Extreme Makeover

 

Extreme Makeover

Extreme Makeover - Audio/Visual (@23:52) 

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. (2 Cor. 5:16-18; The Message)

I may be dating myself, but do you remember the show, Extreme Makeover? It was an ABC television program where individuals volunteered to receive an extensive makeover – Hollywood style. It first aired in 2002 on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m., and a total of 55 episodes were produced. In fact, in its first season, Extreme Makeover ranked 40^th in the yearly ratings and averaged 11.2 million viewers per episode which was a pretty amazing audience for its time. Unfortunately, viewership dropped over the next three seasons and Extreme Makeover was officially canceled by ABC on May 15, 2007.

The show took people who weren’t very happy with their appearance and, through a series of operations, cosmetic surgeries, dental procedures, liposuction, hair changes and exercise and diet regimens, changed them into the “beautiful people.” There were some pretty unbelievable transformations over the course of the series, hence the word “Extreme,” not to mention the extraordinary costs involved. The bottom line, however, was that the people who participated in the show weren’t happy with themselves because of the way they looked. They had defects they wanted to remove or cover up and were so ashamed of their flaws that they went through some pretty intense pain to correct or hide those very same blemishes.

The fact is that we’re all flawed and blemished and, if given the chance, we’d probably all want to exchange those “defects” for a new look. And the good news is that God is in the business of giving extreme makeovers. Granted, he may not fix your nose, or give you pretty white teeth, or even remove your wrinkles, but the Bible says that “Anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! “ (2. Cor. 5:17)

As you watched one of those Makeover shows you’d see the experts transform someone from the old way they looked into a brand-new look. Each episode ended with the contestant’s return to their family and friends, and the camera would pan in such a way to show the reactions of their loved ones who had not been allowed to see the incremental changes that had been taking place during the participant’s absence, which was usually over the course of several months. And, of course, the “Before” and “After” pictures were pretty amazing because it was made-for-television Hollywood. But it’s equally amazing how God can take an “ugly” sinner and change them into a beautiful child of God.

For instance, there was a woman who lived in Samaria who needed an extreme makeover. Her life was a total wreck. She’d lost all respectability among her neighbors. In fact, she was the talk of the town. In the eyes of her little community, she was an outcast. She’d gone through five failed marriages, and the man she was then living with wasn’t even her husband. She was a good candidate for an extreme makeover, and one day the Master of makeovers came by her town and picked her as his “contestant.” (John 4:1-42)

Jesus gave her something called “living water,” and it changed her life forever. In fact, it changed her life so much that she ran into town and began telling everyone about her makeover. I’d like to think that she regained her self-respect, and that Jesus had restored her self-esteem. Maybe she even had a new look on her face and a spring in her step. Whatever it was, she had joy instead of sadness; peace instead of fear. She had forgiveness in the place of condemnation. And it all happened at a well just outside of Samaria. But she isn’t the only one whose life was given an extreme makeover.

There was someone else in the Bible who had a similar experience. His life, like the Samaritan woman, was a total mess. Better stated, his life was in absolute shambles. He’d lost his happiness, he’d lost his peace, he even lost his family and friends because he’d become completely possessed by demons who tore his life to shreds. In fact, he was so deranged that he had to live in the local cemetery outside the city. He didn’t wear any clothes, and he cut himself. He was an animal, and no one could tame him. And when you walked by the cemetery you could hear the screams of this poor guy because he was tormented by his demons day and night. And just like the woman from Samaria, he was a candidate for an extreme makeover, and in the worst kind of way. (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-38)

One day the extreme makeover Master passed by, and it took Jesus only a few seconds to change the man’s life forever. He cast out the demons and restored his mind. The townsfolk could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the guy worshiping at the feet of Jesus. Unlike his previous state, he was now dressed and completely sane. He could even call his old friends and say, “Look at me, I’m not the man I used to be. You don’t have to be afraid of me anymore; I’ve had an extreme makeover. Jesus changed my life! Jesus restored my life! Jesus set me free!” What a difference Jesus makes when he does an extreme makeover in someone’s life.

So, how’s your life? In a shambles? Maybe it’s not that messed up, but do you have this sneaking suspicion that you may be in for a train wreck? The same Jesus who loved the demoniac and the woman at the well is still in the business of doing extreme makeovers. Better yet, we don’t have to stand in line or worry about getting picked for the show. We’re all invited, any time, to let Jesus do a work, an extreme makeover, in our lives. No one is a hard case. God can take the lowest, roughest, meanest, most contemptible, most despicable sinner and change their life in the most positive way. And God can do the same for you, too. Your friends will know it; your neighbors will sense it; your co-workers will see a change in your life because you’re a new person; you’re not the person you used to be.

Maybe at one time you were against God, but now you can become his child. You used to be a slave to sin, which leads to death, but now he’s made you free from sin so that you can blossom like a rose with a beautiful fragrance – a holiness that leads to eternal life. God can do a complete makeover in your life by removing the flaws, zapping the blemishes and removing those ugly sin stains. He can take away the shame and the condemnation.

If you remember the television show, you probably also remember that the contestants who received the makeover had to do something to keep themselves looking good because the makeover was just the beginning. The doctors did what they could do, and the cosmetic surgeons did what they could, but it was up to the individual to maintain their new image. And, if they didn’t continue to work at it, they’d fall back into their old image which, unfortunately, a few of them did. They had to take care of themselves and use whatever means were available to keep looking good.

In Luke 22:45-46, we have this vignette: “He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. He said, "What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won't give in to temptation." And Paul, writing to the church in Corinth said, “I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” (1 Cor. 9:26-27) 

Similarly, in 1 Cor. 10:12, Paul said, “These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

Is your life stained with sin? Is bitterness eating away at your joy and peace? Do you have things in your life that make you unhappy? Is your life filled with pain, or jealousy or unforgiveness? If so, there’s hope. The Master of extreme makeovers is in the house, and he can change your life forever.

Grace,

Randy