01.15.2012 Turning our Focus Inward - being a Transformed Community

SermonAudio

We are talking about how to become a better community in 2012. Last week, we talked about Looking Upward – how to be transformed.
Lord, we thank You that we can life our eyes to You, and know that our help comes from You. You are ready when we lift our eyes up. Even to hear Your word – we lift our eyes up. We ask for Your help – help us to understand that we always need You – not to neglect You – but we must rely on You. You are the one who has promised our good in this life and the next – so we cast ourselves upon You – we ask that You would become clearer to us – more real to us – reveal Who You are in and through us that we might be a part of that faithfully – responding to what You our doing in our circumstances and situations in life. – that we might love You as You deserve to be loved – and You love us as we don’t deserve to be loved. In Your Name we pray.
As a community, we want to challenge each other to grow as a Christian in 2012. We need to be continually growing and maturing – thinking about pursuing transformation in our lives. It is easy to think we have changed about as much as we need to – we don’t actually say it – but we act that way. But we need to think – how can I be more like Christ? How can I be transformed daily in my service and obedience to Jesus? There is a difference between being transformed and reformed. Change can take place in many different contexts, but inner change can only take place when we are engaged with God. You can change the exterior by effort, but to change internally, God must do the work in our hearts. How do we go about this? We’ll look at Romans 12:1 – first, personally, because to be a transformed community, we need to be a group of transformed individuals.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
The first thing he says – how we become transformed – Paul’s appeal to the church in Rome – that they would be transformed because of and by the mercies of God. Paul spends 11 chapters explaining all that God has done – and now he says, Therefore – so, because of all this – as you focus on what God has done for you – He begins to work inside of you. We often want to go to a program. But the first step is to focus on what God has done – how much He loves you. It begins by developing a greater understanding of what God has done for us. The greater you understand that, the greater the transformation in your life. If you keep failing, your understanding of God’s love is minimal. There is no substitute in the Christian walk for understanding how much God loves and cares for you. Whatever it takes to be convinced of that – you need to do. Do you really believe it and does it affect who you are? When everything goes wrong, are you convinced of God’s love? That is where it is seen and developed.
Paul tells us – don’t be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It begins in your thinking. The first step in that thinking is to think about who God is and how He responds to us.
Titus 3: 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and [His] love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to [the] hope of eternal life.
Transformation is based on the regeneration – genesis – birth – a return to newness. What God does when Christ comes into our lives – He is restoring inside of us the original person. He is restoring us to the way we are supposed to be. He is beginning that process on the INSIDE. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were innocent, but then they were corrupted from that – and what Christ does is to restore us and create something that is brand new. When you come to Christ you are no longer the old person you once were. 2 Corinthians says that the old has passed away and the new has come.
2 Cor. 5: 17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come
The power is inside of you to be transformed. We have all seen some of this, haven’t we? If we have seen it in some ways, you can be sure it will happen in other ways. It is making the progress, moving and believing that God can change that.
When we first come to Christ, there is this shock wave of behaviors that clean up – for me it was language – for others that takes longer – but at times we stall – and then think that we don’t need to change – and at that point you are probably at the most danger – because none of us is where God ultimately wants us to be. It comes out in areas of our lives.
2 Cor. 3: 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
As we look to Jesus – as we turn our eyes to Jesus – to behold Him – dimly – like in a mirror – just turning our lives to Jesus transforms us to be like Him.
How in the world do you do that? What does it mean? How do we turn our eyes upon Jesus? We sing songs about it! But it is not complicated, not mystical. Prayer – reading the Bible – thinking about what He has done. The consequences/benefits of His resurrection. Looking up! I don’t mean literally – but sometimes that helps. Driving over this morning – the moon was out – and when you see creation – think about God – God says the bigger light (sun) and lesser light (moon) are a witness. Like taking the trash out at night and seeing all the stars – God! We need to learn to do that in our lives – thinking about Him. And in seeing the events of life where God is engaged and involved where we need Him.
Focus on Jesus – we talk so much about his life – and as you see how He lived – that begins to transform you. As you look at what He has done on the cross and what that means – you might think that can’t change you, but it does, and the reality is that you can’t without Him.
Romans 6 – understand and think about what happened when you came to Christ.
