The Sword and the Surrender

Text: Luke 2:22–35

Theme: Holiness, Dedication, and Absolute Surrender

Introduction: The Collision of Ordinary and Divine

We open our Bibles to Luke chapter 2. We often read this as a sweet, sentimental story. A young couple, a baby, an old man in the temple. But if you look closer, this is not a sentimental scene—it is a scene of collision.

It is the collision of the old covenant and the new. It is the collision of human poverty and Divine Majesty. Mary and Joseph walk into the temple with two small birds—the offering of the poor. They are following the Law. They are doing what is required.

But God is about to demand more than a pair of doves. He is looking for a life. He is looking for a heart. He is looking for surrender.

Today, we are talking about a holiness that costs you something. We are talking about a dedication that goes beyond a ceremony. We are talking about surrendering the flesh, bowing to His sovereignty, and trembling before His divinity. His Majesty.

I. Dedication Requires Separation (Luke 2:22–24)

I. Luke 2:22–24 “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” )

“Dedication Requires Separation”

Luke tells us Mary and Joseph came to Jerusalem “to present Him to the Lord.” But before they could present anything, they had to be purified.

Why? Because God is holy. Because God is not casual or common. Because you cannot stroll into the presence of a consuming fire with the dust of the world still clinging to your shoes.

Mary and Joseph understood something this generation has forgotten:

Dedication requires separation. Consecration requires cleansing. Presentation requires purification.

They did not come to God casually. They did not come with unwashed hands or unexamined hearts. They came according to the Law—because holiness is not optional when you approach a holy God.

🔥 HOLINESS PREACHING POINTS (Refined & Scripture‑Grounded)

1. You cannot dedicate what you refuse to separate.

You cannot dedicate a child, a ministry, or a life to God while holding hands with the world. You cannot ask God to bless what you refuse to cleanse. You cannot present your future to God while your present is entangled in sin. Dedication without separation is deception.

New Testament Grounding: Romans 12:1 – “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy… unto God.”

2. You cannot enter God’s presence carrying what God told you to leave behind.

You cannot walk into the holy place with unholy habits. You cannot walk into the sanctuary with secret sin. You cannot walk into the presence of the King dragging chains He died to break. Purification is not punishment—it is preparation.

New Testament Grounding: Hebrews 12:1 – “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”

3. God requires purification because God is holy.

Holiness is not a personality trait of God—it is the atmosphere of His presence. Holiness is not a preference—it is His essence. Holiness is not a suggestion—it is the standard. If God is holy, then everything brought to Him must be made holy.

New Testament Grounding: 1 Peter 1:15–16 – “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

4. Purification is the doorway to dedication.

Mary and Joseph did not skip the process. They did not bypass the requirements. They did not say, “God knows my heart.” They obeyed because they understood: You cannot offer God what has not first been purified by God.

New Testament Grounding: James 4:8 – “Cleanse your hands… purify your hearts…”

5. Purification is not about shame—it is about readiness.

God purifies you so He can use you. God cleanses you so He can fill you. God separates you so He can send you. God sanctifies you so He can trust you. Purification is God preparing you for what He wants to pour into you.

New Testament Grounding: 2 Timothy 2:21 – “If a man therefore purge himself… he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use.”

🔥 HOLINESS RIFF

“You cannot carry the smell of Egypt into the courts of Zion. You cannot bring Babylon’s idols into Jerusalem’s temple. You cannot mix the world’s dust with heaven’s glory. You cannot walk in with compromise and walk out with consecration. If you want God to receive what you present, you must let God purify what you bring. Dedication requires separation. Consecration requires cleansing. Holiness requires a holy people.”

🔥 SURRENDER OF THE FLESH

We live in a generation that wants the crown without the cross, the blessing without the bleeding, the anointing without the altar, resurrection power without crucifixion obedience.

But the flesh must die.

We must surrender the flesh that screams for attention. We must surrender the flesh that demands to be right. We must surrender the lust that hides in the dark. We must surrender the pride that stands in the light. We must surrender the ego that refuses correction. We must surrender the habits we keep excusing. We must surrender the attitudes we keep defending. We must surrender the appetites we keep feeding. We must surrender the ambitions we keep idolizing.

This is not about doing better—it is about dying daily. Not self‑improvement—self‑crucifixion. Not behavior modification—spiritual mortification. Not trying harder—laying lower.

