MADE NEW
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understand what Christianity really was. To me, church was
just a lame reason to dress nice and a place to go on Sunday
mornings. It was essentially a checkmark on a list of things
I didn't want to do."
"But some friends helped me see the true meaning of
Christianity. It wasn't about rules but about a relationship.
This changed my outlook on life; I am permanently marked. I
became new."
…At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! NLT
Corinthians 5:16 and 17 that says, "At one time, we thought of
Christ from", what? Everybody say it aloud. "From a human
point of view, merely from a human point of view. How
differently we", what? I love this. "How differently we know
him now." In other words, we don't just know about Christ.
When I was growing up, I kind of knew about him. "We don't
just know about him but we know him." This isn't just a head
knowledge but this a heart relationship.
Some people miss heaven by about 18 inches. They
have a head knowledge but not a heart relationship. Verse 17,
"this means that anyone who belongs to Christ -- not just who
believe in Christ because even the demons believe in him and
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
shudder -- "anyone who belongs to Christ has become a" what?
All of our churches, "they become a new person." The old life
is where? It's gone. "And a new live is", what? "A new life
has begun."
We're not going to be just a better person where we
try harder, but we are going to be made new in Christ. We're
not just turning over a new leaf, but we're experiencing new
life.
The big question we're going to tackle today is:
"What if I don't feel new?" "What if I know
intellectually as a church-going person, I believe in Jesus,
and I believe he's made me new, but I don't feel new." "I
still don't behave like a new person." "I still feel guilty
WHY DON’T WE FEEL NEW?
for some things that I've done wrong." "I feel like I'm not
good enough." "I feel very very unworthy."
Maybe you battle with negative thoughts about others
or about life or about yourself, or maybe you've got some bad
habits that you just can't get rid of. You pray that they go
away and they don't go away. Maybe you have a poor
self-image, you wonder, "How could God love someone like me?"
And there's this reoccurring challenge. I don't
know if you've ever done this before when you're vacuuming,
and there's something on the ground that you vacuum, and you
go over it, and you go over it and it doesn't pick it up. And
so you go over to it from a different angle, and it doesn't
pick it up so, you go over it again. And what do you do? You
bend over and you pick it up and you look at it. Then what do
you do? You throw it back down. Right? You've got to go
over it again.
And sometimes in life, there are those things that
you just you pray about it and you work on it and you pick it
up, you look at it and you just throw it back down. And it
just doesn't seem to go away. You know, you're new but you
don't feel new.
And the question is: "Why don't we feel new?" Let
me give you three thoughts if you're taking notes. The first
one is because of our history, our past, what we've done, we
often don't feel new.
of you at all of our different LIFE churches and those of you
· OUR HISTORY.
The second reason is our hurts. It may be what
someone did to us, maybe even what we did to ourselves, maybe
we even feel like God let us down but we don't feel new
because of our hurts.
Maybe it's because of our habits. It's those things
that we continue to do. Like Paul said in , he said,
"The things I want to do, I don't do, the things I don't want
to do, I end up doing." And we seem to be trapped in these
habits. History, hurts and habits.
History -- you don't know what I did. If you knew
what I knew about me, you probably wouldn't like me, and God
knows so how could God accept me -- our history.
Our hurts -- I feel wounded, I feel betrayed,
someone let me down. It's very hard to trust. I know I'm
supposed to be new but I don't feel new because of my hurts.
Our habits -- I still struggle with this, I've
prayed about it and I've tried and yet I still struggle. I
don't feel new.
This is important. Feelings are legitimate but
they're not facts. They are legitimate; I don't want to
discount them and say, you know, you shouldn't -- we feel
certain things. But just because we feel something doesn't
mean, necessarily, that it's true. The bottom line is we are
not changed by feeling different about ourselves, but we are
changed by faith in God.
· OUR HURTS.
And so, I want to hand it over to your pastor to
help talk about how we actually become new in Christ.
PASTOR CHRIS BEAL: Well, my name is Chris Beal, and
I am the campus pastor here at the Oklahoma City campus. I'm
honored, as always, to be able to share the pulpit with my
pastor, Pastor Craig, and share, I believe, something that
we've been praying, to be honest with you, all week long that
God would use this message to literally change lives and to
set people free.
If you're like me, you woke up in life and realized
that you've had grand expectations for what life would be like
or what you would have expected of yourself, only to be
disappointed about what reality actually feels like and how
you actually feel about yourself.
I remember one of the times that it was so obvious
in my life. I had actually graduated high school in three
years; I'm smart that way. And I took summer school class
immediately after graduation.
And so, just picture this: I am in an apartment
with two other guys, buddies of mine, a little bit older than
I was; I'm 17 years old. Right? I'm on my own. I'm enrolled
in college. I am a new man. No longer is my mother making a
sack lunch for me every single day; those days are long gone.
No longer is my dad helping with my homework or driving me to
in our network church family. You know we love you and we're
· OUR HABITS.
work. I'm kind of like, "This is a new day. I'm feeling
pretty good about myself. I have arrived."
And one day, my roommate, Chad, he walked by my room
and he looked inside, and said, "Hey, dude, do you ever like
wash your sheets?" And I said, "I didn't know you're supposed
to do that." I said, "what do you mean?" He's like, "I want
to teach you something." And so, he put gloves on, rubber
glove to prevent contamination of any kind, and helped me take
my sheets off. He put them in the washer, put them in the
dryer, pulled them out. And I'm not even going to tell you
that they were a lighter shade; they were like a color I have
never seen before ever.
And he's like, "Dude, you're just nasty. That's
just gross." And I'm thinking to myself, "You know what? I
had so much expectation that I was the guy, I'm my own man,
only to realize I'm still a teenager. I'm still a kid, and I
am a loser." Right?
Parents, when your kids go off to college, make sure
they do two things: One, they need to wash their sheets at
least once a week. And two, they need to shower more than
once a week. All right? That's just nasty. All right?
But sometimes, in our walk with Christ, it can kind
of be that way. I give my life to God, I'm coming to a great
church. I have these great expectations that who I am is
going to be this incredible thing. And then I find myself
HOW AM I MADE NEW IN CHRIST?
remarkably disappointed with who I feel like I've become.
Well, Pastor Craig said it, "we are not driven by
our feelings." They are legitimate but we have to live by
fact. [holds up the bible.] This is fact. So, regardless of
how you feel today, I want to spend a little bit of time
talking about what does God say about you? And specifically,
how are we made new in Christ?
I want you to write this first thought down. The
first thing that God's word says about us as being made new in
Christ is this: "We are forgiven from our past." Would you
write that down? "We are forgiven from our past." Ephesians
1:7 says, "In Christ, we have redemption through his blood and
the", what? Say it with me. "And the forgiveness of sin in
accordance with the riches of God's grace."
"I don't feel forgiven, yet God's word says that if
I am in Christ" -- and you need to hear this -- if you are a
follower in Christ, everything about you is different, whether
you feel it or not.
There's a story in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.
Some of you may be familiar with it. It's literally a parable
that Jesus told of a lost son. Or you may know it as the
prodigal son. And the story goes that the son demands of his
father his portion of what took his father a lifetime to earn,
his portion of his inheritance. He demanded it, the father
gave it. And then the scripture says that he took that money
and he just went and had a grand old party, everything that he
honored to partner with you. Those joining us from all over
1) WE ARE FORGIVEN FROM OUR PAST.
could spend in excess is exactly what he did, women, alcohol,
he absolutely went hog wild, living it up.
And the son discovered something to be true that
many of you and I are all too familiar with when you're living
that kind of self-gratifying, "whatever feels good" life.
Here's the two realities: One, the money always runs out.
Two, there's always the next morning. Amen? There's always
the next morning, and the world looks a little bit different
the next morning than it did the night before. Doesn't it?
And he wakes up and the bible says he's literally
face down in a pig pen, living where these pigs like eat and
do their dooky and all that nasty stuff; he's in the pig pen.
Talk about reality. Talk about waking up to a whole new
world. And he realizes this: "My father's slaves, my
father's servants, live better than I am living." And so, he
gets up and decides, "I'm going to beg my father that he would
make me one of his servants."
And so he makes the trek back home. And if you know
the story, one of the favorite parts of this is the scripture
says that while the son was a long way off, the father saw
him. It's as though the father were standing at the end of
the driveway, looking down the street, saying, "Is today the
day that my son comes home?" And that day, he got a glimpse
of his son. Scripture says he ran full sprint, holding
nothing back, wrapped his arms around the son and kissed him,
In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace...
and then three things happened. And these three things are
true, not just of the son but they are true of you.
One, the father put a ring on the son's finger.
It's a signet ring, and basically, it gives the son authority
to act on behalf of the father's estate; that's power.
The second thing is that the father ordered that the
fatted calf to be killed. Why? Because we're going to throw
the party of all parties to celebrate that which is lost is
now found; that communicates value. This is how much you mean
to me and we are going to celebrate.
And the third thing -- and do not miss this -- it
was the day that the son woke up in the pig pen that he made
his way home. So, what do you think he smells like? What do
He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
you think he looks like? He is still covered in the reminder
of his rebellion against his father and against God. He still
reeks of his sin.
And the father takes a robe and he covers over his
son's filth; the robe represents royalty. You and I are the
son. And we are still -- and some of us even this morning --
we still reek of what we did last night. We still reek of the
choices we made a month ago.
And the bible says that if you are new in Christ,
that by what Jesus did on the cross, God covers over your
filth and over your stench with a robe of righteousness that
you couldn't possibly earn, nor do you deserve, but it's the
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
the world at church online, we believe that it's not an
truth of God's word and it says who you are in Christ.
