Week 10

This week you needed to:

• Read chapter 10
• Read Psalm 37

Chapter 10: Surrender Your Daily Life to God

Surrender: to give oneself up, as to an enemy.

There is a war raging that we cannot see. Eph 6:12 talks of a battle that is not of flesh and blood. It is a battle raging on another level, for something more dear than human life: human souls.

There are two sides to this war. In John 8:38-45 you hear of the two sides: God and the devil.

In a war, how do we know who the enemy is? Think about the “bad guys” in WWI, WWII, VN War, Gulf War. What characteristics did they have? (wanted us dead, had different beliefs, some abided by the rules of engagement, others cheated)

In the war for our souls, it’s not so obvious who the enemy is. The enemy is a master of disguise.

Sometimes we ourselves think we know which side we’re on, until we wake up one day and find ourselves on the wrong side of the world. James 1:23-24, Luke 6:44

Galatians 5:13-26 will help you understand.

So what do we need to do? Katie says it’s a daily surrender. Sometimes it’s a moment-by-moment surrender. The first step is to make sure that you have truly surrendered to Christ. Can you share when you first came to Christ?

I remember some pictures coming back from the war in the Middle East. There were some Iraqi soldiers surrendering to US Troops. They carried a white flag and walked with hands raised.

I see similar scenes inside churches…think about it. Tissue in hand, a tearful repentant soul raises their hands in surrender to God. It’s the universal signal of surrender!

Another definition of surrender is: To relinquish possession or control of to another.

Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

In South America, they hunt monkeys. Some use arrows or darts, but there is another way. They bore a hole in a log and put some kind of fruit inside the log. The monkey smells then sees the food and grabs for it. But the hole was only big enough for their hand to get down into, not a fist full of something to come back out of. These monkeys and their desire for food overcome their fear of being trapped. They are then easy targets for hunters.

Sometimes we find ourselves holding too tightly onto something. It might be a dream for a big house, a fancy car or prestigious career. We hold on so tightly we don’t see that it is actually a trap. When we find bankruptcy, the repo man or unemployment knocking at the door we find it’s too late to turn it loose.

What are you holding on to too tightly? What occupies your thoughts most of the day? That’s a big clue. Why not surrender this item to the One who can deal with it?

When you became a Christian, surrendering your life was the first step. Now it’s time to start turning the baggage over to Him too. Didn’t He promise His burden was light? Matt 11:28-30

I’m not saying it is easy. I agree with Katie. Surrender may take a moment or it could take years. It could be giving up control over your future plans, or a sweet tooth. The good news is that your obedience will be rewarded.

• One reward of surrender is a transformed life. We start to experience the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience… Gal 5:22-23
• Another is a gift of wisdom. Imagine knowing what you’re supposed to do, rather than confusion, uncertainty or indecision!
• The best reward is pleasing God. He is the king of the universe and He will NEVER leave us for let us down.

So Katie’s toughest question came from her pastor’s wife: would we still follow God even if He never did another thing for us? That’s tough. Read what Habakuk in the Old Testament says in 3:17-19

Take 10 days

• Fast from tv and radio—make the house as still as possible and open your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to show up to reveal what you need to surrender and then listen.
• While you’re waiting, investigate, ask questions of friends and family—what are you hanging on to?
• Think about what would happen if God did take something from you—your health, your child, your job, your car? Prepare to really let go.
• Once you make the surrender, keep seeking transformation. Rom 12:2 If you’re not serious, this was just another new year’s resolution.
• Declare your surrender, either in your journal, to a prayer group, accountability partner. You need to be held accountable for this choice.
• Ask for prayer!
• If it’s too much, try one day of surrender. Try something small. There is freedom.

His call is for unconditional surrender—but His reward is unconditional love.

This week:

• Work on surrendering at least one thing this week
• Read Chapter 11

Week 13

Read James 4:1 - 10

1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

James 4:1 Where do you think these wars and fights come from among you?

