Absolute Surrender: My Testimony

From Sunday June 10, 2012-

Good morning! today I have posted a freeform abbreviated outline version of my testimony since I am preparing to deliver this today to the high school and junior highers. Crack your bible open and follow these references with me (or click on the links)...

Jeff's testimony of Surrender to the Lordship of Christ

Surrender testimony- here are some of the scripture that come into play...

Matt 6:33 (Seek first the kingdom)

Where do you spend your time, money, thoughts, energy, goals, dreams

James 1:22 (Be a doer)

You hear, you come to church, you even serve at church, but do you DO?

But that wasn't me, not my priorities- mine were different

Career
Accomplishment, status
Income, security
Things, stuff
Selfish focus on whatever made me feel good
Very little prayer or personal bible study

Why was I this way?

Luke 8:4-15 (Parable of the sower- I was caught in the thorns)
Luke 9:57-61 (Three would be followers want to ADD Jesus to THEIR life)

So what then do I do? What is it supposed to be this walk?

Luke 9:23-24 (daily surrender, die each day unto the Lord)
Luke 14:33 (Renounce or "Surrender" all)
World, flesh, and the devil working against you…pray!
Isaiah 66:1-2 (His Spirit will fill you if you humble yourself before him, repent, and value His Word)
I decided to surrender my time and to wake early each day (every single day) to seek Him in His Word and in prayer to know His heart...

And what happened?

Changed my desires (all of them)

Gave me hunger for His Word (tremble as His Word)
Gave me desire to lead my family and teach my kids
Gave me drive to be a fisher of men (to make disciples)
Gave me compassion for the lost
Gave me desire to give and to help the needy and to serve the kingdom

Testimony concludes with a question to the reader: "Are you still living YOUR life?" Or in the Words of Morpheus from the Matrix- "Do you still think that is air you're breathing?" and leads into a discussion on abiding...

Jesus says "Don't lose your life child...don't lose your life!"

The child answers: "But how will I keep from losing it Jesus"...

and Jesus whispers quietly..."lose it."

(above discourse adapted from a sermon by John Piper)

Luke 17:32-33 (remember Lot's wife), Genesis 19:23-26 (Lot's wife)
Abide as the branch on the vine- this is surrender

Abide

John 15:3–5 (ESV)³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus is speaking about Christians becasue they are clean.

So we must abide to bear fruit and experience God's fullness, not just pray a prayer and trust his Son for salvation. We must surrender eveything and accept what comes from the vine as our satisfaction. What else does the branch get?

John 15:10 (ESV)If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

John 15:7–8 (ESV)⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

He is saying that if you are surrendered and obeying, your prayers will be answered because this gives glory to God.

1 John 2:4-6 (ESV)4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

If we abide (obey) and surrender he changes our desires and aligns our will with his and we seek to further his kingdom and we pray prayers that are purposed at his kingdom and not ours.

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)9 Pray then like this:
          “Our Father in heaven,
          hallowed be your name.
     10     Your kingdom come,  your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.   11     Give us this day our daily bread,
     12     and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
     13     And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Was that pray for my kingdom or His kingdom? What is the difference? Shall he increase your kingdom and exalt your idols? Shall he grant you greater comfort and riches and possessions and accomplishment? Where is suffering? What is your true desire?

He renews our minds and changes the desires of our hearts so that our prayers are in alignment with his will and these prayers he answers powerfully.

Colossions 3:10 (ESV)10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Proverbs 37:4-6 (ESV)4     Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
     5     Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.      6     He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Process from salvation to heaven…our life.

From the Bible Knowledge Commentary-

This glory is the experience of salvation available in the New Covenant and mediated by the Spirit who leads Christians from justification through sanctification to glorification. As believers manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), they are progressively being transformed (the same word Paul used in Rom. 12:2) into His likeness. Christlikeness is the goal of the Christian walk (Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10).
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2 Co 3:18). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Live with confidence in your salvation and live in eternity now!!!

1 John 2:28–29 (ESV)²⁸And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. ²⁹If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Lyrics of Lead me to the Cross song punch this surrender home! This is good stuff:

Savior I come quiet my soul
Remember redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom

Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You

Oh lead me lead me to the cross

You were as I tempted and tried human

The word became flesh

Bore my sin and death

Now You're risen

Thank you Lord that you first loved us. In Jesus name I pray, amen.