CHALLENGE TO CHANGE
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I once heard that God loves us just the way we are, BUT He refuses to let us stay that way. That could almost be confusing, God LOVES us, in spite of the many flaws in our spiritual character and the errors we make. YET, He loves us so much that He refuses to let us stay the way we are. He truly desires to see us grow closer to Him, to be more dependant on Him, and less about self.
CHANGE is a necessary part of growth. No person can grow without some change. No church can grow without change! Sometimes traditions have to change because of the circumstances that surround us. One such author speaks of their first Thanksgiving with Martha Stewart being in jail: Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea. The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey. We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread.
CHANGE, isn’t it GREAT. This morning I want you to see that God expects change in ALL of us as Christians and in His church as well.
I. GOD DESIRES TO CHANGE PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE
Matt 15:16-20 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
PRAYER
God wants us to change from this inside out, from the heart. It is not about doing the right things in order to impress those that are watching us, as if with making an impression on others it will somehow get us into heaven. It is about purging the evil that is in our hearts, it is about self examination and noting the changes we must make in our own lives. So many time we see the problems in our world as the fault of others.
In Charles Schultz’s cartoon, “Peanuts,” Lucy is seen saying that if she was in charge of the world, she’d change everything. Charlie says, “That wouldn’t be easy. Where would you start?” Lucy looks directly at him, and without hesitation, points her finger at him and says, “I’d start with you!” And so it is with those who live their lives pointing out your one fault while ignoring that they too live under grace to cover their faults.
It is so easy to see what everyone else should be doing, this is a simple ploy that Satan uses to keep us from looking at ourselves and seeing the need for change in our own lives. So many times we get back to a place in the world, we think because we attend church from time to time we will be OK, but in our hearts we know that we are not being the Christians God wants us to be and so we try to drag others down with us, or we make excuses about our sin, and try to get others to approve.
The truth is that God wants to make changes in the world and in our church BUT those changes start with us. We must ask OURSELVES what are the things that are in our heart? It is easy to give God “lip service,” to say all the right things. BUT, God knows what is in our hearts and so do we. God wishes to change us from the inside and with that change:
II. INWARD CHANGES SHOULD CHANGE TO OUTWARD CHANGES
Matt 13:3-12 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear." 10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Now God wants us to change from the inside, and when He pours out His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit it should change us from the inside and allow many to see the fruit of the Spirit that is now a centerpiece in our lives. The seed comes from the WORD of God, but the preparation of the soil is on you. We are the ones that when given God’s Word decide how it will be used in our lives.
I want to share with you a story about a very interesting well-educated Greek philosopher whose name is Dr. Alexander Popaderos. And Dr. Popaderos every summer on the island of Crete taught a class on ethics for two weeks. And this particular summer just as he was getting ready to close the class, the last few minutes of the class, he said, “Now are there any questions before we go?” And just as he was getting ready to say, “OK then you’re dismissed,” a little man in the back of the room, a rather timid looking man, sort of carefully raised his hand and said, “Dr. Popaderos,” “Yes” “I have a question” “Yes, what is it?” He said, “I’d like to know, what is the meaning of life?” As you can imagine, people were ready to go home, and they were very irritated by this little fellow’s heavy question! Dr. Popaderos very quickly quieted the group, he said to the class, “You know, if you don’t mind I’d like to answer that question.” He reached into his back pocket, and took out his wallet. He took out of the wallet a little mirror about the size of a fifty-cent piece, honed down on the edges, kind of sparkling. And then he told this tale, he said, “When I was a child, I began to realize that I could have so much fun with that mirror. I would simply catch the glint of the Sun, and shine that mirror into an otherwise darkened place. As I grew older I began to learn that this is no child’s toy. This is really a metaphor for my life. Now I am not the light—I am not the source of the light. I am simply a broken mirror fragment. But if I allow the sun to shine on my mirror fragment, it is amazing what light I can bring into darkness.” Then he said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the meaning of life.” Each of us is a mirror fragment. We are not the Light. We are not the source of the Light. We are simply a broken mirror fragment. But when we permit the SON to hit our mirror fragment, and then bounce off into the life of a darkened heart, there can be change, there can be illumination.
