WHEN IT'S TIME FOR A MAKEOVER
Prayer
Matthew 4:19 [p. 683...Zchurch virtual Bible]
--" 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' "
We've begun a journey this year -- to discover what those 7 words mean: "I will make you fishers of men"
1. So far, we've been reminded that when you're a fisher of FISH...you're not doing the fish any FAVOR
--If you take them out of water, they're going to die
2. But when you're a fisher of MEN...you're giving them the greatest gift of all
--Because rescuing THEM from the water is the only way they can LIVE!
In January, we focused on the "I" of "I will make you fishers of men"
1. We saw that if we are following Jesus, HE is the One Who will make us fishers of men
--That all we have to do is be willing to toss the life preserver
--HE'S the One Who pulls them aboard the oceanliner of His Church!
2. In February we focused on the word, "will": "I WILL make you fishers of men"
--Together we marveled that it is inevitable --
--all you and I have to do is faithfully follow Jesus --
--And we WILL become fishers of men
Today, our entire focus is on the word, "MAKE" of "I will make you fishers of men"
1. The first two words in that phrase were PROMISES
2. This third word is where it actually begins to HAPPEN --
--where our transformation into fishers of men actually begins to take place
3. Jesus said, "I will MAKE you fishers of men..."
--So this morning our focus is: "When it's time for a MAKEover"
We're talking about LIFE-CHANGE, here!
1. When we go from being self-centered people who don't CARE that our friends and neighbors are drowning without Jesus Christ...
--To become people who are praying for our pre-Christian friends every day!
--Now, for most of us, THAT requires a complete MAKEover!
2. This morning we're talking about going from being wimpy, timid people who shake our heads sadly, as we watch people all around us drown...
--To becoming people who are eargerly looking for an opportunity to throw out a life preserver every day:
--"Hey! Where do you go to church? 'Nowhere?' Great! You've gotta come to MINE this Sunday morning -- you'll never believe what we're talking about this morning -- "MAKEOVERS! Seriously! This is church like you've never known it!
--Tell you what -- I'll meet you in the lobby five minutes before Celebration starts, and we'll SIT together! I promise you -- you'll LOVE it!"
--Now, for most of us, THAT requires a complete MAKEover!
3. This morning, we're talking about going from being people who never say a word about Jesus...
--to being people who ENJOY sharing our faith with the pre-Christians around us
--Now, for most of us, THAT requires a complete MAKEover
--Which is why it's such good news to hear Jesus say, "I will MAKE you fishers of men!"
This morning, we're going to look at actual examples of 3 kinds of MAKEOVERS Jesus performs in each of our lives
1. If you were here at the beginning of today's Celebration, you met Trisha Pfingston, who volunteered to let us do a makeover on her
2. Do we have her BEFORE picture to show you?
3. All right! Are you ready to see her again?
Would you please welcome: the NEW TRISHA PFINGSTON!
--What do you think?
FIRST kind of makeover Jesus does with us is COSMETIC
--Matthew 5:14-16 [p. 683...]
What are some of the COSMETIC changes Jesus often makes in a brand-new Christian?
1. There's a GLOW on our faces!
2. They catch us reading our Bibles
3. Start going to church -- and LOVING it!
4. We get BAPTIZED -- and joyfully invite all our family and friends!
5. We start forming friendships with solid, wholesome people
6. We start getting a kick out of giving some of our money to Jesus -- no pressure!
Question: Is Jesus ever FINISHED with this first makeover phase --COSMETICS?
--Is there ever a time when Jesus STOPS caring about how we look to others?
--No, because that's what people first NOTICE!
--1 Samuel 16:7 says, "GOD looks at our HEARTS..."
--But what does this verse remind us that MAN looks at?
--"Man looks at the OUTWARD appearance"
SECOND kind of makeover Jesus does with us is in personal VICTORY
--Galatians 5:1 [p. 825]
For those of you who don't know him, let me introduce to you Darrell Montgomery [IMAG]
--But that picture was taken one year ago
--Would you please welcome to the stage the NEW DARRELL MONTGOMERY!
--Interview Darrell -- not about the methods -- we all already KNOW what we should do
--But Darrell -- where do you find the POWER to do this?
Let's tell Darrel how proud we are of him -- one more time!
Let me ask you a question: When Jesus does one of THESE makeovers...
--Do pre-Christians NOTICE?
--You BETCHA!
What are some of the other PERSONAL VICTORY makeovers Jesus loves to perform?
1. Alcoholics who finally beat the bottle
2. Drug-users who don't NEED an artificial high anymore!
3. Potty-mouth blue-streak cussers who discover a whole new vocabulary!
4. Lifetime smokers who find the willpower to BREAK the nicotine habit!
5. Totally self-absorbed, self-centered people who suddenly start asking, "How are YOU doing?"
Let me ask you a second question: Is Jesus ever finished with this SECOND makeover phase -- PERSONAL VICTORY?
--Absolutely not!
--Paul writes, in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
But there's one more makeover Jesus performs that we're going to focus on, this morning...
--The ability to take a lickin'...and keep on tickin'
--ANYBODY can look good when everything's going well
--But THIS is the one that separates the sheep from the goats...
--THIS is the makeover every single one of us needs!
--THIS is the makeover that launches you into the incredible dimension of Christian MATURITY
--Philippians 3:7-11 [p. 832]
What are some of the disasters that come crashing into all of our lives, sooner or later --
--the things that so often end up being "people-beaters?"
1. Losing your job
2. Flunking a course you needed to graduate on time -- or failing to pass ISTEP
3. Finding out your spouse is cheating on you
4. Being told you have cancer
5. Having your boyfriend break up with you one week before prom
6. Or how about...
Finding out that your daughter, whom you love more than life itself...is very, VERY sick?
--Bring up Joe, Jana, Jenny Kastle...interview
Hear me: EVERY MAKEOVER JESUS IS PERFORMING IN YOUR LIFE HAS TWO PURPOSES:
1. To help you become everything Jesus created YOU to be...
2. And to capture the attention...respect...and heart -- of those who do not yet know Jesus!
Those just HAPPEN to be the 2 purposes this church exists:
--to build passionately committed believers
--who will shake the uncurched people...
Invitation
Benevolence
--Bring back Darrell Montgomery