TIME FOR CHANGE

TIME FOR CHANGE; ALL FOR HIS GLORY

This theme “TIME FOR A CHANGE” has found its way onto political slogans and followers on the campaign trail agree that we are set for a change.

But, before this truth was emphasize politically; it was DECLARED PROPHETICALLY by the Ecclesiastical Preacher of Preachers, who taught us, not only was there a time for change, but referred to those times as a season.

Therefore, we should always remember like the seasons pass with time; so likewise does every wind of change, pass with time. Amen. The Preacher also, taught us that every experience we have is correlated to each other. For instances:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

1. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

The lessons of the Preacher are plain and simple to understand but extremely difficult to apply. Especially, when we are seized with the pain of sorrow, it is hard to believe that “joy will come in the morning.”

The lesson of the Preacher is difficult for a peacemaker to apply when there comes a time to kill.

It’s hard to think favorable of the Preachers lesson when you have been knocked down so many times. “But the Preacher taught there is a time to lose and times to win.” Amen

If we listen to the lessons of the Preacher we will easily recognize time and change are also inter- related; In other words, you can’t have one without the other.

There is a couple truths I would like to add to the Preachers list today, just for us church folks, which is “there is a time to shout and not doubt; there is a time to lift up hands of praise and not lower them because of being afraid.”

My friend we have quenched the spirit far too long and refrained from shouting much too often.

It does appear that shouting time is here, but not because of what man is doing, it’s all about what God is doing. He is rising up people around a spiritual theme; “TIME FOR CHANGE; ALL FOR HIS GLORY.”

This theme suggests that old things are passing away and new things being revealed. Yes my friends. As Sam Cooke sang many years ago “Change gonna come”

We must evaluate these changes coming our way and either reject them or embrace them, talk them up or talk them down. We can either allow our self to get caught up in change or be left behind in the dust of change; the choice is ours to make.

Let me ask you to raise your hands if you welcome most changes in your life? Are you going through a welcome change or a unwelcome change?

We all hope that changes in our lives are positive and never negative. Amen

Listen: People, Businesses and Cultures must accept changes.

Change is the life cycles in everything God created. Do you know that your entire biological system changes every 7 seconds? There is nothing unpleasant about these constant changes and without it we could not exist. Nothing is stagnating, my friends, everything is in motion.

Let me say this to you today “all changes are relative”, whether it’s unpleasant or pleasant; whether you are displease or pleased all changes are meant to evoke a higher spiritual value and virtue.

We learned this in one of our previous meetings that “all things work together for good to those in Christ Jesus.” Because God make a way of escape for you from all unpleasant experiences; and bless you because of them; all for His glory.

God is the author and finisher of every change; all for His glory.

IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE, SAINTS OF GOD (AMERICA); ALL FOR HIS GLORY

IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE, AMERICA; ALL FOR HIS GLORY

It’s time for tabloid stars to change their acts; for His glory.

It’s time for war mongers to change; for His glory.

It’s time for change in the drug culture; for His glory.

It’s time for change in the industrial complex; for His glory.

It’s time for change in students drop out rate; for His glory.

It’s time for change in the gap between haves and have not’s; for His glory.

It’s time for change with senior citizens growing old alone or neglected in nursing homes; for His glory.

So let’s get real CHURCH, let’s get right CHURCH and let’s get ready CHURCH,

IT’S TIME- TIME- IT’S TIME – TIME- IT’S TIME- TIME - TIME FOR CHANGE; ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

It’s our season for change; we got to change or be left in the dust of change.

Let us examine briefly, three aspects of Godly change:

Spiritual Awareness - Spiritual Acceptance - Spiritual Blessing.

The bible says, in Ps. 33: 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Those that heard and received the word of God were blessed.

But, throughout the bible we learned that people and nations refused to change after hearing God’s voice and where doomed to destruction. There are still nations today doomed because of their disobediences and refusal to change.

Gen. 8:5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

13. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me. (CHANGE IS GONE COME); for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Listen my friends, man was made aware of God’s Plan by the preaching of Noah, but man refused to change and repentance. Since man would not change; God sent change for man in a dramatic and a devastating way. It rained 40 days and 40 nights.

8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

(Noah was “Aware of God’s Change, Accepted God’s Change, and Blessed by God’s Change)

Other people recorded in biblical history that were totally opposed to God’s change, as well; was the Egyptian Pharaoh and his army and they got drown in the Red Sea, because of their unwillingness to change.

Gen:19 - 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from out of heaven;

25. And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, because of their unwillingness to change.

As you can see it is disastrous not to go with the flow of God’s changes.

Jonah didn’t want to change. He wanted it his way and not God way and so he refused to go to Nineveh; but after a struggle with God “ACCEPTED CHANGE” and went to Nineveh. The city was spared from destruction, because the people received God word and were blessed; all for God’s glory

The young rich ruler was unwilling to change after hearing Jesus talk about the plan of salvation and the way to heaven. The ruler rejected change and went away sadden.

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS OF CHANGE

The bible tells us of such a man name Saul, a devout Pharisee, who tried his very best to stop the changes Christianity was making in the 1^st century of the world. He did everything possible including being an accompanist to murder, while giving his consent to the death of Stephen. He didn’t want truth outside his own.

Are you like a Saul today? Do you believe you have a corner on God’s truth and nobody else has any? Will you change if given more light on the truth?

Remember the bible amonishes us to

2 Tim 2:15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Listen, my friends, the deeper you go in God the more changes occurs in your life.

The bible says, 2Cor13: 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Many people are not willing to go deeper in Jesus, because it requires change, which they are not willing to make. There is a wind of change in every truth of God.

Again, are you feeling the wind of change?

I DARE YOU TO SAY, YES I DO! ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

SAUL ‘S SPIRITUAL ACCEPTANCE OF CHANGE

Acts 8:3 and as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

SPIRITUAL BLESSING RECEIVED

Acts 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17. Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

PAUL SHARING THE SPIRITUAL BLESSING OF CHANGE

Acts 13:13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

27. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Yes my friends, there were people like King Agrippa, the young rich ruler, and nations like Sodom and Gomorrah and the Generation of Noah that refused God’s wind of change, but you don’t have to refuse Godly wind of change blowing today.

You can be like the City of Nineveh that got their blessing and was saved.

You can be like Saul, who got his blessing and became Saint Paul.

2 Cor 6:2. behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

I hope you are persuaded “IT IS TIME FOR YOUR CHANGE; ALL FOR HIS GLORY.”

Your correct response is:

YES I CAN! YES I WILL!

YOU I CAN ACCEPT JESUS AS MY SAVIOR!

YES I CAN! YES I WILL!

YOU I CAN BE BORN AGAIN!

YES I CAN! YES I WILL!

YOU I CAN SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN WITH GOD!

YES I CAN! YES I WILL!

YOU I CAN BE A WIND OF CHANGE FOR OTHERS

YES I CAN! YES I WILL!

BECAUSE IT ‘S TIME FOR SPIRITUAL CHANGE; ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Preached by:

Rev. Sylvester Williams, Jr.

April 13^th, 2008