Renewed People

Intro: two words have been repeated to me by many I have talked to coming back from vacation. The hope that Lauri and me were refreshed and renewed on our trip. Both of these are powerful words, for we all need to be refreshed and we all need to be renewed. Tonight, I would like to take the word renewed, because there are many scriptures that apply to being a renewed person.

Being A Renewed Person

Downtown Birmingham has gone through an urban renewal. They have up dated many buildings and giving a brand new appearance to the down town area. In our lives there is a need for renewal, but only God is in the human renewal business.

I. A Renewed Spirit—Psalms 51:10

David realized that his spirit needed a renewal. I believe to become a renewed person, it begins with a new spirit.

a. a spirit after God—we all need our spirit renewed, it is easy for our spirit to become stagnant, so we need that spirit stirred, we need our spirit renewed with a passion for Christ.

b. A spirit of faith—doubt, fear and unbelief have ways of coming into someone’s spirit, we need faith renewed in our spirit so that we will accomplish the things God has for us.

c. A spirit of compassion—the world has a way of hardening us, and we need to be renewed in our spirit, with the spirit of love that only Christ can give us.

Ill) to make this point: at a minister’s retreat there was one man who came in dirty clothes, unshaven, and with holes in his shoes. The minister’s avoided this man, he sat at a table all by himself, and in the morning service he sat on a pew by himself, no one even had spoken to him the entire day. In the night service they welcomed the superintendent to the platform to speak and everyone was shocked when this shabbily dressed man came to the pulpit. He opened his bible and said, I was poorly dressed, unshaken and with holes in my shoes and you visited me not, since you didn’t do it to the least of these, you did it not unto Jesus.

II. A Renewed Strength—Isaiah 40:31

There are seasons that we can become weary in the battle or even weary in well doing. So we need a renewed strength.

1. not our strength but his strength in us—my strength is made perfect in weakness.

2. in his joy—the joy of the Lord is my strength.

3. in Christ—I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.

III. A Renewed Attitude—Romans 12:2—

Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment. Our minds, our thoughts, our goals, our dreams, must be renewed in Christ.

a. so they aren’t worldly or carnal—we need our attitudes renewed to the spirit.

b. So they won’t become negative.

c. So they won’t become rotten— some people are a blessing wherever they go, others are a blessing whenever they go.

IV. A Daily Renewal—2 Corinthians 4:16- renewed day by day.

To become a renewed person we must daily allow the process to take place. Every day is an opportunity for renewal.

A perfect example of this are puzzles. Years ago I had a friend that would put together the puzzles that would fill an entire table. I never had the patience to do one. But day after day, piece after piece, he would keep building the puzzle, until one day it would be completed with a beautiful picture. That is God’s renewal process in our lives. Day by day he builds in us the character and beauty of Christ.

Close: to be a renewed person, we need a renewed spirit, a renewed strength, and a renewed attitude. This must be done daily, so we will be completed in Christ Jesus.