This week, we're going to be talking on the theme of change
in our lives, and this is a buzzword or a, if you will a
hot-button word because oftentimes when ever use the
word change, there will be people who get defensive and
say. Now, look, we're talking about
the Lord's Church. There's things we're not
supposed to change and that, and yet within the teachings of
Christianity change is one of the very reasons why God gave us
the assembly. And His word is because we need
to change from a sinful life to an obedient life.
A life that reflects the design God gave us that is to reflect
his glory rather than to reflect if you will the Flesh.
And yet, there are many other things in the scriptures that
Bible says will never change. Jesus is immutable.
He says that God is the same yesterday today and forever.
And so whenever you look at the word change as it's used in the
scriptures, you're going to find the whole rainbow.
Things talked about whenever you use the word change, you're
going to find things that never change, things that should never
change and things that must change things that absolutely
must change in order to be found.
Well, pleasing to God. And so today, whenever we're
talking about some of these Concepts were going to introduce
our thoughts this whole week, we're going to be talking about
change. We want to introduce our
thoughts by talking about change itself and how sometimes we
don't change like we should we're going to talk about how
that there it can come about change in our life and how we
can bring about change, good change positive change change
that as a prove to God and how we can honor the things that
must never change in this life as well.
First of all, whenever we talk about change the verse that we
used in your little flyer acts 17:30.
The Bible says, God is commanding all men everywhere to
repent the word repent. It is a synonym if you will for
change, we don't often use the word repent, out of side of a
religious context. When was the last time you went
up to somebody and was talking about, changing you go, you
know, you need to repent, you know you we don't often use that
just into in our way, we regularly use language but the
word repent means change. God is demanding that we change.
And so he whenever he God, commands, all men everywhere to
change. We have to ask When where, how,
what, what is it? What do I need to change?
What kind of change is God? Requiring of me in that passage,
we really need to look at it. Well, let's look at some people
in the scriptures that thought they had it sorted out and
really didn't if you'll turn to James.
The first chapter, we find a James, the first chapter, he
tells us in verse 19, Excuse me. Mm-hmm, this, you know, my
beloved brother and but everyone must be quick to hear slow to
speak and slow to anger for the anger of man does not achieve
the righteousness of God, therefore, putting aside now,
see, here's some things that God requires he says, listen, the
anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
This isn't in keeping with God's principles for our life.
And so he says, therefore putting aside all filthiness and
all that remains of wickedness and It nests or in humility
verse 21, received the word implanted, which is able to save
your souls, the word, implanted, we're in our hearts and in our
minds, is able to bring about salvation to our souls, but
prove verse 22, but prove yourselves doers of the word and
not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Now, here's somebody who has a Bible or who hears the Bible and
the change doesn't really come about in his life.
It's it's really if you will kept on the outside.
Outside of their life, it may be on the outside.
It may have a semblance. It may look like they are
changed people in some way. They may give verbal
acknowledgment to Jesus. They may be like the Pharisees,
praise God, with their lips, but their heart is far from him.
But God says, listen, I want more than that.
I really want some dude, somebody to do something, not
only on the outside, but from the inside as well.
In other words, true change comes from the inside from the
heart, from our hearts. And this is so important.
Notice verse 21 is a hero word and not a doer.
He is like unto a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror
for once. He has looked at himself a gun
away, he is immediately forgotten.
What kind of person he is. I'm reading for New American
Standard. What manner of what kind of
person is? What the Greek is trying to get
across to us? Hear the word of God reveals to
us. Us things that an outward mere
cannot show to us or cannot reveal to us and outward mirror
shows us how we appear to everyone else.
The word shows us how we appear to God.
We may outwardly look beautiful, but inwardly we may be dead.
We may be ugly on the inside and God says, listen, there are
people who sometimes look at themselves, get a glimpse of how
God sees them, but they go away and forget what kind of people
that they are notice. 25, but one who looks intently at the
perfect law, the Lauber Liberty. And abides by it, not having
begun a forgetful hearer. But an effectual doer, this man
shall be blessed in what he does.
