Change, Part 1 - Glen Osburn 11/7/04

This week, we're going to be talking on the theme of change

in our lives, and this is a buzzword or a, if you will a

hot-button word because oftentimes when ever use the

word change, there will be people who get defensive and

say. Now, look, we're talking about

the Lord's Church. There's things we're not

supposed to change and that, and yet within the teachings of

Christianity change is one of the very reasons why God gave us

the assembly. And His word is because we need

to change from a sinful life to an obedient life.

A life that reflects the design God gave us that is to reflect

his glory rather than to reflect if you will the Flesh.

And yet, there are many other things in the scriptures that

Bible says will never change. Jesus is immutable.

He says that God is the same yesterday today and forever.

And so whenever you look at the word change as it's used in the

scriptures, you're going to find the whole rainbow.

Things talked about whenever you use the word change, you're

going to find things that never change, things that should never

change and things that must change things that absolutely

must change in order to be found.

Well, pleasing to God. And so today, whenever we're

talking about some of these Concepts were going to introduce

our thoughts this whole week, we're going to be talking about

change. We want to introduce our

thoughts by talking about change itself and how sometimes we

don't change like we should we're going to talk about how

that there it can come about change in our life and how we

can bring about change, good change positive change change

that as a prove to God and how we can honor the things that

must never change in this life as well.

First of all, whenever we talk about change the verse that we

used in your little flyer acts 17:30.

Acts 17:30

The Bible says, God is commanding all men everywhere to

repent the word repent. It is a synonym if you will for

change, we don't often use the word repent, out of side of a

religious context. When was the last time you went

up to somebody and was talking about, changing you go, you

know, you need to repent, you know you we don't often use that

just into in our way, we regularly use language but the

word repent means change. God is demanding that we change.

And so he whenever he God, commands, all men everywhere to

change. We have to ask When where, how,

what, what is it? What do I need to change?

What kind of change is God? Requiring of me in that passage,

we really need to look at it. Well, let's look at some people

in the scriptures that thought they had it sorted out and

really didn't if you'll turn to James.

The first chapter, we find a James, the first chapter, he

tells us in verse 19, Excuse me. Mm-hmm, this, you know, my

beloved brother and but everyone must be quick to hear slow to

speak and slow to anger for the anger of man does not achieve

the righteousness of God, therefore, putting aside now,

see, here's some things that God requires he says, listen, the

anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.

This isn't in keeping with God's principles for our life.

And so he says, therefore putting aside all filthiness and

all that remains of wickedness and It nests or in humility

verse 21, received the word implanted, which is able to save

your souls, the word, implanted, we're in our hearts and in our

minds, is able to bring about salvation to our souls, but

prove verse 22, but prove yourselves doers of the word and

not merely hearers who delude themselves.

Now, here's somebody who has a Bible or who hears the Bible and

the change doesn't really come about in his life.

It's it's really if you will kept on the outside.

Outside of their life, it may be on the outside.

It may have a semblance. It may look like they are

changed people in some way. They may give verbal

acknowledgment to Jesus. They may be like the Pharisees,

praise God, with their lips, but their heart is far from him.

But God says, listen, I want more than that.

I really want some dude, somebody to do something, not

only on the outside, but from the inside as well.

In other words, true change comes from the inside from the

heart, from our hearts. And this is so important.

Notice verse 21 is a hero word and not a doer.

He is like unto a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror

for once. He has looked at himself a gun

away, he is immediately forgotten.

What kind of person he is. I'm reading for New American

Standard. What manner of what kind of

person is? What the Greek is trying to get

across to us? Hear the word of God reveals to

us. Us things that an outward mere

cannot show to us or cannot reveal to us and outward mirror

shows us how we appear to everyone else.

The word shows us how we appear to God.

We may outwardly look beautiful, but inwardly we may be dead.

We may be ugly on the inside and God says, listen, there are

people who sometimes look at themselves, get a glimpse of how

God sees them, but they go away and forget what kind of people

that they are notice. 25, but one who looks intently at the

perfect law, the Lauber Liberty. And abides by it, not having

begun a forgetful hearer. But an effectual doer, this man

shall be blessed in what he does.

