Change Happens

Good Monday Morning to you. Happy Fourth of July! America’s birthday, officially known as Independence Day is traditionally known as the day of family cook outs, parades, and fireworks. This year marks year number two hundred thirty five of our breaking away from Great Britain. How do you plan to spend the day. My trucker son Kevin is home for a week and he loves to fire up the grill, so steaks will abound at our house. Three of my four kids will be here, but I wish Amanda and her family as well as my mom, brother, and his crew could come as well. Oh well, maybe one day…..

Last Wednesday Bess and I, along with Bill and Pat Wolfe and Brenda Conley got to go to Tampa to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Tampa Bay Rays. To round out the day, the Reds won. I was real impressed with the Ray’s Stadium, Tropicana Field. It was my first experience of seeing the Reds at some place other than Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium, or Great American Ball Park, all homes of Cincinnati. I could not believe how many Reds fans were at Tropicana! Not only that experience, but Tropicana Field is a domed stadium. I’ve never watched a baseball game indoors. It was different, but I enjoyed it. I wish Great American Ball Park had a dome, although it is pretty cool to sit in the stands and see the traffic out on the Ohio River.

You will notice I named three Reds fields. Crosley Field gave way to Riverfront Stadium which in turn gave way to Great American Ball Park. There was nothing wrong with Crosley Field, but they changed. I’ve seen many good games at Riverfront, but they changed again. For good or bad, better or worse, change happens! My sermon yesterday talked about change. The title came from a sixties pop song titled, How Can I Be Sure? I first preached this message in February of 1995 at Calvary Baptist Church in Cincinnati. I updated it a bit, and preached it again. Updated. Is that a synonym for change? Did even it change? With all the changes in life, the song’s question is legitimate: How can I be sure; in a world that’s constantly changing? The 2011 version of the sermon notes are below. I hope you find them helpful.

How Can I Be Sure?
Malachi 3:6
(Read text at place marked)
By Victor Cooper
2/5/95 --7/2/11

Message goal: To help people see that the only true assurance is in Jesus Christ.

Intro: There was a pop song in the 60’s that said, “How can I be sure, in a world that’s constantly changing?”

There is an answer to that question!

I. When I was a child, there were no:
1. Micro Wave Ovens
2. Velcro fasteners
3. Fax machines
4. On star communicators
5. PC’s
6. CD’s
7. Ipods
8. Open heart surgeries
9. Heart stints
10. Surgical lazers

II. As some of these things made life easier and better, spiritually people got worse.
- In my childhood:
1. The number one problem in schools was gum chewing.
2. Street gangs were more obnoxious than dangerous.
3. You could understand the words to a song.
4. Vulgarity was not seen or heard on TV, radio, or movies.
5. Dancing didn’t look like an act of perversion.

III. Scripture teaches that there will be change.
A. 1 Cor. 13:8 says that:
1. Prophecies shall fail
2. Tongues shall cease
3. Knowledge shall vanish away.

i.e. change happens!

If change is inevitable, then ,
Q. “How can I be sure, in a world that’s constantly changing?”
A. *** text *** Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Change should not cause us to fear because Christ is changeless! [This is the doctrine of immutability.]

Q. How can I be sure, in a world that’s constantly changing?”
A. 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can be sure because our victory is in Christ Jesus, our LORD.

Q. How can I be sure, in a world that’s constantly changing?”
A. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Israel faced change, but was sure because of the Rock.

Q. How can I be sure, in a world that’s constantly changing?”
A. Luke 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Sing together: This Rock is Jesus, yes He’s the one.
This Rock is Jesus, the only One.
I’m very sure, I’m very sure,
My anchor holds, and grips the Solid Rock!

Conclusion: Hebrews 6:19-20 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,… even Jesus, made an high priest for ever…

Have a safe Fourth of July, and a good week. Miss Bessie and I have a Bible Conference to attend later this week up in Orlando. I say up, because from our home, Orlando is north. I’ll let you know about it next week on Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!