Apply It

1. Read your Bible.  

2. Pray.  

3. Love!  

It has been said that the only constant in life is change. Governments rise and fall, businesses come and go, and technology seems to change daily. Even your own life is constantly changing year to year and minute to minute whether you realize it or not.  Each day your cells regenerate, your blood volume is replaced, your skin is renewed and your internal cells are destroyed and rebuilt. We are powerless to affect change, as it affects everything around us. But there is one change that will eternally affect you; it is something we can and should prepare for, and that’s the change that will happen when Jesus returns one day. In this message, we take a look at the significance of this change, and why we should prepare for it.

 Why Prepare for Eternity?

 Because eternity is certain, a sure thing, inevitable and unexpected

 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. – Matthew 24:23-28 (New American Standard Bible)

 The last sentence above may seem confusing, but it’s an adage for “You can count on it”.  As Christians, none of us should find ourselves in the position to be guessing if someone is Jesus or not. When Jesus came to earth the first time, it was humble as human flesh. The passage above details how undeniably it will be when Christ returns for the second time. There will be no doubt about who He is when He returns the second time.

 Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken and one will be left. – Matthew 24:32-41(New American Standard Bible)

 The eternal change of passing from this life to a life with or without Jesus will be sudden and unexpected. It will happen during life as usual – working, driving, or going about the mundane tasks of each day. And it will be FINAL; there will be no second chances, so it is imperative that we prepare now, not later.

 Because you will give a personal account to Jesus

 The Bible is clear that only a fool is unprepared. You may have thought to yourself that it’s unlikely that Jesus will return during your lifetime. Maybe you think, “It’s been a long time, and lots of generations have thought he would return in the past, and he didn’t.” Thoughts like this are normal, but don’t let thoughts like this dictate your behavior. We are to be prepared in our living.

 So be prepared, because you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected. Who is a faithful, sensible servant, to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family? If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward…. –Matthew 24:42-51 (New American Standard Bible)

 Because you will experience consequences and rewards

 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and begins oppressing the other servants, partying, and getting drunk — well, the master will return unannounced and unexpected. He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:46-51 (New American Standard Bible)

 This passage may sound extreme, as if we might even lose our salvation.  However, we know that salvation is not earned by our actions and therefore cannot be lost by our actions either. In this passage, Jesus is speaking in hyperbole – exaggerated wording to emphasize the seriousness of a point – much like he spoke about cutting off your hand if it causes you to sin. Being prepared for your eternity is the most important action you will complete in this life, so don’t focus on the “when”, focus on the “what”.

 Lessons from Jesus

 These lessons from Matthew 24-25 serve as a reminder to each of us to be ready: Parable of the Fig Tree; Story of the Servant and His Master; Parable of the 10 Virgins; Parable of the Talents; Story of the Goats and the Sheep.

 In order to know how to prepare, we need to know what or who we are preparing for.

 Different events and people require different aspects of preparation. We prepare differently for our parents than we would for the president; and we prepare differently for a birthday party than we would for a funeral. Likewise, it is important to understand that we are preparing for our eternity with Jesus. 

 Eternity means the coming of Jesus, and preparing for eternity means a coming-to-Jesus talk.

 Q: When Jesus returns, what accounts will He settle with me? 

A: Whatever He has told me to be doing until He returns.

Each of us will be asked to account for the instructions and assets we were given.  Are you increasing Jesus’ stocks?

Apply It:

1. The last statement above asks the question: are you increasing Jesus’ stock? Just like our own financial managers are expected to increase our assets, so too are we to be increasing what Jesus has given us. Take a few minutes and reflect on what you are increasing for Jesus. List what he has given you, and what you have in turn done with it.
2. What does knowing that you will someday face eternal change inspire in you? If you knew that change would come for you today or tomorrow, what actions would you be inspired to take today?  Would you offer forgiveness you’ve been holding back? Would you begin a challenge you’ve been afraid to face? Spend time in prayer and be inspired to take action today.

This week, guest speaker Brad White continued the “Change Happens” series, by talking about why change happens for the better, and some mistakes to avoid.

One consistent aspect of life is change. It’s important as Christians to be there for each other whether we are going into a happy season of life or a difficult season of life. Consider the traditional wedding vows we say to one another: “I take you to be my wedded (husband/wife), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health …”

In other words, we can’t assume as Christians that life will always be perfect and happy.

Some of our greatest blessings come out of living through difficult times. Brad shared the struggle that he and his wife Sharon went through attempting to have children And after being given only a less than 10% chance of getting pregnant, God blessed them with healthy twin girls and a baby boy 2 years later. Brad described this as a gift from God for which he was incredibly thankful.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (New International Version)

So, why does change for the better happen?

Change for the Better Happens to…

I.          Increase our Faith, When Prayers are Answered (according to His will)
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 (New International Version)

When you pray, pray for God’s will, in His timing, and on His terms. Then watch how God blesses you.

II.         Provide Hope, Strength, and Perseverance in Bad Times
“I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. Psalms 77:1-2 (New International Version)

“Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” Psalms 77:10-12 (New International Version)

Instead of focusing on your own problems and difficulties, focus on God, and what He HAS provided, what He IS providing, and what He WILL provide in the future. Counting your blessings is a sure way of getting through the difficult times.

Mistakes to Avoid During Changes for the Better

I.    Thinking  I Made It Happen
“You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (New International Version)

We are involved in our outcomes, but we mustn’t think we made all these good things happen all on our own. As an example from the Bible, Moses didn’t lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, through his own strength. Instead, God freed His people through Moses.

II.   Being Greedy Instead of Generous

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”… Luke 12:15-21 (New International Version)

The temptation to be greedy is great! But if you look at your material possessions as God’s (on loan from God), instead of your own, it frees you to be generous with others who are in need.

Remember: God answers the prayers of others, through us (in our good times), just as our prayers are answered through others (in our bad times). So be thankful and generous at all times.

Action Step

List three blessings in your life. Each day: a) thank God, b) be generous with your excess, and c) encourage and lift others up.
1) ____________________________________________________________
2) ____________________________________________________________
3) ____________________________________________________________

Change is happening all around us and although this has always been true, it has never been truer than during the last decade here in America and across the rest of the world.  There have been changes in economics, changes in politics, changes in global security, changes in the workplace and changes in technological advances.

If you have time, take a look at this video about the unbelievable changes in technology on the planet.  It’s entitled “Did You Know?” and Pastor Kyung shared this video during this service.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

As we all struggle with the changes … some good, but many very challenging, we can sometimes question where God is in the middle of so many changes for the worse.

Why does change for the worse happen?

Because the world is broken.

Since the fall in the Garden of Eve, we have lived in a broken world.  We know we live in a world with SIN and yet we are surprised when things go wrong.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the difficult trials you’re going through as if some strange thing were happening to you. I Peter 4:12

Because we live in a world of broken people.

The human race lives with a paradox of our sinful pride which leads to selfish behaviors that can hurt others and our loving grace that leads us to do selfless acts of mercy.   But, the fact is that evil does exist and hurt people hurt others.  But do not be confused in any way – only good comes from God and the rest is due to our sinful nature and our enemy as discussed below.

And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.  James 1:13-18

Because we have a real enemy that wants us to turn from God.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

There are many lessons from the Bible about temptation and the faithful men and women who stayed true to believing that all that is good is from God even while suffering great pain or injustice.  So remember that He is our savior and Christ Jesus is our friend through the turbulent trials of life.

The story of King Saul and David in 1 Samuel is one example where King Saul let his pride and insecurities get the best of him.  And when God declared David would be next in line for the throne, Saul sought him out to kill him.  But when David had a perfect opportunity to slay King Saul, he resisted the temptation and followed what he knew God would want him to do instead, and that is to honor the King that currently has the throne.  David stands firm in telling King Saul …

The Lord sees me and pleads my case. He is my advocate and he will rescue me from your hand.  I Samuel 24:1-15

Apply It

1.  When change for the worse happens, our greatest temptation is to quickly take things into our own hands. and we can respond too quickly. This can be true for a big change or a minor change.  The next time something occurs that you did not expect or plan for, be still and pray and listen to God’s response. You will be amazed when it comes, and you’ll be more confident of the action to take.

2.  The next time you watch the news or hear on the radio about a terrible event and you are tempted to ask God why He allows this kind of incident, stop and remember that God is as hurt as you are. Instead, pray for God to turn the tragedy into a victory for someone or a group of people related to the incident.  That is what God does.

3.  Each and every day when you get up in the morning, focus on your commitment to do what is right – even when it’s difficult. And make a conscious effort to praise God for the good He does through others.  As a result, you will gain a priceless confidence of God’s presence and power in your life.

Chances are great that you know at least one mom in your life.  Whether she is still living, has passed away, or is completely unknown to you—a mom brought you into this world and made some sort of impact in your life.  God’s word asks us to honor our Mothers.  He places so much importance on honoring them, that He included it in the Ten Commandments.  When you think about honoring your Mom, maybe it sounds easy for you to follow this command?  But what if it seems difficult, or impossible?  How do we honor our mothers the way God expects us to?  Today we will look at specific ways in which we can be obedient to God’s word by honoring that important person who God used to begin our life.  Mom.

