GETTING READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
Get Used to Different #1
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, August 7, 2022
(Mark 1:21–37, Message) “Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars. Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out. Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee. Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew’s house, accompanied by James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them. That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn’t let them say a word. While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.”
1. TAKE GOD’S WORD SERIOUSLY, TAKE YOURSELF LESS SO!
(Mark 1:27, Message) “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says?”
2. ASK GOD TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN YOUR LIFE!
(Mark 1:30, Message) “They told Jesus.”
(Isaiah 43:18-19) “Stop dwelling on the past. Don’t even remember these former things. I am doing something brand new, something unheard of. Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don’t you perceive it?”
3. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DIFFERENT.
(Nehemiah 6:9, GN) “I prayed, “But now, God, make me strong!”
| Spiritual | Intellectual | Emotional |
| Physical | Marital | Parental |
| Social | Vocational | Avocational |
| Financial | Ritual |
4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ENCOURAGING FRIENDS.
“A Barnabas is … someone to hold up those tired and weary arms; someone to add a hand when you rarely or barely hear the sound of one hand clapping; someone who gives you permission to fail, permission to write a bad first draft; someone who can remind you that God gives us a portion adequate for us to make it through the day; … someone who, when life takes your breath away and you hold it in, will slap your back and “inspire” you with the enlivening Spirit that makes you want to breathe again; someone who will lift you up when you’re road-whipped, world-weary, bone-tired, blood-thin, when you feel buttonholed and browbeaten; someone who will encourage you when you’re tempted to think that the only difference between yogurt and the church you’re a part of is that yogurt has active, living culture.” –Leonard Sweet, 11
(Proverbs 13:2, PT) “If you want to grow in wisdom, spend time with the wise. Walk with the wicked and you’ll eventually become like them.”
How to find Wise and Encouraging Friends
A. Read your Bible.
B. Ask God to show you positive and wise friends.
C. Anticipate a positive answer to your prayers.
(2 Timothy 1:16, NLT) “May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains.”
5. LET GO OF EVERY LIMITING BELIEF IN YOUR LIFE AND BE DIFFERENT.
(2 Corinthians 10:18, Message) “It’s what God says about you that makes the difference.”
(Hebrews 12:1, PT) “We must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.”