Changed Life

False Start

I was a false convert for 33 years. I originally said the sinner’s prayer when I was 11 years old. But I wasn’t really saved until 33 years later, when I was 44. How do I know that I wasn’t really saved when I walked that church aisle on a Sunday night in April 1974, even though I cried real crocodile tears on my way to the front of the church? Because my life was not changed. A saved life is a changed life; and my life had not been changed. I had some type of emotional, religious experience, but I did not encounter the living Christ that night in 1974. 

I repeat; a saved life is a changed life. I know this from first-hand experience. After my false conversion as a child, I know it wasn’t real because my life had not been changed. I was still the same selfish kid in junior high. I was the same selfish kid in high school. I was the same selfish person in college. I chased the pleasures of the flesh. Then after college, I chased the American dream. I lived for money and status. I was still the same selfish person. I wasn’t living my life for God, I was living my life for myself – for what I could get for me. It was all about me.

Fast forward even more years and my wife and I were both Sunday school teachers. I helped her at first, but then she was teaching the middle school kids and I was teaching the high school students. I seemed nice as pie to everyone at church, but I used to cuss my kids and/or my wife out going to or from church as often as not. My wife and I worked together and I used to cuss her out at work and I’d get mad and blame her if anything went wrong. Again, I was still the same selfish person that I’d always been, except now I was two-faced. I pretended to be one way at church, but family knew the real me – the selfish, mean, verbally abusive me. That’s how I know my profession of faith wasn’t real back in 1974. There had been no change. I didn’t have a changed life; I was the same dirty, rotten sinner that I’d been since I was a child. The Bible says we go astray from God from the womb (Psalm 58:3). And make no mistake, we are all wicked sinners. All of us! None of us are righteous; we’ve all gone astray.  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:9-12)

But when God saved me in 2007, my life changed. I experienced a changed life. When you truly encounter the living Son of God – Jesus Christ, your life is never the same. It’s not just from my personal experience that I know this is true, more importantly, the Bible backs this up. Those who encountered Christ while He walked this earth had a changed life. They were never the same. When your sins have been forgiven, you can’t remain the same. You no longer walk in darkness, you now walk in the light. You don’t just continue diving head first into your sins, you hate your sins. It grieves you when you sin. It breaks your heart when you sin against our Holy and righteous Father God. A saved life is a changed life.

Saul to Paul

Paul says that he persecuted Christians unto death in Acts 22. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do (Acts 22:4-10).

Before Paul met the risen Savior, he persecuted Christians. He was so zealous in his quest that he had even left Jerusalem and was headed to Damascus to round up Christians who had fled. But then He met Jesus on the way. After his real, personal encounter with Jesus, his life was never the same. According to Christian tradition, he was beheaded in Rome for his faith.

Prior to that, Paul himself describes what he suffered for the sake of his faith in Jesus: Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

Paul encountered Jesus and he experienced a changed life that turned 180 degrees. He went from persecuting Christians to being persecuted himself. He didn’t have some willy-nilly emotional moment, he had a true, life saving, eternal life saving encounter with Jesus Christ. Have you ever had a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ?

Simon to Peter

Peter was a simple man, a fisherman. He encountered Christ and his life was never the same. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him (Luke 5:1-11).

Before Peter came to Christ, he was a fisherman. He was a sinner; he described himself as a sinful man (Luke 5:8). I have news for you, Peter wasn’t alone. We are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. But Peter threw himself at the feet of Jesus and his life was never the same. Yes, he faltered when he denied Jesus three times. But Jesus restored him after that and Peter was a bold witness for Jesus. 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost. He healed people and raised the dead. More importantly, he continued to preach the glorious Gospel. He died a martyr’s death on the cross, but he said that he was unworthy to die as his Lord and Savior died, so he died upside down on a cross. Peter’s life dramatically changed after he met Jesus Christ? Professing Christian: has your life dramatically changed? Are you truly saved?

Woman at the Well

The Samaritan woman at the well encountered the living Christ. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him (John 4:5-29).

This woman was a fornicator and an adulterer. But she met Jesus at the well and she was filled with spiritual living water. Her sins were forgiven and she was never the same. She went out and told the whole town that she had met the Messiah and they all came out to meet him. When you are saved, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you must tell others about such a great of salvation as you have received. Are you a saved? Have your sins been forgiven? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you share your faith in Jesus with others?

Are You Changed?

Make no mistake, if you have not encountered Jesus Christ; if your life has not by changed by the Holy Spirit, then you have no part of Christ and He has no part of you. He is either Lord of all of your life or He is not Lord of any of your life. If you have not fully and completely surrendered your life to Him, then you are still spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins. If He is not your Lord, then He is not your Savior. If He is not your Savior, then your guilt, your condemnation, your unforgiven sins are still being retained by you and God’s wrath over your sins remains upon you. You are still lost and on the broad road to destruction. You will split Hell wide open when you die, if you die in your sins.

Oh, don’t do it. Don’t continue rebelling against Almighty God. Don’t continue down the same old path, doing the same old things, where you are just adding sin upon sin. When God convicts you over your sins, you turn from your wickedness and you turn to Jesus. You plead with Him to forgive you for your sins. A saved life is a changed life. I no longer cuss my family out. I’m no longer a two-faced hypocrite. No I’m not perfect. Yes, I still sin, but I hate sin. It breaks my heart to break God’s heart. God has taken away my heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh. He’s taken away my selfish desires (yes I still fight this on a daily basis, but I fight it instead of just living selfishly for myself like I did before I was saved). I was a great sinner. I am ashamed of my past. But like the woman at the well, my abominable sins have been forgiven. I’ve been washed clean by the blood of Jesus and now I can’t keep this wonderful salvation to myself. I must tell others about my wonderful Lord and Savior.

My focus is now on God and not myself. He has given me the desire to share my faith in Jesus Christ with others. I have a new life in Christ Jesus. I have a changed life and my main desire in life is to glorify God and to see others saved. My hope and my prayer is for others to meet the risen Savior. I want to see a changed life in others. Are you willing to confess and forsake your sins? Are you ready to come out from under condemnation and judgment and receive forgiveness for your sins? Are you ready to put your faith in Jesus? Are you ready to surrender your life to Jesus Christ? Are you ready for God to turn your world upside down? Are you ready for a changed life?

(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on February 5, 2016)