Paul Schwanke: The Power of God in Changing Lives

the book of first Peter like all the Bible matters for the day in which we live but you know the longer we go and the further we get away from Calvary and and the closer we come to the return of Christ especially with the way things are going in our country tonight the book of first Peter is becoming more and more powerful I would challenge you to hide the Word of God in your heart and one of the great books to memorize in times like these is the book of first Peter when you come to first Peter chapter number one you discover that God's people have been kicked out by the Roman Empire from their homes for the name of Christ for the word of God and for the truth of the Bible they have been scattered around the world and many of them wound up in what we would call the day modern Turkey and places like Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia people that had suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ what a price they paid and you know as bad as it was the Bible tells us in history tells us that that it was only going to get worse for them evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse and the days that followed in the months and years that followed first Peter brought a persecution where God's people paid an incredible price it wasn't going to get better and better and sweeter and sweeter and I'm glad that one day my savior is coming back and I'm glad one day it was stablished his kingdom but until that day comes I'm sorry evil men and seducers are gonna wax worse and worse and the longer we get away from God in America and the further we get from his truth the more we're going to find ourselves with an affinity to these people how they suffered for Christ and what a price they paid for him and so the Bible tells us his brother Chapel mentioned a few moments ago that these people had to realize they were strangers they were pilgrims they were sojourners they were never going to belong to the land where they now lived they were never going to be comfortable in the culture in the world to which they belong no they would constantly be reminded how different they were constantly be reminded that you don't belong to this generation constantly under the reminder that that this world was not their home they're just passing through and you read the book of first Peter with that in the back of your mind a people suffering for Christ's a people who lost their jobs in their homes for Christ many of the people he was writing to would one day be executed for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and we find ourself in first Peter chapter number four and one more time Peter's got a message from heaven for these persecuted Christians notice how he puts it in verse number one for as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh like the ladies just sang a moment ago what a perfect song for that verse because when these people were persecuted and when evil men and seducers wax worse and worse in our society the message in verse number one is look at Christ look at how he suffered on the cross look at the price that he paid for us and not just look at Christ but look at Calvary it's not just that he suffered he suffered in the flesh that happened on the cross you know Peter could say to those strangers that lost their home for Jesus one day Jesus left his home so that you could be saved he's told people who suffered greatly for Christ we have a savior who suffered beyond our imagination and the people that one day would die for Christ your savior is the one that died for you so he said you look to the Savior you'll look to Calvary and then he said arm yourself likewise a military term Peter was saying there's a real battle here we've battle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world spiritual wickedness in high places so he says you're gonna have to be ready for the battle I am so sorry but they'll never be peace on earth and goodwill towards men until the king of kings is ruling in Jerusalem the battle is real when the battle is hot you know of that battle at Lancaster Baptist Church you know how hot and heavy and how great the enemy is that's why the Bible says arm yourselves how do we do that how do we get ready for the battle arm yourselves with the same mind in other words the battle field is the mind and in our thinking we have to think like Christ and our thinking we have to respond like Christ and our thinking we have to behave like Christ and our thinking we have got to understand there is an enemy after us for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin there's the reason we can be victorious and things like these there's the reason no matter what happens next no matter what battle takes place no matter what the future holds life my friend you and I know tonight I like it the way the old preacher said he said we're not even on the winning side he said we're on the side that already won because you can read the last chapter in the book and my savior comes out ahead he is the Conqueror he is the victor that's why we can be people in victory no matter what happens in an election we can be people the victory no matter what happens next we can be people the victory in the darkest of times because our confidence is in the one who's already won the victory so with that in mind notice if you would please in verse number two and remember the setting here people that have lost everything for Christ they have suffered greatly for Christ they have paid a price and it was only going to get worse so Peter encourages them in verse number 1 our saviors won the battle we can be men of victory now in verse number two he