Real Change

My Dream

Lately I have been talking with other pastors about men’s ministry. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to build healthy marriages. I look at some of the youth of today and I am concerned about the staying power of their relationship to carry them through the adult years. We talk about the things we do best.

Lets put a meeting together and teach people from the word what they should think and do about any given topic. Inevitably the question comes up… Will anybody come? If they come will they hear? And If they hear will they apply it to their lives?

You all live in the same world I do. It’s a crazy place full of temptations and distractions. Many have given up, or worse, they ignore the idea that there is a good way, there is a right way, and yes, a narrow way to being the person you were created to be.

Let me tell you my dream. When I was 17 years old God completely rescued me. He put my feet on a path that not only will one day lead to and eternal life of glory, he delivered me from and innumerable amount of sins and attitudes that were quite dark and were leading me on a path of destruction. I immediately new I would spend the rest of my days serving Him.

Now let me tell you my great frustrations. Sometimes people just don’t listen or they don’t care to do the right thing. Sometimes they know the answer and simply won’t apply it to their lives. What’s worse that that is that sometimes its not “people.” Sometimes.. It’s me.

Here’s the thing, I do not know a person who doesn’t want to be the best person they can be. They may have given into the idea that they are only human but really everyone knows there is a way they are supposed to be, and they aren’t there. Every one wants to be a great spouse - or at least they want the troubles to be the other person’s fault. Everyone wants to be a great parent, a great friend, a great church member, etc.. everyone.

Unfortunately, try as we may, it’s not easy. What if I told you that you can find a way to be the person you were created to be? Well today’s the day. I guarantee if you apply these principals to your life today…things will get better as far as you are concerned.

A couple of years ago I went into the hospital with pancreatitis - horrible. One friend who visited me there wanted to share what they thought the Lord wanted me to hear. They reminded me that there are two ways change can come that are in the Bible. One is favored. When I got saved, smoking, drinking, foul language, violence and many other things just fell off. They were miraculous changes that happened instantly and permanently. However there were other things that did not. Those things I have struggled with with various degrees of success. Those are the things I’m talking about today. How to change those things that we know keep us from having the life we are suppose to have?

This message may be a little dry today, but I’m begging you, hear me.

Implementing Change

One of my pastor friends suggested this concept of head, heart, hands. The idea is that to change, I need to learn about something untill the knowledge buries it in my heart and emotions and that will motivate me to change my behaviors.

I looked it up and found it was a model used by counselors everywhere to implement change an an individuals life. I learned that its used in businesses to train leaders. Psychology defines it as cognitive, affective, psycho-motor path to learning. Simply stated, you have to know it, you have to feel it, you have to live it. Sometimes however these don’t happen at the same time. But they do follow each other. They also cannot be exclusive.

I liked it. It seemed wise to me. And knowing that the devil likes to steal God’s ideas and pervert them I wanted to see if it was in the Bible… and it’s all over the place. Today we will get to a story that I believe illustrates it the best but this week open the Bible and see if you can get away from it.

I beg of you

Today we are going to talk about how change occurs when we apply our minds to leaning and knowing. Change occurs when our emotions are engaged to motivate us to or from good or bad behaviors. Change occurs as we practice doing behaviors that reinforce the change we need. All this takes effort, but it is part of the plan.

And I BEG — hear the word of the Lord today and apply it.

Head

Learning, studying, memorizing, meditating, etc

Joshua 1:8 NIV

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Joshua

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Psalm 119:33–34 NIV

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

The mind alone is insufficient.

James 2:19 NIV

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Heart

Emotions, soul, passion, zeal

Psalm 119:10–11 NIV

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Romans 12:11 NIV

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

By itself - insuficient

Matthew 13:20–21 NIV

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

James 2:17 NIV

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Hands

actions, works, deeds, etc

James 2:18 NIV

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

Romans 12:21

Romans 12:21 NIV

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

By itself - insufficient

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians

Bring it all together.

So many times I would teach the best way to defeat immoralities in my own life, describe how to have the perfect relationships with the world around us, however there is not one magic bullet. But education alone is insufficient. We all know what we are supposed to do but often cannot carry it out. Faking good behavior is great for developing healthy habits, but if your mind and emotions don’t buy in, over time the things we know we should do - we stop doing them. We want to feel the way we are supposed to feel and to keep our zeal up but at times our emotions derail us. Which brings us to the best two stories

The Mane with the Demon Possessed Boy

Mark 9:24

Mark 9:24 NIV

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25–37 NIV

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-37

This passage is packed with great stuff, but for the sake of time I want to bring us to the application part - the part where I guarantee improvement in every part of your life.

How can I be this good Samaritan? I want to do the right thing every time. I want to be the best me. I know God has great plans for me, but I keep tripping over myself.

1st Commandment

all your heart - It is our commitment to Him. He is what makes us tick.

all your soul - all of our emotions are pointed toward him, our zeal, our passions, singularly rest on Him

all your mind - i will push to learn more about who Hes is and apply His principals to my daily walk

all your strength - every physical activity is for Him to glorify Him. The actions of kindness, our behaviors at work, or in public, all of them.

It is our head heart and hands working together.

2nd command

It’s how we work it out. (marriage classes)

We learn and study and we keep doing it until our emotions and our actions begin to line up with what is right - and it will.

We meditate on the Love of Christ and the passion he has for us. as we do that, our desire to learn more about Him and His way becomes easier and our love for who He is will motivate our actions.

We do what we know we should at all times. When we develop the habits we know we should, our desire to learn more about Him and our passions to do so will increase.

So we have this triangle of head heart hands Pick a spot and start. We’ll get there. I promise.. but my promise is not as important as His..He promises.