Serving God – Yielding Your Rights to God

The sermon opens by noting the central importance of personal freedom in modern society, then poses the question: when a person believes in God and commits to serving Him, what do they gain and what do they give up? Jesus' words in Matthew 16:24-26 are quoted to show that following Him requires taking up the cross — dying to self and surrendering the right to live according to one's own desires. The pastor emphasizes that yielding rights is even harder than enduring suffering, and supports this with the testimony of a seasoned missionary.

The sermon then develops five areas of yielding rights drawn from Matthew 5:38-42. First, yielding the right to retaliate: the 'eye for an eye' principle was a judicial standard, not a license for personal vengeance. Romans 12:17-21 instructs believers not to repay evil with evil but to overcome evil with good. Second, yielding the right to protect one's honor: the image of 'turning the other cheek' represents willingness to endure double humiliation for Christ's sake, illustrated by the story of missionary Hudson Taylor in China. Third, yielding the right to control possessions: through the parable of the talents, Jesus teaches that all material goods belong to God and believers are merely stewards.

Fourth, yielding the right to one's time and energy: the image of going two miles when compelled to go one shows that believers should give their time voluntarily to God's work rather than merely doing the minimum required. Romans 14:7-8, 20-21 is cited to remind believers that whether they live or die, they belong to the Lord. Fifth, yielding the right to control one's finances: 1 John 3:18 calls believers to demonstrate love through practical action in helping those in need, not merely through words.

The sermon uses Paul's example in 1 Corinthians 9 as the most concrete illustration of the principle of yielding rights. Paul had every right to take a wife, to receive financial support from the church as other apostles did, yet he voluntarily relinquished all of these so as not to hinder or slow the progress of the gospel. This is the mark of a spiritually mature person who genuinely loves God with their whole heart.

The sermon concludes with the supreme example of Christ in Philippians 2:5-8: from Creator of all things, He willingly became human, endured humiliation, beatings, betrayal, and death on the cross to save sinners. The pastor calls the congregation to have 'the same attitude as Christ Jesus,' ready to lay down personal rights for the sake of serving God and bringing the gospel to others.