“A NEW PEOPLE”
God’s Extreme Makeover
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
PASTOR BENJAMIN T. HAILEY SR
“UBC”
Union Baptist Church of Allentown
2-13-05
“A New People”- God’s Extreme Makeover 2Cor. 5:10-21
Introduction: There is an interesting television program that airs each week called Extreme Makeovers. It is interesting because the connotation of a makeover is nothing new or out of the ordinary. In fact, most ladies will testify that each and every morning, they experience a “makeover” as they apply certain layers of makeup on their faces. I have even encountered some people who say that they would not been seen in public without putting their face on first. Which leads me to say that if these individuals are so ardent in their desire to cover their faces, or provide themselves with a makeover; there must have been something intrinsically wrong with the original content in their minds eye.
I don’t believe that if one had no problems with how they looked, that there would be such a desire to be made over into something totally different. But such is the case with the show “Extreme Makeover”. The point of the show is to take an individual, and provide cosmetic surgery, makeup, hairstyle, and clothing that will cause this individual to go through a transformation, which gives them a totally different appearance… on the outside. And the thing about it is that they go through this transformation, because someone else has suggested that it was necessary, and has requested that it takes place. The person who is the subject of the makeover has no responsibility for the transformation, with the exception of his or her acceptance of this makeover gift.
Now I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a Biblical truth, with a twist. Because I hear the Bible saying to us that the writer of our text this morning, the apostle Paul was an individual not unlike the participants of the show, extreme makeover. You do understand Paul’s resume don’t you? Paul was the chief persecutor of the Church. He was the one who’s vocation it was to identify, extricate, extradite, and then incarcerate those persons who were followers of Jesus. Let me help you. Acts 9:1-2 says (Meanwhile Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.) But while this brother was on his way to operate in his opposition to Christ, verse 3 says (As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you Lord? Saul asked, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, He replied. Now, get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.) This was the suggestion from Jesus, that Saul be given an extreme makeover. And the good news is that all Saul had to do, was determine in his mind that he would accept the fact that this was his opportunity to become a new person. I’m talking to somebody in here already. Because you know that for the first half of this year you have received suggestions that you become a new person. Oh it may not have been someone you know. It may not have been from a relative or church member, but all you know is that something has been telling you that you can be made new. Something has been prodding you to change your direction, so that you can change your destiny. Something has been pushing you to recognize that you cannot continue going down the path you’ve been going. You can’t put your finger on it, but you know you need to have an extreme makeover.
And I know that Paul is qualified to be the one to suggest to us that this makeover is possible, because not only did Saul stop persecuting the church as a result of Jesus’ suggestion for an extreme makeover, but also Saul’s makeover was such that it was more than a makeover. It was a transformation. Like a caterpillar to a butterfly. It was the changing of unrighteousness to the righteousness of God. It was the cleansing of a dirty vessel. Saul’s name was changed to Paul, and he became a new person in Christ.
Well, I know somebody is saying, yea preacher that sounds good, but you don’t know my story. You don’t understand how I came to be who I am right now. Your saying, everybody in the church is always talking about changing, but if I could change I would. My problem is I don’t know how to change. And if that’s you, then I came to help you this morning, because the context of this text begins over in 2Cor.1. Paul outlines his ministry to the Church at Corinth, and begins to let them know the difficulties of ministry. He says that ministry was so devastating that he despised life itself. (Let me park parenthetically here for a moment and say that whenever you try to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ, you are going to encounter opposition. You will face frustration. You will experience exasperation. You will develop depression and despair if you do not persistently pursue God’s purpose.) See, Paul says throughout the first five chapters that even though his ministry was difficult, he knew that the purposes of God were at work in his life, and because he knew God’s purpose, he said I understand that all these things came upon me that I might not rely on myself, but that God may deliver me. He says, I set my hope on him, and in your prayers, so that when I come out, we can testify that prayer changes things. Yall missed it. See, some of you right now feel like Paul in chapter one. You lost your job for ministering at work. You lost your husband, or wife for ministering at home. You lost some friends for ministering in their midst. You lost your children cause they didn’t want to hear about Jesus. Now here you are feeling despondent, and disappointed. Here you are feeling distressed and depressed. All because you were trying to do the right thing. Well, you need to learn from Paul. He says stop looking at the because of, and start looking at the in spite of. Paul continues talking about the because of issues of ministry in the context of the in spite of purpose of God. He says in the end of Chapter 3. Even though I have experienced problems because of my proclamation of the gospel, he says I don’t lose heart. He says even though I preach Jesus, and folk don’t want to hear me, and because they don’t want to hear me they bring false accusations against me, I don’t lose heart. And he says the reason is because I see the big picture. Paul says I know now that I am nothing, but what I also know is with Christ I can do all things. He says the reason folk dog me because of my position in Christ. is that their faces are hidden from the truth of God. And their minds have been made dull, because they have chosen to live in the presence of the past, and have not seen the light of the Lord. He was dealing with Jews who did not want to acknowledge the truth of God in Jesus Christ. These were those of whom Saul used to work. Persecuting the church of Christ. These were those who had not received the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, to enlighten them to the Way of God through Christ. And maybe that’s part of our problem today in the contemporary church. Maybe we have chosen to bury our heads in the sand, and believe that the Old Covenant is better, because we know what to expect. What are you saying preacher? I’m just saying that maybe in the church of 2007, we need more folk who are in spite of people, rather than because of people. Because of people will tell you that things are not going so well, and it’s because of this person. They will postulate that the reason their life is so out of control is because of the racism in America. The reason I can’t achieve my goals is because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. The reason the church is not the same is because the pastor is not doing things the way I want him to. The reason I don’t come to church is because I want the old way back. And what happens is, not only do you feel persecuted because of what happens that you do not like, but you then become a persecutor because of whatever anyone that does not take your position does. But I want you all to understand that God is not looking for because of people, but God wants some folk to say like Paul said in Chap. 4 that in spite of the problems of dealing with people who don’t understand me. In spite of ministering to people who don’t want to hear it. In spite of getting dogged out for trying to help out. (We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed… Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.) In other words, Paul had an in spite of mentality, because he understood that trials and trouble on the menu for anyone who has received an extreme makeover, and has been made new.
