DAY FOUR : THURSDAY, 13TH JUNE, 2024
TOPIC:
TOTAL SURRENDER: THE SECRET OF BURNING AND SHINING
TEXT:
Matt.10:37-39,Jn.12:24
INTRODUCTION
The greatest calling of believers in Christ, is the call to a life of total surrender to God, His plan, will, and purpose for their lives.
The authentic Christian life is lived on God's terms and not on man's terms. God sets the standard and He alone gives the conditions required for an effective and impactful walk with Him.
Total surrender is the secret of all who are mightily used of God. Many want to burn and shine for God but they are not ready to surrender all to Him. Remember this: you can't have a crown without a cross.
Today, God is seeking men who will walk with Him in total surrender.
Men who will ask like the Apostle Paul, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do (Acts 9:6)?"
Men who though the act of obedience required of them may be so hard on the flesh, but will still say to the Lord "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done" (Lk.22:42).
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WHAT IS TOTAL SURRENDER?
It means living a life that is completely devoted and sold out to God.
Total surrender also means laying all down before the Lord (i.e. Your plans, will, ambition, desires, etc), on the altar of sacrifice and holding nothing back.
Total surrender means losing your ability to say no to God. No matter what the Lord demands of you, you do not have the ability to say no to Him anymore! You can only say, "Yes Lord". "Not My Choice, But My Yes I will"
It is an act of dying to self and to the flesh (that part of you that always opposes God). That means, at every point in time, the will of God overrides your will and prevails.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24).
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 10:39).
In this kingdom, we live by dying. We win by dying. We shine by dying! If you are not ready to lay down everything at the feet of the Master in a total surrender, then you are not ready to burn and shine for Him!
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DO YOU WANT ALL OF GOD?
THIS IS THE SECRET!
""To have and experience all of God, you must be ready to let Him have all of you!**
To be used of God, the secret is in living a life of TOTAL SURRENDER TO.HIM!
The price for all of God is all of you. God demands total surrender, not partial surrender.
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TO BURN AND SHINE FOR THE LORD AS A BELIEVER YOU MUST BE WILLING AND READY TO SURRENDER ALL TO HIM
- Your Heart: (Proverbs 23:26; Mark 12:30).
- Your Mind (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Philippians 2:5).
- Your Body (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 6:18-20).
- Your Emotions (Ephesians 4:26; 4:31).
- Your Tongue (James 3:6,8-10).
- Your Will (John 6:38; Luke 22:42; Mark 3:35).
- Your Relationships (Genesis 12:1; Matthew 10:37).
- All that you are and all that you have (including your earthly possessions), Philippians 3:7-8, Luke 18:22, Acts 21:13).
Whatever you place ahead of God and are unwilling to surrender to Him becomes an idol in your life and a snare to your soul.
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TOTAL SURRENDER: MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY
One m vital truth which God's people must understand is that total surrender is not something God is going to do for us, we are the ones to consciously and willingly submit ourselves to God's authority. God never interferes with our will and choices. He made man a free moral agent, giving him the power to choose whether or not to obey Him.
l beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that YE present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1).
"Who is to do the presenting?* The believer! Believers are the ones to present and give their bodies to God in total yielded-ness.
Paul the Apostle speaking in 1 Corinthians 9:27 said, "But l keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when l have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Paul took the responsibility of bringing his body under control. He made his body his slave.
James wrote in his epistle, "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
Believers are to submit themselves to God!
Total surrender to God is the believer's responsibility! The Holy Spirit wasn't sent to do the job for us, but to HELP us do the job. Believers are
to live in total surrender and yielded ness to God through the help of the Holy Spirit. If believers do nothing about it, nothing will ever be done
about it (John 14:16; Romans 8:13).
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RECKONING OURSELVES TO BE DEAD TO SIN:
A sure way to defeat the devil each day!
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11).
We must deal with the flesh before we attempt to deal with the devil! By living a crucified, sanctified life on a continual basis, we are able to neutralise any attack the enemy would try to wage against our flesh. Why is this? Because dead men and women do not have the capacity to respond! You can kick dead people, or try to tempt, deceive, and seduce dead people, but no matter what you do, they do not respond.
Likewise, the majority of demonic attacks against us will never produce anything of serious consequence if we are living a crucified life and reckoning ourselves to be "dead to sin" on a daily basis (Romans 6:6,7,11).
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BENEFITS OF TOTAL SURRENDER
- You will be fit for the Master's use: One great benefit of living a life fully surrendered to God is that you will be a vessel unto honour in His
hands. Today the Lord has many followers but few disciples. Few men 2 Timothy 2:20-21; Luke 14:25-27).
It's so sad that many believers though in church, are unfit for the Master's use due to lack of total surrender.
- You will see and experience the glory of God: It's only men who are dead to themselves that can behold and experience God's glory. (Exodus 33:20, 1 Corinthians 15:31).
Kathryn Kuhlman, a woman mightily used by God in the ministry would always say, "If you want the anointing and God's glorious power working in your life, you'll have to die!"
The Apostle Paul said, "I die daily!" 1 Corinthians 15:31.
That is dying to ourselves just to please the Lord.
Christ is magnified in your life: As you live a life of total surrender and yielded-ness to God, men will begin to see more and more of Christ in you! (John .3:30, Philippians 1:20).
You will have and enjoy all of God: Giving God your all entitles you to having all of God and all that He has in store for you. (Genesis 22:16-18; James 4:8).
Speedy answers to prayers: God answers you speedily because it's no more all about you, but it's now all about Him and His kingdom.No more selfishness in your prayers,
(Matt.6:33,Ps.84:11,Is.65:24).
Hannah prayed for the fruit of the womb for several years all to no avail, but when in total surrender she said, "Lord it is no more about me, it is no more about proving a point to my adversary (Peninnah) that l too can be pregnant. Lord, it is now about You and Your chosen people, Israel. "If You'll give me a male child, I'll give him back to You all the days of his life to be a Priest unto You." And immediately God granted her request! (See 1 Samuel 1:1-28).
- Boldness and power in prayer: Total surrender to the will and purpose of God gives you boldness and power in prayer.(1 John 3:22; 5:14).
The unsurrendered life can never be bold in the presence of God! Such believers will always have doubts in their hearts because of their unwillingness to surrender fully to God.
- You'll win Christ and fulfill God's Dream:
Totally submitting yourself to the will and plan of God will enable you fulfill God's dream and plan for your life. Refusal to totally surrender to God results in missing out on God's best for your life! (Phil.3:8; Heb.12:1).
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. (Philippians 3:8).
- Honour,glory and power are conferred on you: The more believers submit themselves to God's authority in their lives, the more honour, glory and power of the kingdom they will command (James 4:7; 2 Corinthians 10:6).
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:6).
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CONCLUSION
If you truly desire to burn and shine for God in this day and in this hour, you must be ready to live a life of TOTAL SURRENDER to Him.
Now say these words, "Heavenly Father, from now on, I have no will of my own. Let Your will be done in me, through me, by me, and regarding me in all things. I put myself unreservedly in Your hands. Please do whatever You desire with me, in Jesus Christ's name - Amen."
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Disclaimer:
####This is the exclusive product and publication of the General Council Youth Ministries Department, Assemblies of God Nigeria.
