A Recipe for Change

Introduction:

One day a father decided to take his son to play at the local park. The boy quickly gravitated to the sandbox and found himself mesmerized by the colors and textures surrounding him. After a short time, he began digging around to see what treasures might reveal themselves to him.

As his hands plunged under the sand he discovered something rather large, and having pushed enough of the sand away, realized it was a large rock. Instantly he knew he needed to move that rock, no matter how big it was. This rock was the obstacle to his dreams of a sandbox clear of all extraneous matter.

So the boy tried as hard as he could to move the rock. He pushed and pushed and pushed, and finally he was able to get it to the edge of the sandbox. But the next step would be the hardest. How could he get it over the edge? Again the boy pushed and pushed until his energy was completely fried. The rock’s stuckness matched the boy’s feelings of the situation. Eventually he started to sob.

The boy’s father watched all this, and just when the meltdown began, the father went over to his son and began to comfort his overtaxed, dejected son.

“Why didn’t you use all the strength available to you to move the rock?” the father asked.

The boy was confused, “I did daddy, it’s just too heavy.”

“No son,” you didn’t. You didn’t ask me to help.” And at that, the father lifted the rock with a single hand and tossed it out of the sandbox.

Sometimes we feel stuck and powerless in life. When we reach this point, we can break into complaining and despair or we can go to our Heavenly Father who has the power to help.

If we would like to see change in our situation, we must have two simple ingredients.

The Power of Prayer

Acts 16:13 (KJV 1900)

13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

This word wont means that this was a customary place of prayer. It means there was a habitual place of prayer, a public place of prayer, a place were prayerful people came.

No synagogue, no church, yet they worshipped God

I believe these prayers, made by women who had not even believed in Jesus, were what made all the difference.

They were praying for light, just a little more understand. God give us someone who would help us understand.

For Lydia it was a riverside, for Jesus a mountainside, for you it may be a bedside, but you need a place of prayer.

She prayed and she received

Matthew 7:7–8 KJV 1900

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

You must realize what you lack

Remember you lack righteousness (this is even after you’re saved)

Romans 7:18 KJV 1900

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Never forget that on your own, you are not a good person.

You must realize the source of goodness

James 1:17 KJV 1900

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

You must ask in faith

James 1:5–6 KJV 1900

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

The Value of the Truth

Just what is the value of the truth? How much is it worth to you?

She set aside her revenue

Acts 16:14 KJV 1900

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

Lydia made good money as a seller of purple likely, but she was still seeking something. What she needed was the truth of Jesus Christ.

Life serving money is empty.

Success is not having, but giving

Luke 6:38 KJV 1900

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

We often hear, “We need me to stand up for the truth today!” And this is so true. But never discount the value of a woman who is seeking after God.

Proverbs 23:23 KJV 1900

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

She set aside religion

She had been faithful to come and pray and worship God, even though her city lacked a synagogue. It took 10 men to create a synagogue so there were no faithful leaders to be found. She was, like so many Jewish people of her day, simply following the law to the best of her ability and placing her hope in something which she did not understand.

But when Paul came and spoke of Jesus Christ, His payment for sin, and the glorious news that He had risen from the dead and was ascended into Heaven. She attended, she payed close attention, and she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her God.

No longer was she steeped in dead religion. She now knew who she worshipped and why. She lived to know Christ.

Are you following Jesus only because of the rules? Are you stuck spinning your wheels trying to be joyful but can’t find the joy?

Perhaps you need a fresh glimpse of Calvary and what Jesus did for you there.

Luke 23:32–35 KJV 1900

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

In the midst of the mockery, the pain, and the evil around Him, Jesus did the unthinkable. He forgave.

As they jeered at Him and goaded Him to save Himself, they could not understand that He was there not to save Himself but to save them.

The Danger of Deceit

Acts 16:16–17 KJV 1900

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

The source matters

Jesus was not pleased with the witness of demons, nor was Paul.

Matthew 8:29 KJV 1900

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mark 5:7 KJV 1900

7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

Out of the mouth of the Deceiver comes the truth. There is no more dangerous thought.

We would never fall prey to demon-influence! Yet we fall prey to a lesser form of deceit, for we believe our heart.

Your fleshly heart will deceive you by making you believe something is best for you when God said it is death for you.

Have you ever decided that you would deny yourself something? Like you’ve decided that I’m not going to eat ice cream tonight, or I’m not going to sleep in tomorrow like I want to?

What happens? Suddenly, the only thing in the world that you can think about is ice cream, or the your mind and body just cries out in the morning for just 5 more minutes of sleep!

Why does this happen? The flesh is strong, but you never know how strong until you turn against the current.

A man in a kayak flowing downstream doesn’t really believe the current is that strong; it’s just a gentle push guiding us along. But when you turn that boat against the current, it takes little time to realize that your strength is no match for the flow of the water.

That is your flesh. and when once you turn against its desires, it unleashes its full influence over you.

Don’t be deceived, you need the power of God to overcome your sinful heart just as much as this girl needed God to overcome her demon-possession.