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.
b. It’s the driving force of much of our thinking today..... we see it everywhere!
i. Weight loss companies are promoting a modern day alchemy ..... eat your way to anorexia!
ii. We see the alchemy of gambling / shady financial investments – it’s the mindset that w/o effort / sacrifice I can gain wealth / riches. Alchemy dressed in modern day thinking!
iii. Beauty / facial creams – weather beaten & wrinkled skin & making look like a baby’s bottom!
iv. In a subtle sense – our generation believes in a kind of alchemy which says that if I can fill my life w/ material things I can satisfy the deep craving that only God can satiate.
B. The science of alchemy is false but in the Kingdom of God spiritual alchemy is real!
a. The Bible overflows w/ the imagery of ‘Kingdom alchemy’.
i. Firstly our text ….. the perfect / sinless Son of God b/co sin so that sinners can b/co righteous.
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.
ii. Joseph’s brothers sell him as a slave but what they meant for evil God turns into good.
Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) 20But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
iii. Again Joseph’s prison term is kingdom alchemy as he rises from prison to prime minister!
iv. Balak king of Moab hires Balaam to curse God’s people & his curse was turned into a blessing.
v. Nehemiah 13:2 (NKJV) 2…. [they] hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
vi. Saul, enemy of the N/T church, a blasphemer is turned into the greatest missionary / evangelist.
1 Timothy 1:13 (NKJV) 13although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
vii. God’s kingdom alchemy also turns what we give here on earth into treasure in heaven!
Matthew 6:19 - 20 (NKJV) 19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
viii. But the greatest miracle of this kingdom alchemy is that God is able to take a man ruined by sin & turn him into a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
# 2. The method of God’s alchemy.
A. One of man’s great hopes today is the hope of self help.
a. Everywhere we look we see the motivation / encouragement to help y/s.
i. Bookstores abound w/ books / seminars / T.V. programs – Oprah / life coaching / personal trainers.
ii. We are the pioneers of the D.I.Y. generation – flat pack products / assemble it y/s.
iii. But this same mentality prevails when our lives are in ruin / shambles – a D.I.Y. mentality assemble y/s or get y/s together!
b. But our efforts / attempts ultimately end in failure.
i. The paradox is that there are more self help programs / books / courses / DVD’s than ever b/4 yet more dysfunctional / people / families / communities than ever B/4.
ii. Jesus speaks bout the last generation being one that is totally out of control.
iii. Man’s fall into sin was so stupendous that only a miracle of God could rescue us from that fall.
iv. Although a temporary solution was bought about by God it never fulfilled the deep need w/i men / women to be clean / right / forgiven.
Hebrews 10:4 (NKJV) 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
v. The cross of Jesus Christ worked a miracle of divine alchemy in the hearts of men / women.
** O.M.S. “By His divine alchemy he changes enmity into friendship.”
c. The only way you can ever change & experience the miracle of divine alchemy is by God allowing you to see your/s as you are.
i. Seeing your great need for transformation / forgiveness is the first step towards God working a miracle of divine alchemy in your life.
ii. Listen to what Job said when he saw himself as he really was ........
Job 42:6 (NKJV) 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”
** Charles Spurgeon says “ By a sort of holy alchemy He fetches gold out of dross, medicine out of poison, success out of disaster.”
iii. To allow this transforming alchemy to take place you are going to have to yield your life to the redeeming mercy of Jesus Christ.
iv. And the reality is that we need Jesus to do an ongoing work of alchemy in our lives ...... b/c the brokenness continues unless Jesus does an ongoing work!
B. The Cross of Jesus Christ is God’s alchemy.
a. The cross is how God turns our sin / shame / our judgment into his justification / forgiveness / salvation.
Text 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, ……
i. I believe that the most depraved element on planet earth is human nature!
ii. But Jesus Christ took the base element of human nature & turned it into a priceless treasure by dying on the cross in our place.
2 Corinthians 4:6 - 7 (NKJV) 6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
iii. The fatal flaw worked on human nature by man’s fall into sin can only be reversed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
b. The blood of Jesus Christ is the instrument by which God is able to work his miracle of alchemy on human nature.
Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV) 14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
i. It’s a miracle of divine alchemy when God is able to take a defiled human conscience & cleanse it w/ his blood.
** Someone has said that the strange alchemy of God at work is that out of two crimsons – the crimson of our sin & the crimson of His blood, He is able to make us white!”
Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
# 3. What does this mean to you?
A. It means that God has a plan to rescue you from the power of sin.
a. You see sin is not just something that we have done once ..... it has worked its way into the very fabric of our being.
*** A friend of ours told us the other night that her mother has just been diagnosed w/ mercury poisoning. Her husband has been a keen fisherman all his life & he has always supplied the family w/ fresh fish, straight from the ocean.
The problem is that over the years she has eaten a lot of fish that has been contaminated by mercury. Mercury permeates the flesh of the fish so much so that when humans ingest it they are also eating the mercury contaminating the fish. The problem here is one of contamination!
i. And that’s what sin is like ...... it has so thoroughly contaminated the lives of men / women that the very fabric of our beings are riddled w/ it.
ii. But b/c of what Jesus did on the cross we can live every day w/ a clean conscience b/c we’ve been rescued from the power of sin.
Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV) 14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
iii. It means that you can live as a new creation fully rescued from sin from the moment you bow your knee to Jesus Christ.
Vs 21. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, ............
iv. It means that although sin has made everyone of us unclean in a moment of time we can be cleansed from every unclean thing we’ve ever done.
John 13:8 (NKJV) 8Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
v. Without our being washed clean, we all die from the contamination of sin.
B. It means that God has not only rescued you but he has made you right w/ God.
Vs 21. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
a. Jesus died on the cross not only so that you could be forgiven but so that you could by His divine alchemy be changed from being wrong to being right!
i. B/c of the cross of Jesus you have been acquitted of the charge of every sin you’ve ever committed & made right w/ God.
ii. How can God charge you w/ sin that He doesn’t even remember any more?
Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