Evidently this man reacts with the word of God that is he sees

himself, he sees what kind of person he is inside the word and

something happens. He becomes a doer change happens

in his life. He changed.

Changes his behavior. He changes his relationships.

He changes the way, he, he acts the way he feels, and the reason

is not by being around a Bible. It's not being around religious,

people, it seeing yourself in the word and letting that word,

change you in some way. Let's let the outwardly we may

appear, beautiful, but inwardly, we're not please turn.

If you will to the Book of Revelation right quick.

The apocalypse. However, you want to call it in

Revelation, the third chapter third chapter, if I get my words

out, right, third chapter and starting with verse 14.

Let's look at the church at laodicea for just a moment.

Now, here's a church that was dedicated to not changing.

Notice what it says here to the angel of Churchill, owed to see

uh, the amen, the faithful and true, witness the beginning of

the creation of God, says this, I know your Deeds that you are

neither cold nor hot. I wish You were cold or hot, we

should were. In other words, they were

dispassionate about their behavior.

They didn't have any emotion and what they did, they didn't care

if they didn't, they were just dispassionate.

Notice? He says verse 16, so, because

you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot.

I will spit you out of my mouth. You're distasteful to me.

You don't serve god with passion.

Oh, but you don't quit, your just lukewarm notice verse. 19.

Here's why they were lukewarm because you say now here, the

holy spirit is quoting. Maybe not quoting verbatim

somebody in the congregation but he nailed their attitude.

Notice the attitude this quote describes.

He says, because you say, I am rich, I have become wealthy and

have need of nothing now that they weren't talking literally

contextually hear about their financial status in the

community, he's talking It just lie here.

He's talking about people who think they're spiritually,

mature, wealthy and Rich. He had no other words.

These people think they've got it made.

They have it. They are spiritually.

Rich. Notice what he says and we have

need of nothing. Do you not know that you are

wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked?

They were destitute how they viewed themselves.

Elves was starkly different to the way God viewed them.

They should have been looking in that mirror because the physical

mere told him, they had it made, but the mirror of God's word

revealed to them, that they were poor and blind and naked

unclothed. Unprepared to meet God.

They were literally unprepared. I advise you to buy from me,

gold refined by fire so that you become rich and white garments

so that you may clothe yourselves.

And that the Shame of your nakedness will not be revealed

and eye Salve to anoint, your eyes that you may see those whom

I love, I rebuke and I Chasin, you know, God loves all of us

here today and I don't know where you're at.

I know outwardly, you may appear to be.

Okay, everything's fine. Even your home, may be peaceful.

But the fact of the matter is, we don't have the ability to

look into other people's hearts like Jesus and like God and see

ourselves for what we really are.

But you do, you know, because You've looked into the mirror,

you know what you've hidden from everybody else's site and we

need to like, the church at laodicea sometimes.

Look into our lives and see ourselves as God sees us.

And then that gives us motivation that gives us a

reality of where, to change in our lives.

Outwardly, everybody may be accepting, everybody may give us

approval, but whether without God's approval, and without

being a presentable for God, that's nothing, that's just a

mere. Assad this church.

This is a church here in laodicea our brother--and.

This isn't talking about a denomination, this is talking

about a Congregation of our Brethren and he says, you think

you've got it, made your rich and increased with good and you

don't think you have need of anything.

Don't you know your poor blind and naked.

Look at yourself. The way I look at you you need

some real changes. So today within the church we

have all kinds of and a whole spectrum of Christians here.

Some of us don't have any problem with cussing and

swearing. Some of us maybe do some of us

may not have a problem with lust others do some of us may have a

problem with theft others do, some of us ain't mine, a I have

a problem with envy and hatred. Others May May, but the point

is, is regardless of how you appear to the eyes and two men,

we need to understand. It's how God views us that

matters. The most matters.

It's the only thing that really matters because that's where

that's where when will that change really happens.

