Sermon Central
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Transformed And Changed Life
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Jul 12, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: God desires and we should hunger for a transformed and changed life.There are reasons we miss the mark.1. I don’t need to change 2. When I know more.3. I can change myself 4. I can change overnight.
The transformed and changed life
INTRO-
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH IDENTITY?
DO YOU THINK SOCIETY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO FIND THEMSELVES?
JUST THIS WEEK, MADONNA THAT WELL KNOWN THEOLOGIAN WAS ON T.V. TELLING THE WORLD WHY ALEX RODRIGUEZ (A-ROD) TO SPORTS FANS, THE RICHEST MAN IN BASEBALL IS DOING A CLEANSING IN THE RELIGION OF KABBALAH TO FIND HIS IDENTITY AND SELF WORTH.
HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE- IN A DAY AND AGE OF EVERYTHING FAST, MICROWAVE,YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT, EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, YOU DESERVE IT, YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY, HAVE IT YOUR OWN WAY, JUST DO IT, ALL SEARCHING TO FIND THEMSELF.
JESUS IS WALKING WITH HIS DISCIPLES AND HE ASKS THEM A QUESTION. “WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM”? THEY SAY THAT YOU ARE JOHN THE BAPTIST, ELIJAH, SOME SAY JEREMIAH. THEN JESUS SAID DIRECT TO PETER..” WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM”- PETER STANDS UP AND SAYS THAT “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD”
THAT WAS PROFOUND THAT WASN’T REVEALED BY MAN, BUT GOD HIMSELF SHOWED HIM THAT REVELATION.
APOSTLE PAUL ACTS CHAPTER 9-
AFTER PERSECUTING THE CHURCH, AFTER DESTROYING ANYONE WHO BELONGED TO THE WAY..PAUL .HAS A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD MET JESUS CHRIST ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS.
MAYBE YOU’RE HERE THIS MORNING ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS. WANTING TO GET MORE ANSWERS.
HOW CAN I HAVE A LIFE CHANGING ENCOUNTER WITH GOD?
HOW CAN I CHANGE MY LIFE FOR THE GOOD?
WHY DOES IT SEEM TO COME EASY FOR SOME , BUT NOT ME?
ROMANS 12:1-2 READ OUR TEXT THIS MORNING
PAUL URGES US(BEGS US) IN VIEW OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US, THE MERCY THAT HE HAS SHOWN US, WE ARE TO OFFER OUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES.
HAVE YOU WISHED THAT A CERTAIN PART OF YOUR LIFE YOU COULD CHANGE?
IS THERE AN AREA OF YOUR LIFE YOU AREN’T SATISFIED WITH AND YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT PLEASED OR SATISFIED WITH IT EITHER .THAT YOU COULD BE TRANSFORMED.
TRANSFORMED INTO A STRONG MAN WHEN YOU WERE AFRAID.
TRANSFORMED INTO A PATIENT PERSON WHEN YOUR AROUND A PERSON WHO REALLY IRRITATES YOU.
TRANSFORMED SO YOU CAN SAY NO TO A TEMPTATION WHEN IT COMES UP.
JESUS TALKS ABOUT A TRANSFORMATION. HE TALKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET FROM WHERE WE ARE IN LIFE TO WHERE GOD DESIRES US TO BE. AND HE PROMISES TO HELP US GET THERE.
“I BEG YOU TO GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD”
PARAPHRASED- “ DON’T COPY THE BEHAVIOR OF THE WORLD, BUT LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU IN TO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY THAT YOU THINK.”
PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT A REAL TRANSFORMATION.
REAL CHANGES TO YOUR LIFE.
PERMANENT LIFE ALTERING CHANGE
NOT LIKE THE TRANSFORMER ROBOTS, THEY QUICKLY CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER, AND BACK AGAIN. TWO SHAPES, TWO LIVES.
GOD TALKS ABOUT A PERMANENT TRANSFORMATION AND YOU WILL BE BRAND NEW.
THE WORD TRANSFORM HERE IS THE SAME WORD THAT WE GET THE WORD METAMORPHOSIS FROM. CATERPILLAR GOES INTO A COCOON, AND COME OUT A BUTTERFLY. IT WILL NEVER BE A COCOON AGAIN.
SOME OF US WILL GRAB THIS AND SOME OF US WON’T.
THE REASON SOME WON’T IS BECAUSE THEY DON’T LIKE CHANGE. IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE. IT TAKES US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE.
HERE ARE SOME REASONS W E WON’T GET IT.
I. THEY DON’T THINK THEY NEED TO CHANGE
WE ALL HAVE THINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO WORK AT:
WERE NOT THE PERFECT PARENT
WERE NOT THE PERFECT CO-WORKER
YOU ARE NOT THE PERFECT BOSS OR EMPLOYEE
I’M NOT THE PERFECT PASTOR
WHEN WE LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND WE ALLOW GOD TO CHANGE THAT PERSON IN THE MIRROR INSTEAD OF BLAMING OTHERS, THERE WILL BE TRANSFORMATION.
II. WHEN I KNOW MORE/ I WILL CHANGE
I NEED MORE INFORMATION
KNOWLEDGE IS GOOD/ ADVOCATE OF EDUCATION. KNOWLEDGE ALONE NEVER GET’S APPLIED TO YOUR LIFE.
15 MINUTES A DAY- GIVE GOD YOUR FIRST 15 MINUTES A DAY TO PRAY AND READ HIS WORD. YOUR LIFE WILL BE CHANGED. GUARANTEED
WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT WILL WE DO IT.
IT IS HARD TO APPLY BIBLICAL TRUTHS TO YOUR LIFE. YOU BECOME STALE IF KNOWLEDGE IS NOT APPLIED TO YOUR LIFE.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE BIBLE SMART/ LIFE CHALLENGED.
JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A REV. IN FRONT OF SOMEONE’S NAME DOES NOT MEAN THEY ACT LIKE IT. WE SAW THAT THIS WEEK.
III. I CAN CHANGE MYSELF
I’LL JUST BEAR DOWN AND CHANGE. WORK HARD.
I’M NOT GOING TO GET ANGRY ANYMORE., NOT BE IMPATIENT WITH THIS PERSON.
THE TRUTH IS WE FAIL, OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
APOSTLE PAUL SAYS:
WHAT A MISERABLE PERSON I AM BECAUSE I DON’T DO THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO, AND THE THINGS THAT I DON’T WANT TO DO, I DO.
