Be the Change, 28 June 2020
30 06 20 Filed in: Sermons | "What in the World is Going On?"
Be the Change
Series—What in the World is Going On?
Big Idea: God has placed us here for such a time as this to love well.
What in the world is going on? If you’re like me, you’ve asked that question a lot lately.
The deadly coronavirus is one thing. The lockdowns and ensuring chaos have been—at least for many—even worse.
The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are one thing. The ensuring protests and violence are—at least for many—even worse.
What in the world is going on? Are these the last days? Is Jesus coming back soon? If so, what difference does it make?
Our world is a mess. But this is actually not a new thing. Read the Bible! Ever since Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden, we’ve all been involved in the deadliest force in the universe…sin.
Throughout our series this month, we’ve looked at injustice, the end times, and our good, good Father. As we conclude today, I want to equip you with tools to make a difference, to impact the world, to be the change.
I don’t know about you, but I want to fix our planet. I want to live in a world free of violence, division, and hatred. I want my grandkids to inherit a better, more peaceful world than the one we know today. I want to see people transform to become more like Jesus and less like satan. I want to make a difference! I want to do something!
But what can I do? What can one person do? How can I best use my 76.1 years as a US male? The problems are so overwhelming, it’s tempting to throw up your arms and give up.
Be The Change
There’s a famous quote that says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s attributed to…Gandhi…but Gandhi didn’t actually ever say it (josephranseth.com). Gandhi did say,
We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.
Of course, we’re not here to follow Gandhi. We’re here to follow Jesus. He practiced what he preached. There was a consistency—an authenticity—which seems rare among those who bear the name of Christ…Christians.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)
Be the change.
Single people, instead of looking for the perfect mate, focus on being the perfect mate.
Married people, instead of waiting for your spouse to love/serve/respect/give, make the first move.
Instead of getting angry at the misbehavior of others, set an example. It makes me think of Paul. He was repeatedly in prison, flogged, beaten with rods, pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times…(2 Corinthians 11:22-28). You think you’ve got problems! But instead of complaining, he was determined to press on, to be the change, to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
That’s risky. It takes courage. Effort is required. Action is necessary.
Paul told his disciple Timothy,
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
He told Titus essentially the same thing.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:6-8)
It’s easy to complain. It takes little effort to criticize. It’s tempting to feel overwhelmed, afraid, and out of control. What in the world is going on?
I want to challenge you to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.
I want to challenge you to set an example for others to follow.
I want to challenge you to be the change? Here’s why:
Jesus famously said,
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
Well, Jesus didn’t really mean that, right? I mean, he meant it for someone else. Judging is my spiritual gift!
A few verses later, he made his point vividly clear.
How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:42)
Love the sinner, hate your own sin!
I’m quite sure you like control. You might not label yourself a control freak, but COVID-19 has demonstrated how little control we actually have…and how frustrated we can become as a result.
I’ve often said the only thing we can control is our attitude.
You can’t control another person, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can be self-controlled (Galatians 5:23).
Jesus changed the world without the Internet. His eleven friends turned it upside down without radio or television. History is filled with people like MLK, JFK, and the founder of KFC whose lives we remember for a variety of reasons. They took action. Ask not what your world can do for you; ask what you can do for your world. In a word: love.
So What? How?
There are so many ways to love well. We’re all uniquely created with different passions, gifts, and personalities. Some of you love to write letters, others prefer the phone, text, or face-to-face. Dr. Gary Chapman has famously said there are five “love languages” we use to express and receive love:
Words of affirmation
Physical touch
Receiving Gifts
Quality time
Acts of service
There are countless next steps to take in order to be the change, but I want to highlight three.
I mentioned this in week one of this series as we discussed injustice. Listen to understand, not respond. Many of us—myself included—feel educated and experienced. We’ll rarely admit it, but inside we feel like we know it all. We will even say, “I know how you feel” to someone who’s experiencing pain unlike any we’ve encountered.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20)
It’s interesting how James says to be slow…to speak and to become angry. We are often quick to speak, quick to become angry, and slow to listen. In a relationship, this can often be described as a misunderstanding. We jump to conclusions, judge, think more about what we’re going to say than what the other person is trying to communicate.
Look people in the eye. Keep your phone in your pocket. Make the other person feel like they’re the most important thing in the world to you in that moment. They should be!
Listen can also include reading, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. This past week I was listening to Dr. Anita Philipps on The Grove Podcast. I feel decently educated about Black History and injustice, yet I learned so much from this brilliant sister in Christ. It was fascinating and humbling.
