Take All of Me

by James M
(Melbourne, Australia)

Tonight’s message is based around the song ‘Take all of me’ by Hillsong (More than Life or I heart Revolution album) Earlier when we were singing songs of praise and worship, what did the songs mean to you? Were they just words of a song or were they words you used to glorify God and worship him for all he has done? I just want to open up your eyes about the power of worship so you can grasp the meaning of every song much more easily and bring it into your life.

But I guarantee you that we all get different meanings, different revelations from God as he knows what applies personally into our lives, and this is my thoughts on the song ‘Take All of Me’.
You see, songs are a form of communication and I just believe you can learn so much from God if you take the meaning of the song to your heart
(Play ‘worship’ section from the I Heart Revolution DVD to give them a better insight.)

Once you have the ability to just worship God, I think it has a powerful effect on your life physically, emotionally and spiritually and that will surely take you to places where you never could imagine yourself being.

I remember not long ago, there was a young man who was a great friend of mine. He didn’t seem to be passionate about God but who am I to judge. As time went on, we went to a conference and I saw a dramatic life changing revolution and I mean DRAMATIC! It was so big that I never dared to dream that he would become who he was. I was truly amazed. One of the main reasons he grew so quickly in his spiritual life was the ability to worship as he became passionate, cried during worship and developed a stronger love towards God. It was an unforgettable experience and I want you to relive the same thing.

I just need to say that if you find the meaning and the will to worship God behind a mere bunch of words, man, it WILL change your life no matter what. There will be no chance that God will hold back if you are worshipping God the way he wants you to. He will pour out blessing after blessing for he is a generous God!

Psalms 103:1-5 - Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

1. ‘I Love You.’

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

This is a statement for God, a bold statement, a statement of faith. I never knew that three words could have so much meaning behind it. If you love God, your heart will be in his will, your passion will be burning for his will. You will have a fire in your heart that has been ignited by the Holy Spirit. I just want to say that I have thrown the words – I love you to God and thought I meant it but something was just telling me that I didn’t.

Jeremiah 17:9 - “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (NLT)

Then I found out why, I had a secret addiction, a desire for something from this world that God didn’t like. He kept telling me ‘If you loved me, you wouldn’t be doing this in front of my eyes’ but I wasn’t listening to him. This went over for two years until I started trying to break free but no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t do it.

Until One moment, a worship moment, the moment where I found it deep in my heart, the love I had for Christ. My heart just cried out for God and he pulled me out from my depths. That’s another amazing revelation during a worship moment. I LOVE YOU! There is nothing else that God wants to hear from you which you actually mean.

2. ‘All of My Hope is in You.’

I don’t know how many times God has asked us to trust him and submit our lives to him. I mean I know it’s a lot but it’s what God constantly asks for, all we need to do is be willing.

Psalms 42:8 - By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

We live in a world, full of greed, lies and thievery. It has become Satan’s playground. We live in a world where it’s limited to find people to put our hope in. People look up to celebrities, but they always seem to make big mistakes and ruin their reputation. People put their hope in the government and vote for them, but somehow they don’t fully provide for our wants/needs.

People are calling out for someone or something to put their hope in. I’m telling you, you have the answer in your own hands. You have the power to give them a hope through God. God has given you the most amazing tool we can ever have, and that’s God himself, just don’t underestimate God regardless whatever situation you’re in.

There are people out there, who are looking for something, something better. God just put this idea, this feeling in us, that there is something else better for us in this world. God did this so we can seek Him and His Kingdom. The world is waiting for people, even more, a generation that will rise up and change the world with God.

We need to go out there and be examples of the fact that God is living in us. It will inspire people, challenge people, and make them curious. I have no doubt that at least one person will ask you about God if you live the spirit-filled life that God wants you to live.

Another reason to put all your hope in God is so that you have an unshakable faith when the hard times come across you because again we need to set that example that we can do anything with God. It’s during hard times when your true self is exposed. You shouldn’t be afraid of that because you’re living for God and abiding by his word.

If you are scared, then you may be hiding something from God, let me tell you, it’s never too late or too hard to ask God to forgive you and get you back on track because God will expose you. I want God to be able to boast about you like he did with Job.

Job 1:8 - Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

Job, he had a tough life, losing his wife, kids and crops. But he still trusted God, there were times when he complained, that’s because he’s human. God wants us to complain rather than hide it because it will enable us to be freer and open with God. All we need to do is be willing and put our hope in God.

3. ‘Take my Life, Take All of Me.’

I only have one word for this – Obedience. If we are to surrender our lives to God, all we need to be is obedient. Abraham was obedient to God when he had to offer up his life, even though he didn’t want to. Joshua was willing to walk around Jericho for 40 day, and won the victory. Jesus got tortured and died for our sins, he didn’t want to but he was willing. We need to follow the example.

All these heroes still live today, I know many people who have moved because God told them to, people have taken up jobs or roles in the church because God asked them to. Because those people were obedient, great things have happened in their lives, such as church growing, youth growing, people coming to know God and having a life full of blessing because if you are obedient, God will bless you because he is forever thankful for you and what you have done as you laid down you life and took up his cross.

I have a prayer that you will really take up the cross yourself and you won’t look back as you go down a road of blessing, love, comfort and will see great things happening in your own life and in others.

I pray that this message has unlocked some worship moments for you in the future, all we need to do is go to God with an open heart, ready to be spirit-filled again. In life, we worship God in what we do and what we say. Our lives are an example of God inside and outside church. I pray that you will surrender to God, put your hope in Him and just be willing to do what he asks.

If you feel you need to be prayed for, whether it’s a need, a healing, a revelation. Please come to the front and I will pray for you while the band sings ‘Take All of Me.’