"A Makeover Story"
Dean AngellNovember 20/21, 2004
1988 - 22 years old - Youth Pastor - given a weekend service to speak.
-nervous
-sick
-I don't remember the message
-Church gave me a shot
Don Pogoda and Thomas Miller - Two thanks:
1. Thank you to you for hearing what they said and supporting them and 2. Thank you to them - for speaking from God's heart and for the courage and time and energy that takes.
Today - talking about a make over story . . . and makeovers are all about change . . . and we live in a culture that is hung up on the desire to change - especially physical change . . .
Swan? Life channel . . . crazy show - all these mediocre to rough looking women - get every surgery you can imagine and get their teeth and face and hair and everything else fixed or removed or added to and go through unbelievable pain to have these physically changes happen on reality T. V. - crazy.
People are hungry for change . . .
Reading this article about extreme makeover and this guy in the article - his name was David - he spent $126,000 on 46 various major and minor surgeries to change his appearance . . . and he went from 300+ lbs to 190 and then he said "I'm done now . . . I'm finally happy with where I am . . .
People are hungry for change . . .
I was a youth pastor for 7+ years . . . and I still have a heart for high school and junior high students. One of the things I could never understand but it is so real - anorexia and bulimia.
Eating disorders that just steal kids lives away . . . because they don't believe they're good enough or thin enough.
U. S. statistics . . . 5.6% of girls will die of anorexia in the next decade . . . you might not think that's a big deal . . . but that is 12 times greater than any other disease that takes the life of a 15 - 24 year old girl.
Staggering . . .
People are hungry for change - all of us are - whether it's our physical lives - attitudes - circumstances - relationships - pasts or whatever - we hunger for change. And that's why we're doing this series . . .
Today I want to talk about how inner change can happen . . . real change - real transformation. A makeover of the soul . . . And I'm gonna focus my thoughts on one section from God's word . . .
Roman's 12 . . .
Here's how change happens - According to the Apostle Paul.
Romans 12: 1 & 2 say this . "So here's what I want you to do. Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering . . . because embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Vs 2 - Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God and you'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you and develops well-formed maturity in you. "
When I read that earlier this week and then I heard it read again at ALPHA class . . . . . . (think about going to ALPHA this next January) . . . . . .
I couldn't get this whole makeover idea out of my mind . . . that these verses hold the key to a soul makeover and a life transformation that you can't get anywhere else. (Leave Romans 12:1 on screen)
Paul says . . . . . . if you want to have soul change happen, the 1 st thing you have to do is place your life before God - Now notice the wording - He doesn't just say give an hour of your life to come to some really hip church on the weekends - that's not what he says. . . . . . and he doesn't say give just a few passing moments to God during your day . . . No . . . . . Paul says - take your whole life . . . your everyday, ordinary life . . . your sleeping, eating, going to work & walking-around life . . . . . . and place it before God as an offering . . . . . and then embrace what God does for you as you do that. . .
Now there's something here that really resonates with me . . . because this verse says that we don't have to change anything before we come to God - we just have to be willing to give all of ourselves to him . . .
So just in case there's anyone out there who might think you've gotta have your act together 1 st and then come to God . . . (whatever having your act together means . . . ) Well - that's just not true . . . . . . In fact I think the opposite is true . . . I think God wants us to come to him broken and saying - I can't get these certain things fixed - my anger - my habits - my addictions - my personality - my mouth - my workaholism - my constant fixation on $ - my selfishness . . . . . .
I mean, think what would happen if we had to fix all of our own stuff (on our own) before we even came to God . . . . . . à I mean, wouldn't that be kind of a cruel joke . . . because we'd never get it done - We'd never be good enough or together enough on our own to come to God . . . . . . We'd never get there . . . . . . and the apostle Paul knows that so he doesn't even go there . . . No - instead he says . . just place your life before God and watch what happens . . . before your feet hit the floor every day - just give your life to God - and as you're eating breakfast or going to work or having lunch or running around in the evening or visiting with friends or when your head hits the pillow again . . . . . . give your life to God . . . and then embrace what God begins to change in you . . . That's the first step to really getting a soul makeover . . . . . .
