Jesus brings CHANGE

Well, I'm wondering how many of you have made New Year's resolutions.

Dare I ask for you to put your hand up ever so slowly

if you think that's a good thing to do.

Because, frankly, I never do it.

I don't do it because I know that it only is going to take an hour or two

and I've actually messed up my New Year's resolution.

But if you are a devotee of John Piper,

John Piper would say we need to be making new resolutions every day.

Every day we are to be turning our eyes towards Jesus.

So I need to take a little lesson from that.

Now, considering it's the beginning of a new year,

I thought it would be good to talk about change

because this is our moment to actually step into a new year

and to be fresh and to go with vigour into what it is

that the Lord actually would wish for us to be doing.

So I want to ask you,

if you were to change something of yourself,

what is it that you would be wanting to start with?

Lots of us would start with things like,

we want to be skinnier,

we want to be taller,

shorter,

better looking,

or would you change your eyes,

your hair,

your teeth,

your legs,

your bulges,

maybe just quietly?

If you were to wave a magic wand

and change any part of your appearance,

would it be a light touch-up

or would it be like one of those massive extreme makeovers

that you see on television,

which I personally actually really love,

where you can't even recognise the person

who's had the extreme makeover

from the person who started?

I just think that is amazing.

Well, I think we all go through periods

where we desperately want to change something,

something about ourselves.

Teenagers live in a state of wanting,

living in a state of constant fear

that they don't look good enough,

that they,

so they tinker and experiment with fads,

with fashion,

with this T-shirt,

that hat,

or whatever the latest artist might be wearing.

But when we grow older,

we get smarter.

Or do we?

We spend hours trying to find just the right dress

or the right shirt

or the right pair of pants

that will fit into whatever the crowd is

that we're trying to impress.

And some diet obsessively

and work out,

which is good for our health,

but it can be a losing battle really,

can't it?

Because we might lose weight

and finally look good

and then slowly it all sort of starts

to creep back on again

and we might reach a stage in our life

where we think it's just much better

to cover it up

and not even bother anymore.

Or maybe we just stop caring

about ourselves altogether.

But people change slowly.

If they change at all.

But as hard as it is to change on the outside,

it seems infinitely harder

to change on the inside.

Think about all the struggles

that you might have in your life.

What would you change about yourself

on the inside if you could?

Would it be an impatient spirit,

a critical tongue,

envy of those around you,

a spirit of discontentment,

lingering resentment,

lust you can't conquer,

financial mismanagement,

a guilty conscience,

an inability to work with others,

overbearing stubbornness,

a judgmental spirit,

a profound discouragement,

an inability to appreciate life,

an ungrateful spirit,

a disorganised life,

an inability to say no,

a mean streak that you can't seem

to get rid of?

The list is unending.

We would all want to change something.

But we don't know how to do it.

And we don't know where to begin.

And dare I say,

many of us have areas in our life

that need change

and we are so blinded

by the fact that we need to change that

that we don't even see it.

That's called deception.

We all dream of being someone different at times.

A better person.

Advertisers know this

and so that is why your email box,

your inbox is always crammed filled

with advertising to tell you

that you can lose weight,

you can make money,

you can learn a new language.

I constantly receive,

and I'm not too sure

if the computer actually knows this,

but I constantly receive

unwanted emails about this herb

that you can take in a pill form

from Africa

where you don't have to exercise,

you don't have to worry

about what food you eat

and you lose weight.

I mean, how fantastic is that?

The problem is,

I think the only thing that you lose

is lots of dollars

and maybe not the weight.

So, you know,

sort of unfortunately,

that's not something

that I want to take up.

Change is hard.

Go to any bookstore

and you'll see an entire wall

of self-help books.

Helping people to change

is big business nowadays.

But when we get up in the morning

and we look in the mirror,

it is still the same person

that we see from yesterday.

That's why we sometimes want to move.

We change jobs,

we buy a new car,

we start a new career,

we have a new boyfriend,

we have a new girlfriend,

we have a new outfit,

we go and change work.

It's not as easy as those things.

Those things aren't wrong in themselves,

but sometimes we need to make outward changes.

But it's not the outward stuff

that trips us up.

It's the stuff that's on the inside.

Well, the great news is

that there is an answer

and most of you here in this building

would actually know

that the answer

is going to be the Sunday school answer.

It is Jesus.

We all know that.

Do we?

Yes, of course we do.

We all know that it's Jesus,

is the answer.

So why is it that we have so much trouble?

