* 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.
Rom. 12:2 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.
Col. 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
* Matt. 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
* Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’.
* Luke 21:14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
? New behavior (2 Cor 5:12-13). Our fallen mutation is to primarily live for ourselves and occasionally for other. Our new nature is to be living for God and others-now!
* Co-dependent people are confused hear because they are learning to not live to please others. But even codependents love themselves and that’s why they have been men-pleasers: to keep the peace. True love is bold and daring and sometimes tough.
* Here we have feared appearing to teach "works" so we have allowed changed behavior to appear to be extra credit.
* We participate with God in this change.
* Jesus drastically emphasized changed life (e.g. Mat 3:8, 10; 7:16; 12:33; 21:19).
Matt. 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matt. 3:10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt. 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matt. 12:33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
Matt. 21:19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
* The commands of the NT are written to Christians (for example): Stop (put to death) sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (Col 3:5); get rid of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (Col 3:8) and don’t lie (v. 9); but put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive...(Col 3:12-13).
* The Apostle Paul often wrote about new behavior (Rom 12:1; Gal 5:22; Phil 1:11). The second half of most of Paul’s letters are about our responsibility to cooperate with God in changed behavior (Phil 2:12).
Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Rom. 12:1 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...(serving with your gift, sincere love, devoted to each other, joyful, patient, prayerful, hospitable, befriend the lowly, overcome evil with good...).
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Phil. 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.
* It remains to consider how we can retrieve this disaster. The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. Let him, if he has any bent that way, write a book about it; that is often an excellent way of sterilizing the seeds which the Enemy plants in a human soul. Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will. As one of the humans has said, active habits are strengthened by repetition but passive ones are weakened. The more often he feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.-from The Screwtape Letters (Lewis).
* Here automatism and linear thinking has been the curse of the church. "If God wants to and he first has to change my heart."
* Behavior affects the heart as much as heart affects behavior.
? Transformation gives us a new heart complete with new wants, new intensity (passion), and motivation (2 Cor 5:14-15; 4:1-8).
* OT spirituality was a heart religion (the word used 489x). They were to love God with an undivided heart.
* The heart is the core, center, wanting and willful, center of courage and sin, and emotions of a person. It is what you ultimately want at your core. Gives you definition and therefore who you are. Behavior and words can mask it for a while but it ultimately comes out.
* The heart was the problem and the cure (Gen 6:5; 34:8; Exo 7:14; 25:2; Deut 4:9, 29).
* Fifty times in the OT we are exhorted to love or seek God with all our hearts.
* Gen. 6:5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
* Gen. 34:8 But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
* Ex. 7:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
* Ex. 25:2 "Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
* Deut. 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
* Deut. 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Sometimes synonymous with soul: with all your heart and soul (50x) we are to:
* Promise & demand of the Prophets was for a new heart (Jer. 4:4; Ezekiel 11:19; 18:31; 36:26)
* Ezek. 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
* Ezek. 18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?
* Ezek. 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
* Jer. 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done- burn with no one to quench it.
* Jesus called for a radical transformation of the heart (Mat 5:8; 6:21; 12:34; 13:19; 15:18; 22:37; Luk 12:29)
* Matt. 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
* Matt. 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
* Matt. 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
* Matt. 13:19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
* Matt. 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ’unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
* Matt. 22:37 Jesus replied: "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
* Luke 12:29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.
* Paul’s use of the heart (Rom 2:29; 10:8; 1 Cor 14:25; 2 Cor 5:12; 2Cor 9:7; Eph 5:19; 6:5; 1 Tim 1:5; 2:22).
* Rom. 2:29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
* Rom. 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
* 1Cor. 14:25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
* 2Cor. 5:12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
* 2Cor. 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
* Eph. 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
* Eph. 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
* 1Tim. 1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
* 2Tim. 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
* Attachments and addictions
What gives you your identity?
What are you white knuckled to let go of?
What is "king" in your life?
* Psa. 84:2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
* Centered living.
* Food for me. I was thinking about it too much and sneaking food like an alcoholic sneaks drinks. Rather than just eating sociably with friends and family. It was too important.
* A new heart-the wanting or willful core of our being (direction (what), intensity (how much) & motivation (why).
* We are transformed by God’s why (reason)-Christ’s love in action [His death]) motivates (compels us).
* Our direction is for Him, then others-not ourselves.
* We can’t pretend to live for others (with manipulation) in hopes they will one day live for us!
? A new purpose, platform, or mission to live by (2 Cor 5:18-21; 4:7-11,17-18)
? New relationships-righteousness (2 Cor 17-21).
? We are part of God’s thoroughgoing newness.
* Treasure in jars of clay.
* If you are just fixing a clock, you just repair it but if the clock is a person with a will you must give it a new will and pay for all the ill choices that have been made.
* We dwarf the wholeness industry.
* Some Post-thoughts to be Aware of:
? Transformation can be viewed as very organic (vine metaphor of Jn 15).
? But transformation is also very disciplined and intentional (2 Pet 1:3-9; Phil 2:12).
? Transformation is God’s doing with his power, truth and love.
? Transformation also involves our response of truth, ownership and behavioral decisions.
? Transformation involves making amends in some cases for the pain you have caused others.
? Always beware of using God-language or behavior to cover-up personal-kingdom agendas, wants and/or sin. Our "righteousness" is to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
? Transformation is only a by-product of life with Jesus.
? Personal transformation is never apart from world transformation (serving ourselves).
? Transformation is never complete in this life. We live between the already but not yet. We are saved, being saved and will be saved.
? You are never "baked". Our old behavior will come back if we depart from walking with Jesus. We are only images of God, not God ourselves which was the sin of the Garden.
? Learning church culture and expectations is not the same as transformation.
? Church leadership is a DNA phenomenon, so giftedness is not the only criteria for choosing a leader but character.
? Transformation is usually not alone but in community: the help of others in the Body.
* Taking It Home
? Review 2 Corinthians 5 and the notes.
? What emphasis have you given to becoming a new person?
? What "treaties" or compromises have you made in your own mind to prevent an area of your life from being transformed?
? Have you been expecting God to automatically transform you without your cooperation?
? Where does God want to transform you and where is he expecting you to cooperate? If you are clueless, ask someone close to you.
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