Rediscovering The Holy Spirit | How Do We Change?

Good morning.

Welcome, welcome to Freedom Church.

And if I haven't had a chance to meet you yet, my name is Jason.

I get the privilege of being pastor here.

And uh especially for those of you that are here for the first time.

We're glad that you're here.

You picked a great weekend.

At the end of the service, we'll have some next steps for you.

We always want to put a gift in your hand before uh before you go.

And um we're we're uh just a few weeks into our series all on the Holy Spirit, and so we're now we're I'm uh looking forward to this.

And uh last couple weeks we talked about who the Holy Spirit is, starting with Jesus, and and then last week we talked about hearing from God.

And this morning we're gonna talk about changing and how do we change.

I want to say happy Father's Day, first of all, to all the dads in the in the room.

Can we just put our hands together and tell the dads happy Father's Day?

I was listening to some kids out there, and I asked them, would you get your dad for Father's Day?

I'm getting a lot of blank stares, to be honest with you.

It's a little bit disappointing.

So I'm gonna help some dads out this morning because I I gotta give my kids some credit.

They they knocked it out of the park this year.

Okay, they detailed my car.

How about that?

That's a you know, you know, two things.

One, your kids are you got okay, we're doing something right.

And two, you're getting older when that's like hitting it out of the park.

Detail my car.

Yeah, I love that.

So anyway, I'm just putting a bug in the in ears.

Okay, you know, you're welcome.

You can thank me later.

Uh yes, we're gonna talk this morning all about all about uh Holy Spirit and and how do we how do we change?

I I I know I'm not the only one that's experienced this.

You look at like an old photo, maybe you you have some memories of how you used to be, and you think to yourself, oh thank God, I'm not who I used to be.

Or what was I thinking?

Right?

That's usually the picture.

So what was I what was I thinking?

I you know, we we've had this, everyone has these has these thoughts, you know.

We we don't stay the same, we we change.

Or maybe you you've had this when you've gotten around somebody that you you like really respect.

You get around somebody and you're like, man, you know what?

I you know, one day, 20 years down the road, I hope I'm like that.

Well, you've been around somebody like that, you're like, man, I like that, I love that.

That's why I feel like I need to be, I want to be more like that.

Or you just have like an idealized version of yourself.

You're just in 20 years, I'm sure I'll be different.

That's not all bad.

Those aren't that's not that's not bad.

In fact, that's part of what it means to be a human being and and and even a Christian.

It's it's that there's uh there's work, there's things that are in progress.

I'm not I'm not who I used to be, thank God.

But I'm not who I'm supposed to be yet either, right?

And there's still some some ground to take.

And like I said, that's not just a Christian thing, that's a human thing.

And so human beings, we culturally we come up with all kinds of solutions on how to do this.

And they're not all terrible, and they make sense in a lot of ways.

We come up with things like, you know what, you gotta improve yourself.

That's the idea.

We gotta we gotta just make some improvements.

And or we're like, you know, we gotta detach, detach yourself.

It's kind of an Eastern philosophy thing, but a lot of us do it more than we realize.

It's like, I just don't care anymore.

I just don't care about those things, I don't care about that.

We just become indifferent about life, uh, transcend yourself.

Probably the the American one is to reinvent yourself, right?

Like start off, but reinvent yourself.

And so if you just read this book and you and you listen to this podcast and you you listen to the you follow this teacher and you start your cold plunges and your morning routines, and you get all that.

Oh, you need some apps that will remind you to use the other apps that you have on your phone, and it's just like, oh, you can reinvent yourself.

And I'm not saying those are all bad things, you know.

I'm not I'm not saying that that's all um, you know, those are all, you know, there's no value in in any of that necessarily.

I'm not saying that, but I am saying that it's not what the Bible says when it comes to how how do we change on a spiritual level?

How do you you know everyone likes to say, oh, I should probably be more patient.

That's a pretty universal one, you know.

I should be more patient, whatever, whatever, whatever it might be.

And it's like that's that's not just something you make up your mind, like that's that's a fruit of the spirit.

That there's something deeply spiritual about changing, and and which is why the Bible doesn't say reinvent yourself.

The Bible says you you need to be renewed by the Spirit.

That's what the Bible says, which is just a totally different approach toward changing, improving, getting better.

It's like no, no, no, re-renewal.

This is Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1.

Ephesians 2:1

It says, as for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.

Dead.

Like not just like a little unpolished, like dead.

It says, in which you used to live when you followed the way of this world, used to live when you followed the way of this world.

Hey, which I cue you in.

There are things that are very like normal that we don't even have to think about.

Things that we just go, this is the way it's done.

This is the way everybody does it, this is the way I've always done it, this is the way my family's always done these things.

It's the ways of the world.

You don't even have to do them intentionally because there's like a current to it.

It's like it's like the float trip.

You just you just get on the raft and you just, you know, land down the river eventually.