gives us the encouragement I want you to see tonight and what two powerful words are in this verse that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men but to the will of God what a statement what a verse what words no longer my friend you can take those two words and plant them right over the light for the child of God no longer we're no longer what we used to be the boys and girls sing that little chorus the things I used to do don't do them anymore the things I used to do don't do them anymore there's been a great change since I've been born again no longer it's the theme of the Bible for the newly-minted child of God I when somebody receives Christ as their Savior when somebody is born again into the family of God when somebody has believed I'm the Lord Jesus Christ they wake up the next day with two powerful words resting on top of their life no longer Jesus changes everything the power of God is still about the business of changing lives no longer second Corinthians 5:17 therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things become new no longer Ephesians chapter 2 verse number 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them no longer Ephesians chapter 4 verse number 22 that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the see fill us and be renewed in the spirit of your mind actually put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness I'm true holiness no longer no longer what I used to be no longer go where I used to go no longer held captive by what I used to be held captive of no longer controlling my life everything has changed by the power of Almighty God he is still in the business of changing lives he is still in the business of no longer heard about a big old boy I believe that's what you'd call them on the other side of the mason-dixon line an enormous guy a big ol guy in the middle of a city walked into a Salvation Army service years ago and and the Lord saved them and changed his life he just lived in a small inner-city apartment he and his wife and I mean he didn't know too much didn't have much of an education neither he nor his wife was able to read and and yet he was so so excited about what the Lord had done in his life and that big old boy couldn't get back to the services fast enough you know one night he came home a little discouraged from the meeting and and his wife said sweetheart what's wrong and he he said don't you enjoy going to the service he said well I do and above those people I love the Bible and and she said well what's wrong and and he said well he said everybody in that meeting wears a red sweater and I don't have a red sweater she said I can take care of that and so she went out the business of sewing him a red sweater big as a tent as she said it but she made that big old red sweater and boy he was so delighted happy as a puppy he put on that big old red sweater and he walked off to the meeting with his new Bible under his arm and and you know we came home that night he was discouraged again and his wife said sweetheart what's wrong didn't you don't you like your sweater oh I love my sweater well didn't the people like to sweater who they love the sweater too but but he said the problem is there's red sweaters all have letters on them my red sweater doesn't have any letters on it well she thought about that and she didn't know how to read she didn't know how to write he didn't know how to read he didn't know how to write she wasn't quite sure what to do but she said I'll tell you what I'm gonna put some letters on that old red sweater he took the sweater off gave it to his wife and sure enough the next day she got up saying what am I gonna do now how am I going to put letters I don't even know how to read she happened to look across the street and there was a business going in and and she saw a painter out there putting a sign up on the walls on the door that new business well she watched them for a while and said I don't know quite what to do it don't know how this letters things work but but she said what I can do is I'll just take those letters and put them on the sweater so as that man painted the letters on the side of the building so she put two soda letters right on that sweater when he came home an afternoon to get ready for the meeting he had a smile on his face he had a red sweater and he had letters on the sweater well he put that sweater on he was so excited and and leave us to say his wife couldn't wait till he showed up at home that night would he be discouraged again would there be a problem again and my he walked in the house with a smile from ear to ear he grabbed his wife and said sweetheart you have done it this time you have done it this time everybody got a red sweater but he said I've got the best one of all and she said everybody liked the letter so he laughed he said that was the best thing of all because the letter she put on that enormous red sweater went like this this business is under new management and you know that's how it happens with the Lord Jesus Christ this man's under new management no longer living like I used to live no longer doing what I used to do because the power of God is still in the business of takin old creatures and making them new creatures we're not under the old boss we're not under the old management we're living for somebody new we're living for something else from first Peter chapter 4 could I give you four great evidences of the power of God in changing life would you notice number one God's power changes our purpose God's power changes our purpose that he verse two that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the power to the will of God for the time passed of our life may