Evidently this man reacts with the word of God that is he sees
himself, he sees what kind of person he is inside the word and
something happens. He becomes a doer change happens
in his life. He changed.
Changes his behavior. He changes his relationships.
He changes the way, he, he acts the way he feels, and the reason
is not by being around a Bible. It's not being around religious,
people, it seeing yourself in the word and letting that word,
change you in some way. Let's let the outwardly we may
appear, beautiful, but inwardly, we're not please turn.
If you will to the Book of Revelation right quick.
The apocalypse. However, you want to call it in
Revelation, the third chapter third chapter, if I get my words
out, right, third chapter and starting with verse 14.
Let's look at the church at laodicea for just a moment.
Now, here's a church that was dedicated to not changing.
Notice what it says here to the angel of Churchill, owed to see
uh, the amen, the faithful and true, witness the beginning of
the creation of God, says this, I know your Deeds that you are
neither cold nor hot. I wish You were cold or hot, we
should were. In other words, they were
dispassionate about their behavior.
They didn't have any emotion and what they did, they didn't care
if they didn't, they were just dispassionate.
Notice? He says verse 16, so, because
you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot.
I will spit you out of my mouth. You're distasteful to me.
You don't serve god with passion.
Oh, but you don't quit, your just lukewarm notice verse. 19.
Here's why they were lukewarm because you say now here, the
holy spirit is quoting. Maybe not quoting verbatim
somebody in the congregation but he nailed their attitude.
Notice the attitude this quote describes.
He says, because you say, I am rich, I have become wealthy and
have need of nothing now that they weren't talking literally
contextually hear about their financial status in the
community, he's talking It just lie here.
He's talking about people who think they're spiritually,
mature, wealthy and Rich. He had no other words.
These people think they've got it made.
They have it. They are spiritually.
Rich. Notice what he says and we have
need of nothing. Do you not know that you are
wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked?
They were destitute how they viewed themselves.
Elves was starkly different to the way God viewed them.
They should have been looking in that mirror because the physical
mere told him, they had it made, but the mirror of God's word
revealed to them, that they were poor and blind and naked
unclothed. Unprepared to meet God.
They were literally unprepared. I advise you to buy from me,
gold refined by fire so that you become rich and white garments
so that you may clothe yourselves.
And that the Shame of your nakedness will not be revealed
and eye Salve to anoint, your eyes that you may see those whom
I love, I rebuke and I Chasin, you know, God loves all of us
here today and I don't know where you're at.
I know outwardly, you may appear to be.
Okay, everything's fine. Even your home, may be peaceful.
But the fact of the matter is, we don't have the ability to
look into other people's hearts like Jesus and like God and see
ourselves for what we really are.
But you do, you know, because You've looked into the mirror,
you know what you've hidden from everybody else's site and we
need to like, the church at laodicea sometimes.
Look into our lives and see ourselves as God sees us.
And then that gives us motivation that gives us a
reality of where, to change in our lives.
Outwardly, everybody may be accepting, everybody may give us
approval, but whether without God's approval, and without
being a presentable for God, that's nothing, that's just a
mere. Assad this church.
This is a church here in laodicea our brother--and.
This isn't talking about a denomination, this is talking
about a Congregation of our Brethren and he says, you think
you've got it, made your rich and increased with good and you
don't think you have need of anything.
Don't you know your poor blind and naked.
Look at yourself. The way I look at you you need
some real changes. So today within the church we
have all kinds of and a whole spectrum of Christians here.
Some of us don't have any problem with cussing and
swearing. Some of us maybe do some of us
may not have a problem with lust others do some of us may have a
problem with theft others do, some of us ain't mine, a I have
a problem with envy and hatred. Others May May, but the point
is, is regardless of how you appear to the eyes and two men,
we need to understand. It's how God views us that
matters. The most matters.
It's the only thing that really matters because that's where
that's where when will that change really happens.
