On June 12, Pastor Bai Yue shared the tenth segment in a series of online sermons on the revival of the church. She reminded her viewers that the basis of revival is the change in thinking and an attitude that is willing to encounter suffering.
He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. (Luke 5:36-37)
The growth of life is a process, and the ultimate goal of our lives is to worship and be with our sovereign Lord, which is also the end of our faith. How can we achieve this? We must choose change. Only by changing the present can we decide the future. The depth of change determines the degree of growth.
1. Change starts with endurance.
Pastor Bai believes that if people want to change, they must learn to endure. She gave an example. A couple just got married. The couple knew each other well and fell in love, so they married. But there were a lot of things that were not revealed before they married and then small differences gradually emerged. The husband brushed his teeth, put the brush underneath, and squeezed toothpaste from the front to the back. His wife did things the opposite way. As a result, there was a dispute. She was prejudiced against her husband and believed that he was very rude. But because of love, she slowly accepted his way of doing things, covered up her feelings, and endured it. Later, she gradually got used to it and felt his behavior was acceptable. There were many things that married couples need to accept, such as differences in temperament, daily life, the concept of time, etc. They chose each other to enjoy love in life, although the process was difficult and required a change of concept.
God's Word was like the new belt mentioned in the Bible. Wine referred to the Holy Spirit and old belt was the concept. We need to change. The degree of change in concept affects the degree of work of the Holy Spirit in us. The deeper our knowledge of God and the perception of ideas, the greater the work of the Holy Spirit in our bodies, thus our beliefs are not simply superstition. Change is filled with the promises of God and His Word.
2. How to change our thought process
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)
Only by rejecting incorrect thought processes, re-establishing, planting, and accepting the correct concept can we completely change. But how to judge whether our ideas are correct? That’s the reason why we need a teacher who can lead us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, so when the Holy Spirit came, He would be our teacher. The Bible tells us that God revealed all things through the Spirit to us. He searched all things, including the deep things of God. The Bible is the only foundation of our faith, so the Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher. When our way of thinking changes, then our choices, feelings and attitudes will also change, and eventually we will see different results.
3. How to deal with difficulties
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
It can be seen from the scriptures that the way we should respond to difficulty is overcoming our fear. Many believers flinch, lack confidence, and live in a low self-esteem. They are not allowed to fight under the power of enemy, so they complain and gossip. In such a situation, we must seek harder and rely on the Lord to overcome difficulties.
God allows us to experience suffering to actually change our inherent and original way of thinking. If we want to put new wine in a new wineskin, then our present life must be affected by the Word of God. The purpose of suffering is not to suffer, but to establish and expand His kingdom.
Change if often accompanied by fear and pain, but we don’t need to be afraid as long as we rely on the Lord. He will certainly help us in trouble, for we already have a new belt that God has given us. Light must overcome darkness, the truth must overcome cruel reality, and God will be with us.
- Translated by Elaina Wu