What we learn with our heads

needs to travel 30 centimetres

in my old schooling, one foot,

but 30 centimetres to reach our heart.

And without that journey to our heart,

whatever we know about Jesus,

we'll actually be missing the point.

So the change,

the lasting change that we want

is going to come

by our hearts being transformed.

What does it mean to follow Jesus then

with our hearts?

In our reading in Matthew 4,

we see Jesus

walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee

and he calls Peter and Andrew

and also James and John

to follow him.

Two sets of brothers

who are at work

doing what they do daily,

earning a living.

Now these guys

have already met Jesus

either days or weeks

or a couple of months beforehand.

Not sure of how long it is,

but we see their first meeting with Jesus

in John chapter 1

John 1 · chapter mention

from verse 35.

Let me read it for you.

The next day,

John was there again

with two of his disciples.

When he saw Jesus passing by,

he said,

look,

the Lamb of God.

When the two disciples

heard him say this,

they followed Jesus.

Turning around,

Jesus saw them following

and asked,

what do you want?

They said,

Rabbi,

which means teacher.

Where are you staying?

Come,

he replied,

and you will see.

So they went and saw

where he was staying

and they spent the day with him.

It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew,

Simon Peter's brother,

was one of the two

who heard what John had said

and who had followed Jesus.

The first thing Andrew did

was to find his brother Simon

and tell him,

we have found the Messiah,

that is the Christ.

And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him

and said,

you are Simon,

son of John,

you will be called Cephas,

which now means,

translated,

Peter.

It seems that these new followers

of Jesus

had hung out with Jesus

for a time

and then had time

to reflect on who Jesus was.

And so when he's called to them

to drop everything

and to follow him,

they were ready

to do so immediately.

That is,

they left their work,

they left their income

and their security,

they left their family,

their focus

was on Jesus

and Jesus alone.

They weren't concerned

about what others

might have thought.

Obedience to Jesus

meant what was important

in life yesterday,

that is work,

income,

now is totally secondary today.

Jesus is now

their focus

and their priority

in life.

They were believers first,

but now

they are obedient followers.

Two very,

very different things.

their world

is about to change,

but will it change quickly?

No.

Will it change with ease?

No.

Will there be lessons

to learn?

Yes,

definitely.

And will there be rejoicing?

Yes,

definitely.

It is the same for us

when we obediently

follow Jesus.

Is Jesus

your main focus

in life?

Are your eyes

fixed on him

over and above

your family,

your work,

your free time,

your sport,

your hobby?

This is a challenge

for me.

My free time,

if I have it,

I love watching movies.

Love it.

But I can watch a movie

quite easily

and be sitting there

knowing full well

that I have not

gone and read my Bible,

I have not allowed

Jesus to input

into my life

by reading

his word,

I haven't actually

had time

praying that day

and committing

my day to the Lord.

I have my priorities

very,

very messed up

at times

and I am certain

that

many of you

might have also.

If we were to judge

the adequacy

of a bunch

of fishermen

by their appearance,

what would we see?

We would see

sun-beaten bodies

they'd be well-tanned,

they'd be muscles,

strong men physically,

not sure

how strong

they would be

emotionally,

educated in fishing,

not so educated

academically,

hard-working.

Would we look

and choose

them

for the A-team

to be the disciples

of Jesus

the Messiah?

I think not.

and why not?

Because we

constantly

fall into the trap

of looking

at a person

and judging them

by what is

on the outside,

their education,

their financial

security,

what school

or college

they went to,

what uni,

how they look,

what they wear

and we do

this same thing

without knowing

what is on the inside

and without

realising

someone's potential.

And we make

the same

foolish mistake

and foolish

judgement

of ourselves

and we

miss

the need

and the potential

to change

the inside.

We are in a trap

that we

cannot fix.

Consider what happens

when a caterpillar

enters a cocoon

only to emerge

later

as a beautiful

butterfly.

The caterpillar

doesn't change

its basic nature.

Metamorphosis

reveals what

was always

there

in the genes

of the caterpillar.

Caterpillars

can't fly

but they were

born

to fly.

when the caterpillar

has been changed

into a butterfly

it becomes

what God

always

intended

that caterpillar

to be.

And we cannot

see

what God's

intentions

for us

are either

because

it happens

from the inside.

These great

men

who Jesus

called to

follow him

also had

need of

change

on the inside

but the

change

was going

to be

painful

at times

at least

and dare I

say

downright

embarrassing.

We read

in Matthew

26

where Jesus

predicts

his death

and also

that Peter

was going

to deny

him

not once

but three

times.

