Changed, Part 1: A Change Has Come Over Me

Scripture

Acts 9:1–3 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

Acts 9:17–19 ESV

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Introduction- Why Do You Resist Change?

Psychotherapist, Whitney Goodman, cites the three most common reasons why people don’t change as:

Lack of Resources & Support

Fear

Contentment

According to Inc.com

5 Reasons People Resist Change

People fear being different-especially when there’s no precedent

People feel overwhelmed or stressed

People fear a departure from the status quo

People lack trust in the one making changes

People know change brings a new set of possibilities & problems

Elizabeth Svododa, writer & author of “What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness”:

in answering the question: “Why Is It So Hard To Change People’s Minds?”, says:

Most of us have a strong drive to hold on to pre-existing beliefs and convictions, which keep us anchored in the world. When your stance on controversial issues both cements your group identity and plants you in opposition to perceived enemies, changing it can exact a high personal toll.

In his book What Makes You Stronger: How to Thrive in the Face of Change and Uncertainty Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Ciarrochi, Hayes, & Bailey write about 4 main reasons people resist change.

Do any of these fit you?

You are avoiding uncertainty. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to have things stay the same because you know what to expect! When we stick with what we have, even when it’s no longer working for us, we miss the opportunity of calling in something better.

You don’t want to feel incompetent. Often change involves going back to square one. Our egos can keep us stuck when we expect ourselves to be experts or gauge our worth based on our performance. To evolve and adapt to changing times, you need to allow for variability, mistakes, and new beginnings.

You don’t like feeling like others are controlling you.  When it’s not your choice to change, you might battle it because you feel out of control.

Change is uncomfortable and takes effort.  It takes energy to adapt and mental effort to learn new things. As children, we are constantly in a state of effortful growth but as we grow older, we become less flexible and more fixed in our ways.

The final four chapters expand into your social world. Here you’ll consider how others bring change to you, and what you can do about that.

We’ll show you how to let go of unhelpful patterns, face changing relationships, deal with difficulties with other people, and work toward more love and connection.

Your life can be transformed…

Hayes, Louise L.; Ciarrochi, Joseph V.; Bailey, Ann. What Makes You Stronger: How to Thrive in the Face of Change and Uncertainty Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (p. 20). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Jonice Webb, PhD writing for PsychCentral stated in 2016 “Why Some People Can't Change?”

You Can’t See The Path

When you’ve spent years living a certain way, that way becomes your reality and your worldview.

You Are Walled Off

Growing up feeling unloved, unaccepted or unsafe can force a child to erect walls around herself for protection.

Comfortably Uncomfortable

Self-destructive or damaging life patterns can be so entrenched that they’ve become a part of who you are. 

Depression

Depression interferes with growth in three important ways. It saps your energy and motivation, which makes it harder to take on a challenge; it makes you isolate yourself so that you have less support to change; and it makes you feel hopeless, so there seems no point in trying to change.

Anger At Yourself

Self-directed anger has a way of breaking you down. Like drops of water on a stone, there is gradual erosion of your self-worth. How can you change when you dont feel youre worth the effort it requires?

Past Mistakes & Misdeeds

In order to truly change, you have to acknowledge and face your own painful history. Who have you hurt? What damage have you done to yourself or others?

Artist: Boyz II Men

Debut Album: Cooleyhighharmony released: 1991

“It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday”

Transition To Body- Saul Resisting The Change That Came Over Jerusalem

Acts 7:57–58 ESV

57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 8:1–3 ESV

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Body- Changed

Changed When Jesus Christ Confronts Our Sin

Acts 9:1–4 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

We were persecuting Jesus when we hurt his body…

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 39.45 διώκω; ἐκδιώκω; διωγμός, οῦ

to systematically organize a program to oppress and harass people—‘to persecute, to harass, persecution.’

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 39.45 διώκω; ἐκδιώκω; διωγμός, οῦ

In a number of languages the equivalent of ‘to persecute’ is simply ‘to cause to suffer,’ but persecution is also expressed in terms of ‘to be mean to’ or ‘to threaten’ or ‘to chase from place to place.’

Grace is the divine intervention of Jesus Christ Confronting Our Sin

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Changed When Jesus Christ Confronts Our Sin

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Changed By Our Surrender To Jesus Christ

Acts 9:5–16 ESV

5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Saul acknowledges Jesus as LORD

Saul must be told what to do by Jesus

Saul lets others lead him while he is blind (spiritually)

Saul fasts while waiting on a the LORD to guide him

Saul is prays to the LORD

Saul is dependent upon a disciple of Jesus to come & lay hands on him that he may regain his sight

Saul will suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ’s name

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Changed When Jesus Christ Confronts Our Sin

Changed By Our Surrender To Jesus Christ

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Changed Through Our Connection With Jesus Christ’s Disciples

Acts 9:17–19 ESV

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

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Changed When Jesus Christ Confronts Our Sin

Changed By Our Surrender To Jesus Christ

Changed Through Our Connection With Jesus Christ’s Disciples

}

Transition To Close- From Hard To Soft Hearted In Jesus Christ

POPCORN pops due to an explosion of moisture. Every kernel of popcorn has moisture in it. When you put popcorn in the microwave, the microwave heats up the moisture, creating steam. When steam rises inside the shell of the popcorn, it presses against the shell until the shell can’t withstand the pressure anymore and it pops open, splitting open the shell.

What once was a small, hard little object has now increased in size and become soft and fluffy. In fact, when the popcorn pops, it’s hard to even find the shell. The old outward appearance is now dominated by the inside characteristics.

God has seated deep down in your soul something that is ready to respond to the right environment. When the Holy Spirit begins to “cook” your divine nature so that the steam of your new life begins to rise and press through this outer shell called the body, you begin to “pop.” You will begin to look, act, talk, and walk differently because the change occurring on the inside will show up on the outside.917

Evans, Tony. Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (p. 306). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Close- Knowing Jesus Provides Opportunity For Change

Ephesians 2:1–8 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 ESV

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.