Jesus Change Me: Surrendering Every Earthly Treasure

Devotional

Day 1: When Golden Plates Compete With Empty Tombs

The lure of counterfeit spiritual experiences often begins with small compromises. Joseph Smith’s seer stone and golden plates promised hidden wisdom, yet they diverted millions from the resurrected Christ who left no relics—only an empty tomb. True power rests not in earthly artifacts but in the living God who conquered death. Every spiritual claim must be measured against the historical reality of Christ’s victory. What masquerades as divine revelation often mimics God’s patterns to deceive. [42:38]

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What “seer stones” subtly compete for your trust—personal achievements, cultural trends, or emotional comforts—that risk obscuring the empty tomb’s finality? How might you actively recenter your hope today in Christ’s resurrection alone?

Day 2: Territorial Spirits and the God Who Breaks Borders

Ancient nations worshiped regional deities, but Christ’s gospel shattered geographic and cultural strongholds. The sermon exposed how territorial spirits like Moroni claimed authority over lands and peoples, mirroring Deuteronomy 32’s warning. Yet the cross dismantled these false sovereignties, creating one global church. True freedom comes not through appeasing invisible overlords but through allegiance to the King whose reign knows no boundaries. [35:59]

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you… for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’” (Revelation 5:9, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you unconsciously accept cultural or ideological “territories” as immovable—in relationships, workplaces, or personal biases—rather than claiming Christ’s authority over them?

Day 3: The Brother-Lucifer Lie Versus the Uncreated Word

Mormonism’s claim that Jesus and Lucifer are siblings perverts the cosmic narrative. Scripture declares Christ as the eternal Word who crafted angels—including the fallen Lucifer—from nothing. To demote Jesus to created being empties the cross of its infinite worth. Salvation hinges on worshiping the uncreated God-Man who alone could bear eternal wrath. [50:51]

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: Where might you be tempted to reshape Jesus into a more “manageable” figure—diminishing His divinity to excuse disobedience or reduce His demands on your life?

Day 4: Blood on Treasure Sites Versus Blood From a Cross

Joseph Smith’s ritual animal sacrifices to appease spirits starkly contrast Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. The sermon’s chilling account of blood-soaked ground reveals humanity’s desperation to control spiritual forces. Yet only the Lamb’s blood, willingly shed, breaks sin’s power. Every self-made attempt to manipulate divine favor mocks the sufficiency of Calvary. [43:45]

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, ESV)

Reflection: What “treasures” do you secretly bargain for—approval, security, success—that lead you to negotiate with God rather than receive His finished work?

Day 5: Your Jesus or The Jesus—Who Names the Terms?

The modern refrain “my Jesus” often masks rebellion against Christ’s lordship. Joseph Smith’s fabricated Messiah exposed our tendency to reshape God into a cosmic endorser of our desires. Yet the true Jesus—the crucified and risen Lord—demands full allegiance. His resurrection authority brooks no rivals, offering not customized spirituality but transformative surrender. [01:05:35]

“But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your version of Jesus conflict with Scripture’s portrait—and what specific area of resistance requires your repentance today?

Sermon Summary

The conflict between good and evil is not just an idea. Scripture describes a supernatural battle with real consequences for human lives. The rebellion of spiritual beings, the scattering of the nations, and the worship of false gods establish the background for a warning: spiritual power does not necessarily come from God. Christianity breaks across territorial and national boundaries because allegiance belongs to the one true God, not the gods of a particular land.

The warning against Mormonism begins with the identity of Jesus. Nice behavior cannot settle the question of salvation. Matthew 7 describes people with impressive religious accomplishments whom Jesus never knew. Knowing the true Christ matters more than a good religious résumé. Joseph Smith’s pursuit of treasure, use of a seer stone, and reported encounters with Moroni become a picture of small compromises opening into large deception.

The doctrinal differences reach the foundations: the uncreated God, the Trinity, the eternal identity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and the authority of Scripture. An infinite problem requires an infinite solution. Salvation rests on the work of Jesus Christ, not human achievement or a climb toward godhood.

The serpent still runs the same play: question what God said, then offer the chance to become like God. That temptation reaches beyond any one religion. Earthly treasure can take ownership of a heart, and a person can reshape Jesus into someone who excuses disobedience, protects comfort, and never says anything unwelcome. Spiritual arrogance assumes deception could never happen nearby. Humility allows God’s Word to expose cherished excuses.

Jesus will either be received as Lord or remade into a manageable substitute. The uncreated Christ took on flesh, entered human suffering, carried sin to the cross, and rose bodily from the grave. His finished work leaves no room for controlling him. The fitting response is surrender: not changing Jesus, but allowing Jesus to change the believer.

