Saying Yes to God: Unwavering Loyalty Before You're Ready
You do not have to get your life together before saying yes to God; you only have to give Him your whole yes. In Acts 18, a gifted teacher named Apollos started serving with real gaps in what he knew, and God used his unwavering loyalty anyway. Commitment does not require perfection; it requires a heart and a mind moving in the same direction.
Most of us play what Pastor Travis Woernley calls the "when-then game." When the kids are older, then I will serve. When I finally stop messing up, then I will come back to church.
The problem is that "then" never shows up looking calmer than "now." Life stays just as busy, and the yes keeps getting pushed down the road.
In this message from the Upside Down World series at Miracle City Collective in Titusville, Pastor Travis walked through Acts 18 and the life of Apollos. What follows is the case for saying yes now: a yes that is honest about its flaws, humble enough to be corrected, and marked by unwavering loyalty to Jesus.
Why God Uses Imperfect People Who Are All In
Dawson Trotman, the founder of The Navigators, looked like a sure thing in high school. He was class president, top of his class, and a gifted athlete; then, during the Prohibition era, he slid into drinking, gambling, hustling pool, and running liquor.
One night he was arrested for public drunkenness, and the officer asked him a simple question: "Do you like your life?" Dawson Trotman answered honestly that he hated it. The next Sunday he went to church, entered a Scripture memory contest, and won it before he even believed what he had memorized.
Days later, walking to work, one of those verses came back to him, and he gave his life to Jesus. That is how God uses imperfect people: He does not wait for a clean record; He meets a man on an ordinary sidewalk. Nearly a century later, The Navigators are still helping people know Jesus and make Him known.
Luke, the author of Acts, notes in Acts 18:25 that even Apollos knew only the baptism of John. God uses imperfect people, but He uses the ones who say yes with everything they have.
Dawson Trotman put it this way: "God can do more through one man who is 100% dedicated to Him than through 100 men who are 90% dedicated." If God uses imperfect people, the question is not whether you are good enough; it is whether you are all in.
Today, write down the one thing you believe disqualifies you from being used by God, then remember how God answered an arrest for public drunkenness.
What Does It Look Like to Be 100 Percent Committed to God?
Dedication means committing your time, your energy, and your unwavering loyalty to someone or something. It is not a contract you renew when you perform well; it is a choice that orients every future decision. And it is measured by action.
Pastor Travis offered a simple test: "Show me your calendar and I'll show you your commitments." You can say you are 100 percent committed to God all day long, but the pattern of your week tells the truth. A fortune cookie he once opened put it well; the will is like a cart pulled by two horses, the mind and the emotions, and nothing moves until both pull the same way.
In Acts 18:26, Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who served alongside Paul, took Apollos aside and explained the way of God more accurately. Apollos received the correction, and that humility showed he was 100 percent committed to God and not to his own reputation.
Pastor Travis learned this the hard way while selling insurance. He studied for days to present home insurance to his boss, then got completely roasted; instead of quitting, he went back to work, because he had two kids and a family to provide for. Humility is one of the clearest signs of commitment, because people who are 100 percent committed to God care more about growing than about being right.
This week, ask one person you trust where you have a blind spot, and listen without defending yourself.
Why Not Waiting to Follow God Starts With Saying Yes
Waiting for perfection is a fool's errand. Every knight in shining armor starts with dented, tarnished steel; nobody is ready to get married, have kids, or serve at church, and the biggest pitfall of all is thinking you must clean yourself up before coming to God.
Not waiting to follow God does not mean being reckless. Wisdom and preparation matter; but if you wait until everything is in order, you will never start, because even your cleanest effort will never be clean enough. The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, and the next best time is today.
Here is why not waiting to follow God changes everything: every yes is also a no to something else, and every commitment opens new doors. Pastor Travis started by talking about Jesus with 12 guys on a baseball field. That led to breakfast with the county directors of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), a flight to Kansas City for training, and a job with FCA in 2019.
