Let's give a shout of praise to the Lord!
Amen!
Heavenly Father,
As we gather here today, enlighten our understanding, purify our hearts every desire, quicken our wills, and strengthen every right purpose. Grant us wisdom and discernment, that we may better know Your Word and understand. Direct us, in clarity, during this time of worship, guide us to the magnifying and exalting of Your name, and to the enduring good of us Your children and servants, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen
"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace."
So today, we are using this scripture and we are going to be dealing with the change.
Understand that:
Nothing changes if Nothing changes.
Say that with me,
Nothing changes if nothing changes!
The statement “Change is inevitable; misery is optional” is probably more true than many of us care to admit.
Somehow, we imagine that it is possible to live without change. However, we can no more live and not have change than we can jump without feeling the impact of gravity.
Therefore, to live is to change, and any thought that we can avoid change in life is pure illusion.
Women have rights because something had changed.
We have a choice to make, we can try to resist change and try to stay the way we are or release our resistance to change.
But the Bible says in Hebrews 12:1 “lay aside every weight”, in other words there is some stuff that has to change!
There is a saying that goes like this:
“NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES AND IF I KEEP DOING WHAT I'VE ALWAYS DONE, I'LL KEEP GETTING WHAT I'VE ALWAYS GOT AND WILL KEEP FEELING WHAT I ALWAYS FELT."
That is a true statement because to do the same thing over and over without ever having something change and you keep looking for a different outcome to happen.
Albert Einstein said- “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"
"Nothing changes if nothing changes, and if I keep doing what I've always done, I'll keep getting what I've always got, and will keep feeling what I always felt."
Although this is a true statement it is just another way of saying that you are stuck in a rut.
One of the definitions of rut is “A fixed, usually boring routine” If you continue to do the same thing in that rut, you will stay in that rut.
Unless there is a change, we will be stuck in the same rut just spinning our wheels and going nowhere.
Many people are stuck in a rut in their lives, they continually do the same thing over and over again, only going deeper and deeper into the rut they are currently in.
People refuse to change because their mindset is that I am comfortable or I can control what I am doing and they are fearful of change.
Woodrow Wilson’s gave a very wise warning:
“If you want to make enemies try to change something.”
Change can be very threatening.
But why is that?
Because change will bring with it a level of uncertainty and because of that uncertainty people develop an attitude or spirit of fear!
2 Timothy 1:7 says
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.
Therefore, we should not be fearful of change.
However, because of this attitude or spirit of fear, people sometimes unconsciously and sometimes consciously become ineffective and irrelevant and ultimately often die, all because they refused to change.
It happens with individuals, marriages, businesses, organizations, and unfortunately with some churches.
WATCH THIS:
Even the people of Christ's day, who were looking for and expecting the promised Messiah, didn't accept him when he came because he didn't come the way they expected him to come, nor did he do what they wanted him to do!
That is, overthrow the oppressing Roman rule.
As a result they rejected Christ, the Messiah, and clung to their irrelevant religious traditions and missed out on the opportunity to change.
One of the main reasons people don’t want to serve God is because it transforms, it changes you and if it hasn’t changed you than you're probably not living for God.
A lot of people go through the motions of Christianity but they never change their lives nor their life style.
That's why it is often difficult to tell Christians apart from those of the world.
As Christians, we're not called to fit in with the world!
We are to be in the world, but not to have the world in us!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17
Pastor Brian's amplified translation:
"Scripture equals change!"
Traditions and rituals are effective, but only as long as they are relevant.
Refusal to change is called stubbornness and the Bible talks about stubbornness some 28 times and 19 more times, it uses the word "stiff-necked," these words are talking about people that refuse to change.
Understand God cannot allow people to lead comfortable lives when stubbornness separates them from Him.
God wants everyone to let go of stubbornness and return to Him, in other words change.
While God's Word, God's truth never changes, times change, people change, situations change and methods change so when our traditions are no longer relevant, we need to be open to change.
WHY?
Because to live is to grow; and to grow is to change.
Church, its just not smart to continue to do the same thing and think something different is going to happen.
There’s a old saying that goes "prayer changes things."
It’s not very smart to pray and not expect change to take place.
When you pray expect change to take place!
Say that with me,
When you pray expect change to take place!
After all, isn't that why you're praying in the first place?
You needed something to change?
Job 22:28 says
“You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you;”
If the church is growing, people are coming in, prayers are being answered...
WATCH THIS, that’s change.
Whether everyone likes it or not its change and things are changing because prayer changes things!
Jesus said, in John 14:6:
" Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Jesus never changes, since Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh, God’s word never changes, therefore, if it is in the Word of God it can’t change regardless of whose feelings are hurt or what laws are passed.
Jesus said "I am the truth"
Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
There are some things that will change in our life and there are some things that will never change and we must be able to accept that which we cannot change, regardless if we like it or not.
We can’t change our past but we can change our present situation and that will ultimately change your future.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next.
One of the most successful programs to help people with their chronic struggles has been the 12 step program.
All 12 step recovery programs start essentially the same way:
Step 1 is about taking a step, I admit to myself that something is seriously wrong in my life.
I have made a mess of my life. I admit this and quit trying to play games with myself.
I realize that my life has become unmanageable in many ways. It is not under my control anymore.
I do things that I later regret doing and tell myself that I will not do them again. But I do.
I keep on doing them, in spite of my regrets, my denials, my vows, my cover-ups and my facades.
The Bible says it like this in Romans 7:15-20 “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Step 1 is all about brokenness anybody broken?
Step 2 is a step of hope, faith and realization. It is a big step towards God. In essence it says: In spite of all of the failures in my own life, all of the broken promises, hard feelings, disappointments, failures, destructive behavior, hatred, anxiety, depression or guilt ... there is still hope.
There is hope because greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world, and with Christ all things are possible. I am incapable of doing it myself, I need God’s help.
"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, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus"
Philippians 3:13-14
Step 2 is all about honesty! You must be honest with yourself and say I can’t make it on my own, I have tried it and I made a mess of my life. I don’t have it all together I need to change.
Step 3 is a step of letting go. I have made a conscious and willful decision to turn my will and all my life’s circumstances over to the care of God.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says:
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
God's has a spiritual 12-step program
Step 1- Brokenness
I have been broken, my life was messed up, I am ashamed of the things I have done.
When I looked in the mirror I could no longer can stand the person I saw because that’s wasn't even me anymore.
One day, I just said, out loud by the way, I am broken so Lord I’m giving it all to you. It’s all messed up, but I am ready for a change.
Lord I need you to put the shattered pieces of my life back together.
God wants to take your brokenness and put you together a new.
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
Step 2- Hope, Faith and Realization
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and righteousness.
"through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Faith: Hebrews 11:1 says
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
I’m standing at the break of darkness in my life, I don’t know where the next step is going to take me, but I have faith that God will change my situation around.
WHY – REALIZATION
I realize that in myself I have made a mess of things, but I realize what the Bible says in Philippians 4:13,“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
STEP 3-LETTING GO AND RELINQUISHMENT – you can’t hold on to stuff and expect things to change, for nothing changes if nothing changes.
When you make up in your mind to let go of some stuff then God can do what no other power can do. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you”
If you want things to change you must cast off some stuff.
Understand that God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.
If you are going to grow in your walk, you must be willing to allow God to help you to change, to be more and more like Jesus.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
Say that with me,
Nothing changes if nothing changes!
If you came up for prayer at altar call and got a good blessing 6 months ago and you and that man or you and that woman are still living together and you are not married to, nothing has changed and you are still living in sin and are on your way to hell.
WHY?
Because nothing changes if nothing changes.
You might say, well I don’t believe that God would send me to hell.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
If you come to church every Sunday, pay you tithes and offerings, and even sing the praise songs loud and with enthusiasm, but you still have the same carnal mind then nothing in your life has changed because your mind is still the same.
Romans 8:7 says “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be”.
So we see that this carnal mind must be changed for nothing changes if nothing changes!
Please understand, I'm not here to judge.
I'm not here to condemn.
I am here to restore!
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND:
Romans 12:2 says:
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Transform means to undergo a change in the structure a genetic modification.
For example, a caterpillar is not really a beautiful creature, it crawls around on the ground vulnerable to predators, but at some point in its life it under goes a transformation both physically and mentally.
This transformation, physically causes the genetic structure to change and produces wings of a multitude of colors, that makes it possible for the new creature to fly and look prettier, more beautiful than before, but also there’s a transformation that takes place in the mind.
When it was a caterpillar, all it could do was crawl around but after the transformation in the mind, that caterpillar all of a sudden realizes he can fly. He can rise above being stepped on he can out maneuver its predators.
If there hadn’t been a change then nothing would have changed.
