Introduction

A young, 16-year-old Salvation Army soldier was walking to the church from his house for a Bible study one day. In those days, soldiers wore uniforms to every church function. On route to the church, there were 12 or 15 of his peers hanging outside the pool hall that he had to pass. His classmates laughed as he walked by. They used choice language and threw rocks. He stood out because he didn’t subscribe to the norms, he didn’t fit the standard image and style and chose a different path for his life.

Today, we are beginning a brand-new sermon series all about this same concept: standing out. The chameleon is the master of disguise. No matter what environment it’s placed in, it will change its color to disguise itself and fit in. Remember that one of the fundamental aspects of being a Christian is that we are easily identifiable when placed against the backdrop of the world. We naturally stand out, like the young soldier in our story.

However, the truth is that for many of us, we would rather blend in with the crowd than stand out in it. Today we are going to look at a very clear statement from the Bible regarding this topic of ours. If you have a Bible with you, turn with me to the book of Romans chapter 12. I want to read the second verse of this chapter, written by the Apostle Paul. He says very simply, “Do not conform 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.” In this sentence, Paul shows us the contrast we are going to unpack today: fitting in vs. standing out.

Many of us can remember how important it was or is to fit in during the high school years. It can feel like the only way to maintain a good number of friendships is by conforming your personality and habits to those around you who appear to have it all together. The upside is that if you conform and fit in you can begin to form a sense of community that you may never have experienced before. The downside is that what you’ll be experiencing is a false community.

The only reason you were accepted was due to the person you were pretending to be. Once others discovered who you really are, they may leave - they may stay - but either way the whole process can be traumatizing.

As Christians we are called to be like Christ, treat others like Christ, and interact with the world like Christ. If we say we are Christians and continue living like everyone else, we are hypocritical. You may have entire friend groups that know nothing of your faith or who you are in Christ, but just like we experienced in high school (or other places), these are false communities who only like us for who we’re pretending to be.

God is calling us as followers of Christ to stand out, rather than to fit in. It’s not an easy process, but it’s an important one. Some of the questions we’ll be tackling throughout this series are; What does conforming look like? What are the patterns we as humans are tempted to conform to? What does true transformation look like in our lives by Christ’s definition? Then, once we know what transformation looks like, what is the purpose behind it?

“Do not conform 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.”

We first have to get a grip on what conforming actually looks like in our world ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium