Embracing Strength Through Surrender: A Palm Sunday Reflection
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound concept of surrender, particularly in the context of Palm Sunday, when Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This event is a powerful illustration of true strength, which is not found in circumstances or outcomes but in the act of surrendering to God's will. Jesus exemplified this by willingly choosing the path of suffering and sacrifice, fully aware of the trials He would face. His surrender was not to the political powers of the time but to the divine purpose set before Him, demonstrating that true strength lies in yielding to God's plan.
We often associate surrender with weakness, assuming that those who surrender are defeated. However, Jesus' journey shows us that surrender is a powerful act of faith and trust in God. It is about releasing control and allowing God to be our sufficiency, strength, and source. Romans 12 encourages us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, which is our genuine expression of worship. This means surrendering all aspects of our lives, not just the parts we are comfortable with.
The challenge for us is to move beyond partial surrender. We tend to give God control when life is smooth but retract it when faced with difficulties. Jesus' example teaches us that surrender requires sacrifice, and while sacrifice can be painful, it is necessary for experiencing the fullness of life that God has for us. True surrender involves denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus, even when it is uncomfortable.
Surrendering to God means trusting Him over our feelings, circumstances, and desires. It exposes areas where we lack trust and challenges us to grow in faith. As we reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross, we are reminded that surrender is not a one-time act but a continual process of yielding to God's will. In doing so, we find true life and fulfillment in Him.
Key Takeaways:
- True Strength in Surrender: True strength is not derived from circumstances or outcomes but from surrendering to God's will. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday exemplifies this, as He chose the path of suffering and sacrifice, demonstrating that surrender is a powerful act of faith. [44:49]
- Surrender as Worship: Romans 12 teaches us that surrendering ourselves to God is our genuine expression of worship. This involves offering every aspect of our lives to Him, not just the parts we are comfortable with, and trusting Him to be our sufficiency and strength. [48:11]
- The Challenge of Partial Surrender: We often partially surrender to God, retracting control when faced with difficulties. Jesus' example shows us that true surrender requires sacrifice, and while it can be painful, it is necessary for experiencing the fullness of life that God has for us. [51:06]
- Trusting God Over Our Desires: Surrendering to God means trusting Him over our feelings, circumstances, and desires. It exposes areas where we lack trust and challenges us to grow in faith, as we learn to yield to His will in every area of our lives. [59:37]
- The Process of Continual Surrender: Surrender is not a one-time act but a continual process of yielding to God's will. As we reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross, we are reminded that in surrendering our lives to Him, we find true life and fulfillment. [01:04:32]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[40:53] - Opening Prayer
[44:49] - True Strength in Surrender
[48:11] - Surrender as Worship
[51:06] - The Challenge of Partial Surrender
[53:41] - Sacrifice and Surrender
[56:58] - Denying Self and Following Jesus
[59:37] - Trusting God Over Our Desires
[01:01:33] - Lack of Surrender Exposes Lack of Trust
[01:04:32] - The Process of Continual Surrender
[01:07:00] - Closing Reflections
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Strength in Surrender
Bible Reading:
- John 12:12-15
- Romans 12:1-2
- Matthew 16:24-25
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Observation Questions:
1. In John 12:12-15, what actions did the crowd take as Jesus entered Jerusalem, and what were they proclaiming? How does this reflect their expectations of Jesus? [44:49]
2. According to Romans 12:1-2, what does it mean to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, and how is this related to worship? [48:11]
3. In Matthew 16:24-25, what does Jesus say is required of those who wish to follow Him? How does this relate to the concept of surrender discussed in the sermon? [53:41]
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between partial and full surrender to God? What examples were given to illustrate this? [51:06]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday illustrate the concept of true strength through surrender? What does this teach us about the nature of strength in the Christian life? [44:49]
2. Romans 12:1-2 speaks of surrender as a form of worship. How might this perspective change the way one views daily acts of surrender in their life? [48:11]
3. The sermon mentions that surrender requires sacrifice and can be painful. How does this align with Jesus' teachings in Matthew 16:24-25 about denying oneself and taking up one's cross? [53:41]
4. The sermon suggests that lack of surrender exposes areas where we lack trust in God. How can identifying these areas help someone grow in their faith? [01:01:33]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you partially surrendered a situation to God. What was the outcome, and how might full surrender have changed the situation? [51:06]
2. Romans 12:1-2 encourages believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices. What is one area of your life that you find difficult to surrender to God, and what steps can you take to offer it to Him as an act of worship? [48:11]
3. Jesus' journey to the cross was marked by full surrender to God's will. How can you apply this example to a current challenge or decision in your life? [44:49]
4. The sermon discusses trusting God over our feelings and circumstances. Identify a specific situation where your feelings have led you away from trusting God. How can you realign your trust in Him? [59:37]
5. Consider the concept of denying oneself as described in Matthew 16:24-25. What is one practical way you can deny yourself this week to follow Jesus more closely? [53:41]
6. The sermon highlights the continual process of surrender. What daily practice can you implement to remind yourself to yield to God's will consistently? [01:04:32]
7. How can you encourage someone else in your life to embrace the strength found in surrendering to God? What specific actions or words might you use to support them in this journey? [44:49]
Devotional
Day 1: True Strength Lies in Surrender
In the context of Palm Sunday, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a profound illustration of true strength through surrender. Unlike the typical perception of strength as dominance or control, Jesus demonstrated that real strength is found in yielding to God's will. He willingly chose the path of suffering and sacrifice, fully aware of the trials ahead. This act of surrender was not to the political powers of His time but to the divine purpose set before Him. By doing so, Jesus showed that surrender is a powerful act of faith, revealing that true strength is not derived from circumstances or outcomes but from aligning oneself with God's plan. [44:49]
Isaiah 53:7 (ESV): "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth."
