Lives Changed Churches Changed

Lives changed

We talk about lives being changed when people become Christians. But what does that mean and how can we use that?

I was reading a story about a Seminary speaking to a children’s Church. He presented his message as a butterfly.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Christian Life, Change In

His dramatic monologue incorporated the following guise: two large antennas with sensors attached to the ends, halved eggshells for his nose and eyes, a bright orange suit, and beautifully knitted wings. He proceeded to tell his story as a butterfly who was describing his former state and lifestyle as a caterpillar. Obviously, he could no longer live as a caterpillar, since his state had been drastically changed.

The message was pointedly driven home. Just as he could no longer live as a caterpillar once he had become a butterfly, so we can no longer live as unbelievers once we have become believers.142

This was a great illustration. Just think that this caterpillar has lived his life one way and went through a change and became this butterfly. This butterfly has the memories of being different but could never go back.

When I was going through my prep for Ordination, one of the questions asked was can someone lose their salvation. That is a very good question and had to take some thought. We will look at some of these questions in a moment. First we will start with Acts 2.

Acts 2:1–4 CSB

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

My first point is personal change

As we looked at with our last Sermon, Jesus followers were trying to figure out what to do. They were about to go out with Jesus and change the World. Then Jesus ascended into the sky and now for 10 days His followers are praying together and wondering what now?

They had to change, but they had to change from the inside. In order to do that, they needed the Holy Spirit.

So the day has come, They heard a noise like a rushing mighty wind. Then the tongue like flame rested on them. And they started speaking in tongues. They had changed. This was not a language that they knew, they were proclaiming the good news of God to people in languages that they knew. Remember this was the same group of followers that scattered when the religious leaders came for Jesus but know they are proclaiming boldly to people they knew nothing about.

Now after these Disciples started speaking in languages that they did not know some people around mocked and said they were just drunk.

But then the Disciple that had denied even knowing Jesus 3 times started with his first sermon. This was probably the most powerful sermon in history.

Acts 2:14–41 CSB

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me in Hades or allow your holy one to see decay. You have revealed the paths of life to me; you will fill me with gladness in your presence. “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay. “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

Peter says these guys are not drunk it is only 9 in the morning. But instead Peter starts declaring what Joel said about the end times. And he declares that these disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit just as Joel had proclaimed. Peter told the people that Jesus was sent by God to save the world. And they had turned from Him. They saw his miracles and they still put him to death. But that would not stop Him. God raised Jesus from the dead and had made Him Lord over all of the World.

After this sermon 3000 people repented and was saved. What a powerful sermon.

My next point Changed on the inside

These followers of Jesus had changed, Peter had changed, the 3000 people that heard the Gospel changed. What changed them? The Holy Spirit changed them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Just like the Butterfly at the beginning of the sermon. They were once living life as a caterpillar running around on the ground hoping not to get crushed. But then the caterpillar becomes a butterfly and is transformed into something so much more. Something more beautiful, able to fly, so much more. Would a butterfly want to go back to a caterpillar? No, it may remember its life before becoming a butterfly just like we remember our life before Jesus and the Holy Spirit and who here would like to go back to the life that they had before?

Like I said before one of the questions that I was asked during my Ordination. Can someone lose their Salvation. The better question is why would they want to? But according to the Bible no one can be snatched out of Gods hand.

John 10:28–30 CSB

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

And the question was also raised could someone turn there back and leave God”s hand. It was brought up that when the Bible says no one that means yourself which brings to question if someone were truly saved they could not leave. So we agreed that if someone left on their own accord than they may not have been saved in the first place. Even though no one could know for sure if someone is saved or not, but it would make you wonder.

But the Holy Spirit brings change. If we are truly saved by the Holy Spirit than we will be changed. As the Bible says in

John 13:35 CSB

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So Peter and the Disciples