If You Change Your Attitude
God Will Change Your Mind
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, though the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3
Today Paul gives us guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. We are to give
ourselves to Christ as a living sacrifice, obeying the governing authorities, loving our neighbors and taking special care of those who are weak in the faith. Can I get a witness? The book of Romans is one of the fourteen Epistles that is believed to be written by Paul. This book of Romans contains the ABC’s of Christian Education. In fact, it is my belief that this book should be the very foundation of our Christian walk, because if we are wrong in our understanding here, we will be wrong everywhere else. Can I get a witness? The major theme behind this book is the revelation of God’s wrath against sin and the righteousness through faith as grounds of justification. The key word is righteousness and not just righteousness, but God’s righteousness. Chapters 1-8 tells us of God’s wonderful doctrines. It tells us that we are not ashamed of it. It talks about how no one is exempt from it. It lets us know we’ve all fallen short of it, and all things will work together for the good because of it. Can I get a witness? Chapter 9-11 gives God’s dealings with the Jews and the Gentiles.
It lets us know that it’s not based on our works, but it’s based on His grace. It also lets us know how easy it is to be saved. I need somebody to talk to me. Then here’s our text chapter, which gives us the practical application of the Gospel for mankind, and how the “mercies of God” according to His forgiving power tells us what to do. The first point I want to make or share with you this evening is for you to present yourself or your bodies as a living sacrifice. You’ve got to give God something to work with. Oh, I wish I had some help in here tonight. If you remember it was in the Old Testament when a burnt offering meant the complete or entire consuming of sacrifice which meant that the whole sacrifice was for God. It was first killed then presented to the Lord on the altar. Also being baptized, signifies the dying of the fleshly desires of man and the renewing of the spirit. As a ‘living sacrifice” we are to be daily witnesses and give testimonies to the goodness of God and therefore be presented as “Holy” and Christ like. Not only are we to be witnesses, but all of us ought to have a testimony. If God has done anything for you, there ought to be a testimony. Are you going to talk to me? God comes into our lives changing the way we look at life. Once we commit ourselves to the Lord, once we accept Jesus as the Savior of our lives, we are then changed. The Bible said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” You got to understand that the presence of the Holy Spirit makes acceptance unto Christ, where He can use us in His service no matter what we use to be like. When we give ourselves, our whole selves, and I’m talking mind, body and soul. All of me, we become living sacrifices. Can I get a witness? We should be changed. But you know some folk been coming to church for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years and still hadn’t changed. Still got mess running around in their minds. Y’all ain’t saying nothing. You know what I’m talking about. Still don’t like the folk look at you. Why she got to lead all the songs? Who do he think he is? I come to tell you that if you change your attitude, God will change your mind. We owe it to God to change our ways.
After all He’s been good to us. Am I right? The word of God says, “It is our reasonable service.” Paul says, “It’s only right that we present ourselves for God’s use. After all, look where He brought us from. Look at what He’s brought us through. And some of us have the nerve to have attitudes in the church. Can I get a witness? Have the nerve to have an attitude because somebody looking at them. Somebody is in their seat. Get mad because folk are praising the Lord, because they know who He is and to Whom they belong. I don’t know about you, but when I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all that He’s done for me, that changes my attitude. I’ve come to realize that I got to give God something to work with in order for me to be different. And since the Lord has started working on me, now I’m not as impatient like I used to be. I’m not as selfish as I used to be. Yes, when I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all that He’s done for me, my soul cry’s out hallelujah. And thank you for saving me.
As a living sacrifice, I can humble myself to believe that folk are looking at me not because I look all that good, but because they see Christ in me, as a “living sacrifice.” Oh, I may not be where I ought to be, but thank God I’m not what I used to be. Is anybody on my street? Anybody know what I’m talking about? I tell you, if you change your attitude, God will change your mind. You got to understand that a sacrifice can cause some folk to have an attitude. Some folk got get an attitude when they have to give up something. You don’t believe me. Take somebody down from being president or chairperson and see want they get an attitude. Sat some deacon down of the Deacon Board and see want he get an attitude. Tell somebody that they can’t led all the songs and see want they get an attitude and quit the choir. Tell that usher that is always standing at the door that it’s their time to stand on the wall and see want they get an attitude. Can I get a witness? Oh, don’t y’all sit there and look so Holy. Y’all know what I’m talking about. Ladies, if the Holy Spirit told you to give up shopping and turn in your credit cards, you’ll have an attitude.
