Series: “How to Make it Through Tough Times”

Part 6

“A Roadmap for Change”

Pastor Jerry

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

Why did you come to church today? Did you come because that is what you have been taught, or it’s a habit, or are you afraid you will reap some divine punished if you didn’t?

I think one of the reasons is we come here with some needs: the need to be different, to grow, to change. That’s one of the things all of us have in common, it’s the need to change. Let me ask you a question. Do you ever feel like you wish you could be different?

In this series we’ve been looking at some of the names of God in the Bible. This week we’re looking at the name Jehovah-M’Kiddish – Í am the God who sanctifies you.  “Sanctify” means “to change.”

This message is about our spiritual journey leading to Easter. It doesn’t matter where you are today on your journey because God wants to change you. God is at work. That’s the good news – that He’s not done with you yet.

A lot of people think they’re not good enough to be a Christian. None of us are. You don’t have to get your act together first. You come to God just like you are and He begins the change process. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” The old life is referring to life without relationship with Jesus Christ. The new life is a new supernatural relationship with God. It’s the process of being sanctified, of being changed.

The Apostle Paul summarizes by saying “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” 

The big idea here is with this new life we’re on a new journey or process, God wants to change us. God wants to transform our character. 

There are some things in my life, my struggles, that I thought I would have to live with forever. Yet God has transformed many of those. I haven’t arrived. I’m not there. But I can see what He does. I used to say this: “That’s just the way that I am.” God doesn’t take that as an answer. God will not let you remain as you are. He will change you!

How does God change us? There are two extreme thoughts, neither of which are Biblical. One extreme is this that the change that takes place is all God. God does everything. Another extreme says that God saves me but then it’s all up to me to change. I’ve got to work and I’ve got to do to transform my behavior. NO! (That’s not the way it is with God’s plan).

What the Bible teaches about change – about biblical sanctification – is that there is a “God part” and there is an “our part.” God’s part is His power. Our part is our cooperation. God’s power through His Holy Spirit controls the process. We cooperate, God controls it. There are Four Action Steps, or ways in which we cooperate with this process.

1. RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE IS A JOURNEY.

God changing us is a process. It’s not an event. It’s a journey.  Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”  If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you’ve said, “Come into my life, forgive me of my sins,” It began! That is the sanctification. That is the process, the journey.

Some who come to church say, “Are we there yet?” “Come on God! I’m not seeing any change. You must not work.” They give up!  One of the reasons we have so much of a problem with this is we’re an instant gratification society. The reason that we have a problem changing is because we don’t understand God’s timing. It’s very different than ours. God’s not in a hurry. He’s doing His part. Our part is cooperating.

The good news of life as a journey is this: No, we’re not there yet. But we are not where we were! God’s not done with you yet. God’s roadmap to change starts with the understanding that change is a journey.

2. SET OUR SIGHTS ON THE FINAL DESTINATION.

If you’re on a journey to be a Christian, the picture of your final destination is becoming like Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10 “And what God wants is for us to be made holy.”  Leviticus 20 says “So set yourselves apart to be holy for I the Lord am your God who makes you holy.”  Be set apart – that’s what holiness is. It’s not set above everybody else, its set apart from the world’s way. The final destination is Jesus Christ, who is Holy.

People flip out on this holiness word. “What if I mess up?” You will. That’s part of the process. If you’re anything like me, you’ll mess up a lot. God is concerned with what’s on the inside. We are typically outer world people, concerned with how we look.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.”  Too many people in church want to become more religious. That’s not it. You want to become more like Jesus. Don’t confuse religion and Biblical knowledge with transformation of your heart. Biblical knowledge has to go hand in hand with the desire to submit your life to God, not just to know about Him. If you want a picture of a changed life, you look for the person who is humble, someone who hungers and thirsts after God. Someone looking ahead, outside us, is looking to be like Jesus!

3. ASK GOD TO HELP WITH YOUR ROADBLOCKS.

Roadblocks are areas of life that slow down movement. Many people’s roadblocks are hidden and they’re silent. 2 Corinthians 7 “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence or awe for God.”  What are the things that contaminate your character? that stunts your spiritual growth? Is it – pride, anger, lust, stealing, unkindness, selfishness, What is that roadblocks in your life?

“Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life. which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.” People know they have problems! They need help! That’s when you’ve got to ask for intervention by the hand of God to remove it from your life because you can’t do it on your own.

You can’t do it on your own. But God can, in Proverbs 28 “People who cover over their sins will not prosper but if they confess and forsake them they will receive mercy.” Do you want God’s mercy for an area of your life that you can’t control? Humble yourself and ask for it.

4. LEARN HOW TO REFUEL.

We pass God by (we don’t take time to connect with God) even though we’re on empty and too busy to refuel. I need to be refueled every day. I think David understood the importance of being filled when he said “He [God] renews my strength.  He guides me along the right path.” I too need to be filled with God. We need to refuel. How do you do it? Is it coming to church once a week? That’s not enough. You’ve got to take time to get refueled every day. Pray and read the Word of God!

2 Peter 1 “As we know Jesus better His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. So make every effort to apply these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.” 

Don’t get the idea that this change that’s going on in your life is so you can stand back and say, “Look how spiritual I am.” The Bible says this change process is always expressed in the context of community – love for others, genuine love for others. That’s why God is changing us so we might love others. You are never more like Christ than when you express love.

How do you know if God is causing change in your life? A measuring stick is Galatians 5 “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” How do you know if there is change happening? You will act kinder in a situation than you did three months ago. You need to realize that your life is changing and that you’re just part of the change on this journey. God is the other part! You need both!

Where are you in this journey?

There’s no doubt about it, you’re on your way home to God. You’re not there yet! But you’re a long way from where you were when you came in this morning. God will do a miracle in your life if you will have faith and let Him!

I want to encourage you today, to let Him! Say, “God I want You to do a work in my life.” Just say, “God I want a new relationship with Jesus Christ.”  Lord come into my life and forgive me and give me that new life?

If you do, this is God’s promise: Ezekiel 36 “And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new obedient heart.”  That’s God’s desire for us today.