That's where the authentic and the genuine comes from, it comes
from winds within inside. This theme is all the way
through the scriptures through the Old and New Testament.
Let's look at Some passages, this weren't believe it or not
at home. I have a tendency to teach a
long time and I'm trying not to do that here today.
But I do want to get the concept of, and I want you to come back
all through the week because we are going to be building on
these sermons. We're going to be building one
upon another. And I don't want you to miss one
because everyone is critical to The Next Step because change is
so difficult in our lives. We are creatures of habit.
God gave us habit for a good reason.
Our brains are habitual for good reason because whenever we learn
to do good, then it becomes habitual and that's that's okay.
Just having a habit isn't necessarily bad.
But yet having a bad habit that seems to be impossible to break
or things in our lives that are real struggles to change.
I want you to know there is hope there is real hope and God would
not ask us to do something that was impossible for us to do.
Every single one of us have to change something.
I hope you're not sitting there like the church at laodicea and
say well Glenn everybody else does need to change but not me.
Then I would say, okay, you laodicean, you're rich and
increased with goods and have need of nothing.
Are you one of the few people here that don't even need to be
here? Really well.
How about that? That's the problem we're getting
at here folks. Have you changed much in the
last 10 years? How's your marriage changed in
the last 10 years? Have your friendships change?
Not for, are you have you gotten more holy in your life?
Have you overcome some things in your life in the last 10 years
or have you been? Are you battling the same
battles for the last 10 years? The last 10 years it reminds me
of a teacher. One time, the teacher went to
the principal and said principle I want you to know.
I think I deserve a raise, I have been here, 20 years, 20
years, And I still have not gotten a raise.
And the guy says, I've got 20 years experience, you've got 20
or do you have 20 years experience and laces?
Yes, I've got 20 years experience because, no, no, you
haven't got 20 years experience. You've had one year of
experience 20 times. You've not really grown, you
know, and that's what happens sometimes as Christians.
Sometimes we've not grown, we've been in the church, 20 years,
and we've still got one year experience.
That's not, that's not what causes growth that's not
considered real growth, just to have tenure.
We've got to have real growth in our lives.
We've got to really overcome some things.
We've got to really change some things in our life.
So how do we do that? Well, first of all, let's learn
the lesson of the Old Testament and the Old Testament.
Sometimes they're example was written down.
The Bible says, in First Corinthians 10:4, our learning
so that we would stumble like some of them did.
But let's look at a few passages.
And let's see this principle all the way through the Old
Testament as well in first Samuel 15 chapter.
And 20. And we're going to have to
really speed through some of these things.
But insert first, Samuel, 15 and verse 20.
Notice what the king here is told in 1st Samuel 15 verse 22,
and Samuel said has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings.
And in sacrifices as in obeying, the voice of the Lord behold to
obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of
rams, well Glenn, what is the principle here in this bout?
And this passage well. King Saul evidently.
He was mistakenly thought that an act of external worship would
make up for his failure to respect and obey the word of
God. In other words, he said, listen,
as long as I check in as long as I do what God told me to do.
Then, the only thing that's important is the outside
Blessed, Be You? The Lord Samuel for I have done
the Lord God says, no. You haven't you ever respected
me at all? In fact, he goes ahead to
revealed, his behavior was really Lance and worship of
Satan in that. Passage Sol mistakenly thought
that if he just did the outside, He would be acceptable to God,
but that wasn't the case. And like I said, we're going to
have to speed through. There's a whole lesson there in
that passage. But notice if you will in
Psalms, if you have your Old Testament in Psalms the 50th
chapter an interesting passage in verse 8, Psalms 50 and verse
8 notice. But will this verse 7 hero?
My people and I will speak o. Israel, I will testify against
you. I am God, your God.
God is about to reprove them for something.
But notice what he doesn't reprove him for here.
First verse 8, I do not reprove you for your sacrifices and your
burnt offerings are continually before me.
Well, they had that down. He said, listen, I'm not going
to approve you for what you're doing.