have suffice us to wrought the will of the Gentiles no longer no longer do we live for this world you see in verse two and three the Bible tells us there's a great conflict a great battle that takes place even in the life of somebody who is saved I have a choice to make you've got a choice to make are we going to follow the will of God or are we going to follow the will of the Gentiles now in the book of first Peter and often in the New Testament when you read that word Gentiles it is a synonym for paganism so it is the choice of a child of God in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia is your beneth Ania it's a choice for a child of God in Lancaster California who do I live for am i living for the will of God or am i living for the will of this pagan world why does somebody who's really saved the Bible tells us it's sufficient I want to live for him the time past of our life may have sufficed us to live for the will of the Gentiles oh that was how I used to live that used to satisfy me but you know when you're saved that changes doesn't it the power of God changes somebody so the one two is different you know Vaughn saved world looks at you tonight and says what happened to you since you got saved what happened to you since you got religion they say you can't drink you can't smoke you can't cuss you can't do this you can't do that and they have it all wrong don't think because any one of us in this building could do all of those things I mean anybody can drink and anybody could cuss and anybody could live a wicked life any one of us in this building could do any one of those things but what the unsaved man doesn't understand is that when you are born again your want to changes you see we could but we don't want to we could talk like that we could live like that we could act like that but now we don't want to because the power of God has changed the life and you know we we know we're not even going to be satisfied going back to one night of sin not satisfied going back to one episode of sin I the guilt and the conviction knowing what we've done to the Lord Jesus Christ no wonder the Bible says no longer that's what the power of God does when it changed his life we are no longer living for this world there is the will of the world the way of the world there is the desire of the world but when you're born again the desire changes the one two changes that's the power of God in changing lives he changes our purpose our purpose of living but notice right along with that number two God's power changes or habits it changes our purpose what we are living for and then it changes our habits what we're living like so as we no longer live for the will of the world well now the Bible says in verse number three we no longer live like the world notice the key word in verse three for the time passed of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles and here it is when we walked see somebody tonight would say you know I just got saved not too long ago and maybe like somebody tonight I've just gone through the discipleship course and and you know I'm an entirely different person my my outlook has changed my attitude has changed my habits have changed but you say preach I'm a little concerned because every now and then I think something I shouldn't think I say something I shouldn't say I do something I shouldn't do and what does that say about me what that says is welcome to the club there's this little thing in the Bible called Romans chapter number seven and I'll be honest with you if the Bible stopped in Romans at the end of chapter seven I'm not sure what I do I know I'd be awfully discouraged and I'm reading about the Apostle Paul doing what he's a want to do not doing what he's supposed to do a hey talks about the Battle of the ages and if it weren't for Romans eight verse number one what would we do but thank God there still is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus you know one day we won't have to battle sin one day the ultimate victory will be won the problem is that's not happening until we see our Savior face to face there are people in this building that have been saved for days others in this building that have been saved for decades but whether we have been saved for days for decades everybody in this building has a battle with the flesh everybody in this building has a battle with sin and that's why that key word in verse number three matters so much it is the difference between somebody who's playing religion and somebody who's truly a child of God dude Christians have trouble with the flesh do Christians battle sin of course we do but the key word is the word walked how are we living our life the word in 1st time is abide what are we continuing in and when somebody with their tongue says I know Jesus and I'm born again but their life walk as a walk of wickedness there is no conviction there is no desire to be different there is no chastening hand of God that is the story of somebody who's made a profession but they don't have a change life they don't have a savior but you know when somebody's born again you've heard testimonies we could probably hear dozens maybe hundreds of them tonight I got saved and the next day I said something I shouldn't have said I used some dirty language and nobody had to tell me I was wrong it was a big old sphere that went right through my heart somebody here tonight for sure could say now I got saved and the next Friday night I went down to the bar like I did every other Friday night and boy it was absolutely the worst mistake and miserable experience of my entire life that's because God's in the business of saying you don't have to live like this world