Key Takeaways

1. Knowing Christ Outweighs Religious Accomplishment. Matthew 7 places miracles, deliverance, and impressive religious activity beside the terrible possibility of never knowing Christ. Good behavior cannot compensate for a false understanding of who Jesus is. A changed character follows love for the true Christ rather than purchasing a relationship with him. [39:22]
2. Spiritual Power Requires Biblical Discernment. A supernatural experience does not establish that God stands behind it. The Egyptian magicians performed signs, yet Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs, exposing the difference between imitation and God’s greater power. Discernment therefore asks more than whether something unusual happened; it asks whether that experience agrees with God’s revealed truth. [1:00:07]
3. Hidden Treasures Can Own The Heart. “What lives rent free” in a heart can eventually own the house. Joseph Smith’s hunger for gold illustrates how a cherished desire can make room for deception long before its consequences become obvious. Spiritual humility takes earthly attachments seriously instead of assuming that intelligence or religious familiarity makes a person safe. [1:01:37]
4. Christ Cannot Become A Personal Exception. A person can distort Jesus without producing golden plates or founding a religion. The distortion begins whenever a clear call to repentance gets replaced with a reassuring story about why obedience can wait. Christ’s lordship exposes those exceptions and refuses to fit inside an agenda built around comfort. [1:03:59]
5. Grace Calls For Surrendered Lives. The eternal Son entered human suffering and carried sin through a real death and bodily resurrection. Salvation rests on that work, not on human ability to earn a place with God. Such grace calls believers to receive Christ’s transforming rule rather than reshape him into someone less demanding. [1:11:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:18] - The Supernatural Conflict and the Nations
[37:28] - Mormonism and the Identity of Jesus
[40:16] - Joseph Smith, Treasure, and Claimed Revelations
[45:24] - Territorial Spirits and Spiritual Deception
[48:03] - Contrasting God, the Trinity, and Christ
[51:44] - Salvation by Grace or Human Achievement
[55:37] - Scripture and Claims of New Revelation
[57:50] - The Serpent Still Runs the Same Play
[59:44] - Counterfeit Power and Biblical Parallels
[1:01:37] - When Treasure Takes Over the Heart
[1:03:59] - Conforming to Christ or Controlling Him
[1:07:40] - Correction and the Cost of Following Christ
[1:09:12] - The Crucified and Risen Lord Calls for Surrender

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” [39:22]

Exodus 7:10-12
“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.” [01:00:07]

Matthew 6:21
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [01:01:37]

Observation questions

In Matthew 7:21–23, what religious accomplishments do people point to, and how does Jesus’ response reveal what their accomplishments cannot prove? [39:22]
In Exodus 7:10–12, what could the Egyptian magicians imitate, and what happened that showed the limit of their power? [01:00:15]
What connection does Matthew 6:21 make between treasure and the heart? What examples were given of earthly desires that can begin to control a person? [01:01:46]

Interpretation questions

Why is knowing the true Jesus different from having an impressive religious résumé? How does Matthew 7:21–23 challenge someone who bases confidence before God on being nice or doing ministry? [39:57]
Why does Exodus 7:10–12 show that an unusual spiritual experience is not enough to establish that a message comes from God? What place should Scripture have when someone evaluates such a claim? [01:00:42]
In light of Matthew 6:21, how can a good desire—such as financial security or a comfortable home—become a treasure that competes with God? What might reveal that this change is happening? [01:03:14]
How can someone claim to honor Jesus as Lord while quietly reshaping him into someone who excuses disobedience? How does this help explain the warning in Matthew 7:21–23? [01:04:33]

Application questions

When you think about your standing before God, what do you tend to lean on: your behavior, your service, your knowledge, or Christ’s finished work? What would it look like to serve him out of gratitude rather than trying to earn his acceptance? [53:13]
Have you ever felt drawn to a spiritual message because it sounded powerful, comforting, or impressive? How could you check its claims against Scripture before accepting or sharing it? [01:00:42]
What gets a large share of your thoughts, time, or money right now? How might that reveal what you treasure, and what practical change could help you hold it more loosely before God? [01:01:46]
Is there an area where you have been telling yourself that obedience can wait? What makes surrender difficult there, and what might one honest next step look like this week? [01:04:35]
When was the last time Scripture challenged something you wanted to keep doing? How did you respond, and who is a trusted believer you could invite to help you receive correction with humility? [01:08:30]
Jesus entered human suffering, carried sin to the cross, and rose bodily from the grave. How does his love help you trust him with an area you have been trying to control? What would asking him to change you look like in that area? [01:11:40]

Sermon Clips

31s

#JesusChangeMe

“And if what I just told you is the truth, that this god man has taken all of your sins, all of your shame, all of your punishment, and it had nothing to do with your abilities and work, then the only conclusion we can come to, my friends, is not I'm gonna change Jesus. It's Jesus change me. Jesus change me.”

48s

#JesusIsLord

“He's either Lord or he's nothing to you. He's either Lord or you are the Lord. And so ask yourself today, when the Lord tells you to do something, when the Lord's word says go left, do you go right and tell yourself that that's not really Jesus telling you to go left? Because if you do, you don't even need golden plates. You don't even need a supernatural intervention. You're already prone to following a spiritual influence that isn't the Lord. And you can do that, and you can keep skipping down that road. But in the end, your hunt for earthly treasure will lead somewhere you didn't even imagine.”

43s

#CostlyDiscipleship

“My friends, I am concerned that we are trying to build a costless Christianity. I am concerned that every time God raises the bar, I'm looking to duck under it. And I am concerned that every time the challenges appear, most of us would like to scale back. And that makes me think that the issue isn't, oh, you need more discipline. It makes me think the issue isn't, oh, you just need a better bible study. Oh, you see a better pastor. You see a better worship song. It makes me think that the issue under all of it is that you and I are not sure if he's lord or not.”

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