You're doing it right on the outside, but he says, here's
something wrong right here. There's something wrong right
here and I really want to get to that.
I don't reprove you prepared because of your sacrifices and
your burnt offerings. He goes on and do the whole
passage now too. Well, I don't have time to read
it all but let's go to verse 23, he offer, sacrifice of
Thanksgiving honors, me and to him who orders his way, right?
I shall show. The salvation of God, he tells
them, he wanted their hearts Thanksgiving toward God, they
were bitter in their sacrifices to God.
I'll give God, but I don't have to have my heart into it.
God says, yes you do. You're going to have to give me
the sacrifice of Thanksgiving. I want you to do it with an
attitude of Thanksgiving, you know, that's what we're talking
about here. There's no true change, that's
possible. If only the externals are kept
and not the real out, the reality not the authentic of
change within our hearts. Is a spell this out.
And probably one of the clearest passages in New Testament,
please turn to Matthew the 23rd. 23rd chapter in verse 23, and
Matthew. 23 verse 23. Notice how clear he makes this
upon this occasion, in Matthew, 23 and verse 23, woe to you
scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you tithe, mint and Dill,
and cumin. Now what are mint and Dill and
cumin well those are spices. Those are things that Change the
taste of food and you know, what?
They were. So into giving God, a tenth of
their income that whenever somebody Bartered with them, or
they got in this increase, in some way, they would literally
sit down and count out the deal for God, you know, those little
Dill things he would go, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 and they would tithe literally they would give one
tenth of their spices to God. Now that takes Nobody could say
this person was on devoted would you when somebody tied spices
you've got to say and that person is serious about their
religion. They really are.
But what happened? Notice you do this but he says
in you have neglected the way your provisions of the law,
Justice and mercy and faithfulness.
These are the things you should have done and not without
neglecting the others. He wasn't say what they were
doing was wrong. He was just saying, you forgot
the inside. You forgot to give me your
heart, you forgot to change the inside.
Notice you blind guides, who strain at a gnat and swallow, a
camel woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.
Notice what he says in verse 20 through 54, you clean the
outside of the cup and of the dish.
But inside, they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
You, blind Pharisees, first clean.
Now, I want you to know whenever the Bible says first, you means
first. Here's where the true source of
Change comes from, he says, first clean the inside of the
cup and of the dish. So the outside of it might be
clean. Also, do you know what happens
whenever you work on the inside of a cup or a dish?
The outside gets cleaned. And so he says, I want you to
clean the inside of the cup and the dish and the outside will
almost take care of itself automatically, that's what he
wanted them to work at. Notice that the outside woe to
you, scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for York whitewashed
tombs who on the outside appear, beautiful, but inside, they're
full of dead, men's bones and all uncleanness.
Here's the, here's the deal, guys and Hebrews 10 verse 24,
25, the Bible tells us for us to come together in the church.
God has a purpose. If we come together it's not
just a check-in, it's not just a punch in socially with everybody
else. God wants us here to exhort one
another to love and good works. And that means change.
God wants us to exhort one another.
To be better than we were the week before.
We've got all kinds of people out in the world, encouraging us
to be worse. All the things on television.
You want to be cool, try to do something bad.
Like you've never done it before.
Try to be worse than you've ever been before.
You know, some of the programs that they put on broadcast
television, I'm not talking about cable.
You guys know, you got to control your cape.
But broadcast television has never been worse.
One of the hits of this season is Desperate Housewives.
Desperate. You know, I cannot find just
watching the trailers, I've not watched it.
But just watching the, the advertisement of it's not
something. I think Jesus would say, you
know, I got to see that I can't see Jesus going.
Woo. Why?
Because it's all about the flesh, it's all about sinning.
It's all about doing things that Christian, it's not going to
help you be a better. All I'm saying, here is, we've
got so much in this world advertising sin.
How can we forsake? The assembling of the church?
We're here, we're supposed to encourage one another to love.
Real love and good works. That's what we're supposed to
get here. Is the encouragement.
