Forsake All to Serve Him

It's amazing that we've already had two sermons today. It's amazing to be in these times with all the technology we have. I thought about coming up with a sermon about why we don't have as many miracles today because the big miracle is the technology we have today. We can get the gospel out more than they ever could back in Bible times. It's amazing and really a miracle and I think the church is really going forward on a great note and it's really wonderful to see. It's wonderful to be a part of it.

Luke 5:1-11 1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. Christ got out onto a boat. I don't know if you know why He might have gotten out into the boat, but if you get out in a boat a little bit, your sound carries over the water a lot greater so that if people are on the bank the sound would go farther and carry more. I don't know if you've ever thought about that; I hadn't either until I heard it in a sermon.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” It sounds like he was a little skeptical, which we are a lot of times. 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. It takes a lot of fish to sink your boat. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” He had been skeptical, but he realized Christ had come through like He always has and always will.

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Verse eleven is the key. 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

The title of my sermon today is that we need to forsake all to serve Him, actually my title is "Surrendering to God". If we're going to be like God, if we're going to preach the gospel, to live like Him, if we want to be a spirit being... we're going to have to surrender our lives to God... there's no choice, we have to do that. It's like a little child surrendering his life to his parents. A little child has so much trust in his parents. I remember when I was a little child and there was a storm, as long as I was beside my parents everything was okay. We need to have that same trust, that surrendering to our Father in heaven... made possible by Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:58-62

58 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.”

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Now it wasn't that these things weren't necessary things that we should do in the matter of the course of our lives, it's just a matter that Christ has to be first. He knew they were kind of making excuses. They weren't quite ready to commit, were they? They weren't ready to totally surrender to God, to Christ. We need to be totally surrendering with everything that we have to God and His way of life. The SPS: We need to be totally surrendering our lives to God and Jesus Christ our Savior. That's the only way we can do it.

Genesis twelve tells about Abraham. Mr. Kubik talked about him earlier. Abraham was willing to just pick up when God told him to. He was willing to pick up everything he had from his country, his family, his father's house and move to a strange land at God's instruction.  You can say he was told by God directly, but a lot of people have been told by God directly and they didn't do what God said. It's all through the Bible. A couple to start with are Adam and Eve, right? God told them what to do, but they didn't do it. But it was amazing that Abraham was willing to leave everything to surrender to God. Toward the end of his life there's a story about him that shows his total surrender and his son's total surrender of their lives to God.

Genesis 22:1-12 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife and the two of them went together. This is symbolic of God giving Christ as the sacrifice for this world. Christ started out by having the pole, the cross on His back and here the wood is laid on Isaac's back. It's a parallel. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. He was a pretty obedient son. He had to wonder what was going on and sometime or another I'm sure Abraham went through a little concern and was praying hard to God. Even Christ, the night before sweat the night before He knew He had to give Himself. It's that human that's in us, so Abraham surely went through some things... but he went on.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Isaac was probably a pretty strong young man, but he let his father do this. He didn't resist. Here it is that Abraham was willing to give his son and his son was willing to give himself... just like God and Jesus Christ did. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” This is the ultimate example of a human being surrendering totally to God. I think it would be harder for me to try to kill one of my sons than it would be to give my own life. I think it's just in us parents to be that way and especially grandparents I guarantee you. I'm going to go see my grandkids in June. I'm going to see my kids at the same time. That's how I feel about grandkids. Abraham set the example.

Hebrews 11:17-19

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. He trusted God to do whatever it took to raise his son up or whatever... totally surrendering. I don't think you can surrender any more than that as a human being. There are other examples of people giving their lives. Stephen is one who gave his life and as he did I always remember his great example because he was like Christ and said, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing." That's surrendering, that's courage, that's faith, that's strength, that's the Spirit of God in someone. It couldn't happen any other way.

Proverbs 3:5-13

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine. 
 He's talking about physical blessings as well as spiritual blessings.
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights. 
 He's talking about that father/son relationship that we have to have as a child of God.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding; 
Do we believe this? Do we live it? That our lives are better surrendering to God? God says we'll be happy following His will and not trusting in doing our own ways. It's easy to say, hard to do. It takes a lot of time on your knees and God's Holy Spirit... and fasting and meditating... as Mr. Smith said. People want to do what they want to do, even converted people. It's imperative that we understand that. Our prideful human nature and self will get in the way or 'pride' for short. One of the best examples of that is Job. God said he was the most righteous man on the earth, but he had a problem he had to overcome to where he could truly surrender to God. At the end of the book of Job he said, 'Now I see you God; now I see you. I never really understood before how much greater God is... how much we need His Spirit and His power, how much we have to fight our human nature and overcome it.' Never let the human nature out like the jack-in-the-box I've talked about. If you do, you have to pray and study and repent and put it back in. It's the only way. Surrendering to God is a way of life.

