God’s EXtreme MAKEOVER:
"Eligibility Requirements"
James 1:1-12
His Place Sept 21, 2008
NOTE: I was the guest speaker this morning and this was my daughter’s first Sunday back from her YWAM adventure - she gave the morning greeting and testimony of how god was working n her life. It dovetailed nicely with the message topic.
Can there be anything better than to see your children grow in their faith?
3 JN 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• Same Heidi on the out side – becoming new on the inside…
• Process Bruce talking about in PDL – Become something… - Like Christ!
• If think about it, pretty EXtreme MAKEOVER – us – like Christ
How many have watched Extreme Makeover? – curious - what does it take to be contestant - what these people agree to.
Here’s what I found: they want you to expose everything about yourself…
• Citizenship, age, employment, criminal record, mental health, etc…
• You waive all your legal rights to your "likeness" - You have no say in how they might want to exploit you for their show.
Listen to this: You agree to undergo "without limitation" - any cosmetic or
plastic surgery - at the sole discretion of the Producer.
How about this: Must allow them to use "all or any part of my likeness, and
may alter or modify it regardless of whether or not I am recognizable."
If don’t agree to abide by their rules – you’re ineligible to participate.
While God doesn’t exactly have eligibility requirements like that, there are some things we have to be on board with if His work in us successful…
• Good news is nothing disqualifies participate – “whosever will may come..” - where difference end - If want God’s EM successful…
• We must waive our rights to our "likeness" as well - Christ likeness!
• We have agree undergo "without limitation" whatever God wants to do.
• And if our likeness is unrecognizable afterwards - then SUCCESS!!
As we get into James this morning we’re going to look at 4 things that we need to understand going in, for God’s Extreme Makeover - successful.
Because we can short-circuit the process if don’t cooperate w/His plan
OK? - So let’s look at 4 requirements from the book of James…
JAS 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. – entire sermon on 1st ver.
JAS 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
• How many of you go straight to joy when you’re in a trial?
• Kind of wonder about people like that – tend more like chippie…
Anyone here own a parakeet? – cleaning is hassle – Chippies owner vacuuming feathers off floor – brilliant idea! – vacuum bottom of cage… don’t try this at home kids…
The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up… and "ssssopp!" No more Chippie! – problem solved! - The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned.
Poor thing covered in dust – so raced to faucet – held Chippie under the running water. – wet and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for hair dryer and blasted Chippie with hot air. Poor Chippie.
A few days later, Chippie’s owner was asked how the bird was doing. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."
• Isn’t that how we respond to trials? – takes the song right out…
• How do you get to joy when going through trials? – Don’t focus on trial!
1. We must Focus on the end result.
• Isn’t that what they encourage them to do on the show?
• Sure hard but worth it - hang in there! - No joy in the trial - if focus is on the trial - Focus on the end result - what God is trying to mold in us. What is that exactly? -"…mature, complete, not lacking anything."
• God doesn’t want you lacking anything – not good for you!
HOS 4:6 …my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
Sounds dangerous!
ISA 5:13 …my people will go into exile for lack of understanding;
Is there destruction in your life? Feel as though you’re in exile?
• Then take joy in your trials - He’s bringing your "lack" to an end!
So, if we’re going to be on board with what He is doing – need to look at our trials differently! - joy on the other side - can we agree to that?
“You know I’m just having a hard time connecting the dots to that - how am I supposed to get my mind around that?”
WE can’t!– one things we lack! Fortunately God - generous supply antidote!
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
• Here’s what happens - when we encounter Extreme Makeover trials - open God’s Word - ask for His wisdom - He gives it
• How many experienced? – How many – second guess?
• It’s normal that competing thoughts will try to crowd in. - That’s the transformation at work – to replace the old with the NEW!
• Trials cause wrong / world’s thoughts to percolate to surface for purpose of rejecting them in favor of God’s wisdom – out w/OLD - in w/NEW!
• What happens so often is that these competing thoughts aggressively try to maintain hold of us - throw us their sales pitch - and we buy in again
• Doubts come - confusion is the result - tossed like a wave.
• Want that cycle to end? – Don’t second guess God’s wisdom!
• PDL – God’s wisdom / prescription to facilitate the process!
In show - must submit counsel Drs, trainers, nutritionists want end results!
2. We must Submit to God’s wisdom.
Listen, if we reject God’s wisdom/counsel- won’t receive end result RIGHT?!
How many times given kids advice? – listen to friends instead – wonder why they don’t get the right result.
Listen if your having trouble getting traction in your Christian life, you have to throw out all competing thoughts - you have to submit to God’s wisdom He’s making you over!! - that’s part of the process.
“Well now wait I’m not like totally lame here I’ve done pretty good for myself!” - Have you? - Really?
Here’s what James has to say about our contribution to the process…
JAS 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position,
because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
• Here’s James is saying - people who have resources/talent according to flesh need to come to grips with God’s perspective of their contribution: it will pass, wither, and fade, - Has no eternal staying power!
• Those who know that they have nothing to bring to the table understand resources insufficient! - God can work with that! – where He wants us…
3. We must Admit our resources are insufficient.
• In the E.M. show - no way these people could afford financially…
• We can’t pull this off – we have no resources do what God wants to do!
• We get into trouble when we come to God and say… "God let me help out here… I’ve got some skills in this area…" – NOT!
“OK Steve, but Man, God’s so slow - Will ever get head above water in this?
JAS 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
• Persevere means to press in, don’t quit, hold on, no matter what!
Something we don’t tolerate much any more – wait? – don’t have to wait!!
Why doesn’t God just get up to speed?
• Well, what if I we’re going to go under a surgeons knife to redo my face - but I wanted to stay awake during the operation so that I could freely give out my counsel to the surgeon - and tell him to hurry! Hurry!
• If he was to start hacking and slashing at my urging - what kind of an outcome do you think I’d get?
• “Well, doctor this isn’t what we agreed on! - shouldn’t my nose be a little more centered on my face?”
God is doing a work in you/me that will last eternity - the process is delicate - it takes time - but the outcome is worth enduring!
Carving of a lion - you chip off everything that doesn’t look like a lion!
That’s what God is doing in His Extreme Makeover of us - He is chipping off everything that doesn’t look like His Son! The trials and tests reveal that
4. We must Commit to persevere to the end.
• E.M. - doesn’t do any good to start if not going to see it through to end!
• I know we get anxious – when we don’t see results – it’s OK!
The Swan not allowed to look in mirror until end – amazed at change
1 Cor 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. – see Jesus in mirror That’s part of the pay-off…
JAS 1:12 …when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
• There’s a pay off! - Eternal! – Not temporal E.M. Paul talked about…
1CO 9:25 …They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
• Paul cared about the pay-off – James cared about the pay-off!
Listen, it’s all going to be worth it! - Amen?
All we have to do is… Let’s say it together to God…
I will focus on the end result: To be like Christ.
I will submit to your wisdom and not my own
I admit that my resources are insufficient
I will commit to persevere to the end
So do you want to agree with God in the process? - let me see your hands
If here never received Christ - the starting point…
• God already knows everything about us - that doesn’t disqualify us.
• We need to waive our rights to our "likeness" - point is Christ likeness!
• We agree to undergo "without limitation" whatever God want to do.
• And if our likeness is unrecognizable afterwards - then SUCCESS!!
Let’s bow…
We start that process by going directly to God because of what Jesus did for us… “God I know that I don’t measure up to your holy standard… please forgive me of my sin, wash me and make me a new person, I waive my rights to my likeness and give you complete access “without limitation” to do your transforming work in me. – Jesus name… amen.