Its kinda like a potter being given a lump of clay . . . . that lump of clay doesn't have to make itself into a beautiful vase before it comes to the potter . . . that would be kinda silly . . . no . . . . . . . all the clay has to do, is show up, and be moldable, and the potter changes/transforms it into something beautiful .
Folks - just show up and be moldable every day and then watch what God can do in your life . . .
Then Paul says there's another thing -
He says, don't conform to your surroundings . . . but be transformed . . .
Another translation of that verse says this . . .
Verse 2 - "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it."
At ALPHA this week I heard a story about chameleons . . . . . . a little lizard with a long tail . . . and they can change color . . . . . . their defense mechanism or their way to protect themselves is that they blend into their surroundings . . .
Brown - turn brown
Green - turn green
Yellow - turn yellow
The guy was saying that they placed a chameleon on a piece of tartan and it got so stressed that it blew up . . . . . . Paul says don't be a chameleon . . . . . . that's not the kind of change we're looking for . . . . . . that you and I would just change to whatever cultural trend or color that is around us . . . . . . whether the culture honors God or not . . . No - Paul says a chameleon is not the answer . . . . . .
Our boy Kaden is in Grade 2 - and he really loves school . . . (must be Pam's genetic code) . . . Anyway, earlier this fall (or maybe it was last spring) he was all fired up because they were learning about butterflies . . . and about how these ugly caterpillars go into a cocoon and are transformed - into chrysalides and they emerge from their cocoons as beautiful butterflies . . . Well he was so amazed by that process, that all we heard for weeks was what his chrysalis was doing that day - and how it had changed (literally) from the inside out to become a thing of beauty.
Folks - what the bible is saying is this . . . positive change won't happen in your life by being a chameleon and only changing on the outside along with your surroundings . . . . . . A real makeover happens as a chrysalis . . . putting yourself in a position to be changed from the inside out . . . . . .
Then he says this great line . . .
" Fix your attention on God . . . You'll be changed from the inside out . . . " Then L isten - ready? -
"Readily recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it . . . "
This is quite possibly the smartest line you and I will ever learn . . . if we can apply it . . .
Paul says - position your life and mind and heart in such a way as to readily recognize the things God wants from you . . . then . . . . . . quickly respond to them -
Quickly respond to what God is leading you to do . . Oh man - that's the tough part . . . I mean so often in the church we really do have this great desire to learn and to be taught and to study God's word . . . . . . but Paul says learning isn't worth a hill of beans if you don't apply it . . . (if you don't respond)
Folks . . . hear this . . . if you and I could respond or apply even 50% of what we already know to be true about what God wants from us . . . our lives and this church and this city would be a totally different place . . . (all I'm saying is what Paul says . . . ) our response to what we know God wants from us is what is most important . . . because its in the application - its in our responding to God that the transformation takes place . . . . . .
Now here's what I'd like to do . . .
I'd like to give you 3 areas of life that I believe God is wanting to talk to us about changing . . or maybe better put . . . 3 areas of life where God wants us to recognize the need for change . . . . . . and then the response - or the application - is up to us . . . . . .
1. Choose to change your schedule
This is the 1 st place to begin a makeover . . .
I'm only gonna take a minute or two here because Don Pogoda spoke a couple of weeks ago on this and did a stellar job . . . . . . so if this is a hot ticket for you . . . something you know God is talking to you about - go to lakeviewchurch.com and listen again to Don's message - "Everybody Needs A 905".
Folks, the only question I gotta ask you (and me) is this . . . Does our daytimer (or our schedule) reflect that we want God to work in our life - Does our time priority list reflect the soul change, that we say we want . . .
(Lately), I've been working with a fella who's becoming a good friend - He's kinda coaching me a bit on life and leadership . . . . . . Awesome - we've been learning about valuing time and setting priorities and how to focus on strengths and about gratitude . . . . . . and what a powerful thing gratitude
is . . . . . . Really, I'm learning how to combat my natural bent towards speed and a faster pace and the natural bent I have that says running is somehow better than walking . . . . . . So last week - I took my foot off the gas a little and went away with my family for a short vacation . . . And guess what - It just didn't work very well . . .