That's that's the way of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

I some of us need to just expand our worldview around the things that we're doing and the way we're living our life.

We just sort of have this idea where it's just like, it's me, it's my good ideas or bad ideas, it's my decisions, and we just sort of like that, like that's the extent of it.

Maybe we include some people in our lives, but it's like, no, no, no.

The Bible's really clear.

Like, there's a there's a spiritual element to this.

There are spirits even at work behind a lot of this.

There, there, you, you think that they're normal and they're and they're right, and it's just the way everybody does it.

And the Bible's going, yeah, there's a spirit that's telling everybody that something, something else is at play here.

There's a normal way of life.

Romans 12 talks about transformation this way.

It says, if you want to be the way you're transformed, because that's what we're talking about.

The way you're changed, right?

I want to reach my maximum potential.

That's all there's nothing wrong with that.

I believe that that God wants you to actually take advantage of the way that He made you.

I think He I think He wants you to get a hold of your purpose and like discover things about the way that He made you.

Because I I think there's actually people missing out when you're not reaching that.

I think people are missing out when you're not living into your into your purpose.

He wants that for you.

But he says that the pathway to be transformed, the pathway to that is renewing your mind.

Renewal.

Well, that's a little different.

Renewing your your mind.

So following what he's saying, see, following Jesus isn't so much about being better or trying harder, it's about being renewed.

Now, those aren't, like I said, those aren't bad philosophies.

Some of us, you know, trying harder.

It's just we just misapply it a lot of times.

That's not a bad philosophy.

Try harder.

Some of us are struggling with some things.

It's like your lawn is out of hand right now, you know.

You know, it's out of control.

Try harder.

That's a good, that's good, that's good advice.

You should try harder, you know.

My garage is overwhelming right now.

It's just like overrun.

It's like, I know, I know.

We should probably try harder, you know.

That that applies.

It's not like it never applies, right?

Some of us just need to try harder.

But the spiritual, it's like, no, no, no, there's renewal at a spiritual level.

Here's what I want to give you.

I want to give you some like overarching Bible ideas around changing.

This is what theologically, the word for this is sanctification, right?

The idea, see, you've been made new on the inside.

When you when you follow Jesus, when you receive salvation, your spirit is made brand new in a moment.

Now, you you may be made new on the inside, but like it's likely that it's unlikely anybody on the outside knows that yet, right?

Because I my my spirit's new, but I still you know think the same and talk the same and do all the same things.

And so the Bible says that that process over the course of your life is called sanctification or working out your salvation.

It's like, I need to how to how do I get what's in me out of me?

How do I get that in my thinking and in my behavior, right?

This is what this is called.

So I want to give you like some overarching Bible ideas.

This is not exhaustive.

In fact, there were some other things I wanted to say, but I had to cut them out for the sake of time.

But I'm gonna give you just some some like overarching ideas I think will will help us through this process of like, how do I actually change?

How do I become that person that God wants me to be?

Here's the first one.

Don't minimize the impact of exposure.

The the impact of exposure.

What do I mean by that?

I mean that I'm talking about the things that we're intaking.

That's what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the things that we're just sort of like, usually just kind of unconsciously just on the on the intake all the time.

See, we're not, we're not, um, we're not fixed.

Like you just come out of the womb, they're just, well, this is just who uh this is just who I am.

We like to say stuff like that.

Well, it's just like, wow, you know, it's just who who I am.

You know, it's like, no, no, you're just stubborn, right?

That's uh it's like, well, at my age, you know, we you know, it's just like, is that in the Bible?

I don't it doesn't say that there.

It's like that age, you stop becoming like Jesus.

I don't know.

It's not there.

I can't find that.

It doesn't, we're not fixed, right?

We don't just we don't just like stay.

And we know that.

Thank God we don't, right?

That's why I'm married, right?

I didn't stay the same.

Thank you, Jesus, right?

So I know you can relate to this.

Okay, here's the other thing, you're also not fluid, right?

You're not you're not fluid.

It's not like you just wake up one day and it's just like, oh, you know, the whether the wind blows, and it's just sort of like I wake up one day and I decide to be like this, and I wake up that day and decide to be like that, and I'm just sort of like tossed here and there, and and uh it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't work that way.

See that it's different.

You're what the Bible would say is you're you're formed.

That's the way the Bible describes this.

You're you're you're formed.

Now, if I was to ask you, what's what's forming you?

Because I'm I'm your pastor, you'd give me a really good Christian ease answer.

You'd be like, Well, Pastor, you know, I've got this podcast I'm listening to, and that's forming me right now.

And and I got this book or this devotional, and be like, wow, that's amazing.

If you really wanted bonus points, you'd be like, Well, Pastor, I'm listening to you.

I'd be like, oh, thank you.

Thanks for feeling so good.

You know, and so you'd you'd say all the right things, you know.

But here's the truth about being formed.

What's forming you is not what you decide forms you necessarily.

What I mean by that, it's like you can go ahead and tell me what you want to form you.