anymore he's a change in lives were brand new people notice the list in chat and verse number three the Bible gives us a very specific list when somebody is saved they no longer live like this they no longer do these things at the top of the list is the sin of lasciviousness a lifestyle of excessive fleshly sin of fornication and wickedness and you know when somebody is saved you know I don't go to the websites I used to go to I don't read the magazines and books I used to read I don't watch the movies that I used to why because you Christians can know because we don't want to anymore we no longer want to live a life of lasciviousness right along with that the Bible uses the word lusts lust are not just sinful desires in the realm of fornication and sexual sins it certainly includes that but all kinds of sensual desires a man wakes up in the morning unsaved and his first thought is how can I please myself what makes me happy men are lovers of their own selves they're living for lust and whatever pleases my senses whatever satisfies me the next morning after somebody you save they wake up they can what can I do for the one who died for me and now they're no longer living for lusts their entire heart has changed not because they couldn't not because sometimes they don't stumble but the walk is different because the one who changes notice the Bible uses the phrase excess of wine overflowing with drunkenness there's the child of God I used to drink I used to live for it I used to love the liquor I used to love all the K and now you say don't drink anymore and it's not like I had surgery it's not like I had something else he said just lost the appetite I just lost the desire I no longer want to be controlled by liquor heard of a fella that was sitting in the doctor's office and he was witnessing to the doctor he's a new convert he had just been saved and he told the doctor that Jesus had taken away his appetite for liquor the doctor laughed at him he said I don't think so he said for you to lose your appetite for liquor meaning you need to have a new stomach and the guy hollered out praise God he said I knew when he saved me he gave me a new heart I didn't know he gave me a new stomach too but you know everything changes from the top of the head down to the bottom of the feed you say somebody here tonight I used to live for sexual immorality Jesus saved me I don't want it now somebody else says I used to live to please need the lust of the flesh now all that's changed I'm living for Christ somebody else was a drunkard and the Lord took care of that right along with that we have the word revellings drunkenness might be what somebody does privately filling themselves with liquor but revellings refers to drunken parties I used to go to the parties was all Fridays all Saturday night but now that I'm saved that crowds not my crowd anymore I don't go there I don't drink that way I don't live that way I was preaching this summer in Peoria Arizona met a gentleman rather elderly gentleman now and and he told me years ago he was a Top Gun pilot in the Air Force he said you know back then I lived a wicked life it was an evil life and he said to tell you the truth he said I'm ashamed of it now but he said I had a callsign as a pilot in the Air Force they used to call me beer can one he said one day when I was in the military I bowed ninety to Christ and I was saved he said I started preaching to everybody I met he said a week later a week later my callsign was changed from beer can one the preacher won exactly that's exactly the way it happens I mean we don't have to stay in a peer and point a finger and say you get rid of liquor we don't I mean we do and we should but you know it shouldn't have to be and you shouldn't have to be put on this and we shouldn't have to give you 14 reasons why for your family for your health for your wife for your country all those things count and they're very real but you know when you're born again and the crowd gathers for their party's a liquor there's nothing attractive anymore and stuff doesn't taste good anymore and crowd doesn't not my crowd anymore and the Bible tells us that the revellings are gone how about this the Bible uses the word banqueting don't get nervous now and certain think you mean when pastor has a banquet because we know what's coming now that means I don't have to know that's not what that means I'm so sorry this is not an excuse not to give banqueting Zinn the New Testament is referring to banqueting is where there is social drinking oftentimes these banquets would be used in the guise of religion or could I say it like this may be the best illustration I could come up with that word banqueting is talking about pagan people gathering for a Christmas party to drink and fornicate and God's people say don't do that I'm sorry the cry everybody at work may be going just not me everybody in crowd at work may go and they may all drink and think that's how you honor the newborn baby the Lord Jesus Christ that's not how I do it because when the bank weddings come along God's people say not for me right along with that the Word of God tells us of abominable idolatries abominable a Bible word that means detestable --zz whenever you read idols in the Old Testament or New Testament it was basically God's way to refer to false religion idolatry was the false religion that destroyed Jerusalem and Judah in the Old Testament and God says when pagan religions gather together to mock my son and Adonai him God's people are there you see when you're born again you may walk into a house of religion and while the sudden where you were comfortable and you sat there and you did what you're supposed to do now that