What The Camera Can't See

Intro

19% increase in elective plastic surgery 2019-2022

Overall 12% drop in church attendance in the last 20 years.

Today we are inundated with physical transformation. Videos are on social media about how to lose weight, how to change your hair style, how to dress, how to completely change yourself.

I don’t inherently see an issue with that. I think taking care of yourself and looking your best is a positive thing.

Where you lose me is when people think a physical transformation will change their life. Somehow joy will be brought into their spirit because of a new haircut. Or maybe when I lose this gut I will be a brand new man!

Here’s the bad news. I’m still the same old me just with pants that actually fit.

Here’s the good news, there is someone who can make instant, extreme, everlasting change in your life. And when He does, no outward imperfections can change the inward joy that you receive.

Saul/Paul

Acts 9:1–6 ASV

But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Paul was a persecutor of Christians. Of Christs own people. He happily approved of the stoning of Stephen. He was on his way to Damascus to drag followers of Christ back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned.

But God had different plans.........

God does not care about where you are, what you have done, how you feel about yourself. God has a plan for each and every one of us.

Paul is considered to by many to be the greatest of apostles. The Bible kind of backs that up considering he wrote around half of the New Testament.

And yet God called him on his way to continue his persecution of Christians.

I have had the pleasure of talking to many people about coming to church and I have heard it all.

I’m not good enough for YOUR God.

I’m just spiritually bankrupt.

If I walk in the place will catch on fire.

I know they are jokes, but they are also lies of the enemy.

So let’s clear some things up right now.

You are NOT good enough for my God, neither am I or any of us. But guess what? He still wants you! He knew you before you were in your mothers womb and he knew the decisions you were going to make, and he still wanted YOU. He still has a plan for you!

Spiritually bankrupt- It’s definition time!

bankrupt-declared unable to pay outstanding debts

How amazing is that?!?! We are ALL spiritually bankrupt. None of us are able to pay the debts of our sins. But someone did.......Jesus came to bear the weight of our sins that we may find justification through Him!

If I come the place will catch on fire. To start, we all deserve to be in fire. But just as I said before, Jesus bore our sin to make us fireproof!

Also, God wouldn’t burn down His church, you’d catch on fire outside.

Paul is the absolute example of your past having no bearing on God’s future for you.

Value In The World

Unfortunately in our current climate my value is determined by many things. My soul is not one of them.

I am judged based on my looks

by my car

by my house

by my political affiliation

by my social media status

Today status means more than intelligence.

If I am an influencer I have more sway on your decisions than an actual expert in that field.

We idolize athletes and put so much value in their opinion.

I don’t mean this to be offensive just to be very honest.......... You are good at running and chasing a ball around. I love it! I watch it! However, I do not think that qualifies you to tell me about the socio political status of America.

Our value of people is just superficial.

Value In Christ

Paul , Saul at the time, was seen for his actions. However, God saw so much deeper than that. God saw what He had planned for him. The devil wanted to use Saul for his evil, but God intended him for good!

Acts 9:8–20 ASV

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth; and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus. And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.

Ananias was even apprehensive to go to Saul because he knew what he had done. Ananias couldn’t see what God had for Saul. He could only see his actions. He could only see the surface.

You may be sitting there today and saying that you are too far gone. There may be people in your life who say the same thing.

satan wants to keep you in that lie. he wants you to believe you are not enough, that you are too far gone. That God has given up on you.

God has never given up on you. He is here today, and He wants you to come home.

Change My Look Change My Life

We are obsessed with looks. Like I said earlier we so often convince ourselves that the key to happiness is to change something about our appearance.

Dye your hair, lose that weight, buy those clothes. That’s the key to happiness.

PICTURES

I want you to take a look at the picture on the left

Now take a look at the one on the right

What is the difference?

Other than some gray hair (thank you Ella) there isn’t.

But can I tell you that the man on the right is a completely different man than the one on the left.

That man on the left had run away from his faith. He was staring down a second failed marriage.

He was a drinker a smoker and generally not the greatest human being.

That man on the right is not the same man.

That man came back home. Asked Christ back into his life.

Married the woman God intended him to.

Returned to church

Became a youth pastor

And is the pastor standing in front of you today.

There are changes that the camera can’t see

There are changes that the eyes can’t see.

We even see in Acts that when Paul returned to Jerusalem the disciples did not want him to join them because they were afraid. They only saw with their human eyes the man who had been persecuting them.

They had not seen yet the change made in him by our Lord and Savior.

External change can only last so long. Our bodies will grow old no matter how much we fight it.

But we have a soul inside our bodies that is eternal and to change that is to make an eternal change.

It’s Never Too Late Until It Is Too Late

We all have an expiration date and after our death the judgement.

However, as long as there is breath in our lungs, there is still time.

You have not wandered too far. You have not failed too much.

Romans 8:38 says

Romans 8:38–39 ASV

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The only thing that separates us from the love of God is ourselves.

But once we turn back towards Him SNAP He is there.

He loves you. He has a plan for your life.

The time is now.

LET’S STAND