That's where the authentic and the genuine comes from, it comes

from winds within inside. This theme is all the way

through the scriptures through the Old and New Testament.

Let's look at Some passages, this weren't believe it or not

at home. I have a tendency to teach a

long time and I'm trying not to do that here today.

But I do want to get the concept of, and I want you to come back

all through the week because we are going to be building on

these sermons. We're going to be building one

upon another. And I don't want you to miss one

because everyone is critical to The Next Step because change is

so difficult in our lives. We are creatures of habit.

God gave us habit for a good reason.

Our brains are habitual for good reason because whenever we learn

to do good, then it becomes habitual and that's that's okay.

Just having a habit isn't necessarily bad.

But yet having a bad habit that seems to be impossible to break

or things in our lives that are real struggles to change.

I want you to know there is hope there is real hope and God would

not ask us to do something that was impossible for us to do.

Every single one of us have to change something.

I hope you're not sitting there like the church at laodicea and

say well Glenn everybody else does need to change but not me.

Then I would say, okay, you laodicean, you're rich and

increased with goods and have need of nothing.

Are you one of the few people here that don't even need to be

here? Really well.

How about that? That's the problem we're getting

at here folks. Have you changed much in the

last 10 years? How's your marriage changed in

the last 10 years? Have your friendships change?

Not for, are you have you gotten more holy in your life?

Have you overcome some things in your life in the last 10 years

or have you been? Are you battling the same

battles for the last 10 years? The last 10 years it reminds me

of a teacher. One time, the teacher went to

the principal and said principle I want you to know.

I think I deserve a raise, I have been here, 20 years, 20

years, And I still have not gotten a raise.

And the guy says, I've got 20 years experience, you've got 20

or do you have 20 years experience and laces?

Yes, I've got 20 years experience because, no, no, you

haven't got 20 years experience. You've had one year of

experience 20 times. You've not really grown, you

know, and that's what happens sometimes as Christians.

Sometimes we've not grown, we've been in the church, 20 years,

and we've still got one year experience.

That's not, that's not what causes growth that's not

considered real growth, just to have tenure.

We've got to have real growth in our lives.

We've got to really overcome some things.

We've got to really change some things in our life.

So how do we do that? Well, first of all, let's learn

the lesson of the Old Testament and the Old Testament.

Sometimes they're example was written down.

The Bible says, in First Corinthians 10:4, our learning

1 Corinthians 10:4

so that we would stumble like some of them did.

But let's look at a few passages.

And let's see this principle all the way through the Old

Testament as well in first Samuel 15 chapter.

And 20. And we're going to have to

really speed through some of these things.

But insert first, Samuel, 15 and verse 20.

Notice what the king here is told in 1st Samuel 15 verse 22,

and Samuel said has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings.

And in sacrifices as in obeying, the voice of the Lord behold to

obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of

rams, well Glenn, what is the principle here in this bout?

And this passage well. King Saul evidently.

He was mistakenly thought that an act of external worship would

make up for his failure to respect and obey the word of

God. In other words, he said, listen,

as long as I check in as long as I do what God told me to do.

Then, the only thing that's important is the outside

Blessed, Be You? The Lord Samuel for I have done

the Lord God says, no. You haven't you ever respected

me at all? In fact, he goes ahead to

revealed, his behavior was really Lance and worship of

Satan in that. Passage Sol mistakenly thought

that if he just did the outside, He would be acceptable to God,

but that wasn't the case. And like I said, we're going to

have to speed through. There's a whole lesson there in

that passage. But notice if you will in

Psalms, if you have your Old Testament in Psalms the 50th

chapter an interesting passage in verse 8, Psalms 50 and verse

8 notice. But will this verse 7 hero?

My people and I will speak o. Israel, I will testify against

you. I am God, your God.

God is about to reprove them for something.

But notice what he doesn't reprove him for here.

First verse 8, I do not reprove you for your sacrifices and your

burnt offerings are continually before me.

Well, they had that down. He said, listen, I'm not going

to approve you for what you're doing.

You're doing it right on the outside, but he says, here's

something wrong right here. There's something wrong right

here and I really want to get to that.

