Gtcotr/ss033119
Today’s
message begins with Three Truths from the Bible
1.
No one is born perfect in the eyes of God.
2.
A person must be Born-Again to enter the Kingdom of God.
3.
We cannot please God if we are unwilling to change.
Change
what? Whatever needs to change in order to please God. You should know if you
are at odds with God’s Word, if you are, then change!
Change
is an interesting concept in the Bible. Some might argue that God’s greatest challenge is getting people to change.
In fact it could be said that the biggest problems we have in life could be
solved if we or others would only change: Change your mind; Change your heart; Change
your ways – or maybe even – Change your socks. Any change for the better is a
good change.
However,
There is a nature in mankind that moves us to create
Hide Outs, Hold Outs & Hang Outs for Sin. We are born with a human
nature that:
·
Hides out so no one will know
what we think or do.
·
Holds out and keeps thinking
and doing whatever we want despite what the Bible or anyone else says.
·
Hangs out with other people
who think like we think or do what we do.
In
contrast to human nature, one of the most enduring messages in the Bible is the
message of repentance. Repentance is a change of mind
that produces a change in behavior. We repent by faith in God, through
earnest prayer. When we repent before God, we are forgiven by God. Then it is
our responsibility to forsake the old nature and embrace the new. We should do
our best to live the change and not relapse into the old patterns of life.
Many
people are on the road that leads to destruction. The Bible says that there is
a broad pathway that leads to destruction and many walk thereon. Unless they
are willing to “Turn From” their
preferred and familiar ways and “Turn
To” God’s new way, they will continue to cause problems for themselves and for
others. Without change, life can be hell.
The
message of the Bible is clear concerning the need for people to repent. Noah
preached the message of repentance for 120 years before God shut the door of
the Ark. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach a message of repentance, however,
Jonah first had to repent himself and change his mind. God challenged Jonah to
change and as a result, both Jonah and Nineveh were saved.
So
what if we are required to change our minds or change our ways to please the
Creator of the universe? It is a very small price to pay for all the blessings
and benefits God affords. God’s greatest blessings are
out of this world. Let’s look at some NT verses that speak about this change.
John the Baptist
preached change:
Matthew 3
1 In those days John the
Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
This
was John’s only message: Get right with God … Jesus is coming!
Jesus preached
change:
Matthew 4:17 From that time
Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.”
The Disciples preached
change:
Mark 6:12 So they went out
and preached that people should repent.
After His
resurrection, Jesus was still preaching change:
Luke 24
46 Then He said to them,
“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem.”
The Apostle Paul
preached change:
2 Corinthians 7
9 Now I rejoice, not that you
were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made
sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow produces
repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of
the world produces death.
Paul encouraged
Timothy to preach change:
2 Timothy 2
25 in humility correcting
those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that
they may know the truth,
26 and that they may
come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been
taken captive by him to do his will.
Change
comes from a decision to not hide out, hold out or hang out with others who
provide us a shelter for our sin. Repentance means change …
·
Check
yourself … take an inventory of your beliefs and actions.
·
Challenge
yourself with the Word of God … stop battling the Bible.
·
Change
the way you think to line up with what God thinks and begin living life as a
fully committed follower of Christ.
You can
repent today!
1.
Accept the fact that God is right, and you are wrong.
2.
Pray and ask God to forgive you.
3.
Embrace a new day and begin to live a new way.
You can do it!