Holiness does not come by accident, emotion, or convenience. Holiness comes when the flesh is nailed to the cross and the Spirit is given full control.

Because whatever you refuse to crucify will eventually crucify you. Whatever you refuse to surrender will eventually enslave you. Whatever you refuse to lay down will eventually lay you out.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

🔥 II. THE POSTURE OF WAITING

(Luke 2:25–27) “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,”

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him…”

Look at Simeon.

The Bible does not call him talented. It does not call him influential. It does not call him successful. It calls him just and devout.

He wasn’t just religious— he was holy.

He wasn’t just present in the Temple— he was positioned in the Spirit.

He wasn’t just living— he was waiting.

Simeon lived in a posture of holy expectation. He lived leaning forward. He lived listening. He lived surrendered.

And Scripture says, “He came by the Spirit into the temple.”

He did not move until the Spirit moved. He did not step until the Spirit stirred. He did not act until the Spirit anointed.

In a world that runs on impulse, Simeon lived on instruction. In a world that moves on emotion, Simeon moved on revelation. In a world that follows trends, Simeon followed the Spirit.

To choose to move only when God gives you momentum is to stand in the face of culture, in the face of pressure, in the face of temptation, in the face of friends and family, and declare:

“I will not move until God moves.”

Simeon was a man who refused to be driven by the flesh, by fear, by urgency, by opportunity, or by the expectations of others.

He chose to be moved only by the Spirit of God.

🔥 HOLINESS “THE WAITING OF THE HOLY”

“Waiting is not weakness—it is worship.

They that wait upon the Lord!! Waiting is not inactivity—it is intimacy.

Shall Renew their Strength Waiting is not delay—it is divine alignment.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint Waiting is not God ignoring you—it is God preparing you.”

Teach me Lord, to Wait

Simeon teaches us that holiness has a pace. Holiness has a rhythm. Holiness has a patience.

There is posture with Holiness.

You cannot walk in holiness if you run ahead of God. You cannot walk in holiness if you chase what He never sent. You cannot walk in holiness if you move every time your flesh twitches.

Holiness waits. Holiness listens. Holiness obeys.

Holiness says, “I refuse to move without Him.” Holiness says, “I refuse to step without His voice.” Holiness says, “I refuse to act without His anointing.”

Simeon waited when others wandered. He stayed when others scattered. He listened when others talked. He prayed when others played. He watched when others slept.

And because he waited— he saw what others missed.

Because he waited— he held what others only hoped for.

Because he waited— he embraced the Christ.

Church

Waiting is not punishment—it is positioning. Waiting is not God withholding—it is God preparing. Waiting is not God delaying—it is God aligning your steps with His Spirit.

Simeon lived in such holiness that the Spirit could trust him with timing. He lived in such surrender that the Spirit could trust him with revelation. He lived in such obedience that the Spirit could trust him with visitation.

This is the posture of the holy: I will not move until God moves. I will not speak until God speaks. I will not step until God steps. I will not run until God releases me. I will not act until the Spirit says, ‘Now.’”

🔥 III. SURRENDER TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY (Luke 2:27)

“So he came by the Spirit into the temple.”

Church—do not rush past that line. Do not treat it like a filler phrase or narrative fluff.

This is the entire posture of a holy man. Of a surrendered life. Walking with God.

“He came… by the Spirit.”

Not by impulse. Not by emotion. Not by opportunity. Not by convenience. Not by pressure. Not by personal agenda.

He came by the Spirit.

This is what surrender to the sovereignty looks like.

Simeon did not have his own agenda. He did not have his own timeline. He did not have his own strategy. He was a man under authority— a man who moved only when the Spirit moved.

🔥 PREACHING EXPOSITION — “Surrender to His Sovereignty”

Church, I want to talk about Surrender to His Sovereignty.

We make our plans— but do we seek His face?

We map out our futures— but do we bow to His will?

We chase opportunities— but do we ask if they came from His hand?

🔥 Surrendering to His Sovereignty Means…

1. You stop fighting the closed doors.

If God shut it, it wasn’t for you. If God blocked it, it would have broken you. If God withheld it, it would have wounded you.

Closed doors are not rejection—they are protection. Sovereignty means trusting that God closes doors out of wisdom, not anger; out of mercy, not punishment.

New Testament Grounding: Revelation 3:7 – “He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” Only God has the authority to close a door, and when He does, no force on earth or hell can pry it open.