I don't reprove you prepared because of your sacrifices and

your burnt offerings. He goes on and do the whole

passage now too. Well, I don't have time to read

it all but let's go to verse 23, he offer, sacrifice of

Thanksgiving honors, me and to him who orders his way, right?

I shall show. The salvation of God, he tells

them, he wanted their hearts Thanksgiving toward God, they

were bitter in their sacrifices to God.

I'll give God, but I don't have to have my heart into it.

God says, yes you do. You're going to have to give me

the sacrifice of Thanksgiving. I want you to do it with an

attitude of Thanksgiving, you know, that's what we're talking

about here. There's no true change, that's

possible. If only the externals are kept

and not the real out, the reality not the authentic of

change within our hearts. Is a spell this out.

And probably one of the clearest passages in New Testament,

please turn to Matthew the 23rd. 23rd chapter in verse 23, and

Matthew. 23 verse 23. Notice how clear he makes this

Matthew 23:23

upon this occasion, in Matthew, 23 and verse 23, woe to you

scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you tithe, mint and Dill,

and cumin. Now what are mint and Dill and

cumin well those are spices. Those are things that Change the

taste of food and you know, what?

They were. So into giving God, a tenth of

their income that whenever somebody Bartered with them, or

they got in this increase, in some way, they would literally

sit down and count out the deal for God, you know, those little

Dill things he would go, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 and they would tithe literally they would give one

tenth of their spices to God. Now that takes Nobody could say

this person was on devoted would you when somebody tied spices

you've got to say and that person is serious about their

religion. They really are.

But what happened? Notice you do this but he says

in you have neglected the way your provisions of the law,

Justice and mercy and faithfulness.

These are the things you should have done and not without

neglecting the others. He wasn't say what they were

doing was wrong. He was just saying, you forgot

the inside. You forgot to give me your

heart, you forgot to change the inside.

Notice you blind guides, who strain at a gnat and swallow, a

camel woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.

Notice what he says in verse 20 through 54, you clean the

outside of the cup and of the dish.

But inside, they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.

You, blind Pharisees, first clean.

Now, I want you to know whenever the Bible says first, you means

first. Here's where the true source of

Change comes from, he says, first clean the inside of the

cup and of the dish. So the outside of it might be

clean. Also, do you know what happens

whenever you work on the inside of a cup or a dish?

The outside gets cleaned. And so he says, I want you to

clean the inside of the cup and the dish and the outside will

almost take care of itself automatically, that's what he

wanted them to work at. Notice that the outside woe to

you, scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for York whitewashed

tombs who on the outside appear, beautiful, but inside, they're

full of dead, men's bones and all uncleanness.

Here's the, here's the deal, guys and Hebrews 10 verse 24,

Hebrews 10:24

25, the Bible tells us for us to come together in the church.

God has a purpose. If we come together it's not

just a check-in, it's not just a punch in socially with everybody

else. God wants us here to exhort one

another to love and good works. And that means change.

God wants us to exhort one another.

To be better than we were the week before.

We've got all kinds of people out in the world, encouraging us

to be worse. All the things on television.

You want to be cool, try to do something bad.

Like you've never done it before.

Try to be worse than you've ever been before.

You know, some of the programs that they put on broadcast

television, I'm not talking about cable.

You guys know, you got to control your cape.

But broadcast television has never been worse.

One of the hits of this season is Desperate Housewives.

Desperate. You know, I cannot find just

watching the trailers, I've not watched it.

But just watching the, the advertisement of it's not

something. I think Jesus would say, you

know, I got to see that I can't see Jesus going.

Woo. Why?

Because it's all about the flesh, it's all about sinning.

It's all about doing things that Christian, it's not going to

help you be a better. All I'm saying, here is, we've

got so much in this world advertising sin.

How can we forsake? The assembling of the church?

We're here, we're supposed to encourage one another to love.

Real love and good works. That's what we're supposed to

get here. Is the encouragement.

We need to bring about genuine real approved change of God.

We're not coming here to praise ourselves.