Be the change and listen. Listen is a verb!
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)
This is relatively foreign to most of us. When there’s a problem, we fix it. When there’s a loss, we try to replace or say, “You’ll get over it” or “God works all things for the good.” We need to let people grieve and mourn when there is pain and loss. Celebrate Recovery is a great venue for such expressions and it relaunches this Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall.
Family, these are difficult days…for all of us. Many of you are stuck in your home right now, yearning to be physically present. Others are sick. Some are afraid. We have family members who are afraid they or someone they love might be the next victim of injustice…or coronavirus.
It’s awkward to be silent with someone, and yet that’s often the best thing to do…be silent and be with. Nobody expects you to cure COVID, wipe out racism, or bring peace to Jerusalem, but your quiet presence, your empathy, your compassion can be a source of healing, of hope, and of restoration.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16b)
Family, there’s arguably nothing more important we can do to be the change, to create change, to promote peace, to show love, to restore masterpieces than pray. We are not in control, but our God is!
One of the highlights of my day is Zoom Prayer, weekdays at 9 AM. You’re invited!
Sometimes we don’t even know what to pray!
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)
My most frequent request of God is wisdom. I’m encouraged by the words of James:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
I lack wisdom. I ask for it. I need it!
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8)
The Starfish
One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked, he came upon a young boy who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.
Puzzled, the man looked at the boy and asked what he was doing. Without looking up from his task, the boy simply replied, “I’m saving these starfish, Sir”.
The old man chuckled aloud, “Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?”
The boy picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water and turning to the man, said, “I made a difference to that one!”
One more thing…
Be the change. It’s a catchy phrase. It sounds positive and action-oriented. But remember, we are human beings, not human doings. Our actions matter, but our “being,” our character, our essence matters, too. If you’re like me, you want to be productive. You love accomplishing things. It’s exciting to cross things off your to-do list. But we must never let busyness keep us from becoming.
Jesus had a powerful message for Martha when she was too busy (Luke 10:38-42). The psalmist said of God,
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Family, let’s be the change. Let’s passionate follow Jesus. Let’s love well. Let’s trust God. No matter how crazy our world becomes, our Heavenly Dad’s got this! We simply need to trust Him and obey Him, following Jesus until He returns. The best is yet to come!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—What in the World is Going On?
Big Idea: God has placed us here for such a time as this to love well.
What in the world is going on? If you’re like me, you’ve asked that question a lot lately.
The deadly coronavirus is one thing. The lockdowns and ensuring chaos have been—at least for many—even worse.
The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are one thing. The ensuring protests and violence are—at least for many—even worse.
What in the world is going on? Are these the last days? Is Jesus coming back soon? If so, what difference does it make?
Our world is a mess. But this is actually not a new thing. Read the Bible! Ever since Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden, we’ve all been involved in the deadliest force in the universe…sin.
Throughout our series this month, we’ve looked at injustice, the end times, and our good, good Father. As we conclude today, I want to equip you with tools to make a difference, to impact the world, to be the change.
I don’t know about you, but I want to fix our planet. I want to live in a world free of violence, division, and hatred. I want my grandkids to inherit a better, more peaceful world than the one we know today. I want to see people transform to become more like Jesus and less like satan. I want to make a difference! I want to do something!
But what can I do? What can one person do? How can I best use my 76.1 years as a US male? The problems are so overwhelming, it’s tempting to throw up your arms and give up.
Be The Change
There’s a famous quote that says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s attributed to…Gandhi…but Gandhi didn’t actually ever say it (josephranseth.com). Gandhi did say,
We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.
Of course, we’re not here to follow Gandhi. We’re here to follow Jesus. He practiced what he preached. There was a consistency—an authenticity—which seems rare among those who bear the name of Christ…Christians.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)
Be the change.
Single people, instead of looking for the perfect mate, focus on being the perfect mate.
Married people, instead of waiting for your spouse to love/serve/respect/give, make the first move.
Instead of getting angry at the misbehavior of others, set an example. It makes me think of Paul. He was repeatedly in prison, flogged, beaten with rods, pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times…(2 Corinthians 11:22-28). You think you’ve got problems! But instead of complaining, he was determined to press on, to be the change, to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
That’s risky. It takes courage. Effort is required. Action is necessary.
Paul told his disciple Timothy,
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
He told Titus essentially the same thing.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:6-8)
It’s easy to complain. It takes little effort to criticize. It’s tempting to feel overwhelmed, afraid, and out of control. What in the world is going on?
I want to challenge you to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.
I want to challenge you to set an example for others to follow.
I want to challenge you to be the change? Here’s why:
- 1. Be the change stops us from judging others.
Jesus famously said,
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
Well, Jesus didn’t really mean that, right? I mean, he meant it for someone else. Judging is my spiritual gift!
A few verses later, he made his point vividly clear.
How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:42)
Love the sinner, hate your own sin!
- 2. Be the change allows us a measure of control.
I’m quite sure you like control. You might not label yourself a control freak, but COVID-19 has demonstrated how little control we actually have…and how frustrated we can become as a result.
I’ve often said the only thing we can control is our attitude.
You can’t control another person, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can be self-controlled (Galatians 5:23).
- 3. Be the change empowers us to make a difference.
Jesus changed the world without the Internet. His eleven friends turned it upside down without radio or television. History is filled with people like MLK, JFK, and the founder of KFC whose lives we remember for a variety of reasons. They took action. Ask not what your world can do for you; ask what you can do for your world. In a word: love.
So What? How?
There are so many ways to love well. We’re all uniquely created with different passions, gifts, and personalities. Some of you love to write letters, others prefer the phone, text, or face-to-face. Dr. Gary Chapman has famously said there are five “love languages” we use to express and receive love:
Words of affirmation
Physical touch
Receiving Gifts
Quality time
Acts of service
There are countless next steps to take in order to be the change, but I want to highlight three.
- 1. Listen.
I mentioned this in week one of this series as we discussed injustice. Listen to understand, not respond. Many of us—myself included—feel educated and experienced. We’ll rarely admit it, but inside we feel like we know it all. We will even say, “I know how you feel” to someone who’s experiencing pain unlike any we’ve encountered.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20)
It’s interesting how James says to be slow…to speak and to become angry. We are often quick to speak, quick to become angry, and slow to listen. In a relationship, this can often be described as a misunderstanding. We jump to conclusions, judge, think more about what we’re going to say than what the other person is trying to communicate.
Look people in the eye. Keep your phone in your pocket. Make the other person feel like they’re the most important thing in the world to you in that moment. They should be!
Listen can also include reading, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. This past week I was listening to Dr. Anita Philipps on The Grove Podcast. I feel decently educated about Black History and injustice, yet I learned so much from this brilliant sister in Christ. It was fascinating and humbling.
Be the change and listen. Listen is a verb!
- 2. Mourn
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)
This is relatively foreign to most of us. When there’s a problem, we fix it. When there’s a loss, we try to replace or say, “You’ll get over it” or “God works all things for the good.” We need to let people grieve and mourn when there is pain and loss. Celebrate Recovery is a great venue for such expressions and it relaunches this Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall.
Family, these are difficult days…for all of us. Many of you are stuck in your home right now, yearning to be physically present. Others are sick. Some are afraid. We have family members who are afraid they or someone they love might be the next victim of injustice…or coronavirus.
It’s awkward to be silent with someone, and yet that’s often the best thing to do…be silent and be with. Nobody expects you to cure COVID, wipe out racism, or bring peace to Jerusalem, but your quiet presence, your empathy, your compassion can be a source of healing, of hope, and of restoration.
- 3. Pray
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16b)
Family, there’s arguably nothing more important we can do to be the change, to create change, to promote peace, to show love, to restore masterpieces than pray. We are not in control, but our God is!
One of the highlights of my day is Zoom Prayer, weekdays at 9 AM. You’re invited!
Sometimes we don’t even know what to pray!
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)
My most frequent request of God is wisdom. I’m encouraged by the words of James:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
I lack wisdom. I ask for it. I need it!
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8)
The Starfish
One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked, he came upon a young boy who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.
Puzzled, the man looked at the boy and asked what he was doing. Without looking up from his task, the boy simply replied, “I’m saving these starfish, Sir”.
The old man chuckled aloud, “Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?”
The boy picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water and turning to the man, said, “I made a difference to that one!”
One more thing…
Be the change. It’s a catchy phrase. It sounds positive and action-oriented. But remember, we are human beings, not human doings. Our actions matter, but our “being,” our character, our essence matters, too. If you’re like me, you want to be productive. You love accomplishing things. It’s exciting to cross things off your to-do list. But we must never let busyness keep us from becoming.
Jesus had a powerful message for Martha when she was too busy (Luke 10:38-42). The psalmist said of God,
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Family, let’s be the change. Let’s passionate follow Jesus. Let’s love well. Let’s trust God. No matter how crazy our world becomes, our Heavenly Dad’s got this! We simply need to trust Him and obey Him, following Jesus until He returns. The best is yet to come!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.