But I but but but it's the answer to the question is not what you decide to say.

Here's the answer to the question.

What's forming you?

What's getting your attention?

That's what's forming you.

What gets your attention is actually what is forming you.

What gets my attention.

This is Mark chapter one.

It says Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God.

The time has come, he said.

The kingdom of God has come near.

Repent and believe the good news.

Repent and believe the good news.

You don't need you don't even have to be a Christian.

You've probably heard that before.

You've heard something like that.

Maybe you've been around church on and off.

You've heard something like that.

Repent, believe.

It's, you know, it's fairly common.

You may be a guy in the street corner of some city, you read it, you know.

That's repent, believe, you know.

And that's that's it's true.

And that's the message Jesus is preaching.

Repent and believe.

Now, some of us, we've had some emotional experiences with with God.

Like we've had some moments, right?

You're just like, oh man, I just felt the presence of God.

And you just like, and you know, maybe it was at an event, maybe it was like a worship service, maybe you were younger, like you just like, oh man, you just you've had the and then and then it wears off.

You ever notice that it's like you had this like emotional high, you you thought, man, this was it, and then and then Monday rolls around, and like Monday one.

You know what I mean by that?

It's like Monday got the W for the day.

It's like I really thought it was gonna be different, but then Monday happened, and it's like, yeah, I mean today belongs to Monday.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, I remember I grew up in church for the most part, grew up in church.

So we go to youth camp as a as a kid.

I remember this.

That was like a big thing, too.

You know, you get to like day three of youth camp, and all the kids are like, it's like a middle of a worship service, but it's coming to the end of youth camp.

Everyone's just like, let's cry, like, oh my goodness, I repent, I'm following Jesus.

It's like this emotional high.

Everyone, all the oh yes, we're I'm just I gotta, I'm getting serious.

Every little small group time, everyone's like, I'm getting serious about my faith.

I'm throwing out my, you know what?

The problem at nickelback's been leaving me astray.

I got I'm throwing out my my CDs back then.

I'm getting rid of my nickelback CDs.

I'm gonna read my Bible.

Guys, I've made up my mind.

I'm reading Leviticus.

I don't know what it's about, but I'm reading it.

Body fluids and skin diseases.

I'm just going there because I'm committed.

You know, guys, I made up I made a decision.

I just I'm really feel this inside.

I've decided that moving forward, I'm no longer gonna sin.

I'm just I'm gonna be done.

It's like, oh, that's great.

And then this is what happens at youth camp.

It's like the next day, it's time to leave, and they're over there fighting over who gets to sit in the front seat.

Like, what whatever happened to no sinning and reading about skin diseases in Leviticus, you know, it's like this is what happens, right?

Emotional experiences, and then and it just sort of like easily wears off.

And we're kind of like, we're kind of wondering, like, what happened there?

What what happened?

Can I can I tell you what happened?

He said, Jesus said, repent and believe.

There's two parts to this, which means this you thinking right isn't the whole of it.

You can't think your sin away.

You can't think your way into becoming the person that God's called you to be.

You know this at your work site right now.

Like what you do for a living.

I mean, some of you, you got you're like, you're pretty gifted.

You got you got some talents, you got you got a trade that you you have, you have some skills, you have a skill set.

And and and you know, you imagine like a guy shows up to work with you, to do what you do, and you're like, man, how many, you know, so he's real confident.

You're like, uh, so you so you know how to do this?

And he's like, Yeah, yeah, I know how to do that.

Like, oh, okay, great.

So, how long you been doing it?

It's like, well, you know, I watched a lot of YouTube.

You're like, wait, what?

You don't he's like, Yeah, yeah, I watched, I read the manual.

You're like, you read them, what?

Like, you don't know anything.

That's what you're that's what you're thinking.

I don't think, I think we need a new employee.

Like, what are you talking about?

You're super confident.

Why?

Because because it's not just what you know, it's it's not just your thinking, it's your doing.

It's not just what you believe, it's repentant.

It's not just like there's a lot more.

There's two parts to how we change.

It's thinking right and doing right.

Theologically, they call this orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

Right doctrine, right ideas about God, right behavior, right, right action step, right response to the things of God.

This is Ephesians 4, verse 22.

Ephesians 4:22

You were taught with regard to your former way of life.

That right there should cue some of us in.

Because he's he's not he's not talking, I mean he's talking to church.

This is a church he's writing this to.

He's he's writing this to you and me.

He's not he's not writing this to the people who just don't care about the things of God.

He's writing, he's writing to people who would go, I'm a Jesus follower.

And he goes, with regard to your former way of life, and that right there should could put some pause on it because because for some of us, we're just like, former way of life?

What's that?

Because we we've got we got new language, maybe it's just like, oh, I follow Jesus, but there's no former way of life, there's just the way we've always done life.

I just it's just the way I've always been living my life.

There's no no there's nobody can see like what when when did you look at the next part?

