A Transformed Disciple Series

A Transformed Discipe

By: Pastor Donny Granberry

Today I want to ask you a question and offer a resolution to that Question.

The Question is, “Are you a disciple or follower of Christ?”, and if so, “What distinguishes that to others?”

You see, many believe that the function of the church is to save people, but that is not what the bible teaches.

The church cannot save people, that is only possible through the vicarious work of Christ on the cross.

The church is a place for corporate worship, but the function of the church is to make disciples.

Just as Christ reproduced himself through people (His Disciples), we are to reproduce Christ through others through the making of Disciples.

This all begins with transformation.

If he that is in Christ is a new creation, then we can agree that to become a new creation we must be transformed.

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The Lord’s chilling appraisal of the Laodicean church should sober up anyone.

• The Laodicean church was not cold, but it was not hot.

• They were lukewarm.

• Things were rocking along just fine.

• They had become rich, they had increased in goods, and they had need of nothing.

Many Pastors might have thought, boy, I’d like to pastor that church.

God said that they were miserable and poor, wretched, blind and naked.

God is saying, you compromised, you claim Christianity, but in reality, you are spiritually miserable.

The ultimate success of the church is in transformed disciples.

The reason that the church is not having the desired impact on the world today is because the world has no concept of how Christians are different from everyone else.

What do people of the world think about Christianity?

1. They don’t understand where we come from.

Transformed Disciples Should Be Different.

It should be a comfort to disciples to realize that the world did not understand where Jesus came from.

Jesus acted different and he spoke different.

The world saw Jesus as a remarkable man but could not accept Him as the product of the supernatural.

They thought of Him as just another human being.

The world thinks the Christian is just another human being – the product of blood.

Blood – DNA, you are what your family history says you are.

They are not alone in their thinking.

There are many on church rolls today who believe they are Christians because Christianity is in their blood line.

• I was born into a Christian family

• I can’t remember a time when I did not attend church

• My family has been a part of this denomination since it began.

These are wonderful facts as long as you do not think you are a Christian because of them.

ILLUSTRATION

Every year in the beginning of the fall they begin to give out flu shots.

It does not matter if you Mom and Dad get flu shots.

“” “” “”” if your grandparents get flu shots.

“” “” “” if all of your Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins get them.

If you want to be protected, you must get your own flu shot.

You cannot become immune because of them.

People of the world don’t know where Christians come from, and some think Christians are…

2. Produced Through the Will of the Flesh.

You cannot become a Christian by human resolve or influence.

Many in the world believe that all you need to become a Christian is to join a Christian church, or to believe in God, and if you want to be a really good Christian, it takes a lot of work.

This type of thinking says that if a person does so many good works, God will not turn them away from heaven.

It would be a tortuous effort to attempt to find salvation through human effort.

This salvation is a product of self-righteousness rather than faith in the finished work of Calvary.

Let’s not confuse works with rewards.

ILLUSTRATION

The story goes that a man had a dream. He stood at the gate of Heaven and confronted Peter. The man asked, “What does it take to get into Heaven?”

Peter answered, “One Thousand Points.”

OK the man said, “I have been faithful in church attendance all my life.” Peter said, “That’s one point.”

The man could not believe it, he then added, “I was a deacon in my church for over 20 years.” Peter said, “That’s another point.”