If you're in Christ, you are forgiven. You are
royalty; you are God's child. Is that good news to anybody
but me? Man, thank you, Jesus.
Paul said it as clearly as possible in Romans,
chapter 8, verse 1. He said, "Therefore, there is now some
condemnation for those who you are in Christ Jesus, our Lord,"
right? No. Did I misread that? All right. Let me try this
again. "Therefore, there is now occasional condemnation when
I really really screw up but I'm still in Christ Jesus." How
about that? Wrong? "There is therefore now", what? All
right. Come on. You've got to give me more than that.
"There is therefore now" -- "there is therefore now" -- not
even a little bit? "None," not one ounce of condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
So, if God doesn't condemn you, why do you condemn
you? We are forgiven of our past forever. You don't feel it
because it seems too good to be true but that's what makes
grace, grace. It's something you can't earn and it's
something you don't deserve, but God has given you the
greatest gift of all time. And we should just say, "Thank
you," and live in the pleasure of God over us.
The second thing God does in making us new -- write
this down -- is he heals. We are healed from our hurts. We
are healed from our hurts. , "The Lord has sent me
to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim freedom for the
2) WE ARE HEALED FROM OUR HURTS.
captive and to release from darkness, the prisoners." There
are so many of us, in fact, I would venture to say, all of us
that carry scars of choices that we've made and choices that
other people have made to us, and those wounds go deep and
they tend to paralyze us. And we feel, at times, "I will
never fully heal from this wound, from this area of
brokenness."
Several years back -- I have three sons, by the
way -- Noah, Jackson and Seth. And my youngest son has
endless energy. And several years back, Cindy, my wife, went
to run errands on my day off, Friday. And she left me in
charge of the boys -- which ladies, that can be a risky
decision for you to make. But we were playing outside, and
having a grand old time, being boys, being dumb, just, you
know, doing crazy stuff. And we came inside and Seth, my
youngest, had more energy to expend.
And so, one of the things Seth always likes to do is
he plays gymnastics in the kitchen. And so, what that looks
like is he'll put a hand down on one counter and the other
hand on the kitchen island and what does he do? He just
starts swinging, right? He wants to see how much air he can
get. And he is like relatively impressive. I mean his legs
will be completely horizontal both ways. Well, on this one
little backstroke, the legs went beyond horizontal. You see
what's coming, right? The arms kind of come out from under
accident that you're here, but you're actually supposed to be
…(The Lord) has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…
him and his face marries the porcelain tile and then it's not
even the crying; it's the pause before the crying that you
know this really hurt, right?
The pause before the crying is like okay, this is a
bad one. And so there's a pause and then the crying starts.
And I come up to him and I'm hugging him and I feel terrible.
And I'm looking at his face and he seems fine. Like, I mean,
I don't see anything like out of place or wrong.
And so, you know, he kind of gets sidetracked and
distracted and after about five minutes of crying, he's like
let's go play so we go play. And it kind of slipped my mind
to call Cindy and let her know that this had happened.
And so, she comes home three or four hours later,
walks through the garage door and this the first thing that
she sees. It didn't look like that when I looked at it. So,
his nose is like totally broken. So, you know, this point is
we are healed from our hurts. And if I'm going to be real
transparent, I haven't really fully healed from the hurt my
wife inflicted on me that day.
So, we took Seth to the doctor, set his nose, and
our dear friend, who's an orthopedic surgeon, he told me
something real interesting. He said, "You know, Chris, when
you have a broken bone, if you set it right and you give it
time, and you come back months later, a year later, and you
get an x-ray on it again, guess what you're going to see?
Nothing. Nothing. Not a single ounce of evidence that that
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
bone was ever broken." And in some cases, where the bone
breaks and heals, it's actually stronger there than if it had
never been broken before.
That's what God does with us. You look at your
wound, somebody hurt you, somebody victimized you, somebody
betrayed you, somebody cheated on you and the wound is deep.
And you think to yourself, "I'll never get over this," but the
scripture of God says that God binds up the broken hearted.
And here's the real truth, you think it's a set
back; it's not. It's a set up. Because, what God does
through pain, he doesn't do through any other means. The
character God is going to build through you, through pain and
through hurt, cannot be accomplished in any other way.
There's a lady that attends our campus named Susie
Hanson and she was on my staff for several years. She came
last year to our service, and she has a remarkable story. She
started to be sexually abused at age 4. She felt broken, she
felt abandoned, she felt betrayed. And from age 4 to age 30,
in one way or another, by people that she knew and people that
she didn't know, she was violated in that way and it defined
her.
She had to kind of medicate the emptiness and so at
age 12, she started using drugs and they got harder and harder
and harder. And then by age 15, she's in an inpatient rehab,
15 years old in an inpatient rehab. Age 33, she comes to a
here and so we welcome you today.
3) WE ARE FREED FROM OUR HABITS.
place like this and here's a message like this about a savior
who's mission is to seek and save those who are lost, those
who are far from God and she responds, and she gives her life
to Christ.
And at that moment, everything began to change in
Susie's life. And God began to reveal to Susie that all of
those things that she thought were true about her were nothing
more than lies; it's just deception.
And she started to realize that her identity is not
defined by things that happened to her; her identity is
defined by the price that was paid for her forgiveness through
Christ, and that makes her very valuable and very precious to
God.
And I'm here to tell you that, today, Susie mentors
women in our church who have gone through the same type of
abuse, and she's actually the spokesperson for the entire
state of Oklahoma with an organization called Oath that brings
advocacy and awareness to the reality of human trafficking
and to the victimization of the vulnerable.
Does God wants that to happen to Susie? --
[applause] -- yeah, you can celebrate that. Man, Praise
God -- God doesn't want those hurts to happen. Will he use
them? Oh, you better believe he will. You better believe he
will.
Church, there is hope in your hurt and God has a
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
purpose for your pain. You're not going to just endure it.
You're not going to just survive it. God's going to use it,
what seems as a set back as a set up. And you're going to use
it to change the life of someone else.
Look at what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians, chapter
1, "Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the father of compassion and the God of all comfort." What
does God do? "Who comforts us in all of our", what?
Troubles. God, who comforts us in all of our troubles. Why
does he comfort us in all of our troubles? "So that we can",
what? "Comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves have received from God."
Please see this. God is going to bring hope into
your hopelessness, but it's not just for you. It's so that
when you see someone going through what you went through, you
can now be their hope. God is going to illuminate light into
your darkness. Why? So that you can be the light in someone
else's darkness.
We are called to be a funnel of God's healing. We
are called to be a giver of God's light. We are called to
give away what God has poured into us; it's not just for you.
It's for you to give to the person next to you. It's to give
to the person that you come across next week who has an eerily
similar story and it's not a coincidence that you met them.
God heals our brokenness, he forgives our past and
finally -- write this down -- to be new in Christ, we are
This is the first week of Made New."
NLT
freed from our habits. We are freed from our habits. This is
where a lot of us get kind of tripped up. You know, Craig
said that most people miss God because of 18 inches. We have
this intellectual acknowledgment or awareness of the things of
God, and that can be evidenced in churches like this all over
America where scripture is preached and people sitting in the
pews or seats are nodding their heads and saying, "Yep, I
believe in that. "Yep, that's true. I believe God's going
heal my hurt. I believe God's going to forgive my sin."
And then in churches all over the world, those good
hearted, you know, God-loving people walk through the doors,
go home and they can't stop drinking. They walk through the
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
doors and say, "Yeah, I believe I'm forgiven but I can't stop
looking at those images on the Internet. As much as I want
to, as much as I try, I'm hooked."
You had a procedure for which the doctor sent you
home with some pain medication. And what started as therapy,
pain management, has now become what? Addiction. "I can't
stop." "I believe God forgives me but I can't stop. I can't
stop hiding the Oreos and binging on them when no one's
around." That's a real deal. That's not a fun thing to be
addicted to. You know? Because we all have to eat, but it's
very real.
"I can't stop buying those shirts and those shoes to
kind of fill that void." You don't need more shoes; you don't
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
need more blouses. What are we doing? We're just trying to
fill the void with something that will make me feel a little
bit better.
How is it that churches are filled with people who
intellectually believe that we are made new and they can't
stop doing the blank. Fill in the bank, whatever it is. And
yet our churches are full of them.
Look at what God's word says. Ephesians, chapter 4,
verse 21, "Since you have heard about Jesus," intellectual.
"You've heard about Jesus and you've learned about the truth
that comes from him." All right? So, we start with the
intellectual and now we come to the practical. Scripture
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
says, "We are to throw off." Everybody say "throw off."
Again -- say it again. "Throw off your old nature and your
former way of life which is corrupted by lust and deception."
It's a lie. That old life, those old habits, it's
rooted in nothing but deception and we are called to throw it
off. Not manage it away, not get some accountability for it,
eradicate it. Get rid of it. Throw it off of you with so
much voracity and vigor as you could possibly muster. Get rid
of it; it's a lie.
And then what does scripture say, "Instead, let the
spirit renew your thoughts and your attitudes." And then what
are the next two words? That "we are called to put on." Say
it again. "We are called to put on."
Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
I'm going to team teach with your pastors, your network church
So, first we throw off the old and now we are called
to put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly
righteous and holy.
How do we do that? How do we do this in such a way
that when we leave today, we are going to be different
tomorrow, like actually? We aren't going to be caught in that
cycle and that black hole spiral of habits that we can't
break, even though, intellectually, we believe that we are
made new.
Eleven and a half years ago, the old Chris Beal
died. I was a prisoner of people's opinion, addicted to your
approval. From the time I was eight years old to the time
that I was 30 years old, I was addicted to pornography and
sexual sin, saw it as a kid and it just never went away, I
could never kick it.
And I came to this church; I was a pastor. And I
realized that it was time to get honest and to get free and so
I got radically honest. I told my wife everything, I told
Pastor Craig everything; I resigned my position. And a mentor
shared this scripture with me. And he says, "Chris, here's
something that you're going to have to realize. What people
say about you and what they think about you is irrelevant.
What your parents think about you and say about you doesn't
matter. What you think about you is probably the most
irrelevant. What this says about you is everything. [holding
bible] This is life and death."
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. NLT
And so, I was working a job at a retail home
improvement store, selling 2 x 4's. I worked at 6 a.m. every
morning, and I got a piece of paper and searched this book for
every verse I could find that talks about who I am in Christ
then I wrote those verses down, seventy-one verses. And every
morning at 5:45, I'd sit in my car and I'd read those verses
out loud, and I did so for 180 days.
"I am the righteousness of God in Christ." "I am
seated with Christ in heavenly places." "I am co-heir with
Christ." "I am God's adopted son in Jesus Christ." "I am
Christ's friend." "I am more than a conqueror in Christ."
And through the truth of God's word and the truth of what he
says about me, I put on who you see today. I am not the same
guy; God's word has changed me.
We've been praying for you all week that you would
realize that the life and the struggle that you have, the
spiral that you may be living is not God's -- it's not his
purpose for you; it's not his life for you. There's so much
more.
And I want to leave you with this last verse. Take
courage in this; this is God's promise to you. "If the son
sets you free, you will be free indeed."
PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL: All right. Thank you,
guys, so much for that great teaching.
pastor or your campus pastor. So, let me dive in and then
What do we know? We know we are forgiven from our
past, we are healed from our hurts and we are freed from our
habits.
And we're going to close out with this powerful
verse from and 10 that says, "Don't lie to each
other for you have striped off your old sinful nature."
Everyone say "old," all of our churches say "old." "You've
striped off our old sinful nature and all it's wicked deeds.
Because of Christ, you are not in bondage to that old nature
anymore."
Verse 10 says, "put on your" what? Say it aloud.
"Put on your new nature." "If anyone is in Christ, he's a new
creation," a new person. "The old has gone. The new has
come." Put on your new nature.
By faith, you are absolutely new. By faith, you are
forgiven from your past. By faith, you are healed from your
hurts. By faith, you are freed from your habits because you
are new.
Put on your new nature and be renewed. Let God's
spirit make you new. You don't do the renewing; he does the
renewing. Put on your new nature and be renewed "as you learn
to" what? "As you learn to know your creator and become"
what? "And become like him."
How are we made new? It's all in knowing our
creator. Remember our key verse: "How differently we know
I’m Not Who I Use To Be
Christ now. We used to know him from a human point of view
but now we've been spiritually born again."
Week 1, "Flesh gives birth to flesh but spirit gives
birth to spirit, and you have spiritually been made alive in
Christ. How differently we know him now". Put on your new
nature; be renewed as you learn to know your creator, not just
know about him but to know him personally. And when you do,
you will become like him. We're not just made better, by his
power, we're made new.
All of our churches, let's pray together. "Father,
thank you so much for your presence and your spirit and your
goodness in our lives."
All of our different churches, as you're praying
today, many of you, you're going to recognize, "I am still in
bondage to something from my past. I'm still in bondage to
some hurt in my life. I still have a habit that I'm
struggling to overcome."
All of our different churches, those of you who
would say, "I am a Christian. I believe I'm new in Christ but
I don't feel new in Christ. I want to, not only has he
forgiven me, I want help forgiving myself. Not only do I know
that he heals me, but I want to step into his healing. I want
to know his power and be freed from these habits. I know
intellectually I'm new, but I don't feel new. I want my
behavior to match my beliefs." Would you lift up your hands
right now, just all of our different churches, you see some of
hand it off to them in just a moment.
.... I’ve Been Change"
that in your life?
"God, I pray today for those who continue to hurt
because of the past. God, I thank you that if we're in
Christ, we're a new creation and the old has gone, that there
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
"God, for those who are hurting, I pray that there
would be healing in your presence. God, for those in bondage
to the old life, we take off that old sinful self. By faith,
we step into our new nature, to know you, God, and behave like
you."
"God, I pray that there would be addictions and
habits broken in your presence by the power and the name of
your son, Jesus. God, we thank you that anyone who is in
Christ is a new creation."
All of our churches, as you keep praying right now,
very honestly, there are a lot of you that, when you look at
your life, you don't feel new at all. And one of the reasons
you might not feel new is because you're not new; you're still
struggling with something from your past.
You look at your behavior and you know it's not
right. You've been hurt and you've been wounded and you can't
seem to forgive or get over it. You're living in the hurts of
yesterday. I want to tell you good news, and that is, our God
is a god who makes things new. That, if anyone is in Christ,
anyone who believes in him, their sins are forgiven and they
are made new.
And I believe with all my heart, in God's goodness
and love, that he brought many of you here today for this
moment to hear of his goodness, to hear of his love, to hear
of his forgiveness, to hear of his healing, and to hear of his
freedom that is available to you, not through your own
efforts, but through the Lord Jesus Christ. He, whom the son
has set free, scripture says, is free indeed.
At all of our churches, there are those of you who
you recognize you're doing life on your own, you're stuck in
the past. You need healing and you need forgiveness.
Jesus is the Son of God, who was without sin, who
bore our sins on the cross, died and rose again so that
anyone, and that includes you, no matter what you've done or
how dark your life is. Anyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved; you will be made new. That's why you're
here. Your old life gone, your new life in Christ is about to
begin.
All of our different churches, you need his
forgiveness, you need his healing, you need his grace. Today,
you turn from your sins, you turn towards Christ and you say,
"I give you my life."
That's your prayer today, would you lift your hands
high at all of our different churches, lift them up and say
"yes."
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
(King James Version)
"When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun." (Living Bible)
Corinthians 5:16 and 17 that says, "At one time, we thought of
Our key verse for this three-week series is and 17 that says, "At one time, we thought of Christ from", what? Everybody say it aloud. "From a human
point of view, merely from a human point of view. How
Christ from", what? Everybody say it aloud. "From a human
differently we", what? I love this. "How differently we know
him now." In other words, we don't just know about Christ.
point of view, merely from a human point of view. How
When I was growing up, I kind of knew about him. "We don't
differently we", what? I love this. "How differently we know
just know about him but we know him." This isn't just a head
him now." In other words, we don't just know about Christ.
knowledge but this a heart relationship.
When I was growing up, I kind of knew about him. "We don't
Some people miss heaven by about 18 inches. They
just know about him but we know him." This isn't just a head
have a head knowledge but not a heart relationship. Verse 17,
"this means that anyone who belongs to Christ -- not just who
knowledge but this a heart relationship.
Some people miss heaven by about 18 inches. They
believe in Christ because even the demons believe in him and
shudder -- "anyone who belongs to Christ has become a" what?
have a head knowledge but not a heart relationship. Verse 17,
All of our churches, "they become a new person." The old life
"this means that anyone who belongs to Christ -- not just who
believe in Christ because even the demons believe in him and
is where? It's gone. "And a new live is", what? "A new life
has begun."
shudder -- "anyone who belongs to Christ has become a" what?
We're not going to be just a better person where we
All of our churches, "they become a new person." The old life
is where? It's gone. "And a new live is", what? "A new life
try harder, but we are going to be made new in Christ. We're
not just turning over a new leaf, but we're experiencing new
has begun."
We're not going to be just a better person where we
life.
The big question we're going to tackle today is:
try harder, but we are going to be made new in Christ. We're
not just turning over a new leaf, but we're experiencing new
"What if I don't feel new?" "What if I know
intellectually as a church-going person, I believe in Jesus,
life.
The big question we're going to tackle today is:
and I believe he's made me new, but I don't feel new." "I
"What if I don't feel new?" "What if I know
still don't behave like a new person." "I still feel guilty
for some things that I've done wrong." "I feel like I'm not
intellectually as a church-going person, I believe in Jesus,
good enough." "I feel very very unworthy."
and I believe he's made me new, but I don't feel new." "I
still don't behave like a new person." "I still feel guilty
Maybe you battle with negative thoughts about others
or about life or about yourself, or maybe you've got some bad
for some things that I've done wrong." "I feel like I'm not
habits that you just can't get rid of. You pray that they go
good enough." "I feel very very unworthy."
Maybe you battle with negative thoughts about others
away and they don't go away. Maybe you have a poor
self-image, you wonder, "How could God love someone like me?"
or about life or about yourself, or maybe you've got some bad
And there's this reoccurring challenge. I don't
habits that you just can't get rid of. You pray that they go
know if you've ever done this before when you're vacuuming,
away and they don't go away. Maybe you have a poor
and there's something on the ground that you vacuum, and you
self-image, you wonder, "How could God love someone like me?"
go over it, and you go over it and it doesn't pick it up. And
And there's this reoccurring challenge. I don't
know if you've ever done this before when you're vacuuming,
so you go over to it from a different angle, and it doesn't
pick it up so, you go over it again. And what do you do? You
and there's something on the ground that you vacuum, and you
go over it, and you go over it and it doesn't pick it up. And
bend over and you pick it up and you look at it. Then what do
so you go over to it from a different angle, and it doesn't
you do? You throw it back down. Right? You've got to go
over it again.
pick it up so, you go over it again. And what do you do? You
And sometimes in life, there are those things that
bend over and you pick it up and you look at it. Then what do
you just you pray about it and you work on it and you pick it
you do? You throw it back down. Right? You've got to go
over it again.
up, you look at it and you just throw it back down. And it
just doesn't seem to go away. You know, you're new but you
And sometimes in life, there are those things that
you just you pray about it and you work on it and you pick it
don't feel new.