ministers up there mocking Jesus Christ he's not preaching the Bible and all of a sudden you see what you didn't see and you know what you didn't know because God's power has changed your life God's still in the business of changing our purpose God's still in the business of changing habits all around this room tonight there are people's I can't really explain that they don't really know how this whole worked out but I know that I am so completely different because of what God's power has done when he saved me he changes our purpose he changes her habits well number three he changes our relationships now in verse number three the Bible says here's the things I used to do don't do them anymore there's been a great change since I've been born again now that I'm saved I don't live for last I don't live for lasciviousness sexual immorality now he says that I'm saved I don't go to the parties I don't go to the banqueting 's I don't go to the false houses of religion and I don't drink and overflow with booze but you know the Bible tells us in verse number four it's not just internal this is an external change wherefore they meaning you're unsaved friends who is they the ones that you used to run with that's the Bible word what a fascinating word wherein they think it's strange that you run that with them to the same excess of Ryan speaking evil of you you know what happens when you get saved the Lord so transforms your life and changes your life that all of a sudden you lose your old friend yes can I explain how this happens because the verse describes it it is not that the day you get saved this little cloud descends from heaven and all of a sudden you become a holier than thou and it's not that you go on the job and wait my big old Bible in the air and put the Bible in the face of your boss and and put your finger in his face and start preaching and hollering at them and they'll tell you the truth you really don't have to because you're already preaching a message they don't want to hear it works that way with family too I mean sometimes people are so glad they're saved and they want everybody to get saved they get so excited about it and that's all good and and even if there's maybe a little over channelled energy the Lord always worked that out but you know the truth of the matter is it happens a week maybe two weeks maybe three weeks after somebody saved and their life has changed and they say wait a minute I didn't say anything unkind of a family I didn't say anything unkind of my old friends I didn't leave them they left me and that's what exactly what the Bible says I mean sometimes we think we got to draw a line in the sand don't worry if you're transformed by the power of God your old friends are gonna draw the line in the sand for you that's exactly what he says the Bible uses the word strange they're shocked they're caught off guard our old friends are stunned that now you don't want to run with us anymore we don't want to run we want to fraternize we don't want to go where they go and do what they do so the Bible tells us they speak evil of us and just as they did with the Lord Jesus Christ they're gonna speak evil of you they will speak evil of me and it's not like you asked for it it's not like you chose it but you know all of a sudden they're using language you don't want to use anymore and they're telling stories you don't want to hear anymore and what they think is funny you don't think funny anymore and their TV shows and movies they're not what you like anymore and sometimes we think what's wrong with them but the real issue is what changed about us and that's the power of God and sure that's when you're looking in the mirror shaven you realize thank the Lord he's transformed me he shaved each a changed me that's when we realize there's a reason people don't want to run with us they don't want to go with us we don't have to draw that line although we have to we certainly should that line is going to be drawn because some of you in this building say I got saved and now people are turning on me they're abandoning me he said I thought when I got saved everybody's gonna be happy I thought when I told my mom and dad I got say they're gonna clap for me I thought when I went to the job and said you know I've been delivered and saved from sin everybody's gonna be thrilled about that but instead the Bible says they think you're strange they think something's wrong with you because you don't want to run with them the sin and the Bible says they're gonna speak evil of you it's all because of no longer it's all because of the power of God to change lives he changes her purpose he changes her habits he changes our relationships notice number four it's God's power that changes our outlook in verse number five who shall give an account to him that is ready to the quick and the dead what a mighty verse that is you know the people in Peters day they were living in a state of fear they were looking around saying the Roman government is coming after us the emperors of rome despise us i don't know if we've ever seen anything like it or a nation like that but you know the truth is the roman empire tolerated all religions in fact they encouraged all religions except for one christianity I don't know if there's any governments like that out there today in our world but that's the way that one was every other religious fine but you know why they hated Christianity because the Roman Empire said you can have all the religions you want however the Roman Emperor has to be your chief God you can have all the sub gods you want just so long as the Emperor is your number one God have that it pick your pick of religions well when you were born