Changes

Changes I. Everything about this world is subject to change. A. God designed the world from the beginning to operate on a day/night cycle and to have seasons. GEN 1:14. 1. These regular changes are fixed as long as this earth endures. GEN 8:22. 2. Times and seasons may change but the ordinances that established them are immovable. JER 33:20-21. B. Once sin entered into the world, so did death, which only exacerbated change. ROM 5:12. 1. Death speaks of decay. 2. Decay speaks of change. 3. Sin brought a calamitous change in this world: the Flood. a. The Flood reshaped the surface of the earth. b. The Flood introduced atmospheric and climatic changes. c. The Flood witnessed a change in man's diet and civil duty. GEN 1:29; 4:15 c/w 9:3-6. C. The termination of this world is described as a change. PSA 102:26. II. Consider the patriarchs. A. God called upon Abraham to: 1. change his residence as necessary. ACT 7:2-4. 2. change his religion. JOS 24:2. 3. change his intended heir. GEN 21:10-12. B. Jacob's life was one of frequent relocation. GEN 28-49. C. The patriarchs lives were those of sojourners, strangers and pilgrims dwelling in tabernacles. HEB 11:9, 13. D. Passionate saints should take note of this. 1CO 4:11; 1PE 2:11; HEB 13:14. III. Consider Israel. Israel witnessed change of: A. Government, from the judges to a king. B. Royal dynasties, from the house of Saul to that of David. C. Nation, from a 12-tribe union to a divided people. D. Worship, from 1. the patriarchal form to the Mosaic/tabernacle form. 2. the Mosaic/tabernacle form to the temple form. 3. the temple form to the N.T. church form. IV. God changed the church's body of law and its form of service with the coming of Christ. HEB 7:12; 9:10. V. When God makes changes, it behooves us to adapt to the new condition. A. Moses errantly tried to get water from a rock by the old means after God had changed the means. EXO 17:6 c/w NUM 20:8, 11. B. When the time came for Judah to accept their punishment and go to Babylon, they should have done so. JER 27:12-13. C. The Jews of the Apostles' days had trouble saying goodbye to Moses, though Moses' season was over. LUK 16:16; ACT 6:14. VI. Repentance is change. A. The first act of identity with Christ is changing behavior, ideas and allegiances. ACT 17:30 c/w 2CO 10:4. B. We are to put off the old man and put on the new. COL 3:9-10. C. When you think of repentance and change, think of Paul. D. Not all repentance is ceasing from sin. Repentance may be simply changing intentions or decisions when the situation demands it. JON 3:10. VII. By nature we resist change. LUK 5:39. A. Change disrupts our serenity. B. Change means expense. C. Change means adjustment to new conditions, which means effort and labor which means pain (a thing we do our best to avoid). D. It was the observation of the prophets that the wicked rich tend to enjoy relative stability in this world. PSA 73:3-5; JOB 21:9. 1. Wouldn't we all love to have a big castle, immeasurable wealth and no need to make changes? 2. The security of the wealthy gives them an unhealthy indifference to God. For what do they need Him or His rules? 3. Perhaps this is what David had in mind in PSA 55:19. VIII. God only is unchanging. MAL 3:6; HEB 1:12; 13:8; JAM 1:17. IX. In contrast to this world, the state of glory is one of relatively little change. A. There is no sun nor moon for the changing of seasons. ISA 60:19-20; REV 21:23. B. There shall be no more cycle of day and night. REV 22:5. C. There shall be no more going out or coming in. REV 3:12. 1. We shall never have to say goodbye to loved ones. 2. There shall never be a case of church discipline. 3. And there shall thus never be a need for church restoration. D. The heavenly city shall never be jeopardized nor overrun. ISA 33:20. E. The King and Priest will never be replaced. HEB 6:20; 7:24. F. We shall live forever with Jesus in a place where the great change, Death, is banned! G. Our last significant change will be at the Resurrection. PHIL 3:21; 1CO 15:51-52. H. David's psalm shall then be realized fully. PSA 23:6. X. May God give us grace to: A. recognize the reality of change. B. recognize the need for change. C. accept the changes required of us. D. change when needed. E. wait for glory to expect no more changes.