In military terms, surrender means defeat, but for a follower of Jesus, it means victory over whatever is hindering our Christian life. In this message, Dr. Stanley explores what it truly means to ask the Lord for His will to be done in our lives and encourages us to let go of anything that God says is not for our best. We lose nothing when we yield everything to Him.
[Music]
if I should ask you do you believe the
battle or here’s how much ever you
believe Genesis to Revelation
if you if you really believe that
surrender your life to give your whole
self to give you the privilege of
blessing you to the maximum of your
potential civility guard
[Music]
four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch living a surrendered life as
best you know your heart are you fully
surrendered to Jesus Christ there is not
only to save you but your Lord can you
say yes I’m surrendered to the Lord or
would you like most people have to say
well now back yonder I can tell you when
I got saved well we’re not talking about
salvation we’re talking about living a
surrendered life a life that’s willing
to be honest and open willing to believe
the Word of God willing to honestly and
truly acknowledge that when Jesus went
to the cross he took all of us in debt
in full willing to acknowledge that God
has will for all of our lives and
willing to acknowledge that God has the
right to expect us to say I surrender
you see that phrase our surrender is
demanding it requires something it’s one
thing to say it to somebody but to say
it to God I surrender I surrender what I
surrender myself all that I am all that
I have Lord I surrender everything
listen carefully that’s what he’s
listening for that’s what he is
expecting that’s what he died for that’s
his perfect will for all of us to be
able to say lord I surrender what do I
surrender I don’t just surrender this or
that that I have I’ve surrendered my
will to you I want you to have you will
in my
I yield everything I don’t I don’t I
don’t have my grip on anything I want
you’re perfect you were in my life now
what we surrend there wouldn’t be the
same for all of us
some people have discerned to this some
people have to surrender that only you
know what is in your life that maybe God
has been talking to you about for a long
time maybe a short period of time but
you know when you get down to pray this
thing keeps cropping up there’s
something you keep thinking about so
what do you do you tell God about it you
ask him to forgive you of your sin and
you move on your way you say well I know
I’m forgiven right and yet two weeks
later two months later next day you’re
still dealing with the whole issue am i
surrendered surrender is not easy it’s
the giving up of my right it’s the
giving up of something it’s the giving
up of an attitude something it’s giving
up some opportunity but surrender is not
easy
and when Jesus in those last hours of
his life we’re seen him with his
disciples around the table and we
celebrate the Lord’s Supper and we
talked about what a beautiful scene that
was and so forth but that wasn’t such a
beautiful scene because listen over the
scripture says and he came out and
proceeded as was his custom to the Mount
of Olives and the disciples also
followed him and when he arrived at the
place he said to them pray that you may
not enter into temptation and he
withdrew from them about a stone’s throw
and he knelt down and began to pray
saying father if you’re willing remove
this cup from me yet not my will but
yours be done
Jesus was dealing with this whole issue
of the surrender of his will to the
Father you say well he grew up he grew
up surrendered to the Father he’s always
known at the most critical moments of
his life he’s asking the Father if it’s
your will and we know that was the
Father’s will for him to be crucified
and that’s exactly what happened but he
was willing to ask the father if it’s
possible for this cup to pass from me
yet not my will but your will be done
when is the last time you ever said to
God
lord I want your will not my will but
your will whatever you want in my life’s
what I want whatever you want out of my
life I want it out of my life
but if above everything else I want your
will to be done in my life see for a
general that means defeat for a follower
of Jesus it means absolute victory so
think about your own life for a moment
when’s the last time in your prayer time
you said Lord full surrender it’s one
thing to say I believe in Jesus it’s one
thing to say my name is written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life it’s one thing to
say I believe the word of God
it’s one thing to say I’m trying to live
a Christian life it’s something else to
say father I surrender what is it that
needs to be surrendered many people
trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Savior but he never has all of them they
never come to the place of surrendering
themselves to the Lord because you see
when you get saved
it’s amount of forgiveness of sin my
name’s written in the Lamb’s Book of
Life and now I belong to the Lord God
what an awesome wonderful feeling that
is but what about the other side of that
and here’s Jesus speaking with the
father he’s committed to the farm
but in these last moments before his
crucifixion what is he saying he’s
saying not my will but your will be done
when is the last time you prayed that
prayer father not my will but you will
be done
maybe he’s brought something up into
your life that you have been clinging to
not necessarily hiding but you just over
there you’ve never surrendered it to God
when is the last time you said Lord
opened the door to the closets of my
life
and let’s see everything that’s there
and let’s be sure when I close this door
they closed it is empty
I’m fully surrendered so I ask you this
question what is there in your life as a
follower of Jesus you still cling into
it may not listen it may not even be a
sin but it’s not the will of a father
for you it may not be something you’ve
done it’s something that you’re holding
on to so you say well I’m not guilty of
this and I’m not guilty of that is there
something in your will that you’ve never
surrendered can you say as best I know
my heart
I’m totally yielded to the Lord Jesus
Christ as my savior my lord
whatever he wants is what I want
whatever he wills is what I will I yield
my will to him I want him to have all of
me most people would have to say Lord
you can have all of me but I know this
obey this this is really not that wrong
God and nobody’s perfect so I just want
to thank you I yield myself to you
except everybody has some weakness and
like Lord that’s mine thank you for the
fret thank you you understand no no no
no
that’s not the way God operates and the
reason so many people are living
hindered in their Christian walk is
simply because they’ve never yielded
themselves totally to him you said what
do you mean yield himself I mean you
come before the Lord you open your heart
to him and you say to him whatever is in
my life that does not please you I
please me please you I want you take it
out I’m willing to confess repent walk
away give it up lay it down I want to be
totally yielded to you because listen
you can never become the person God want
you to be holding on to something that
doesn’t fit you you can never enjoy the
blessings of God as long as you’re
holding on to something that blocks a
blessing and I think about people who
live may be saved early in life but
never fully surrender and they will
boast about their name is written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life and I think about
all these wonderful songs we sing and
and how beautiful they are what is there
in your life that God’s put his finger
on so to speak he’s brought into your
mind it’s the one thing that when you
pray and you do you bless God and praise
Him and sing and wonderful hallelujah
you go home at the church and you talk
about what a fantastic music program we
have and how you love standing up and
singing the songs over and over and over
again what about the thing that you’ve
not talked about what is there in your
life that’s keeping you from being able
to say yes Lord everything not most
things not some things everything put
your finger on anything and everything
you see in my life that doesn’t fit your
perfect will I surrender
think about people who live their whole
lives never foolish unto themselves to
the Lord
maybe you got saved early in life I was
on the twelve I never heard the word
surrender when I was regular age and so
I think about people who are saved early
in life they get baptized they go to
church they joined the church they do
all the things that church members
supposedly do they go to a church where
the gospel is sort of preached you know
not really fully but just sorta just so
nobody gets upset and so they never hit
they never hear are you surrendered to
Jesus Christ we say well he’s the Lord
of my life now think about that you can
say Jesus is a lot of my life that can
mean different things to different
people he is the Lord and He is in my
life but is he the Lord of my life am I
fully surrendered am i yielded to him
when a general says I surrender what
does he do he gives up freedom liberty
and all rights everything that’s what
Jesus was doing he was making the final
surrender of himself to the Father and
to the cross crucifixion and death it’s
easy for us to paint a pretty good
picture of what the Christian life is
all about we talked about answered
prayer we talked about her name is
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life we
talked about all these beautiful songs
we talked about all the promises of God
in the Bible we can go on and on and on
but what about surrender can I honestly
say Lord Jesus in my total life I want
full the surrender no grip of anything
full surrender send me where you want to
send me take what you want to take send
what you want to send bold surrender
that’s what Jesus was doing in
shadow of the cross he was saying to the
father whatever you want not my will but
yours be done when it’s the last time
you honestly said personally to the Lord
father in every area of my life I want
your will to be done not my will but
your will whatever pleases use what I
want that’s what I want Lord he wants
you to trust him absolutely fully with
your life believing that he will guide
you to lead you enable you to become the
person God wants you to be anything but
some of the people who have talents and
abilities and skills that never give
them to God and I think about people who
have reached and I’m probably the oldest
person here this morning but I think
about people who have come a long ways
in their life they’ve been blessed in
many ways but they’ve never said lord I
fully surrender myself to you no strings
attached
I’m not holding on to anything I want
what you want take what you want to take
here’s my life
that’s what discipleship is about that’s
what lordship is about if I should ask
you is Jesus Lord of your life
the natural tendency would be to say yes
well if he’s the Lord of your life that
means he’s in charge of everything our
conversation I character our conduct all
submissive to him what would happen in
your life if you absolutely fully
surrendered yourself totally to him no
strings attached
Lord here’s my life what would happen in
your life what would happen to your
prayer life what would happen to your
giving what would happen to your
conversations are other people what
would happen to your heart
the people who are in your family or you
work with who or it might be that you
know are not saved what would happen in
your life if you fully surrendered
yourself to Jesus Christ fully
surrendered holding nothing back
I surrender everything I’ll yield
everything Lord in your mind if you were
to say today Lord Jesus yes I surrender
everything in my life to you how do you
think God would respond he doesn’t want
what you own he wants you he was the
surrender of yourself God can handle it
he can take anything we have anytime he
gets ready that’s not the issue the
issue is does it have me does it have
you what is it that you hold back on
what is it that’s keeping you from being
able to sing with all your heart all to
Jesus I surrender watch that not some
something Jesus has earned enough all to
Jesus I surrender all to him I freely
give have you ever said that to him in
prayer I want you to have everything
Lord yield myself to you completely and
Jesus had been seated around the table
with his disciples and you remember when
you read these passages that the
disciples were thinking about other
things they were arguing with each other
about who’s the greatest among them and
here’s Jesus facing the cross can you
imagine what the other would do in your
life if you said Lord I’ve been playing
Christian long enough I’ve been I’ve
been touting that I’m a child of God
along them I want you to have everything
starting today I want you to have
everything I surrender all that I am to
you do you know why most people won’t do
it it’s the devil street but you know
what they won’t do it they were afraid
that God is going to take something they
want that they’re holding on to and
they’ll say well suppose and I’ve had
people tell me it’s suppose God takes my
son what kind of God do you think he is
suppose he suppose he does this this
idea of God that he’s just waiting to do
something that’s horrible and painful
that’s not who God is he just wants you
to surrender yourself to him so he can’t
bless you bless others through you and
give you the opportunity of enjoying a
sod of the Christian life that most
people will never enjoy the Christian
life is a way of life led by the Lord
Jesus Christ he lives within us who has
the very very best from God’s point of
view does that mean no sickness no
sorrow no heartache no wants no needs
that’s not what that means at all
because some of those things that we
don’t want in that life God wants them
in that life for the simple reason he
knows that’s what it’ll take to finish
off the sand out to carve out of our
life things that are hindering us
keeping us from be the person he wants
us to be if you had to surrender
yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ fully
completely no strings attached no no
nothing nothing withholding from him
what would that mean in your life what
is it that you’re holding on to you know
in your life already that God doesn’t
want there is it somebody is it some
thing is it a way of life is that a
heaven in your life what is it that’s
keeping you from being fully totally
surrendered to Jesus Christ is the Lord
of your life because we do we know this
he has the best plan you can’t improve
on God’s love
improve on eternal life what will it
take to bring you to full surrender to
Jesus and discover what he would do in
your life if you gave him full charge he
said Lord here’s my life then you will
live your life and just wonder what
would happen see the Christian life is
not what most people think it is and
some people will tell you no I’m not
gonna be a Christian because they have
an idea if you become a Christian you
give up all fun you give up your rights
you have to love even the wicked yeah
and on and on and on they go but the
truth is when you surrender your life to
Christ fully life begins at its best
that’s when life begins at its best so
what will it take to get you there what
change would you have to make this
morning if you said before I walk out of
this building I’m gonna be fully
surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ is
my Savior what it take what would happen
in your life if you really and truly
surrendered your whole being to him and
just said God whatever you want is what
I want whatever you will is what I will
and I’m listening ready to be obedient
what changes do you think he’s making
your life you may be surprised he
wouldn’t make as many changes as you
think but I have to think about this I
can either fully surrender my life to
Jesus oh I can keep playing this game
then I’m gonna do the best I can Lord
I’m do the best again know what is
perfect I know you fully understand God
yes he does he feel they understands
what you’re missing but it’s not your
the for sure in the life that it’s best
life at its best as a life fully
surrendered life at its best is a life
that discovers just that much God truly
loves you he forgives us of our sin he
writes our name in the Lamb’s Book of
Life never be erased he’s fixed it so
that whenever we die we go into heaven
and he’s also made it possible for us to
live this life here with difficulty
hardships troubles and trials yes but
anchored to eternal life anchored to the
God it was in control of all things and
they will get us to heaven one of these
days now listen carefully if you don’t
have Jesus what do you have that gives
you any assurance about anything today
tomorrow next year until death if you
don’t have Jesus what do you have if I
should ask you do you believe the Bible
oh yes
how much ever do you believe Genesis the
revelation if you if you really believe
that surrender your life to Him give
your whole self to give him the
privilege a blessing you to the maximum
of your potential to surrender to God
when you breathe your last breath what
matters only one thing your relationship
to God through His Son Jesus Christ use
friends you like them
so nobody can answer that question for
you but you but I pray in Jesus name
that you will be honest enough with
yourself when you get home whatever it
might be let’s say to him Lord maybe I
don’t understand it all but I’m
surrendering everything to you
everything and so I hear this but
suppose God does this is no no no no no
may I inform you that yds trustworthy
he’s trustworthy you can trust him he’s
not gonna pull any tricks he’s not gonna
deny you anything he’s promised he’s
gonna do exactly what he said and for
all of us who believers and children of
God he says absent from the body
what present with the Lord safest place
to be is surrender damn and I trust that
you think seriously about it can you
honestly say fully surrendered you may
have to say it today tomorrow the next
day the next week next month next year
because we don’t always stay fully
surrendered but have you ever come to
the place where you’ve said in your life
fully surrendered amen
father we thank you for loving us we
thank you for being patient with us we
thank you for your forgiveness we thank
you that you ruled our name in the
Lamb’s Book of Life thank you for the
assurance of heaven but right now Lord
we want you to work in our hearts so
when we think about every aspect of our
life we can honestly say to you O Jesus
I want to be fully surrendered we want
to be able to not just sing it but the
testify of it all the Jesus I surrender
all to him I freely give I will ever
love entrusting and in this presence
they they live make that our prayer
father in Jesus name Amen
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