Embracing Surrender: Eight Words to Transform Your Life
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Reflecting on Pastor Tim Delena's powerful message, we delve into Psalm 119:100, where the psalmist declares, "I understand more than the ancients because I keep your precepts." This verse underscores the profound wisdom that comes from obedience to God's word, surpassing mere knowledge. [00:49:20]
In Acts 9, we encounter Saul, later known as Paul, who thought he understood his life's purpose until a blinding encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. His journey came to an abrupt halt, much like many of us today. In his first prayer as a converted man, Paul uttered eight words that changed everything: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" [00:57:28]
These eight words invite us to yield our plans and desires to God, trusting that His purpose for us is far greater than we can imagine. It requires our active cooperation, stepping through the doors God opens, even when the path is unclear. Like Paul, we may not receive the full picture immediately, but we are called to take the first step in faith. [01:09:52]
Paul was about to pray a prayer and actually it's an amazing prayer because it's the very first prayer he prayed as a converted man. Now he had had repetitious prayers he had had prayers that no doubt he had learned from some of the Old Testament practices but he'd never really prayed a New Testament prayer. [01:32:72]
The first thing out of his heart and I do believe in many regards it ought to be the first prayer out of the heart of every man woman or child who comes to Christ and has an actual conversion experience. Conversion means change conversion means new life source conversion means new relationship with God conversion means new direction new hope new future. [01:54:40]
Paul who is now praying he started out as Saul but now he's become Paul and it's interesting because when you do have a living encounter with God you do get a new nature. You and I get a new heart we get a new direction we get a new way of seeing things we get a new future. [02:18:16]
The willingness to walk through the willingness to go where we've never gone the willingness to do what we know we can't do without God the willingness to speak when we don't know what's going to come out of our mouth the willingness to to be put in places where we are so physically uncomfortable. [02:19:68]
Imagine Saul from enraged persecution of the church and torturing people to to suddenly finding himself in the midst of followers of Jesus Christ just looking for acceptance and trying to convince them that I'm not on your side I'm not against you I'm not for you and and having to go through that door. [02:34:08]
He took him to places established churches through his life used his hand even in prison to write much in the text of what we know as the governing principles and ideologies of the church of Jesus Christ today and when he prayed that prayer lord what do you want me to do. [02:57:60]
The first thing that God says in response to this prayer that's going to change the world I mean realistically it's going to change the world and so the first thing that God says in response to this prayer is go into the city so the point is don't despise the day of small beginnings. [03:08:32]
Don't think that that initial answer to your prayer is nothing for for you who are listening at home tonight he might just say get up and as you heard pastor ryan speak about tonight get a word and speak it into the heart of your of your wayward son or daughter whether they they scoff or scorn or curse you out whatever they do just just by faith go through that first door. [03:22:40]
Your ministry is going to be far-reaching but there's a caveat that comes with it in verse 16 of chapter 9 he said for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake the last part of that response to his prayer was yes your ministry is going to be far-reaching but it's not going to be easy. [03:43:84]
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In Acts 9, we encounter Saul, later known as Paul, who thought he understood his life's purpose until a blinding encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. His journey came to an abrupt halt, much like many of us today. In his first prayer as a converted man, Paul uttered eight words that changed everything: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" [00:57:28]
These eight words invite us to yield our plans and desires to God, trusting that His purpose for us is far greater than we can imagine. It requires our active cooperation, stepping through the doors God opens, even when the path is unclear. Like Paul, we may not receive the full picture immediately, but we are called to take the first step in faith. [01:09:52]
Paul was about to pray a prayer and actually it's an amazing prayer because it's the very first prayer he prayed as a converted man. Now he had had repetitious prayers he had had prayers that no doubt he had learned from some of the Old Testament practices but he'd never really prayed a New Testament prayer. [01:32:72]
The first thing out of his heart and I do believe in many regards it ought to be the first prayer out of the heart of every man woman or child who comes to Christ and has an actual conversion experience. Conversion means change conversion means new life source conversion means new relationship with God conversion means new direction new hope new future. [01:54:40]
Paul who is now praying he started out as Saul but now he's become Paul and it's interesting because when you do have a living encounter with God you do get a new nature. You and I get a new heart we get a new direction we get a new way of seeing things we get a new future. [02:18:16]
The willingness to walk through the willingness to go where we've never gone the willingness to do what we know we can't do without God the willingness to speak when we don't know what's going to come out of our mouth the willingness to to be put in places where we are so physically uncomfortable. [02:19:68]
Imagine Saul from enraged persecution of the church and torturing people to to suddenly finding himself in the midst of followers of Jesus Christ just looking for acceptance and trying to convince them that I'm not on your side I'm not against you I'm not for you and and having to go through that door. [02:34:08]
He took him to places established churches through his life used his hand even in prison to write much in the text of what we know as the governing principles and ideologies of the church of Jesus Christ today and when he prayed that prayer lord what do you want me to do. [02:57:60]
The first thing that God says in response to this prayer that's going to change the world I mean realistically it's going to change the world and so the first thing that God says in response to this prayer is go into the city so the point is don't despise the day of small beginnings. [03:08:32]
Don't think that that initial answer to your prayer is nothing for for you who are listening at home tonight he might just say get up and as you heard pastor ryan speak about tonight get a word and speak it into the heart of your of your wayward son or daughter whether they they scoff or scorn or curse you out whatever they do just just by faith go through that first door. [03:22:40]
Your ministry is going to be far-reaching but there's a caveat that comes with it in verse 16 of chapter 9 he said for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake the last part of that response to his prayer was yes your ministry is going to be far-reaching but it's not going to be easy. [03:43:84]
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