Work of Surrender

Christmas Series: God’s Work at Christmas

Work of Surrender

Phil 2:6-11

Theme: God demonstrates surrender through three marks.

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church. We are thrilled to have you attend each Sunday as we celebrate the Christ of Christmas during these next few weeks. Christmas is about Christ and we certainly want to honor Him during this season. Let me encourage you to take this opportunity to be a witness to those around you about the true meaning of Christmas and how they can know the Christ of Christmas.

We are in a current series: God’s Work at Christmas. We have seen the miraculous work of God at Christmas. The first week we saw God sent the angels to announce the birth of the Savior and this brought adoration. Last week we learned that what actually happened at Christmas was God became man.

Today, we will learn about the work of Surrender.

If you want to learn a sport or a skill, the best way is to look at the example. In fact, You Tube has the idea of watching a video of something we want to do. Many people learn how to build and fix about anything by simply watching what others do on video so they can do the same thing.

In the passage before us, God is showing a very important truth regarding the coming of Christ. There is a humility and a surrender that took place at Christmas which is exemplified by Christ. In fact, He is not an example, He is the ONLY example. He is the perfect example.

The Bible teaches when God came to earth this passage reveals God’s work of surrender to God’s perfect plan. Jesus was totally yielded to God the Father.

Years ago, I had a 13-year-old in one of my classes. He was a big challenge and would pay little attention at times. One day he was being very difficult and out of control. I told him to stand up and go to the back of the room. His response was priceless: he said, “I may be standing on the outside but I am not standing on the inside.” This has stuck with me for years because

I wonder how many times have I have been guilty of doing things on the outside but not on the inside.

Some will come to church to make their spouse happy, but they are not coming on the inside. Some will be nice to others on the outside, but not on the inside. Some will play being a Christian, but on the inside they are full of dead man’s bones. You see, surrender is not something that we are to do on the outside but it should be something we do on the inside.

This is what Jesus meant when He said:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)

The first mark . . .

Surrender begins internally

He thought it not robbery to equal with God. This mind of Christ refers to an attitude. Outlook determines outcome. If the outlook is selfish and self-willed, our actions will be divisive and destructive.

This form of God is not a shape or size. John 4:24 says God is spirit. This is human terms for our understanding. It is outward expression of the inward nature. In eternity past Jesus was with God which means He was equal with God. As God Jesus did not need anything! He had all the glory and praise of heaven. He had all the glory and praise of the universe.

He did not consider this to be selfishly held on to. He was not thinking of Himself but thinking of others. He thought, “ I cannot keep my privileges for myself, I must use them for others, and to do this, I will gladly lay them aside and pay whatever the price is necessary.

This means Jesus was surrendering who He is to God the Father. Verse 3 clearly defines the mind of Christ that he surrendered everything for others. His identity, His plan, His purpose.

As you look at the example of Christ, the historic moment He came to this earth, He already surrendered to His Father internally. He has chosen to yield in His mind and heart completely to the Father.

“The test of the submissive mind is not just how much we are willing to take in terms of suffering, but how much we are willing to give in terms of sacrifice.”[1] (Wiersbe)

What about you today? What is going inside your mind right now? Believe me the devil will bring thoughts against what God says.

In fact, here is what Satan thinks which is the total opposite of what Jesus thinks.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12–15)

Satan will throw the darts of pride, selfishness, and hatred to the Bible and the things of God. He will do everything within our thoughts to restrain us from surrendering to Christ. If the battle is raging in your mind right now, you are company with the rest of us.

God gives a powerful verse to help believers with this battle.

“(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)

Consider this: Every act of obedience or disobedience began with a thought. The decision of surrender begins internally and I want to challenge each person in this room to search your mind and heart.

Mark 2 . . .

Surrender centers in God’s will vv. 7-8

It was God’s will for His Son to come to earth as a servant. Made Himself of no reputation means he was coming as a man to dwell with mankind. This does not mean he was not God, but He was the God Man. This is a mystery which we cannot understand but it is here in the Scriptures. He was total God and total man.

It was God’s will that He came to earth. It was God’s will He was born of a virgin. It was God’s will that he was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. It was God’s will he healed, he taught, and he lived 33 years.

When a child grows up, he learns priorities in his life. He learns to clean up his room, to brush his teeth, to look after his responsibilities. He learns to respect others and share with others. These are priorities in his life and priorities are those unchangeable activities that are important and govern life.

Here God is showing us what is His highest and most important priority. God came to this earth to die on the cross. The mission and will of God is for all of mankind to be saved. Jesus willingly came to die for you and me. It is so important and so essential that He surrendered the glories and comforts of heaven to dwell among us so that He would go to the cross in our place. He died in our place.

Just as Jesus was willing to surrender to God’s will, we should be willing to surrender to His will. The first area of surrender to accept Christ as Savior. Many today have a struggle with surrendering to Jesus Christ as the only Savior. It is hard to admit there is nothing we can do for our salvation because we “think” we can do good things to get to heaven or treat people kind or do some kind of religious ritual to get to heaven. In other words, it is something we do rather than what Christ did for us. To surrender to salvation means we come to Him admitting we are sinners, admitting there is nothing we can do to take us to heaven, admitting Jesus is the only Savior and the only way to heaven.

Once we become a Christian and have surrendered to Him for salvation, we are to surrender to be baptized. We are to surrender to church membership. We are to surrender to living for God every day and obeying what He says. This starts in the morning when I rise, there is the daily surrender to walking in His will. Paul calls it a living sacrifice Rom. 12:1.

John 3:31 “He must increase, I must decrease.”

In his book Dedication and Leadership, Douglas Hyde explains how the Communists succeed in their program. A member of the Communist Party himself for twenty years, Hyde understands their philosophy. He points out that the Communists never ask a man to do a “mean, little job.” They always ask him boldly to undertake something that will cost him. They make big demands, and they get a ready response. Mr. Hyde calls “the willingness to sacrifice” one of the most important factors in the success of the Communist program. Even the youths in the movement are expected to study, serve, give, and obey, and this is what attracts and holds them.[2]

You see living for God requires a daily surrender. God may speaking to you like he did to the followers in the first century.

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

Denying himself means we surrender our lives to Christ and the cross refers to our death ourselves, our ways, and our wants. We surrender to His will for our lives.

Mark 3. . .

Surrender gives God glory vv. 9-11

Please notice here Jesus is exalted. Paul warns against vain glory in v. 3. The ministry is not Christian against Christian or ministry against ministry, it is about giving glory to God.

As Jesus was exalted, we learn He is sovereign authority over all the creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. All will bow down to Him because He is before all . The purpose of surrender for Jesus is exaltation as He faced the cross, the glory of the Father was in His mind.

Have you surrendered to Him in salvation? Has there been a time in your life where you said, Lord, I am sinner. I cannot take care of myself, and I need YOU as my Savior? I believe you died for me and you were buried and rose again. I turn from my sin and turn to You. Salvation brings glory to God.

Maybe you are here today and you have not surrendered to baptism or church membership or daily Godly living. Are you willing to surrender to His will today? Perhaps coming to the altar here and say today I surrender to your will. Today YOU will be the Lord of my life. This brings glory to God.

[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 76. [2]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 75–76.