Of course

Peter didn't

believe this.

of course

he would

have been

offended

that Jesus

would think

such a

thing.

I mean

how often

have you

been offended

when somebody

speaks

something about

you that

you embarrassingly

find out

was correct

in the end?

This

happens

to me

more times

than I'd

like to

count

or that

I'd like

to share

even maybe.

my heart

is clearly

not pure

and not

perfect

and dare

I say

nor is

yours.

Look at

Peter's

confident

answer.

He declares

even if

I die

with you

I will

never

disown

you.

And then

it doesn't

take very

long for

Peter's

heart to

be shown

when he

has the

encounter

with the

servant

girl

who

confidently

states

that

Peter

was also

with

Jesus.

And what

does

Peter

do?

Remembering

this is

the Peter

who loves

Jesus

declared

he will

never

fall

away

and

deny

Jesus.

Peter

lies

and he

runs

away.

Isn't

it bizarre

that we

all believe

that if

I just

move

into a

different

space

be it

changing

work,

changing

church,

changing

friends,

that the

problem

won't

follow

us.

But it

does.

If the

problem is

never

resolved

it's

always

going to

stick with

you like

glue.

Another

person

confidently

says that

Peter was

with Jesus

and Peter

denies it

and then

a group

of men

challenge

Peter

and he

denies

that he

knows

Jesus

the third

time.

Imagine

Peter's

shock

when he

heard

that rooster

crow.

How

devastating.

How

utterly

terrible

to see

one's

own

heart

for what

it truly

is.

Peter

wept

bitterly.

Friends,

that too

should be

our response

when we

truly see

the reality

of our

hearts.

How often

or have

you ever

been so

struck

by the

darkness

of your

heart

that you

have

wept

bitterly.

Maybe

for us

to move

into

2016

we

first

all

need

to

shed

heartfelt

tears

of the

darkness

of our

own

hearts

and receive

the love

and the

grace

and the

forgiveness

that only

Jesus

can actually

bring.

Jesus

called Peter

to follow

him

and it

was

Jesus

who saw

potential

within

Peter

even

though

there was

much to

learn

and much

change

to occur

and Jesus

has called

us to

himself.

He has

called us

to follow

him.

He has

called us

to obey

him

and we

too

have

much

to

learn

and

much

change

to

happen

within

us

and we

wonder

at the

beginning

of another

year

can I

change

is there

potential?

In the

year

1464

a sculptor

named

Agostino

di

Duccio

Apology

if I've

said that

incorrectly

began

working on

a huge

piece

of

floored

marble

intending

to produce

a magnificent

sculpture

of an

Old

Testament

prophet

for a

cathedral

in

Florence

Italy.

He

laboured

for two

years

and then

he stopped.

In

1476

Antonio

Rossellino

started to

work on

the same

piece of

marble

and in

time

abandoned

it also.

In

1501

a 26

year old

sculptor

named

Michelangelo

was offered

a considerable

sum of

money to

produce

something

worthwhile

from that

enormous

block of

marble

called

the

giant

and as

he began

his work

he saw

a major

floor

near the

bottom

that had

stymied

other

sculptors.

He decided

to turn that

part of the

stone into

a broken

tree,

a broken

tree stump

that would

support the

right leg

and the

rest he

worked on

for four

years

until he

had produced

the

incomparable

David.

Today the

17 foot

tall statue

stands on

display at the

Academia

Gallery in

Florence

where people

come from

all around

the world

to view it.

more than

a masterpiece

it is one

of the

greatest

works of

art

ever

produced.

It has

been said

there is

no statue

more perfect.

You might

have a

different view

as I do

but that's

what they

say.

How did

Michelangelo

do it?

Well here

is the answer

in his own

words.

He said

in every

block of

marble I

see a

statue.

As plain

as though

it stood

before me

shaped

and perfect

in attitude

and action

I have

only to

hew away

the rough

walls that

imprison the

lovely

apparition

to reveal

it to

other eyes

as mine

see it.

Said in

more colloquial

terms

I cut

away

everything

that didn't

look like

David.

All of

us

are works

in progress.

Now apply

this to

the spiritual

life.

We're not

finished.

We're not

glorified.

We're not

perfected.

We're not

completed.

We're all

under

construction.

Whilst the

chipping away

of unwanted

bits

continues

it's hard

to imagine

what the

final result

will be.

God

God

never

stops

working

on us

because

there is

so much

work

that needs

to be

done.

