Change

Good morning. We are starting a new series called “Change”

The Title of Today’s message is “Preparing for Change”

How many of you have ever done a remodel? We just did one over at the West-side Campus. But before the remodel the first thing we had to do is get all of the junk cleaned up. We had to ceilings down, rebuild the platform, mover plumbing, rework the electrical. It was a mess

Spiritually when we are preparing for change the first thing we have to do is take inventory of ourselves and take out the garbage. It is important to note that we can’t do this without the Holy Spirit. Will-power will only get you so far. You need to pray for the Holy Spirit to point things out to you and help you through the process of change.

Prayer

We are stirring the water here in this first message of our new series. this morning we are going to look at 5 faulty methods of change. things people try to do as they try to change but it ultimately just doesn’t work.

Luke 15: 11-32 and Joseph in  Genesis 37-50

Prayer

Prepare for Change Definition of CHANGE – The act or instance of making or becoming different. To make someone or something different; modified.

The Faulty Methods of Change

Luke 15:11–16 NLT

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

I Need To Change My Environment

So many times we think if our environment changed things would be different I need a new Job, New House, New church, new spouse

Changing an environment doesn’t change a person

The prodigal son thought a change in environment would fulfill him (Luke 15)

Joseph remained steadfast in the midst of his brothers betraying him and facing the most difficult change in the environment.

Genesis 39:2 NLT

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.

In Order to Change I Need to go Through Self-Discovery

Finding “True Self”

Many people today are encouraged to “discover their own truth” not “The Truth!”

It is all about us. Finding themselves. Let me be who I am. Gender confusion today by allowing kids at a young age to find out who they are. Live your truth.

Prodigal Son sought his own happiness and identity

Joseph knew who he was in God, and remained steadfast

In Order to Change I Need to Deal with My Past

There is a concept going around these days that you have to dig up the past in order to find healing and move forward for the future.

Old life is gone, new life has come

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Philippians 3:13–14 NKJV

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Joseph was betrayed, sold into slavery, wrongly imprisoned, yet he didn’t dwell on the past when he was reunited with his brothers.

When he tested his brothers, he was seeing if their hearts had changed, he wasn’t operating out of resentment. Gen 42 (Joseph wept so loudly)…It shows disposition of his heart.

I Need to do the right things to be worthy enough for God, To change things (Legalism)

Living Rules based versus Relationship Prodigal Son’s Brother.

He serves his father religiously but his heart wasn’t in line with the Father’s.

He was a rule follower but didn’t have a heart for the prodigal.

The older brother represented the religious leaders they exalted their rules and their righteous deeds but didn’t have love for people.

I Need to know more to see Change (intellectual knowledge vs revelation from the Holy Spirit)

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 NLT

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

The Christian life is an ongoing series of changes. Growth requires change.

How well do you deal with change?

What is it that you need to change in your life?

Before change can take place you have to take out the garbage first. Are you willing to take out the garbage?

The garbage that we have to take out are these 5 faulty methods of change.

Environment Changed

Self-Discovery

I Need to Deal With My Past

Legalism

Intellectual Knowledge