Personal Transformation (The Goodness Of God Within Us) Series

Personal Transformation (The Goodness Of God Within Us)

Series: Making All Things New

Brad Bailey – Sept. 10, 2023

Intro…

Today… we are going to begin a short 3 weeks series entitled “Making All Things New”

This is the declaration that Jesus makes. The disciple John, who was the closest disciple and friend of Jesus… records what he heard in a vision… as Jesus…declares:

“Behold, I am making all things new.”- Revelation 21:5

It’s important to hear those words afresh.

They speak of something so much bigger than what we tend to be holding in our thoughts when it comes to what God is doing.

We tend to connect our minds to the immediate and smaller meaning of things…

We think … if I can just get to the coffee…

We can think of God as just adding some enhancements to life… or being a source of momentary inspiration.

It’s not that God doesn’t care about every small moment… but what is ultimately at hand is nothing less than making all things new.

Or maybe we are drawn to political visions like: Build Back Better… Make America Great again.

What’s ultimately at hand is nothing less than making all things new.

As we begin this Fall season… I can’t think of anything more valuable than to grasp afresh the big picture… to step back and see the big picture

The kingdom which Jesus declares and demonstrates…is nothing less than the restoration of all things…the whole order of things.

And we can expand on that by recognizing that God is restoring His goodness in us….among us…and around us.

Restoring Identity In God (The Goodness Of God Within Us)

Restoring Community In God (The Goodness Of God Among Us)

Restoring The World In God (The Goodness Of God Around Us)

Over these 3 weeks we are going to simply refresh our minds with what God is ultimately doing…

What God is ultimately doing… that we are a part of… is nothing less than becoming new people… creating a new community… and ultimately a new world.

> The transformation of all things… begins with personal transformation… with the Goodness Of God Within Us.

We tend to focus on how the world needs to change. We tend to think the problem is simply that there are bad people… and that we can simply divide the world between good and bad people.

But Jesus says the problem is that we have all gone astray. Some may be overtly rebellious…and some may be more self-righteous. But the problem is that we are all operating separated from the ultimate source of all good…which is God.

So not surprisingly Jesus explains how transformation begins with the process of coming home.

Luke 15:11-24

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

The religious leaders don’t understand why Jesus is welcoming those they had separated out as sinner…as bad people.