We need to bring about genuine real approved change of God.
We're not coming here to praise ourselves.
We're coming here to change our lives.
That's what this is all about, to bring about real authentic
change and my friends, if our religion doesn't bring about any
real change in our lives, then it's worthless.
Jesus tells us, excuse me. He says, he talks about the real
things are life. He says, not only is it just
this taking care of the poor and the winner Le widows and the
orphans. He said that's real religion.
Ian. Just giving sacrifices, isn't it
doing to bring about change in our hearts and our minds being
compassionate being thoughtful, being as compassionate about the
sinful in this world as God is God is patient.
Not willing that any should suffer the existence of this
very day continues to express the patience of God.
And the desire for them to be saved is that on our hearts and
that in our minds? My friends.
This is not a club where we come together to talk about how great
we are and how different we are. We have got to put on the heart
and the mind of Christ. When we come here, it's to be
reminded, not of how great we are.
But how great the change is that we need to bring about in our
lives. We need to look into the word
and see the disparities, the discrepancies between the Life
of Christ, and our life between his heart and our heart between
his hands. Ambition and our ambition
between his life and our life, and make sure that discrepancy
continues no longer we are dedicated to being conformed to
the image of his son in the Book of Romans.
In Romans of 9th chapter, In verse 29, the Bible says For
Those whom he fore know, he always predestined all he also
predestined to become conformed, to the image of his son.
That is our purpose. Now, let's write that down.
Notice here, is what we're supposed to be doing to become
conformed. Conformed to the image. of who
of his son. Now, that's Christianity to be
conformed, to the image of his son.
To change our character and our Behavior to where we act and
feel like Jesus. Now I don't mean act like Jesus
walk on water, do Miracles stuff.
Like I'm talking about his character, his heart, his
righteousness, his indignation had sinned, that's the heart
we're supposed to have. And so this is our aim.
To become conformed to his image, to imitate his character.
And if your religion isn't doing that, it's worthless, because
that is it, that's what we're speaking being educated about.
That's what we're both being taught about that.
Is the change that needs to happen.
If there's any discrepancy between the way I behave in the
way Christ behaves, that's where I work.
That's where the work begins right there.
That's it. And a religion that just Pat you
on the back and say you are what you are, and that's fine, is not
Christianity. The Bible tells us we are
disciples disciples. Did you know the word disciple
is used some 300 times in the scriptures to talk about
followers of Jesus Christ? I want everybody, if you will to
open up your Bibles and look at this next verse, Luke 6 and
verse 40. Luke 6 and verse 40.
Luke 6. Let's read verse, 39, verse 40.
And he spoke a parable to them. A blind man cannot guide a blind
man. Can a will they not both fall
into a pit? Now, notice The New American
Standard reads a little bit differently, but the word
disciple literally means a student or a learner.
That's what it is. They are squeaking.
You expect submit, it means a student or learner of someone
else. We are Christians.
Jesus is our teacher, we all are his students.
We are his disciples. Notice what this passage teaches
/ 40 a pupil is not above his teacher.
But everyone after he has been fully trained everyone when he
is fully trained, will be like his teacher, my friends.
That's where we're going. We're supposed to be conformed,
to the image of his son. We're supposed to be transformed
trade, trained, as disciples as pupils to be like our teacher
and if you're not treating your wife, like Jesus would treat his
wife, if you're not treating your husband, and like, Jesus
would treat his husband or her husband, if you will, and a
white in a respectful way, if we're not treating one another
for lying, to one another, for doing all kinds of things to one
another, that is not christ-like.
Then my friends, our religion doesn't really have a purpose.
It's not Christianity, because Christianity is a religion where
the pupils become, like the teacher, that's what it's all
about. We've become conformed to the
image of his son. The Bible continually warns us
that our motives whenever we transform our lives, or when we
strive to transform Our Lives, conform Our Lives, to the image
of his son are very, very important.
The motives, what is inside our hearts?
And in our minds, let's look at some Old Testament passages that
reinforce this Principle as well.
