I Surrender All

Introduction

I want to ask for a little bit of help this morning. I can’t afford a psychiatrist. And so I hope you’ll help. I want to tell you about a problem I have, and maybe, just maybe it’s something that you can relate to. But hopefully you can help me be better. Maybe the best way to describe this problem that I have is to tell you a story. And unfortunately, it wasn’t just a one time story, it was repeated over and over again. When we lived in North Alabama and we preached there, we had a preacher study. Those were kind of fairly common. You have several preachers in the area. We get together once a month and have a Bible study and have lunch afterwards, of course. We would usually meet at different local church buildings.

And there was one particular church building in Athens, Alabama, that we would always go to for our preacher study. And if you know me, this part won’t surprise you. I don’t need help with this part. That’s this is beyond help, but I’m a creature of habit, and I’d always sit at the same pew at this church building for our preacher study.

Those are fairly common at local church buildings. Some of the ladies that are a little short in stature need a stool to rest their feet on so their legs don’t fall asleep. And so there was one of those stools that always sat right where I always sit. And I imagine there’s a backstory to this stool because people cleaning the building, or maybe somebody borrowing this stool had forgot to put it back in some place. And so this particular lady had written on there in bold, permanent magic marker, do not move.

Somebody moved it, and so she went back with her marker, and then there were two exclamation points. Do not move.

Me, why are you that way too? Why does it seem for some of us? Most of us, all of us, we at times have this tendency to kind of rebel and not want to conform to the norms and the mores that have been placed upon us and not to do what we’ve always been told, but to move that stool when we’ve been instructed not to.

But when maybe it will affect my relationship to that king we just sang about. Turn with me, if you will, in the book of 1 Peter, chapter 2. We just saying that he’s my king, my glorious king. Well, that has some implications, doesn’t it? If he’s my king, then he’s my ruler. He gets to tell me what to do. He can say, Don’t move that stool. He can say, Don’t eat of the fruit of that tree. He can say, Thou shalt not kill. He can say, honor thy father and thy mother.

He can say, Love your neighbor and love your enemy. And my obligation to my king is to obey.

Okay, I get that. God gets to tell me what to do. And if it comes from the mouth of God, then I will do it. I will put my effort into doing the best that I can to do everything that God has told me to do and to do nothing that He’s told me not to do. But it’s not as simple as that, is it? Because God has put others into my life.

And you listen to them as well. Look at again at the passage with us in 1 Peter chapter 2. Begin in our reading in verse 13. The Holy Spirit says, Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake. Whether to the king is supreme or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of those who do good, for this is the will of God that by doing good, you will put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, honor the king. It just got harder. I accept the premise that I will do what proceeds from the throne of God.

1. Somebody’s Always Telling Me What to Do

Or at least I will do my best to try. I struggle with that at times. But now God has said, not only must I do what He directly says to me, but that He’s put others in my life who also get to tell me what to do. And I’m to submit to them as well. And do I truly surrender all to my King? And in so doing, as our text pointed out, honor God. Let’s talk about the struggle that maybe I’m not the only one who have in conforming to the plan of God and doing what I’m told. But let’s talk about how we can be better at being servants to our King by truly surrendering all. We start with the premise that we all know, and that is somebody’s always telling me what to do.

Isn’t that kind of the way life feels? Everywhere I go, every scenario, every relationship, every location, there’s somebody above me telling me what to do. Now it hasn’t always been that way. There was a time in my life when I was in control. And nobody really told me what to do. In fact, I told them what to do. And they jumped. But then I had my first birthday. And everything changed. I didn’t run the show anymore. My parents reversed those roles. And they told me what to do. And I can remember, you remember with me. Thinking, this won’t last forever. I’ll get old enough. I’ll get a driver’s license. I’ll get a job. I’ll get a car. I’ll get an apartment. And these people won’t tell me what to do anymore.

And I was partially right. But I didn’t understand two things is they were just as glad to be rid of me. And secondly, the world replaced them with so many others. I should have learned that lesson because earlier in that I had teachers who took on the responsibility of my mother and father. In fact, sometimes I even embarrassingly called her my mom. Because she was telling me what to do just like mom did at home. But when I threw off the shackles of that, of both elementary, high school, and even college, and got underneath, out from underneath all of those professors who were telling me what to do, the administrators who were telling me what to do, and even my parents who were telling me what to do.

Part of that so-called freedom required that I get a job. And guess what? There was somebody there telling me what to do. In fact, in almost every occasion, there were layers of people telling me what to do. I can remember one of my first bosses, his name was Durwood Boyd. And Durwood lived up to his name. He was a character.

And there’s overseers there who are ruling over me.

