Message topic: Surrender/Consecrate
Scripture text: Exodus 28: 38-43
When you gave your life to Christ, was it on a yearly term or contract? Does this have anything to do with the reason why so many people at the beginning of the year resolve to make new resolution what to do and what not to do, or how much to do? I think that it would be best if we keep in our minds surrender and consecrate.
These people who are making resolutions, are making it to God: if we are going to surrender or to consecrate to God, we must first know the true meaning and understand the results of taking any of these actions.
First, what is surrender? and what effect will it have on us negatively or positively: when you surrender, you will have to decide to give up your positions or power or to set aside all your authority: so if you are going to surrender to God, you must be ready to let Him have all of you, body soul and mind, as you say to him; I surrender Lord: I give myself to thee, fill me with thy love and power, now let your blessing fall on me. Through the Old and New Testament we can find people men and women who have surrender themselves to God: one such man was born around the year 35; CE, his name was Saul of Tarsus, who later changed his name to Paul. Paul was a Roman citizen, a Jew, and the enemy of Jesus Christ. He was a zealous persecutor and killer of Jesus Christ’s faithful followers.
One day enroute from Jerusalem to Damascus with paper from the High Priest to persecute all who was found practicing the teachings of Jesus should be persecuted and brought back to Jerusalem for persecution: Paul had something strange happened to him, he saw a light, and that light was Jesus.
When he saw Jesus Christ appearing to him, filled with the Holy Spirit, he was chosen and commanded to teach and preach the acts that Jesus Christ never did to the masses. Paul’s teachings and concepts, were contradictory to what Jesus Christ and his faithful followers were teaching.
He could provide no proof as to what he claimed to receive, but conclude this which is recorded in (Galatians 1:10-13)
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ, but I CERTIFY YOU BRETHREN THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME IS NOT AFTER MAN. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF God, and wasted it.
Now listen to the recommendation which he has for all who will surrender their whole being to Christ and what will happen to whosoever when they do. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Can you think of what a fellowship, what a joy divine it will be when we are leaning on the everlasting arms, what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, while leaning on the everlasting arms, or O how sweet to walk in the pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms.
When we surrender our lives to God through Christ Jesus, it does not matter weather you are a male or female, He gave some to be apostles; and some evangelists; some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
In Exodus 28, we find a long list of things which Moses was told to do to his brother Aaron and his brother’s son even the special clothe which they should wear when they go into the temple in the service of the Lord.
David was one who surrender his life to God, and in psalm 122:-1 we hear him saying: I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. The life of David was to please God, he was truly an example of a living sacrifice, and he enjoyed the presence of God and that was living a surrendered life. You cannot enjoy God’s presence unless you ask Him to take control of your life and live in you.
Joshua after he had surrendered his life to God, was charged by Moses in these words: this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read and meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful and can lead to consecration and when you are consecrated to God, you will be willing to let Him use you in any way He chooses to use you.
The Lord God of heaven today is the same as he has ever been, and He tells us that He is the Lord who change not, He is the same today as He has ever been and will always be: that is why promises which He made to Abraham so long ago can be traced down to David, Jesus and even the Israelites today.
God is not like man whose words are different from his actions, that is why we have so many dysfunctional families and business associates today, God will always do as he says he will.
Mankind has a promise from God that He will never leave nor forsake us when we surrender our selves to him: That is why He sent Christ Jesus to us in the form of a man to show us that it is possible to live pleasing lives to God as he did and we heard God the father says of him, this is my son in whom I am well pleased.
Now, it is for us to ask ourselves, have I surrendered my all to God so that He can make of me what he would like to do through me as He did through Saul: Saul was the one who did the most to destroy the name and teachings of Jesus, but when he met and surrender his will to him, there is no other who did as much as Saul when he changed his name to Paul and to spread the teachings of Christ Jesus.
Have we surrender our all to God so that He can make of us what and who he would have us to be in his service? Joshua after he surrender his all to God, he was consecrated by God through Moses to lead the children of Israel across the wilderness into the promised land which God had promised to their forefather Abraham.
When the people would drift away, he would give them a challenge to choose whom they serve, hut for himself and his family, they will serve the Lord.
Is our love for God the same today as it was when we ask Him to take us and make us what He would have us to be, as we surrender our all to him?