And the question is: "Why don't we feel new?" Let
up, you look at it and you just throw it back down. And it
me give you three thoughts if you're taking notes. The first
just doesn't seem to go away. You know, you're new but you
one is because of our history, our past, what we've done, we
often don't feel new.
don't feel new.
The second reason is our hurts. It may be what
someone did to us, maybe even what we did to ourselves, maybe
And the question is: "Why don't we feel new?" Let
we even feel like God let us down but we don't feel new
me give you three thoughts if you're taking notes. The first
because of our hurts.
one is because of our history, our past, what we've done, we
Maybe it's because of our habits. It's those things that we continue to do. Like Paul said in
, he said, "The things I want to do, I don't do, the things I don't want
to do, I end up doing." And we seem to be trapped in these
often don't feel new.
habits. History, hurts and habits.
The second reason is our hurts. It may be what
History -- you don't know what I did. If you knew
someone did to us, maybe even what we did to ourselves, maybe
what I knew about me, you probably wouldn't like me, and God
knows so how could God accept me -- our history.
we even feel like God let us down but we don't feel new
Our hurts -- I feel wounded, I feel betrayed, someone let me down. It's very hard to trust. I know I'm supposed to be new but I don't feel new because of my hurts.
because of our hurts.
Our habits -- I still struggle with this, I've prayed about it and I've tried and yet I still struggle. I
Maybe it's because of our habits. It's those things
don't feel new.
that we continue to do. Like Paul said in , he said,
This is important. Feelings are legitimate but
they're not facts. They are legitimate; I don't want to
"The things I want to do, I don't do, the things I don't want
to do, I end up doing." And we seem to be trapped in these
discount them and say, you know, you shouldn't -- we feel
habits. History, hurts and habits.
certain things. But just because we feel something doesn't
mean, necessarily, that it's true. The bottom line is we are
History -- you don't know what I did. If you knew
not changed by feeling different about ourselves, but we are
what I knew about me, you probably wouldn't like me, and God
knows so how could God accept me -- our history.
changed by faith in God.
Our hurts -- I feel wounded, I feel betrayed,
And so, I want to hand it over to your pastor to
someone let me down. It's very hard to trust. I know I'm
help talk about how we actually become new in Christ.
supposed to be new but I don't feel new because of my hurts.
Our habits -- I still struggle with this, I've
Parents, when your kids go off to college, make sure
prayed about it and I've tried and yet I still struggle. I
they do two things: One, they need to wash their sheets at
don't feel new.
least once a week. And two, they need to shower more than
This is important. Feelings are legitimate but
once a week. All right? That's just nasty. All right?
But sometimes, in our walk with Christ, it can kind
they're not facts. They are legitimate; I don't want to
of be that way. I give my life to God, I'm coming to a great
discount them and say, you know, you shouldn't -- we feel
church. I have these great expectations that who I am is
certain things. But just because we feel something doesn't
mean, necessarily, that it's true. The bottom line is we are
going to be this incredible thing. And then I find myself
remarkably disappointed with who I feel like I've become.
not changed by feeling different about ourselves, but we are
"we are not driven by our feelings." They are legitimate but we have to live by
changed by faith in God.
fact. [holds up the bible.] This is fact. So, regardless of
how you feel today, I want to spend a little bit of time
And so, I want to hand it over to your pastor to
talking about what does God say about you? And specifically,
how are we made new in Christ?
help talk about how we actually become new in Christ.
I want you to write this first thought down. The
first thing that God's word says about us as being made new in
PASTOR CHRIS BEAL: Well, my name is Chris Beal, and
Christ is this: "We are forgiven from our past." Would you
I am the campus pastor here at the Oklahoma City campus. I'm
write that down? "We are forgiven from our past." Ephesians
honored, as always, to be able to share the pulpit with my
1:7 says, "In Christ, we have redemption through his blood and
pastor, Pastor Craig, and share, I believe, something that
the", what? Say it with me. "And the forgiveness of sin in
we've been praying, to be honest with you, all week long that
accordance with the riches of God's grace."
God would use this message to literally change lives and to
"I don't feel forgiven, yet God's word says that if
set people free.
I am in Christ" -- and you need to hear this -- if you are a
If you're like me, you woke up in life and realized
follower in Christ, everything about you is different, whether
that you've had grand expectations for what life would be like
you feel it or not.
or what you would have expected of yourself, only to be
There's a story in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.
disappointed about what reality actually feels like and how
Some of you may be familiar with it. It's literally a parable
you actually feel about yourself.
that Jesus told of a lost son. Or you may know it as the
I remember one of the times that it was so obvious
prodigal son. And the story goes that the son demands of his
in my life. I had actually graduated high school in three
father his portion of what took his father a lifetime to earn,
years; I'm smart that way. And I took summer school class
his portion of his inheritance. He demanded it, the father
immediately after graduation.
gave it. And then the scripture says that he took that money
And so, just picture this: I am in an apartment
and he just went and had a grand old party, everything that he
with two other guys, buddies of mine, a little bit older than
could spend in excess is exactly what he did, women, alcohol,
I was; I'm 17 years old. Right? I'm on my own. I'm enrolled
he absolutely went hog wild, living it up.
And the son discovered something to be true that
in college. I am a new man. No longer is my mother making a
sack lunch for me every single day; those days are long gone.
many of you and I are all too familiar with when you're living
that kind of self-gratifying, "whatever feels good" life.
No longer is my dad helping with my homework or driving me to
Here's the two realities: One, the money always runs out.
work. I'm kind of like, "This is a new day. I'm feeling
Two, there's always the next morning. Amen? There's always
pretty good about myself. I have arrived."
And one day, my roommate, Chad, he walked by my room
the next morning, and the world looks a little bit different
and he looked inside, and said, "Hey, dude, do you ever like
the next morning than it did the night before. Doesn't it?
wash your sheets?" And I said, "I didn't know you're supposed
And he wakes up and the bible says he's literally
face down in a pig pen, living where these pigs like eat and
to do that." I said, "what do you mean?" He's like, "I want
to teach you something." And so, he put gloves on, rubber
do their dooky and all that nasty stuff; he's in the pig pen.
glove to prevent contamination of any kind, and helped me take
Talk about reality. Talk about waking up to a whole new
my sheets off. He put them in the washer, put them in the
world. And he realizes this: "My father's slaves, my
father's servants, live better than I am living." And so, he
dryer, pulled them out. And I'm not even going to tell you
gets up and decides, "I'm going to beg my father that he would
that they were a lighter shade; they were like a color I have
never seen before ever.
make me one of his servants."
And so he makes the trek back home. And if you know
And he's like, "Dude, you're just nasty. That's
just gross." And I'm thinking to myself, "You know what? I
the story, one of the favorite parts of this is the scripture
says that while the son was a long way off, the father saw
had so much expectation that I was the guy, I'm my own man,
only to realize I'm still a teenager. I'm still a kid, and I
him. It's as though the father were standing at the end of
am a loser." Right?
the driveway, looking down the street, saying, "Is today the
Parents, when your kids go off to college, make sure
day that my son comes home?" And that day, he got a glimpse
they do two things: One, they need to wash their sheets at
of his son. Scripture says he ran full sprint, holding
nothing back, wrapped his arms around the son and kissed him,
least once a week. And two, they need to shower more than
and then three things happened. And these three things are
once a week. All right? That's just nasty. All right?
true, not just of the son but they are true of you.
But sometimes, in our walk with Christ, it can kind
One, the father put a ring on the son's finger.
of be that way. I give my life to God, I'm coming to a great
church. I have these great expectations that who I am is
It's a signet ring, and basically, it gives the son authority
to act on behalf of the father's estate; that's power.
going to be this incredible thing. And then I find myself
remarkably disappointed with who I feel like I've become.
The second thing is that the father ordered that the
Well, Pastor Craig said it, "we are not driven by
fatted calf to be killed. Why? Because we're going to throw
the party of all parties to celebrate that which is lost is
our feelings." They are legitimate but we have to live by
fact. [holds up the bible.] This is fact. So, regardless of
now found; that communicates value. This is how much you mean
how you feel today, I want to spend a little bit of time
to me and we are going to celebrate.
And the third thing -- and do not miss this -- it
talking about what does God say about you? And specifically,
was the day that the son woke up in the pig pen that he made
how are we made new in Christ?
I want you to write this first thought down. The
his way home. So, what do you think he smells like? What do
first thing that God's word says about us as being made new in
you think he looks like? He is still covered in the reminder
Christ is this: "We are forgiven from our past." Would you
of his rebellion against his father and against God. He still
reeks of his sin.
write that down? "We are forgiven from our past." Ephesians
And the father takes a robe and he covers over his
1:7 says, "In Christ, we have redemption through his blood and
the", what? Say it with me. "And the forgiveness of sin in
son's filth; the robe represents royalty. You and I are the
son. And we are still -- and some of us even this morning --
accordance with the riches of God's grace."
we still reek of what we did last night. We still reek of the
"I don't feel forgiven, yet God's word says that if
choices we made a month ago.