2. You stop forcing the open doors.

Some doors open easily because they are traps. Some doors open quickly because they are distractions. Some doors open widely because the enemy wants you to walk through them.

Surrender means you refuse to pry open what God has sealed shut. It means you trust that the right doors open by His hand, not by your effort.

New Testament Grounding: Revelation 3:8 – “Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it…”

God—not opportunity, emotion, or pressure—determines which doors are truly open. If He opens it, you don’t have to force it. If He didn’t open it, you don’t want it.

3. You need to start saying, “God, if You do not go, I am not going.”

New Testament Grounding: John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

If His presence does not lead, His blessing will not follow. Surrender means you refuse to move without His direction.

4. You say, “God, if You say stay, I am not moving.”

New Testament Grounding: Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Staying is not stagnation when God commands it. Waiting is not weakness when God ordains it. Surrender means you trust His timing more than your urgency.

5. You embrace your place in the relationship.

New Testament Grounding: Romans 9:20–21 “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” – “Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it…? Does not the potter have power over the clay?”

You are the Potter; I am the clay. You are the Shepherd; I am the sheep. You are the Master; I am the servant. You are the King; I am the subject. You are Sovereign; I am surrendered.

His timing is perfect. His will is absolute. His plan is sovereign.

🔥 “Not My Will, But Thine”

“Surrender is not passive—it is powerful. Surrender is not weakness—it is worship. Surrender is not giving up—it is giving God control. Surrender is not losing—it is aligning with the One who never loses.”

Surrender says: “Lord, I trust Your timing even when I do not understand it.” “Lord, I trust Your plan even when it contradicts mine.” “Lord, I trust Your wisdom even when it wounds my pride.” “Lord, I trust Your sovereignty even when it breaks my schedule.”

Surrender means you stop wrestling with God. Surrender means you stop negotiating with God. Surrender means you stop resisting God. Surrender means you stop trying to be your own god.

Surrender means you pray like Jesus prayed:

Luke 22:42 “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done.”

That is not a soft prayer. That is not a gentle prayer. That is not a polite prayer.

That is the prayer of a man crushed under the weight of obedience— yet fully surrendered to the sovereignty of His Father.

Surrender is not saying, “God, bless my plan.” Surrender is saying, “God, break my plan if it’s not Yours.”

Surrender is not saying, “God, open this door.” Surrender is saying, “God, close every door that is not from You.”

Surrender is not saying, “God, make this work.” Surrender is saying, “God, make me willing.”

This is the posture of Simeon. This is the posture of Jesus. This is the posture of the holy.

“Not my will, but Thine be done.”

🔥 BABY DEDICATION

Church, the Word declares:

Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

This child is not an accident. This child is not an interruption. This child is not a burden. This child is a gift— a reward from the Lord, a blessing entrusted to this family, a life God has placed in your hands for His glory.

Today, we praise God for the gift of [Baby’s Name].

The Scripture teaches:

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Training is not accidental. Training is not passive. Training is not occasional.

Training is intentional. Training is daily. Training is discipleship in the home.

Raising a child and dedicating a child to Christ, for Christ and with Christ means:

You are shaping a heart. You are forming a soul. You are building a foundation that will outlast you.

Would the family come forward at this time.

This dedication today is not just about ceremony — it is about every day that follows.

THE PLEDGE (The Charge to the Parents)

We are not interrupting the service, we are moving with God in this moment. This baby dedication will focus on one family at a time.

Parents, I want you to know this baby dedication is not a ritual. You are making a covenant.

You are saying, like Hannah said of Samuel:

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.”

In other words...

You are surrendering your claim on this child. You are acknowledging that both Esther Margery May and Dominic George Ramirez belong to God first.

So I ask you:

Do [you /& your spouse] pledge to raise this child in the fear and nurture of the Lord? Do [you /& your spouse] pledge to model holiness, prayer, worship, and obedience in your home? Do [you /& your spouse] pledge to teach [Baby Name] them, speak life into [Baby Name] , and lead [Baby Name] toward Jesus?

If so, would you respond by saying: “I/We do, with God’s help.”

Father, in the name of Jesus, we place this child into Your hands. Cover them with Your protection, guide them by Your Spirit, and surround them with Your grace. Bless his/her home with unity, peace, and holiness. Strengthen [his/her parents] to lead with wisdom, love, and faith. Let this child grow in Your favor, walk in Your truth, and come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. We dedicate this life to You—now and forever. Amen

THE PROMISE OF SALVATION (Acts 16:31)

Church, this moment is not just for the parents— it is for all of us.

