Jesus offers, Real Change, Real Hope
The new year, comes around so quickly it seems like and it usually brings so many the opportunity,
to reevaluate the different things that they want to see come about in their lives.
New things they want to see happen, new habits they want to see form, take root and develop.
While hoping somehow the changes, that they want to make,
will happen with just the mere saying that, “next year, things will be different”
And that alone, will be enough to kick the old things and the old way of life to the curb, once and for all,
And somehow presto chango, everything will be better, just by waking up the next morning after!
The good news is today, that making a life change is possible,
but its not something that you can accomplish on your own, at least for an extended period of time.
Doing that, definitely takes some supernatural help, thing is most people don’t think that they need any.
That’s why so many people fail with their resolutions each and every year!
Matt. 19:26 NKJ
26. But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Making a life change, is not an easy proposition!
You see, whether you have a lot of material wealth, or whether your having a hard time making ends meet, it doesn’t matter!
As long as your trying to do it on your own TBS.(the bible says) its impossible.
A lot of people talk a good game, their always making resolutions and promises to themselves and others as well,
but the sad part is, that nothing ever seems to come to fruition in their life.
This affects people from all aspects of life
They may very well be church goer’s, who have heard the word all their life, never missed a service, very steeped in religion.
The bible tells of one such story and its found in Matt 19:16-26 MSG.
16.Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17.Jesus said, "Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you."
18-19.The man asked, "What in particular?"
Jesus said, "Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself."
20.The young man said, "I’ve done all that. What’s left?"
21."If you want to give it all you’ve got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
22.That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen (very sadly), he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.
23-24.As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom."
25.The disciples were staggered. "Then who has any chance at all?"
26.Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."
You see, it says "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself, but every chance in the world if you trust God to do it for you."
With God involved, we are insured 100% chance of success, but without Him,
we will never experience everything that God has for us, as long as were involved in the equation of obtaining it!
That kind of thinking is, the way of the law kind of thinking and the young man had done that, but to no avail!
Notice how he said, I’ve done this and I’ve done that, what else must I do?
He must have been the one who coined the term I ye I ye I,I,I!
TBS. vs. 21. "If you want to give it all you’ve got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
In other words, quit making it about what you have done!
That was the last thing in the world, that he was expecting to hear.
He had been singing;
“I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.”
Okay Lord, “everything, except for that!”
If we want to experience all that God has for us, we have to be willing to surrender completely
and make some changes, in our way of thinking and in our life!
To let go and let God have control and do what He wants in our life, instead of what we want, once and forever!
Matt 3:7-10 MSG.
7-10. When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snake skins is going to make any difference?
It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.
You see, Abrahams faith, or your momma’s faith, or your daddy’s faith isn’t gonna get it done for you!
It’s your life that must change, not your skin, “What counts is your life”!
Is it green and blossoming?
Are you producing fruit for the Kingdom? Are you living the life that God has given you to live?
Jesus is the master life changer, He is in the life changing business,
His grace, mercy and favor will revolutionize your life if you will let it!
Praise God, thank You Jesus for your faithfulness!!
You see though, most people really don’t like change all that much, when it gets right down to it!
But the kind of change that Jesus offers and offers to all I might add,
will affect you both on the inside and on the outside, if you will let it!
Luke 5:27-39MSG.
27-28. After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.
29-30. Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ’sinners’?"
31-32. Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."
33. They asked him, "John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?"
34-35. Jesus said, "When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!
36-39. "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers un-aged wine."
God doesn’t want you to be sin conscious and consumed and trapped by the law and what you are capable of on your own,
That’s what the Pharisees did, that’s religion in action!
He wants you to be Jesus conscious and rest in His goodness and mercy and what He is capable of,
So you can consume and partake of everything that He has for you. Amen?
That’s the difference between a religion and a relationship with the Lord!
Are you receiving everything that Jesus wants to give you?
Maybe its time to take the next step in your relationship you have with Him,
Don’t be like the young ruler, be willing to embrace the new things that God has for you and wants to do for you.
Become as new wineskin, become a vessel that He can pour into,
Don’t put a limit on God’s blessings in your life, by what you have been raised to think,
He’s not asking you to think it through and over analyze things,
He’s asking you to only believe, that He will bring about what He has promised,
And what He has been more than willing to do for you all along!
Romans 8:9 MSG.
9. But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms.
(I want you to think, just for a moment, about everything Jesus is to His Father and all that He has available to Him from His Father, its almost to much to fathom, isn‘t it?)
It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
Start to believe that it is possible, it doesn’t matter if you don’t think that it is possible or not,
Because God’s Word says that it is possible,
to experience All that He has for you on His terms, instead of your terms for a change,
And I promise you, you will be amazed at what He will let you experience, if you will let Him!
and how it will come to affect those who are around you and their relationship with the Lord as well!
Mark 14:3-9 MSG.
3-5. Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.
6-9. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."
The King James says; what this woman did, would be known as a memorial to her wherever the gospel was preached
And where did Jesus say to take the message of the gospel?
To the whole wide world!
What she did, changed the way that people all over the world, would worship Jesus forever!
What have any of us done lately, that affects the way someone thinks about their relationship with Jesus and the Kingdom of God, in a positive way?
You can start today, right where your at, by pouring out your praise on Him, the way she did.
The song I surrender all was written in 1896, by Judson W. Van DeVenter and in his own words, this is how it came to be.
The song was written while I was conducting a meeting at East Palestine, Ohio, in the home of George Sebring.
Founder of the Sebring Campmeeting Bible Conference in Sebring, Ohio, and later developer of the town of Sebring, Florida.
For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work.
At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all.
A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me.
God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing.
I challenge you today, to no longer, whether its your will, or your time, talent, finances, be it whatever it is,
Surrender it all today, don’t hold anything back from your relationship with God?
Let everything it is, that God has to offer, through His Son Jesus and your relationship with Him, change your life completely and forever!
Because if you will, He will forever let you experience what life truly has to offer on His terms and not the worlds terms.
That’s how much God loves you and cares for you, to want you to only experience His best!
Jerm 29:11 NKJ.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
If you will let Him this morning, He will take you on an amazing journey,
to new highs and places of accomplishment, that you can‘t even imagine!
Start experiencing your life the way God intended and I promise you, you will not be disappointed with the change!
Amen? Lets pray!