My schedule was so full before I left (and when I came back) that it caved in on the week I had away . . . . . . and all week I was pretty unsettled and I was taking care of unfinished business (and other people's expectations) and I was on my phone and you know what - that was the best learning I could have had - because it didn't work - and I came back with a new resolve to pace my life slower and a new resolve to say no with a little more freedom and to set priorities clearer so that what God is saying to me can actually get done . . . . .
Folks, all God asks us to do is respond quickly to what he is telling us to do, but if our schedules are so full that we've got no time to listen . . . or if we can't slow the heart and mind pace down enough to listen to God . . . how will we ever know what he's saying to us . . . or . . . . . . if by the off chance we do hear his voice in the din of our lives . . . how in the world can we respond quickly to what God wants us to do when our schedules are full to overflowing. That just doesn't work . . .
Folks - If this is speaking to you - make a choice to change - Choose to change your schedule - say NO - downsize - slow down - fight the urge to run - breath deep . . . relax . . . and listen . . . and your life will be changed . . .
Here's the 2 nd thing I believe God wants us to makeover.
2. Choose to Change Relationships
Jesus said . . . we really only have two priorities in life - to love God and to love other people . . . . . . that's it . . . and Jesus said if you get that done . . . your life will be well spent . . . . . .
The apostle Paul said it another way " Above all else love one another deeply"
See Folks - the building of community and the development of relationships is very close to the heart of God - He loves people and desires to be in intimate relationships with people, and one of the things that brings him the most joy is when people are connected to other people in meaningful - deepening ways. Because without deep and rich relationships God knows we don't have much at all . . . . . . but here's the thing I am seeing (the longer I work with people), and its sad . . . I'm seeing that most people don't have very close friends . . . . . . and guys (men) - its way worse for us than for women - lots of women just connect better in relationships than we do . . . . . . Here's a few questions for you fellas that might be a good tester of where your friendships are at. . . . . . .
Guys - can you name two friends that would stick by you no matter what - two friends who you can tell all to - two friends that you can talk about God with - two friends that will ask you questions about your character and keep you accountable for your actions . . . Have you got a couple of friends that will ask you about life or sin or marriage or death? Have you got two friends that would celebrate victories with you, and defeats?
If you can name the two - great - call them today and tell them that they are your two . . . . . . Tell them that you appreciate them and love them . . . . . . If you can't name two or if you can't tell them they are the two . . . my suggestion here is this . . . . . . there's a choice that's needed in your life . . . . A choice to put a much higher priority on humbly developing friendships . . . . . . that over the years will become a foundation piece for your life . . . . .
People - we've got to choose to grow relationships - we've got to choose to place ourselves in relational settings that create openness and honesty and depth . . . We are such a surface-only culture . . . "Hi - How are you?"
"Good . . ." " Great - yeah - me too . . . see you later . . ." And God wants so much more for us . . . in fact, it is part of the way he transforms us . . . through other people . . . from the inside out . . . . . .
So here's what I'm saying - If you want a soul makeover - if you want to be transformed and changed by God - choose to develop relationships at a different level . . .
. join a Small Group
. Go for coffee with someone, and then do it again
. join a Small Group
. call your brother
. join a Small Group
You get the picture . . . . . . Life transformation happens (A life makeover) when we choose to deepen our relationships.
Here's the 3 rd Life Makeover area . . .
3. Choose to Change Your Ambitions
Read verses leading into Matthew 6:33 - Then He says this great line . . .
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33
This is just classic Jesus . . . . . . on priorities . . . . . . He's saying, "What is the priority list of your ambitions and where does God fit into that list?" And clearly, Jesus said its got to be God first and then everything else lines up after that . . . . . . So let's talk about ambitions . . .
So, let's talk about money . . . . . . How much do you love money, and what priority on your ambition list is it? How much money would be enough?