Jeremiah 17:5-10

5 Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.He's saying that if you are physically oriented you are going to have a lot of problems in this life. It doesn't mean we won't have some anyhow, but we have an access... we have a strength. We have a Creator and Life-giver, a Savior Who can help us through all these things.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Then He goes on to give us a warning:
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

So He mentions the problem is our nature... our deceitful human nature and the solution is in verse ten: I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. The solution is surrendering to God and all of His ways... surrendering our lives to Him.

There are five points of pride that we need to consider when surrendering to God because it's pride... it's our human nature that gets in the way, between us and God and that's what we have to overcome.

1) PRIDE HAS AN INFLATED VIEW OF ONESELF.

I always use Job as a lesson to learn from because I don't want to have to learn like Job did. That was a tough way to learn. We need to learn through the scriptures, through fasting and prayer; learn through studying the Bible and applying it and living it and surrendering our ways to God.

Mark 12:38 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

He's saying they're prideful; they have an inflated view of themselves. They like it. They want to be looked at, worshipped.  Pride keeps the letter of the law and they realize who doesn't. "I'm doing THIS and he's not." That's a prideful thing. We must not have this self-righteous and self-promoting view, thinking we know more than others or are better than others. A lot of people want to serve God, but they want to serve Him in an advisory position. That's not good. God knows so much more than we do. Instead, have the attitude of the poor widow.

Mark 12:41-44  41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”  Jesus was always using things to teach lessons. This widow was willing to give everything she had. That's surrendering to God. She didn't have much to start with, but she gave it all. She could have at least bought a few crumbs of bread with it, but she was willing to give it... she had that kind of heart. We need that kind of heart.

2) PRIDE THINKS WE KNOW WHAT TO DO TO HELP GOD.

Matthew 23:1-7  Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’  They expounded the law, but they added a lot to it and took a lot away from it so you still need to follow God's law and not what the Pharisees were doing. Christ was saying do what they say correctly that the law says to do, but don't do their works because they don't do what they say. They wanted to be thought of as someone great who could tell you what to do and really just lord it over people.

3) PRIDE DENIES GOD'S RIGHTFUL PLACE IN OUR LIVES

God wants to make a temple where He can live. That temple is us. God needs to live in a righteous place. At some time or another God is going to have to break our human nature ,our self will so we can see ourselves as we really are so we can learn to follow Him in every way and surrender to Him totally. I can go back to Job. God broke Job's will to where he understood the difference between him and God and how much he needed God and how much he needed to be thankful to God and how much he needed God's Spirit.

I've been there a few times. I used to beat my head against the wall for about three years every time I had a serious problem. I finally decided I was going to pray and fast and study and quit beating my head all the time. It helps. It only takes me about two years now... no I'm sorry, not two years... no, I am better about it now. I've got a long way to go, but I am better at it.

Isaiah 57:15-19

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
I hid and was angry,
And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners.
19 “I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord,
“And I will heal him.

 

It's not wrong for God to say this. It's not from vanity; He's letting us know He is God and that He is powerful and this is where He dwells. God can do that. He doesn't have vanity. Everything He does is for us and His family. He's just showing you that He is the God Almighty. That's what He's telling us so we can have faith in his strength and believe in Him.

He's talking here about people who have gone their own ways, the people who fight Him and resist Him. He goes on to say that if you turn around and surrender to Him and follow His way of life, He will lead them. There's forgiveness and blessings if we'll just turn to Him and realize our mistakes and our weakness and repent. It's a constant process. We keep trying and have to overcome; we repent and try harder and ask God to help us more and more. 

4) PRIDE MAKES US THINK WE ARE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

We want control of our lives and are afraid to give it over to God. I think that's one of the main characteristics of human beings: we want control and are afraid to give any control over to anybody, especially to God. Not having control is one of the greatest fears in our lives. Human nature is naturally fearful anyway. We're fearful of any changes in life... even to the good, as it takes us out of our comfort zone. We need to give it over to God and have the abundance of God's Holy Spirit to follow his ways and live in total surrender to Him in our lives. The Bible says the Scribes and Pharisees were against Jesus Christ because they feared for their way of life.

 

Luke 18:10-14   10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (This reminds me of the one guy who said he just had one problem: that he was so humble.) 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

They thought they were the center of the universe; they were happy with what they were doing. Pride makes us think we are the center of the universe. This Pharisee was definitely the center of the universe in his mind. This shows that the tax collector felt he wasn't worthy to come before God. He wasn't worthy, but by repenting and asking for God's Holy Spirit and going forward... God says, "You can come before Me."  Christ paid for that sin so that we can come before God in cleanness and righteousness.

