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Weimar University

Don Mackintosh

The Ultimate Catalyst

That are happening in their homes or the loss of their homes.

Today, we need a sense of your presence, the reality, actually, of your presence.

So We ask that you would make the book live for us today, that you would speak to us individually and collectively in Christ's name, amen.

A catalyst is some material that causes or speeds up chemical reactions.

Molecules that may take years to interact, or maybe never would interact, do so in seconds if a catalyst is in the mix, so to speak.

Catalyst increases the reaction time without getting consumed in the process.

And as I thought about the ultimate catalyst, I thought that has to be God.

Because the Bible says God does not change.

I'm the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But when you add God into the mix, everything else changes.

And if you need change today, you need God, because God can bring change.

For He spoke, and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast.

Creation, miracles, the Bible is filled with these.

Prophecy that has been fulfilled, a more sure word of prophecy.

All of these things give indication there is a God, that He does speak, and He is on the move, He is doing things.

Now some struggle with belief in God and his power to change.

And 1 of those who struggled greatly was a guy named Albert Ellis.

Some of you might know who Albert Ellis is because you've been learning cognitive behavioral therapy, so-called CBT.

That is that the mind can change if it's told the truth.

Tell yourself the truth and it actually will change the mind.

Ellis thought this, but he did not believe in the Bible or God.

And he often disparaged actually religious beliefs.

But then that famous psychiatrist began to watch people.

He counseled all kinds of people, but he realized that they weren't changing that much, except those who were reading the Judeo-Christian Bible, and this is what he wrote.

I think I can safely say that the Judeo-Christian Bible is a self-help book that has probably enabled more people to make more extensive and intensive personality and behavior changes than all professional therapists combined.

Quite a change for the atheist Albert Ellis.

But as he watched the power of God's Word over the years and documented it, he said, this is a great catalyst for change.

So it would be malpractice to not mention that God's word is that powerful.

If you were running a program where you were a physician or a clinician and you didn't mention God's word, especially if you're a Christian, you would not be true to yourself or true to the most powerful thing on earth, God's Word.

I don't know, you know that song, holy words long preserved for our walk in this world, they resound with God's own heart.

Oh, let the ancient words impart, words of life, words of hope, Give us strength, help us cope.

In this world where we roam, ancient words will guide us home.

We have come with open hearts, so let the ancient words impart.

We read our scripture reading today and what an amazing word it is.

But another thing I read as I was reading about catalysts is that the precise reasons why many catalysts work are often still a great mystery to scientists.

Whether it be enzymes, which are catalysts of the body, or other catalysts, they just simply don't know why they work.

Now, they figure maybe some of them out, but many of them, they just don't know how it works.

And we might say, we don't know exactly how God's Word works, but it does work.

And our scripture reading for today discovered actually what it does and the core element that is the core catalyst that is within the scriptures.

Would you be interested in the catalyst that is in the Scripture.

Well, you're going to have to stay a few more minutes then.

Let's remind ourselves again of the Scripture reading.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies A living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

So what is the stated aim of these verses?

Your bodies might be holy, they might be living, they might be acceptable to God.

How many like to have improvement of your bodies today?

Okay, so 1 of the aims is that their bodies would be changed from unholy to holy.

Holy means physically pure, mentally blameless, And they would be changed from self-serving to serving God and others.

A living sacrifice, which means it's not consumed.

In other words, there's something within it that is alive and does not die and helps people continue on.

How many want to have that kind of a body?

Secondly, what's the second claim in the verse?

That not only the bodies might be renewed, but what else?

The word renewed means to be new again and again.

How many of you have insurance policies that need to be renewed?

How many of you have professional licenses that need to be renewed?

And how many have automatic payments so they're continually renewed without you worrying about it?

But how many people ever missed that payment?

So the mind that is being what renewed and being what transformed not conforms but transformed Not squeezed into the mold of the world, but transformative.

Related to the word metaneo, which means to repent, to be changed in mind, continually changed in mind, a renewing of mind.

And interesting, that word, when you look it up, it means the intellect in terms of the will, in terms of the thought, and in terms of the feeling.

So the mind needs to be renewed in terms of will, which is the choice, I will do this, I will not.

In terms of the thought, and if the thoughts are right, then the feelings will be right.

So the purpose of the Bible is to change the mind in will, thought, and feeling, putting it in the right order.

A little problem summarized in a little verse, Daniel 7 verse 25.

Daniel 7 25, we're studying the book of Daniel, some of us this week, But in Daniel 7 25 there was this little horn power.

And he came up and he understood everything God wanted to do, but guess what he said?

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The Ultimate Catalyst

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