The senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, has urged his members against conforming to the world. In his sermon on February 13 titled "Divine Direction", the preacher explained that surrending oneself to Christ helps in the individual's transformation. He further advised that they allow God's light to shine forth in their lives.
Graham said, “The world wants to seduce us, to squeeze us. Rather than becoming more and more like Jesus, we become more and more like the world, especially when we crawl off the altar.
“We are living off the altar as a sacrifice, and we’re on our own. That’s when the world begins to seduce us and squeeze us and cover our light. So, He says don’t do that. Stop. It’s an imperative. Stop being ‘conformed to this world’ right now. And instead ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’”
The 71-year-old preacher added that when Christians permit the things of the world into their lives and become carried away by them, it simply means they are no longer living the life Christ wants from them.
He continued, “You are to be identified as a Christ-follower; a Christian because Christ is living in you. But, what happens is when we start conforming to the world and get into the world’s masquerade party, then it covers Christ.
“You make compromises with your Christian faith. You cover who you really are. You’re not showing Christ. You’re not lit up like Jesus around your friends or your co-workers."
Earlier in the sermon, Graham, who is the former president of Southern Baptist Convention described Valentine’s Day as a “celebration of love.” He said that Jesus should be the priority of Christians if they want their lives to be transformed by Christ.
“The love of our life is Jesus. We love our husbands and our wives more because we love Jesus most. Christ is first, and therefore those who are in our lives; we can love them well and love them better.
“This is that lasting and living sacrifice. It is a logical sacrifice. In that, it is our reasonable service," he said.
Graham emphasized that Christians should remember to follow Jesus and not be “conformed to the world” but be “transformed” by God.
“God has promised time and time again in the Bible that He will lead us. We are not left alone to figure it out by ourselves. God has a plan. God has a purpose even before you were born. These children, these babies; before they were born, God had a purpose and a plan for their lives. God has a plan for every life and that includes your life,” he preached.
“And as a believer and follower of Jesus, He has promised to lead you throughout the days of your life. And in making those decisions, God’s guidance is promised.
“Your best life, your only life that is truly successful is a life given to following the Lord. Your decisions determine your direction and your direction ultimately determines your destiny in life,” Graham said.
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