Romans 6: 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also [in the likeness] of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him,] that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin
Paul is using Baptism as this picture/symbol/explanation of what happened in our lives. We are buried – the old person – us – we are buried with Christ – and we are lifted out of that water – raised with Christ, that we might walk in a new life. It is not just reforming the old life, but transformation into a brand new life that God accomplishes at your conversion – when you came to Christ, when you were saved – when that moment came – you were created new – to walk in a brand new way.
Sometimes, the problem today is that some can be converted without any real change. People can become a Christian without it really affecting anything about them – they clean up a couple areas and start adding a couple of activities to their lives – Church and Bible Study. But in the early church – when someone came to Christ, there was a complete change of allegiance. They had one lord – Caesar – and they had temples and idols that were okay and everyone was engaged in that – and they weren’t changing their religion from one to another – they recognized that there was one LORD – and it is Jesus – and there was an enormous shift of how they lived their lives – socially and economically – Jesus said that to follow Him meant abandoning everything. But that is not true today, and that can be a good thing. But that doesn’t mean that our allegiance shouldn’t shift from the things of this world to the things of God. We no longer have the same value system. Whether it is economics, culture, popularity, sexuality – but God calls us to be different – transformed – not just in behavior – yes, behavior is a part of it – but a complete change in the way we live.
Philippians 2: 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure.
So we have looked at all that God has done – and now it is our job to put it all into action. SO the programming and steps are critical and important – but because you do that – God is the one doing it. There can be no transformation apart from the work of God in our lives. But in light of the fact of all that He does, we are to engage completely with a plan. I would encourage you to have a plan. Do you have a plan for the area of your life – or the hundred areas of your life? Make a plan, because God is at work to transform you. So that you can begin to cooperate with Him. Change won’t take place without the effort and commitment to make that happen. Make that plan.
Ask your spouse and family members what you need to change in – and then agree with them – because they are right – because they have to live with you! We tend to get deceived about ourselves. Others aren’t. So – focus on Christ – understand what God has done in side of you – and then get a plan and you will be more of a transformed person. Now how do we become a transformed community? As we are transformed individually – we transform the community. It is like a snowball that begins to roll. It stirs you to have the same thing take place.
To be a transformational community – we must be humble.
Romans 12: 3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [let each exercise them accordingly]: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Each member belongs to all the others. In this community – you belong to me! But I belong to you! And we all belong to one another! This is really different thinking than thinking – oh, this is just where I go! We belong to this – like a body – my arm doesn’t just attach itself because that is where it goes – it is fully a part. And that is where humility comes in.
In church – you don’t attain a position or status – you are given a grace. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. We like to think we have e gotten ourselves to this point – but God tells us – why do you boast if it is something God has given you? Why do you boast as if you attained it yourself?
To become a transformational community – we need to be a community of restoration –
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
Transformation comes through restoration. When someone is struggling – they must first be restored and then they are transformed. There is correction in the Bible – but it always comes under the authority of grace, forgiveness and restoration. It is through that that change takes place.
It is a simple way of doing life – first comes forgiveness and then transformation.
Let me close with this – the early church was called – “The Way” – it was like a new race of people. When we think of races, we think of differences in appearance and makeup from a physical standpoint –Peter called them a chosen race, royal priesthood.
Letter to Diognetus–
5 For Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by country or language or customs. 2They do not live in cities of their own; they do not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of life. 3This doctrine of theirs has not been discovered by the ingenuity or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do they put forward a 217merely human teaching, as some people do. 4Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man's lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth. 5They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land. 6They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not cast out their offspring. 7They share their board with each other, but not their marriage bed.
8It is true that they are "in the flesh," but they do not live "according to the flesh 10They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require. 11They love all men, and by all men are persecuted. 12They are unknown, and still they are condemned; they are put to death, and yet they are brought to life. 13They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance. 14They are dishonored, and in their very dishonor are glorified; they are defamed, and are vindicated. 15They are reviled, and yet they bless; when they are affronted, they still pay due respect. 16When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life. 17They are treated by the Jews as foreigners and enemies, and are hunted down by the Greeks; and all the time those who hate them find it impossible to justify their enmity.624
Lord, help us to be a transformed community that you might be honored and glorified in our lives – as we come to this time of worship – time of communion to this table – may our hearts be touched by you