that only one word can capture this experience accurately – “Surrender!”
So I want to give you the 4 most important areas that we must get a grip on and then willing hand them over to Jesus Christ to be Lord over them:
1. We Must Surrender Our Faith To His Lordship.
Little pop quiz: why did Jesus die on the cross and rose from the dead? “To save us from our sins!” Oh really!
You see the definition of a Christian for the longest time has been “a follower of Christ” but you know I see a lot of so called Christians kicking and screaming on the journey! That’s surrender?
Go back with me to the time that you really decided to be a follower of Christ – listen to me very careful – you not only made the greatest decision, but in a real sense, you made your last decision!
In Acts 9: 5, 6 - Paul asked the 2 most important questions any person can ever ask! The first question is asked before he becomes a follower of Christ and the second question is asked after he becomes a follower of Christ.
• “Who are you, Lord?
• “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
For eternity we will be asking Jesus Christ this 2nd question! I’m concerned that too many Christians have stopped asking this question and it shows! And the reason it shows is because so many of us have never surrendered our faith to Christ!
Paul Tripp writes in “A Quest For More”, “There really is no place for Christ in many people’s Christianity. Their faith is not actually in Christ; it is in Christianity and their own abilities to live out their faith.”
I say it again, when you became a Christian, you made your last decision! “Lord what do you want to do with my life”? “Lord, who do you want me to marry?” “Lord, what are you doing in this circumstance of my life?” “Lord how do you want to use me in your church?”
Do you know what I’ve just done for you? I’ve just simplified your life! You can thank me later!
2. We Must Surrender Our Family To His Lordship.
Now think about this, who are the people you love the most in your life? Wife, husband, children, parents, etc. Now this is hard because there is nothing ever permanent this side of heaven. For example - there is no marriage in heaven, no in-laws in heaven, no role of a parent or son or daughter in heaven. We will know each other and still love each other as in the family of God!
Folks I see this a lot, parents who refuse to let their children go and refuse to surrender their children to the lordship of Jesus Christ! So many times they refuse to surrender to the careers of their children and then eventually try forcing their kids to do something in life that is just not them! Carry on a family business, etc. Life with our children is a lot like the first time they rode a bike! My daughter…
When your child comes to you and expresses that deep seated dream or adventure, let them go!
The key is – there comes a time (at every stage of life) when you are less and less at their side because you have to let them go! That’s at times very hard if we have not surrendered our families to the lordship of Christ. There are some parents that they have made their children an idol! By the way, our children really don’t belong to us – they are just on loan to us for a little while!
3. We Must Surrender Our Finances To His Lordship.
Romans 11:36 “For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be glory forever!” NIV
There is nothing in our lives that does not already belong to Christ! The phrase “He who owns the most wins”, think about it – only God qualifies!
KEY: Since God doesn’t need anything and owns all things, He’s looking for those who are able to surrender management of His things! That goes for your 401 Retirement, savings accounts, and the stocks and bonds you own and the list goes on!
2 Corinthians 9:6, 7 “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…For God loves a cheerful giver.”
Think about this truth – “anything treasured to us in eternity will be connected to what we do with God’s treasures here on earth.”
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up your treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”
You’ve heard me say before, “it’s not a sin to be rich, but it’s a sin to die rich!”
Here’s a challenge to do later today – get out a sheet of paper and list your most important material possessions. That is if there was a fire in your home and you could only grab a few things – what would it be? Now after you have made that list, together with your family, commit that list to the Lordship of Christ!
4. We Must Surrender Our Future To His Lordship.
By the way, our future is really in His hands!
KEY: What we decide to do with Christ on earth determines what Christ does with us in eternity!
Did you know that I really can tell your future! I don’t even need a crystal ball or taro cards! You’re thinking, “That’s impossible – no one can do that!” “Oh yes I can!” “NO” “YES”! I’m going to predict your future right now - ready! Every one, somewhere at sometime will say “Jesus is Lord”!
Philippians 2:9-11 “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Don’t you think it’s best for your sake that you surrender to Jesus Christ today, than to surrender in hell, eternally separated from His presence?
There’s a place called Appomattox Virginia that is a very important place in the history of America. You see, at the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865 - two powerful generals came together at the Appomattox Court House. In the original building, as you walk into the large room, there is the chair that belonged to General Lee and the chair that belonged to General Grant, and one table. When General Lee walked into the building at the end of the war, he sat in his chair across from General Grant, saying nothing to the General. General Grant thought that General Lee was being rude by not answering any questions.
Finally General Lee got up from his chair and then pulled out his blood stained sword and said, “Sir, the first order of business is that I must present to you my sword.”
You see, that was General Lee’s way of showing he was surrendering!
I’ve come to realize that all of life is like a sword in the hand and everyday we have to say to General Jesus, “Here’s my sword, I surrender to you today!”