The Word declares:

Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

This is a biblical promise. This is a generational promise. This is a covenant promise.

We believe that as these children and their families follow Christ, God’s saving grace will flow through their homes — touching every heart, shaping every future, and drawing both [Baby’s Name] to Jesus in God’s perfect time.

Present certificates, and please take your seats.

🔥 III. THE VISION OF SALVATION

(Luke 2:28–32 “Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart In peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” )

“Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said… ‘For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.’”

Simeon took Jesus into his arms— but he saw more than a baby. He saw the Savior. Yeshua Hamashiach. The Messiah. The Anointed One. The Chosen One.

He saw the Ancient of Days wrapped in flesh. He saw the Light to the Gentiles shining in swaddling clothes. He saw the Glory of Israel resting in his trembling hands.

When you truly surrender, God opens your eyes to His Majesty.

You stop seeing your problems, and you start seeing His Power. You stop seeing the chaos of the world, and you start seeing the Divinity of the King of kings and Lord of lords. You stop seeing what is wrong around you, and you start seeing Who is standing before you.

Simeon did not just hold a child— he held the Christ.

And when you surrender, God will let you see what others only talk about.

🔥 PREACHING RIFF 3 — SURRENDER TO HIS MAJESTY

He is not just Mary’s boy—He is Heaven’s Beloved! He is the Root of David and the Bright and Morning Star!

He is not just a carpenter—He is the King of Glory! He is the Lamb who was slain and the Lion who reigns forever!

We are to surrender to His Divinity. We are to bow before His Majesty. We are to fall before His Throne.

He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the First and the Last. He is the Beginning and the End.

He is the Author and the Finisher of our Faith.

He is the Captain of our Salvation.

He is the Chief Cornerstone.

When you see Him— you do not argue with Him. You do not negotiate with Him. You do not bargain with Him.

You worship Him.

He is worthy of the struggle. He is worthy of the pain. He is worthy of the waiting. He is worthy of it all.

Philippians 2:10–11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

🔥 IV. THE COST OF THE CALL

(Luke 2:33–35 “And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” )

This is where the sermon gets hard.

Simeon turns to Mary and says, “A sword will pierce your soul.”

Oh, what a holy blessing. A sword will pierce your soul. Church, I want to present to you that true holiness always involves a sword.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

The sword cuts. The sword divides. The sword exposes. The sword separates the holy from the profane.

🔥 ILLUSTRATION — THE SURGEON’S KNIFE

Imagine a deep, festering infection near your heart. You go to a surgeon.

You do not want him to tickle you. You're in pain. Your wound is infected. It is near the heart. You do not want him to flatter you. You do not want him to comfort you with lies.

You want him to cut out the infection.

You know the knife will hurt. You know the knife will make you bleed. But Church, I am here to tell you that the knife is meant to save your life.

Some of you are running from the sword of the Spirit. You feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit cutting into your lifestyle, cutting into your relationships, cutting into your secret sins…

And you’re trying to bandage it up with “grace” and “mercy.”

Church, I am here to tell you “Let the sword do its work.”

The sword that Simeon promises pierces the soul to reveal the thoughts of the heart.

It exposes the “fans” of Jesus from the “followers” of Jesus.

It separates those who want a Savior from those who want a Lord.

🔥 CONCLUSION — THE REVEALING OF HEARTS

Verse 35 says: “…that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Right now— in this room— the Holy Spirit is revealing hearts.

He is revealing the areas you have not surrendered. He is revealing the secret sins you are protecting. He is revealing the idols you have been hiding. He is revealing the majesty you have ignored.

And He is calling you— He is calling you. He is calling you. He is calling you! not to emotion, not to religion, not to a moment— but to surrender.

🔥 FINAL CALL — THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE

There is a cry ringing out from Heaven. It is the cry of the Holy Spirit.

He is calling you!

And there is a cry rising from the Church. It is the cry of the Bride.

And she is calling you!

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

If you are tired of playing games with God… COME. If you want to lay down the burden of your own will… COME. If you are ready to let the sword pierce your heart so the healing can begin… COME.

Don’t wait. Simeon waited his whole life for this moment. Your moment is now.

Get out of your seat. Run to the mercy of God. Surrender it all today.