Encouragement: It's for you!
Notes
Transcript
Has Christ changed you?
Has Christ changed you?
Introduction:
One way missionary (A.W. Mill) profane, angry, irate man. God got a hold of him and changed him and he became a one way missionary (expand)
Burn the plow picture inserted here
Bible illustration Elijah after God impacted him and found him pouting led him to Elisha who was impacted and became a one way missionary (1Kn19:21) - slaughter cows, burned the plow
Charles Spurgeon picture inserted here
Caught in the storm - Man named Charles a teenager, just 15 years old, caught in snow storm stepped into a church building and there heard the gospel message and responded to it. This man being Charles Spurgeon as many call him “prince of preachers” who went out and his life mission was to change people for Jesus.
Saul the zealot picture inserted here
How about a man named Saul, a zealous man (Gal1:13-14). Zealous for the God of Israel until he met Jesus and everything changed and become zealous for Christ, and could not but preach Christ as Paul, the bondservant of Christ. Changed man going out to change people and make an impact for the kingdom of God.
Friends wouldn’t want him to change, enemies could not change him, only God could and did so.
(Transition) Again, has Jesus impacted, changed you? - Maybe you are here today and you answer “yes” but is there change? God is in the changing, the transforming business and that is of great encouragement to us. We want to make an impact for Jesus, we are changed people who change people.
Problem: many come, sit, listen, leave, but do nothing with what they see, hear, or read. But transformation, change does not happen until we go from trying to training.
Run the race picture inserted here
Run to win!
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
You can read all the books you want about running, or training for something, but until you put it into action you are just trying.
Dallas Willard “We are not trying to be different people, but we are training to be different people.”
We want to be changed people who change people, we need to engage in the race, and race in such a way as that you may win!
So, first about the training, consider
turn to 1Tim4:7-8 - train for godliness
7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Scripture does not tell us to “try” to be godly; does not say “try” to change, it tells us to train ourselves to be godly to be conformed to be like Jesus.
Change, Paul was changed and wanted to be all things to all people so to make an impact for Christ (1Cor9:16-23)
Leads to what we need to do, part of our training
turn to 1Cor9:25-26
25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
Run with purpose, with aim, it will take self control, by the way God gives you the grace of self-control and helps you develop it.
Self-control in “all” things; Elisha was in complete abandon, there was no turning back, Paul could not but preach the gospel, there was no turning back, but it takes self-control in all areas of your life.
Have you been changed by Jesus, impacted by Jesus, do you love God? May we train together so to be changed, continue to be transformed so we can change people and make an impact for Jesus.
God’s word picture inserted here
Get into God’s word, let it get into you, be renewed by it daily (ref: Rom12:1)
God’s word will transform you and make you a new creation (ref: 2Cor5:17)
The word that renews, that transforms is living and active (ref: Heb4:12) and gets to the core so to change you so you can change others.
God’s word brings us comfort, peace, promises
Comfort we are wonderfully made (ref: Ps139:14)
We are created in His image (ref: Gen1:27)
You are His workmanship created for good works (ref: Eph2:10)
He has given you what you need to be godly
turn to 2Pt1:3-4
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Jesus said if you love Me you will keep my words (ref: Jn14:23)
You want to be training to be a changed person, put God’s word in you! Let It accomplish it’s good work in you and then through you.
Put Gods word in and put it to practice.
Application point: Get a bible, bible app, need one, ask for one will give you one. (read, study, memorize) put into practice what His word says. Let God’s word change you so you can make an impact for Jesus by applying it!
(transition) so 1. go from trying to training. 2. training with God’s word, one more for this morning 3. Prayer, pray everyday
Pray everyday
When we put God’s word in, believe God’s word, and apply God’s word we will be changed people who pray everyday as we see exampled in the scripture (ref: Eph6:18; 1The5:17)
A simple acronym
P: Praise: you can find the psalmists say they will pray 33 times in the Psalms. (turn to read Ps9:1-2
1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
how do you come to Him, we often come in prayer, we enter into his courts (think of song 949 - I will enter His courts . . .)
Pray with thanksgiving, pray with praise and adoration for who God is and what God does and has done and promises to do
R = Repent
Self-examination, are there areas that we are not walking in accordance to God’s will, God’s word, God’s commands. Repent, turn to Him in surrender to make the changes He wants to make in your life.
Repent is recognizing there is something wrong (all fall short Rom6:23) and that we know one who can forgive and restore (ref: 1Jn1:8-10)
Some will say the “R” is for recite, repeat what God’s word says. Who He is, who you are in Him according to the scripture.
A = Ask
I once read about unanswered prayers, those are the prayers that are not asked.
Turn to read Jm4:2-3
2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When you have praised God and have repented of your ways, you can then ask God in accordance to His will
God wants you to ask turn to and read Mt7:11
11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
We know prayer is powerful and effective (ref: Jm5:16); so go to Him in prayer, ask, make your requests know (ref: Php4:6-7)
Y = Yield to God’s will
In pray Jesus asked for the Fathers will (ref: Mk14:36)
Be yielded in prayer listen for the Lord in prayer, let Him speak through His word in answers to prayer. Let prayer change you with the word that changes you so that you can make an impact for Jesus.
yielding may not be easy.
Yielding may not even make sense at times
Yielding will always bring glory to God and build your faith in God.
(Conclusion) - Encouragement it is for you, not just to make you feel good, but for you to be changed to do good, to be who God called you, created you to be. To be a changed person who changes people.
God changes lives, God trains us to
Go make disciples (Mt28:20)
To invite others to see Jesus (Jn1:39-46)
To serve one another ( 1Pt4:10-11)
To be giving (2Cor9:6-8)
Change starts with not trying, but training, are you training today? (encouragement/Invitation)
(prayer) (Exit)