In

Isaiah

Isaiah 64:8

64

verse 8

it says

O Lord

you are

our

father

we are

the clay

you are

the potter

we are

all the

work of

your hand.

In my

mind's

eye

I picture

God as

a sculptor

working with

a rough

piece of

marble.

He's

working on

a big

chunk

named

Deb

Gould.

It's a

hard job

because the

chunk is

badly

marred,

it's

misshapen,

it's

discoloured

and cracked

in odd

places.

It's about

the worst

piece of

marble a

sculptor

could ever

find.

But God

is undeterred

and he

works patiently

at his

job

chipping away

the bad

parts,

chiseling,

in an

image

into the

hard stone,

stopping

occasionally

to polish

here and

there.

One day

he will

finish

one section

of the

statue.

The next

morning when

he returns

to the

studio,

that section

is messed

up.

I thought

I finished

that yesterday

he says,

who's been

messing with

my statue?

It turns

out that

I'm the

culprit.

I'm my

own

worst

enemy.

What I

thought would

improve

things has

only messed

them up

by my

actions,

by trying

to take

control,

by being

self-centred.

But God

is faithful.

He is

patiently

picks up

his chisel

and goes

back to

work.

He's

chipping

away

everything

that doesn't

look like

Jesus.

In my

case,

it's evident

that he's

got a

long way

to go,

but I'm

encouraged

by the

certain

knowledge

that he

will not

give up.

He will

not quit

halfway

through a

project.

What God

starts,

God

finishes.

After

Peter's

huge

debacle,

one would

think that

he would

be kicked

out of

the list

of close

friends and

disciples of

Jesus.

But if

you turn

with me to

John 21,

John 21:15–18

verses 15

to 18,

we read

this.

When they

had finished

eating,

Jesus said

to Simon

Peter,

Simon,

son of

John,

do you

love me

more than

these?

Yes,

Lord,

he said,

you know

that I

love you.

Jesus

said,

feed my

lambs.

Again,

Jesus said,

Simon,

son of

John,

do you

love me?

He

answered,

yes,

Lord,

you know

that I

love you.

Jesus

said,

take my

sheep.

The third

time he

said to

him,

Simon,

son of

John,

do you

love me?

Peter was

hurt because

Jesus asked

him the

third time,

do you

love me?

He said,

Lord,

you know

all things,

you know

that I

love you.

And Jesus

said,

feed my

sheep.

Isn't that

beautiful?

that is

no accident

that Jesus

asked that

question three

times.

Three times

Peter disowned

Jesus and

three times

Jesus wanted

to show

Peter that

he is still

Jesus'

man.

Jesus knew

the change

in Peter's

heart and

he was

reinstated as

it was to

the role that

Jesus had

always planned

for him.

Peter had

the role of

feeding Jesus'

sheep to

lead his

people.

It was a

ministry beyond

anything a

simple fisherman

would ever

have dreamed.

We see the

transformation of

Peter, the

change that was

orchestrated by

Jesus when we

read Peter's

address to the

crowds in Acts

2.

The Holy

Spirit comes

and fills all

the followers

of Jesus and

miraculously they

speak in

different tongues

with eloquence,

with power,

with authority.

This is a

change that

cannot be

achieved by

human effort

or by positive

thinking or by

any self-help

book.

This is a

change that

Jesus makes

for those who

follow and

obey him.

Remember right

at the

beginning we

saw Peter

and the

others leave

everything to

follow Jesus.

Being a

disciple of

Jesus is

dependent upon

us being

100% devoted

and in love

with Jesus

above all

other

distractions.

Jesus needs

to be our

priority for

change to

occur.

Do you want

change?

change?

Do you want

change on the

inside that

will last?

Then we need

to make

2016 a

year of

being devoted

to the

only one

who can

change us

into the

people that

he envisions

us to be.

Let me

encourage you

this week

to spend

time with

God and

ask him

what area

of your

life this

year needs

changing on

the inside.

It will not

happen overnight

but it will

happen if you

obey Jesus

and keep your

eyes on him

day by day

moment by

moment.

How wonderful

it will be

that when we

are in heaven

we will get

to see the

masterpiece

that the

Lord is

working on

right now

for each

other.

Remember we

are all

works in

progress and

we all have

potential if

we follow and

obey the

master.

We may

even choose

the same

engraving on

our headstones

when the day

comes that we

die that Ruth

Graham, the

wife of the

great evangelist

Billy Graham,

has on her

headstone.

and it

says,

end of

construction.

Thank you

for your

patience.