(All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)
TRANSFORMERS
Recently I took my children to see the new Transformers movie, I had already seen it in 3-D, but they had not seen it so we went and truly enjoyed the family time together. I guess seeing a movie 2 times, made me start thinking about the depth of the movie, because I came away thinking about how neat it would be if we could transform into something we would like to be. Then, after prayer one morning, this sermon starting coming to me, transforming is exactly what we need! If you really think about it, transformation is the theme of many a story we enjoy. The Hulk, Captain America, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, X-Men, The Ugly Duckling & even Scrooge are all stories of a person truly changing. We are a people that enjoy seeing others change for the better. We want to see others find their way, so to speak, to be something that they only dream of. Whether that be a Cinderella who is a lowly house maid into a Princess, or a skinny weakling turn into Captain America, we enjoy seeing them change. We cheer for them as they become what it is that they are not, we feel their pain as they deal with the adversity of being less than they want to be. BUT, we are not a people that embrace change when it comes to ourselves. Most of us know that there is something not quite right in our lives and so we strive to be “better,” to correct some behavior, or act a little nicer.
The usual remedies involve some sort of shaping up on our part, some sort of face-lift whereby we clean up our act and start behaving the way we should. Jews try to keep the Law. Buddhists follow the eight-fold path. Muslims live by the five pillars. Many Christians try church attendance and moral living. You’d think, with all the effort, humanity would be on top of things by now. Of course, the reason all those treatments ultimately fail is that we quite misdiagnosed the problem. The problem is not our behavior; the problem is IN US. Jesus said,
Matt 15:19-20 For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
We don’t need an upgrade. We need transformation. We need a miracle. ( taken from Waking The Dead, John Eldredge, p.58-59)
PRAYER
This morning I want to talk to you about the need for REAL transformation, why we need it and why we struggle to see it. The Apostle Paul really sums things up in
Romans 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.
First let’s tackle the question of why we as a people struggle with seeing real transformation in our lives.
I. IT’S A HEART THING
I think a big part of the problem is that we feel that there is something wrong with us and we can fix it. We act as if we have enough strength, if we focus better, if we work harder, if we try more, then we can fix the problem. BUT, the truth is we cannot fix the problem, only Jesus can. There is no amount of discipline we can muster that will fix the problem of sin in our hearts. There is no ceremony or amount of time that can create in us a new heart, but Jesus can. Paul tells us in Romans 2:28-29 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 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.
Or in other words, we are not Christians by the act of Baptism alone, it is not something that happens outwardly, in appearance, BUT something that happens inside our heart. Paul goes so far as to say it: and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, it’s a heart thing. We are only changed, transformed when our heart is changed. Jesus told us that we MUST BE BORN AGAIN! (John 3:3) we must be transformed, but it is not something we can do on our own. It is not something that is done physically, outwardly, cosmetically. It is done inwardly, it is done by God and it is a changing of the heart. Look at this Psalm from the Living version of the Bible:
Ps 51:17 It is a broken spirit you want-remorse and penitence. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore. A broken and contrite heart God will not ignore a heart that is open to Him, a heart that is not hardened. God holds on to us, and hopes that we will see that this sin problem in our life is not something we can fix by trying harder, being better, or attending church more often, it can only happen when we allow Him to transform our hearts.
On a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn’t let go." (taken from the intro of a sermon by David Austin)
I believe we can identify with this young boy, we have scars both from the sin in our life, and the Father who won’t let go. Scars from trying to change our lives only to fail, and scars from a Father who loves us so much He refuses to let go. He wants us to transform, to change, but from the inside out. He wants what the Psalmist wants Ps 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
A heart-broken little girl began to kneel and pour out her heart to God in the altar at her local church. She did not know what to say. As she wept speechless, she began to remember what her Father had told her, "God knows your needs even before you pray, and he can answer when you don’t even know for what to ask." So she began to say her alphabet. A concerned adult from that church knelt beside her and heard her sobbing and saying her ABC’s and inquired what exactly she was trying to do. The little girl told this caring adult, "I’m praying to God from my heart." But the adult answered, "It sounds to me more like your are saying the alphabet!"
"Yes," she said, "But God knows more about what I need than I do, and he can take all these letters and arrange them in just the right way to hear and answer my prayers!"
Folks it is time to be TRANSFORMED by a renewing of our HEARTS! Our minds are renewed when we read and study the Word of God and understand that what really needs to change is our heart.
Matt 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
Matt 22:37 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart
Luke 6:45 For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
So, if we understand what we need to do, change our hearts, then why is it that so many people in the world are NOT truly following Jesus as Lord and Master of their lives?
II. CONFORMITY IS A CANCER
Paul told us, “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world” By using the words “any longer” he tells us that there were people in the early church of Rome that were following the world’s pattern. Folks, I will tell you here and now, there are STILL many who follow the pattern of the world, and it is what causes many to never truly be TRANSFORMED.
The pattern of the world is sin, from the beginning of time it has been sin. If we look to the creation of man, we see rebellion and we see sin. Adam and Eve were given everything that mankind could want. They were in a paradise, walking with God, giving rule over their domain and only one command. Yet man is rebellious and broke that one command. Nothing has changed.
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
Sin entered the world through the disobedience that is mankind. The world is corrupt, it is selfish, it is self-centered and evil. We are in the world, but we do not have to be of the world. We do not have to conform to the pattern of the world. WHY?
