INTRO: Historic signing of two hated enemies sworn to destroy each other. On one side you have the PLO
Leader, Yasser Arafit; the other, Yitzhak Rabin, leader of the nation of Israel, who have been fighting ever since Israel became a nation in the late ‘40s (not to mention they have been fighting since Isaac and Ishmael, two children of Abraham).
Interesting, war of’67 Rabin was an army chief and Arafat was a gun runner opposing each other.
Change that has taken place!!!
Communism is feared enemy of the west. How it has changed in just a few short years. (Who would have thought the Berlin Wall would have come down the way it did).
Today talk about change to hopefully learn a little bit more about it.
TITLE: Circumstances of Life
TEXT: Gen. 12:1-5
I. Change - It’s Hard - Some thoughts on why.
A. Afraid of the unknown - Gen. 12:1-5 (READ)
1. Abraham venturing into another land, leaving home to go to another area.
ex Jolene, Ben, Tammy, anxious feelings by moms and dads.
-My example of going away to college (Tammy no emotion).
a. Abraham was leaving parents home possibly for the first time (culture, live with parents).
1. Wealth - scholars tell us Abraham was well to do. Gave all that up to go where God was calling him.
2. Relatives behind - aunts, uncles, cousins, known faces.
a. Father’s household - meaning protection, clout, ways things were done.
b. People - race people, leaving people who do things the way you grew up with (comfort zone).
c. Country - move to a distant land (thousands of miles away).
ex Experience, Colorado.
d. Religion - scholars tell us Abraham’s family members were idol worshippers.
Point: Look at all Abraham was leaving, total change, not only who he was but also his surroundings.
2. I believe Abraham had some fear of what all these changes would bring!
v. 4 - “Abraham left as the Lord told him (do what the Lord directs).
3. Situation at church - pastor leaving, vacancy “what’s going to happen?”
a. Key: hear from God - going on fast.
-I believe the Lord has given me His direction in being pastor, but you folks can confirm this on October 3.
B. We don’t understand - questions when bad things happen.
ex. Dobson - Focus On the Family article.
When God doesn’t make sense
The 11th chapter of Hebrews bears relevance to believers who have gone through great sorrow and suffering. Described in that chapter are the men and women who preserved in hardship and danger for the sake of the Cross. Some were tortured, imprisoned, flogged, stoned, sawed in two and put to death by the sword. They were destitute, mistreated, persecuted and inadequately clothed. They wandered in deserts, in mountains, in caves and in holes in the ground. It is most importance to understand that “they died not receiving what they had been promised.” In other words, they held onto their faith to the point of death, even though God had not explained what He was doing (Heb. 11:35-40) I shared a story about a 5-year-old African-American boy who will never be forgotten by those who knew him. A nurse with whom I worked, Gracie Schaeffler, took care of this lad during the latter days of his life. He was dying of lung cancer, which is a terrifying disease in its final stages. The lungs fill with fluid, and the patient is unable to breathe. It is terribly claustrophobic, especially for a small child. This little boy had a Christian mother who loved him and stayed by his side through the long ordeal. She cradled him on her lap and talked softly about the Lord. Instinctively, the woman was preparing her son for the final hours to come. Gracie told me that she entered his room one day as death approached, and she heard this lad talking about hearing bells. “The bells are ringing, Mommie,” he said. “I can hear them.” Gracie thought he was hallucinating because he was already slipping away. She left and returned a few minutes later and again heard him talking about hearing bells ringing. The nurse said to his mother I’m sure you know your baby is hearing things that aren’t there. He is hallucinating because of the sickness.” The mother pulled her son closer to her chest, smiled and said, “No, Miss. Schaeffler. He is not hallucinating. I told him when he was frightened – when he couldn’t breathe – if he would listen carefully, he could hear the bells of heaven ringing for him. That is what he’s been talking about all day.” That precious child died on his mother’s lap later that evening, and he was still talking about the bells of heaven when the angels came to take him.
-Just to trust in God and His sovereignty.
C. We don’t agree - we understand what’s going to happen, but we think God’s making a mistake.
ex Jonah, told to go preach to Ninevah, capital city of Assyria, Israel’s worst enemy. (Didn’t think God knew what He was doing). He knew God was going to save them. Jonah 4:1-3 (READ)
-Book closes with God trying to help Jonah understand.
D. We’re not up to it. The change seems too big, and we give up because it’s too overwhelming.
ex Flood victim, Iowa, elderly, by herself didn’t know if she had the fight within her to rebuild.
ex Little boy, crying over tying his shoes (rest of his life).