When at what point did we put off the old self and then the in its corrupted and its deceitful desires?

And and then when were we when were we made new in the attitude of our minds, and then put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness in holiness.

And the point is this again, this doesn't make you feel all guilty because your life's not perfect.

That's not what he's talking about.

He's he's saying, he's saying following Jesus isn't just some exercise in mental ascent, it's not a game where you just try to acquire all the knowledge that you can.

He's saying it's an it's a life that is not just turned away from things.

This is often how we think of like God's commands: don't do this, don't do that.

But there's another message underneath that.

When I tell my kids, don't run in the street.

The other side of the coin is I want you to live a long life, right?

Not just don't do stuff.

And that's what we hear.

And so God's not saying just turn away from these things.

He's saying, turn toward my things, turn toward my ways, turn toward my ideas, turn toward my way of life.

It's not just what you're know, it's it's like what you're doing when you're when you're going, and not just what you're learning, but it's how you're living.

And it's not just the insights that you have.

That's great.

I I'm glad you have insights.

It's the action, it's actually the action steps that you're taking.

The Holy Spirit changes us.

That we we we gotta get a hold of that.

You know, it's possible to know the most about the Bible and not be changed by the Bible.

Like there there really isn't.

Like there's not a there's no bonus points for for knowing.

It's like, well, I know, I know a lot, I know this.

It's like, yeah, but you arrogant.

Nobody kind of wants to be around you, you know.

Yeah, I'm just saying, like it there's two sides to this.

Look what John 13 says.

He says, now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

I mean, there it is.

There's there's the two sides to the coin.

You know something, now you're blessed if you if you do them.

This is Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

I like how Jesus says this is in the Sermon on the Mount.

He says, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against the house, and yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.

You know, I think when I think about being a dad, like this is this, I always think of like a father figure.

That's what I always think of when I read this.

Because I just think, you know, one of the things I'd like to be, I I I've I've I've even written this down.

What do I, how do I want to be?

What kind of person do I want to be?

And I and I I always use this phrase, I want to be a non-anxious presence.

That just sounds good, doesn't it?

Like a source of non-anxiety.

That's good.

That's good.

That's a that's a good uh that's something worth aiming toward.

That's good.

I always envision like somebody who's steady, right?

Chaos happens, family, tragedy strikes, and and like a good dad, like a good dad just like he's solid.

He just says, I'm like, this is the way.

Like I love that, I love that imagery.

That's what I think of.

But look at the other side.

He says, but everyone who hears these words of mine, so they're they're in church, they're they're listening, they're reading, they're intaking, but doesn't put them into practice, is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

And the rain came down and and layoffs came and and and stress got high and money got short, and and and the things of life happened, and our kids disappointed us, and and then the whole thing came falling down with a bit crash.

There it is.

There's just it's not just what you know, it's it's how you respond.

Now, now if that was the it that's the end of it, it's like, all right, now you know that.

So the Lord bless and keep you.

Have a great day, you know.

It's like What am I supposed to do with that, right?

You know, it's like I need what it is, it's just that simple, right?

Just like now you know, now go and do the right thing.

Okay.

Um, let me help you out because because some of us were waiting for this like magical moment where all of our desires change, and we're like, you know what?

I woke up today and I just want to do all the Jesus things.

And we're waiting.

We're like, Lord, when is that day gonna happen?

You know, it's let me give you another principle.

Here it is.

Your appetite will follow your diet.

Your appetite will will follow your your diet.

Okay, now some of you, you got some like, I call them like kryptonite uh uh habits.

You know what I'm talking about?

You know, you can't pick up on what I mean.

Kryptonite habits.

Some of y'all's kryptonite habit is social media.

That's what it is.

Yeah, it's the death scroll, right?

And you and and I anytime you ask somebody like, how's how long you've been scrolling for?

Nobody ever wants to give the real answer.

We're always like, oh, you know, like 45 minutes or so.

We're like, okay, two hours and 45 minutes, but we won't say it out loud.

It's okay.

45 minutes, sure.

Death scroll, right?

And it's like your kryptonite.

Now, for me, I years ago, I just like I'm like social media driving me nuts.

And so I'm I'd like to cut it out of my life.

Some of you, I probably have some friend requests, you know, waiting.

I don't even know if that's still a thing.

Facebook is, I don't even know.

I don't know, maybe it's different now.

That's how long it's been since I've been on there.

And so every now and then somebody will be like, Have you seen what's on your social media?

And I'm like, No, I haven't.

Well, what's on there?

And they're like, You got some Nigerian charity speaking in your name.

I'm like, wait, what?

So I went on there.

I go, I do like an annually thing, an annual thing.

I'm like, go on there.

I'm like, oh yeah, delete, block, do that.

It's about once a year.

I'm doing that.

Truth is, I tried to get on there the other day because I heard about that.

I don't know if that's still on there, and I'm locked out.

So currently I'm trying to figure out how to get back on social media.