5) PRIDE ENSLAVES US TO OUR HUMAN EMOTIONS

These Pharisees were slaves to their own human emotions. They thought only of themselves. They couldn't see outside their box; they couldn't 'see' other people. All they could see was their ways.

Anger, hate, jealousy, bitterness, depression and other human emotions control us instead of God's ways. The more we surrender to God and his way, the more God gives us back control as we can handle it. What we master now, God will give us even more in the Kingdom of God. Remember the parable of the talents?  Jesus Christ said to those who grew their talents, "Well done, good and faithful servants. You were faithful in a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord."  Again, it's like the parent/child relationship. I remember when I was a young child, my father would give me chores.  He didn't give me a lot of chores when I was young, but as I learned responsibility and grew he gave me more and more chores as I did what he said and surrendered to him. God is the same way... as we surrender and grow, God gives us more responsibility... more things to do. So, we build a better character, a better base for our character... we build some character in some areas and then we add to it in another area. Over time we build God's character in us.

 

Colossians 3:5-9  5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

This talks about this... about putting away the slavery of human emotion and our controlling ways. I don't think I've ever seen the world so controlled by human emotions. Everything goes and everybody is doing everything. You can see everything, and hear everything, and feel everything. It's amazing how this world is just going downhill fast. We need to not be a part of it. We need to be going uphill while the world is going downhill.  These words in Colossians are tremendous words to live by... about putting off our human nature, about fighting our sins and our natural way of life and surrendering to God.

Romans 7:14-25   14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. [Paul is saying that the law is spiritual and how we should live, but his body just fights it.] 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. [It's the law of human nature to do what's wrong, to resist God.]

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. [The inward man with God's Spirit wants to serve God.] 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [Here is the answer.] 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. [He said God is the one who can deliver us. God has the power, the strength and the ability and the knowledge... everything that we need. It all comes from God.] That's why we have so many sermons that say pray and study and fast on occasion and meditate and follow God's ways because it's the only way we have the strength to overcome. And also come to Sabbath services regularly because it is so inspiring. I'm always inspired after going to Sabbath services. I know God is telling us we need to go. We get such encouragement through the messages and we get inspiration and we get things we need so much. God knows we need it; it's part of surrendering to God.

Paul knew that we must fight against our prideful, evil-driven human nature and overcome it by the power of God's Holy Spirit in us. He understood it firsthand and that's what he's talking about here.

I'm going to give you a few scriptures to read about surrendering to God... the things that we need to be doing. 2 Peter 3:11-14  11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Here we're admonished to live a life of holy conduct and godliness... looking forward to the Kingdom of God for not only our reward but the salvation of all mankind.

Philippians 1:27-30  27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation,[d] and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.  Philippians 2:5  5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  Philippians 2:12   12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  Philippians 2:16  16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Our conduct should be worthy of God's way of life and of the mind of Jesus Christ in unity of the Spirit.

Colossians 3:1-4  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  Colossians 3:10-17  10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in 
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We're to set our minds on the ways of God and live them in every way... surrendering our own prideful human nature to God's Spirit so we have the power to live and practice a righteous way of life in all we do, say, and think.

1 Peter 3:8-18

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For

“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Suffering for Right and Wrong
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Always follow God. Resist the temptations and sinful ways and do good to all people regardless of who they are or what they've done. We need to have righteous conduct and have the mind of Christ and the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ in the Church.

We need to be surrendering our lives to God in every way, bringing all thoughts to the obedience of Christ to the fullness of Christ to become a mature Christian and true child of God. We need to ask God to help us overcome and defeat our prideful human nature and live a godly way of life at all times. We need to be like a little child who has total trust, faith and love in our Father to protect and take care of and lead us to become like our Father.

Matthew 10:32-40  32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

He is saying that God has to be first in our lives no matter what. It doesn't mean that we don't take care of our family and household... that's a part of life because it says in one scripture to people who are leaders that if you can't take care of your own household, how can you take care of the house of God. He's talking about our attitudes in taking care of our families and jobs. In everything we do... God is first and the way we do those things is the way God wants us to do them. That's the key.

Ephesians 4:11-13 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

We're to come to the fullness of Christ. We're going to live like Christ lived and have that in our hearts and minds. We're supposed to be that way and to have that Spirit that He had and that drive and that righteousness and that belief and that faith.

Ephesians 3:14-19   14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (He's talking about that Spirit we have in us. It strengthens us and gives us the help we need to overcome.) 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We need to seek the fullness of God in everything we do... to be surrendering. We must surrender our lives totally to God. It is the only way to God for us and eventually for all of mankind.