GETTING RID OF THE CLUTTER
2 Cor 3:18 (p818) (v 12-18) August 15, 2010
INTRODUCTION:
Is there anyone here who enjoys driving in downtown Louisville at 5:00 o'clock? Or sitting on the Gene Snyder with bumper to bumper construction traffic? "Cones to the left of me…workers to the right ,here I am…stuck in the middle with you!" (Sing it to Steve Miller band).
Congestion is horrible…It's frustrating. People hate it…you can see the stress as people grip the steering wheel and set their jaws. .. Traffic is stopped no one is moving…the snail waves at us as he zooms past. The roads were not designed to handle that many cars…there's nowhere for them to go…so everyone sits and waits.
All the clutter is keeping you from getting where you need to go…congestion stinks…all the clutter traps you in place.
Many churches are trapped by the clutter…stopped in their tracks by congestion...spiritual movement is stifled… and instead of moving forward with a powerful purpose...they are standing still just burning a lot of gas. Congested churches are filled with the same people. I'm not talking about the absence of new people, although many times that’s telling in and of itself. I'm referring to people staying the same…unchanged…unmoved.
People that stop being transformed…week after week, month after month, year after year. Many people are the same stagnant believers and congested, cluttered churches go hand in hand.
Many of these people are sadly tuck in the same place they've always been spiritually and there is no intentional plan to move them forward…or desire by them to be moved forward.
God's word sure points a different picture in regards to spiritual growth…according to scripture a believer's life is to be transformed more and more...people are not suppose to remain the same…there is to be progression, movement…GROWTH
Churches are designed by Jesus to be filled with people who are becoming. Becoming more like Christ, Becoming more loving and joyful…being transformed and that involves…
REMOVING THE VEIL
2 Cor 3:18 says "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
The Apostle Paul is taking the Corinthian church back to Moses day… you see when Moses would walk up Mt. Sinai and meet with God he would be transformed by God's presence.
1.
In these encounters where God gave Moses the 10 commandments and the instructions something powerful happened to the Israelite leaders "Aura" every time Moses went to meet with God on the Mountain he came back glowing…every time he was in God's presence he was transformed…He looked different…In fact the first time "Mr. Glowworm" came down from the mountain the Israelites were terrified…the change was that remarkable.
So Moses began to wear a veil over his face when he came down from the mountain…and we know why he wore the veil…"To cover the fact that the glory began to fade as soon as he left God's presence" (2 Cor. 3:13)
With every step Moses took away from the mountain the glory-glow would decrease.
Moses had a veiled face…but we have unveiled faces…we, as followers of Jesus, do not have to wear a veil because the glory isn't diminishing. In fact the opposite is true. The glory is every increasing why? Because we never have to leave the presence of God We never come back down the mountain, because the mountain is in us. (the glory comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit)
We have a relationship with God that even Moses didn't have…God's spirit lives inside us.
2Cor 3:9 says "We are in the New Covenant that brings righteousness, not the old covenant that brings death."
Moses had to climb up Mt. Sinai to meet with God…we don't …his presence isn't on a Mountain…his presence is inside us. and just as God transformed Moses…he transforms us when we place ourselves in his presence.
This word…transform is written in the passive voice and present tense…Here's what that means…the passive voice indicates we are not transforming ourselves…God IS…and the present tense means…this transformation is taking place right now…not just a past transformation but an ongoing one…right now!
The word for transformation is "Metamorphosis" It means to change the essential nature of something…its real change…its change to the core…inside and out…it's the word we use to describe a "caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The nasty, wormy creepy crawly becomes a beautiful butterfly. The process is metamorphosis."
God deserves to bring His people through this metamorphosis process. He wants the people at Fern Creek Christian Church to be shaped into his image…and he wants to do so with ever-increasing glory. That means he wants us to be more like Jesus today than we were yesterday.
Congested churches…churches caught in the clutter are the antitheses of God's plan.
So here's the 64,000 dollar question…since God is the one who transforms His people and it takes place right now…what's your part.
2.
I ARE YOU WILLING TO WALK UP THE MOUNTAIN?
What did Moses do to be transformed? Moses put himself in the right place to be transformed by God. He discovered the place where God would move in his life….and he went there!
When a church has a powerful purpose we understand this essential truth---when God meets people in just the right place…transformation occurs…change in the lives of his people is expected and people begin to move towards greater levels of commitment…the veil comes off, God's glory is reflected, and his people are transformed with ever increasing glory, because God's spirit is working in their lives daily.
When people leave this place they no longer have to cover the fact that the glory is temporary, or external…the glory comes from within and its eternal…and with unveiled faces, his glory shines in every-increasing ways!
2 Cor 3:16-17 tells us "whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away" now the Lord is the Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
The opposite of freedom is congestion and clutter…it's being hemmed in by exterior road construction…and instead of moving we get stuck in traffic instead of following the way, the truth and the life.
Churches that are moving forward, growing and impacting this world with the light of Jesus figure out the most effective ways for people to meet…and then encourage those people to minister with unveiled faces in the world, and expect this movement as part of real discipleship.
God's word tells us people come into God's presence through other people…"faith comes by hearing the message of Christ" and people cannot hear unless they are sent and unless they are willing to go" (Rom 10)
Churches that are alive with purpose embrace this truth both in their community and around the world…
"Here I am Lord, send me" is not just Isaiah plea…it's the plea of unveiled people who are ever increasing the their love for God. One of our couples has answered that call in preparation to go behind the veil in a Muslim country…We have 5 interns serving there right now--and we partner with team expansion and other missionaries around the world---why? To reflect the Lord's glory in the darkest of places. Pray for our missionaries, get involved and informed.
Go on a short term trip to New Orleans or Haiti or Eastern Ky. Be a partner with Jesus and those who Jesus has called. Be externally focused.
But that focus needs to impact Fern Creek, not just around the world, but around the block. When the external focus becomes an inward focus….Welcome to a congested traffic jam and no one get to the mountain.
3.
Dead or stagnant churches begin to focus on pleasing people instead of pursing purpose.
Traditions cannot be changed or examined because upsetting someone becomes more essential than doing what is most effective---
That's why Paul said in our test "Even to this day when Moses is read a veil covers their hearts" (2 Cor 3:16)
The Israelites wouldn't let go of the tradition of the law, even when the glory of God's son was in their presence. "No wonder we are reminded "Where the Sprit of the Lord is there is freedom" and "The letter of the law kills, but the spirit give life"
I believe the most effective process to set people free…is introduce people to the mercy of God, connect them with others in relationship (In churches that are congested that’s hard to do sometimes, because we already know each other and become closed systems instead open ones)
And the best and most supportive relationships are where the news of mercy is shared by a leader who is a recipient of that same grace.
[Karissa shared that Heather Underwood has been one the most important people in her life because Heather has loved her …and has experienced what she's gone through as a teenage mom}
Leaders who help people find that place of ministry, become purpose filled interments of grace who help people meet with God, and then God does the transformation---so they can in turn meet people at their place of ministry…and so on and so forth--movement takes place--with ever increasing glory.
We all only have so much time and energy---if your afraid to change, because that's what growth and transformation is ….then traditions start to clutter the road lanes, programs and processes become monuments that block as they were originally designed instead of avenues of discipleship.
What do you think would happen if we ask those questions in evaluation of every ministry in every church: Are people being introduced to Jesus, and are those that are a part of it becoming more like him?
Church with a powerful purpose are courageous enough to ask those questions and focus their time and energies in that direction---and the traffic begins to flow again.