I'm not, I'm not hating it.

I'll be honest with you.

This is I feel really good.

Now I got a cryptonite habit.

It's called YouTube.

It's a problem.

Okay, and and I'm always, you know, it's one of those things I manage it, you know, delete it from the phone, but that's Safari website browser.

It's really easy still, you know.

I but I but I've been really good about it.

I've been really good.

But then Google got me because Google and their security, security, you know, it's like two two-step verification, open your YouTube app and click yes.

And I've been always doing like do another way, do another way, right?

You know what I'm talking about?

And then, and then I kind of got sick of it.

And so I was like, oh, fine, I'll download the YouTube app.

Oh guys, I shouldn't have done it.

I've been on YouTube for like, you know, like 45 minutes or so.

45 minutes, that's all it's been.

Yeah, 45 minutes or so.

Way too way too much.

Some of you, it's like Netflix, right?

One, nobody, nobody can watch one episode.

No, it's not even a thing, and yeah, I'll not even believe you if you can, okay?

Okay, yeah, one episode.

No, no, no.

You're like six episodes in.

Can I tell you what no one has ever said?

Here's what no one's ever said.

They're they're 45 minutes into YouTube, they're six episodes into Netflix, they turn it off theoretically, and and they go, you know what I feel like doing right now?

Intercessory prayer.

Nobody's ever said that.

It's like that's not that's not happening.

It's like no, nobody, you you know, you don't kind of you know why?

Because because your appetite uh follows your diet.

Meaning, I don't feel like praying because I don't pray.

I feel like watching Netflix because I watch a lot of Netflix.

Do you see this?

It's just like it it happens.

You know, when I was a kid, I remember I was real little, it had to have been a summer because my parents weren't home, and so I had this, I had like$25 in my in my wallet, and so you know, at eight, I thought I was rich.

And I was like, man, I can do anything, I can I can buy anything, I can do whatever I want.

My parents aren't here, I got my bike, I can go anywhere, and so I did, and I was like, I might even tell my parents.

And so I got on my bike with all my money, and I went down to the grocery store and I was like, I want to eat ice cream today.

That's what I want to eat.

And I bought myself like a half a gallon of cookies and cream, ice cream.

I couldn't wait.

I got back to the house.

I was like, I was eating this, I was halfway through that, sick as a dog.

I was like, oh my goodness, you know, just but I was doing what I wanted, you know.

You know, I don't struggle with that anymore, right?

You know, thankfully, my appetite has shifted.

If I was still doing that, you'd be like, You need therapy.

That's what you need, that's a problem, right?

Why?

Because my my appetites have followed a different diet.

I actually like vegetables now.

That's what I mean.

Your appetite follows your diet, and when you feed it, it grows.

And if you starve it, it weakens, and that's for the good, and that's for the bad.

This is James chapter one.

Let's read this.

James chapter one, verse 22.

James is real direct.

I like this.

He says, Don't merely, do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.

Some of us, our intent your antenna should be going up right now.

This isn't.

He's talking to us, he's he's talking to Jesus followers.

Antenna should be up.

You mean I can be in church and I can be listening and I can be intaking, and I can know all the things, and I can know all the answers, and I can know all the theology, and I can memorize the doctrine, and I know our statement of faith, and I know all the confessions, and so deceive yourselves.

Oh, yeah, that's possible.

I love this.

What's the antidote?

Do what it says.

Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Looks at this.

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard.

Hey, you ever had that moment?

You're just like, I've been hearing, I'm I can't remember what you talked about last week, Pastor.

I'm sure it was great, I'm sure it was out of this world, I'm sure it was phenomenal, but you know, I can't remember it.

Was that good?

I don't remember anything that you said.

It's like, wait, we're in what series?

I thought we were in a series on miracles.

That was months ago.

You just like I can't remember.

What's the antidote for remembering?

I can't remember not being able to remember, forgetting.

What's the antidote to forgetting?

He says, not forgetting what you've heard, but doing it.

That's the antidote.

How do I not forget?

You start doing it, and you'll be blessed when you when you do.

Here's another here's another overarching principle.

Here it is.

Don't call it normal if Jesus calls it bondage.

Don't call it normal if Jesus calls it bondage.

Now, we we don't do this like on a big scale.

It's it's subtle.

Nobody's just like, well, I don't know.

Murder, I don't know.

I could go either way.

Nobody says that.

It's just like, yeah, if you're murdering, you should you should stop.

You know, you should go talk to a police officer or something.

Like that.

Nobody's doing that, right?

Nobody says that.

We're not doing it over like that.

We're doing it over other things.

We normalize the other stuff.

Like, I don't have an anger problem.

I'm just passionate.

It's like, yo, everyone's ducking every time you tell your stories.

And it's just like, my goodness, passionate.

It's like, man, you got anger issues.

Go to the Lord with that.

It's like a language or you know, like you're gossiping.

It's like, I'm just processing.

