The Call to Surrender

You could be so much closer to God, but you need to stop hesitating. Everything that God desires for you to do and to become is found in living the crucified life. That is a life laid down. A life that says, “God, whatever you want from me, you can have it. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it and I know you want that.”

And so this message I believe will challenge you to do just that. Don’t turn this off because I truly believe that God divinely appoints these moments.

What Jesus Said About Taking Up Your Cross

In Luke 9:21, Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell people who he is. “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he declared. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day, he will be raised from the dead.”

What will it profit you to have the whole world if you yourself are destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching, I will be ashamed of him when I come back in all my glory and the glory of my Father and the holy angels. I can assure you that some people now standing here won’t taste death before they see the kingdom of God.

And of course, we understand that the kingdom of God was established and is now ever expanding. And so you and I today, as we examine those words of Jesus, must check our hearts.

What Taking Up Your Cross Does Not Mean

Religion Twists Truth

Now, let me say something here because I think it’s important. We have to be careful about putting religious filters over our eyes as we look at the scripture or the words of Jesus or the teachings of Paul the Apostle.

We have to be careful because religion twists truth. Religion will take something pure and godly. It will take something whole and helpful, and it will twist it into something that becomes an unnecessary burden that causes you to live in this joyless experience of Christianity where you equate misery with holiness and you think that experiencing the love of God or the joy of God is somehow a compromise.

So I don’t want to go there. I want to challenge you here in the way you see this because here’s how many Christians look at this verse—this challenge to take up your cross daily. They think that taking up your cross means I have to be miserable on this side of eternity, and the more miserable I am here, the happier I’ll become in heaven.

Carrying a Cross God Did Not Call You to Carry

Now, we understand that when God requires something of us, when the Lord asks us to obey him, and that obedience is sacrificial, of course, there will be times when we have to give up something here and now for God’s glory. But here’s the truth: many Christians are carrying a cross that God did not call them to carry.

For example, let’s say a young man is dating a beautiful servant of God, and she’s everything that he prayed for. Now, religion will tell that young man:

• “You know what? You’re too happy in this relationship.”
• “She’s becoming a priority to you and important to you.”
• “You need to give up that relationship just for the sake of proving that you would give it up for God.”

Or perhaps you’re someone who’s working a job that you found that you actually now enjoy. Maybe you worked at a previous job where they didn’t pay you so well and were mean to you, and you gave that up. Now you find a job that is paying well, you like the people, and the atmosphere is godly.

And the enemy may, through religious thinking, try to make you feel guilty for being well paid, for having it a little easier, for being blessed with property, a good meal shared with a friend, or any form of entertainment—even if it’s godly entertainment.

But here’s the reality: when Jesus told you to pick up your cross, he told you to obey him. When Jesus told you to carry your cross, Jesus meant sacrificing your will for the will of God. It is not that you should torture yourself endlessly and make yourself as miserable as possible, or else you are not a real Christian.

What Taking Up Your Cross Really Means

Laying Down Your Will

So now that we’ve established what he’s not saying, let’s take a look at what he actually is saying when he says to pick up your cross.

We know that picking up your cross is not just being miserable for the sake of misery or trying to have a joyless existence so that you can have a joyful experience in heaven. Rather, what Jesus is talking about is laying down your will and your desires when they contradict God’s. So when the Lord tells you to do something, you will obey him.

Far too many Christians see God as their genie, see the gospel as a message of self-help, and view prayer as just a means of acquiring what they desire. But the truth of the matter is, we’re servants, and we’ve chosen to lay down our lives.

God wants to use you to impact your family, impact your spouse, disciple your children, be a blessing to your local church, minister to co-workers and fellow students, and be a light shining brightly in a dark world everywhere that you go. And in order to become that, you must decrease, and he must increase.

Trust and Obey

The crucified life is simply the obedient life. I’ll simplify it: trust and obey.

• Trust God’s word and obey God’s word.
• Trust the voice of the Holy Spirit and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.

You see, if we try to do things our way because we’re so afraid of missing out or not having a fulfilling life, we’re basically clinging to what we think we need. And in clinging to what we think we need, we often neglect the voice of the Holy Spirit because we’re so afraid of letting go of control. In doing so, we fail to receive what God wants to bless us with and fail to become who God wants us to be.

Stop Negotiating With the Holy Spirit

And so the Holy Spirit will speak to you. And maybe you’re doing this now. Maybe there’s something the Holy Spirit’s speaking to you about, and you’re trying to compromise, negotiate, or explain it away.

You know deep in your heart he’s told you to do something, or told you to stop doing that. You know deep in your heart he’s communicated a very clear message already, and you’re fighting that, hoping that he’ll change his mind. You’re living in somewhat of a denial about what God has spoken, trying to convince yourself that everything’s okay. And all the while, you are stifling the voice of the Holy Spirit.

