you need an extreme makeover?
2 Cor. 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Most of you have seen the television program called “Extreme Makeover.”
It’s where they take these people who aren’t happy with the way they look, and through a series of operations, cosmetic surgery, dental work, liposuction, hair changes, and other things I won’t mention, they are transformed into a beautiful person.
I have watched this program a few times (because I didn’t have much chose, my wife wanted to watch it) and I have seen, (if you will pardon the expression) some pretty homely looking people transformed to look like some movie star.
That, of course is why they called it “Extreme Makeover.”
But the bottom line was these people who have had extreme makeovers were not happy with themselves because of the way they looked.
They had defects they wanted to remove or cover up. They had flaws they were ashamed of. And they went through intense pain to correct or hide their blemishes.
The fact is, almost everyone has some flaw or blemish they would change if given the chance to do so.
But did you know that God is in the business of giving extreme makeovers?
No, He may not fix your nose, or give you pretty white teeth, or remove your wrinkles, but the Bible says, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold , all things are become new.”
As we watched one of those makeover shows we saw them transform someone from the old way they looked into a new look.
It’s was amazing to look at the before and after pictures and see the drastic or extreme change that had taken place.
But it’s also amazing how God can take an old sinner who is rotten to the core, lived in the pits of sin, wasted his or her life in the cesspool of iniquity, and change them into a delightful child of God.
There was a woman of Samaria who needed an extreme makeover.
Her life was a total mess. She had lost all respectability among her neighbors. She was the talk of the town. People avoided speaking to her.
In the eyes of society she was an outcast.
She had gone through five failed marriages and the man she was shacking up with now was not her husband.
She was a good candidate for an extreme makeover!
One day the master of extreme makeovers came by her town and she was chosen.
Jesus gave her something called “living water” and it changed her life forever.
She ran into town and began to tell people about her extreme makeover.
I would like to think she regained her self-respect. She now had self-esteem.
She had a new look on her face and a new spring in her step.
She now had joy instead of sadness, and peace instead of fear.
She had forgiveness in the place of condemnation.
Yes, she had an extreme makeover at a well outside of Samaria.
There was someone else in the Bible who had an extreme makeover.
His life was a total mess also. His life was in shambles. He had lost his family and friends.
He no longer could live a life of happiness and peace.
For you see he had become possessed by demons and they literally tore his life to pieces.
He was so deranged that he had to dwell among the tombs outside the city. He wore no clothes and often cut himself with sharp stones.
No man could tame him. And when you walked by the cemetery you could probably hear the screams of this poor man for he was tormented by these demons day and night.
He was a candidate for an extreme makeover in the worst kind of way.
One day the extreme makeover master passed by.
It only took Jesus a few seconds to change that ole boy’s life. He cast out the demons and restored his mind.
The townsfolk could hardly believe their eyes when they saw this man worshipping at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
He could now call this old friends and say, “Look at me, I’m not the man I used to be.”
“Don’t be afraid of me anymore, I’ve had an extreme makeover, I’m not like I used to be.”
“Jesus changed my life! Jesus restored my life! Jesus set me free! Jesus gave me peace and took away the turmoil from my life.”
My friend, what a difference Jesus makes when he does an extreme makeover in someone’s life.
If anyone is here this morning whose life has become shambles, Jesus is still in the business of doing extreme makeovers.
You don’t have to stand in line. You don’t have to worry about not getting chosen. You are invited anytime to come let Jesus do a work in your life.
No one is an impossibility case.
God can take the lowest, the roughest, the meanest, most contemptible, most despicable sinner and change his or her life in the most positive way.
God can make a complete change in your life. Your friends will know it, your neighbors will know it, your co-workers will see a change in your life for you will be a new creature.
Used to be a child of Satan- now a child of God
Used to be a slave of sin, and his works were death
Now he is made free from sin, and has his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
God can do a complete makeover in your life.
He can take the flaws out. He can take the blemishes out. He can take the ugly stains out. He can take away the shame and condemnation.
Now notice something very important here. You see those people who had the physical makeovers on those shows had to do something to keep themselves looking good.
The makeover was just the beginning. The doctors did what they could do. The cosmetic people did what they could.
But it was up to the individual to keep their new image. If they didn’t continue to work at it, they could fall back into their old image again.
They must take care of themselves. They must use whatever means available to keep looking good.
Luke 22:46 Jesus says, “……..pray lest ye enter into temptation.”
First Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
First Corinthians 10:12 says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standest take heed lest he fall.”
Is your life stained with sin?
Do you have bitterness eating away your joy and peace?
Do you have things in your life that makes you unhappy?
Is your life filled with pain, jealousy, bitterness, and un-forgiveness?
There is hope today, for the master of extreme makeovers is here today!
He can change your life forever.