Well, that's a lot of detail for processing.

I think that's called gossiping at that point.

You know, it's like, and I listen, we're not saying here, it's like you, you know, this idea of like, you know, we we like to say this, well, nobody's perfect.

It's like, you're right, nobody's perfect.

It's called working out your salvation.

But if you don't think that we're like striving to be like Jesus, you're wrong.

And I'm not I'm not saying it's just like I get it, you know, we live our lives and you're you're like, yeah, but I'm a Jesus.

Nobody knows it because you sound like you've been discipled by a job site and like a malfunctioning printer.

And it's just like nobody knows that we're a Jesus follower.

I think we keep calling it normal, and Jesus is like, that ain't normal.

I died for that.

Like, really?

I know it seems small because it's it's culturally acceptable and it makes sense, but make no mistake, Jesus is going, I went to the cross for that.

I literally let that that's literally what I came to set you free from.

This this in the spring, this last spring, I we're trying to make we're trying to make our backyard look a little nicer.

And so we put like a bunch of rocks out.

They got a little rock garden kind of going on in the back, and it looks, it looks really nice.

I'm really excited about it.

The boys that helped me out, they they did a great job with it.

And so we prepped the area.

We pulled a bunch of weeds and we we put that little guard down, you know, the little the felt, like the weed.

I got the extra strength one too.

I was like, oh, there's layer, there's levels to this.

I'm on high level, you know.

So I got that high level one, put that down, put the rock.

I went out there this last week.

I got weeds.

What in the world?

I'm not gonna let one know that.

I was like, I know I had to like double check, I know it's in here.

I was like, there it is, and the weeds are coming right up through it.

I was like, this is it's a conspiracy or something.

This is crazy.

You know, I was like, what did I buy this for?

I don't even know.

And and so I got, you know, I'm looking around, I'm I'm like, it's rained a little bit, you know.

But let's be honest, it's like I didn't, I didn't even have to plant those things.

I didn't have to plant them, I didn't have to go out there and speak special prayers and bless them, you know, water them, speak life over your plants, you know, all the stuff that people say, whatever.

It's kind of strange, but whatever.

That's what we were doing.

I didn't have to do that.

Weeds are thriving, they're just they're just going, they're strong, you know, and I and I gotta go take care of them, right?

Because I am, because I like my rocks.

And so I'm and I don't want weeds.

So we're gonna go out.

We're I gotta I gotta spray.

Clearly, I gotta spray annually, it looks like, you know, gotta go out there and pull some weeds, you know, just part of the upkeep.

But but see, but if I ignore it, we all know what's gonna happen, right?

It's just gonna take over.

It's gonna take over the whole thing.

See, this is what we do.

This is what we do when we when we call it normal, the things that Jesus calls bondage.

We just have all these like weeds that are popped up, and we're we're like, it's okay because it's normal.

And we just we we tolerate it, we overlook it, we tolerate the things that literally that Jesus literally died for.

And we and we wonder, and we and we're going, ah, it's no big deal, it's no big deal.

Everybody does that, it's normal, it's culturally, you're out of touch.

We have some Puritan philosophy here that we're trying to approach the Lord with, and we just sort of like relegate the things of Jesus kind of in this other category, we miscategorize it.

It's like, yeah, well, give it two, three, four years, and we're gonna why have the weeds overtaken my life.

Not gonna overtake.

Now we over we gotta be honest here because we we normalize things for a reason.

Okay, here's why.

Let's be honest.

We like our ways.

Let's just be honest.

We like our ways, our ways make sense to us, they're comfortable.

I mean, after all, everybody else is doing it.

This is the way I've always done it, my family's always done it this way, this is what's accepted, and this is what's celebrated.

We like our ways more than Jesus' ways.

Proverbs 4.

It says, above all else, guard your heart.

Look at this.

There's not a lot of ambiguity here.

Everything you do flows from it.

Everything.

You know why we do what we do?

We want to.

We it's our desires.

It's why, listen, we all know how to eat healthy.

Who cares?

I want to eat what I want to eat.

Come on.

It's like I don't say, do you know that that's bad for you?

Yeah.

What's your point?

It's good, you know?

It's like, because knowledge didn't work.

That ain't the key.

I mean, you need it, but that's not the key to transformation.

So you you're gonna do what you want.

Another part of that is that the idea of even just like stopping, like, I need to stop my whole way of life.

I need there's things I need to stop doing, there's things I need to start doing.

You know, that just feels exhausting, doesn't it?

I mean, that's how we often think of these things.

We think of like willpower, like I just need more willpower.

And we admire people like that, don't we?

I mean, that's what makes a great podcast.

It makes a great YouTube channel.

It's like, man, I love this guy.

He's got so much willpower.

He just has this like mental tenacity and toughness.

It's just like, it's admirable.

And I get it, and I'm sure that works for working out and eating right and and and looking a certain part and climbing the ladder and and making money.