In Ecclesiastes one of those, poetical books of the Old
Testament, and Ecclesiastes. Notice chapter 5, and verse 1.
The Bible says guard your steps, as you go to the house of God,
these people were going to the house of God, and he wasn't
talking about people say, you need to go to the house of God.
These people were going and notice what he says, and drawn
near and listen, rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools for
they do not know that they are doing evil.
Do not be Hasty and word or impulsive and thought to bring
up a matter of the presence of God or gods in heaven.
And you on Earth, therefore, let your Words Be Few.
Now what he's saying here is you don't treat God.
Like somebody just talked to on the telephone.
God is somebody to be respected and revered in your life
whenever you come to offer sacrifice, don't offer him the
sacrifice of a fool. Be respectful, my friends.
You're not just hearing good self-help this morning from this
Pulpit. This isn't a place that's
designed just to help your marriage to help your
relationship or to help you be financially successful in this
world. What we're doing is getting
prepared to meet God. This isn't just a self-help
place. This is a place where Dynamic
changes necessary in order to be presentable before God in the
day of judgment. And so we don't come up and
offer the sacrifice of fools. We are to draw near and listen.
These are the important attitudes whenever we come and
hear the word of God. We don't hear it as the words of
men. That is, we can accept it or
neglected, we need to hear it as the words, the oracles, the
utterances of God and Isaiah, 1 verse 10, through 17, there are
so many verses. So when you spread out your
hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you.
He says, yes, even though you multiply players, I will not
listen to. Your hands are covered with
blood. God was rejecting their external
acts of worship, because the individuals were still Wicked.
On the inside, he told them to stop doing evil 1:17, learn to
do good. Isaiah first, what chapter 1
verse 16 and 17 sounds an awful lot like Jesus clean.
The inside of the cup, doesn't it?
Notice in Hosea, 6? And verse 4, through 6, your
loyalty is like the morning cloud and like to do which goes
away early. Your loyalty is not there,
you're not devoted in heart. My friends.
God disc. Doesn't want outward change for
a moment? He wants lasting change for a
lifetime. He doesn't just want to change
our attitudes for a moment. Yeah, I know.
I need to do better and then go away and forget what kind of
people we are, he wants us to really change our lives motive
is so critical. Notice in 1st, Timothy 1 verse
5, the goal of our instruction Is Love from a pure heart, a
good conscience and a sincere faith.
God tells us we should not neglect.
Certain things just like in Matthew and without we should
add these things without neglecting.
Other things. First Corinthians the 13th
chapter, verse 1, through 3. Paul uses a classic,
illustration of authentic Christianity.
Whenever he says, yea though, I give my body to be burned and
have not charity. It profits me nothing he says,
here motive does matter. What happens on the outside
matters. Oh yes, you need to be obedient,
but you can even give in First Corinthians 2:16 chapter in 2nd
Corinthians chapter 8. He tells us about the giving the
taking up of our collection and he says Some of you think that
it's by extortion, some of you give grudgingly.
He's just don't give grudgingly. Or believing it's a necessity.
That means it's imposed upon you from the outside but he says
give of a cheerful heart. This is what makes that
acceptable sacrificed not grudgingly.
Of a cheerful heart. Change happens from the inside
out. We cannot be a disciple of
Christ, even though we outwardly get the habits down.
If our heart is far away from God, we are not a disciple of
Jesus Christ. Jesus is heart, was to do, the
will of his father, which is in heaven, and it should be our
heart as well. Both things are necessary to.
Please God, yes, you have to do the outside, right?
Don't neglect it. But you have to have the inside
right to now two last points and then we'll try to get Get wrap
it up this morning. Well, you're not really gonna
try notice. God desires more than just
well-organized self disciplined responsible, good citizens.
Listen, very carefully, the Pharisees were all of the above.
The Pharisees had that part down.
They were extremely self-discipline, Luke 18, 11
through 12 mark, seven, three and four.
