Come As You Are… Then The Changes!
* When Jesus called people to follow Him, He did not give them a bunch of prerequisites before they could spend time with Him and become His disciples. He took them as they were and then helped them to experience a transformed life.
* So, before we go any farther today, we need to realize that it is always God who calls us in one way or another – We do not “decide” out of the blue to come to Him. God brings us to Jesus through an invitation by a person that is using his/her spiritual talents. Maybe God uses circumstances in life… But it is always God’s grace that comes to us, not the other way around. God gets a hold of us – He finds us, we do not find God.
* Most people don’t like changes, but once the Living Word, Jesus Christ, comes into our life, changes will happen – Change for the better! But you may ask: What will change? Here are a few changes that will take place:
A. From a selfish lifestyle to a selfless life – one of the main reasons people feel miserable in life is due to their almost exclusive focus on themselves. Then, when they don’t get what they want out of life - frustration sets in. When Christ becomes our Savior and Lord of our life, we become much more interested in spiritual issues, on glorifying God, and being there for people, especially for people in need. That brings us joy!
B. Love will become the foundation for everything we do. Until Jesus has priority in life, human beings mostly think about how to take advantage of people and situations, but when Jesus lives in us our relationships will be ruled by love… sacrificial love. We desire to become what Jesus wants us to be – or as Paul says in Romans 8:29 – We will be conformed to the image of the Son of God… Jesus.
C. Our moral life is transformed – Instead of following natural tendencies that are not in harmony with God’s will, our life will become clean and pleasing to our Creator – Immorality and dirt are out, wholesomeness and purity are in!
D. We have a future – What is the perspective for the future before a person has Christ leading his/her life? In reality there is no hope without Him, but with Him we receive a clear direction for life and for eternity. We become clearly aware that our true citizenship is in the New Heaven and New Earth. This life here… is just a passage!
* Our best without Jesus is ragged clothes, filthy life, self-centered attitudes and behavior. And that is the way we are brought to Jesus - life falling apart… but then the transformation. He renews; He remakes; He transforms us, He gives real life!
* Many changes… all of them have their origin with Jesus living in us. He does it all to make life beautiful and meaningful.
* Do you feel the need for change? God wants to make you and me to be people modeled after His Son. Come as we are, but be prepared for change - wonderful change! Once Christ lives in us a partnership is established between God, the Holy Spirit and the new person we have become. “Come As You Are” does not mean, “Stay as you are.”
* As we start a new worship service on January 08, 2016 I want to remind you about what Paul said:"For this is the will of God, your sanctification" 1 Thessalonians 4:3. In other words, God wants to transform you! Are you ready for it? He wants to renovate us completely through Christ… our thinking, our attitude, our whole life. I pray that we all will "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him."
* Come! God will change everything!
Rev. Don Sonntag
A thought . . . "Everybody thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy
* When Jesus called people to follow Him, He did not give them a bunch of prerequisites before they could spend time with Him and become His disciples. He took them as they were and then helped them to experience a transformed life.
* So, before we go any farther today, we need to realize that it is always God who calls us in one way or another – We do not “decide” out of the blue to come to Him. God brings us to Jesus through an invitation by a person that is using his/her spiritual talents. Maybe God uses circumstances in life… But it is always God’s grace that comes to us, not the other way around. God gets a hold of us – He finds us, we do not find God.
* Most people don’t like changes, but once the Living Word, Jesus Christ, comes into our life, changes will happen – Change for the better! But you may ask: What will change? Here are a few changes that will take place:
A. From a selfish lifestyle to a selfless life – one of the main reasons people feel miserable in life is due to their almost exclusive focus on themselves. Then, when they don’t get what they want out of life - frustration sets in. When Christ becomes our Savior and Lord of our life, we become much more interested in spiritual issues, on glorifying God, and being there for people, especially for people in need. That brings us joy!
B. Love will become the foundation for everything we do. Until Jesus has priority in life, human beings mostly think about how to take advantage of people and situations, but when Jesus lives in us our relationships will be ruled by love… sacrificial love. We desire to become what Jesus wants us to be – or as Paul says in Romans 8:29 – We will be conformed to the image of the Son of God… Jesus.
C. Our moral life is transformed – Instead of following natural tendencies that are not in harmony with God’s will, our life will become clean and pleasing to our Creator – Immorality and dirt are out, wholesomeness and purity are in!
D. We have a future – What is the perspective for the future before a person has Christ leading his/her life? In reality there is no hope without Him, but with Him we receive a clear direction for life and for eternity. We become clearly aware that our true citizenship is in the New Heaven and New Earth. This life here… is just a passage!
* Our best without Jesus is ragged clothes, filthy life, self-centered attitudes and behavior. And that is the way we are brought to Jesus - life falling apart… but then the transformation. He renews; He remakes; He transforms us, He gives real life!
* Many changes… all of them have their origin with Jesus living in us. He does it all to make life beautiful and meaningful.
* Do you feel the need for change? God wants to make you and me to be people modeled after His Son. Come as we are, but be prepared for change - wonderful change! Once Christ lives in us a partnership is established between God, the Holy Spirit and the new person we have become. “Come As You Are” does not mean, “Stay as you are.”
* As we start a new worship service on January 08, 2016 I want to remind you about what Paul said:"For this is the will of God, your sanctification" 1 Thessalonians 4:3. In other words, God wants to transform you! Are you ready for it? He wants to renovate us completely through Christ… our thinking, our attitude, our whole life. I pray that we all will "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him."
* Come! God will change everything!
Rev. Don Sonntag
A thought . . . "Everybody thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy