Sermon Series: Behind the Curtain
Message: Control (Week 6)
Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
As we grab for control, we are walking away from what God desires for us.
Control is driven by fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Fear is not a fruit of the Spirit.
Fear is a lack of faith in God.
Romans 8:31, 38
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers
Surrender is the antidote for control.
Letting Go of Control
1. Surrender your Fear.
Common Fear
Fear of rejection
Fear of failure
Fear of others behavior (leads to rebellion/rejection)
Fear of the unknown
Isaiah 43:1-3
1 But now, thus says the Lord , your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 “For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
Do I trust God at His word?
2. Surrender your Sin.
Control lives like grace is unneccesary.
When I use sin to try and fight sin; sin wins.
Control attacks the actions of sin, surrender attacks the root of sin.
Ezekiel 36:26
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Question: When I am tired, lonely, frustrated, or angry where do I run?
3. Surrender your life daily.
Luke 9:23
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.