We're coming here to change our lives.

That's what this is all about, to bring about real authentic

change and my friends, if our religion doesn't bring about any

real change in our lives, then it's worthless.

Jesus tells us, excuse me. He says, he talks about the real

things are life. He says, not only is it just

this taking care of the poor and the winner Le widows and the

orphans. He said that's real religion.

Ian. Just giving sacrifices, isn't it

doing to bring about change in our hearts and our minds being

compassionate being thoughtful, being as compassionate about the

sinful in this world as God is God is patient.

Not willing that any should suffer the existence of this

very day continues to express the patience of God.

And the desire for them to be saved is that on our hearts and

that in our minds? My friends.

This is not a club where we come together to talk about how great

we are and how different we are. We have got to put on the heart

and the mind of Christ. When we come here, it's to be

reminded, not of how great we are.

But how great the change is that we need to bring about in our

lives. We need to look into the word

and see the disparities, the discrepancies between the Life

of Christ, and our life between his heart and our heart between

his hands. Ambition and our ambition

between his life and our life, and make sure that discrepancy

continues no longer we are dedicated to being conformed to

the image of his son in the Book of Romans.

In Romans of 9th chapter, In verse 29, the Bible says For

Those whom he fore know, he always predestined all he also

predestined to become conformed, to the image of his son.

That is our purpose. Now, let's write that down.

Notice here, is what we're supposed to be doing to become

conformed. Conformed to the image. of who

of his son. Now, that's Christianity to be

conformed, to the image of his son.

To change our character and our Behavior to where we act and

feel like Jesus. Now I don't mean act like Jesus

walk on water, do Miracles stuff.

Like I'm talking about his character, his heart, his

righteousness, his indignation had sinned, that's the heart

we're supposed to have. And so this is our aim.

To become conformed to his image, to imitate his character.

And if your religion isn't doing that, it's worthless, because

that is it, that's what we're speaking being educated about.

That's what we're both being taught about that.

Is the change that needs to happen.

If there's any discrepancy between the way I behave in the

way Christ behaves, that's where I work.

That's where the work begins right there.

That's it. And a religion that just Pat you

on the back and say you are what you are, and that's fine, is not

Christianity. The Bible tells us we are

disciples disciples. Did you know the word disciple

is used some 300 times in the scriptures to talk about

followers of Jesus Christ? I want everybody, if you will to

open up your Bibles and look at this next verse, Luke 6 and

verse 40. Luke 6 and verse 40.

Luke 6. Let's read verse, 39, verse 40.

And he spoke a parable to them. A blind man cannot guide a blind

man. Can a will they not both fall

into a pit? Now, notice The New American

Standard reads a little bit differently, but the word

disciple literally means a student or a learner.

That's what it is. They are squeaking.

You expect submit, it means a student or learner of someone

else. We are Christians.

Jesus is our teacher, we all are his students.

We are his disciples. Notice what this passage teaches

/ 40 a pupil is not above his teacher.

But everyone after he has been fully trained everyone when he

is fully trained, will be like his teacher, my friends.

That's where we're going. We're supposed to be conformed,

to the image of his son. We're supposed to be transformed

trade, trained, as disciples as pupils to be like our teacher

and if you're not treating your wife, like Jesus would treat his

wife, if you're not treating your husband, and like, Jesus

would treat his husband or her husband, if you will, and a

white in a respectful way, if we're not treating one another

for lying, to one another, for doing all kinds of things to one

another, that is not christ-like.

Then my friends, our religion doesn't really have a purpose.

It's not Christianity, because Christianity is a religion where

the pupils become, like the teacher, that's what it's all

about. We've become conformed to the

image of his son. The Bible continually warns us

that our motives whenever we transform our lives, or when we

strive to transform Our Lives, conform Our Lives, to the image

of his son are very, very important.

The motives, what is inside our hearts?

And in our minds, let's look at some Old Testament passages that

reinforce this Principle as well.

In Ecclesiastes one of those, poetical books of the Old

Testament, and Ecclesiastes. Notice chapter 5, and verse 1.