again you're not born again until you turn from gods to the one living in true God and when you're born again you're saying I have a new God the Emperor's not my God the Lord Jesus Christ is my god and for that reason men like Paul and Peter be put on trial for that reason they would be executed the crime against them was the crime of treason they said you no longer have the Emperor's you're God and that's the problem with pagan governments and pagan religions well we have all the religions you want but the reason they hate Christianity is because there is no room for a secondary God the power of God in verse number four or five says shall give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead it'd be awfully easy for those people scattered around what we call Turkey to live in a state of fear maybe to live in a state of revenge maybe to live in a state of anger can I be honest with you like never before and independent Baptist churches where I have the privilege to go and preach there is a level of fear and a level of panic amongst God's people and like never before at least the 34-years God's let me do this there's people that wake up in the morning and it dominates their thinking and and they're all wrapped up in this in please it's one thing to be a good citizen but a good sentence it is not a panic citizen it's one thing to vote correctly and vote biblically but you know it's something else to be so caught up in a stage of fear that were paralyzed and there are Christians that are not willing to do it verse number five says and says realize that one day these centers these wicked people one day the pagan Roman government one day taken people that live today are going to give an account to the one who judges the quick and the dead and there's a lot of peace that comes when we realize I'm gonna do right I'm gonna live for Christ I'm gonna honor him and I'm gonna trust that one day God is gonna get this right every day it seems like the news story is one more story of injustice the righteous people are persecuted the godless people seem to win every day we see the people that are perverse in their morals they have no morals they mock their morals they mock God every day they gain more rights and we're expected to pay for it and there's frustration and there's bitterness and there's anger and I understand that for people like you and me that want answers right now this is so awfully tough but to understand please God no verse said it was going to be easy one day they will give an account to the judge of the quick and the dead you have to wake up tomorrow morning believing God's word that God indeed is going to hold them accountable it may not happen today it may not happen in November it may not happen in your life for mine but one day the godless man dragging the truth of God's morals through the mud teaching a society and its children paganism and wickedness one day they are going to be held accountable by Almighty God in verse number 6 for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live after God in the spirit we're confident that God will judge the wicked then we're confident that those who live according to God in the spirit that God will keep his own and you know when we know that one day the wicked man's gonna pay the price and when we know that one day even for somebody in Asia Minor I was suffering for Christ two thousand years ago maybe for somebody who is suffering for righteousness sake in californium the year 2016 or maybe next year that one day the Lord is gonna get him right they live according to God in the spirit one day God's gonna make sure they are promoted he said them that honor me I will honor and that's the power of God God's power changes our purpose it changes our habits it changes our relationship it changes our outlook while the sudden were not caught up in the day we're not caught up in the temporary all of a sudden we start looking for the future and the eternal the unsaved man in Lancaster California is spending their day living for Friday night their entire week is when can I get to the weekend one more party one more good time I read on CNBC article well I feel a few months ago now that some 98 percent of Americans have never even thought about their financial future and why should they most Americans don't even think towards next Monday they're so caught up in the present they're so caught up in the day they're so caught up in the party for the weekend there are no plans there are no considerations but the Bible tells us that God's business when he changed his life he changes an outlook and jobs people are no longer interested in the here and now we're living for something else we're living for another day we're living for another place we're living for that day when we see our Savior face to face he's still changing lives if you're here tonight and you've never been born again he's got the power not only to save you and sets you from free from sin he's got the power to give you the gift of God which is eternal life he's in the business of changing lives you know him as your Savior maybe somebody have recently been saved you say what's happened to me what's happened to me you've been completely transformed by the renewing of your mind completely changed by the power of God's word completely changed by a God who changes lives tonight would you just say by the grace of God I'm gonna live that holy life I'm gonna live that clean life I know when a week and a half you've got a special day and it's gonna be a great day one more time for the 30th time a tremendous opportunity to go into a community to bring people to a place where they hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and