Divine Alchemy

Bunbury

Sun am

09/01/11

“Divine alchemy”

Intro: *** A fellow was raised in the back hills of West Virginia-I mean, so far out in the sticks, never in his life had he even seen a big city, to say nothing of modern inventions and neon lights. He married a gal just like himself and they spent all their married years in the backwoods. They had one son, whom they creatively named Junior. Around the time Junior reached his sixteenth birthday, his dad began to realize it wouldn't be too many years before their son would become a man and would strike out on his own. It troubled him that his boy could reach manhood and wind up getting a job in the city, not prepared to face the real world. He felt responsible and decided to do something about it. He and his wife started saving for a trip the three of them would take to the city. About three years later the big day arrived. They tossed their belongings in the old pickup and started the long journey over winding, rough roads to the city. Their plan was to spend several days at a swanky hotel and take in all the sights. As they approached the outskirts of the metropolis, Papa began to get a little jumpy: "Mama, when we pull up at th' hotel, you stay in th' truck while Junior an' I go in an' look around. We'll come back and git ya, okay?" She agreed.

Flashing neon lights and uniformed doormen greeted them as they pulled up. Mama stayed put as Papa and Junior walked wide-eyed toward the lobby. Neither could believe his eyes! When they stepped on a mat, the doors opened automatically. Inside, they stood like statues, staring at the first chandelier either of them had ever seen. It hung from a ceiling three stories high. Off to the left was an enormous waterfall, rippling over inlaid stones and rocks. "Junior, look!" Papa was pointing toward a long mall where busy shoppers were going in and out of beautiful stores. "Papa, looka there!" Down below was an ice skating

rink-inside. While both stood silent, watching one breathtaking sight after another, they kept hearing a clicking sound behind them. Finally, Papa turned around and saw this amazing little room with doors

that slid open from the centre. "What in the world?" People would walk up, push a button and wait. Lights would flicker above the doors and then, "click," the doors would slide open from the middle. Some people would walk out of the little room and others would walk inside and turn around as, "click," the

doors slid shut. By now, dad and son stood totally transfixed. At that moment a wrinkled old lady shuffled up to the doors all by herself. She pushed the button and waited only a few seconds. "Click," the doors opened with a swish and she hobbled into the little room. No one else stepped in with her, so "click," the doors slid shut. Not more than twenty seconds later the doors opened again-and there stood this fabulously attractive blonde, a young woman in her twenties-high heels, shapely body, beautiful face-a real knockout! As she stepped out, smiled, and turned to walk away, Papa nudged his boy and mumbled, "Hey, Junior . . . go git Mama!"

We have no magic elevators where haggard people come out as stunning beauties but the Bible gives us a very strong case for miraculous transformation!

The gospel message is all about God’s spiritual alchemy where He takes ruined / broken / destroyed / sick lives & makes them new.

I want to minister a message I’ve called ‘Divine alchemy’.

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

# 1. Alchemy.

A. In medieval times it was believed that through the science of alchemy common elements could be turned into gold.

*** Many of you will remember the fairytale story of Rumpelstiltskin. In the story Mr Stiltskin meets w/ a maiden in distress & helps her by spinning a room full of straw into gold by his magical powers. This in essence is what the medieval science of alchemy was.

** The dict def ‘alchemy’ the middle age science which attempted to change ordinary metals into gold.

It is also defined as: any strange or magical process or change.

a. We know that the medieval idea of alchemy was a myth / lie / deception – not a science at all.

i. But even today there is something in us that wants to believe in alchemy…… the idea of turning something relatively worthless into something precious.

ii. We’re part of a generation of people who love the idea of getting something precious / valuable w/o really working / paying for it.