God Is Changing You

God may be changing you instead of changing your situation.

[Watch the Video]

Outline:

• Introduction
• What Happens When God Is Silent

• Tests my priorities
• Tests my identity
• Tests my maturity
• Tests my faith
• We’re Praying to Remove the Symptoms
• You Won't Change Until You Hit Rock Bottom
• God is Disciplining You
• We’re Like a Seed

Scriptures:

• Philippians 2:12-13
• James 1:2-4
• Luke 14:26
• Hebrews 5:8
• Hebrews 12:7-11

Introduction

Hearing From God

“Don’t tell me God is silent when your bible is closed

I know that I’m far from perfect but I want to be close

Even on this broken road I know that God’s in control

I’m not where I wanna be I’m on the right road

  --Enough (Misfits Social Club)

...don’t tell me God is silent when your bible is closed

That’s a reminder that the bible is the primary way that God talks to us.

Review

God responds in 5 ways

1. Yes
2. No
3. Wait
4. Confirmation / Direction / Clarity
5. Silence

We’re continuing to examine the scenario when God is silent.

God is Changing You

You are in the wilderness 

Philippians 2:12-13

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure

• God took Israel out of Egypt instantly, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel.

Teaches me something about myself

What Happens When God is Silent

James 1:2-4

2  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

When God is silent it

• Tests my priorities
• Tests my identity
• Tests my maturity
• Tests my faith

Tests my priorities

What do I value?

Identifies My Idols?

Is this something you value more than God?

What do you value more than God?

• Happiness
• Other people’s opinion
• Sex
• Significance
• money
• Family
• Spouse
• Your children

Parent/Child

Many people lose faith when they have a death of a parent or a child

Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Hate: μισέω miséō, mis-eh'-o; to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less

Example: American Me

• Puppet choked his brother (Little Puppet)

Control

Is it that your mother died or is it that you couldn’t control God?

• You couldn’t manipulate Him to get your way
• You don’t want to be in a relationship where you’re not in control

The Prosperity Doctrine is popular among driven people because it proclaims to give you a method to control God

• Through faith

Test your identity

Do you see yourself as a Christian first?

• “Are you a rapper that’s a Christian or a Christian that’s a rapper?”
• “Are you a programmer that’s a Christian or a Christian that’s a programmer”
• Are you a Republican who is a Christian or Christian who is a Republican?

What do you want to be identified as?

What are you most proud of?

If you are in a social setting and you have to introduce yourself, what do you say?

Tests my maturity

Example: child throwing a tantrum because he wants his popsickle now

• Instead of waiting to get home

The inability to wait is a sign of immaturity

• Patience is a mark of maturity 

Are you going to throw a tantrum? Are you going to go and try to solve it by yourself?

Tests my faith

• Muscles are strengthened by being tested

Do I really believe God?

Do I trust God?

Many people lose their faith when God is silent 

We’re Praying to Remove the Symptoms

When we want God to remove the pain God is often more concerned with the root (the cause)

If God removed the symptom you would never address the real issue

Finances

Get Out Of Debt

Example: lottery

• Get me out of debt God
• Nearly ⅓ of US lottery winners go bankrupt in a few years
• Stop spending more money than you have
• Stop coveting… The new phone the new car

The love of money is shown by you spending more money than you have

• “The love of money” is really a love of the things that money buys
• It is not talking about loving to save money

The core problem is that you buy things to feel worthy or valued

God wants to cure the root issue

• What caused you to get into that problem
• We want God to deal with the symptoms
• God wants to deal with our character
• God wants you healed

Are you willing to have God change you instead of changing the circumstance?

Mate Selection

90% of relationships success is due to mate selection

Praying for a husband

You See A Pattern

You keep attracting the wrong type of people

• “All men are dogs”
• “All women are demanding, entitled and unappreciative”

• All my relationships have failed for the same reason.

You Are the Common Denominator

• You’re attracted to the wrong type of person
• You’re attracting the wrong type of person

Example:  Men Just Want Sex

• You meet them in nightclubs dressed like a slut
• You have sexy pictures on your dating profile
• Or you’re on IG showing your body
• What kind of bait are you fishing with

The core issue is where you are getting your validation from

• You fulfill your need for attention and validation in an unhealthy way
• Your self esteem and self worth are tied to men’s reaction to you

Example: Abusive Relationship

• Girl breaks up with her abusive ex
• Girl goes back to her abusive ex or another abuser
• Girl finds a nice guy who she can cry on his shoulder and complain to

The core issue is that your idea of love is tied to being abused

You think this is what love looks like

Example: Fixer and Taker

• The fixer blames himself for things that go wrong in a relationship. The taker is used to blaming others.  
• Fixers gives without taking. Takers takes without giving.  
• Fixers feel like they don’t have a right to say what they feel. Takers feel entitled to say whatever they feel like whenever they want.
• Fixers have too much of a conscious and are always thinking of other people in a relationship. Takers have no conscious and are always thinking of themselves.

You don’t like you. You like the opposite of you.  

The fixers view of love is tied to trying to please someone who is hard to please

Repetition

If you don’t get healed you will continually have the same problem.  

You anchor your feelings of love to an abuse that happened to you.  

Repetition compulsion: what you don’t complete you will repeat

• Core issues that you don’t resolve you will stay stuck in for the rest of your life

Until you fix your issue any relationship you get in will fail

You Won't Change Until You Hit Rock Bottom

We are often not open to the truth that the issue is within ourselves. We often have to go through a bad situation in order to start looking inward.

Sometimes you have to be in a low state in order to accept the truth

• You can’t tell an alcoholic he’s an alcoholic when he’s on a high

Not getting a solution can drive you to deal with the real problem

You don’t have enough discipline motivation and drive to change

• The pain of your current state does not outweigh the pleasure of your current state.  
• When people hit rock bottom they are open to trying new ideas for thinking outside of the box.

Turning to God

This is when people decide to turn to God.

• Therefore God needs to keep bringing you into this state.

Many people only seek God when they don’t have the answer 

Examples

• Church
• Bible study when laid off

Jesus Learned From Suffering

Hebrews 5:8

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Some people have to suffer in order to grow

How to Avoid Hitting Rock Bottom

If you hear from God you can avoid the negative situation and start to turn your life because God told you to. 

You may not even know what God is working on until you notice the change.

God is Disciplining You

Hebrews 12:7-11

7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

• Discipline isn’t just punishment
• Discipline is intended to modify your behavior
• Correction

Discipline is an act of love

Example: Good Times

• James whipped Michael’s friend

It is an act of love

The goal is that we turn to God completely

*That doesn’t mean that everything bad that happens is discipline from God

We’re Like a Seed

Sometimes we’re like a seed.  

• We got put down into the darkness into the dirt.
• We don’t know if the farmer forgot about us or not
• We haven’t seen sunlight in days
• Every now and then the dirt gets damp

Protected

• Every seed is wrapped in a hard protective coating
• Moses was in a basket when all the other Hebrew children were being killed
• Jesus went to Egypt when the babies were being killed

Provision

The seed doesn’t have the roots to get the nutrients from the soil

• The seed has its own food supply until the time that it is able to get nutrients from the soil
• The seed has provision
• The stuff that the seed needs is already in the seed

Potential

• It’s just a matter of time before the potential is released
• 
  

But one day we start to change start to feel different

• We begin to transform into something else

God is changing you for a greater purpose!



Instructor: Michael Leadon

---

References

What to Do when is seems like God Doesn’t Respond - Stephen Furtick

https://youtu.be/4_0G1-hS1QY

God May be Changing You (Persistent Prayer)

Extra

Suffering

Hebrews 2:9-10

But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

We don’t deserve it more than Jesus and we don’t learn more quickly than Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

• God takes us through to help others

Finding Your Purpose In Life

In this study we discuss ways to determine God's calling on your life.

Series: Sharpening Your Sword

• Equipping you and preparing you to do God’s work.

Scriptures:

• Acts 6:1-4
• Ephesians 2:10
• Exodus 35:4-19
• Exodus 35:30-35
• Matthew 9:35-38
• 1 Peter 4:10-11
• James 1:5-8
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Hebrews 13:7
• Acts 13:1-3
• Matthew 4:2
• Ezra 8:23
• Mark 10:29-30
• 
  

Review of “What’s Important Now (WIN)”

• You need to identify what season you are in, and factor that into all the decisions you make
• We need to intentionally focus on things that are best aligned with our current season and our future goals
• Warren Buffet example
• You can have anything you want what in life, but you can't have everything you want
• you need to prioritize what’s important now
• Our greatest fear shouldn't be that we don't succeed, but that we do succeed in something that doesn't matter
• Focus on the future not the past; make today count
• You're going to work hard whether you achieve anything or not, so why not make it matter
• It’s more important to make a difference for God than to achieve the world’s definition of success
• We need to make God’s work a priority in our lives.
• We need to make our relationship with God a priority in our lives.

Not necessarily that you spend all of your time helping the church, but that your focus should be centered around God’s calling on your life

Acts 6:1-4

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists [ Greek Jews] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

• Why did the twelve say “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables”?
• Was serving tables helping the kingdom?
• Yes
• So why did they stop?
• to focus on their main calling

We need to focus on our calling.  We should make it a priority in our lives.  Even service to God’s work can be a distraction from what God is calling us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• When did God prepare the work He wants us to do.

