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Eden Valley SDA Church

Eric Walsh

The Science of Surrender

If you have your bible will be coming from the gospels Our scripture reading is from matthew chapter 16 And we'll start at verse 24 Matthew chapter 16 starting at verse 24 I'll just read 24 now.

We'll get back into Matthew later The scripture says then said Jesus unto his disciples if any man will come after me Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me.

Let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.

Our message this Sabbath is entitled, the science of surrender.

Let's pray, Father God, We thank you for this opportunity to study your word and your truths And once again lord, I ask that you just make me a nail on the wall Upon that nail lord.

I ask that you hang a portrait of Jesus Christ.

What we need is to hear a word from the throne room of grace.

As I pray in Jesus' precious and holy name, let the church say, amen.

We're going to jump to the book of Luke, the 22nd chapter.

And this story is 1 of the most important stories in scripture.

For us to understand our own suffering, it's critical we understand the suffering that Christ went through.

The reason so many people find challenges in life and trials in life so difficult is because they have not studied the challenges and trials Christ had to bear.

I want you to think about the fact that just a few days before what we're about to read, Jesus entered into Jerusalem like a king.

People laid down palm branches and shouted, Hosanna in the highest.

They treated Jesus as a returning monarch.

The stories of his miracles rang through the crowds And it would seem as if Satan was vanquished, as if he had already lost.

But in just a few short days, Jesus leads his disciples to the place where they would have their last supper.

And there it is revealed by Jesus that not only are things going to be difficult and that he is going to go to his death but that he would be denied by 1 of his disciples and betrayed by another 1.

The disciples couldn't believe their ears and all thought they would stand but this was in the room of the Last Supper.

They were shocked that he would wash their feet.

They were shocked at his words and they began to watch as his countenance began to change.

There were prophecies in place that had to be fulfilled at very specific times.

1 of the reasons that we as a church study the book of Daniel and Revelation, and specifically Daniel as I'm referring to here, is that when we read and study like the 490 year prophecy, it speaks to the exactness and the precision to which prophecy is fulfilled and God's will is carried out.

In the middle of the last week of that prophecy, it says that the Messiah would be cut off.

I can only imagine that as Jesus is going towards the day when the Messiah, he himself would be cut off, I would imagine a weight begins to grow on Christ.

What is inevitable, what is about to take place is unavoidable.

There is a conflict, seemingly even, a striking challenge that Jesus is going to face.

And this challenge would be like nothing anyone else has ever faced in all of earth's history, nor will ever face again.

You see when we are tempted we might be able to write a check if you're lucky.

You might be able to call a relative or a friend.

Jesus was tempted and he could bring up from in himself divinity.

That means there was never a problem Jesus had that he could not in his divine nature solve.

That means he had an extra layer of temptation.

He had the ability to fix everything yet allowed everything.

The scripture says that when he came out, as they were coming out of this last meeting together, and went as he was want to the Mount of Olives.

Verse 40 of Luke 22 says, "'And when he was at the place, he said unto them, pray that you enter not into temptation.

He gives them only 1 instruction, not just a few minutes, hours before, they were clamoring over who would be the highest in the kingdom, But here now all he asks is that they just pray.

Because as his attention is diverted to surviving this great crisis, he cannot watch the disciples like he normally does.

He now is being barraged by all the forces of Satan.

The spirit of prophecy tells us that over the 3 years of his life, Satan has worked tirelessly planning for this day.

Because watch this, while we may not know prophecy, Satan does.

And now legions of demons surround Christ, separating him from everyone else.

The sin of the world now, he is the Passover lamb.

And don't forget, He is crucified right as the Passover lamb would have been killed.

But instead of the Passover lamb dying, the veil in the temple rips, the lamb escapes and Christ dies on the cross because he is the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world but the sin of the people was always placed on that innocent lamb now the sins of the world present past and future are laid on Christ I want you to think how heavy that weight must have been.

He says, pray that you enter not into temptation.

Matthew says it like this, to jump out of Luke for a second.

This is what he would have said to his disciples.

He says, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, tarry ye here and watch with me.

He doesn't just tell them to wait, pray, so that you don't enter temptation.

Jesus even has to divulge his own weakness.

This statement means that he will not exercise divinity to get out of this pickle.

Here, Jesus says instead, he simply says, listen, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful.

How much sorrow did the weight of sin bring to Christ?

He said he was sorrowful even unto death.

Because now Christ began to be separated or he felt separated from his father.

Luke 22 41 says, and he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast about a stone's throw distance from them my Bible tells me that Jesus gets down on his knees and he begins to pray he begins to pray and he says father if you are willing, remove this cup from me.

Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.

Here, Jesus shows us the example of surrender.

Here, Jesus, who is equally God, in fact, Paul says he thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

Here he is clothed in humanity, 100% God, 100% man, and he is in this tough spot, the weight of sin crushing him.

And if it was up to him, and why is this so important?

If he could have, if there was another way, he would have taken it.

But he surrenders and that word nevertheless is critical.

With this, Jesus sets the example for every Christian.

This should be the language of our heart.

I know this person might be attractive to me Lord, but but it's not who I want to date.

Yeah it's tough when you start to apply it to everything isn't it?

I like this thing but I know it's not good for me.

Scripture says, Mark 14, 35, he says, and he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

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The Science of Surrender

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