But we ain't talking about that right now.

We're talking about becoming like Jesus.

We're talking about something different.

We're talking about, we're talking about, we're talking about becoming like Jesus.

And I get it because, but here's the thing, the the willpower, it just doesn't work.

You know, it's an expendable thing, like that's a perishing resource.

You only got so much willpower in the tank.

What am I go-to dating advice for people?

I say it all, you've heard me probably heard me say it before.

It's like, decide, make a pre-decision you're gonna follow Jesus.

What does that mean?

It means don't wait till it's like 11 p.m.

when you're laying horizontal with your girlfriend, your boyfriend.

Are we gonna have sex or not?

I just don't know.

That's a bad time, you know?

Because nobody ever says that at 9 a.m.

It's 9 a.m.

I just don't know.

No, I'm gonna be 9 a.m.

You're like, I'm gonna follow Jesus.

11 p.m., you're like, I don't know.

My way looks pretty good.

It's like it's a perishing resource.

There's only so much.

You know, you go to you go to the gas station, you put fuel in your vehicle, you usually gotta go to sleep to get more willpower.

Anyway, just say it.

So you gotta just fix your life right there, go to sleep.

Okay.

First John 4, 4.

You dear children are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

It's just it's just a stark contrast between your willpower and recognizing that the one that the same power that raised Christ from the dead, the the person of God, he actually makes his residence inside of you.

And so how do you tap into that?

It's not that, it's not that it's actually not that complicated.

In fact, it might be so simple, which is why we've sort of quickly ignore it.

It's called confession and repentance and asking Jesus for help.

And he does by his Holy Spirit.

He's like, Well, that doesn't seem that exciting.

That's not that attractive.

I it I know it's so simple, isn't it?

To confess and repent.

But but if we've if we've normalized it, what we're gonna confess it.

We're not gonna confess the things we normalize because I don't need to, it's normal.

But if we confess and we repent, and then you don't, and it's like, well, what does that look like?

Well, don't be surprised when he gives you a next step.

He gives you a new way to live your life, a new routine, a new habit.

He doesn't just say, hey, stop doing that.

He says, hey, why don't you join the community that I'm wanting to plant you in?

Why don't you say yes to the next steps that we're putting in front of you?

Why don't you go to the formation pathway that your church is like putting on for you and like trying to give you some next steps so you can move into the life of the church?

Why don't you actually, why don't you get on it on a team and start serving some people?

And it's like, well, I don't want no, no, no.

Believe it or not, it's actually for you, not not just for the other people that you're gonna serve.

It's actually gonna you're you're actually gonna like start thinking about others and it's gonna change you.

See, I'm just saying that these are the these are the things we confess, we repent, we ask for, we ask him for help.

Romans 8.

If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give you life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you.

There it is.

Now here's the friction point right here because listen, we all want, we want fast.

Let's just be honest.

We want this process to go a lot quicker than it does.

I being Father's Day, I thought about this as a as a parent, even.

I just thought, you know, you you want things, you want things quick.

You know that you know that saying for parents are like the days, the days are long, but the years are short.

Remember that?

So we we want things quick.

You know, here here's your here's the last principle.

You're not formed in a moment, though.

You're formed over time.

You're formed over time.

We want quick.

See, we we we convince ourselves that you know you know what I need?

I need, I just need one more bit of knowledge.

I just need to learn this one more thing.

I just need to know more, learn more, sit in more, hear more, read more.

That's gonna be the thing.

I just got one more thing.

Or we go, you know what I need?

I need one more experience.

Because we've been groomed to think that the that the that the pathway to a mature Christian life is I need a tingle down my back and I need a moment where I'm just like, all the emotions are raw and real.

And I'm not saying that there's not there's not value in having in a real authentic encounter with God.

But if you think that's the sum and the whole of your maturity in Jesus, somebody lied to you.

He doesn't always work that way.

Listen, if you and I were responsible for changing ourselves, then that would be true.

Because you just gotta like a little bit more effort, we could speed this whole thing up.

Just a little bit more effort, but it's not true.

It's the Holy Spirit who changes us, and it's not to say you don't have something to do, it's a partnership.

It's a partnership.

We're actually dependent on him.

I had a guy, true story, I don't know if he's here or not, but whatever.

Okay, it was uh it was out here in the lobby a few years ago.

The guy comes up to me.

He's like, he's like, hey, he's like, hey, Pastor, that you know, great, great word today, great word.

I was like, okay, thank you.

And it was great.

Did you learn anything?

He says, you know, I'm uh I'm passionate about the Lord right now, and I'm trying to, I'm not this is a real story.

I'm passionate about the Lord.

I'm like, that's great, that's great.

And he says, you know, I I enjoy coming here, you know, but I've got this other guy I like to listen to.

You know, I was like, that's great, you know, that doesn't hurt my feelings at all, you know.

I'm not a human being, you know.

Thank you.

You know, that's great, but I got more, I got a take, you know.