Is there visible change in your life? Can others see the light of God in your life. Believe me they are watching, they hope to see the seed that is planted in good soil, the life that bears spiritual fruit. So many times it is our display of the change that has occurred in our lives by allowing God inside that determines what others will do with their lives. Today most people will tell you that the number one reason they have not turned to God, or the reason they do not come to church is HYPOCRITES!
A pastor ran into the grocery store one day to pick up a couple of things he was needing – he was in a big hurry because he was running behind trying to get to his next appointment. He quickly went through the checkout counter – paid for his stuff – grabbed the receipt and change and out the door he went. As he was getting into his car, stuffing the change into his wallet, he noticed that the checkout girl had given him too much change. “Oh man!”, he thought – “What should I do? I’m already behind schedule – I’ve got to get on the road!”
As he saw it he could do one of three things – he could go back in right now, delaying his plans even further – and make things right. He could go on to his appointment and come back later and make them right. Or, he could just forget about it and go on about his business - people made mistakes like that all the time right?
Well, he decided he ought to go ahead and go in and make it right. He walked up to the same checkout stand he had been in just a few minutes before – and as he approached the checkout girl he said, “I’m sorry – but it looks like you may have given me too much change by accident.”
With a big tear rolling down her cheek, the checkout girl looked up at him and said, “No sir, I did it on purpose. You see, I came to your Church Sunday and sat on the back row. You preached about honesty and how important it is to be honest as a Christian. I gave you too much change so I could see if you really meant it.”
The unsaved are watching you all the time. They listen to the words that come out of your mouth – they look at your actions to see if they match your words – they are looking to see if you are REAL. They are hungry for SOMETHING REAL. And you may be the only one that let’s them see the PURITY of Jesus.
How pure are you – what do others see in your words, your actions, and your life. The truth is that change in the world and change in our church starts with each person sitting here today. Change starts:
III. THE STARTING POINT FOR CHANGE IS REPENTANCE
John 8:9-12 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
How do you approach change? We do so by acknowledging that there is sin in our lives and that is the way we need to approach the throne of God. I think that many people come to church and forget that there is any sin in their lives.
One Pastor explains it this way:
The kids had been away at Grandma’s house for a few days and I missed them terribly. On my way home from work all I could think about was seeing them. As soon as the front door slammed behind me I heard the sound I had longed for. The sound of small feet on the wood floor--my children were coming to greet me.
The first to arrive was Alex--my soon-to-be four year old. He was running and jumping and yelling, "Daddy’s home, daddy’s home!" He ran to me with arms open and hugged my legs as hard as he could. I bent down and told him how much I loved him and had missed him. He gave me a kiss and was off to other adventures. Some approach church like this, they come to see their Father, give Him a hug and they are on their way to the next thing.
Following closely was Anthony, my seventeen-month old. He filled the house with
a steady "Dada, dada, dada, dada." As he neared, he looked up at me and raised his hands as high as they would go as a sign for me to pick him up. When I did he took my face in his hands and looked deeply into my eyes for a moment, then patted my face and kissed me like only a toddler can. The squirming that followed was his signal that our special moment was over and in a flash he was gone. Some approach God like this, they are glad to see Him, but other things grab their attention.
Austin, my five year old, was not to be found in this parade so I conducted an immediate search of the house. Alone in his room he sat, tears rolling down his cheeks. He had done something he knew was wrong and was fearing the worst upon my arrival. As he talked about what he had done he began to cry uncontrollably saying, "I’m sorry...I’m sorry." I felt as if I couldn’t pick him up fast enough. I hugged and kissed him repeatedly and told him that I forgave him and would always love him no matter what. In no time we were playing and laughing as usual.
Each child’s response to my presence was correct considering their circumstance. It was honest and from the heart.
How should we worship in church? The answer will most likely change from week to week but can always be found by assessing the condition of our hearts.
IV. GOD’S CHANGE IN US IS COMPLETE
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Let me leave you this morning with one final stroy.