I know sometimes it's roughly easy to get frustrated isn't it it's awfully easy to watch the news and we get mad and we get angry and it seems like it dominates our thinking and it dominates our conversation but you know what Lancaster community needs in palmdale and a little towns surrounding this place they need to be saved because you know there's no Reformation that's coming from Washington no matter who gets elected there's no Reformation from Sacramento that will ever change your life oh they might think they can but you know UCLA in u.s. see you in the Universities don't change lives it is the God of the Bible who still changes a sinner washes the Sims away saves them for eternity in other words if America gets rescued it's gonna happen one by one my Savior still changes lives here and a half ago I had the privilege to preach and one coyopa ruin and I've been there a few times now just preaching in a wonderful Independent Baptist Church and and I had the privilege to meet a few years ago when I preached down there a pastor in Lima named Wilfredo Flores one day we sat in his kitchen the missionary and I and asked him for his testimony and and he shook his head he almost started to cry I knew what was coming he said you wouldn't believe what the Lord has done for me he said I was so poor when the school had a rule you had to have shoes to go to school my uncle who I grew up with he didn't have money for shoes I didn't own a pair of shoes so so he got a piece of cardboard and he taped a piece of cardboard to my feet and they called that shoes that's how I went to school he said when I graduated from school I went into military and they would be open in military academy Monday morning through Friday afternoon I go to school do what you did to be trained and and then when it was all said and done he said go out in the weekends I was homeless wandering the streets of Lima till Monday morning came along and then I'd be back in school he said you talk about poverty and you talk about poor that was me he said when I was done with the military became a police officer and my life was a mess before long I was a drunkard booze just ran my life he told me of a day where he had gotten married and his wife says you got to do something all he did was drink more and and one day passed out in a cafe drunk they stuck him in the back room and and when he finally woke up the next day the lady who ran that cafe says you know you need to do something she pointed to a little church down the road and said why don't you go to that church I know the pastor there his good guy booze cost him everything for liquor he lost his wife she wanted to divorce him strangely enough they filed the paperwork for divorce and it got lost somewhere little to their knowledge they never saw each other again she abandoned his her husband and he just lived the life of a drunkard until one day he was so miserable he couldn't take it any longer he stumbled down the road into that church heard the Gospel story came back again and again patiently that preacher preached the word and when they Wilfredo Flores bowed his knee to Christ and he was gloriously saved a few months later he was now the song leader in that church and leading the music and and there was such a change in his life the booze was gone the old ways were gone the old friends were gone and and will for Wilfredo for race had a life that was completely transformed a lady who knew Wilfredo and knew his his wife told that woman what changed in his life had come along but mrs. Flores couldn't believe it he said I won't believe it I'll never believe that it's impossible for him to quit drinking but you know this lady kept after her kept after says I'm telling ya I see Wilfredo when this life has changed and so finally she said would you go with me to that church on the Sunday night I'll go with you and she said ok and when she went in the music was already done little did she know Wilfredo was sitting on the front row and she came and sat in the very back row and listen to the man preach the Bible when the preaching was done the invitation song was sung that's when Wilfredo Florrie stood up to lead the song he looked and he saw his wife tears began to run down his face she saw him and tears began to run down her face that night she was not only saved for eternity but their marriage was rescued today he's a pastor of an Independent Baptist Church serving the Lord joyfully because he still changed his lives he does it in Lancaster he does it in Peru he does it in Phoenix Arizona where I live if any man be in Christ it's not he could be a new creature it's not he might be a new creature he is a new creature my god still changes lives and tonight if you don't have a change life oh there could be somebody comes some day after Sunday week after week and you play the game you play religion but you know your life has never been changed there are no phony experiments with God there are no people who just don't make it even though they're real with him no he changed his lives maybe for somebody it's time to replace Baptist religion with the Lord Jesus Christ for somebody else tonight just say what's the answer for all the attempts and all the things we battle you and I need to leave this place with our confid and a God who was still able to change lives no longer no longer no longer God changes lives

Channel: Lancaster Baptist Church

Views: 3,286

Rating: 4.5918369 out of 5

Keywords: preaching, sermon, Christian, Paul Schwanke, power, God, change, purpose, habits, relationships, relationship, outlook, live

Id: 6yKJKfGMDz4

Length: 37min 46sec (2266 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 29 2016