Change
Gen. 12: 1- 4 Now the aLord had said to Abram: “Get bout of your country, From your family, And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
(The New King James Version. (1982). (Ge 12:1–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
At different stages of life we become comfortable with the way things are. The problem with that is that being comfortable too long leads to complacency We get so used to the way things are that we don’t recognize the need for change which often causes us to be resistant to change.
1. Abram was to leave a place he was familiar with and go somewhere he knew nothing about. But God had told him a couple if things.
a. It God knew it was time for a change.
b. I will bless you and I will also make you a blessing. It’s not all about you.
c. Abram didn’t question God. He responded with action.
V-4 “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.”
Isaiah 43: 15 - 21
I am the Lord, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.” Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
2. Behold ! I am doing a new thing.
a. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so we recognize when God is doing a new thing.
b. Many people are crippled by, “The way we have always done it”
c. Many people can’t get to the new thing God has for them because they remember the former things. We love to reminisce about “the good ol’ days.” And yet change is inevitable.
c. As individuals, as a society, as a local church and as the universal body of Christ, We can’t heal hurts from the past because someone will always remember the former things. We can’t heal racial tension without someone remembering the former things, the way things were. “But thats a whole nother message”
3. Another reason for resisting Change is immaturity
Paul declared ! Php 3:13–16 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have 4apprehended; but one thing I do, vforgetting those things which are behind and wreaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 xI press toward the goal for the prize of ythe upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are zmature, ahave this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, bGod will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already 5attained, clet us walk dby the same 6rule, let us be of the same mind.
a. Paul is saying “I don’t know everything, But this on thing I do Know.
b. Pastor Shawn doesn’t know everything but, he is the one anointed by God to lead this church in this season.
V - 13 While we are aware of our past we can’t continue to live in the past. We have to learn to live in the current time.
JUST A LITTLE HUMOR -
I saw a movie once where a guy, who used too play Huggy Bear in the Mod Squad TV show, who was really a cool dresser hip to the night life and in with the ladies, was sent to prison for a 15 years or more. When he was released, he stepped out into the night life wearing the clothes he had before he was incarcerated. He had missed the time for Change and was living in the past.
V - 16 Paul is saying; To your degree of maturity, let us walk in agreement
I want to share briefly a few things I have learned about Change
1. Change is the process of life - Anything that is has life will change. If you don't believe that look in the mirror.
2. When Change is necessary to not change will lead to destruction. Before you are destroyed you are distracted.
V 18 - “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
3. It is better to lead change than for change to lead you.
God gives us wisdom and he also gives us men who are anointed to guide us
4. Whats God’s purpose for leading your change?
Isaiah 43: 21 - To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
a. When God takes you through a Change It is for the purpose of refreshing you so that you can be equipped and prepared to Know Him, Praise Him and serve Him on a higher level.
b. He wants you have New Victories not just continue to talk about former victories.
c. He wants you to be even a greater blessing than you have been in the past….
