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Rev 20:4-6 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Ezek 37:11-14 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' 12 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'" Rev 18:21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer Rev 19:15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. • The Bible often associates the power, wrath and judgment of God with physical calamities, such as storms and earth quakes, to portray times of great change • Rev 6:12-14 • Matt 24:29 • Isa 13:10-13 • Joel 2:30-32 • The vivid imagery present in the Book of Revelation and other prophetic texts is not to be taken literally, but is designed to depict a world in uproar as God’s enemies fall in defeat (Rev 18:21; 19:15) • And His people rise up in victory (Rev 20:4-6; Ezek 37:11-14) Isa 13:10-13 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. 11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. 12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger. Rev 6:12-14 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Matt 24:29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Joel 2:30-32 "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. 31 "The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered;
It is during times of change that it sometimes appears as if the entire world is falling apart, and that everything we know and live is being taken away. • Though difficult to cope with, it is important for us to understand that sometimes things get shaken up; and it is during these times where we make some of the most important choices in our lives; to prepare for the future and watch our world come together, or live in the past and let it fall apart; to let God lift us up, or to drag ourselves down. Too often, people chose the latter. • As we can clearly see from the bulk of the New Testament, the Jews of the first century had this same problem. • The time period in which these people lived was the most significant in history. • It was a time of great change, as Jesus Christ walked this earth, sacrificed His life for our sins, and brought forth through His apostles a system of religion for the whole world, that was unlike any other. • It was during this time that men and women had to make a decision to embrace Jesus and His church, or cling to their traditions and ideas about what they thought and wanted the Messiah and His kingdom to be. • Unlike the majority who decided otherwise, it is those who first made the decision to embrace Christianity that understand some things about change, indeed great change, which we need to keep in mind today
Change is Sometimes Necessary • Change is a fact of life! • Seasons change • People get older • Knowledge increases (or decreases) • Hair styles and fashion changes • The economy changes • Even laws change
Change is Sometimes Necessary Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 3:19 "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; • Change is a fact of life • That fact that change is inevitable means that sooner or later we will be faced with a choice: to embrace that change or reject it. • Many of those in the fist century literally looked change in the face, in the form of Jesus Christ, and rejected it. • Some did not believe change was necessary because they were comfortable in their wealth and in their sins, and thought life did not get any better (Luke 18:11-12) • It is difficult to preach a message of change to those who see no need to change (Matt 13:15) • Sometimes we have a tendency to tell people they need to change without first explaining why: that mankind has a problem with sin and is need of forgiveness; and that forgiveness comes as a result of change (Isa 59:2; Rom 6:23; Acts 2:38; 3:19) Matt 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' The same scripture is repeated in Acts 28:27 Luke 18:11-12 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'
Jer 31:31 Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, Heb 12:18-29 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire.“ Hag 2:4-7 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' 6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. Change is Sometimes Necessary 1 Cor 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, Zech 12:10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son • Change is a fact of life • That fact that change is inevitable means that sooner or later we will be faced with a choice: to embrace that change or reject it. • We need never to think we are beyond change, and we must be prepared to do so when and if it is needed. • The first century Jew who converted to Christianity understood that the Old Testament foretold of a great change, and so they were prepared for the change that was needed (Jer 31:31; Heb 12:18-29; Hag 2:4-7) • They all should have known • They should have known that in order for people to be saved change was needed because the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins (Heb 10:4) • They should have known that the Messiah had to die to make salvation possible (1st Cor 15:3; Zech 12:10) • They should have known that the ultimate sacrifice of Christ would usher in a new age and a new law (Heb 7:12) • Thy should have known that God desires all men to be saved and would not leave out the Gentiles (1st Tim 2:3-4; Gal 3:27-28) • Thy should have known that Christianity was a necessary change for the better, and embraced it 1 Tim 2:3-4 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth Gal 3:27-28 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus Heb 10:4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Heb 7:12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.
Change is Sometimes Necessary • Change is a fact of life • That fact that change is inevitable means that sooner or later we will be faced with a choice: to embrace that change or reject it. • We need never to think we are beyond change, and we must be prepared to do so when and if it is needed. • Christianity is a life of change • When is change needed? If we find we are not consistent with God, we need to change. • This is basically the definition of repentance, a change in mind that leads to change in action (2nd Cor 7:10) • This is what it means to walk in the light (1st John 1:7-9) • Christianity is a transformation (Rom 12:2) • It is a new way of life and a new way of thinking (Rom 6:4; 2nd Cor 5:17) • Growth implies change (2nd Peter 3:18) • We cannot be more like Christ if we do not change (Luke 6:40) • We need to realize that change is really not a choice, it’s a necessity 1 John 1:7-9 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect 2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Luke 6:40 A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
Change is Sometimes Inconvenient Matt 15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." Acts 6:14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us." Matt 15:2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." Matt 15:6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. • The change that is needed is not always the change that is desired or expected • What many Jews desired and expected the Messiah and His kingdom to be was different than what they actually were. • They were blinded from the truth by their own desires (Matt 15:14; Acts 6:14) • They rejected the truth for the sake of tradition (Mat 15:2, 6) • Jesus said they knew not the Scriptures, not the power of God (Matt 22:29) • Even the disciples did not fully expect what happened (Luke 24:21) • Christ’s kingdom is not like other kingdoms (Dan 2:44; John 18:36) • We cannot let our desires overrule the truth • The deliverance from sin was not the deliverance they wanted or expected so to change would have been inconvenient, and in rejecting that opportunity they left no room for deliverance of any kind (Rev 18:14) Dan 2:44 "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. John 18:36 Jesus answered, " My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." Matt 22:29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. Rev 18:14 The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.
Matt 19:16-24 And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. 23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Change is Sometimes Inconvenient John 12:42-43 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; • The change that is needed is not always the change that is desired or expected • What is the real inconvenience? • Fear: • Fear of what others think (John 12:42) • Fear of the unknown • You can never learn anything if you fear what you don’t know. • Felix knew he had to change, but it was not convenient (Acts 24:25) • If we do not confront our fears they will not go away • Pride (Ps. 10:4) • Cost • Some of us do not change because of what we have to lose (Matt 19:16-24) • It was no doubt inconvenient for Paul, a prominent Pharisee, to change but he did (Phil 3:4-8) • It wasn’t convenient for Jesus to come to earth to die on the cross, especially for the sins of others, but He did so anyway (Rom 5:7-9) Acts 24:25 But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you." Phil 3:4-8 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, Ps 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God Rom 5:7-9 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Change is Sometimes Inconvenient Matt 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He will make your paths straight. • The change that is needed is not always the change that is desired or expected • What is the real inconvenience? • Change might be scary, but we need to face our fears (Mat 10:28; Prov 3:5-6) • Change might not be how we would like, but we need to throw out that deceptive pride (Obad. 1:3) • Change might cost us a lot, but it’s worth it (Matt 16:26) • What happens to you, though inconvenient, is to give you an opportunity to grow closer to God (Acts 17:26-27) • Times of change may seem like your world is falling apart, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Obad 3 "The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart,' Who will bring me down to earth?' Acts 17:26-27 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; Matt 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Change is Always Personal Mark 7:8-9 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires • Many people want to change others rather than themselves • Some want to change God • Jews tried by their traditions (Mark 7:8-9) • Many today do the same (Rom 1:23-25) • Some think abiding by the New Testament is living in the past and that change is needed. But what are they really changing? • “It’s more entertaining” or “It will bring more people in” or “It feels good” sound more like reasons to satisfy one’s own desires rather that changing in order to please God. (2nd Tim 4:3) • Changing what God has commanded because of our own desires is not an option. • It is not God or His Word that needs to change (Isa 40:8; Jas 1:17) • But ourselves (Rom 3:23; Acts 17:30) • Some want to change others • We are to work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12) • We need to focus on the “plank” in our own eye rather than the “speck” in our brother • You can encourage (Jas 5:19) • But you can only truly change yourself • It’s your sins and your soul (Isa 59:2) Isa 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Acts 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent Rom 1:23-25 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Phil 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; James 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear
Change is Always Personal • Many people want to change others rather than themselves • Everyone has the potential to change, but all the potential in the world means nothing without action. You can change (Phil 4:13) • Change is always personal, and we need to personally choose to be more like Christ Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me
Spring is a time of change, and great change is on the horizon, both in this city and in this country. Whatever happens, we should use this time to examine our lives and make decisions that will bring us closer to God rather than farther away. • To a Christian, a time of change can become the dawn of a new day; a new heaven and new earth as stated in the Bible. • While we ultimately look forward to that eternally new day, the blessings of heaven, we also know that our decisions to change today can make for a better tomorrow. • Men and women in the first century who viewed their world as falling apart were correct. A great day of wrath awaited those who were unprepared and unwilling to change. • As the world they loved and wanted to keep, their temple, their city, and their traditions, was coming to an end. It is sad to think that a new life awaited them, if they would have only embraced it.
Likewise today, a great day of wrath awaits those who reject Jesus Christ. • While some with that all things remain as they are, the world we know it will come to an end one day. • And just like those in the first century, there is an opportunity, before it is too late, to take hole of something far greater; if only we are willing to change. • Jesus personally died on the cross for your benefit. It wasn’t convenient, but it was necessary. • He changed everything for you, will you change for Him?
