Surrender…your Humanist Ways Part 3 of 3

Give God Complete Ownership

The ultimate goal for our lives is to give complete ownership of our lives over to God, no humanism and no selfishness allowed which means no pride allowed.  This is a tall order but it is to be our aim. We must regularly repent of pride and selfishness, turn from our wicked ways and seek Him with all our hearts.  No one can say they are completely without pride and selfishness, we are in process.  We thank God for where He has brought us and press on to experience more of His fullness.  Zech. 4:10 tells us to not despise the days of small beginnings.  God is thankful with the progress we have made already, He looks at that and DELIGHTS, but He is calling us to an even higher standard…

• He is calling come of you today to GROW UP
• He is calling some of you today to devote more time to PRAYER
• He is calling some of you today to give up more TIME for Him
• He is calling some of you today to FORGIVE
• He is calling some of you today to LET GO of the past
• He is calling some of you today to ARISE and to be the WARRIORS He’s designed you to be (not for self, but for Him and His Kingdom)

But this will NOT happen as long as we are living humanistic lives, seeking self-glorification and if we are full pride.  If we don’t deal with these things we will end up being like a hamster in a wheel, we’ll go 10, 20, 30 years and won’t have anything to show for it at the end of our lives.

1 Cor. 3:11-15 ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³  each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (ESV)

This passage clearly teaches that what we do with our lives matters, and that only that which is built on the right foundation (Jesus) will survive.  Anything done for self (including good things like ministry) will burn up and there will be a loss of reward in eternity.  We must put away self-glorification and pride or we’ll suffer loss because we won’t be building His kingdom but rather our own.  It’s time to change our motivation from self to God. It’s not about doing it for ME, it’s about doing it for HIM.  MOTIVE is everything. 

1 Cor. 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Purpose of Listening Prayer

So what’s the #1 purpose for listening prayer? It’s about HIM, giving HIM the glory through a life that is God-centered and fully submitted to His will. That’s why we listen in prayer, it’s an act of WORSHIP, it’s an act of SUBMISSIVENESS, it’s an act of OBEDIENCE, it’s FOR HIS GLORY and not our own.

CONCLUSION

I challenge you to ARISE today and to commit to submitting your life fully to the Lord. I challenge you to keep pursuing God, keep pressing in, keep reading your Bible and praying, don’t give up…don’t despair. He sees you not as you are but as you ought to be and wants to encourage you to become the person God has destined you to be…FOR HIM!  It’s all for Jesus.  He’s worth it!