Rom 5:18-19 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
You see sin was brought into the world through Adam and the world still has that sin, but Jesus put an end to all that. He was the last Adam, and all those that are truly BORN AGAIN, accept Him into their hearts and are made righteous by His blood. Is it not amazing to you that it was His blood shed for us that allow us to be forgiven? The heart is the pump of that blood, the life force, the very thing that gives us life. And it is the blood of Jesus that can give us a new life, and only the blood of Jesus.
Several years ago in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, George and Vera Bajenksi’s lives were changed forever. February 16, 1989. A very normal Thursday morning. The phone rang at 9:15 a.m. "There’s been an accident..." It involved their son Ben.
As they approached the intersection of Adelaide and Simcoe Streets near the high school, they could see the flashing lights of the police cars and ambulance units. Vera noticed a photographer and followed the direction of his camera lens to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen.
All she could say was, "George, Ben went home--home to be with his Heavenly Father!" Her first reaction was to jump out of the car, somehow collect the blood and put it back into her son. "That blood, for me, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world because it was life. It was life-giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much."
The road was dirty and the blood just didn’t belong there. George noticed that cars were driving right through the intersection--right through the blood. His heart was smitten. He wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry, "You will not drive over the blood of my son!"
Then Vera understood for the first time in her life, one of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths...why blood? Because it was the strongest language God could have used. It was the most precious thing He could give-- the highest price He could pay.
Through God’s amazing love we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of God’s Son (Hebrews 10:29).
"Amazing love! How can it be? That you, My God, should die for me!"
Oh to be TRANSFORMED by the blood of Jesus, to no longer conform to the pattern of the world, to allow God to change our hearts. To have a broken and contrite heart that God can mold. But the truth is, many have a hardened heart and are not allowing God to change them.
I have been a preacher for quite a number of years now. I have met a lot of people that are convinced they are following Jesus and do His will. BUT, I can tell you many are not truly TRANSFORMED and they are only kidding themselves and perhaps a few people around them. I think that most people mean well, they want to be “better,” they want to be “righteous,” and they want to be “pure of heart.” Yet they have gone about trying in the wrong manner. They believe that if they can convince others here on earth that they mean well, then God will view their actions as GOOD. They think that if they can get enough people to agree with their way of thinking, then certainly they must be right. BUT, folks, the world will not judge us on that day, Jesus will! It is the blood of Jesus that gives us new life, not the opinion of the majority. It is God’s Word that contains the TRUTH, not the views of people here on earth. It is God’s Son we must strive to conform to, not the world. Many will try to change the truth of God’s Word because it can truly change the heart. Not our minds, our hearts. It is easy to change your mind, it is much more difficult to change our hearts. The writer of Hebrews tells us: 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
God’s Word judges the thoughts and the attitudes of our HEART, not our mind. It is God’s Word that convicts us, penetrates the hardened heart and makes us aware of how we have failed. It is God’s Word that asks, are your motives in the right place, for where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. It is God’s Word that asks the heart, WHY? And it is with the heart alone we can answer God, “because, I truly love you Lord.”
Some will never respond fully to the transforming gift of God’s grace, they have sinned in their lives and they feel they will never be forgiven. They try hard to be better, attend church as much as they can, go through the motions, volunteer for more work, give a few more dollars, say a few empty prayers, but what is their motive? They strive to appear more Christian on the outside, to stay off judgment from others in the world, to physically appear righteous. But it is only the heart that can bring REAL CHANGE. Only forgiveness can bring about righteousness. It all starts with us forgiving ourselves for our past and starting a new.
Consider Charles Colson, the aide to Richard Nixon who was sent to jail for Watergate. As as a result of his experience as a convicted felon, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, now the world’s largest Christian outreach to prisoners and their families. Prison Fellowship has more than 50,000 volunteers working in hundreds of prisons in 88 countries around the world. A ministry that has blessed millions of people got started twenty-five years ago because Charles Colson committed a crime. God’s eternal purposes for that man included even the sin that sent him to prison. It was a part of God’s plan from the very beginning.
How many stories of transformation do we see in the Bile? The story of Peter, a kind of know-it-all, outspoken, spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants kind of guy, transformed by the blood of Jesus.
The story of Paul, a good law abiding Jew, who persecuted Christians thinking they were going against God, a zealous man fighting for a lost cause, transformed into the greatest missionary of all time.
But the story that matters most to you isn’t Peter’s, or Paul’s, or even Charles Colson’s. It’s yours. And what I want to say to you this morning is that the story of your life has not been ruined, not by your sin or anyone else’s. God’s good plan for your life is not buried under the mistakes of the past. God has a plan for your life, a good plan, a wise plan, a loving plan, a sovereign plan, and that plan is still in effect. You haven’t missed it. He is working out that plan in your life right now, today. Will you believe that? And will you renew your commitment this morning to seeking God, and following Him, and serving Him with your whole heart; free of the past, no longer weighed down by regret?
This morning, as the musicians come forward to sing our invitation song “What
A Friend We Have in Jesus” page 630 in your hymnal I invite you to accept the transforming gift of Jesus. I invite you to come forward and kneel in prayer that Jesus would change your heart, that He alone would fill your heart, that He alone would be your Lord and Master. Won’t you allow Him to TRANSFORM your heart, keep you from conforming to the pattern of this world and CHANGE?