The Bible says guard your steps, as you go to the house of God,

these people were going to the house of God, and he wasn't

talking about people say, you need to go to the house of God.

These people were going and notice what he says, and drawn

near and listen, rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools for

they do not know that they are doing evil.

Do not be Hasty and word or impulsive and thought to bring

up a matter of the presence of God or gods in heaven.

And you on Earth, therefore, let your Words Be Few.

Now what he's saying here is you don't treat God.

Like somebody just talked to on the telephone.

God is somebody to be respected and revered in your life

whenever you come to offer sacrifice, don't offer him the

sacrifice of a fool. Be respectful, my friends.

You're not just hearing good self-help this morning from this

Pulpit. This isn't a place that's

designed just to help your marriage to help your

relationship or to help you be financially successful in this

world. What we're doing is getting

prepared to meet God. This isn't just a self-help

place. This is a place where Dynamic

changes necessary in order to be presentable before God in the

day of judgment. And so we don't come up and

offer the sacrifice of fools. We are to draw near and listen.

These are the important attitudes whenever we come and

hear the word of God. We don't hear it as the words of

men. That is, we can accept it or

neglected, we need to hear it as the words, the oracles, the

utterances of God and Isaiah, 1 verse 10, through 17, there are

Isaiah 1:10

so many verses. So when you spread out your

hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you.

He says, yes, even though you multiply players, I will not

listen to. Your hands are covered with

blood. God was rejecting their external

acts of worship, because the individuals were still Wicked.

On the inside, he told them to stop doing evil 1:17, learn to

do good. Isaiah first, what chapter 1

verse 16 and 17 sounds an awful lot like Jesus clean.

The inside of the cup, doesn't it?

Notice in Hosea, 6? And verse 4, through 6, your

loyalty is like the morning cloud and like to do which goes

away early. Your loyalty is not there,

you're not devoted in heart. My friends.

God disc. Doesn't want outward change for

a moment? He wants lasting change for a

lifetime. He doesn't just want to change

our attitudes for a moment. Yeah, I know.

I need to do better and then go away and forget what kind of

people we are, he wants us to really change our lives motive

is so critical. Notice in 1st, Timothy 1 verse

5, the goal of our instruction Is Love from a pure heart, a

good conscience and a sincere faith.

God tells us we should not neglect.

Certain things just like in Matthew and without we should

add these things without neglecting.

Other things. First Corinthians the 13th

chapter, verse 1, through 3. Paul uses a classic,

illustration of authentic Christianity.

Whenever he says, yea though, I give my body to be burned and

have not charity. It profits me nothing he says,

here motive does matter. What happens on the outside

matters. Oh yes, you need to be obedient,

but you can even give in First Corinthians 2:16 chapter in 2nd

1 Corinthians 2:16

Corinthians chapter 8. He tells us about the giving the

taking up of our collection and he says Some of you think that

it's by extortion, some of you give grudgingly.

He's just don't give grudgingly. Or believing it's a necessity.

That means it's imposed upon you from the outside but he says

give of a cheerful heart. This is what makes that

acceptable sacrificed not grudgingly.

Of a cheerful heart. Change happens from the inside

out. We cannot be a disciple of

Christ, even though we outwardly get the habits down.

If our heart is far away from God, we are not a disciple of

Jesus Christ. Jesus is heart, was to do, the

will of his father, which is in heaven, and it should be our

heart as well. Both things are necessary to.

Please God, yes, you have to do the outside, right?

Don't neglect it. But you have to have the inside

right to now two last points and then we'll try to get Get wrap

it up this morning. Well, you're not really gonna

try notice. God desires more than just

well-organized self disciplined responsible, good citizens.

Listen, very carefully, the Pharisees were all of the above.

The Pharisees had that part down.

They were extremely self-discipline, Luke 18, 11

through 12 mark, seven, three and four.

They were well, organized, Matthew 23 and 23, don't you the

time and effort that it took to tithe her but herbs knew I was

going to mispronounce that herbs in the garden, the time it took

took some dedication. they are life was organized, but, Their

heart was far away from God. They didn't have the proper

motive which leads me to one last Point.