• Wars – this strife, these struggles, this conflict
• Fights – struggles, battles, quarrels

Wars are between nations/ fighting is amongst yourselves

What is causing the strife and quarrels among you? What causes (root) cause of fights and quarrels among you? The small quarrels amongst us lead to wars between nations.

Do they (these conflicts, battle, strife) not come from your desires (wishes, cravings, where you put your attention, your wants)

for pleasure (diversion from what is Truth)

that war (chaos, disorder, undisciplined)

in your members (a part of the human body). Where is this continuous conflict going on? It is in the heart.

2 You lust (selfish desires lead to conflict as well as to wars … an overwhelming desire or craving) and you do not have.

You murder (deliberately kill) (when did war between men begin? Cain/Abel and has not stopped ever since.

It all begins in the heart.

Selfish desires lead to war!

What would you say the definition of worldliness is?

What movies you watch, do you dance, do you drink, smoke, cuss, do you hang around with the wrong crowd? Do you dress like the world?

James is saying that the definition of worldliness stems from our own selfish desires. The examples of worldliness are the result of our selfish ambitions.

If a clock doesn’t keep time, do you blame it on the hands? What is the root cause? The battery/mechanisms?

The spirit of strife, envy and jealous that lie within our wicked hearts is James’ definition of worldliness. That is the clock’s battery.

Always get to the root cause.

How does the spirit of the world enter into the church? We walk through the doors. Who can heal our wicked hearts?

If the people walking through the church doors have a spirit of the world in them, you are in a worldly church.

James is saying: You think there is a war going on in Iraq, what about inside the hearts of Christians?

covet (to desire something belonging to another. To wish for something strongly; crave)

and cannot obtain (the result of your personal planning to gain possession of).

You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

A servant to a master, not as if you “deserve” anything.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss – an improper or defective way not the right way.

That you may spend it on your pleasures.

We ask God through prayer, but are we asking God with a worldly spirited heart?

Instead tell the Lord everything. Just be honest. Pray, but pray not with selfish motives.

We compromise with the world in order to attain our goals.

4 Adulterers and adulteresses – who is James say you are having an adulterous relationship with ???? – the world??? Should you not be married to HIM?

Why does he call us adulteresses? Take what doesn’t belong to you. Cause strife because you don’t get your way.

Do you not know that friendship with the world in enmity with God.

Enmity – deep seated/mutual hatred.

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain (not yielding the desired outcome, fruitless, lacking substance). The Spirit who dwells in us years jealously”?

The spirit that is in us is envious. The only solution is to go to the Father and tell Him our problems.

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resist the proud, But give grace to the humble.”

He gives grace – unmerited (we don’t deserve it) favor

By His grace we are saved. Go to God and tell Him – and ask Him for grace to overcome whatever it is!

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Believe – submit – do not resist…

You cannot do anything in your own strength, because you are bombarded by evil influences …mainly yourself!

The way to resist the devil is to draw near to God. If you are close to God, the devil will flee. You fall away from God, the devil slips in. When does a wolf attack sheep?

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

God comes to the door of our heart through His Word. He knocks, but YOU have to let Him in.

Ask and it will be given, knock and the door will be opened. Seek and you will find.

9 Lament and mourn and weep! (over your sinful self) You are not to treat sin nonchalantly. You are to mourn over your sins.

What does mourn mean? To be truly broken over your sin. Sadness over your sin.

Do you cry because of the sin you are allowing to remain in your life?

Let your laughter turn to mourning and your joy to gloom.

This laughter could be our outward embarrassment of our sin…our the laughter of thinking that the world has something to offer us. Worldly pleasures. Be sorrowful over your sin.

10 Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

He shall lift you up – we don’t have the ability to lift ourselves up.

Humble means to make oneself low.

Ps 75:6

Once we get a small glimpse of who God truly is, we will fall to our knees in repentance, and in awe of HIM. We will realize that we cannot make it alone and that truly we can do nothing to save ourselves. We must turn everything over to HIM and stop trying to do it alone. We must set aside our selfish ambitions and begin today making Him Lord of our Life.

j.