And he's just like I'm trying to, I've heard a lot of this, I'm trying to learn a little bit more.

And it's like, oh, that's that's special.

Yeah, that's great.

You know, they keep me in a cage in the back during the week.

You didn't know this.

And they just they just bring me out here on Sundays, be like, all right, preacher, now it's your turn.

Would you give us that's how they I don't know if you know that or not.

You can come by.

It's like a anyway, yeah.

Look at the look at the pastor.

Anyway, so thank you for thank you for that.

You don't it's like, well, I've I know this, I've I've learned this, I've you know, I've heard all this, uh, I've I've I've known this, I've seen this, I've I've heard this, and I, you know, I'm just like, ah man, I just need something fresh.

Maybe the reason you keep hearing it over and over and over again is because you ain't done it yet.

Maybe, maybe the Holy Spirit's trying to get your attention.

Maybe he's going, that ain't the whole of it.

It's it's not just believe, it's repentance.

It's not just the knowing, it's the going.

Like it's it's and I get it.

It's not always as fast as we want it to be, but it's it's usually quieter than we want it to be, but it's usually way deeper than you realize.

And I so I want I will encourage you because I know for some of you, I I know you genuinely want to change.

You want to be more like Jesus, and there's there's bad habits, there's things you're living, your life, and you're just like, I know God's got more for me, and He's got better for me, and I and I don't want to live like this.

And I and I and I'm just saying, here's what I'm saying to you.

Keep going, is what I'm saying to you.

And I'm saying that that that that when you're you're maybe your job, maybe our job isn't to dictate to the Holy Spirit what our next step is.

Maybe it's actually to trust him when it doesn't make sense and be led by him with the steps that he actually wants to give us.

Don't don't detach the church stuff from your walk with the Lord.

I hear this, I see this all the time.

It's like the church stuff is the very thing that the Spirit is wanting to use to grow you and encourage you and and and and and to like help you step into and live into your purpose.

It's the church stuff.

Don't discount those things.

So here's what I'm gonna encourage you to do this week to to evaluate.

Evaluate.

Let's evaluate, let's start with this.

What's getting our attention?

We gotta listen, we gotta be more intentional about this stuff.

What's getting my it's not a matter of being formed or not being formed, it's just a matter of who am I being formed into?

What's getting our attention?

Who or what is getting our time?

How about our resources?

It's just like, do we invest in the things of God or do we not?

Because I'm just telling you, the Bible's clear.

You want to know where your heart is, it's where your money is.

I'm just telling you, it's like you, you, you wanna, you wanna, you want a heart for the things of the Lord and you want to be transformed into the image of Jesus?

I'm just saying, be all in with the things that Jesus is all in with.

And finally, I think we need the Holy Spirit to help us.

It's like, what are those things in my life that I'm tolerating?

What are those things that I've normalized in my life that I need to stop making excuses for?

The things that He died for.

What are what are those things?

Listen, the other side of that isn't some life of regret and and shame, condemnation, so you can walk around all heavy and guilty.

It's actually lightness and freedom and joy and a sense of like compassion that God has for you.

He died for you for those things.

Embrace that, like accept that, receive that.

Let's stop, let's stop doing this.

Let's start doing the Jesus things this week.

You with me, church?

Let's pray.

Jesus, we need your help with this.

We need you to, we need, we need you.

We just maybe we just need to start by we just confess our own.

I know we all have stuff that we're thinking about right now.

We confess.

It's a superpower.

We confess, we bring it to you.

We you want us to, so we're bringing those things to you, and we commit to live, we but to live in a different way, but we need your help doing that.

Because I want to turn away from my old way, but I want to turn toward your ways.

And would you make those things known to us?

Make your next steps that you have for us known and give us the courage to take those steps this week.

Help us to be aware of the things that are getting our attention, maybe even robbing our attention, whatever that might be.

Help us this week.

We need your help.

We recognize that we change as we be as we follow you, and it's by your spirit.

And so thank you.

Thank you for changing us and making us more like you, Jesus.

For those of you that have never committed your life to Jesus, we can talk about change and we can talk about, we can talk about all these things.

But I'm just telling you, apart from Christ, apart from from salvation, it's just a glorified TED talk.

That's all we're talking about here.

But that ain't it.

The starting point is a renewed, brand new, made new, new creation, new self here on the inside, like his spirit in you.

And if you never committed your life to Jesus, you need to do that.

And so, in your own way, make this prayer your your own.

Tell him, Jesus, I give you my life.

I believe you died for me, for my sins, and you rose again.

And I'm committed.

I'm committed to following you for the rest of my life.

I I got a new allegiance.

You get my allegiance.

Your ways, I want to make them my ways.

Your ideas, I want to make those my ideas.

I'm committed to you for the rest of my life.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.

And it's in your name we pray.

Everybody said, Amen.

Amen.

Come on, let's put our hands together.

Let's tell Jesus, thank you.