God has a calling that He has prepared for us.

Exodus 35:4-19

4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather[a]; acacia wood; 8 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

10 “All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 12 the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; 13 the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; 15 the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; 17 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; 18 the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; 19 the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”

• What was Aaron and his son’s calling?
• They were priests
• How did they know?
• God told Moses
• Who did they Lord say should make everything in tabernacle
• All who are skilled v10
• Who did God say should bring an offering of the materials
• whoever is willing  v5

God can work with those who are skilled, but he’ll also work with all who are willing.

Exodus 35:30-35

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

• What are some of the skills God filled the people with
• engravers, designers, embroiderers, weavers  v35
• Did these people have these skills all their lives?
• no they were given the skills when God needed them to work

Just because you aren’t fully equipped to do something now doesn’t mean that it’s not your calling.  God will prepare you when you need it.

So how do you know what your calling is?

10 Ways To Find Your Calling

1. Who’s Pain Do You Feel?

Matthew 9:35-38

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

• Why did Jesus feel compassion on the crowds?
• Because they were harassed and helpless

Your destiny is tied to a particular person or group of people.

You know by:

• Who’s pain do you feel?
• What needs in the world concern you?
• Who’s tears affect you?
• Who’s enemy are you willing to protect them from?

The Christian heart of love is drawn by perceived needs, whether near or far. Therefore God uses what we know to awaken the measure of our desire that pushes us over the edge of commitment.

Kayla Mueller

"I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine. If this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.

"I will always seek God. Some people find God in church. Some people find God in nature. Some people find God in love; I find God in suffering. I've known for some time what my life's work is, using my hands as tools to relieve suffering."

2. How Does God Speaks To You?

The way God speaks to you is an indication of your calling

Examples:

• most teachers hear from God through the word or from writing

• God speaks through workshop

How does God speak to you?

3. What Are Your Gifts?

1 Peter 4:10-11

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

What you pay attention to ties into your gifting

• I became critical of singers and preachers right before I had a season of singing in the choir and speaking
• If you’re critical about everything you may have the gift of discernment
• Or you might just be a hater lol

Don’t let the lack of a gift deter you because God may give you a gift at the time it is needed.

• example: this bible study
• meditating on scriptures to understand
• finding relevant scriptures
• he gives great preachers recent stories
• organization - relating

James 1:5-8

5 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. 6 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.

4. Read The Bible

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Listen for God’s direction as you read.

5. Try to Understand How Other People Chose Their Callings

Hebrews 13:7

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Examples include:

• asking others what motivated them to their calling
• read missionary biographies and journals

6. Look at Your Experiences and Circumstances

You may be able to help those struggling with things that you’ve overcome.

7. Prayer and Fasting For God to Tell You Your Calling

Ezra 8:23

23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

Matthew 4:2*

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.   

8. Worshipping

Acts 13:1-3

13 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

9. Listen to Those Who Hear From God

They can confirm your gifts and even open your eyes to giftings or a calling you hadn’t considered.

• Shai’Yah’s example of choir

10. Come into a State of Surrendering to God’s Will

Mark 10:29-30

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

When you decide that you are willing to put aside everything else to follow God’s will is probably the most expedient way to find your calling.

Your Calling and Your Soul Mate

Many people are of the opinion that there is one person who God has picked out for you before you were born, but they neglect to realize that there is one calling that God has picked out for them before they were born.

One of the signs that you have found the right mate is that they will align with God’s calling on your life.

Confirmation About Your Calling

Parents, health, houses, lands, children, age, etc. All of them matter in our calling, but none of them is decisive. They can all be overridden.  God's calling to missions is not authoritative the way the Scriptures are. Your calling is never beyond question. You can't claim it to others the way you quote Scripture to them.  Nevertheless our calling can be profoundly and durably sure in our own heart. It is the work of God to bring our heart to a point of conviction that, all things considered-including Scripture-this path is the path of obedience. The conviction is not infallible. But when it is of God, it brings peace.

Summary:

• We need to make finding and acting in our calling the priority in our lives.
• Some of the ways to find our calling are by considering:
• Who's Pain Do You Feel?
• How does God speak to you?
• What are your gifts?
• Read the bible
• Trying to understand how other people chose their callings
• Look at your experiences and circumstances
• Pray for God to guide you into your calling
• Worshipping
• Fasting
• Listening to those who hear from God
• Come into a state of surrender to God's will
• God chose your calling before you were born.
• You will have peace and fulfillment when you're working within your calling.

References:

• http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/10-ways-to-determine-gods-calling-in-your-life-1326623.html