"I Surrender All" - Who Can Sing It"?
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:48 am
Last Sunday as the service was coming to a close the "preaching pastor" announced the last song, "I surrender All". And he informed the congregation that it would be hypocrisy to sing the words if they had not done it.
Among the words:
"All to Him I freely give".
"Worldly pleasure all forsaken,"
I have enjoyed the preacher's routine exhortation to live the Christian life, "to go out and be the church" as he says at the close of every service, but my concern with the hypocrisy challenge is the effect it can have on people. Who can say they have literally given everything to Jesus? Who can say they have given up all worldly pleasure? I think I can say that, but what does "worldly pleasure" mean for sure? That was not explained. The preacher owns an ATV that he likes to ride in the mountains. Is that a worldly pleasure? I would not say so, but would the "babes in Christ" understand this? They might ask if he "gave all to Jesus" wouldn't he have taken the money he paid for the ATV and given it to the poor or to support a missionary?
LOML and I had a good discussion on the way home. She did not sing the song, although its a favorite of hers. She said that there are things that she struggles with such as forgiving people who mistreat her. But she does conscientiously fight the fight. It seems to me the preacher would have done better if he had challenged people to submit to Jesus as Lord in all areas of life, then teach what that means. On the other hand there is no "easy believism" with him.
Any thoughts?
Among the words:
"All to Him I freely give".
"Worldly pleasure all forsaken,"
I have enjoyed the preacher's routine exhortation to live the Christian life, "to go out and be the church" as he says at the close of every service, but my concern with the hypocrisy challenge is the effect it can have on people. Who can say they have literally given everything to Jesus? Who can say they have given up all worldly pleasure? I think I can say that, but what does "worldly pleasure" mean for sure? That was not explained. The preacher owns an ATV that he likes to ride in the mountains. Is that a worldly pleasure? I would not say so, but would the "babes in Christ" understand this? They might ask if he "gave all to Jesus" wouldn't he have taken the money he paid for the ATV and given it to the poor or to support a missionary?
LOML and I had a good discussion on the way home. She did not sing the song, although its a favorite of hers. She said that there are things that she struggles with such as forgiving people who mistreat her. But she does conscientiously fight the fight. It seems to me the preacher would have done better if he had challenged people to submit to Jesus as Lord in all areas of life, then teach what that means. On the other hand there is no "easy believism" with him.
Any thoughts?