Honor your father and mother.  Ephesians 6:2a (New International Version)

Moms everywhere have needs specific to being a mom.  Honoring anyone means we help meet those needs the same way we do in love for one another.

MOMS NEED PATIENCE

Yet though He did all this for them, they continued to test His patience.  Psalm 78:56a (New Living Translation)

As moms, you might feel guilty when you are faced with moments that you feel impatient with others.  However, God understands moms’ need for patience.  The act of feeling impatient yet outwardly struggling to act patient is a sign of growth in this area. So take comfort in knowing that you are growing with each opportunity to grow in love.

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2 (New Living Translation)

For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems.  For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.  James 1:3-4 (The Living Bible)

Do for others what you would like them to do for you. Matthew 7:12a(NLT)

 MOMS NEED APPRECIATION

I thank my God every time I remember you.  Philippians 1:3 (New International Version)

Whenever we pray for you, we always begin by giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Colossians 1:3 (The Living Bible)

We can appreciate our moms verbally by thanking them for the attitudes we have, the life they have brought us into, and the care they have given to us.  But what if you no longer have your mom to thank in person? Or what if you have a strained relationship with your mother. You can honor your mother by continuing to thank God for these things in your life and for your mother.

 MOMS NEED A LIFE

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.  Psalm 127:2 (New Living Translation)

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  John 10:10 (New American Standard)

The abundant life is not merely for those who are able to have it.  The scripture above includes everyone equally, including moms.  Moms need a life, to be able to be a good parent.  We can honor mom by helping her have a life by creating a personal space for her own privacy and time to be with God.  We can offer to help her in her daily tasks so she can also have time to herself.  She is impacting our future generation, so we owe it to moms to help them be at their best, and also partake of the abundant life.

MOMS NEED WISDOM

But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it.  He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so He will give you wisdom.  James 1:5 (New Century Version)

God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.  Colossians 2:3 (Good Word)

Have you ever prayed for someone else to have wisdom?  What an impact it has in our own lives, when we lift up our moms in prayer for guidance and wisdom from Christ.

MOMS NEED VALIDATION

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.  Proverbs 31:28-31 (New International Version)

The city gate, in Biblical times, was a place of extreme importance.  Legal decisions and planning was done by high city officials at the city gates. Note that God has placed the importance of moms and what they do, equal to the distinguished people, that  met at this place.

 MOMS NEED COMMUNICATION

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (New International Version)

Conversation is not limited to one word. Have you ever asked a question, and received only a one word answer?  Fine and Okay, is not the answer your mom is looking for when she asks you about your day.  Honor her by giving the time to have a conversation with her.  Share information and ask her about her day too.

 MOMS NEED REST

Then Jesus said, ‘Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’  Matthew 11:28 (New Living Translation)

We all need rest, but moms need it in particular.  Most moms complain frequently about how tired they are, but that they also feel guilty about not doing more.  Moms need rest to replenish and go on.  We can’t give, what we are too tired to do.

 MOMS NEED FAITH

Don’t be troubled.  You trust God, now trust in Me.  John 14:1 (New Living Translation)

Trust in Him at all times.  Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (New Living Translation)

We shouldn’t try to conjure up our own faith.  Faith is something that God gives us.  The ability to have faith comes from Him alone, so lean on Jesus and allow Him to be your refuge, moms.  Faith eliminates all that moms tend to worry about.

 To sum up in one word:

 YOUR MOTHER NEEDS YOU TO REPENT!

 Repentance means a new start.  It means trusting our lives to Jesus and there could be no better way to honor your Mother.

Apply It

1.  PG gave us a portion of the chapter from Proverbs 31.  Read the entire chapter, and thank God and your mom if possible, for being these things.  If you know a mom, who might not even be your mom—thank her and encourage her for being this kind of woman.

2. In this age of technology, we sometimes forget to be personal with our moms, particularly if they are older.  Make a date with your mom to have some conversation.  If she lives far away, make a phone date to talk with her. Ask her questions about her life, and relive moments of her own childhood and memories of her mother.

If you are no longer able to talk to your mom, talk with someone else about her memory, a sibling, or family friend.

And if your relationship with your mom is strained, or you are experiencing a difficult time because you want to be a mom, talk with God about how to honor her, or how to get healing for your soul.  God is full of mercy and grace, His love is enough.