I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place. After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place. Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that I clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, "Come as you are. No jacket required." and found the location. Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy. All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant.
Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy. A foul smell seemed to consume me and I couldn’t shake the grime that hung to my body. As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me..."Come as you are. No jacket required." I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium. "Your name, sir?" he asked me with a smile. "Jimmy D. Brown," I mumbled without looking up. I thrust my hands deep into my pockets, hoping to conceal their stains. He didn’t seem to notice the filth that I was covered in and he continued, "Very good, sir. A table is reserved in your name. Would you like to be seated?" I couldn’t believe what I heard! A grin broke out on my face and I said, "Yes, of course!"
He lead me to a table and, sure enough, there was a place card with my name written on it in a deep, dark red. As I browsed over a menu, I saw many delightful items listed. There were things like, "peace," "joy," "blessings," "confidence," "assurance,"hope," "love," "faith," and "mercy." I realized that this was no
ordinary restaurant! I flipped the menu back to the front in order to see where I was ... "God’s Grace," was the name of this place!
The man returned and said, "I recommend the ’Special of the Day’. With it, you are entitled to heaping portions of everything on this menu." You’ve got to be kidding! I thought to myself. You mean, I can have ALL of this! "What is the ’Special of the Day’ I asked with excitement ringing in my voice. "Salvation," was his reply.
"I’ll take it," I practically cried out. A sick, painful ache jerked through my stomach and tears filled my eyes. Between my sobs I said "Mister, look at me. I’m dirty and nasty. I’m unclean and unworthy of such things. I’d love to have all of this, but, but, I just can’t afford it. Undaunted, the man smiled again. "Sir, your check has already been taken care of by that Gentleman over there," he said point to the front of the room. "His Name is Jesus." Turning, I saw a man whose very presence seemed to light the room. He was almost too much to look at. I found myself walking towards Him and in a shaking voice I whispered, "Sir, I’ll wash the dishes or sweep the floors or take out the trash. I’ll do anything I can do to repay you for all of this." He opened His arms and said with a smile, "Son, all of this is yours if you just come unto me. Ask me to clean you up and I will. Ask me to take away the stains and it is done. Ask me to allow you to feast at my table and you will eat.
Remember, the table is reserved in your name. All you must do is accept this gift that I offer you." Astonished, I fell at his feet and said, "Please, Jesus. Please clean up my life. Please change me and sit me at your table and give me this new life." Immediately, I heard the words, "It is finished." I looked down and white robes adorned my squeaky clean body. Something strange and wonderful had happened. I felt new, like a weight had been lifted and I found myself seated at His table. "The ’Special of the Day’ has been served," the Lord said to me. "Salvation is yours." We sat and talked for a great while and I so enjoyed the time that I spent with Him. He told me, me of all people, that He would like for me to come back as often as I liked for another helping from God’s Grace. He made it clear that He wanted me to spend as much time with Him as possible. As it drew near time for me to go back outside into the "real world," He whispered to me softly, "And Lo, I am with you always." And then, He said something to me that I will never forget. He said..."My child, do you see these empty tables throughout this room?" "Yes, Lord. I see them. What do they mean?" I replied. "These are reserved tables...but the individuals whose names are on each placard have not accepted their invitations to dine. Would you be so kind as to hand out these invitations to those who have not joined us yet?" Jesus asked. "Of course," I said with excitement as I picked up the invitations." "Go ye therefore into all nations," He said as I turned to leave. I walked into God’s Grace dirty and hungry. Stained in sin. My righteousness as filthy rags. And Jesus cleaned me up. I walked out a brand new man...robed in white, His righteousness. And so, I’ll keep my promise to my Lord. I’ll go. I’ll spread the Word. I’ll share the Gospel... I’ll hand out the invitations. And I’ll start with you. Have you been to God’s Grace? There’s a table reserved in your name, and here’s your invitation... "Come as you are. No jacket required."
Each of here this morning are invited, no reason to get all dressed up, come the the ONE that forgives your sins and let HIM change you from the inside that it may show on the outside. Start with an attitude of repentance and let God make a complete change in your life.
INVITATION
