Sermon Central
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No Small Transformation
Contributed by Mark Foreman on Jul 23, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: This message explains the nature of spiritual transformation at the hands of a holy, righteous God.
* No Thin Jesus
* "I Am Who I Am"-the I Am is asking you to follow Him
* The primary aspect of God’s glory is love and truth.
* All for me for all of Him.
* A kingdom not a club.
* The nature of the Kingdom.
* Binary thinking tends to shrink Jesus in our minds (God or man).
* Today: The Transforming Power of the Real (Thick, Robust, "I Am") Jesus.
* We have not only reduced Jesus but we have shrunk the boundaries of transformation in our lives. We don’t expect much.
* Now you’re forgiven. Get in line and wait for heaven.
* The church is all cued up waiting for heaven.
* What of me does he transform?
* How does he do it?
* How We Have Shrunk Christ’s Transforming Work
2Cor. 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Have we believed this Scripture?
? We have often shrunk the meaning of salvation and redemption.
* Arrow is pointing the wrong way.
? We think we can only transform a little.
? We think that God can change the immaterial but the material & behavioral he can’t or doesn’t want to.
? We lazily believe in Automatism: that somehow God will automatically change me without my participation.
We don’t understand the interaction of sovereign grace and human response-able-(ity).
? We’re fearful of someone teaching "works," so we sadly run away from responsibility.
Discipline, follow-through & responsibility are conveniently removed.
? We inwardly don’t want to be aware of or change everything about ourselves.
* We’d rather be ostriches with heads in the sand.
? We spiritualize, ignore or deny the real stuff that needs to change.
Defended against discovering what’s really in our hearts, who we have sinned against, & what behavior needs to change. We even add God-language to our repertoire of defense.
* "I’ll pray about it."
* "I just feel that God . . ."
* We choose one thing from his word and ignore the rest.
* Pharisees.
* A Thorough Transformation That Begins Now!!! (2 Cor 5)
2Cor. 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Study the context.
? New transformed bodies (2 Cor 5: 1-8).
* Climax of everything.
* New heavens and new earth.
* But it is physical!
* Trees clap their hands.
* We are very different than Greek metaphysics, or Zen or Hindu sense of"illusion". This world really is bad and really does need to change.
* God’s transformation is Real. Not an immaterial mind game.
? New thinking (2 Cor 5:6-12).
* Mind is often synonymous with heart (24x).
(Mind is used only 68x. 24 synonymous with heart. 44x in OT by itself).
* In the OT it has the sense of being an inner container in which thoughts pass through, remain, or are conflicting or confused. The job of the person is to be the traffic cop not the victim of thoughts (to be in his right mind).
To keep the right thoughts in mind, to call to mind, to remember, and put things out of one’s mind.
* The uniqueness of the mind is its use for thinking or holding a thought. It is the container of thoughts.
* Confusion of mind
* Bear in mind (remember)
* Change of mind
* Put the matter out of his mind
* All he had in his mind
* Call to mind
* Unity of mind
* Come into your mind
* What is going through your mind
* In his right mind
* Keep in mind
* In the NT Paul often speaks of the mind and transformed thinking: 2Cor 10:5; Phil 4:8; Rom 1:28; Phil 3:19; Rom 8:6; Rom 12:2; Col 3:1.
2 Cor 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (done through prayer and spirit-fill persuasion).
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
Rom. 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
Phil. 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Rom. 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
