Many of us were born with an itch that seemingly can’t be scratched. A knowing that things weren’t just supposed to be because “that’s the way it has always been”. We’ve played nice but the rules seem stacked against us. We feel like Neo from the movie The Matrix, something just isn’t right. Then Morpheus offers us the red pill and everything changes.
The definition of revolution is:
A far-reaching and drastic change in ideas and methods. A fundamental change in the way you think about a subject.
We’ve been told what to think. The world says, “Think about this.” Religion (our attempts at self-righteousness) says, “Don’t think about that!” But religion never tells us how to be free from thinking that and thinking about this isn’t as satisfying as the world says. There has to be something else!
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul gives us the answer.
Romans 12:2 NLT: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
The good news is that we don’t have to think about this or struggle to not think about that because God is willing to get down on our level and transform us from the inside out by changing THE WAY WE THINK. We need a revolution of thought. Not what we think but how we think. If how we think changes, what we think will follow. The revolution begins!
We serve a revolutionary savior! The status quo of Jesus’ time wasn’t changing lives because men were focused on the actions alone; religion always does that. Jesus refocused us and taught us to change the thoughts and intentions that precede action. In other words what is the motivation of our heart. If our actions aren’t impacting others check the heart, don’t try to only produce “better” actions.
Again with the Matrix analogy, we, like Neo, need to be awakened to truth. The word revolution has hijacked for political, financial, sexual and even religious agendas. Some of those may be based in good motives, but they are lacking God’s presence. You can’t change the outside without changing the inside. It’s like the little boy who was being punished for bad behavior. He was told by his mother to sit down and not move. He gritted his teeth and responded, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.”
Many may scream that we have to be inclusive with all races, religions and sexual orientations. They may say that we must change political and financial systems to favor the downtrodden and poor. Despite what they say history has shown us that you may force “acceptance” but hatred still exists. You may change the political landscape but the “haves” and the “have nots” are still a reality. The “power to the people” revolutions only alter which people have the power.
We are in desperate need of a Jesus revolution! Only then will we love enough to include without bias and fear. Only when we insist that God change our “how”, instead of only our “what”, will we be moved by compassion, just as Jesus was. When compassion is alive in us, we are given the creative force of Heaven, the zeal of God for the people he loves and the unlimited resources of our Father to enact true change that will rock this world to its very foundations.
It happened in the first century with a rag-tag band of former fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes and other unlikely people. Because God had changed the way they thought, they shook religious systems, they changed culture and they laid a foundation for us today.
Let’s revolt again here in the 21st century.
I’m fully convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ will not hide and sneak out of this age with barely a whimper. No, we will see the power and beauty of the King of Kings emanate from His bride just as powerfully in the last days as she was in the first. It starts with a revolution of how we think.
This week I’m starting a four lesson series called Revolution. This subject has burned in me for years. I’ve taught it in different forms over time but I feel for the first time that God is giving me real knowledge to support the zeal. If nothing else come and watch me passionately burn for a bit. That’s an advertisement and a reminder to be at NCC this Sunday! Come as we build a community where people connect with God and others.
