Today is Transfiguration Sunday. On this Sunday in the church year, we call to our memory the event when Jesus Christ went up on the mountain and his appearance radically changed before Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John.
Read Luke 9:28-36
Several years ago now, J.B. Phillips wrote a best selling book called, "Your God Is Too Small". One of the most important things that you and I as Christians have to realize today is that OUR GOD IS NOT SMALL. The size of our God reveals itself in our prayer life. Christ’s Transfiguration actually occurs in the midst of a prayer meeting. In Luke 9:28, we are told that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up onto a mountain to pray.
I. Give God Our Problems (Luke 9:28)
Jesus gives us perfect examples of how you and I should live and how we should relate to our God. Jesus knew that it was important to give His problems to the Heavenly Father, because anytime He faced a problem, we always find Jesus turns to prayer. Before Jesus was tempted by Satan, he prayed and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Before He went to His death on the cross, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane those words, "Father, let this cup pass from me." And it should be no surprise that before His Transfiguration, Jesus was going up the mountain to pray.
We should note this interesting fact. Matthew (Matthew 17:1) and Mark (Mark 9:2), and Luke all record the story of the Transfiguration, but Luke is the only Gospel writer who takes care to mention that Jesus went up the mountain to pray. Fred Craddock writes that, "The major events and critical moments in the life of Jesus were, according to Luke, marked by prayer." (Source: Preaching Through the Christian Year, page 125).
We need to give God our problems. One of the reasons people don’t give their problems to God is their God is too small.
Illustration: A lady once came to G. Campbell Morgan and told him, "I only take small things to God, because I don’t want to worry him with the big things." Dr. Morgan replied, "Lady, anything you bring to God is small." (Source: A Message on The Urban Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, Feb. 18, 1998)
Our God is not small, and any problem we could bring to Him is small compared to what He’s already handled. We’re talking about a great and awesome God. He created you and I. He created the universe, and He defeated Satan on the Cross. Our God is not small!
II. Allowing God to Change Us (Luke 9:29)
The most observable thing that happens in the Transfiguration of Christ is Jesus’ appearance dramatically changes on the prayer mountain. Luke 9:29 says, "As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning." Now why does Jesus call Peter, James, and John, his three closest disciples to go up on the mountain with him and witness the Transfiguration? The three disciples are really minor characters in the scene, overshadowed by the miraculous presence of Moses and Elijah. The disciples are here so that The Transfiguration would change them.
In the movie, Shadowlands, about the life of C.S. Lewis, one of Lewis’ colleague’s question him about whether or not his prayers were getting God to help his dying wife. In response C.S. Lewis says, "I do not pray to change God, but I pray because it changes me."
On the mountain of prayer we must allow our view of God to change. Our God is not small. We can’t put God in a box that we create of our own imaginations, and think that we have Him all figured out. Some people fear change, but the Christian ought to fear the absence of change. If you aren’t changing and growing in your relationship with God, than your God is too small. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "...it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him."
III. Come Down From the Mountain to A World of Needs (Luke 9:33)
Notice what Peter says in verse 33, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." And Luke adds a parenthesis (He did not know what he was saying). In other words, Peter’s suggestion was not the response God wanted. God doesn’t want Jesus and the disciples to stay on the mountain. He wants them to come down from the mountain to a world of needs.
Notice what happens in Luke 9:37-45. After Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down from the mountain, the very next day, they healed a boy with an evil spirit. What would have happened to that boy if Peter would have had his way, and they would have stayed on the mountain. The boy would still have been possessed by the evil spirit and suffering tremendously.
After Moses had spent time with God on Mt. Sinia his face shone with such a radiance that the people were afraid of him, and he had to put a veil over his face. But Moses still came down off the mountain to serve others. (See Exodus 34:29-35)
Why do Christ’s followers want to stay on the mountain? It’s because our God is too small. We get so absorbed in what God is doing for us that we forget about what God wants to do through us. We know that God can change our life, but we don’t believe God is big enough to change our neighbor’s. Listen to where this is going. Not carrying a burden for others comes from a small view of God. Prejudice and racism comes from a small view of God. Fearfulness comes from a small view of God. Staying on the mountain, while the world goes to hell in a handbasket comes from a small view of God. Our God is not small, and we must realize that Jesus was born, died, rose again, and was transfigured for all the world, not just us.
IV. Keep Listening to Jesus
After we come down from the mountain of prayer, we must keep listening to Jesus. In Luke 9:35, God closes The Transfiguration story by saying, "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him." Those words may sound familiar, because they are the exact same words God said after Jesus was baptized. Listen to my Son.
Most of us are not shy when it comes to talking to God. You might say we are expert talkers. We’ve got our role of talking in prayer down fine. We tell God how we feel, what we want, and what He should do, and when we want Him to do it. The problem is that prayer is more than talking to God. It’s also listening to God.
Now why doesn’t God say, "This is my beloved Son, talk to Him." In our prayer life, listening is just as important as talking. Talking is really the easiest part of prayer. It’s listening 24 hours a day to the Spirit’s leadings that is the difficult part.
Why don’t we listen to God more? It’s because we have a small view of God. If we could really grasp the greatness and love of God, and that God wants to communicate to us and help us through all the hours of our days, we would listen intently to His still small voice.
Our God is not small. Just because He may be small in the eyes of some hman beings, does not make Him small. What I’m going to say may not be popular, but if there is not a dynamic power and joy that fills the classes, services, and outreach of our church thatn it’s because our view of God is too small. We can not be self-centered and have a great view of God. We can not be apathetic and have a great view of God.
Lent starts this week on Ash Wednesday. According to Church tradition, during Lent followers of Christ are to repent of any sin in their life and practice Lent by giving up or fasting from a hobby, food, or habit that we enjoy until Easter. By doing this we are recognizing that our God is not small, and He is more important than anything else in our life.
Anne and I have decided to give up something for Lent. For Lent (Ash Wednesday - Easter) I’ve decided to give up surfing the internet. I’m just going to check my e-mail periodically and that’s it. Anne’s going to give up sweets and all junk food. Is there something you could give up for Lent? I want to challenge you in these 40 days leading up to Easter to get serious about repentance, righteous holiness, and revival. Our God is not small. And if our view of Him is small, we need an attitude adjustment.
