Friday 7 October 2011

God is calling us to change

Very interesting talk in church today.

2 Corinthians 3:13 (NIV)

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.

What is the call and change that God is calling us to?

Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?

God is consistent, unchanging, eternally the same.

God calls people to move on and change as a natural aspect of life.

John the Baptist pointed to Jesus for the giving of the Spirit which can change us with power from within.

John 6:35 (NIV)
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 15:2-8 (NIV)
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Matthew 25:22-23 (NIV)
"The man with the two talents also came. `Master,' he said, `you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' [23] "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

God is about personal change.

God is a potter, a builder.

Jesus keeps on using examples of plants, trees and crops. 

God Is about change.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NIV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Living lives that reflect God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
... are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory ...

There are times and seasons of change in creation. God has at his essence change.

We need to be engaged with the God of change.

We should not be afraid of looking for change and be able to embrace this. Change is not one of the things we often find easy. Why don't we change? Is it because we can't or don't want to?

We must admit that we are not yet perfect and we must be willing to change.

Faith should be about change.

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