POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH
SPIRITUAL CHANGE
AUGUST 18, 2019
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Life Is A Series Of Changes
• Human Nature Tends To Resist Change
• Change Can Be Difficult
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Do Not Equate Easiness With Importance
• Easy Things Aren't Always Important --Important
Things Are Not Always Easy
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• (Judg 6:28-31 NIV) In the morning when the men of the town got up,
there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut
down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! (29) They
asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated,
they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." (30) The men of the town
demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has
broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."
(31) But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going
to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for
him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can
defend himself when someone breaks down his altar."
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
1. GOD'S CHANGE IS GOD'S IDEA:
• The Spiritual Change That Gideon Instituted
Was God's Idea
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• The First Thing That God Wanted For His
People =Spiritual Freedom
• You Can Only Be Free When You Destroy Every
Idol That Takes The Place Of The Worship Of God
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Many Times People Want To Blame:
The Man Of God For The Will Of God
• God’s Change Is God’s Idea
• God’s Will Is God’s Idea
• God’s Plan Is God’s Idea
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• When Any Group Of People Look At Things
Solely On The Basis Of The Physical Level -- It
Is Becomes Very Difficult For Them To See
Things On A Spiritual Level
• John 3:3 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, no one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Why Can’t People See ?
They Are Spiritually Blind
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• God Always Accepts Us Where We Are –
• But He Never Accepts Us Staying Where We Are
• He Wants Us To Be A People Of Change
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
God Has Called His People To Change
• To Repent And Turn From Our Wicked Ways
• To Be New Creations
• To Have A New Heart And Spirit
• To Put Off The Old And Put On The New
• To Have A New Mind And A New Attitude
• To Be Baptized In The Holy Spirit
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• God Calls Us To Change Us
• Change Is The Foundation For
New Life In Christ
• Change Is God's Idea
• He Wants Us To Continue Changing To Conform To His Will
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• God Wants You To Grow And To Move On
• To Change
• To Continue Being Changed
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
• Is God's Change
• Is God's Idea
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• (Acts 1:4-8 NIV) On one occasion, while he was eating with them,
he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for
the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
(5) For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit." (6) So when they met together, they
asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom
to Israel?" (7) He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times
or dates the Father has set by his own authority. (8) But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth."
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
2. God's Change Always Meets Resistance:
• Gideon's Idol Bonfire Met A Reaction Of Finger Pointing Accusation, And Blame
• Judg 6:29-30 (NIV) "They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it."" (30) "The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.""
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Some People Will Work Hard To Keep From
Having To Change
• They Don't Want To Change
• They Have Rebellious Spirits
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• The Changes Of God Were Resisted By
A Rebellious And By A Selfish People
• Going Against The Flow Will Produce
Times And Seasons Of Turbulence
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• It's Not Easy To Change
• It's Not Easy To Say No To The Flesh
• It's Not Easy To Wait Upon The Lord
•Change Is Difficult Because It Challenges
Our Comfort Zones
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• We Have To Realize That Doing Things Like We
Have Always Done Doesn't Cut It
• While They Have Been Worshipping Baal
• The Bondage,
• The Fear
• The Troubles
• Have Continued To Multiply
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• We Can't Do Things
Just For The Sake Of Doing Them
• Instead --
Let's Do Them Because They Are God Directed
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Today Resistance To Spiritual Change
Comes As A Result Of :
The Deception Of The Devil
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Today: God Is Saying
• Don't Stop Where You Are
• Your Old Means And Methods Are Tired
• INSTEAD: Do Things My Way
• God's Way Works So Much Better
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
3. When God's Change Comes
People Are Set Free
• Change Is Necessary To Be Set Totally Free
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• There Is No Life Without Growth
When We Stop Growing -- We Stop Living
• God Has So Much More For Us
• No Growth Without A Challenge
• If We Are Going To Make It
We Have To Grow
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• Judg 6:31 (NIV) "But Joash replied to the hostile crowd
around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are
you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be
put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can
defend himself when someone breaks down his altar."“
• Joash Had Now Been Freed To Worship The One
True God
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• It Took Someone To
• Stand Up
• Start A Bon Fire
• Burn The Idols
• Jesus Said: “You Shall Know The Truth And
The Truth Shall Set You Free”
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• When God Orders And Desires Change In Your
Life -- Accept It And Welcome It As A Friend
• There Are New Possibilities And Blessings That
God's Change Is Bound To Bring You
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SPIRITUAL CHANGE
• If You Will Institute
• God's Changes
• God’s Ideas
• God’s Ways
• You Will Continue To Move And Grow Spiritually