"I Give Up" Pastor Albert Almore
It sounds good. Sings good. But it’s easier said than done. What AB? SURRENDERING ALL.
We often sing that song so eloquently, but walk out of church trying to CONTROL the same baggage we walked in with. Let me show you….
All the while, while doing this, we fail to realize that…
📝 The opposite of SURRENDER is CONTROL.
I’m here today to let you know that it’s hard for SURRENDER and CONTROL to live in the same house. You are the house that I’m talking about.
When it comes to control….
📝 We want to control WHEN God does it. HOW God does it, and WHO God pays close attention to.
The more things seem to be falling apart, the more we want to try to control.
When the sun appears to stop shining in your life, it’s tempting to sign up for, "emergency control of your life,” but the only problem with that is…
I subscribed to, "Emergency Control Of My Life" but THE SUBSCRIPTION NEVER STARTED.
The subscription for "CONTROL”never started because the idea of control outside of self control is an ALLUSION.
For that very reason, I want to preach a message this morning titled…
"I GIVE UP"
The Bible says in Luke 23:44-45,
"It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, FOR THE SUN STOPPED SHINING...”
Luke 23:44-45 NIV
I wonder how many people in here this morning can relate to these five words...FOR THE SUN STOPPED SHINING.
You’d be amazed at the amount of people that for them the Sun has stopped shining a long time ago.
For some the sun has stopped shining in their marriage, their relationship with God, in their career, or inside of them and they just don’t feel like theirselves.
Nobody knows it. You’re here this morning. Smiling. Looking nice. You’re here sitting with your family, your friends, others are sitting alone, but both scenarios are alike, nobody knows how you feel on the inside. The sun has stopped shining.
Nobody has a clue that you’ve been crying yourself to sleep at night. For others, you’ve been lucky if you’ve been sleeping at all. But the crazy thing is you can’t pin point what’s wrong. You don’t know when it happened, how it happened, or what’s happening. All that you know is that it feels like the sun has stopped shining in your life.
Here lies today's challenge…
📝 THE LESS the sun begins to shine, THE MORE you try to CONTROL.
The moment that the sun STOPPED shining, you STARTED grasping for control, because the more things seem to be falling apart, the more we want to try to control—BUT NOT JESUS.
"Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.“
Luke 23:44-45 NKJV
"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "FATHER, ‘INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.’”…
Luke 23:46 NKJV
With life leaving His body. With 7 inch nails in His wrist, and His feet. Suffocating due to the cruxifixction, with the sun no longer shining, fighting for every breath that He took, the Master Teacher is still teaching. "FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” The Master Teacher, teaches us in this moment…
📝 When things seem to be falling apart, LET THEM FALL into the Father’s hands.
What we’re witnessing today is called the seven last words of Christ. These are the final words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as well as His last teachings. "FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” SAY WHAT HE SAID. AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES…
FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT THIS SITUATION. FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT TOMORROW. FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY LOVED ONES. SAY WHAT HE SAID. AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES!
God’s TIMING. God’s APPROACH. Our Tomorrows. OUR LOVED ONES…In the Father’s hands is where all of these things belong.
Into your hands I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. Into your hands I COMMIT MY ALL. Into your hands I COMMIT YOUR TIMING. Into your hands I COMMIT YOUR APPROACH. Into your hands I COMMIT MY TOMORROW’S. Into your hands I COMMIT MY LOVED ONES. I commit. I commit. I commit—BUT THAT’S WHERE WE STRUGGLE.
📝 We have COMMITMENT ISSUES with God.
📝 SINCE WE HAVE A HARD TIME COMMITTING IT, WE WANT TO CONTROL IT.
But as I think about it more….
📝 Control isn’t the diagnosis. Control is the symptom. FEAR is really the diagnosis.
”And I WAS AFRAID, AND WENT AND HID your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’“
Matthew 25:25 NKJV
For him it was, "I was afraid, so I hid.” For us it’s, "I was afraid so, I GRASPED FOR CONTROL.”
I WAS AFRAID THAT GOD, "REALLY DOESN’T HAVE THIS.”
I have commitment issues with God, because at times, I’m afraid of His timing. I’m afraid of His timing, because I don’t believe that Heaven’s clock tells the same time as my clock. I was afraid, so instead of, Father into your hands I commit this timing, I TOOK MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS.
📝 Isaac’s arrive when you GIVE matters to the Father’s hands. Ishmael’s show up when you TAKE matters into your own hands.
I was afraid of His timing, and His approach, so I took matters into my own hands. I was afraid of tomorrow, so I took matters into my own hands. I was afraid that you really don’t love my loved ones more than I do, so I took matters into my own hands, AND I SET OUT TO CONTROL THEIR LIVES. So far, it’s going great. I stay up and worry about every worst case scenario all night even though your Word says in Psalm 121:4:
"Behold, He who keeps Israel SHALL NEITHER SLUMBER NOR SLEEP.“
Psalms 121:4 NKJV
It’s not been too bad, I’ve been a little overwhelmed and internally stressed out because I’ve been carrying every burden about my spouse, my children, and my loved ones, even though I know 1 Peter 5:7:
"CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, for HE CARES FOR YOU.“
I Peter 5:7 NKJV
📝 When you allow FEAR & TRAUMA to counsel you, you’ll be prescribed ANXIETY every time.
A counseling session with FEAR + TRAUMA, often sounds like this, along with how they sign off on every morning email sent to your mind first thing every morning…
Since it happened before, IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. Since it happened to you, IT COULD HAPPEN TO THEM.
All Our Best,
Fear & Trauma
📝 The more you CARE, the more you have to CAST.
THE ONES YOU LOVE THAT MUCH, YOU HAVE TO CAST THAT MUCH.
Prescription: FAITH in Exodus 3:7:
”And the Lord said: “I have surely SEEN the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have HEARD their cry because of their taskmasters, for I KNOWtheir sorrows.“
Exodus 3:7 NKJV
📝 • God still SEES.
📝 • God still HEARS.
📝 • God still KNOWS.
📝 • God still has HANDS.
"But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I WILL STRETCH OUT MY HAND and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.“
Exodus 3:19-20 NKJV
The problem with everything we’ve been talking about today is…
📝 The moment you begin to try to control the NARRATIVE you become the AUTHOR.
📝 You weren’t created to be the AUTHOR, you were created to be the AMBASSADOR.
”Now then, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.“
II Corinthians 5:20 NKJV
”looking unto Jesus, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER of our faith...“
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
📝 Jesus doesn’t author, UNFINISHED stories.
I know you want to control the pen for their story, but can I tell you something…
HE ALREADY WROTE IT.
"You saw me before I was born. EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE WAS RECORDED IN YOUR BOOK. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.“
Psalms 139:16 NLT
When it comes to my life, and the life of my loved ones, I must have faith that…
📝 Whatever I could WRITE, will never supersede what is WRITTEN.
📝 Stop being CONTROLLED by what you can’t CONTROL.
So what do we do? How do we do this? LOOK TO JESUS.
”And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, HE GAVE UP the ghost.“
Luke 23:46 KJV
Before this happened, Jesus said in John 10:18…
NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
John 10:18
"Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”“
John 18:3-4 NKJV
"They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.“
John 18:5 NKJV
"As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, THEY WENT BACKWARD, AND FELL TO THE GROUND.“
John 18:6 KJV
"Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.“
Matthew 26:48-49 NIV
"Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.“
Matthew 26:50-51 NIV
""Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal MORE THAN TWELVE LEGIONS OF ANGELS?“
Matthew 26:52-53 NIV
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, HE GAVE UP the ghost…
Since no man could take His life, since they couldn’t arrest Him without falling back, and falling to the ground. Since Jesus couldve called more than twelve legions of angels to His rescue at any given time, in order for Jesus to die, HE HAD TO GIVE UP CONTROL. You’re no different.
In order for you to die to yourself, in order for you to die to your will, in order for you to die to your old ways….YOU MUST GIVE UP CONTROL.
This is why today’s message is titled,"I GIVE UP.” I give up trying to control God’s timing. I give up trying to control God’s approach….
Dying to yourself to give up control isn’t easy. This is one reason why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:31….
"…I die DAILY.“
1 Corinthians 15:31 KJV
"I have been crucified with Christ and I NO LONGER LIVE, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.“
Galatians 2:20 NIV
As you die daily. As you give up control. By faith, you must believe that…
📝 The Author has GOOD PLANS.
If you were to walk into the cell phone store of God, and say tell me about your plans, God would say, "Oh, I have good plans!”
”“I am THE GOOD SHEPHERD; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—“
John 10:14 NIV
📝 You can give up your control because THE GOOD SHEPHERD has GOOD PLANS.
”For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the GOOD THINGS he planned for us long ago.“
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
And I am sure of this, that he who began A GOOD WORK in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 ESV
”And we know that in all things GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“
Romans 8:28 NIV
📝 I’m not just GIVING UP. I’m GIVING IN.
I’m giving in to His POWER. I’m giving in to His PREFERENCE. I’m giving in to His to PERFECT TIMING. I’m giving in to His GOOD PLANS.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are PLANS FOR GOOD and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.“
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
📝 HIS GOOD PLANS > MY GOOD INTENTIONS.
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