I know some of the brothers will be happy about that, but somebody will have an attitude. Men, if you were told to stop stepping out and go back home to your wife even though she’s put on a few pounds, you’ll have an attitude. Some of us think that the grass looks greener on the other side and that’s only because you haven’t cut your own grass in a while. Well Reverend, you talk about having an attitude, but what is an attitude? And attitude is a frame of mind affecting ones thoughts and behavior. Therefore, we must realize that we can never become what God has for us to be until we can drop who we used to be. Can I get a witness? Our attitudes dictates how and where we live. Our attitudes dictates how we treat others and not only that but our attitudes dictate how we worship. Oh, I wish I had some help. The world will tell you that if you make a certain amount of money per year, you can live here or live there. But Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” Just because some folk got stuff, they feel that they should be treated different or better than someone else. But Peter opened his mouth in the book of Acts and said, “Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respect of persons.” Just because we don’t worship the same way, some folk feel that we can’t worship and praise God together even though we are worshipping the same God. My Bible says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. It doesn’t say how much noise to make, but it does say, “all ye lands.” You see that word all. That means everybody. Can I get a witness? It’s our attitudes that keep us from receiving the blessing that God has in store for us.. The world’s way of thinking should not be our way of thinking. We have to understand that while we are in the world, we don’t have to be like the world. Paul says in Romans 8:5-10, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…. for to be carnally minded is death…. because the carnal mind is enmity against God. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
I came to tell you, that if you change your attitude, God will change your mind. Some folk done got all edge-a-macated and sub-fist-a-macated. Got big jobs, big titles, and in big positions, and done sometimes forgot that we’re not the only ones that God uses in His service. I know it ain’t good English, but it’s right. Sometimes we forget the value or respect the other folk talents and opinions in the church. You’ll not the only one who can count money. You’ll not the only one who can lead a song. You’ll not the only one who know how to pray and lead devotion. You’ll not the only one who know how to preside over a meeting. We tend to forget what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 12:4-6. You know what I’m talking about. Paul said, “Now are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” Is anybody on my street? Sometimes we allow the positions we hold to hold us and dictate to us how we treat other folk.
When this happens, we become just like the rest of the world, just selfish, self-centered and unconsidered of others. Can I get a witness? The second point I want to share with you is that, after I’ve given God something to work with, I got to change my way of thinking. Y’all ain’t saying nothing. Paul said, “Be not confirmed to this world.” Don’t you imitate the way folk act. I know we have to live in his world, but we don’t have to live like the world. We love to condemn folk. We act like we’ve been saved all of our days. You got to remember that you hadn’t always been like this. Before you changed you attitude and God changed your mind, you might have known about a shout on the dance floor, but you didn’t know nothing about a praise in the sanctuary. And the only reason some of y’all are not doing what you use to do now is because you’re over the hill and you can’t get back up the hill. When you see that alcoholic standing on the corner with his liquor bottle, don’t condemn him. When you see that drug addict standing trying to get a fix, don’t condemn him. Wherever you see that young lady on the street corner, selling herself for whatever she can get, don’t you condemn her.
You got to understand that that’s what the world would do. That’s the way of this world and we can’t allow ourselves to get caught up thinking the way the world thinks. You got to understand that God didn’t save us just to be saved. We are saved by grace in order that we might lead others to their salvation. Is anybody on my street? Some folk are selfish with their religion. They act like they don’t want nobody to go to heaven but them. You know what I’m talking about. When we pray we say, “When I get to Jordan, help me to cross over to the other side.” You got to remember that could still be you or me out there. You see some of us are still living from pay check to pay check. Some of us are still struggling and straining. Some of us are still having some restless and sleepless nights. Some of us are still crying midnight tears. And we must understand that for some us living for Christ merely as an outside show for others, and it is like washing a cup only on the outside. It’s something you don’t mind looking at, but you wouldn’t want to drink out of it. Can I get a witness? But when we are cleaned up on the inside it will show up on the outside. A story was told about a little girl who went to church with her mother and she heard the preacher say that God is bigger than us and that God lives inside of us. When they got home the little girl began to think about what the preacher said. So, she asked her mother, mommy didn’t the preacher say that God is bigger than us and that He lives in us. The mother said, yes. Then the little girl said, “So why couldn’t I see Him in any of the folk in church?” I tell you if you change your attitude, God will change your mind. Can I get a witness? Paul encourages us today to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. You got to know that you can’t change your own mind. This changing of our mind or our thinking process is the changing of our spirit. It’s a divine alteration. You remember what happened to Saul don’t you? God changed his mind and he became Paul. Paul was a Roman citizen.
He was a Pharisee Jew. He was a man of strict religious thinking. Saul was a tent maker. He was well educated. He was given authority to persecute the church. Paul thought he was somebody, but God brought him down on the Damascus Road. I come to let you know that it’s not by works of righteousness which we have done, but it’s according to His mercy, God saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Paul met the Lord on Damascus Road and Jesus stopped him. The Bible said Saul was knocked off his beast and he was astonished and trembling. He said, “Lord, what would Thou have me to do.” When Saul changed his attitude, God changed his mind. My brothers and sisters, if you change your attitude, God will sho nuff change your mind. There is something about Jesus that when you meet Him, you don’t walk away the same. Now when we see that alcoholic, see that drug addict or that prostitute, we won’t condemn them, but now we’re pray for them. Some of us have learned from experience what God is able to do.
It is only God who is able to satisfy us. As a messenger of God Almighty, as a messenger of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, by His grace, I stopped by today on my way to making heaven my home to tell you that if you change you attitude, God will change your mind. Well Reverend, how do I get my mind changed. I’m glad you asked. Well first of all, you need to be stead fast in the word of God, so that you can be an encouragement to somebody else. Paul said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” It bothers me that folk want to come to the church house, come to God’s house and take over and not be the spiritual leader in their own house. They are whimps at home, they are dictators at home and then try to dictate the church. But you got to remember, great is the mystery of Godliness. For just as sure as you are born, just as sure as Christ was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into Glory, Jesus is coming back one day. Will you be ready when He comes: If you change your attitude, God will change your mind.
