Embracing Trust: The Power of Surrendering to God
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Sermon Summary
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Clara's life seemed perfect on the surface but beneath the facade she struggled with an overwhelming fear of losing control she believed that if she let go even for a moment everything she had worked so hard for would crumble now this mindset extended to her personal relationships as well her friends often felt suffocated by her need to dictate social plans and her romantic relationships fizzled out because her partners felt untrusted. [00:04:07] (30 seconds)
However, upon arriving at her mother's bedside, Clara began to feel an unexpected pain of helplessness. Her mother's condition was beyond her control, and no amount of planning could change that. As weeks turned into months, Clara's attempts to manage her mother's illness began to take a toll on her own health. She rarely slept, her appetite dwindled, and she felt as though a heavy cloud hung over her every day. [00:02:39] (33 seconds)
A few weeks later, yes, a few weeks later, not that moment, exhausted on the brink of breaking down, Clara finally decided to try, try a different approach. She chose to trust the medical professionals, lean on her friends, and lean on her family for support, and allow herself moments of rest and release. And she also began to pray, seek guidance and strength from God. [00:03:56] (31 seconds)
For the first time in years, Clara began to experience a sense of peace. Not just success, but of peace. She realized that by letting go and trusting in God's plan, she had created space for others to step in and to contribute their strengths, and a hope began to arise in areas that she had previously felt powerless over. [00:04:54] (24 seconds)
We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Simply put, step three can be summarized this way. I can't, that was step one. God can, that was step two. I think I'll let God. That is step three. [00:07:56] (23 seconds)
You see, the first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be successful, which is opposite, especially if you're growing up. in the west that's opposite of what you're told from the littlest and by the way you heard me say this i think christians are some of the worst we unfortunately raise our kids if you just do things you follow the rules you get the right education you hang out with the right crowd everything will turn out you can control that you can work really super hard and make your life successful you know add a little god in there and we never say it that way but that's in essence what we're saying it but in order to fundamentally change we actually have to go against that thought. [00:08:48] (46 seconds)
And in the third step, we discover how to make the use of that solution, but it's not easy. So here it is. Here's the step three. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Simply put, step three can be summarized this way. I can't, that was step one. God can, that was step two. I think I'll let God. That is step three. [00:07:56] (31 seconds)
The second reason is god's will is effective his will has been tested and shown to be effective by folks all throughout the ages the um the people here in this in this the context of of what we're going to jump to now is john chapter 7 is jesus is teaching and they are amazed at both jesus knowledge and his wisdom and they're wondering where did he get all this from this guy is saying stuff and doing things that nobody else has done we want to go to that program we want to go to that teacher? Where did he learn this stuff? And then this is how Jesus replies. He knows what's everyone saying. He says this from John 7. And again, I'm using the message because I just think he paraphrases this really well. Jesus said, I didn't make this up. In other words, the things that I'm telling you, by the way, we don't know what he said. We just know it was amazing. What I teach comes from the one, that's God, who sent me. [00:16:49] (59 seconds)
It's a battle of the wills. And I have actually found this to be the central, as I talk to people as they've come in pastorally or as they talk about, you know, their unbelieving neighbors or friends or family, what I've found is, for most people, the real question isn't whether or not God exists. If you get below that, the real question is, am I willing to submit my will to him? And since I'm not, well, then I kind of play this mental game. Oh, I'm agnostic. You can't know for sure. There's so many religions. There's... There's... It's like, because you got one fake dollar bill, $20 bill, I don't use money anymore because I came across a counterfeit. Now, that doesn't make any sense, but that's the game we play with God because the issue isn't whether God exists. The issue is, if he does, then there's accountability and there's a different way of doing things and... I don't really want that. [00:23:19] (60 seconds)
But the Bible's clear, and it says this in several places, but one of them, it says, in Luke chapter 12, in Luke 22, verse 41, it says that Jesus, after that Passover celebration where he talked about, this is my body, this is my blood, they didn't know what he was talking about. They knew it was supposed to be about the exodus, but they didn't realize that the whole exodus thing was always about him. And then they go up to the garden, and it says here, he withdrew from the vast stone's throw, and he knelt down and began to pray, saying, Father, Father God, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be. See, Jesus knew God's will. It had been worked out. He needed to be the sacrifice. They had been doing all these animal sacrifices. Blood had to be spilt. [00:25:11] (46 seconds)
