I Surrender All
Matthew 16: 24-25 Pastor Ken Crow
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
God has great plans and a wonderful future for those who are willing this morning to submit themselves to him in total dedication.
Jesus uses the two words here any man.
That puts the label of eligibility upon each one of us today.
Male , female old or young . Black, white , yellow or brown .
Rich, poor or somewhere in the middle .
The invitation to follow Jesus is extended .
To accept the invitation is now up to each one of us personally.
The disciples who followed Jesus each had to make their own decision .
The 12 apostles each had to throw down their nets, leave the tax table or their worldly office at their own accord. Jesus will not force you or I to do anything.
The Lord may equip us with wonderful talent and gifts .
He may give us a voice of an angel but we will have to make the decision to use it for him.
He may bestow the the ability to preach the gospel but we will never full fill his calling until we decide to accept the call.
Till we take up the cross!
Till we say I surrender all !
Till we can truly say To Jesus I surrender, I surrender all!
1. How do we take up our cross and follow him?
A. We must be certain in our own heart who Jesus is.
Matthew 16:13-17 (King James Version)
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven
Before we can truly follow Jesus we must be certain in our own hearts of who he is.
We cannot take grandmas word .
We cannot take momma and daddy’s word.
We can’t take the preacher’s word!
Before we can totally take up our cross and follow him we must purpose in our own heart that Jesus is the Son of God and He is the Lord and savior of our own life.
That relationship with him must super cede all other relationships.
And in surrendering to him we are putting all other relationships in his hands.
We are putting our marriage in his hands.
Our children in his hands.
Our employment, our hobbies , our home…and everything that is a part of our life in his hands.
Just think about this.
He calmed the storm on the sea!
He healed all that were sick!
He has all power in heaven and earth given to him by the Father!
And in submitting to him I place all that is a part of me into his hands.
Someone in here this morning needs to just say right there where your sitting .
Jesus I know who you are! Oh precious savior I surrender all…
2. Jesus says here we must deny ourselves.
This is the difficult one because we are no longer in control .
If we follow him we are walking behind him. He will lead us through !
Jesus will choose the path . It no longer is about us but life becomes abouit him!
Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 15:31 “ I die daily”
Titus 2:12 (King James Version)
12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
We cannot follow him and the world.
We cannot serve two masters.
That is the source of most problems in Christian life .
Like Bro. Melvin preached last Sunday night there is one path and that is the path of Jesus Christ!
And allow me to add this the world will become a much better place when we hand over our own personal world to Jesus!
3. Follow me.
Just think of the places that Jesus earthly ministry took him.
It took him to the temple to worship .
It took him to the streets to heal and deliver.
It took him to the desert place in the wilderness.
It took him before courts and governors.
It took him to tombs to raise the dead.
It took him to a triumphat entry into a city.
It took him to persecution and to a death on a cross.
But it took him to glory . And to ressurection.
This morning by picking up your cross and following Jesus you may not escape persecution , troubles and problems. But remember he is in front!
Isaiah 45:2 (King James Version)
2I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
And ultimately if we surrender all:
Revelation 21:1-6 (King James Version)
Revelation 21
1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Amen and God Bless.