Conclusions:
* We’ve got to understand that it’s the Lord that does the leading. And all we got to do is follow the lead. I’m going to close when I bring you to my third and final point. It’s understood that we must be a living sacrifice. And we must have a renewed mind. Well I also need to tell you that it’s not about you and it’s not about me, but it’s all about Glorifying the Lord. In order to be a disciple of the Lord, we need to allow the word of God to teach us. We’re all children in the Kingdom of God and we can’t do nothing without the Lord. We need to be like sheep and follow the Good Shepherd. And the only way you can do that is to take up your cross and follow Him not for a little while, but follow Him daily. And you ought to be like the songwriter when he said, “I’m yours Lord, I’m yours Lord, everything I am, everything I’m not. I’m yours Lord, try me now and see, see if I can’t be completely yours.” If you don’t mind tonight, I want to help somebody. Is it alright? Because when I changed my attitude, Jesus changed my mind. I’m reminded of the wedding at Cana. There was an attitude at the wedding. But Jesus changed their minds when He turned water into wine. There was an attitude of the disciples when they were in they were in the storms of the sea, but Jesus changed their minds when He spoke to the wind and He spoke to the rain, spoke to the thunder and spoke to the lightening and said, “Peace, Oh, Peace be still.” There was a hungry attitude in the multitude, but Jesus changed their minds when He took a little boys lunch of two fish and five barley loaves and He fed that multitude. There was man at the pool of Bethesda who had an attitude for thirty-eight long years all because nobody would put him in the pool, but oh, one day Jesus changed his mind when He told him to take up his bed and walk.
There was a woman who had an attitude because she had gone from doctor to doctor for twelve long years and spent all that she had. I believe I can speak for someone here today and say that that would have given even me an attitude. But, I stopped by to tell you that Jesus changed her mind when she touched the hem of his garment. Mary and Martha had an attitude when Jesus didn’t show up to heal their brother Lazarus. But Jesus changed their mind when He raised Lazarus from the dead. The crazy man from Gredara had attitude, because he was possed with a legion of devils, but Jesus changed his mind when those devils left the man and went into the heard of swine. Two thousand heard of swine drowned themselves. This man had enough hell in him to drown two thousand swine. You know some of us got enough hell in us to kill a good church. I’m going home when I tell you. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to stay with the Lord. Because our God is able to change you.
That’s what I like about my God. If you love to sing, He won’t stop you from singing, but He will change your song. He’ll make you sing, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” If you love to walk, He won’t stop you from walking, but He’ll change your step. Instead of you walking in the way of sinners, you’ll start marching in God’s army. If you love to talk, my God won’t stop you from talking, but He will put a new word in your mouth. You’ll be able to say, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, because He lives way down in my soul.” Oh_____ If change your attitude, God will change your mind. If you don’t want to go, don’t you hinder me. If you don’t want go, I’m going on any way. I’m going to stay with the Lord everyday and in every way. I’m sending up my timber. I’m trying to make heaven my home.
When I changed my attitude, my God sho changed my mind. Is He alright? Is He alright? Is He alright? I know that the man is alright. He walks with me, He talks with me, He tells me I am His own. Do you know Him? Do you know Him? Do you know Him? Don’t fool me tonight. Stand on your feet if you know the man. I know He’s alright. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ____________________ m ____________ I know He’s alright. I was on the wrong road, but I met the right man. I met Him one Thursday evening. Down on a little old road called Elkahatchee Road at a little old church called Ridge Grove Baptist Church. The Lord changed my mind. He changed my mind. He put running in my feet. He put clapping in my hand. Joy bells, joy bells, joy bells started ringing down in my soul. I’m going all the way. Ninety-nine and half just won’t do. You got to run on and try to make a hundred. Say yeah, say yeah, oh ______ yeah.
Use me Lord in thy service, draw me nearer everyday,
I__ am willing, Lord to run all the way___
If I falter ____ while I’m traveling, don’t be angry, let me stay I am willing Lord___ to run all the way.
Pain by heartaches, scorn by loved ones
Just a little sunshine, every now and then
There are mountains in my life that are so hard to climb
But I promise Lord to climb them, if you only let me stand
I am willing, Lord ___ to run all the way.
Chant: Let me tell you one thing, We are all getting closer to our journey’s end.
We’re getting a little closer to our dying days.
Everytime the sun goes down, I’m just a little closer
to journey’s end.
And a lot of things I used to do, because God changed my mind, I don’t do them any more.
And lot of things I used to say, because God changed my mind, I don’t say them any more.
And a lot of places I used to go, because God changed my mind, I don’t go there any more.
I heard the songwriter say,
Wasted days are now behind me,
My evening sun is sinking fast
Every moment brings me nearer to the end
Jesus linger___ ever near me as I get nearer
to my heavenly home.
I am willing Lord to run all the way.