Thought: Careful about putting regulations on new Christians (my own experience)!
1. Paul confronting Peter - Peter was ministering to the Gentiles, but some religious Jews came up from Judea to Antioch (Peter would not eat with Gentiles anymore when the Jewish leaders were around) because the Jews were unclean to eat with.
Gal. 2:14 - “When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not a Jew. How is it then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?”
Point: Quit being a hypocrite (Jews can’t even live under the law). How in the world do they expect the Gentiles to!
Change - “It’s inevitable”
A. Nature: Different season (spring, summer, fall, winter).
1. Life in general - born, live, die (depressing if this life is all we live for).
-I believe as you here today believe (death is only the beginning of something to come).
-Ecclesiastes 9:2 - “All share a common destiny, the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so it is with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.”
-We all share the same destiny in this life - its death (exception of the rapture).
B. Cycle of life - goes on with our approval or without it.
ex Baby-sitting - Kayla and Eric, watch them playing and carrying on a conversation with each other.
Felicia suggesting I buy some Grecian Formula (gray hair).
1. Father Time will eventually catch up. There is no fountain of youth.
a. Law of entropy - everything diminishes, gives out, breaks down.
-People who offer warranties have this down to an exact science (soon as warranty is done, the product breaks down).
1. Some are experimenting with cryogenics - freeze people so they can live longer.
2. Change is inevitable, people, circumstances, environment; but there’s one person who never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (God)!!!
III. Change “Good/Bad’ - It’s our choice!
A. It’s what we make out of the circumstances given us.
1. Negative - refuse to change, fight the inevitable.
ex Sports community, Woody Hays and his great running game (told of not winning as he should. Put extraordinary pressure on the man resulting in him punching players, cameraman, other football players on national TV).
a. Natural world - if a species does not adapt to its environment, it will not survive.
b. Negative example in the Biblical world:
-Judas: who has other motives for following Christ (power).
-Lot’s wife: being led to safety turned to watch the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah showing us that her heart was still there.
-Pharaoh: who could not bear to lose all his slaves, the Israelites. Changed his mind and chased after them only to lose a large portion of his army.
c. Changing others - can be negative (if done improperly). Marriage - learned to let the Holy Spirit make the changes on some issues.
2. Positive Examples of Handling Changes
a. Natural world - mosquito, roach.
b. Biblical example -Abraham moving to a new country.
-Noah going into a new world.
-Joseph going from slavery to second in command to Pharaoh.
-Moses raised in a palace, desert living, leading the Jewish nation out of
bondage of Pharaoh.
c. Trying to change may be hard at times - story of Tony Compolo.
-Story of a man who was falling out of love with his wife. He was given advice to think of all the ways he could make life happier for his wife and then do them.
Every day I leave for work, put in a hard day, come home dirty and sweaty, stumble in the back door, go to the refrigerator, get something to drink, then go into the rec. room and watch television until supper time.
Tried something new: before leaving work, I showered and shaved and put on a clean shirt. On the way home I stopped at the florist and bought a bouquet of roses. Instead of going in the back door as I usually do, I went to the front door and rang the door bell. My wife opened the door, took one look at me and began to cry. “When I asked her what was wrong she said it’s been a horrible day. First Billy broke his leg and had to have it put in a cast. As soon as I got home your mother called and informed me she was coming for three weeks. I tried to do the laundry and the washing machine broke and there is water all over the basement. And now you have come home drunk!”
B. Greatest change - when we are a part of leading someone to knowing Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 36:26 - “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
1. Being a part of a great celebration of penning in the name of someone who was lost but now is found in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
a. Excitement of being a part in leading someone to the Lord. That’s what ministry is all about.
C. Our Christian life - Why does Jesus say:
Matt. 18:3 - “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
1. Some ways we need to become like little children are:
-In their faith.
-In their humility.
-In other things.
a. Speak on a child’s ability to change - incredible, children seem to roll with the flow, they adapt with all changes. Eighty five per cent of all people brought to the Lord before age 18!
b. We need to be as pliable in the hands of the Lord to let Him mold and shape us as He wants not how we want!
CONCLUSION:
I. Change is hard
-Afraid of unknown.
-We don’t understand.
-We don’t agree.
-We’re not up to the fight.
II. Change is inevitable.
III. Change can be either good or bad - “It’s how we handle it.”
* I’ve tried to communicate that change is a part of life and it’s natural to feel some uncertainty.
-Realize this is God’s house; and He will take care of us, if we listen to His voice!
-In order to be a mature Christian we need to be able to change. (God is constantly wanting us to change into the image of His Son).