Reflection: In what area of your life are you trying to exert control instead of surrendering to God's will? How can you begin to release that control today?
Day 2: Surrender as an Act of Worship
Romans 12 encourages believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, which is described as a genuine expression of worship. This involves surrendering every aspect of life to God, not just the parts that are comfortable or convenient. True worship is about trusting God to be our sufficiency and strength, acknowledging that He is the source of all we need. By surrendering to Him, we express our faith and trust, allowing God to work through us in ways we cannot achieve on our own. This act of surrender is a daily choice to honor God with our lives, recognizing that He is worthy of our complete devotion. [48:11]
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'"
Reflection: What is one area of your life that you have not fully surrendered to God as an act of worship? How can you begin to offer that area to Him today?
Day 3: The Challenge of Partial Surrender
Many people struggle with partial surrender, giving God control when life is smooth but retracting it when faced with difficulties. Jesus' example teaches that true surrender requires sacrifice, and while it can be painful, it is necessary for experiencing the fullness of life that God has for us. Partial surrender limits our ability to fully trust and rely on God, as it often reveals areas where we lack faith. By choosing to surrender completely, even in challenging times, we open ourselves to the transformative work of God in our lives, allowing Him to lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. [51:06]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"
Reflection: Identify a specific situation where you have been holding back from fully surrendering to God. What steps can you take to trust Him more in this area?
Day 4: Trusting God Over Our Desires
Surrendering to God means trusting Him over our feelings, circumstances, and desires. It involves recognizing that God's plans are higher and better than our own, even when we cannot see the full picture. This trust exposes areas where we lack faith and challenges us to grow, as we learn to yield to His will in every area of our lives. By trusting God over our desires, we allow Him to shape our hearts and align our lives with His purposes, leading to a deeper sense of peace and fulfillment. [59:37]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: What is one desire or circumstance you are struggling to trust God with? How can you begin to place your trust in Him today, despite your feelings?
Day 5: The Process of Continual Surrender
Surrender is not a one-time act but a continual process of yielding to God's will. As believers reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross, they are reminded that in surrendering their lives to Him, they find true life and fulfillment. This ongoing process requires daily commitment and intentionality, as it involves denying oneself, taking up one's cross, and following Jesus. By continually surrendering to God, believers experience the transformative power of His love and grace, leading to a life that is fully aligned with His purposes and filled with His peace. [01:04:32]
Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Reflection: How can you make surrendering to God a daily practice in your life? What specific actions can you take to ensure you are continually yielding to His will?