I am in Christ" -- and you need to hear this -- if you are a
And the bible says that if you are new in Christ,
follower in Christ, everything about you is different, whether
you feel it or not.
that by what Jesus did on the cross, God covers over your
filth and over your stench with a robe of righteousness that
There's a story in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.
you couldn't possibly earn, nor do you deserve, but it's the
Some of you may be familiar with it. It's literally a parable
that Jesus told of a lost son. Or you may know it as the
truth of God's word and it says who you are in Christ.
prodigal son. And the story goes that the son demands of his
If you're in Christ, you are forgiven. You are
royalty; you are God's child. Is that good news to anybody
father his portion of what took his father a lifetime to earn,
but me? Man, thank you, Jesus.
his portion of his inheritance. He demanded it, the father
Paul said it as clearly as possible in Romans,
gave it. And then the scripture says that he took that money
chapter 8, verse 1. He said, "Therefore, there is now some
and he just went and had a grand old party, everything that he
condemnation for those who you are in Christ Jesus, our Lord,"
could spend in excess is exactly what he did, women, alcohol,
right? No. Did I misread that? All right. Let me try this
he absolutely went hog wild, living it up.
And the son discovered something to be true that
again. "Therefore, there is now occasional condemnation when
many of you and I are all too familiar with when you're living
I really really screw up but I'm still in Christ Jesus." How
that kind of self-gratifying, "whatever feels good" life.
about that? Wrong? "There is therefore now", what? All
Here's the two realities: One, the money always runs out.
right. Come on. You've got to give me more than that.
"There is therefore now" -- "there is therefore now" -- not
Two, there's always the next morning. Amen? There's always
even a little bit? "None," not one ounce of condemnation for
the next morning, and the world looks a little bit different
those who are in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
the next morning than it did the night before. Doesn't it?
And he wakes up and the bible says he's literally
So, if God doesn't condemn you, why do you condemn
face down in a pig pen, living where these pigs like eat and
you? We are forgiven of our past forever. You don't feel it
because it seems too good to be true but that's what makes
do their dooky and all that nasty stuff; he's in the pig pen.
grace, grace. It's something you can't earn and it's
Talk about reality. Talk about waking up to a whole new
something you don't deserve, but God has given you the
world. And he realizes this: "My father's slaves, my
father's servants, live better than I am living." And so, he
greatest gift of all time. And we should just say, "Thank
you," and live in the pleasure of God over us.
gets up and decides, "I'm going to beg my father that he would
make me one of his servants."
The second thing God does in making us new -- write
And so he makes the trek back home. And if you know
this down -- is he heals. We are healed from our hurts. We
the story, one of the favorite parts of this is the scripture
are healed from our hurts.
says that while the son was a long way off, the father saw
, "The Lord has sent me
him. It's as though the father were standing at the end of
to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim freedom for the
captive and to release from darkness, the prisoners." There
the driveway, looking down the street, saying, "Is today the
are so many of us, in fact, I would venture to say, all of us
day that my son comes home?" And that day, he got a glimpse
that carry scars of choices that we've made and choices that
of his son. Scripture says he ran full sprint, holding
other people have made to us, and those wounds go deep and
nothing back, wrapped his arms around the son and kissed him,
they tend to paralyze us. And we feel, at times, "I will
and then three things happened. And these three things are
never fully heal from this wound, from this area of
true, not just of the son but they are true of you.
brokenness."
One, the father put a ring on the son's finger.
It's a signet ring, and basically, it gives the son authority
Several years back -- I have three sons, by the
way -- Noah, Jackson and Seth. And my youngest son has
to act on behalf of the father's estate; that's power.
The second thing is that the father ordered that the
endless energy. And several years back, Cindy, my wife, went
to run errands on my day off, Friday. And she left me in
fatted calf to be killed. Why? Because we're going to throw
the party of all parties to celebrate that which is lost is
charge of the boys -- which ladies, that can be a risky
decision for you to make. But we were playing outside, and
now found; that communicates value. This is how much you mean
to me and we are going to celebrate.
having a grand old time, being boys, being dumb, just, you
know, doing crazy stuff. And we came inside and Seth, my
And the third thing -- and do not miss this -- it
youngest, had more energy to expend.
was the day that the son woke up in the pig pen that he made
And so, one of the things Seth always likes to do is
his way home. So, what do you think he smells like? What do
you think he looks like? He is still covered in the reminder
he plays gymnastics in the kitchen. And so, what that looks
like is he'll put a hand down on one counter and the other
of his rebellion against his father and against God. He still
hand on the kitchen island and what does he do? He just
reeks of his sin.
And the father takes a robe and he covers over his
starts swinging, right? He wants to see how much air he can
get. And he is like relatively impressive. I mean his legs
son's filth; the robe represents royalty. You and I are the
son. And we are still -- and some of us even this morning --
will be completely horizontal both ways. Well, on this one
we still reek of what we did last night. We still reek of the
little backstroke, the legs went beyond horizontal. You see
what's coming, right? The arms kind of come out from under
choices we made a month ago.
him and his face marries the porcelain tile and then it's not
And the bible says that if you are new in Christ,
that by what Jesus did on the cross, God covers over your
even the crying; it's the pause before the crying that you
know this really hurt, right?
filth and over your stench with a robe of righteousness that
you couldn't possibly earn, nor do you deserve, but it's the
The pause before the crying is like okay, this is a
truth of God's word and it says who you are in Christ.
bad one. And so there's a pause and then the crying starts.
And I come up to him and I'm hugging him and I feel terrible.
If you're in Christ, you are forgiven. You are
royalty; you are God's child. Is that good news to anybody
And I'm looking at his face and he seems fine. Like, I mean,
but me? Man, thank you, Jesus.
I don't see anything like out of place or wrong.
Paul said it as clearly as possible in Romans,
And so, you know, he kind of gets sidetracked and
chapter 8, verse 1. He said, "Therefore, there is now some
distracted and after about five minutes of crying, he's like
condemnation for those who you are in Christ Jesus, our Lord,"
let's go play so we go play. And it kind of slipped my mind
right? No. Did I misread that? All right. Let me try this
to call Cindy and let her know that this had happened.
again. "Therefore, there is now occasional condemnation when
And so, she comes home three or four hours later,
I really really screw up but I'm still in Christ Jesus." How
walks through the garage door and this the first thing that
about that? Wrong? "There is therefore now", what? All
she sees. It didn't look like that when I looked at it. So,
right. Come on. You've got to give me more than that.
his nose is like totally broken. So, you know, this point is
"There is therefore now" -- "there is therefore now" -- not
we are healed from our hurts. And if I'm going to be real
even a little bit? "None," not one ounce of condemnation for
transparent, I haven't really fully healed from the hurt my
those who are in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
wife inflicted on me that day.
So, if God doesn't condemn you, why do you condemn
So, we took Seth to the doctor, set his nose, and
you? We are forgiven of our past forever. You don't feel it
our dear friend, who's an orthopedic surgeon, he told me
because it seems too good to be true but that's what makes
something real interesting. He said, "You know, Chris, when
grace, grace. It's something you can't earn and it's
you have a broken bone, if you set it right and you give it
something you don't deserve, but God has given you the
time, and you come back months later, a year later, and you
greatest gift of all time. And we should just say, "Thank
get an x-ray on it again, guess what you're going to see?
you," and live in the pleasure of God over us.
Nothing. Nothing. Not a single ounce of evidence that that
The second thing God does in making us new -- write
bone was ever broken." And in some cases, where the bone
this down -- is he heals. We are healed from our hurts. We
breaks and heals, it's actually stronger there than if it had
are healed from our hurts. , "The Lord has sent me
never been broken before.
to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim freedom for the
That's what God does with us. You look at your
captive and to release from darkness, the prisoners." There
wound, somebody hurt you, somebody victimized you, somebody
are so many of us, in fact, I would venture to say, all of us
betrayed you, somebody cheated on you and the wound is deep.
that carry scars of choices that we've made and choices that
And you think to yourself, "I'll never get over this," but the
other people have made to us, and those wounds go deep and
scripture of God says that God binds up the broken hearted.
they tend to paralyze us. And we feel, at times, "I will
And here's the real truth, you think it's a set
never fully heal from this wound, from this area of
back; it's not. It's a set up. Because, what God does
brokenness."
through pain, he doesn't do through any other means. The
Several years back -- I have three sons, by the
character God is going to build through you, through pain and
way -- Noah, Jackson and Seth. And my youngest son has
through hurt, cannot be accomplished in any other way.
endless energy. And several years back, Cindy, my wife, went
There's a lady that attends our campus named Susie
to run errands on my day off, Friday. And she left me in
Hanson and she was on my staff for several years. She came
charge of the boys -- which ladies, that can be a risky
last year to our service, and she has a remarkable story. She
decision for you to make. But we were playing outside, and
started to be sexually abused at age 4. She felt broken, she
having a grand old time, being boys, being dumb, just, you
felt abandoned, she felt betrayed. And from age 4 to age 30,
know, doing crazy stuff. And we came inside and Seth, my
in one way or another, by people that she knew and people that
youngest, had more energy to expend.
she didn't know, she was violated in that way and it defined
And so, one of the things Seth always likes to do is
her.
he plays gymnastics in the kitchen. And so, what that looks
She had to kind of medicate the emptiness and so at
like is he'll put a hand down on one counter and the other
age 12, she started using drugs and they got harder and harder
hand on the kitchen island and what does he do? He just
and harder. And then by age 15, she's in an inpatient rehab,
starts swinging, right? He wants to see how much air he can
15 years old in an inpatient rehab. Age 33, she comes to a
get. And he is like relatively impressive. I mean his legs
place like this and here's a message like this about a savior
will be completely horizontal both ways. Well, on this one
who's mission is to seek and save those who are lost, those
little backstroke, the legs went beyond horizontal. You see
who are far from God and she responds, and she gives her life
what's coming, right? The arms kind of come out from under
to Christ.
him and his face marries the porcelain tile and then it's not
And at that moment, everything began to change in
even the crying; it's the pause before the crying that you
Susie's life. And God began to reveal to Susie that all of
know this really hurt, right?
those things that she thought were true about her were nothing
The pause before the crying is like okay, this is a
more than lies; it's just deception.
bad one. And so there's a pause and then the crying starts.
