Embracing Transformation Through Surrender to the Holy Spirit

When the Holy Spirit is present in our lives, transformation is not a possibility—it’s a certainty. The Spirit’s presence always brings change, and that change is not something we manufacture or perform; it is the natural outflow of God’s work within us. Yet, it’s easy to miss or resist this transformation when our desires are misplaced. Like athletes who love the game but not the training, we can crave the results of faith—blessing, impact, fruit—without truly desiring the presence of God Himself. The story in Acts 19 shows us the difference between those who seek God for who He is and those who only want what He can give.

Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was marked by extraordinary miracles, but these were not the result of Paul’s ambition or desire for power. Instead, they flowed from his deep intimacy and reliance on God. Paul’s focus was never on the miracles themselves, but on knowing Christ and being surrendered to Him. The fruit was real because the desire was right. In contrast, the sons of Sceva tried to wield the name of Jesus without submitting to Him. They wanted the power without the relationship, and their efforts ended in humiliation and emptiness. This is a warning: when we desire the fruit more than the presence, we end up performing, pretending, and missing the real transformation God offers.

True transformation comes when we surrender, not just our actions, but our desires. The believers in Ephesus who brought their costly books of magic and burned them publicly demonstrated what surrender looks like. They didn’t care about the cost or their reputation; they wanted nothing to stand between them and intimacy with God. This act of surrender was more powerful than any miracle—it was the visible fruit of the Spirit’s work in their hearts. But as real transformation takes root, opposition will come. The enemy is content with our pretending, but he pushes back when we truly surrender and begin to change.

God does not call us to surrender so He can shame us, but so He can heal, redeem, and restore us. He invites us to lay down whatever we’re holding back—not to take from us, but to give us something better. Whether it’s secret sin, fear, or misplaced priorities, God’s desire is always for our good and our freedom. As a community, we are called to encourage one another toward deeper intimacy with Christ, to be honest about our struggles, and to seek His presence above all else. When we do, we experience genuine transformation, and the world around us cannot help but notice.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Presence of the Holy Spirit Guarantees Change When the Holy Spirit indwells us, transformation is inevitable. It’s not a question of if, but when. God always completes what He starts, and His Spirit’s presence will produce fruit in our lives, even if the process is slow or difficult. Our role is to remain open and surrendered to His ongoing work. [01:15]
• 2. Right Desires Lead to Real Fruit, Not Performance Paul’s life shows that authentic spiritual fruit comes from desiring God Himself, not just His blessings or power. When our focus is intimacy with Christ, the results—miracles, impact, change—are genuine and lasting. But when we chase the fruit instead of the source, we end up performing and pretending, missing the depth of transformation God intends. [15:11]
• 3. Empty Performance Results from Wrong Desires The sons of Sceva illustrate the danger of seeking spiritual results without true surrender. Using Jesus’ name without submitting to His lordship leads to emptiness and even humiliation. We can learn to “do” Christianity outwardly, but without surrender, our efforts are hollow and lack true authority or power. [20:09]
• 4. Surrendered Desires Bring Deep Transformation The believers in Ephesus who burned their valuable books modeled radical surrender. They chose intimacy with God over reputation, comfort, or security. True transformation requires us to lay down whatever competes with Christ in our hearts, trusting that what God offers in return is always better than what we give up. [34:28]
• 5. Real Surrender Will Be Opposed, But God’s Love Invites Us Forward As transformation takes root, spiritual opposition often increases—through fear, confusion, or doubt. The enemy is content with our pretending, but he resists our surrender. Yet God’s invitation to lay down our burdens is not to shame us, but to heal and restore us. He meets us in our honesty and gives us the courage to walk in freedom and intimacy with Him. [49:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:15] - The Certainty of Change with the Holy Spirit
• [02:18] - Loving the Process vs. Loving the Game
• [09:25] - Extraordinary Miracles in Ephesus
• [12:53] - Paul’s Desire: Intimacy with God
• [15:11] - Right Desires Lead to Real Fruit
• [18:09] - The Sons of Sceva: Performance Without Surrender
• [20:09] - The Danger of Wanting Results Without Relationship
• [24:11] - Pretending in the Christian Life
• [25:15] - The Process Over the Fruit
• [26:39] - Public Confession and Costly Surrender
• [34:28] - Radical Surrender and Its Cost
• [41:21] - Spiritual Opposition and the Riot in Ephesus
• [49:24] - God’s Invitation: Surrender Without Shame
• [58:11] - Encouragement Toward Deeper Intimacy
• [61:12] - Responding to the Holy Spirit
• [66:55] - Closing Prayer and Announcements

Bible Reading

Acts 19:11-20 (ESV) — 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Observation Questions

1. What was unique about the miracles God did through Paul in Ephesus? How did people respond to these miracles? ([09:25])
2. What did the sons of Sceva try to do, and what was the result? What does the evil spirit say to them? ([18:09])
3. After the incident with the sons of Sceva, what did the believers in Ephesus do with their magic books, and why was this significant? ([26:39])
4. According to the sermon, what was the difference between Paul’s approach to ministry and the sons of Sceva’s approach? ([14:20])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the miracles happened through Paul, but not through the sons of Sceva? What does this say about the importance of relationship with God versus just using His name? ([15:11])
2. The believers in Ephesus publicly burned their valuable books. What does this act of surrender tell us about what they valued most? ([34:28])
3. The sermon says that “wrong desires lead to empty performance.” What are some ways Christians today might fall into the trap of performing or pretending in their faith? ([24:11])
4. The message mentions that real surrender and transformation will often be met with opposition or fear. Why do you think the enemy pushes back when we truly surrender to God? ([41:21])

Application Questions

1. The sermon compared loving the “game” of faith to loving the “training” or process. Are there areas in your spiritual life where you want the results (fruit, blessing, impact) but struggle to desire God’s presence and the process of transformation? What would it look like to shift your focus? ([02:18])
2. Paul’s main desire was intimacy with God, not just miracles or results. What is your main desire in your walk with Jesus right now? How can you tell? ([14:20])
3. The sons of Sceva wanted the power of Jesus’ name without submitting to His lordship. Are there areas in your life where you want God’s help or blessing, but are holding back from full surrender? What might it look like to let go? ([20:09])
4. The believers in Ephesus brought out their “books” and burned them, not caring about the cost or their reputation. Is there anything in your life—habits, priorities, secret sins, or even good things—that you sense God is asking you to lay down for the sake of deeper intimacy with Him? ([34:28])
5. The sermon said, “God does not call us to surrender so He can shame us, but so He can heal, redeem, and restore us.” How does this truth challenge or encourage you to be honest about your struggles with God and with others? ([49:24])
6. When real transformation starts, the enemy often pushes back with fear, confusion, or doubt. Have you ever experienced spiritual opposition when you tried to make a change or obey God? How did you respond, and what helped you keep going? ([41:21])
7. As a community, how can we encourage each other to seek God’s presence above all else and be honest about our struggles, rather than pretending or performing? What practical steps can we take together? ([58:11])