Quotes
We are all drawn to the strength of the superhero, whether they have special abilities or not. We are drawn to their strength, the strength that comes from the circumstance that they find themselves in, the strength that they pull maybe from their, their backstory or from their past or the strength that comes from them achieving their purpose or design goal that they set out to the strength that pushes them to see the victory. In the end, we admire the strength of the hero. But for the believer, when we look at the heroes of the scripture, when we look at the heroes right down to Jesus, what we see is that true strength doesn't derive from circumstance. It didn't derive from their past. The strength didn't come from a perceived outcome. We learn that true, lasting, authentic strength comes from surrender. It comes from surrender. [00:42:35] (77 seconds)
This is the day that we celebrate where Jesus began to show us where true strength lied. He began to show us what true strength really was as he enters Jerusalem and excitement is in the atmosphere and everybody's pumped up. Jesus understands fully what he's about to go through. And yet he goes anyway. Jesus surrenders. He surrenders his will. He surrenders his desire. He surrenders his ability so that you and I could have the opportunity to be in right standing with God. This event is happening and everybody is losing their mind. They're so excited. They're so excited. Prophecy is being fulfilled. And it was a time where the Jews thought that liberation had finally come and everyone's excited. But Jesus was on the road to surrender. [00:46:04] (64 seconds)
God desires and needs our surrender. Because when we surrender, it releases him to be God on our behalf. It releases him to be our sufficiency instead of us. It releases him to be our strength instead of us. It releases him to be our source instead of us. This is what surrender looks like. Romans 12 in this paraphrase says this, beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God's marvelous mercy? To surrender yourselves to God, to be his sacred living sacrifice and live in holiness, experiencing all that delights in his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Surrender. [00:49:20] (58 seconds)
For far too long, we have lived our lives surrendering some. We've spent too much time trying to partially surrender. We're okay with surrendering as long as everything is good and it's going our way. God, I surrender everything. As long as my finances are good. As long as my family is good. My job is good. My marriage is good. Oh God, I surrender all. But the moment it gets uncomfortable, the moment things start to take a turn, then we take our life back. Then we say, oh God, I didn't sign up for this. I didn't sign up for trials. I didn't sign up for the trials and tribulation package. [00:50:55] (60 seconds)
And the thing that some of us can't come to terms with is that surrender requires sacrifice. And sacrifice hurts, asked Jesus. Surrender requires sacrifice. And sacrifice hurts. We do not like pain. We will do everything we can to avoid pain. But if we ever want to see the fullness of the life that God has for us, it can only happen when we fully surrender. That was horrible. I'm gonna say it again. If we ever want to see the fullness of the life that God has for us, it can only happen when we fully surrender. [00:52:58] (55 seconds)
And we will walk around with this sense of, of, of, of piety because we come to church because I give an offering, because I serve, because I do this, but you haven't given him your life. And it's either all or nothing. That's, that's how it is. Jesus is like, you can't give me part. I am not taking part. Either you give me all or you give me nothing. And you're like, oh yes, I'm coming to church. I'm doing this. I'm doing that. I'm doing that. And God says, I do not know you. I do not know you. It is all or it is nothing. [00:54:55] (40 seconds)
Surrendering is not an easy thing to do. It doesn't come natural. When we surrender, we are saying that we are no longer allowing our desires, our wants, our feelings, and our emotions to dictate how we live. We will get mad and call somebody a hypocrite like that. And the Lord is like, look at you. You want to talk. Because we see what they're doing outwardly. But God is looking at your heart like that's, that's the same. Surrender. Surrendering all. We cannot be partial. [00:57:36] (59 seconds)
When we surrender, we're saying, hey, I am giving over myself to his ways, to his desires, to what he would have me to do, to how he would have me to move. Surrender says, no matter what God, I consider you first. I get an unexpected income, I get a little money, a little piece of change, first in the 15th cone. We have already spent it in our minds. Surrender says, God, what would you have me to do with this resource? Oh, I knew I wasn't going to get a bunch of amens on that. [00:58:51] (45 seconds)
But surrender says, regardless, I'm going to trust you. Surrender says, regardless, I am going to yield it up to you. I'm going to yield my emotions. I'm going to yield my justification. I'm going to yield what I want, my desires, God. Here's what surrender says. Surrender says, God, I trust you over what I feel. I trust you over what I see. I trust you over my circumstance. I trust you over my finance. I trust you over my relationship. I trust you over these things. And when we find it hard to do that, it is because we have reached an area in our faith where we don't trust him. [01:01:08] (48 seconds)
Lack of surrender exposes an area where we don't trust. That's all that is. Lack of surrender exposes an area where we do not trust. And we all have areas that we have to work on. Here's the thing. Are we willing to work on them? How long will we ignore it? I was talking to my wife and I said, there are some areas of this faith. There's some areas of this life. We all want to grow as believers. We want to grow in what Jesus has called us to do. But there's some areas and levels that we will never meet because we have failed to surrender to that level. [01:02:02] (46 seconds)
And when we do that, we're able to surrender. Sing this song. I surrender all. I surrender all. Anytime you see that, people singing that song, you can see there's a tear. As soon as they hit the note, tears start falling down people's faces. Why? Because they remember what they've given and the faithfulness of God. Because please understand that whatever it is that you surrender to God, it is nothing in comparison to what he has for you. And it is nothing in comparison to what he has already given. There's never a negative account balance when it comes to God. [01:03:56] (46 seconds)
This Friday is what we call Good Friday. And in the Good Friday story, we meet Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It's there. And he has a moment. We get to see his humanity in this moment. And I imagine that right where he was in that moment is where a lot of us are, maybe in this moment, even as you hear this message. The weight of surrender. The weight of surrender. [01:04:55] (39 seconds)
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