Surrender in Worship

God's Freedom Through Radical Surrender and Empowered Mission

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Scripture References

• Matthew 28:16-20: The Great Commission, where Jesus empowers His disciples after they worship Him.
• Genesis 22:1-5, 6-10, 15-18: The testing of Abraham's faith, demonstrating radical surrender and God's provision.
• Romans 12:1: A call to present our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our true and proper worship.
• Romans 6:12-14: Encouragement to surrender ourselves to God for righteous purposes, living under grace, not law.

Our God-Given Mission Flows from Worship

God has given all of us a mission: to reach the lost and disciple people in His ways. This mission isn't just an activity; it originates from and is empowered by worship.

As John Piper says, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." God desires for all to worship Him, and we are called to a mission that brings more people into that worship.

The Church was commissioned and empowered out of a position of worship. The worship of Jesus is the wellspring of all power.

True Worship is Radical Surrender

The foundational meaning of 'worship' in both Hebrew and Greek is "to bow down." This goes far beyond a physical act; it's a complete yielding of oneself.

Consider Abraham's test: he was asked to offer Isaac. This was not about child sacrifice, but a profound test of his faith—would he surrender his dreams, plans, and desires? Would he surrender all?

Surrendering is often unpopular because it implies losing. However, in God's kingdom, sometimes the only way to freedom is through surrendering our old ways and ideas, leading to greater liberty.

Paul tells us in Romans that true worship is to sacrifice or surrender something of great worth (yourself) to something of greater worth (God). God isn't measuring your sacrifices; He's inviting your full surrender.

Surrender in Worship Leads to God's Freedom and Empowerment

When Abraham fully surrendered, God intervened, sparing Isaac and fulfilling His promise. This kind of worship not only gets you through trials but moves you forward into the freedom and blessing God has waiting.

This is what it means to worship God:

• That you have the faith to believe… no matter what you’re being asked to do… you will bow.
• No matter how much worth it has in your life… you will surrender.
• No matter what your circumstances look like… you will worship.

This empowers you to live on mission for Jesus, helping others experience the freedom of surrender.

Challenge for the Week

Ask God this week:

1. What do You want me to surrender?
2. Who around me needs to see what freedom in Christ really looks like?
3. How can I live on mission for You?

Let your worship move you into mission!