And every time I step outside of my house, well, I don’t even have to step outside of my house. There’s the government telling me what to do. And again, layers of government and bureaucracy telling me what to do. And you know it’s always been that way. Look in the New Testament, an example in Mark chapter 10. Jesus, in not excusing his disciples, but maybe explaining their culture. You remember the disciples had this argument. They wanted to be greatest. In fact, they wanted to be the one telling people what to do. And James and John took that to another level. They even came to Jesus and then they ratcheted up to another level and sent their mom to Jesus and said, give them positions of authority in your kingdom.

And Jesus kind of explained why they had that mentality. Mark chapter 10 and in verse 42. Jesus said of James and John, you know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles, lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Jesus says this is the way they’ve been trained. Their whole life, somebody’s been telling them what to do. There’s been a hierarchy, and so that’s why James and John want to be at the top of the food chain telling other people what to do. You see, it’s always been that way.

2. There’s Always Been the Tendency to Rebel

There’s always been somebody telling everybody what to do. And there’s always been, and here’s where I need your psychiatric help. There’s always been the tendency to rebel. Let’s look at a couple Old Testament examples. Go back to the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel chapter 8. There’s two stories in the life of Samuel. You remember Samuel, don’t you? Samuel was kind of the last judge. He was that transition judge. He was the last judge of the book of Judges. And then he becomes the transition prophet to the first king. And there’s two incidents in the life of this prophet slash judge Samuel that illustrate this idea, this human tendency to want to rebel and do it our own way.

1 Samuel chapter 8 and verse 5, it says, look, they said unto him, Look, you are old. That’s always a good way to start the conversation. You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased the Lord. Or excuse me, it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge over us. So Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you. But they’ve rejected me. That I should reign over them. Always been somebody telling man what to do. And there’s always been the tendency to say, I don’t want to do that.

God said, They’ve rejected me. That’s what’s happening here. And so God relents and appoints them a king. But look over in a couple pages. What does that king do? Look in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Saul becomes king. And even though Saul is the king, Saul still has somebody telling him what to do. God. And God says, Saul, you go and you do this. You utterly destroy the Amalekites. But Saul said, no. I want to do it my way. And so in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and in verse 10, he comes back after having not done what God had told him to do. In 1 Samuel 15, verse 10 says the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, I greatly regret that I’ve set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.

And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night long. And you remember the famous story, Samuel meets Saul on the way back from the battle of the Amalekites. And Saul says, We did what God told us to do. And Samuel says, Huh. Then what’s that that I hear? It sounds like sheep and cattle. It sounds like the sheep and cattle God told you to destroy. You remember Saul says, Oh, oh, that. Let me explain. The people wanted to do this. And so, yes, we kept them back, but we’ve got good intentions. We’re going to sacrifice them to God. See, that makes it okay, doesn’t it? But other than that, we did exactly. Well, no, if there’s another than that, then you didn’t do exactly.

3. Called Upon to Respect and to Submit

And so there was that tendency to rebel, to not do what was told. So we’ve always got somebody telling us what to do. And there’s always that tendency to not do it. To move the stool. But as citizens in this kingdom, as children of the king, I’ve been called upon to respect and to submit. That’s my charge. Look with me in the New Testament of how this is phrased. Look in the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Now, this morning’s lesson, we may do that a little bit later, but this morning’s lesson, I don’t want to look necessarily at so much the details of who’s telling me what to do and why I have to do it and even what I have to do. I just want to look at the big picture of that’s the way it is.

And there’s a lot of people telling me what to do.

But above them all is God telling me to do what they’re telling me to do. Isn’t that how it’s phrased? Look in Colossians chapter 3. Let’s look at a few verses as we look at this really chapter on submission. Colossians 3, verse 18. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. We don’t look at that first phrase and cringe at that, but the last phrase takes all the cringe away. As is fitting in the Lord. This is God telling me to do that. Verse 20, keep reading. Children, obey your parents in all things. For it is well pleasing to the Lord. Verse 22, bond servants, your translation may say, slaves. Obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

And then lastly, verse 23 beginning says, Whatever you do. Do it heartily as to the Lord, not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance, for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, but he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Do you get the point? There’s a lot of people telling me what to do. And I’m to submit. Why? One answer for the Christian. God said so. Why do I have to submit to my husband? The wife might ask. God said so.

4. Every Authority Has Been Appointed by God

Why must the child honor his father and mother and obey his parents? Because God said so. And maybe the most repugnant of all those relationships, why was a slave have to submit to his master? Because God said so. Everything we do is framed by that relationship. And every act of human submission is really an act of divine submission. I’m doing it for God. Because in civilization, God’s established an order. In the family, God has established an order. In the church. God has established an order. Look in Romans chapter 12 and 13 at this principle when it comes to human governments. We saw it there in the family relationships and even in the bond servant master relationship. But look at it in regard to government. Romans chapter 12.