CHURCH, YOU CANNOT BE IN CHRIST AND STILL DO WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE YOU WERE IN CHRIST!
WHY?
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE STILL DOING THE SAME THINGS,
THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE AND NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES!
You must have a changed mind, a changed heart, a changed walk, changed talk, a changed life.
The things you used to do you can’t do anymore.
Why – because of change.
Places you used to go you just can’t go anymore.
Why?
Because of change.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
In Closing.....
I'm reminded of the 10 men in the Bible that had leprosy, in Luke 17:11-17
"Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?"
I like to believe in my spiritual imagination that when they got in front of the priest, no doubt someone said, Priest after you pronounced us unclean, after you stripped us of all our dignity and possessions, after you made us to yell unclean, after you left us out there all alone to die, after all we been through,
I just want to ask you the question “HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?”
Sin is a form of leprosy that it eats slowly away at a person killing them in a very humiliating, degrading, uncomfortable way.
In sin we are clothed in corruption, our identity is taken away, you look in the mirror and don’t even realize that you are a child of God. A spiritual vale is placed over our eyes so that we are blinded to the truth.
The devil humiliates you and causes you to degrade your body. He destroys your reputation, separates you from those that love you, leaves you out there in sin to die all alone.
But one day you meet Jesus and cry unto Him, Lord have mercy on me, and He picks you up and turns you around, changes you into a new creature, old things are passes away and behold all things have become new.
You get a new walk, a new talk, a new point of view, You get a new attitude. No longer are you like you used to be, you’ve been changed.
Something changed because something changed.
The devil had a hold on me, but Jesus set me free!
You can’t say that if nothing changes.
WHY – because nothing changes if nothing changes.
There’s a song that I heard sung once that goes something like this: “I went to a meeting one night and my heart wasn’t right, but something got a hold of me, ”
It was the Holy Ghost, yes, the Holy Ghost. It makes me walk right. It makes me talk right. Sing right. Pray right!"
I can tell you, the Holy Spirit, it changed me. The Holy Ghost made me anew. It was the Holy Ghost. And now I am no longer the same.
As long as you stay in that condition you are always going to get the same results, but if you would just change and begin to make the steps toward God, He will turn your situation around.
Remember Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
You must make up in your mind that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.
You must change from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ.
From lost to found. From hurt to healed, from sad to happy, from out of my mind with stress and anxiety to being in perfect peace in Christ.
Brothers and Sisters,
Let me encourage you today, to take that first step!
Because change begins with that first step and Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
But there is still hope!
Let God help you make the changes in your life.
God loves you and He wants more than anything to help you make it to heaven.
And so do I...
Christ died for us to help us go from a sinful life to a life that is pleasing to God.
Some are making great changes a little at a time that is called growing and I am glad to see such a change in your life.
But I can tell you this, more you are willing to change, the more God will use you and then you will be able to help others grow gracefully in the love of God.
God has GREAT things in store for YOU...
But you must be willing to allow Him to tranform your life...
Because Nothing changes if nothing changes!
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
The devil had a hold on me, but Jesus set me free!
You can’t say that if nothing changes.
WHY – because nothing changes if nothing changes.
There’s a song that I heard sung once that goes something like this: “I went to a meeting one night and my heart wasn’t right, but something got a hold of me, ”
It was the Holy Ghost, yes, the Holy Ghost. It makes me walk right. It makes me talk right. Sing right. Pray right!"
I can tell you, the Holy Spirit, it changed me. The Holy Ghost made me anew. It was the Holy Ghost. And now I am no longer the same.
As long as you stay in that condition you are always going to get the same results, but if you would just change and begin to make the steps toward God, He will turn your situation around.
Remember Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
You must make up in your mind that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.
You must change from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ.
From lost to found. From hurt to healed, from sad to happy, from out of my mind with stress and anxiety to being in perfect peace in Christ.
Brothers and Sisters,
Let me encourage you today, to take that first step!
Because change begins with that first step and Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.
But there is still hope!
Let God help you make the changes in your life.
God loves you and He wants more than anything to help you make it to heaven.
And so do I...
Christ died for us to help us go from a sinful life to a life that is pleasing to God.
Some are making great changes a little at a time that is called growing and I am glad to see such a change in your life.
But I can tell you this, more you are willing to change, the more God will use you and then you will be able to help others grow gracefully in the love of God.
God has GREAT things in store for YOU...
But you must be willing to allow Him to tranform your life...
Because Nothing changes if nothing changes!
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries