Submit

We’ve talked about submission a couple of times here on this blog, but as it relates to the wise men of the Christmas account, we see a submission to the authority of God by a group of men who may or may not have been God-fearing people. They knew that something special had taken place when they first saw the star, but what would be the result of that knowledge?

The result was a search that lead them to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem where they found a young boy named Jesus and His parents living in a home there. They knew that this boy was someone special, although how special we may not really know. But one thing we do know is that when they were warned in a dream about not going back to Jerusalem, they submitted to that higher authority and went home another way. Was it a more convenient way? We don’t know. We don’t know for sure where they came from, except that it was somewhere east of Israel. We also know that they were learned men who knew what the star meant and then followed it to see what they might find. And what they found changed them.

Their submission is a call for us to submit to the authority that God has on our lives. We have been called to obey God in such a way as to follow His instructions no matter how crazy they may seem to us.

Joshua was the brand new leader of the nation of Israel, and God tells him that in order to defeat the city of Jericho, he must have all of the people march around the walls of the city once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, then shout and the walls would collapse. If I had been Joshua, my response might have been, “Wait, what?” But Joshua had seen Moses’ faith in God and he trusted that God knew what was best. And what happened as a result of his obedience? Exactly what God told him would happen. They took the city of Jericho without lifting a finger. They walked right in, and won the victory.

Sometimes it’s hard to submit, but when we do, victory is just around the corner. So make the decision now that you will obey God no matter what He should ask you to do. It might seem crazy, but submission in those cases will always lead to our ultimate victory!

Keep on obeying and we’ll see you on Sunday!

Submitting to Humility

Last week we touched a little bit on submission. Today I want to talk about it again, with a bit of an emphasis on our humility. Humility goes hand in hand with submission. When we submit to God, we are doing so, understanding that He is greater than we are. This is humility.

One of the greatest passages in the whole Bible on this topic is found in Philippians chapter 2. Read it here, and then come back and finish our blog post.

As you read that passage, did you notice that Jesus was (and is) God, and even though He was, he did not cling to it. Look at it again, and notice that Jesus "gave up His divine privileges." He didn't come to this earth and say, "I am the King of kings! You must serve me! You must bow to me! You must give me the best of what you have because it is what I deserve!" He could have, because it would have been the truth; He does deserve all of that. But instead, the passage says that "he took the humble position of a slave (emphasis added)." He served those around Him. He saw the intrinsic value in each and ever person He came into contact with, and He served them.

Not only did He serve those around Him, He also "humbled himself in obedience to God." He became obedient to God. Elsewhere in Scripture it says that Jesus "learned obedience from the things he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). It's hard for us to think that Jesus had to learn something, but it's true. He learned to be obedient to God throughout His life, ultimately giving His life on the cross. The ultimate obedience was Jesus going to the cross. My friends, that is true submission through humility. If we want to be God's servants, then we must humble ourselves.

Just another something for you to think about today. So have a great day, comment below if you have a story about a time you were obedient, and we'll see you on Sunday!

What Submission Looks Like

I wanted to post today about the qualities of submission, what it looks like in every day living, and how we can be submissive to the will of God in our lives. But the problem is that if I write about all that, none of you need to come to church on Sunday. ;-) (Insert advertisement to make sure you attend church here.)

But what I do want to do today is help you to understand how you can know what it is that God wants you to do so that you can submit to that. The truth of the matter is that so many of us say we want to follow Jesus, but then we have no idea what it is that He wants us to do. "How can I truly know God's will for my life?" people always ask.

Well, today, you're in for a treat, because I'm going to give you a simple formula for knowing God's will for your life. It may seem oversimplified, but I think it gives us great insight into what God expects of those who follow after Him.

Romans 12:1-2


As you see from the text there are two things that we need to do to understand God's will. The first is to offer our bodies to God. That means that the physical body that we have been given by God is to be given to Him to be used for His will and His purposes. This, in and of itself, is another excellent definition of submission. The body is to be used to worship God, and it is to be acceptable to Him. This is the first step to knowing what God wants for you to do.

