A Time To Change

A Time to Change

Date: Jan. 4, 2004

Eccl. 3:1-8

Intro

Now, this is the time of the year when people begin to attempt to fulfill their “New Year” resolutions. And to do that we must be willing and ready to accept change.

We’ve been talking about worship over the period of ‘two’ messages – How to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth, and our worship experience is one that should lead us into being conformed to His image; the image of Christ. And to be made into His image and His likeness we must experience change.

The Bible says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Ro.12:2

That is we do not want to be conformed to this world’s habits, styles and manners that are so prevalent today. Rather, we must be willing to let the Holy Spirit work in our lives in such a way that he changes the “whole” man and helps us to cultivate a spirit attached to God.

Change can be the most difficult thing for a human being at times; however, it will be the most rewarding thing.

So, why do people resist change?

In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown says to Linus: “Perhaps you can give me an answer, Linus. What would you do if you felt that no one liked you?” Linus replies, “I’d try to look at myself objectively, and see what I could do to improve. That’s my answer, Charlie Brown.” To which Charlie replies, “I hate that answer!”

Historical account of resistance to change

For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier and object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all times and surely he could not be wrong. All it would have taken was for one brave person to take two objects; one heavy and one light, and drop them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one stepped forward until nearly 2000 years after Aristotle’s death. In 1589, Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off two weights, one weighing ten pounds and the other one-pound. Both landed at the same time. But the power of belief in the conventional wisdom was so strong the professors denied what they had seen. They continued to say Aristotle was right.

With his telescope, Galileo proved the theory of Copernicus, that the earth was not the center of the universe; the earth and the planets revolve around the sun. Yet, when he tried to change people’s beliefs, he was thrown into prison and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

And on and on I could tell you stories of how “resistance to change” has affected people’s physical and spiritual health, an organization’s wealth and so much more. And all because of one’s resistance to change!

There are a number of reasons why many of us, like Charlie Brown, resist change:

Routine is disrupted, it creates fear of the unknown, the purpose of the change is unclear at times, it creates a fear of failure, or the rewards for changing don’t match the effort it requires to change. Or people are too satisfied with the way things are.

But, change won’t happen when people engage in negative thinking.

Regardless of his state in the present, the negative thinker finds disappointment in the future. The epitaph on a negative person’s headstone ought to read, “I expected this.” A sign that was read several years ago in an office building can best describe this type of thinking:

Don’t look – you might see.

Don’t listen – you might hear.

Don’t think – you might learn.

Don’t make a decision – you might be wrong.

Don’t’ walk – you might stumble.

Don’t’ run – you might fall.

Don’t live – you might die.

And I would like to add one more thought to this depressing list:

Don’t’ change – you might grow.

Please open your Bibles to the Old Testament; 3rd chapter of Leviticus.

“A Time to Change”

Today we could talk about, “why” to change, or “how” to change, but I want to talk to you briefly and more specifically about “what” to change.

Transitional Statement: So I want to show you three “particulars” that the Lord wants to change in us if we are going to be blessed and used of God.

There must be a change of:

I. Change of Perspective– Perspective has been defined as “belief\theory” or “reason\excuse”.

A. In the first 1st Ch. of Eccl.vs.2 Solomon says, “Vanities of vanities all is vanity”. That statement is not Solomon’s verdict upon life in general, but only upon misguided human endeavors to treat the created world as “an end in itself”.