How God Changes Me
How God Changes Me.doc SD20
August 26, 2007 File E
THE JOYFUL CHRISTIAN Part 4
How God Changes my life
Philippians 2:12-13
Salvation is a process of change—it begins when you receive Jesus Christ by faith and it is completed when we are finally changed into His likeness when He returns for us…and there is a journey of step-by-step change that occurs between those two events…and we must stick with the plan of growth and change!
Salvation is both an experience of a lifetime and a lifetime of experience—
I was saved…by faith at such and such a time…
I am saved…by continuing in faith with the Lord
I will be saved when ultimately He finds me waiting and watching for His return—at His coming, whether at death or the second coming.
PRAY
What would you like to change about yourself?
Isn’t there something about you that you don’t like or at least recognize as an area that needs work?
The truth is—we are supposed to be growing in faith and growing in grace and growing in knowledge…and that means change!
But is it all up to me???? Or is it all up to God???
What is God’s part and what is my part?
Paul addresses this in 2:12-13 (read)
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
If we are going to have a more complete joy as Christians we are going to have to pay attention to what is God’s part and what is my part
—Do my part and leave His part to Him!!!!
Note a few things about this passage—
1. “Continue” NIV Continue to work
Salvation is a continuing process---not just a one time act…
2. “Continue to work out…” “for it is God who works in you…”
You might want to circle “work out” and “work in”
One is God’s work and the other yours and mine!
Paul writes to people who are already Christians and he encourages them to continue to cooperate with God by obeying him and working with Him---
We too often work against God in this process of growth
But Paul will not minimize that fact that we must be growing Christians—
And to do that we must work out in our lives what God is working in---
We must grow! It is not an option!!!!
IT DOES NOT SAY WORK FOR YOUR SALVATION
It says work out—because you already possess salvation.
How many of you have bodies that need a little work out once in a while---all the time??
You already have a body—but are you taking care of it!
Are you giving it a work out!!!
You are saved—but what kind of shape is your salvation in!
Max Lucado uses this illustration:
“A similar dynamic occurs in marriage. Are a bride and groom ever more married than they are the first day? The vows are made and the certificate signed—could they be any more married than that?
Perhaps they could. Imagine them fifty years later. Four kids later. …A cluster of valleys and victories later. After half a century of marriage, they finish each other’s sentences and order each other’s food. They even start looking alike after a while (a thought which troubles Denalyn (Penny) deeply). Wouldn’t they have to be more married on their fiftieth anniversary than on their wedding day?
Yet, on the other hand, how could they be? The marriage certificate hasn’t matured. Ah, but the relationship has, and there is the difference. Technically, they are no more united than they were when they left the altar. But relationally, they are completely different.
Marriage is both a done deal and a daily development, something you did and something you do.
The same is true of our walk with God. Can you be more saved than you were the first day of your salvation? No. But can a person grow in salvation? Absolutely. It, like marriage, is a done deal and a daily development.[1]
NOTE also-- “work out YOUR salvation”
It is an individual assignment! It is YOUR salvation we are talking about! This is important for YOU! God wants to work in and through you as you work with him—God is not looking for cookie cutter Christians—everybody looking like the pastor!!!
Acting like the pastor! Thinking like the Pastor! (that is a cult)
God is wanting to relate to you individually and put you on your own personal growth plan---like a personal trainer!
Evaluating where you are and where you want to be in your growth—God has a plan for you and he wants to work in to you, His will and purpose; and he wants you to work it out in the everyday rub of life!
Now note some curious words—“with fear and trembling”
That doesn’t mean we have to be afraid of God like we are afraid of an intruder with a gun…
It means that we are to take this thing about personal growth dead serious!
Take your salvation serious—don’t take it for granted!!!
It has eternal implications!
You must not play around with sin!
This is life and death!
Nothing is more important than your spiritual growth Christian!! Brother, sister! A challenge you to take your personal spiritual growth serious! Get on a growth plan!
Stop taking it for granted!