Here, listen very carefully doing good doesn't automatically

make you good. Does it make you good?

Doing good. Doesn't make you good.

Many people in this world believe that but that's not the

case. Doing good.

Does it make you good? Once again, the Pharisees were

involved in Many religious activities.

They gave alms to the poor They remain selfless are but yet they

remained, excuse me, selfish men.

They tried to do a whole lot of religious things on the outside,

but they never really changed the inside.

Jesus said to them clean the inside of the cup.

First, Matthew, 23 and verse 26. Don't make the same mistake that

the Pharisees made. There are many important things

that fall on the outside of the cup.

We could talk a lot about all those things, but when we get

down to the motives that are heart, that's where real change

begins. And it is there where God

focuses his greatest rebuke. Whenever he says repent, that

goes right back to acts 17:30, God is commanding all men

Acts 17:30

everywhere to repent the word. Repent talks about a change of

heart, a change of heart. There are many of us here today,

who aren't really Christians. We're just good people with good

habits. You ever thought about that?

We're good citizens. But we're not really ready and

prepared to meet God, because superficial change is often

easier than real change. A change of behavior often

times. We can make without changing our

heart. It's harder to change the heart.

It's harder to change the heart. Superficial external change

tends to lull us into thinking we have really changed.

When in reality, all we've done is develop some new habits, but

the heart Remains the Same Old dead heart.

That was always there. We've got to bring about real

change. Oftentimes, it's easy to River

to get to a point when we think we've done enough whenever we're

doing good and somebody expects more of us, it becomes a chafe.

We don't look at it as an opportunity to do greater

service for God. In fact, we say they aren't I

doing enough? That's a sign that's a sign

right there that are heart isn't totally sacrifice, give God all

of your heart soul, mind and strength.

That's where the real test is whenever we begin to chafe

against God's changes, that he brings about a little of the

outside, a little change on the outside of our relationships,

and Friends, our co-workers, and bosses, and brothers and

neighbors and family, and wife can be fairly comfortable.

It can bring about a comfortable relationship.

But that doesn't mean we love any of them.

Doesn't mean we have a heart for them at all.

We make this think the mistake of thinking if we have enough to

eat a comfortable home and I scar our marriage is in pretty

good shape. Everything's right with God.

We are Disciples of Jesus Christ, but I want you to know

such is not always the case. Are you content to do good?

We've Illustrated the soil, my friends.

You can't get stuff to grow out of soil.

That's bad. If you're going to bring about

change, we have to add some stuff to the soil.

You want to bring about, change you've got to recognize right

here, is where everything grows. That's the soil from which

genuine chump change, really grows.

It's your heart out of the heart, precedes, evil adultery,

all these other things, and out of the heart, precedes,

obedience, and all these other things as well.

There's the soil, I want to ask you.

How's the soil this morning? How's your heart, guess what?

I can't read minds. You can't read mine.

I can't read yours. I don't know if you're a

hypocrite. You don't know if I'm a

hypocrite. Oh, maybe we hide it real good

on the outside but guess what? That doesn't mean anything.

God knows your heart and God knows my heart.

So I want you to make one small. Look I'm not asking you to

compare yourself to anybody. Do not compare yourself to the

person sitting next to you? Their soil is different than

your soil their soil. May be good and honest there.

So maybe Rocky, I don't care if there's other people in church,

you can point to, and say they're Hypocrites.

I know they're Hypocrites, it doesn't matter.

We're not asking about everybody else's soil this morning.

I'm asking you to look at your soil.

Look at your heart. Perhaps the reason why there's

no fruit is because that soil needs to be plowed.

Perhaps that soil, needs some nourishment, some fertilizer,

perhaps that soil needs to be dug up and it's not once again,

brought some activity gets some oxygen into it, get some, get

some stuff, some change. Yeah, because my friends, when

that soil changes, then the seed responds differently.

Luke 8:11, the seed of the kingdom is the word of God.

