Intro: We just sang, “All to Jesus I surrender”
All (some) to Jesus I surrender,
All(some) to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily(every other daily) live.
I surrender all (some),
I surrender all (some).
All (some) to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all(some).
All (some) to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All (some) to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly(partly) Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
All (some) to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, (only some of the time)
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All (some) to Jesus I surrender,
Now (occasionally) I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full(partial) salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!
source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/christianlyrics/alltojesusisurrenderlyrics.html
What if we changed the Lyrics? (reread with words in parenthesis)
Matthew 22:34-40 (Highlight All)
What do we see in this passage of Matthew? It is a call for your all.
I. Love God with your all
First let’s define biblical love so we don’t get off track. Biblical love is ongoing unconditional unemotional purposeful commitment to another. It’s about choice. If you don’t go all in for God it’s because you chose not to.
A) Involvement and investment with Jesus and His kingdom
Jesus is making clear that we are to give total allegiance, and obedience to Him. William Barclay said it this way. “It means that to God we must give a total love, a love which dominates our emotions, a love which directs our thoughts, and a love which is the dynamic of our actions.
1) If we love God we should be consumed with His person
It seems to me the longer I live the more the church is enraptured with what God gives instead of who God is!
We must be careful that we aren’t after health, happiness and prosperity. When health fades God is faithful. When happiness is hard to find God is near. When prosperity is stolen from us God is our inheritance. All in doesn’t start with projects, programs and progress!!! All in starts with the person of God and explodes from there. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
This is an invitation from Jesus to be all in. What we find when we become part of the kingdom of God we don’t just receive Jesus righteousness. We also receive a responsibility to live in the presence of God and follow His principles.
2) If we love God would should be consumed with His principles
It never ceases to amaze me in the ways we Christians overlook what God says. We are all too ready to point a demonizing finger at the world when we fail to look into the mirror the word of God and see what a poor job we are doing at reflecting God!
If we are consumed with God’s principles, His holy words and what the Holy Spirit reveals we should have a holy conduct! God doesn’t save us to act like the world He saves us to act like Him!
Remember God doesn’t command us to follow His word to imprison us!! He commands us to follow His word because it sets us free!
What are the controlling principles of your life? God’s principles reveal God. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 all that is written is used to reveal God through Jesus.
What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
Would abandon their entire family (25%)
Would abandon their church (25%)
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
Would leave their spouses (16%)
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
Would kill a stranger (7%)
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991
The principles we follow reveal that passion of our lives.
Colossians 3:17, 23 “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.” (That’s is why people say I step on toes, I’m not doing it for you!!)
B) Involvement and investment in His body & bride the Church
When you come to God you can’t help but become part of God’s body and bride.
John 1:12 “But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
1) If you are a child of God you are part of the family of God.
When you confessed Jesus and were saved you were adopted into the family of God.
What are some other terms that are used for the family of God in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it”
Romans 12:4-5 “Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
What if your body was missing parts? If you liver was gone? If your arm or leg or brain? Would the body work like it’s supposed to? Of course not. We need to recognize some things about the body of Christ.
a) We are all different!
b) We sometimes hurt each other.
c) We sometimes misunderstand.
Regardless of this and other things we do Jesus calls us to work together for the benefit of the whole.
2) If you are a child of God you are called to invest in the individual parts.
Imagine a building built out of concrete masonry blocks. Then imagine that same building missing blocks. They are missing next to the foundation close to the trusses of the roof in the header to the door. How stable will that be? It would be very unstable.
Listen to this from Paul. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”
Bro Bill Translation. No matter how the other stones in the building rub you, you have a place in God’s temple. No matter how much work it takes to fit together to properly represent God you belong in God’s temple.
This is an invitation to be all in in investing and being involved in relationships that might lead to you getting hurt!
How do we do this? We know that it will be tough?
a) Pray – ask God to help you to apply Philippians 2:3 (can anyone tell me what that is without looking?) “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
The only place consideration comes before humility is in the dictionary!!
b) Be willing to forgive
c) Be willing to give
Words don’t make a church, work does! We can talk all day about loving God and doing God’s will. When we mean it is when we put sweat equity into it!!
1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”
Paul is saying talk is cheap.
d) Be willing to seek out your gifts and calling in the body
Read Ephesians 4:11-16 Our gifts and calling are to make the body grow.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Colossians 2:19
I’m asking you to be all in with God and all in with me and the rest of this openly dysfunctional family of faith. I’m not simply asking you to be more involved in making things happen in this building. You are being invited by God to go on the adventure of your life. The Holy Spirit is moving and drawing you so He can transform you and place you solidly in His temple!
There should be a love based in Jesus that can overcome anything that happens in our relationship to each other.
All in for God means all in for each other no matter the cost!!
Once we are all in for Jesus then we realize we need to be all in for His agenda.
II. Love your neighbor with your all
A) Involvement and investment in sharing God’s message
There is a message to share
Mark 1:35-38 – (read) Everyone was looking for Jesus His ministry was growing and he said Let’s go somewhere else so I can preach! That is why I came.
B) Involvement and investment in doing God’s ministry (put yourself in the offering plate)
C) Involvement and investment in doing God’s mission
What we discover when we get to this point is I’m Immanuel. Say it with me, “I’m Immanuel’
Conclusion: What are some ways that I can do this?
1) Make a first time commitment/surrender to Jesus as savior and Lord.
2) Make a fresh commitment to Jesus as savior and Lord.
3) Make a commitment to attend regularly
4) Make a commitment to pray regularly (explain)
5) Make a commitment to discover what small group/Sunday School class you should belong to
6) Make a commitment to discover what ministries/missions you should be involved in
Car Care Ministry, Food Pantry, Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Nursery
Other involvement: Many of us got together and painted yesterday, yes on Valentines Day.
We have a playground to finish, More painting, remodeling the nursery, praying about educational space, prayer teams. I could spend hours telling you. If you are serious and you want to be committed come ask.
