I want to introduce you to a mystical church member whom I will call Bob. When I first met Bob he is attending First Baptist Church, but he left because services were too long and formal. Everyone on the platform wore a tie. He and his family then wandered to Grace Church because they had a great choir. But before long they moved their membership to the Community Church because of the great Bible teaching. After that the youth program at New Hope catches their eye, but then he hears of “New Beginnings” which is the talk of the town and he moves there. Now at least for the moment, they are at “New Beginnings” until some other new thing catches their eyes which it will. Why? No commitment.
Why are there 100,000,000 church members in America, yet they are making no moral change in America? Why do thousands of churches have more empty pews than full? Why do women outnumber men three to one in church services? Why is the average Sunday School attendances in America only 66 persons? Only 84 in average worship service? Why are there only 6,500,000 attendees in worship on Sundays in the SBC with a membership of 16,500,000? Why is it that only 50% of the number on any church membership roll can be expected to attend? Only 10 percent tithe? Only ten percent serve in any way. The answer to all these questions is tragically simple: they have no commitment. Charles Stanley says that most people who call themselves Christians made a “decision” about Jesus, but never made a surrender to Him.[1]
In Romans 12:1-2 God appeals to His children “because of His great mercies” to make a total, reasonable, and sacrificial surrender (some call commitment). There is no such thing as a “partial sacrifice or a partial surrender.” It is impossible to be “sort of committed.” Illus: A pig and a chicken were walking down the road. As they walked along they read a sign advertising a breakfast to benefit the poor. The chicken said to the pig, “You and I should donate a ham and egg breakfast.” The pig replied, “Not so fast, for you it would be just a contribution, but for me it would be a total sacrifice.” Even a pig knows it is not possible to offer a partial sacrifice. How about you?
There are three clear calls to surrender that every believer has to face. This is based on the supposition that he has made more than a “decision” about Christ, but a surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior.
- Surrender to Personal Growth. We are to surrender ourselves to be disciples. Disciples are learners. We will never reach a place in life where we no longer need to learn. Simon Peter learned the latter the hard way and ended his last written word to us in 2 Peter 3:18, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
- Surrender to the Local Body of Believers. “The local church is the first level of commitment outside of our personal relationship with Christ.”[2]
- Surrender to Ministry, which means choosing:
[1] Charles Stanley, Confronting Casual Christianity, pp. 23-33.
[2] Charles Stanley