What Needs to Be Crucified

Ego, Anger, Lust, and Lies

What needs to go on the cross?

• Ego: The need to be esteemed and celebrated has to be crucified if it conflicts with God’s agenda for you.
• Anger: The fits of anger have to be crucified.
• Lust: That inclination toward perverse acts and lust has to be crucified.
• Lies: The tendency to exaggerate, embellish, tell lies, or withhold information to manipulate the listener has to be crucified.

Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness has to be crucified. Listen, I know you’ve been hurt. I know it was painful. And it can seem so just, can’t it? It can seem so righteous to desire punishment for the people who offended us—we call it justice, but the scripture calls it unforgiveness.

Crucify that unforgiveness. Let it go. “Well, David, you don’t know what they did.” Let it go. “Well, they never apologized.” Let it go. Put that on the cross.

Doubts and Cynicism

The doubts, the questions, the cynicism—put them on the cross. Whatever it is that contradicts the nature of Christ, it needs to go on the cross.

Taking Up Your Cross Daily

Don’t Take It Off the Cross

Now, we face these obstacles when surrendering to God. And we’ll put something on the cross, but then we don’t let it die. We’ll put it on the cross, take it right off, put it on the cross, take it right off. Or we’ll get on the cross, and then we’ll jump right off. Maybe one week we’re on the cross, the next week we’re not.

This is why Jesus says, “You have to take up your cross daily.” That means die to self daily. It’s Jesus in the garden: “Lord, if it’s possible, please let this cup of suffering pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.” There is true surrender. That’s the crucified life.

What Keeps Us Off the Cross

And some of us, we face obstacles keeping us from total surrender:

• Doubt: Not knowing what will be on the other side of our obedience, not trusting that God has better plans because we want to keep control.
• Fear: Being afraid of what people will say, afraid of being misunderstood, afraid of pain, discomfort, or peer pressure.
• Pleasures: The temporary pleasures of the world that keep you from the cross.

Galatians 2:20

Allow me to read something for you. Galatians 2:20:

“The old person within me has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that lives, but Christ lives within me. So I live in the flesh because of the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The Beauty of the Crucified Life

Every Act of Obedience

Every act of obedience peels away a layer of self. Every act of obedience weakens the sin nature and chips away at who you were to reveal the image of Jesus. Every time you respond to the voice of God in submission, you shine brighter.

The light of Christ within you can shine a little more brightly through. You reflect him a little more. You become a little more like him—to where you get to the point now where people start seeing Jesus in you. They can hear him in your voice, see him in your eyes, feel him in your embrace, and experience him in the love that you demonstrate and the presence that you carry.

Not Joyless, but Abundant Life

That’s the beauty of the crucified life. It’s not a joyless, miserable, religious, complicated, tedious existence. It’s one of life and life more abundantly.

The crucified life is a life of color, joy, vibrant movement, everlasting love, peace that goes beyond all understanding, and a confidence and assurance of identity and acceptance by God. The crucified life isn’t about never laughing, never smiling, or having a miserable earthly existence; if anything, that’s self-righteousness and an un-crucified life. The true crucified life is a life of divine life that flows from within to without.

Let My Hands Be Your Hands

What is the crucified life? It’s saying:

“Lord, let my hands be your hands. Heal through them. Let my eyes be your eyes. I want to see the way you see. Let my ears be your ears. I want to hear your voice. Let my mouth be your mouth. I want to speak your truth. Let my feet be your feet. Guide me wherever you want me to go. Let my heart beat as one with yours. Let my being be your being. Let my presence be your presence. Crucify my will in its place, resurrect your own.“

That’s what I want. And you know that, too.

A Prayer for the Surrendered Life

And so, let’s pray right now and ask the Holy Spirit to grant you that grace, that strength, that faith, and that perspective that enables you to live that crucified life.

Precious Holy Spirit, I pray for that one now who desires to surrender their life to you. Give them the strength and the grace and the childlike faith to trust and obey God. And Lord, when that old nature begins to seek influence in them, I pray that you would give them the boldness to submit to God. Precious Holy Spirit, cause the light of Christ to shine brightly through them. Remove ego, remove fear, remove anger, remove cynicism, remove perversion, anything that is not of you. We ask you to burn it away with your holy fire. Let it be said that when others see them, they can see Jesus. Let them be considered children of the most high God. Let them even now begin to sense your presence upon them and within them. Cause them to become heavenly ambassadors. Help us, Lord, to daily take up our cross and follow after you. Help us to live the surrendered life, lives yielded to the voice of the precious Holy Spirit. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.