A rich young man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit
eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Go, sell what you own, and give the money
to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.”
(Paraphrase of Mark 10:17-21)
Over the
last couple of weeks, millions of us have been watching the Olympics, some to
the point of binging on every medal ceremony. This year the USA won the most
medals of any country competing, and also won the most gold medals. One reason
for this is for sure, Olympic athletes don’t quit, they don’t give up. But
today I want to talk to you about surrender. But not a surrender of quitting,
or a surrender of giving up. But a surrender of letting someone else take over.
I know, that’s not a popular thought for us as Americans. What would we do if
our Marine Corps lay down their weapons that they have been defending us with
and surrendered? But I am talking about a surrender, not to an earthly ruler,
but to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Ruler of the heavens and the
earth. I am talking about a spiritual surrender. A surrender that not bring
slavery or defeat, but a surrender that brings life and victory.
Let me
tell you about my friend David. I’ve only met David once, but we are brothers.
Even though I am a 43 year old middle class white guy and David is a 60 year
old black man from the streets of Memphis, we have a common family thread, our
heavenly Father.
I met
David downtown Johnson City, and he gave me permission to share his story,
because after all, David said, “if God can forgive and cleanse me as messed up
as I was, there’s sure enough hope for you too, cause God loves us just the
same.”
David’s
story began in Memphis, leading a life of crime and assault, a life that led
him eventually to numerous felony charges, including murder, and a long
sentence in the Memphis prison system. When David was released he came to East
Tennessee looking for a change, knowing that if he kept on the same road he
would be back in prison and/or dead. So David was reading the Bible on a bus
one night. He said he read several verses about people weeping, but he realized
it wasn’t just crying that this was talking about. This weeping was a deep soul
wretching cry of anguish. David felt the move of what he later realized was the
Holy Spirit, and then and there on a Johnson City bus he gave his life to
Christ. You can surrender anywhere, church buildings are often the least
frequent place this really happens.
This
brings up David’s favorite word, he told me: Surrender.
To live
a life for Christ and in Christ and with Christ you have to surrender. Not give
up. Not roll over and quit trying. But surrendering your wills and wants to
Jesus and allowing His will to guide you. Surrender your life, so that you can
start to live the abundant life that Jesus has in store for you (John 10:10)
David’s
face and soul lit up when he told me about his new life with Jesus. It was a
contagious excitement. It is a testimony and faith that will bring others to
the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. And it is very real. There is nothing
Sunday-School generic about David and how he talks about his relationship with
Jesus. Jesus is the very air he breathes.
I know
that we’ve all got some areas of our lives that we talk about surrendering to
God. Maybe these are finances or relationships or past regrets we want to “give
to God” but somehow keep hanging on to for some reason.
It’s not
about surrendering some “part” of our lives to Jesus, it’s about surrendering
our “whole” lives to Jesus. Until we go all in, we are not in at all.
Today
would you join me in surrendering it all to our blessed Savior? If you want to
surrender and somehow just can’t seem to let go, then call or email me, and
let’s jump into this abundant life with Jesus together. It’s only when we
surrender that we actually begin to live.
423-833-2909