They were well, organized, Matthew 23 and 23, don't you the
time and effort that it took to tithe her but herbs knew I was
going to mispronounce that herbs in the garden, the time it took
took some dedication. they are life was organized, but, Their
heart was far away from God. They didn't have the proper
motive which leads me to one last Point.
Here, listen very carefully doing good doesn't automatically
make you good. Does it make you good?
Doing good. Doesn't make you good.
Many people in this world believe that but that's not the
case. Doing good.
Does it make you good? Once again, the Pharisees were
involved in Many religious activities.
They gave alms to the poor They remain selfless are but yet they
remained, excuse me, selfish men.
They tried to do a whole lot of religious things on the outside,
but they never really changed the inside.
Jesus said to them clean the inside of the cup.
First, Matthew, 23 and verse 26. Don't make the same mistake that
the Pharisees made. There are many important things
that fall on the outside of the cup.
We could talk a lot about all those things, but when we get
down to the motives that are heart, that's where real change
begins. And it is there where God
focuses his greatest rebuke. Whenever he says repent, that
goes right back to acts 17:30, God is commanding all men
everywhere to repent the word. Repent talks about a change of
heart, a change of heart. There are many of us here today,
who aren't really Christians. We're just good people with good
habits. You ever thought about that?
We're good citizens. But we're not really ready and
prepared to meet God, because superficial change is often
easier than real change. A change of behavior often
times. We can make without changing our
heart. It's harder to change the heart.
Superficial external change
tends to lull us into thinking we have really changed.
When in reality, all we've done is develop some new habits, but
the heart Remains the Same Old dead heart.
That was always there. We've got to bring about real
change. Oftentimes, it's easy to River
to get to a point when we think we've done enough whenever we're
doing good and somebody expects more of us, it becomes a chafe.
We don't look at it as an opportunity to do greater
service for God. In fact, we say they aren't I
doing enough? That's a sign that's a sign
right there that are heart isn't totally sacrifice, give God all
of your heart soul, mind and strength.
That's where the real test is whenever we begin to chafe
against God's changes, that he brings about a little of the
outside, a little change on the outside of our relationships,
and Friends, our co-workers, and bosses, and brothers and
neighbors and family, and wife can be fairly comfortable.
It can bring about a comfortable relationship.
But that doesn't mean we love any of them.
Doesn't mean we have a heart for them at all.
We make this think the mistake of thinking if we have enough to
eat a comfortable home and I scar our marriage is in pretty
good shape. Everything's right with God.
We are Disciples of Jesus Christ, but I want you to know
such is not always the case. Are you content to do good?
We've Illustrated the soil, my friends.
You can't get stuff to grow out of soil.
That's bad. If you're going to bring about
change, we have to add some stuff to the soil.
You want to bring about, change you've got to recognize right
here, is where everything grows. That's the soil from which
genuine chump change, really grows.
It's your heart out of the heart, precedes, evil adultery,
all these other things, and out of the heart, precedes,
obedience, and all these other things as well.
There's the soil, I want to ask you.
How's the soil this morning? How's your heart, guess what?
I can't read minds. You can't read mine.
I can't read yours. I don't know if you're a
hypocrite. You don't know if I'm a
hypocrite. Oh, maybe we hide it real good
on the outside but guess what? That doesn't mean anything.
God knows your heart and God knows my heart.
So I want you to make one small. Look I'm not asking you to
compare yourself to anybody. Do not compare yourself to the
person sitting next to you? Their soil is different than
your soil their soil. May be good and honest there.
So maybe Rocky, I don't care if there's other people in church,
you can point to, and say they're Hypocrites.
I know they're Hypocrites, it doesn't matter.
We're not asking about everybody else's soil this morning.
I'm asking you to look at your soil.
Look at your heart. Perhaps the reason why there's
no fruit is because that soil needs to be plowed.
Perhaps that soil, needs some nourishment, some fertilizer,
perhaps that soil needs to be dug up and it's not once again,
brought some activity gets some oxygen into it, get some, get
some stuff, some change. Yeah, because my friends, when
that soil changes, then the seed responds differently.
