The Power to Change Your Life

What would you like to change about yourself? Would you like to be more confident? more relaxed? more outgoing? maybe have less fear, less bitterness, less boredom?

There are very few people in life who feel like they have attained perfection. Most of us are very interested in changing and we realize there is always room for improvement. So often people ask, "Why is it I can't change? I want to change but I don't know how or I don't have the power to change." We may go to seminars, conferences, looking for the painless cure that's going to zap our life and change us instantly and give us self discipline. Or we go on diets. I once went on a diet for an entire afternoon. Or we join a health club and our enthusiasm goes great for about two weeks and then it kind of wanes and we go back into the same old rut and we don't change. We read self‑ help books. The problem with self help books is they tell you what to do but they don't give you the power. They says things like, "Get rid of all your bad habits.... Be positive, don't be negative..." How? Where do I get the power to change? That's the basic problem -- a lack of power in our lives. How do I get my life off dead center? How do I get out of the rut? How do I break out of the mold I'm in? Where do I get the power to get off center?

Good News! Jesus Christ offers the power we need.
Philippians 3:10 "All I want to know is Christ and experience the power of His resurrection." Ephesians 1:20 "I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him, the same mighty power who raised Christ from the dead."
The word "power" is used in the New Testament 57 times. It is a book of power. It is used to describe the most powerful event that ever happened, an event that separated A.D. and B.C. All history was split by one powerful event. What is that power? It's the power to change your life.

We're going to be talking about power. How do I have the power to change and how does God change me and make me what I want to be and what He wants me to be? Power! [I think of the new chaplain at the prison. He was nervous. He was assigned death row. He was trying to be positive when he went in to counsel the guy that was going to be executed the next day. He said, "I've really been praying for you." The guy said, "But you don't realize. Tomorrow I'm going to the electric chair." The chaplain said, "Well... more power to you."]

Paul said, I want to know the power of the resurrection. The Greek word for power is the word dunamis -- dynamite. God says, I want to give you dynamite power in your life! Paul said I want to know it. It's my personal goal. And I want you to know it. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2000 years ago is available for your life right now to change your life.
What is resurrection power? and.. how does it affect me?

Here’s what the Bible says.
1. IT'S THE POWER TO CANCEL YOUR PAST.

Your failures, your mistakes, your sins, your regrets. When I say cancel, I'm not talking about denying the past and saying it never happened. Cancel means to eliminate, neutralize, offset. Have you ever been half way through a project and wished you could start over? Like painting the living room? A lot of people feel that way about life. "I wish I could just start over. I've made so many mistakes. I wish I could wipe them out. Failures, problems, bad decisions." Everybody has regrets because nobody's perfect. I don't measure up to my own standards, much less God's. Some people can't seem to let go of their past and as a result they let the past control the present. They live in a state of regret. They're continually saying, "If only..." They are continually second guessing themselves. they're tortured by painful memories. "I blew it, therefore I'm going to pay for it the rest of my life."
God says that's unnecessary. God says it's unnecessary for you to go around with a heavy load of guilt, old hurts, memories of mistakes. Colossians 3:14 "He has forgiven all our sins and canceled [circled "canceled"] every record of the debt we had to pay." Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.
It says, "He's forgiven all of our sins." What is sin? It's an archery term. It comes from bows and arrows. When a person in archery would shoot an arrow at a bulls eye and miss the target it was called a sin -- it missed the mark. That's why the Bible says, "All have sinned and have fallen short." It's an archery term. It falls short. The good news is that God offers complete forgiveness. He says He cancels every record of debt in your life. The words that describe forgiveness in the Bible are "blot out", "wipe out", "washed away", "canceled". It's completely forgotten.

Jesus Christ knows the things you've done wrong and He did not come to rub it in. He came to rub it out. He did not come to condemn you. He came to change you. Jesus Himself said, John 3:17 "I didn't come to condemn the world. . . I came to save it." He says I cancel out all of your past mistakes. It's like the Etch-A-Sketch. You make a mess, you flip it over and wipe the slate clean. The Bible says that's what God does to all the mistakes I've made in my life when I come to Him. He wipes it clean.

In Jeremiah 31:34 "I will remember their sins no more." That's got to be one of the most amazing verses in the Bible. God, who made the world, forgets. God chooses to forget your wrongs, your mistakes, your failures when you come and admit them to Him and ask Him to forgive you. He cancels your past. That's Good News!

Some of you if you would say today, "Christ Jesus, I want You to forgive me of all the things I've ever done wrong. I want to give my life to You. I want to make that commitment today." And then if you were to die tonight and stand before God in heaven and say, "God, about that sin I committed yesterday." He'd say, "What sin? What are you talking about?" Some of you have made some major mistakes in a business. He'd say, "What mistakes?" Some of you have gone through a divorce. He'd say, "What divorce?" God cancels your past. That allows you to get on with the present.
What is the basis for forgiveness? Romans 8:1 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." When Jesus Christ died on the cross one of His last words from the cross were, "It is finished." In the Greek that's one word. It literally means "Paid in full." Canceled. It was what they would stamp on bills when they had been paid. It was stamped on prison sentences when they had been completed. Paid in full.

God says, "That's what I did on the cross. I paid for every mistake you've ever made." So, Jesus was crucified on the cross so you can stop crucifying yourself. He was hung for your hang ups. That's Good News!

If God forgets a sin the moment we confess it, don't you think you ought to forget it? How long do you remember a bill that's been paid for? I forget it. I don't worry about last month's utility bill. Once it's been paid, I forget it. Somebody said, God takes all your mistakes and your failures and puts them in the deepest part of the sea when you give them to Him and then He puts up a "No fishing!" sign. It's the power to cancel your past.

2. IT'S THE POWER TO CONQUER YOUR PROBLEMS.
The fact is everybody's got problems. You've got them. I've got them. It's a part of life. If you don't have any problems, check your pulse. The only people who don't have problems are in Cemeteries.

Our real problem is what we do with our problem. We try to solve them on our own power and our own strength. How do you know when you're trying to solve your problems in your own strength? You're tired all the time. You're sick. You're sick and tired of being sick and tired!

It's the power to conquer your problems. Rom. 8:35, 37
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Shall trouble or hardship or danger? No, in all of these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us." Circle "conquerors". That means according to Webster, "one who overcomes by gaining control."

I have met some people who feel like their lives are out of control. "I am a victim of my circumstance! What can I do? I'm powerless. Just about the time I make ends meet, somebody moves the ends." You walk up to somebody and say, "How you doing?" They say, "I'm doing ok, under the circumstances." What are you doing under them? Somebody said, "Circumstances are like a mattress. You get on top and you rest easy. You get underneath and you suffocate."
It depends on where you are. A lot of people are under their circumstances. The fact is we can't control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them.
"But you don't know my problems. You don't know all the problems I'm going through. It's bad!" You're having a wonderful pity party. Everybody hates me, nobody loves me; I'm going to go eat worms!

This verse says "We are more than conquerors." In the Greek it says, "We are super conquerors" -- overwhelming victory. If you put your life in God's hands and you rely on the power of the resurrection, nothing can devastate your life, nothing can swallow you up, nothing can destroy you. That's the Power of God. No matter how dark the situation is, God can turn it around. No situation is hopeless. The same power that enabled Jesus Christ to rise from the dead, will allow you to rise over your problems.
It's the power to cancel your past. It's the power to conquer your problems.

3. IT'S THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR PERSONALITY

What would you like to change about you? What would your spouse like to change about you? Maybe that would be a little more accurate. One wife said, "My husband is so temperamental -- 90% temper, 10% mental!"

The power to change your personality. Complete this sentence: "It's just like me to be______________________________. Always late, ... worry, ... never stay on a diet, ... always put my foot in my mouth, ... always blow up, ... always be depressed, ... always get angry... whatever."

The fact is God uses a two step process to change us: When we commit our lives to Christ, that's the initial turning point. When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a new person inside. He's not the same anymore. A new life has begun." What happens? God says, I wipe out your past. All of it's gone. It's like starting over. That's why the Bible calls it being born again. Born again doesn't mean reincarnation, it just means you get another chance. Start over, new life! Not turn over a new leaf, you get a new life.
But then it's followed by a lifetime process.

Romans 12:2 "Don't let the world squeeze you into it's mold but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed."
It's so easy to get into a rut, a routine, the rat race. There's a myth going around like this, "I can't change. I've tried to change. I've worked hard. I've used will power. I've read books. I've gone to seminars. I've listened to tapes, but I can't change. It's just the way I am. I'll never be able to change." You're right. You can't on your own power. But with God's power you can make a difference. God says, "I want to take your greatest weakness and turn it into your strength."

There is one thing that will keep you from changing. I don't know you but I can tell you one thing about your life. There is only one thing that's going to keep you from becoming the person you want to be and God wants you to be. What is it? Not the devil. It's not other people. It's not God. It's not circumstances.
It is one word. Procrastination. Procrastination is deadly. "I have every intention to change. I'll do it tomorrow." Waiting,
delay. Intentions don't do anybody any good.
Ever hear people say, "I'm aimin' to change." I want to say, "When are you going to pull the trigger?"
Procrastination is fatal. "One of these days.... I'm going to go to the dentist. ... I'm going to have that surgery I need. ... I'm going to spend more time with my family. ... I'm going to get serious about being a Christ-follower. ... I'm going to get active in church. ... I'm going to go after that dream. ... I'm going to get in shape. One of these days..."

Ever read about or hear the story of the Exodus? The Famous old school movie ‘The Ten Commandments’ “Let my people GO” There were different plagues and every plague made fun of a different Egyptian god. The cow, lice. One of the most interesting was the plague of frogs. How would you like to have frogs in your bed? The Bible says there were frogs everywhere! I'm sure Mrs. Pharaoh was putting pressure on Pharaoh to give in and get rid of the frogs. One day Moses comes and Pharaoh gives up. Moses says, "When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?" Pharaoh gives a clasic answer: "Tomorrow". He must have been crazy! There's a famous sermon on this text called "One more night with the frogs." Why in the world would anybody put off a change that was going to be positive? Why wouldn't he say, "Right now! Get them out of here." But he said, "Tomorrow."

You and I do that all the time. We procrastinate and put off making changes that would be good for us. Why? Maybe complacency -- we're just too lazy to change. Maybe fear -- we don't know what the changes are going to be. Maybe pride -- we're stubborn. We procrastinate.

Any NASA guru will tell you that most of the amount of fuel in a rocket is used up in the first few hundred yards. It takes tremendous energy and thrust to get the rocket off the launch pad. Once it's going in orbit, it's much easier to direct.

The hardest thing in life is to get going. The hardest thing in life is to break procrastination. It's one thing for me to come in here and say, "Jesus Christ can cancel your past. He can help you conquer the problems you're facing right now. He can change your personality." And you go out saying, "One of these days I'm going to let God do it. One of these days I'm going to let the power of God work in my life."

It’s the power of the resurrection. Jesus Christ is alive. Since He is alive He gives you the power to change.
Why not experience the power of Jesus Christ today.
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Prayer:

Jesus Christ has the power to make the changes in your life that you want so badly to see and He is available. He will give you the power to get started. He will give you the power to keep going. He will give you the power to break procrastination. Why can't I change? Why can't I be consistent? Why can't I stick with the things I know are good for me? Because you don't have the power on your own. You were made to depend upon God.

Have you been unable to let go of your past? Jesus Christ offers complete forgiveness. He can put your life back together again. Or do you feel like Humpty Dumpty. Do you feel like nothing can put you together? It is never too late to start over. You're never a failure until you give up. He can give you the peace of a clear conscious. Maybe you're overwhelmed by your problems. Easter says no situation is hopeless. Relax, trust, let go. You don't have to be controlled by circumstances. No problem is too big for God. He's still in the resurrection business. What are you waiting for? Open up your life. Why wait another day? Give your life to Christ right now.