Say you spent your entire life making lots of money and at the end of your life you have 100 million dollars. Do you think . . . you'd say - "that is a lot of money - wow . . . You know what - it's the end of my life . . . I'm gonna spend all that money over the next million years in heaven" . . . . . . Sounds kinda silly, doesn't it?
I don't think our currency (no matter how well the Canadian dollar is doing) is gonna go with us to heaven . . . . . .
I've done a lot of funerals over the years, and not once have I seen money even talked about, let alone bags of money going with someone to the grave . . . . . . Do you see what I'm saying? If your ambition is to chase more money your whole life - what for? When you could be chasing God first . . . . . .
Or what about position? Sometimes position is a very big priority on our ambition list . . . . . . There is power in being the CEO, or the top salesperson, or the Chairperson of this, or the President of that - and sometimes we spend an inordinate amount of time and energy and space in our minds and life chasing a position or a title, and guess what? Jesus said . . . . . . Think about your life and think about your value - do you know how much God loves you? Don't make position your biggest ambition - Don't spend your whole life on moving up some ladder . . . Because nobody in heaven is gonna ask you if you were the Chairperson or President - its not gonna happen . . . . . .
One more ambition - check . . . . . .
How about stuff - possessions . . . We live in a culture that screams at us all day long to buy the next new thing - and every advertiser there is shows us the next new gadget or deal or shiny new something that we could buy . . . .
The truth is you can have it - 0% down - 0% financing and that flat screen t.v. is yours . . . the really flat one . . . I really felt like God was working on me in this area this week . . . Cause I love new, bigger, better stuff - it's awesome . . but I gotta remember priorities and ambitions . . . (and so do you)
Jesus said SEEK first the kingdom . . . . . . and then he said a very telling line . . . . . . He said, " A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15b
Wow - that's not what your life is about - your possessions don't define you - its just stuff, and sometimes the priority we place on wanting and getting and having all that stuff is pretty mixed up . . . . .
Again, I've done a lot of funerals and this is a very over-used line . . . . . .
But at no funeral I've ever done has there been a u-haul trailer full of someone's possessions getting towed behind the hearse . . . . . . It just doesn't happen . . . . . .
Jesus said - SEEK first the kingdom of God . . . - now notice - He didn't
say , don't go and make lots of money, or don't have nice things or don't have an influential position. . . . . . . but he did say - be careful to prioritize your ambition list in order to SEEK first God's kingdom, and then everything else will come after that . . . . . .
Folks, whether its our schedules or our relationships or our ambitions . . . . . . the point I'm trying to make is very simple . . .
If we want a soul makeover . . . we've got to lay this stuff down in front of God every day and say, "God . . . my life is yours - my schedule is yours - my relationships are your - my ambition is yours . . . . . . take my life and change it - use it - develop it" And as you do that - an amazing thing will happen in your life - people . . . the more you get to know Jesus - the more you're gonna start to be like Jesus and act like Jesus and look like Jesus . . . And that's who I want to look like . . . Do you know why I want to look like Jesus? Because Jesus was attractive . . . now the bible doesn't say that . . . in fact, it says the opposite - It says he was ordinary - nothing really striking physically about him . . . . . . But guess what - people were attracted to Jesus - women were attracted to Him - men wanted to hang out with Him and hear what He had to say . . . And you couldn't stop the little kids from climbing all over
Him . . . Do you know why?
-Because Jesus had a great tan?
or -Because His teeth were sparkling white?
or -because He wore Abercrombie robes and Nike sandals?
or - because He had the nicest, newest home and the best chariot money could buy? No, He never owned a home and He walked everywhere He went . . .
So, why was He so attractive? Because His heart has tuned in to God's heart - and it was full of goodness and kindness and gentleness and tenderness and courage and strength and wisdom . . . and all those things affected His life and His schedule and His relationships and His ambitions.
Folks, trust me on this one . . . If you want a makeover . . . get one that makes you look like Jesus . . . Position and place your life in such a way that God can mold you and change you and transform you into the person you were created to become. . . . That's the makeover we're really searching for.