The second step is found in verse two, where Paul tells us to allow God to change the way we think. Did you know that there is nothing that you do in this life that doesn't first start with a thought? Aside from those things that are simply "built in" to our genetic code, like breathing or our heart beating, everything we do or say begins with a thought. This is why God so desperately wants us to change the way the we think. When this happens, God will transform us into a new person...a person who is able to do the things that He wants us to do. We do this by replacing the garbage of our minds that comes naturally to us with the truth of His Word.

And look at the end of that verse. When we do the things that God wants us to do, we will then know His will. So friends, there it is. A simple formula to knowing God's will for your life.

A) Submit your whole life to God, and
B) start thinking the way God does by reading His Word every day!

Comment below about a time you saw God's hand transform your life by helping you think differently about a certain situation. And we'll see you on Sunday!

Please Don't Use That Word

Today, we begin to talk about a topic that is not on anyone's wish list to talk about. In fact, when I mention this word, you're going to be tempted to read no further, but I assure you, it would be in your best interests to do so. This word, while it is controversial today, is crucial to the survival of the Christian faith. And if we are to become all that God wants us to be, we need to not only understand what this word entails, but we need to act upon it as well.

What's the word? The word is submission, and for most of us, we don't get it. We think that submission is giving up our identity, our will, or our personality. And while some of those things may go with submission, it doesn't mean they have to. In fact, when we truly submit to God all that we have, He gives most of it back to us...only better.

Here is what is involved when it comes to submission. First we give God everything that we are. We give up our rights, we give up our wills, we give up our dreams and desires. We do this because we realize that without God, all else is worthless. We submit because we understand that without God in our lives, we have no life at all.

Jesus depicted it this way: A man went out into a field and there he found a very expensive treasure. He took that treasure and he buried it in the field so that no one else could find it. And then he went and sold everything else that he had so that he could buy that field and the treasure that was buried in it. We submit to God because we understand that HE is that treasure. We go out and give up all that we have so that we can have HIM!

My friends, that is submission. That it what it means to submit to God and to allow Him to have complete rule and reign in your life. If you refuse to do this, if you refuse to give God all that you have and all that you are, you are not in submission.

Come back tomorrow when we talk about what true submission might look like, and we'll see you on Sunday!

Of Elders, Young'ns, and Lions

The second passage of Scripture that we need to consider is 1 Peter 5:1-11. You can look that up here.

I want you to consider a couple of things that Peter says to us in this passage of Scripture. First is the fact that he addresses those who are older in their faith. He tells them that they are to watch over the flock to which they have been assigned. In this passage Peter is speaking to those who have authority in the church; elders, deacons, pastors, etc. The word translated, "elders" here is speaking directly to those people.

However, the basic term of "elder" may be referring not just to those with authority in the church, but also to those who are simply older in their faith. Those who have lived their lives in obedience to Christ in the years they have lived are by default, leaders in the church of Christ. They have much to give and much to teach. In this light, we see that Peter is encouraging those who are designated as leaders in the church and those who are older to watch over those whom they been given responsibility for.

So as we look at what Peter is challenging us to be and to do, we must understand that we are called to be shepherds...overseers of what is going on and to speak up when we must, and gently guide when we can.

Second, I want you to see that Peter also speaks to those who follow. We must submit in humility because God opposes those who are proud. We must humble ourselves so that Christ will lift us up. We must walk in humility as Christ did (see Philippians 2). We must also allow Christ to carry our burdens, because He cares about us.

Finally, we are called in this passage be alert to the Devil. He is real and he will attack us if we let him. He is described here as a roaring lion. When a lion is on the prowl and looking for food, he doesn't roar...unless he can't kill his prey. What scientists have observed with lions is that the older lions, those who do not have the strength or (sometimes) the teeth to kill the prey will flank a grazing herd of zebra, antelope or whatever they may be hunting and roar so loudly it puts the herd in a panic. Thus the herd begins to scatter and the younger, more able lions, are then able to kill the prey and the feast begins.

Satan is toothless lion. He roars to put you in a panic. He wants you to run around, worried aobut what will happen next. This is because he knows he cannot kill you. He has been defeated on the cross by Jesus Christ. He has no power over you except what you allow him to have. So don't fear the devil. Stand firm against him, and run from temptation. You will be glad you did!

Have a comment or a question? Please share it below! And we'll see you Sunday!