Opening the Door to Change

Introduction:

Do people change?

Can people change?

The ability to change might be a larger debate than you realize at first glance. It comes up in subjects like prison reform. It’s the reason there is a public pedophile list. One of the taglines for Alcoholics Anonymous is “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.”

Nursing Home: In my early days of ministry, I would preach at the nursing home in town. As I got to know the old folks, I noticed that some were sweet and some were mean. Those that were genuinely sweet were even sweeter in old age. And those that were mean seemed to get meaner as they went. And I realized the older you get, the more you can’t hide your authentic self.

Much of the work we do in the church is helping people conform to the image of Christ, which requires change.

One of our taglines here is, “You can come as you are, you just can’t stay as you is.”

Many people, even Christians, find their inability to change as a source of defeat and despair. Some give up hope, stop coming, and stop trying choosing to live in the mess they have become accustomed to making.

I was reading an article from verywellmind.com and found this quote:

“Sometimes people are not emotionally ready to change. When given a choice, a lot of people will choose a bad situation that’s familiar over an improvement that’s unfamiliar and scary. It’s so much easier to be in a situation where you know the rules, even if it’s really hard in other ways.” — AIMEE DARAMUS, PSYD

https://www.verywellmind.com/can-people-really-change-5203290

The article went on to say, “Research shows change is possible with motivation and therapy support.”

Change is possible when a person applies the gospel to the very core of their being. A transformation must occur at the very core and essence of who you are. You must become a different person.

We would say, “You must be born again.”

For the last month, we have been looking at the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

I opened the series with the first characteristic of love. Torin then brought us a great message last week on Joy. Today, I’m speaking on peace and patience. As I was listening to Torin speak, a pattern emerged from the text. It was the pattern of the gospel. These first three characteristics outline how someone experiences real life change.

The Fruit of the Godhead

Love is the fruit of God the Father: for God is love.

Expressed through the acceptance and adoption of all that receive his Son.

Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Applied by believing and receiving the free gift of salvation.

Resulting in the eternal security of God’s family.

Answering the question: Where do I belong?

Joy is the fruit of the Spirit.

Expressed through the promise of Spirit.

There is a rule of Bible study called the law of full mention. Which mean for every major doctrine there is a place in the bible that God clears off a spot and says, “let me lay it out for you.” This law of full mention for the Spirit is found in John 14-16. It is in this passage that joy is mentioned six times.

John 14:16–17 ESV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 15:11 ESV

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Applied by walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Resulting in the joy of purpose and meaning in your life.

Answering the question: Why am I here?

Christ is our peace with God.

Expressed through the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:12–18 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Applied by faith of the believer.

Romans 5:1 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resulting in freedom from the past and hope for the future.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Answering the question: Where do I stand with God?

Paul sums it up nicely.

Romans 15:13 ESV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

When we are living in the Love of the Father, walking in the Joy of the Spirit, and experiencing the freedom in Christ, a fundamental change takes place in the core of our being forcing a change in our thoughts, actions, and feelings. (We would say, “you are born again.”)

These first three divine attributes open the door to the other six human attributes of patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Let’s take Patience as our example for today.

The Fruit of Patience

Working Definition: The willful endurance of strife or conflict as we trust God to work it out. (longsuffering, KJV)

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Patience is produced through sufferings.

Learn to embrace suffering as a training ground for patience.

Lean into the Love of the Father.

Look for the joy on the other side.

Find the peace of the Lord in the midst.

Suffering produces endurance, character, and hope for the future.

Take Aways

Stand and Repeat after me:

I am accepted and Love by the Father.

The Joy of the Lord is my strength.

I am at peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ.

I will not let trials defeat me but grow me into something spiritual and holy.