And she started to realize that her identity is not
And I come up to him and I'm hugging him and I feel terrible.
defined by things that happened to her; her identity is
And I'm looking at his face and he seems fine. Like, I mean,
defined by the price that was paid for her forgiveness through
I don't see anything like out of place or wrong.
Christ, and that makes her very valuable and very precious to
And so, you know, he kind of gets sidetracked and
God.
distracted and after about five minutes of crying, he's like
And I'm here to tell you that, today, Susie mentors
let's go play so we go play. And it kind of slipped my mind
women in our church who have gone through the same type of
to call Cindy and let her know that this had happened.
abuse, and she's actually the spokesperson for the entire
And so, she comes home three or four hours later,
state of Oklahoma with an organization called Oath that brings
walks through the garage door and this the first thing that
advocacy and awareness to the reality of human trafficking
she sees. It didn't look like that when I looked at it. So,
and to the victimization of the vulnerable.
his nose is like totally broken. So, you know, this point is
Does God wants that to happen to Susie? --
we are healed from our hurts. And if I'm going to be real
[applause] -- yeah, you can celebrate that. Man, Praise
transparent, I haven't really fully healed from the hurt my
God -- God doesn't want those hurts to happen. Will he use
wife inflicted on me that day.
them? Oh, you better believe he will. You better believe he
So, we took Seth to the doctor, set his nose, and
will.
our dear friend, who's an orthopedic surgeon, he told me
Church, there is hope in your hurt and God has a
something real interesting. He said, "You know, Chris, when
purpose for your pain. You're not going to just endure it.
you have a broken bone, if you set it right and you give it
You're not going to just survive it. God's going to use it,
time, and you come back months later, a year later, and you
what seems as a set back as a set up. And you're going to use
it to change the life of someone else.
get an x-ray on it again, guess what you're going to see?
Look at what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians, chapter
Nothing. Nothing. Not a single ounce of evidence that that
bone was ever broken." And in some cases, where the bone
1, "Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the father of compassion and the God of all comfort." What
breaks and heals, it's actually stronger there than if it had
does God do? "Who comforts us in all of our", what?
never been broken before.
Troubles. God, who comforts us in all of our troubles. Why
That's what God does with us. You look at your
wound, somebody hurt you, somebody victimized you, somebody
does he comfort us in all of our troubles? "So that we can",
betrayed you, somebody cheated on you and the wound is deep.
what? "Comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
And you think to yourself, "I'll never get over this," but the
ourselves have received from God."
scripture of God says that God binds up the broken hearted.
Please see this. God is going to bring hope into
And here's the real truth, you think it's a set
your hopelessness, but it's not just for you. It's so that
back; it's not. It's a set up. Because, what God does
when you see someone going through what you went through, you
can now be their hope. God is going to illuminate light into
through pain, he doesn't do through any other means. The
your darkness. Why? So that you can be the light in someone
character God is going to build through you, through pain and
else's darkness.
through hurt, cannot be accomplished in any other way.
We are called to be a funnel of God's healing. We
There's a lady that attends our campus named Susie
Hanson and she was on my staff for several years. She came
are called to be a giver of God's light. We are called to
give away what God has poured into us; it's not just for you.
last year to our service, and she has a remarkable story. She
started to be sexually abused at age 4. She felt broken, she
It's for you to give to the person next to you. It's to give
to the person that you come across next week who has an eerily
felt abandoned, she felt betrayed. And from age 4 to age 30,
similar story and it's not a coincidence that you met them.
in one way or another, by people that she knew and people that
she didn't know, she was violated in that way and it defined
God heals our brokenness, he forgives our past and
her.
finally -- write this down -- to be new in Christ, we are
She had to kind of medicate the emptiness and so at
freed from our habits. We are freed from our habits. This is
where a lot of us get kind of tripped up. You know, Craig
age 12, she started using drugs and they got harder and harder
said that most people miss God because of 18 inches. We have
and harder. And then by age 15, she's in an inpatient rehab,
15 years old in an inpatient rehab. Age 33, she comes to a
this intellectual acknowledgment or awareness of the things of
God, and that can be evidenced in churches like this all over
place like this and here's a message like this about a savior
America where scripture is preached and people sitting in the
who's mission is to seek and save those who are lost, those
pews or seats are nodding their heads and saying, "Yep, I
who are far from God and she responds, and she gives her life
to Christ.
believe in that. "Yep, that's true. I believe God's going
heal my hurt. I believe God's going to forgive my sin."
And at that moment, everything began to change in
And then in churches all over the world, those good
Susie's life. And God began to reveal to Susie that all of
those things that she thought were true about her were nothing
hearted, you know, God-loving people walk through the doors,
go home and they can't stop drinking. They walk through the
more than lies; it's just deception.
And she started to realize that her identity is not
doors and say, "Yeah, I believe I'm forgiven but I can't stop
looking at those images on the Internet. As much as I want
defined by things that happened to her; her identity is
defined by the price that was paid for her forgiveness through
to, as much as I try, I'm hooked."
You had a procedure for which the doctor sent you
Christ, and that makes her very valuable and very precious to
home with some pain medication. And what started as therapy,
God.
And I'm here to tell you that, today, Susie mentors
pain management, has now become what? Addiction. "I can't
women in our church who have gone through the same type of
stop." "I believe God forgives me but I can't stop. I can't
abuse, and she's actually the spokesperson for the entire
stop hiding the Oreos and binging on them when no one's
state of Oklahoma with an organization called Oath that brings
around." That's a real deal. That's not a fun thing to be
addicted to. You know? Because we all have to eat, but it's
advocacy and awareness to the reality of human trafficking
and to the victimization of the vulnerable.
very real.
Does God wants that to happen to Susie? --
"I can't stop buying those shirts and those shoes to
[applause] -- yeah, you can celebrate that. Man, Praise
kind of fill that void." You don't need more shoes; you don't
need more blouses. What are we doing? We're just trying to
God -- God doesn't want those hurts to happen. Will he use
them? Oh, you better believe he will. You better believe he
fill the void with something that will make me feel a little
will.
bit better.
How is it that churches are filled with people who
Church, there is hope in your hurt and God has a
purpose for your pain. You're not going to just endure it.
intellectually believe that we are made new and they can't
You're not going to just survive it. God's going to use it,
stop doing the blank. Fill in the bank, whatever it is. And
what seems as a set back as a set up. And you're going to use
yet our churches are full of them.
it to change the life of someone else.
Look at what God's word says. Ephesians, chapter 4,
Look at what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians, chapter
verse 21, "Since you have heard about Jesus," intellectual.
1, "Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
"You've heard about Jesus and you've learned about the truth
the father of compassion and the God of all comfort." What
that comes from him." All right? So, we start with the
does God do? "Who comforts us in all of our", what?
intellectual and now we come to the practical. Scripture
Troubles. God, who comforts us in all of our troubles. Why
says, "We are to throw off." Everybody say "throw off."
does he comfort us in all of our troubles? "So that we can",
Again -- say it again. "Throw off your old nature and your
what? "Comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
former way of life which is corrupted by lust and deception."
ourselves have received from God."
It's a lie. That old life, those old habits, it's
Please see this. God is going to bring hope into
rooted in nothing but deception and we are called to throw it
your hopelessness, but it's not just for you. It's so that
off. Not manage it away, not get some accountability for it,
when you see someone going through what you went through, you
eradicate it. Get rid of it. Throw it off of you with so
can now be their hope. God is going to illuminate light into
much voracity and vigor as you could possibly muster. Get rid
your darkness. Why? So that you can be the light in someone
of it; it's a lie.
else's darkness.
And then what does scripture say, "Instead, let the
We are called to be a funnel of God's healing. We
spirit renew your thoughts and your attitudes." And then what
are called to be a giver of God's light. We are called to
are the next two words? That "we are called to put on." Say
give away what God has poured into us; it's not just for you.
it again. "We are called to put on."
It's for you to give to the person next to you. It's to give
So, first we throw off the old and now we are called
to the person that you come across next week who has an eerily
to put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly
similar story and it's not a coincidence that you met them.
righteous and holy.
God heals our brokenness, he forgives our past and
How do we do that? How do we do this in such a way
finally -- write this down -- to be new in Christ, we are
that when we leave today, we are going to be different
freed from our habits. We are freed from our habits. This is
tomorrow, like actually? We aren't going to be caught in that
where a lot of us get kind of tripped up. You know, Craig
cycle and that black hole spiral of habits that we can't
said that most people miss God because of 18 inches. We have
break, even though, intellectually, we believe that we are
this intellectual acknowledgment or awareness of the things of
made new.
God, and that can be evidenced in churches like this all over
matter. What you think about you is probably the most
America where scripture is preached and people sitting in the
irrelevant. What this says about you is everything. [holding
pews or seats are nodding their heads and saying, "Yep, I
bible] This is life and death."
believe in that. "Yep, that's true. I believe God's going
"I am the righteousness of God in Christ." "I am
heal my hurt. I believe God's going to forgive my sin."
seated with Christ in heavenly places." "I am co-heir with
And then in churches all over the world, those good
Christ." "I am God's adopted son in Jesus Christ." "I am
hearted, you know, God-loving people walk through the doors,
Christ's friend." "I am more than a conqueror in Christ."
And through the truth of God's word and the truth of what he
go home and they can't stop drinking. They walk through the
doors and say, "Yeah, I believe I'm forgiven but I can't stop
says about me, I put on who you see today. I am not the same
guy; God's word has changed me.
looking at those images on the Internet. As much as I want
We've been praying for you all week that you would
to, as much as I try, I'm hooked."
realize that the life and the struggle that you have, the
You had a procedure for which the doctor sent you
spiral that you may be living is not God's -- it's not his
home with some pain medication. And what started as therapy,
purpose for you; it's not his life for you. There's so much
pain management, has now become what? Addiction. "I can't
more.
stop." "I believe God forgives me but I can't stop. I can't
stop hiding the Oreos and binging on them when no one's
And I want to leave you with this last verse. Take
around." That's a real deal. That's not a fun thing to be
courage in this; this is God's promise to you. "If the son
sets you free, you will be free indeed."
addicted to. You know? Because we all have to eat, but it's
very real.
PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL: All right. Thank you,
"I can't stop buying those shirts and those shoes to
guys, so much for that great teaching.
kind of fill that void." You don't need more shoes; you don't
What do we know? We know we are forgiven from our
need more blouses. What are we doing? We're just trying to
past, we are healed from our hurts and we are freed from our
fill the void with something that will make me feel a little
habits.
bit better.
And we're going to close out with this powerful
How is it that churches are filled with people who
verse from
intellectually believe that we are made new and they can't
and 10 that says, "Don't lie to each
stop doing the blank. Fill in the bank, whatever it is. And
other for you have striped off your old sinful nature."
yet our churches are full of them.
Everyone say "old," all of our churches say "old." "You've
Look at what God's word says. Ephesians, chapter 4,
striped off our old sinful nature and all it's wicked deeds.
verse 21, "Since you have heard about Jesus," intellectual.
Because of Christ, you are not in bondage to that old nature
"You've heard about Jesus and you've learned about the truth
anymore."
that comes from him." All right? So, we start with the
Verse 10 says, "put on your" what? Say it aloud.
intellectual and now we come to the practical. Scripture
"Put on your new nature." "If anyone is in Christ, he's a new
says, "We are to throw off." Everybody say "throw off."
creation," a new person. "The old has gone. The new has
Again -- say it again. "Throw off your old nature and your
come." Put on your new nature.
former way of life which is corrupted by lust and deception."
By faith, you are absolutely new. By faith, you are
It's a lie. That old life, those old habits, it's
forgiven from your past. By faith, you are healed from your
rooted in nothing but deception and we are called to throw it
hurts. By faith, you are freed from your habits because you
off. Not manage it away, not get some accountability for it,
are new.
eradicate it. Get rid of it. Throw it off of you with so
Put on your new nature and be renewed. Let God's
much voracity and vigor as you could possibly muster. Get rid
spirit make you new. You don't do the renewing; he does the
of it; it's a lie.
renewing. Put on your new nature and be renewed "as you learn
And then what does scripture say, "Instead, let the
to" what? "As you learn to know your creator and become"
spirit renew your thoughts and your attitudes." And then what
what? "And become like him."
are the next two words? That "we are called to put on." Say
How are we made new? It's all in knowing our
it again. "We are called to put on."
creator. Remember our key verse: "How differently we know
So, first we throw off the old and now we are called
Christ now. We used to know him from a human point of view
to put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly
but now we've been spiritually born again."
righteous and holy.
Week 1, "Flesh gives birth to flesh but spirit gives
How do we do that? How do we do this in such a way
birth to spirit, and you have spiritually been made alive in
that when we leave today, we are going to be different
Christ. How differently we know him now". Put on your new
tomorrow, like actually? We aren't going to be caught in that
nature; be renewed as you learn to know your creator, not just
cycle and that black hole spiral of habits that we can't
know about him but to know him personally. And when you do,
break, even though, intellectually, we believe that we are
you will become like him. We're not just made better, by his
made new.
power, we're made new.
Eleven and a half years ago, the old Chris Beal
All of our churches, let's pray together. "Father,
died. I was a prisoner of people's opinion, addicted to your
thank you so much for your presence and your spirit and your
approval. From the time I was eight years old to the time
goodness in our lives."
that I was 30 years old, I was addicted to pornography and
All of our different churches, as you're praying
sexual sin, saw it as a kid and it just never went away, I
today, many of you, you're going to recognize, "I am still in
could never kick it.
bondage to something from my past. I'm still in bondage to
And I came to this church; I was a pastor. And I
some hurt in my life. I still have a habit that I'm
realized that it was time to get honest and to get free and so
struggling to overcome."
I got radically honest. I told my wife everything, I told
All of our different churches, those of you who
Pastor Craig everything; I resigned my position. And a mentor
would say, "I am a Christian. I believe I'm new in Christ but
shared this scripture with me. And he says, "Chris, here's
I don't feel new in Christ. I want to, not only has he
something that you're going to have to realize. What people
forgiven me, I want help forgiving myself. Not only do I know
say about you and what they think about you is irrelevant.
that he heals me, but I want to step into his healing. I want
What your parents think about you and say about you doesn't
to know his power and be freed from these habits. I know
matter. What you think about you is probably the most
intellectually I'm new, but I don't feel new. I want my
irrelevant. What this says about you is everything. [holding
bible] This is life and death."
behavior to match my beliefs." Would you lift up your hands
And so, I was working a job at a retail home
right now, just all of our different churches, you see some of
improvement store, selling 2 x 4's. I worked at 6 a.m. every
that in your life?
morning, and I got a piece of paper and searched this book for
"God, I pray today for those who continue to hurt
because of the past. God, I thank you that if we're in
every verse I could find that talks about who I am in Christ
Christ, we're a new creation and the old has gone, that there
then I wrote those verses down, seventy-one verses. And every
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
morning at 5:45, I'd sit in my car and I'd read those verses
out loud, and I did so for 180 days.
"God, for those who are hurting, I pray that there
would be healing in your presence. God, for those in bondage
"I am the righteousness of God in Christ." "I am
seated with Christ in heavenly places." "I am co-heir with
to the old life, we take off that old sinful self. By faith,
Christ." "I am God's adopted son in Jesus Christ." "I am
we step into our new nature, to know you, God, and behave like
you."
Christ's friend." "I am more than a conqueror in Christ."
And through the truth of God's word and the truth of what he
"God, I pray that there would be addictions and
says about me, I put on who you see today. I am not the same
habits broken in your presence by the power and the name of
your son, Jesus. God, we thank you that anyone who is in
guy; God's word has changed me.
Christ is a new creation."
We've been praying for you all week that you would
realize that the life and the struggle that you have, the
All of our churches, as you keep praying right now,
very honestly, there are a lot of you that, when you look at
spiral that you may be living is not God's -- it's not his
purpose for you; it's not his life for you. There's so much
your life, you don't feel new at all. And one of the reasons
more.
you might not feel new is because you're not new; you're still
struggling with something from your past.
And I want to leave you with this last verse. Take
courage in this; this is God's promise to you. "If the son
You look at your behavior and you know it's not
sets you free, you will be free indeed."
right. You've been hurt and you've been wounded and you can't
seem to forgive or get over it. You're living in the hurts of
PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL: All right. Thank you,
yesterday. I want to tell you good news, and that is, our God
guys, so much for that great teaching.
is a god who makes things new. That, if anyone is in Christ,
What do we know? We know we are forgiven from our
anyone who believes in him, their sins are forgiven and they
past, we are healed from our hurts and we are freed from our
are made new.
habits.
And I believe with all my heart, in God's goodness
And we're going to close out with this powerful
and love, that he brought many of you here today for this
verse from and 10 that says, "Don't lie to each
moment to hear of his goodness, to hear of his love, to hear
other for you have striped off your old sinful nature."
of his forgiveness, to hear of his healing, and to hear of his
Everyone say "old," all of our churches say "old." "You've
freedom that is available to you, not through your own
striped off our old sinful nature and all it's wicked deeds.
efforts, but through the Lord Jesus Christ. He, whom the son
Because of Christ, you are not in bondage to that old nature
has set free, scripture says, is free indeed.
anymore."
At all of our churches, there are those of you who
Verse 10 says, "put on your" what? Say it aloud.
you recognize you're doing life on your own, you're stuck in
"Put on your new nature." "If anyone is in Christ, he's a new
the past. You need healing and you need forgiveness.
creation," a new person. "The old has gone. The new has
Jesus is the Son of God, who was without sin, who
come." Put on your new nature.
bore our sins on the cross, died and rose again so that
By faith, you are absolutely new. By faith, you are
anyone, and that includes you, no matter what you've done or
forgiven from your past. By faith, you are healed from your
how dark your life is. Anyone who calls on the name of the
hurts. By faith, you are freed from your habits because you
Lord will be saved; you will be made new. That's why you're
are new.
here. Your old life gone, your new life in Christ is about to
Put on your new nature and be renewed. Let God's
begin.
spirit make you new. You don't do the renewing; he does the
All of our different churches, you need his
renewing. Put on your new nature and be renewed "as you learn
forgiveness, you need his healing, you need his grace. Today,
to" what? "As you learn to know your creator and become"
you turn from your sins, you turn towards Christ and you say,
what? "And become like him."
"I give you my life."
How are we made new? It's all in knowing our
That's your prayer today, would you lift your hands
creator. Remember our key verse: "How differently we know
high at all of our different churches, lift them up and say
Christ now. We used to know him from a human point of view
"yes."
but now we've been spiritually born again."
Introduction
The term New Creature.... refers to the Spiritual Transformation that occurs within the old man that you use to be..... before you became a Born Again Christian or a new creature in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Week 1, "Flesh gives birth to flesh but spirit gives
In a reality, this transformation could be compared to the renovating of an old house or the restoring of an old car.