A passage that had its meaning lost on me for many years was Romans 12, verse 19. Romans 12, verse 19 says, Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. So, we talked in our lessons this morning about forgiveness. Somebody does me wrong. I am going to get justice. I’ll put the six-shooter on my side and form a posse and we’ll go make it right. But God says no. And I used to think that Romans 12, verse 19 meant says, God saying, I’ll take care of it on the day of judgment. And there’s certainly some truth to that. But when God says, Vengeance is mine, don’t you avenge? Vengeance is mine, I will repay.

Consider the context. Verse 20 goes on to say, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he’s thirsty, give him a drink, and in so doing, you’ll heap coals of fire on you. The opposite of avenging, you actually do them good. Do not, don’t let this overcome you. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And then he says, ignore the chapter break. God didn’t put that there. Look what he says in chapter 13, verse 1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there’s no authority except from God. For the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.

Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. He is God’s minister and avenger. Underline that word in your mind. An avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Does that mean the final judgment? God will make it right? Sure it does. But it also means God’s appointed an avenger. And it wasn’t me. God’s appointed a government avenger to take care of this. And so the simple scenario here is someone breaks into my house and steals something. I don’t call for a posse. I call for the police.

Because God says, Vengeance is mine, and I’ve set something in order to take care of this. Now, ultimately, because we know that system’s flawed because it involves men, ultimately, yes, God will take care of it all on the day of judgment. Put in the immediate context, when God says, Vengeance is mine, and I’ve appointed an avenger. And it’s not you. It’s my minister, the government.

Every authority has been appointed by God. Look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 12. You won’t know about some more people that’ll get to tell you what to do. 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 12 and 13 read this way, and we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. Now, Romans 13 talked about some of God’s ministers who were over me. That spoke, obviously in that context, about the secular government, who were doing a work of God in avenging justice on God’s behalf. But in 1 Thessalonians 5, he’s not talking about those people. He’s talking about another group who God has appointed to be over me. And I’m too, verse 13, esteem them highly in love for their work’s sake, and to be at peace among yourselves.

One other passage to that context, Hebrews 13 and in verse 17. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 17 says much the same thing that that passage in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 said. Hebrews 13 and verse 17 really puts it more bluntly when it says this. Obey those who rule over you and be submissive. Now let’s just pause there. If I took that verse or that part of a verse out of its context, I might say, oh, well, he’s talking about the king again. He’s talking about the government again. No, read on. Hebrews 13, verse 17, obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls. Now, Romans 13, the government’s watching out for my physical body, are they supposed to be, but they’re not watching out for my soul.

God didn’t entrust them with that. He’s entrusted someone else. They watch out for your souls as those who must give an account. So let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. God’s talking about, or the Hebrew writer is talking about another form of government that God has set up. This time in the church.

5. When I Fail to Submit, That Is Rebellion Against God

Obey those who rule over you. And so the implication is that when I fail to submit, that is an act of rebellion against God. Because it’s rebelling against God’s order. Remember God’s statement to Samuel, they’ve not rejected you. They’ve rejected me. That statement could be echoed every time I rebel. When I rebel against the government, God could say, You haven’t rejected them. You’ve rejected me. When a wife fails to submit to her husband, when a child forgets, fails to obey his parents, God could say, You haven’t rejected them. You’ve rejected me. When I fail to recognize and to submit to God’s order in the local church, God could say, You haven’t rejected them. You’ve rejected me. And again, you remember the statement in Romans chapter 13, talking about human government, but surely can be applied to all of these aspects of God’s authority, legislated and delegated to others.

When Paul said by inspiration, there is no authority except from God. So will I truly surrender all to my Kingdom. Or will I be like God’s rebellious people in generations prior? We won’t turn over there, but in the book of Isaiah, chapter 30, the people wanted to go to Egypt. And they hadn’t asked God whether it was okay to go to Egypt. But they wanted to go to Egypt, and they were going to go to Egypt. No matter what God said, no matter what God’s appointed prophet Isaiah said, they were going to go to Egypt. And God said of them, O stubborn children, who carry out a plan, but not mine.

Conclusion

And say, Ken, I saw you move that stool. And that was okay. But you didn’t stop there. Because you’re a stubborn child who carried out a plan, but not mine.

And that means emptying myself of my stubborn pride and my stubborn will and saying, Let thy will be done and not mine. Would you relinquish that stubborn will to God this morning in obedience to the gospel? And say, God, let thy will be done and not mine. Speak for your servant hear it. Would you obey the gospel this morning? Would you submit every aspect of your life to His perfect and glorious will? If we can help you this morning, why not let it be known? As right now we stand and we sing.