SURRENDER
Matthew 8.18–22
Dr. Gordon Dabbs
Recognizing Jesus as Lord isn’t optional; it’s essential for having a genuine relationship with Him.
Why? Because any version of Jesus that leaves out His Lordship is a made-to-order, incomplete version of Him—a Jesus of our own design, not the real One.
And that’s what a lot of people miss in the Gospels. They want Jesus as life coach, not Lord. But the real Jesus doesn’t let us pick and choose.
Matthew 8.18-22 (ESV) Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Four anchor points hidden in these short conversations:
· Jesus – v.18
· Teacher – v.19
· Son of Man – v.20
· Lord – v.21
You can’t say, “Jesus, take the wheel” and then reach over and grab the emergency brake every time he turns somewhere uncomfortable.
John 12.26 (MSG) If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.
What’s your version of “I’ll follow you, but first…”?
That’s the area where surrender needs to happen.
Maybe it’s time to stop letting what life did TO you be bigger than what Jesus did FOR you.
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