Luke 8:11, the seed of the kingdom is the word of God.
The problem with bringing about change in our lives is not
change the word. It'll never change.
We're going to talk about that later on the problem isn't with
the Bible. Problem with bearing fruit for
God. His power soil.
The soil of our hearts before God.
So come back this week, come back tomorrow night, we're
planning on talking about Envy, we're going to talk about
hatred, we're going to talk about all kinds of things, this
week, things that make us uncomfortable to talk about.
We're going to talk about how the changing our attitudes, will
change the entire direction of Our Lives.
For God, we're going to talk about the image of Christ.
How to conform, how to bring about change?
We're going to talk about how to fertilize how to plow our
hearts. Because my friends, what we do
not want, I do not want, I do not want to waste my time or
yours preaching this week and going away and having no change.
And you're my life, that is a waste of time.
And there's nothing that irritates anybody than having to
go with all the church and nothing changes.
We don't want that. You want your life to be
different, you want to be really grow, you want to be ever real
change, you want to really change some things in your life.
Come back this week, we'll talk about how God empowers change
how we can bring back into Bible, does address it how to
change it, how to change our lives.
But come back this week, we'll talk more about those things,
but that's just, this will suffice as an introduction to
this week. This suffice it to say, say that
God wants us, ye demands of us, that change happens.
If there was no need for us to change.
Why would God ever say, I want all men everywhere to repent.
If God just says, Hey listen, all I want you to do is just
trust Jesus and you can stay the Way You Are.
You can stay the way you are. All you got to do is just add
Jesus and you're saved. And that's all that Christianity
is about our friends. That is not what Christianity is
all about. Because accepting Jesus as our
savior. Means accepting him as our Lord,
as well. You can't have him as Savior
without it being Lord, and you cannot acknowledge Him as Lord
without submitting to him, submitting changes to him.
So we must change our lives acts 17:30 God has commanded
ignorance accomplishment week that now is commanding.
All of us everywhere to repent. We're all in this together.
Will be like his teacher.
So today, perhaps you've come here and you're aware of what
changes, you need to make in your life.
Perhaps you're aware, then your faith, you must repent of your
sins or you will perish acts 17 and verse 30, Luke 13:3, Luke 13
5. Acts 2 verse 38, repent and be
baptized for the remission of your sins.
Perhaps you don't want the consequences of your sins to be
visited upon you and you want to get forgiveness for those
things. You can be United with him in
the likeness of his death and his burial and his resurrection,
Romans 6, verse 3 through 5 and then walk in newness of life.
You can get forgiveness for your past sins.
Acts 2:38 if you will change your behavior.
My friends baptism without repentance won't save.
If you if you're baptized without repentance, a lot of
people think the problem is, baptism my friends.
A problem with Christianity, isn't baptism.
The problem with Christianity is repentance, Repentance is where
we have to make up our mind that we want God to be God.
And that's why we need to repent of our sins.
That's the toughest things because we have to make a
commitment to change whenever we learn better.
So this morning, are you willing to give up your life to let God
have control of it, repent of your sins.
If you do, then upon your confession, Matthew 10 verse 32.
You're a fit subject for baptism.
That's right. Without repentance.
You're not a fit subject for baptism.
But that commitment to say Lord I will not want.
I'm not going to do what I want to do anymore.
I'm going to become your disciple, I'm going to become a
disciple of Jesus Christ. I'm going to become a follower
of God. I will I I'm not going to claim
that I know everything. Now I'm going to be as a child.
I'm going to grow in the things I need to grow in knowledge in
and that and growing Behavior but I will refuse to go away and
for anymore. And look into the word and see
where I need to change and then say, it doesn't matter anymore.
Today I'm going to make up my mind.
I am going to care about what the word God says.
I need to change in my life. If you're willing to in your
faith, repent of your sins. Then why don't you come confess
Christ to be baptized for the remission of your sins?
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
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