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However, upon arriving at her mother's bedside, Clara began to feel an unexpected pain of helplessness. Her mother's condition was beyond her control, and no amount of planning could change that. As weeks turned into months, Clara's attempts to manage her mother's illness began to take a toll on her own health. She rarely slept, her appetite dwindled, and she felt as though a heavy cloud hung over her every day. [00:02:39] (33 seconds)
A few weeks later, yes, a few weeks later, not that moment, exhausted on the brink of breaking down, Clara finally decided to try, try a different approach. She chose to trust the medical professionals, lean on her friends, and lean on her family for support, and allow herself moments of rest and release. And she also began to pray, seek guidance and strength from God. [00:03:56] (31 seconds)
For the first time in years, Clara began to experience a sense of peace. Not just success, but of peace. She realized that by letting go and trusting in God's plan, she had created space for others to step in and to contribute their strengths, and a hope began to arise in areas that she had previously felt powerless over. [00:04:54] (24 seconds)
We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Simply put, step three can be summarized this way. I can't, that was step one. God can, that was step two. I think I'll let God. That is step three. [00:07:56] (23 seconds)
You see, the first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be successful, which is opposite, especially if you're growing up. in the west that's opposite of what you're told from the littlest and by the way you heard me say this i think christians are some of the worst we unfortunately raise our kids if you just do things you follow the rules you get the right education you hang out with the right crowd everything will turn out you can control that you can work really super hard and make your life successful you know add a little god in there and we never say it that way but that's in essence what we're saying it but in order to fundamentally change we actually have to go against that thought. [00:08:48] (46 seconds)
And in the third step, we discover how to make the use of that solution, but it's not easy. So here it is. Here's the step three. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Simply put, step three can be summarized this way. I can't, that was step one. God can, that was step two. I think I'll let God. That is step three. [00:07:56] (31 seconds)
The second reason is god's will is effective his will has been tested and shown to be effective by folks all throughout the ages the um the people here in this in this the context of of what we're going to jump to now is john chapter 7 is jesus is teaching and they are amazed at both jesus knowledge and his wisdom and they're wondering where did he get all this from this guy is saying stuff and doing things that nobody else has done we want to go to that program we want to go to that teacher? Where did he learn this stuff? And then this is how Jesus replies. He knows what's everyone saying. He says this from John 7. And again, I'm using the message because I just think he paraphrases this really well. Jesus said, I didn't make this up. In other words, the things that I'm telling you, by the way, we don't know what he said. We just know it was amazing. What I teach comes from the one, that's God, who sent me. [00:16:49] (59 seconds)
It's a battle of the wills. And I have actually found this to be the central, as I talk to people as they've come in pastorally or as they talk about, you know, their unbelieving neighbors or friends or family, what I've found is, for most people, the real question isn't whether or not God exists. If you get below that, the real question is, am I willing to submit my will to him? And since I'm not, well, then I kind of play this mental game. Oh, I'm agnostic. You can't know for sure. There's so many religions. There's... There's... It's like, because you got one fake dollar bill, $20 bill, I don't use money anymore because I came across a counterfeit. Now, that doesn't make any sense, but that's the game we play with God because the issue isn't whether God exists. The issue is, if he does, then there's accountability and there's a different way of doing things and... I don't really want that. [00:23:19] (60 seconds)
But the Bible's clear, and it says this in several places, but one of them, it says, in Luke chapter 12, in Luke 22, verse 41, it says that Jesus, after that Passover celebration where he talked about, this is my body, this is my blood, they didn't know what he was talking about. They knew it was supposed to be about the exodus, but they didn't realize that the whole exodus thing was always about him. And then they go up to the garden, and it says here, he withdrew from the vast stone's throw, and he knelt down and began to pray, saying, Father, Father God, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be. See, Jesus knew God's will. It had been worked out. He needed to be the sacrifice. They had been doing all these animal sacrifices. Blood had to be spilt. [00:25:11] (46 seconds)
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