Let me close this thing. Three quick issues. The text is tailored to teach us this morning that:
1. We become a new people, when we Focus on our future: verse 10 in chap. 5 says (For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad). I think many of us believers don’t carry a view of the spiritual future. And as a result, our walk is not in sync with our talk. We are not convinced of the judgment seat of Christ, and so we live for today, and forget about tomorrow. But it would be wise for us to recognize that life is but a vapor, and you can’t get it back down here when it’s gone. Job’s question “if a man die, shall he live again?” can be answered in the physical with a resounding no! But we shall live in the spiritual. Therefore, while we are still here, we must work out our soul salvation in fear and trembling. Always living with an in spite of attitude. In other words, we need to live to live again. We must live the new life in Christ, as opposed to the old life in ourselves. We must live to glorify Christ on earth, so that God can glorify us in His glory. O.k. let me help you again. For many year this church has been serving this community. But if you have been here since the beginning, and your time spent has not glorified Christ. If all you were was a because of Christian. If you never understood your purpose, and you never became what God wanted you to become, then all your living was in vain. Paul says you need to labor so that you work will be accepted of Him. I don’t want to get to the judgment seat after 30 years of Bible studies. Years of worship services, years of meetings, years of counseling sessions, years of choir rehearsals, years of annual days, and hear the Lord say, depart from me, I never knew you. My brothers and sisters, you need to live to live again. You need to find somebody and persuade him or her to come to Christ. You need to find somebody, and tell them about Jesus. You need to find somebody, and let them know about your extreme makeover!!!
2. But then not only do we need to Focus on our future, but we need to forget about our flesh. From verse 11-16 Paul lets us know that the difference between the T.V. show extreme makeover, and God’s extreme makeover is that on television, as in the lives of religious folk, the makeover is cosmetic: but with God the makeover is internal. In other words, our internal transformation will manifest itself in our external conversation. Yall missed it. Have you ever been in church and seen somebody who just can’t stop praising God? I mean they are just into a crazy praise, and every time they come to the church, they are the first one up, the loudest hand clapper, the loudest singer, the first one to shout. They just get on everybody’s nerves… Well you need to leave them alone, because all they are doing is externally manifesting what God has done to them internally. See, you need to know that what is in you will come out. And when the Lord has extremely made you over. When God has taken you from crawling on the ground to soaring like an eagle. When God has shown you that even though people looked at your life and said because of. You know that in spite of everything, God has made you over, and guess what when that fact resonates in your spirit, you will forget about your flesh. You will forget about what people think about you, You will say like David, I will bless the Lord at all times, and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. See, when you know you’ve been made over. NO person, not even your self can keep you from expressing what the Lord has done. You’ve got to praise him. You need to praise him… You can’t help but praise him…
3. But then, I need to tell you one more thing before I go. Listen, Not only should we focus on the future, not only should we forget our flesh. But we must. Function through Faith.
Watch this. Paul says in verse 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Now watch, when I just started out in the ministry, there were many of my friends, and even family members who did not believe that God had separated me for this good work. And their reasons were all because of statements. But thanks be to God, that there had been some in spite of saints in my life, who spoke into my spirit. They said, baby, you just keep on keeping on, God is going to bless you. God will raise you up. One night the Lord visited me, and gave me a Word in my spirit, and told me that He was going to bless me so that I would have many sons and daughters in the ministry, and that he would use me to teach men and women to lead his people. But all I could hear in the background was the voices of those who said I couldn’t because of this, and because of that. Until the Lord showed me 2Cor. 5:17 again, and this time he said read it slowly. If ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST. I said Lord I don’t get it. He said read it again…IF ANY MAN be in Christ…. I started to see myself in a different light, because I began to hear what the Word really had to say. And that gave me faith. And the Book says faith cometh by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So let me help you as I close this morning. If you have been born again, then you are IN Christ. And that means that you fit the bill for God’s extreme makeover. As a matter of fact, you’ve all ready been made over, and God is now waiting for your faith to kick in. See, you are not today, what God is going to cause you to become tomorrow. But until you recognize that you are in the process of becoming, you can never be made new. The reason that you can look at the because of people in your life with your head up, and your back straight, is that in spite of all that you’ve been through, the Lord still made you brand new in Christ Jesus. In spite of fear, IN Christ you can say that God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. In spite of, I’m a new creation. That means the old me is dead. And I’m alive in Christ. And because I’m alive in Him I have power that never had before. Because I’m alive in Him I have joy that is unspeakable. Because I’m alive in Him, I may get sad, but in Christ, weeping may endure…. Close….
In Christ…