Through that work, he got to know a church planting pastor from First Baptist Church of Melbourne whose kids were involved in FCA. Years later, when God called him to plant Miracle City Collective, he already had a phone number to call. Not waiting to follow God simply means saying yes to the next open door, then walking through it.
Saying yes to God will never require sacrificing your family, but it does call you not to quit before the breakthrough; the greatest comeback in history began when the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out of the tomb.
Before the week gets away from you, write down what you are actually committed to, then name one thing you can commit to this week that aligns your heart and mind with God.
What Can Apollos in Acts 18 Teach You About Unwavering Loyalty?
In Acts 18:24-27, Luke gives a short portrait of what unwavering loyalty to God looks like in an ordinary life.
- Eloquent
What Luke Says: Apollos was a gifted communicator who could persuade people.
What It Means for You: Apollos was not born polished; he worked at his gift.
- Competent in the Scriptures
What Luke Says: Apollos knew the Scriptures well and showed that Christ was Jesus.
What It Means for You: Knowledge grows through study, one chapter at a time.
- Fervent in the Spirit
What Luke Says: Apollos spoke boldly out of the power of the Holy Spirit.
What It Means for You: Your commitment runs on God's presence, not willpower.
- Humble Under Correction
What Luke Says: Apollos received teaching from Priscilla and Aquila.
What It Means for You: Correction is not rejection; it is how God grows you.
Pastor Travis closed with a few honest next steps:
- Write down what you are truly committed to
- Put God at the top of that list
- Choose one commitment this week that aligns your heart and mind with God
- Find a teacher, the way Apollos did
- Refuse to quit before the breakthrough
Find People Learning to Say Yes Together
Saying yes to God was never meant to be a solo act, and trying to grow alone usually means growing slowly. Apollos needed Priscilla and Aquila, and most of us need a few people who love us enough to tell us the truth. Whether you live in Titusville near the Indian River, drive out toward Kennedy Space Center each morning, or anywhere else across Brevard County and the Space Coast, Miracle City Collective gathers Sundays at 10:00 AM at South Lake Elementary School on Garden Street, and there is a seat saved for you.
Your Whole Yes Is Enough to Start Today
Apollos did not wait until he had every answer; he gave God his unwavering loyalty, received correction with humility, and became a gift to the believers in Achaia. Dawson Trotman did not wait until he looked respectable, and God met him on a walk to work. Your commitment rests on the empty tomb, so give Him not a 90 percent yes or a 99 percent yes, but a 100 percent yes.
You are welcome to tell us what you are wrestling with through our Connect page; connect here.
When you are ready to see what a Sunday gathering at South Lake Elementary looks like, start with our I'm New page; plan your visit here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to be ready before following God?
A: No. In Acts 18, Apollos began serving while he still knew only the baptism of John, and God corrected and used him along the way. Readiness grows through obedience; it is not the entry fee.
Q: Can God use me even when I am not perfect?
A: Yes. Dawson Trotman was arrested for public drunkenness before God met him, and Apollos needed correction from Priscilla and Aquila. God works through people who give Him their yes, not people who have earned it.
Q: How do I commit fully to God right now?
A: Start by writing down what you are actually committed to and whether God is at the top. Then choose one concrete step this week that aligns your heart and mind with Him, and ask the Holy Spirit for the power to follow through.
Q: Who was Apollos in the Bible?
A: Apollos was a Jewish believer from Alexandria who came to Ephesus in Acts 18. He was eloquent, knew the Scriptures well, and was fervent in the Spirit. After Priscilla and Aquila taught him more accurately, he went to Achaia and greatly helped the believers there.
Q: Why is humility a sign of commitment to God?
A: Humility lets you receive corrections and keep growing instead of protecting your pride. Someone who refuses feedback is usually committed to their own agenda. Apollos showed his commitment to God by accepting teaching and moving forward with it.