Luke 8:11

The problem with bringing about change in our lives is not

change the word. It'll never change.

We're going to talk about that later on the problem isn't with

the Bible. Problem with bearing fruit for

God. His power soil.

The soil of our hearts before God.

So come back this week, come back tomorrow night, we're

planning on talking about Envy, we're going to talk about

hatred, we're going to talk about all kinds of things, this

week, things that make us uncomfortable to talk about.

We're going to talk about how the changing our attitudes, will

change the entire direction of Our Lives.

For God, we're going to talk about the image of Christ.

How to conform, how to bring about change?

We're going to talk about how to fertilize how to plow our

hearts. Because my friends, what we do

not want, I do not want, I do not want to waste my time or

yours preaching this week and going away and having no change.

And you're my life, that is a waste of time.

And there's nothing that irritates anybody than having to

go with all the church and nothing changes.

We don't want that. You want your life to be

different, you want to be really grow, you want to be ever real

change, you want to really change some things in your life.

Come back this week, we'll talk about how God empowers change

how we can bring back into Bible, does address it how to

change it, how to change our lives.

But come back this week, we'll talk more about those things,

but that's just, this will suffice as an introduction to

this week. This suffice it to say, say that

God wants us, ye demands of us, that change happens.

If there was no need for us to change.

Why would God ever say, I want all men everywhere to repent.

If God just says, Hey listen, all I want you to do is just

trust Jesus and you can stay the Way You Are.

You can stay the way you are. All you got to do is just add

Jesus and you're saved. And that's all that Christianity

is about our friends. That is not what Christianity is

all about. Because accepting Jesus as our

savior. Means accepting him as our Lord,

as well. You can't have him as Savior

without it being Lord, and you cannot acknowledge Him as Lord

without submitting to him, submitting changes to him.

So we must change our lives acts 17:30 God has commanded

Acts 17:30

ignorance accomplishment week that now is commanding.

All of us everywhere to repent. We're all in this together.

We're all in this together. Will be like his teacher.

So today, perhaps you've come here and you're aware of what

changes, you need to make in your life.

Perhaps you're aware, then your faith, you must repent of your

sins or you will perish acts 17 and verse 30, Luke 13:3, Luke 13

Luke 13:3

5. Acts 2 verse 38, repent and be

Acts 2:38

baptized for the remission of your sins.

Perhaps you don't want the consequences of your sins to be

visited upon you and you want to get forgiveness for those

things. You can be United with him in

the likeness of his death and his burial and his resurrection,

Romans 6, verse 3 through 5 and then walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3–5

You can get forgiveness for your past sins.

Acts 2:38 if you will change your behavior.

Acts 2:38

My friends baptism without repentance won't save.

If you if you're baptized without repentance, a lot of

people think the problem is, baptism my friends.

A problem with Christianity, isn't baptism.

The problem with Christianity is repentance, Repentance is where

we have to make up our mind that we want God to be God.

And that's why we need to repent of our sins.

That's the toughest things because we have to make a

commitment to change whenever we learn better.

So this morning, are you willing to give up your life to let God

have control of it, repent of your sins.

If you do, then upon your confession, Matthew 10 verse 32.

Matthew 10:32

You're a fit subject for baptism.

That's right. Without repentance.

You're not a fit subject for baptism.

But that commitment to say Lord I will not want.

I'm not going to do what I want to do anymore.

I'm going to become your disciple, I'm going to become a

disciple of Jesus Christ. I'm going to become a follower

of God. I will I I'm not going to claim

that I know everything. Now I'm going to be as a child.

I'm going to grow in the things I need to grow in knowledge in

and that and growing Behavior but I will refuse to go away and

for anymore. And look into the word and see

where I need to change and then say, it doesn't matter anymore.

Today I'm going to make up my mind.

I am going to care about what the word God says.

I need to change in my life. If you're willing to in your

faith, repent of your sins. Then why don't you come confess

Christ to be baptized for the remission of your sins?

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

Please email us at info at search of Christ.

Bakersfield.com, our service times are on Sundays at 10:30

a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

honored guest.