With an old house you would replace the wiring, the wall, the windows, the floors and all those necessities that would make it new.
birth to spirit, and you have spiritually been made alive in
Likewise with an old car you would replace the engine, transmission, water pump, the floor boards, the interior and all the necessities to make it new.
I have learned that the objective of restoring or renovating is to get as close to the original as possible by replacing the old with new.
ILLUSION. There is an old story about a happy little boy who went out into the field wearing a baseball cap. In one hand he carried a baseball, & in the other a baseball bat. His face bore a look of tremendous confidence.
Christ. How differently we know him now". Put on your new
Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air, saying, "I’m the greatest batter in the world!" Then he swung & missed. "Strike one," he said.
nature; be renewed as you learn to know your creator, not just
He picked up the ball, examined it, & then threw it into the air again. As he swung, he repeated, "I’m the greatest batter in the world." Once again he missed. "Strike two," he said.
This time, he stopped to examine his bat to make sure there wasn’t a hole in it. Then he picked up the ball, adjusted his cap, & tossed the ball into the air for the 3rd time.
He repeated again, "I’m the greatest batter in the world," & swung with all his might - & missed for the 3rd straight time. "Wow" he cried, "What a pitcher. I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!"
know about him but to know him personally. And when you do,
8 months, I’m not sure whether many of us would be considered...... pitchers or batters. One thing for sure, at times during this year we have all struck out.
So I guess it’s good to be able to come back to the plate start over afresh.
you will become like him. We're not just made better, by his
This is what the Grace and Mercy of a Sovereign God does when He changes us from Sinner to Saint... Yes we become New Creatures in Christ and we are able to start over again.
Yes.... the Lord restores us back to our original origin. By washing and redeeming us in His Precious Blood and giving us a second chance.
power, we're made new.
"If anyone is in Christ..... he is a new creation..... old things have passed away..... behold all things are become new."
All of our churches, let's pray together. "Father,
I know there is no one here at Harvest Pointe Church today that..... has a past..... I know you all have been good Christians folks all of your lives. Amen
Yes......The former things in my life have passed away.
I thank God for being a Merciful God..... and a Deliver.
thank you so much for your presence and your spirit and your
I thank him for loving us even when.... We were in our sin.
I thank Him.... for bringing us out of.... the Darkness into his Glorious Light.
goodness in our lives."
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change"..... because the Lord Jesus Christ......
1) he washed me.
All of our different churches, as you're praying
2) he sanctified me.
3) he redeemed me.
today, many of you, you're going to recognize, "I am still in
4) he justified me and saved me.
bondage to something from my past. I'm still in bondage to
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
I have a New Walk....
some hurt in my life. I still have a habit that I'm
I have a New Talk.....
I have New Look......
struggling to overcome."
I have a New Name written down in Glory....
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
All of our different churches, those of you who
My.... old man has been crucified with Jesus ....... My Body.... Mind....and ....Soul....is no longer a Slaves to sin.
I have New Eyes....
I have New Ears....
would say, "I am a Christian. I believe I'm new in Christ but
I have a New Tongue....
I have New Feet....
I don't feel new in Christ. I want to, not only has he
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
forgiven me, I want help forgiving myself. Not only do I know
I have a transformation will....
I have a renewed spirit.....
I have a renewed mind.....
that he heals me, but I want to step into his healing. I want
I have a renewed heart....
to know his power and be freed from these habits. I know
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
I have a new Look on Life......
intellectually I'm new, but I don't feel new. I want my
Yes..... I have Life Everlasting....
My Slate has been Wiped Clean....
My Sins has been Cast into the Sea of Forgetfulness..... and they are as far as the East is from the West..... and the North from the South....
behavior to match my beliefs." Would you lift up your hands
The prophet Isaiah said....... "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord....... for he has clothed me with...... the Garments of Salvation".
right now, just all of our different churches, you see some of
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
I heard my elders...... talk about Salvation.
I heard my mama..... and my daddy..... talk about Salvation.
that in your life?
I heard the preachers.... preached about Salvation.
Yes..... I heard them say....
"God, I pray today for those who continue to hurt
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus... and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead..... you shall be saved."
because of the past. God, I thank you that if we're in
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change".....
I have been Washed by the Blood of the Lamb.
I have been Baptized with the Holy Ghost and Fire.
Christ, we're a new creation and the old has gone, that there
I have been Transformed and Renewed in the Spirit of my Mind.
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
I have put on the New Man and have been Recreated in Righteousness and True Holiness.
"I’m Not Who I Use to Be .... I’ve Been Change"....
I was Blind.... But now I can See.
"God, for those who are hurting, I pray that there
I was Lost.... But now I am Found.
would be healing in your presence. God, for those in bondage
My Eyes don’t look at the thing they use too look at.
My Feet don’t walk in places they use too walk.
to the old life, we take off that old sinful self. By faith,
My Ears don’t listen too the things they use too.
My Mouth don’t say the things it use too.
we step into our new nature, to know you, God, and behave like
My Heart don’t Hate and Lust like it use too.
Closing
Many of us have done things that we are not proud of .......
you."
But God is a Merciful God today.... and I hear Him saying.....
"God, I pray that there would be addictions and
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things are made new".
No matter..... what you did in your past.
No matter..... who you were in your past.
habits broken in your presence by the power and the name of
When you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ..... you became a New Creature.... and old things past away.... and all things became New.
your son, Jesus. God, we thank you that anyone who is in
You are a Brand New Person Now.... With A Brand New Identity.
It doesn’t matter what you were in the past.....
Christ is a new creation."
You could have been.....
A Failure..... A Loser.... A Drunkard.... A Liar.....
All of our churches, as you keep praying right now,
A Whoremonger.... A Fornicator.... An Adultery
A Thief.... A Murderer..... A Crack Head.
Examples
very honestly, there are a lot of you that, when you look at
You may have been a Hooker.... But, now... You are in Christ .... and you are a Saint of God..... with a New Name written down in Glory.
You may have been a Drug Dealer.... But, now... You are in Christ ... and you are a Saint of God Dealing... the Holy Word.
your life, you don't feel new at all. And one of the reasons
You may have been a Convicted Murderer.... But, now... You are in Christ ... and you are a Saint of God Slaying.... the enemy with Spirit and Word of Truth.
We all were sinners and had fallen short of the Glory of God.
you might not feel new is because you're not new; you're still
" But... Now We’re Not Who We Use to Be .... We’ve Been Change".....
struggling with something from your past.
Because....The Lord: is merciful...... and He will not remember our sins and transgressions any more.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. Amen
You look at your behavior and you know it's not
"We all were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures. We all were living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
I Know...and... I Know.... I know.... That I‘m Not Who I Use To Be.
right. You've been hurt and you've been wounded and you can't
I am salt of the earth
I am a light shining in the mist of darkness
seem to forgive or get over it. You're living in the hurts of
I am a vessel chosen by Christ to bear fruit
I am personal witness for Christ sent out to tell everybody about the Lord
I am a slave to righteousness
yesterday. I want to tell you good news, and that is, our God
I am a temple & a dwelling place – for God. and His spirit live in me
I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house ()
is a god who makes things new. That, if anyone is in Christ,
I am a member of a chosen race, royal a priesthood,
I am a new person. My past is forgiven
anyone who believes in him, their sins are forgiven and they
I am an enemy to the devil & the devil can’t touch me
are made new.
I am not the great "I am" .....but by the grace of God.... I am what I am..... I‘m Not Who I Use To Be ..... And I’ve Been Changed
Some time when people around me began act up and talk ugly .....
Some time they say don’t worry about David Johnson…He’s Just A Man. But.... I Promised the Lord that ....I would serve them notice..... and Let them Know that......
And I believe with all my heart, in God's goodness
I’m Not Just A Man...
and love, that he brought many of you here today for this
I’m A Born Again Man....
I’m A Blood Washed and Redeemed Man...
I’m A Holy Ghost Filled And Fire Baptized Man...
moment to hear of his goodness, to hear of his love, to hear
I’m A Sanctified Man...
I’m A Man Living For the Lord.....
of his forgiveness, to hear of his healing, and to hear of his
I’m Not Just A Man.... I’m Not Who I Use To Be...
freedom that is available to you, not through your own
I’ve Been Changed
I have an new Identity
efforts, but through the Lord Jesus Christ. He, whom the son
I have a new name written in God’ book of life.
Yes... I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do His work
has set free, scripture says, is free indeed.
"I’m Not Who I Use To Be ....... I’ve Been Changed."
EARLY FAILURE
At all of our churches, there are those of you who
At the beginning of a new year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers’ new year’s resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. "Why weren’t my resolutions posted?" She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk. As he read her resolutions he was astounded. This teacher’s first resolution was not to let little things upset her in the New Year.
IT WON’T HELP
A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, "He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach." So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, "That’s not going to help." Her husband said, "Sure it will. It’s the only way I can see the numbers."
you recognize you're doing life on your own, you're stuck in
the past. You need healing and you need forgiveness.
Jesus is the Son of God, who was without sin, who
bore our sins on the cross, died and rose again so that
anyone, and that includes you, no matter what you've done or
how dark your life is. Anyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved; you will be made new. That's why you're
here. Your old life gone, your new life in Christ is about to
begin.
All of our different churches, you need his
forgiveness, you need his healing, you need his grace. Today,
you turn from your sins, you turn towards Christ and you say,
"I give you my life."
That's your prayer today, would you lift your hands
high at all of our different churches, lift them up and say
"yes."