The Story Of My Heart Series

THE STORY OF MY HEART

2 Cor 5: 11-21 (p818) August 14, 2011

INTRODUCTION:

The word of God uses the Greek word "metamorphoo" four times in the New Testament.

It's used in Matt 17: 2 and Mark 9: 2 to describe what happened to Jesus on a mountain when Moses and Elijeh appeared with him from heaven...Peter, James and John witnessed a Metamorphosis - "a change of form" "and he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the Sun, and his garments become as bright as light."

Romans 12:2 is a warning and challenge from the Apostle Paul to believers ---"and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

The final verse if also from the Apostle Paul to believers..."but we all, with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, and are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory."

"Metamorphoo" - Metamorphosis..it means to "change in form" to be transformed or transfigured.

Science uses this word to describe what happens when a tadpole becomes a frog..or one your even more familiar with...when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly...

Let me show you something cool..

(Show you Tube Video)

Although the word "Metamorphosis" isn't used in our text...it is the very heart of what the Apostle Paul is describing...if you asked me to pick 1 single verse to describe the process of salvation and the story of my heart it would be 2 Cor. 5:7

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a New creation; the old has gone, the new has come."

New Creation "Kaine" Ktisis" is the transformation that takes place for anyone who is in Christ. Its as radically different as the frog is from the tadpole and the butterfly is from the caterpillar...it is impossible to be in Christ and not experience a "metamorphoo"

With that being said...its important we understand its a process..It doesn't happen all at once. The Video we watched was a time lapse over weeks...and if your like me you found yourself wanting to help the butterfly...pull the cocoon away making it easier to escape...if you did that there would be tragic results...The fluid wouldn't be squeezed through its wings...its in the escape where the strength is developed to fly...removing the difficulty would make flying impossible...the cocoon prepares the butterfly for life....

We as Christians have a cocoon also...its the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.]

Detrick Bonnhaffer the great German Theologian put it this way "come and Die", So you can live!"

Jesus made it clear "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me... Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who forfeits his life for me and the gospel shall save it."

We bring a selfish prickly "caterpillar" life to the cross...Our nature is self-serving and self-seeking...Its exactly like the youngest son in the parable of the prodigal..."Give Me My Share!"

This is my story...the Apostle Paul's story..and

I WE ENTER THE COCOON WITH FEAR

Since we know what it is the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade men."

[I grew up knowing about Jesus...i was raised in a family that went to church...we prayed, my parents read me bible stories...I went to VBS and church camp...but still I went my own way...I rebelled...Why? Because I was self-focused, I wanted my own way. I thought if I could do what I wanted I'd be happy....much of my focus was immediate gratification....I thought little of the future. Sin was fun and pleasurable...so i went raft it with little thought toward the consequences...I wasn't afraid...I was indestructible...I had plenty of time...after fie years I had destroyed almost every healthy relationship, the consequences became real.

And then God stepped in...His Holy Spirit began to convict...He showed me I was lost and separated from God....If I remained separated the end result was punishment...Hell

That’s why 2 Cor 5:10 is the catalyst for our text this morning -

2 Cor 5: 10 (p818)

I often tell people "you can't be saved until you realize how lost you are"

Standing before a Holy and spotless Savior revealed the depth of my sin...It happened to Saul and the road to Damascus...Holy is not God's Spirits first name...its his ministry.

If you are outside of Christ...He will but your heart and convict you of your unholiness...He will point you to the cross as the solution.

This is exactly what happened in Acts chapter 2 -Here's a part of the Apostle Peter's sermon.

Acts 2: 22-24, 36-41 (p 771)

For those outside of Christ the Holy Spirit is God's heart surgeon...He cuts into the calloused, sinful, selfish heart...for the first time we experience the fear of judgment. It makes us ask "what should I do?!!