If you are saved---work it out in your life! Show it!
“…for it is God who works in you…”
That is God’s part!!!
The word “work” here is energeo it is different than the word used in v.12 for our part—
v.12 implies labor intensive work!
v.13 energeo (energy) implies the assistance of power tools to get the job done!
God is the instigator and the energizer for change in our life—and growth means change!!!
He will give you the desire and power to change---and those changes that come from Him will increase your capacity for joy!
GOD’S PART IN CHANGING ME
There are three power tools that God can use in our lives to build and change us!
1. He uses the Bible
"The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is
right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point..." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible changes our thoughts so it changes us. If you want to get serious about change, you need to get into this book. Read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, live it in your life. The more you get the Word of God in your life, the more you're going to be changed.
People say, "I don't have any faith." I ask them, "Are you reading the Bible?" They say, "No."
What do they expect? The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
2. He uses the Holy Spirit
God put His Spirit in us when we were saved—he wants to baptize you in the Spirit and fill you to overflowing with the Holy Spirit
The word of God shows us that we need to change—cooperation with the Holy Spirit brings us the power to change…
I Corinthians 3:18 "As the Spirit of the Lord works with us, we become more and more like Him."
God's number one purpose in your life is not to make you happy, but to make you like Jesus.
God's ideal is to tell us how to change through His word and give us the power to change through His Spirit. You read it and then He empowers you to do it.
Unfortunately, we don't always follow the ideal. So God has to use a third way to change us when we don't respond to the Word or the Holy Spirit.
3. He uses Circumstances
Problems, pressures, headaches, difficulties, stress always gets our attention.
If God is going to make me like Jesus, then He's going to take me through some situations that Jesus went through.
There were times when Jesus was lonely.
There were times when Jesus was tempted.
There were times when Jesus was tempted to be depressed or to get angry and blow up or to be impatient.
And God allowed Jesus to go through those things.
Do you think He's going to spare you from those things? He's more interested in your character than your comfort.
Hebrews 5:8 "Jesus learned obedience through suffering." How do you think you're going to learn it?
Hebrews 2:10 says, "Jesus was made perfect through suffering." How do you think you're going to be made perfect?
God works through His Word and by His Spirit and through life’s circumstances to change us to be more and more like Jesus…
God Works in me…
God works in you!
He works on you, in you, through, or he may be just working you over…but it is all for your good…and everything the devil might throw at you He can turn it around and bring something Good out of it---just you wait and see---eternity will tell the story!
MY PART IN CHANGING ME
THREE CHOICES THAT WILL HELP YOU CHANGE
1. I can choose what I think about.
Rewind to 2:5 “let this mind be in you,,,”
Fast forward to 4:8 “think on these things…” (meditate)
I can choose what I put into my mind
What you saturate your mind with is what will eventually and ultimate form your character and will come out some way in your future---
If you saturate your life with violent movies and video games then that will effect the way you think in the not so distant future.
If you soak your mind with romance novels and fantasy dreams and ideals it will affect your relationship with your spouse
If you saturate your mind with pornographic images it will destroy the value and intimacy that God has for you and your spouse (even if you are not married yet)
If you think all the time about how much money you can make with this deal or with that deal you will be formed by ;your greed.
If you choose to nurse negative and hurtful memories about a person it will affect the way you relate to new people God brings in to your life…
You and I can choose what we think about!
What do your think about that????
Proverbs 4:23 (GN) "Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts."
You aren't what you think you are. But what you think, you are. Your thoughts don't just direct your life, they are your life.
Some people want to change the way they feel…you cannot change a feeling but you can change a thought—so you have to start with what you think!
Some of you are depressed (that is the feeling) and you’re trying to change the feeling---but you are still depressed. You are depressed because you keep thinking depressing thoughts. Begin to change what you think about and who you think about and they way you think about them and what you think about them.
About yourself! About your circumstances! About your past!
We are often stuck in a certain pattern of thinking—it is like a speed boat – imagine yourself in a speed boat set on auto-pilot, just off the coast in the pacific ocean—you have been in the boat enjoy the sun and wind and water—but then you notice that the shore is getting further and further away and you are in danger of losing your bearings—you wake up to the dangerous position you are in—There are two ways you can remedy the problem:
1. Grab the wheel and turn it around. But in doing so you are fighting against the tension in the boat that is programmed to head away from where you want to go…The auto pilot wants to go west but you are wanting to go east. There is a great tensions and a battle to force it another way,
You are forcing yourself to go opposite to your own nature. The whole time you're holding the wheel you're getting tired because there is tension and soon you let go of the steering wheel and ... go off the diet, start smoking again, reading material you've been trying to stop reading ... whatever it is.
Sheer will power doesn't work.
The Bible says change starts in the mind -- "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Change the automatic pilot. If you change it, the direction changes easily.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of God’s Word (Bible) in this process—Bible meditation is vital in changing the way you think!!! Changing the automatic reflexes in your thinking patterns.
Read it! Listen to it! Memorize portions! Think about it!
Apply it!!! Do it!!!
I can choose what I think about—what I dwell on!
2. I can choose to depend on the Holy Spirit moment by moment
Change is not something I can do in my own power!
I need help!
This is where the power of the Holy Spirit comes in!
You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you!
Power to witness and power to live!
Power to change!
You must depend on the power of God’s Holy Spirit
How can you tell when you are depending on God? Check your prayer life—what do you pray about? The things you pray about are the thing you are depending on God for.
You don’t pray about the things you depend on yourself for!
It may very well be that you have placed your dependence on a source that cannot truly help you—self, others,
You can choose to depend on the Holy Spirit and He will work in you—as you work it out!
3. I can choose my response to circumstances
James 1:2-4 "When all kinds of trials crowd into your lives don't resent them as intruders but welcome them as friends. Realize that they come to test your faith and produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed and you become people of mature character, people of integrity, with no weak spots."
There is a direct relationship between God’s resources and our choices: God has given us His Word—we chose to take it in to our spirit—read, listen, do,
God has given us the Holy Spirit—I choose to depend on Him through constant prayer and request…
God uses circumstances to bring change into our lives—I choose how I respond to circumstances (and to people)
James is telling us that we can choose our response to adversity when it comes into our lives—by our choice those circumstances will make us better or bitter
Whether it will be a stepping stone to maturity or a stumbling block to failure
What matter most is not what happens to you in life but rather what happens in you as a result of how you have chosen to respond to adversity—That is a choice! A difficult choice perhaps—but it is a choice! Don’t believe the devils lie that you cannot help it…You cannot change the way you think! You cannot depend on the Holy Spirit and you cannot help how you respond to bad circumstance
We have seen it happen—the same circumstances come to two different people—one turns out a winner and the other turned into a whiner…
One complains and the other uses it to advance their character and create new opportunities…
Romans 5:3-4 "We can be full of joy here and now, even in our trials and troubles. These very things [the trials and troubles] will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character."
What needs to change in your life to bring out more joy???
YOU!
Not your circumstances!
Determine today that you are going to make new choices!
In how you think
In how you depend on God
In how you respond to circumstances
The Joyful Christian—Part Four
HOW GOD CHANGES MY LIFE
Philippians 2:12-13
" ... Continue to WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who WORKS IN you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Introductory notes:
I. GOD'S PART IN CHANGING ME: 3 Tools He Uses
1. ________________________________________
"The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point …" 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (LB)
2. ________________________________________
"As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him." I Cor. 3:18 (LB)
3. ________________________________________
"Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways."
Prov. 20:30 (GN)
II. MY PART IN CHANGING ME -- THREE CHOICES
1. I can choose ________________________________________.
2. I can choose ________________________________________.
3. I can choose ________________________________________.
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[1]Lucado, M. 2001, c2000. He chose the nails : What God did to win your heart (electronic ed.) . Word Publishing: Nashville