Stop Changing Yourself
Enough is Enough • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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INTRODUCTION
Moana- Takes place in a Polynesian culture. Maui was a demigod shape shifter. Changed into different animal forms with the use of his magic hook.
We are guilty of trying to change ourselves. If we just try harder we will be more like Jesus. Work, work, work.
It's actually surrender, not more work.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf
8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
4 Provisions God Uses to Change Us
4 Provisions God Uses to Change Us
1. Provides Calling (1-2)
1. Provides Calling (1-2)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Paul's calling- Road to Damascus
Paul was out persecuting the church.-- He wasn't trying to change himself- he was changing others.
Jesus tells Ananias "he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."
We must find our place in the body of Christ.. God gives us spiritual gifts to help us accomplish his calling.
You do not have to make yourself into what you think God wants. He will give you what you need.
He is the potter- we are the clay.
20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
2. Provides Hope (3-5a)
2. Provides Hope (3-5a)
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
Why can we live in faith and love? God has given us Hope.
vs 5- "because of the hope" (we alwasy thank God… because of the hope…)
Hope=confident assurance- always speaks of the future.
Confidence changes us.
Football- if you don't think you can win you won't.
Math- if you don't think you're good at it- you won't be.
Reading- make a child feel confident and they will become a good reader.
Because our eyes are on the finish line- we run hard even when times are tough.
3. Provides Understanding (5b-7)
3. Provides Understanding (5b-7)
Gospel-
The Gospel is foolishness to the world.
The Bible of our modern world is whatever science is saying today.
They make fun of what we believe about Jesus.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
The reason we understand the Gospel is because of the Spirit of Christ in us.
Fruit=
more and more people understanding and receiving the Gospel.
Evangelism- as we share the Gospel there is fruit.
Parable of SEED and SOWER- we are the farmer who sows seed. The Seed will bear fruit in those in which it finds good soil.
Learned from others.- The Holy Spirit brings understanding but we understand what others are teaching.
We must be passing it down.
4. Provides a Spirit of Love (spiritual love) (8)
4. Provides a Spirit of Love (spiritual love) (8)
8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Spirit of Love= spiritual love
Epaphras- A native of Colossae, was responsible for the city's evangelization.
He was also faithful to serve with Paul in Laodicea and hierapolis.
His witness of Colossae is why Paul writes this letter.
His faithfulness showed Paul the love of the church.
When we are living in the Spirit, the love of Christ is evident.
Love is not something we have to force in our own power.
Love comes from a changed heart. A heart changed by the Spirit.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
CONCLUSION
How do you know if you have been changed by God or changing yourself?
Your heart.
You can fool others. But you know if what is on the outside is real.
Are you trying to change yourself?
Have you been changed by Christ?
How do we receive these Provisions?
Surrender
ILL- Quicksand on South Canadian River
It's not work/work/work/ It's surrender
5 Reasons God Changes Us
5 Reasons God Changes Us
1. To Place Us in His Will (9)
1. To Place Us in His Will (9)
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
"Knowledge of his will"- we need to know His will so we can surrender to it.
Jesus when praying the night before the cross.
42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Jesus- Lord's Prayer "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Parable of Lost Sheep
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
We must surrender to Christ and we will find his will.
2. To Give Us His Fruit (10)
2. To Give Us His Fruit (10)
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Notice the semicolons - These next 3 of 4 points are part of being in His Will.
"bearing fruit in every good work"
This is same fruit as verse 6.
Fruit= your good works will see great fruit-
Parable of Seed and Sower- the seed of the sower finds places of good soil.
Doing good things in our own power will not produce fruit.
Jesus is the one who takes good works and creates good fruit.
3. To Provide Us His Strength (11)
3. To Provide Us His Strength (11)
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
Strengthened for endurance and patience.
The purpose of strength is to be ready for trials.
With Joy
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Persecution is part of being in God's will.
4. To Qualify Us For His Inheritance (12)
4. To Qualify Us For His Inheritance (12)
We do not qualify ourselves. - this theme will come again in Colossians.
18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Not qualified by works.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
We are qualified by God's grace.
We do not earn an inheritance, we receive it.
5. To Transfer Us to His Kingdom (13-14)
5. To Transfer Us to His Kingdom (13-14)
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
ILL-- College football can be confusing at times.
Watching Texas/USC- who do you want to win?
We belong to one of two sides. - no confusion.
"Domain of Darkness" or "Kingdom of his Son"
Paul testifies of his conversion and calling...
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
vs 14- Redemption and Forgiveness
Redeem= to buy something back.
Forgiveness= for our sins- so we can have fellowship with God as he created us to have.
CONCLUSION
This all starts with surrender. Stop doing it your way, surrender to God's way!
Make him Lord!
Stop fighting the sand. Stop fighting God’s will.
Surrender
