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Reasons Clocks and People Do Not Change Introduction: Last night we changed our times. The reason I know this is because we started Daylight Savings Time early this morning, and we are here. If you did not change your clock you would not be here, where you belong, at the right time. But as I wrote in the bulletin there were certain clocks that I did not change from last fall to now. It got me to thinking and understanding why some people do not change and my responsibilities toward those folks. As we look at reasons clocks and people do not change. I) Do Not Know How To Change A) Some clocks are hard to change and takes a certain knowledge. 1. Requires getting out the manual or instructions and reading through it. 2. Manuals can be confusing if you do not know how to read it. B) Some people don't know how to change their lives. 1. Ethiopian Eunuch was a pretty good fellow, religiously minded but he did not understand God's plan of salvation, Acts 8.30-31 a. He needed someone to explain to him what the prophet Isaiah was talking about. b. He was receptive asked Philip to come up and explain to him the scripture. 2. The Philippians Jailer wanted to know what he needed to do to be saved, Acts 16.30. C) The Gospel must be studied and learned from the Bible 1. Most people do not study the Bible for themselves. As they have heard that one is saved because of Jesus and they need to pray. 2. What does the Bible say about our salvation? a. Jesus died for our sins on the cross and to be saved we must come to Him. John 8.24 b. We must believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, John 6.24. c. We must repent, stop sinning, and do the will of God, Luke 13.3 d. We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, Acts8.37 e. We must be baptized, immersed in water, Acts 8.38. It is in baptism we are buried with Christ, into His death, and raised to walk in newness of life, Romans 6.3-4 D) Those that know, need to teach those that do not know. Romans 10.14-16 II) Some Don't Change Due To Laziness A) Easier to just not touch that clock 1. You hope that someone else (wife, children, whoever) will eventually change the clock. 2. May be you just mentally adjust the time in your head. B) Some like the theology that God has done everything for you and you don't have to do a thing to be saved. 1. Jesus died on the cross for you and you don't have to obey the Gospel, or live a righteous life, or go to church, or do anything else. 2. That is an easy religion to live. a. Romans 4.3-5 may be used to say that one is saved by "faith only" b. What works are under consideration in Romans 4.3-5? Self righteous works, works under the Law of Moses, Romans 4.3,13 C) Bible teaches there must be faith to be saved; and faith requires works 1. Believing is a work, John 6.28-29 2. Repentance is a work, Matthew 3.8 3. Baptism is a work, Colossians2.11-12 4. We are to work out our salvation, Phil. 2.12. III) Some Don't Change Because of Its Inconvenience (Procrastination) A) We will change that clock later on. 1. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into months, and month turn into seasons, 2. Before you know it we are once again changing our clocks. B) Of course we have Felix in Acts 24.25. 1. Why did he not obey the Gospel? Selfishness, required changing his life. a. We tend to put off things that are hard. b. We tend to put off things that we think we can put off. 2. The foolish farmer planned on resting "later on", Luke 12. 3. I don't know but the rich man in Luke 16 may have planned on doing better "one of these days." 4. Now is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6.1-2. IV) Some Don't Change Because They Think Some Thing Or Else Will Change A) Our time changes twice a year. 1. If you just leave your clock alone it will eventually be right again. 2. Of course it will be wrong the rest of the time. B) People think God will change His mind on the Day of Judgment 1. Consider the following passages: a. John 12.48 will we be judged? by what standard? b. John 5.25-29 will we be raised when Jesus returns? who will go to heaven? who will go do heaven? c. 2 Thessalonians 1.8 what will happen to those who do not know the Gospel? what will happen to those who do not obey the Gospel? 2. Why would anyone think God will save those who He specifically condemns? Why save those who deny Jesus as the Son of God? Why save those who never confessed Jesus to be the Son of God? Why save those who never repent, change? Why saved those who never have their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus (the bloodshed on the cross)? Conclusion: There will come a time of change. We die and leave behind this physical body; at the resurrection we will be change and take on a spiritual body; we be judge and either condemned or rewarded. |