Transformed // Week 2 // Change

Transformed
Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18 Feb 2, 2020
I. Introduction:
A. So we are one month into our New Year’s resolutions – how are they going?
1. Resolutions are all about change, things in our life we would like to see
change. The great majority of them have to do with external things in our
lives – Save more money, exercise more, lose weight, learn a new skill, spend
more time with family etc.
2. Most of us have given up on even trying to change the internal things deep
within us – things like impatience, selfishness, anxiety, fear, anger, lust,
greed, negative thinking, etc. Just too deep, too strong, been there too long!
B. But I am here this morning to give you some hope and even some direction into
first steps into change at the core of our being, the kind of change that starts from
the inside with our character and works its way out into our behavior!
1. What I am talking about this morning is change, change in the essential
nature of something which is more like Jesus’ miracle of turning water into
wine.
2. So bottom line to change who we are takes a miracle by Jesus in my inner
most being!
C. As we start this new year not only do we long for deep down internal changes but
also as we begin our 75th year as a church we long for deep down internal
changes in the nature of our church community. So we can be a greater blessing
to each other, the people where we live, work, go to school and play and even to
the end of the earth.
D. Thus, this series is being called transform – which means a deep down change in
the essential nature of something.
1. We are calling it that because we long to see deep down change in us, our
church and in our communities
2. And we are calling it that because that is the word in the Bible that is used to
describe this deep down internal change in our nature.
• Let’s talk about being …
II. Transformed
A. Salvation is much more than being forgiven then getting a ticket to go to heaven
when we die.
1. Salvation is a blessing from God that has a whole package of benefits both
for now, in the future and in eternity!
2. One of the greatest benefits of salvation is transformation – change – change
at the core of our being
B. Change starts with salvation. When we are born again the Holy Spirit changes us
at the core of our being.
1. Turn 2 Corinthians 5:16-18a – read – stay there in your Bible
2. We are brand new creatures at our core, the deepest part of who we are –
something that comes from God.
3. So at the moment of salvation we were deeply changed whether we were
aware of it or not
C. We learned in our study of Romans 6-8 that the person we were before, known as
our old man, was crucified with Christ and that we have been raised up with
Christ to a brand new life.
1. Now His Holy Spirit lives inside of that new man.
2. But we find also that we are inseparably linked to a fallen flesh that still has
the old habits and ways built deep within us. So we feel this conflict between
being who God wants us to be and our flesh controlling our lives. What a
miserable place to be.
3. But we also learned that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to break down and
dismantle the control of the flesh in our lives and to fill our lives with the
very resurrected life of Christ.
D. So bottom line we are new creatures in Christ, we are one with Christ at the
deepest level of our lives (He is in me and I am in Him)
1. Me in Christ is the way that God sees and blesses me
a) All the rights, privileges, positions, blessings God gives to me in Christ,
2. Christ in me is the way that God empowers and changes me
a) The Holy Spirit living in me working in me to make more and more like
Jesus Christ
E. Transformation or change at the core of my being is a process that God works out
the rest of my life as He is conforming His children to the image of Jesus Christ.
• I want to close by showing you three important ways you can position your life to
experience this kind of change at the core of your being.
III. Three means to transformation
A. I say position yourself because the two passages that talk about transformation
both have the word in the passive voice. That simply means it is not an action
that we do to ourselves but it is something that God does to us.
1. Transformation, the way we change at the core of our being, is something
where we can position our life to be in the places that God works
transformation into us by means of His Spirit.
2. Just like I cannot produce a sun tan myself but I can position myself under
the sun in such a way that the sun produces a sun tan on my skin
3. In the same way we must position ourselves with the Son – s-o-n so we can
get a s-o-n tan on our hearts
B. Turn to 2 Corinthians 3:18
1. This is a passage we have a greater ministry than Moses because the new
covenant ministry of the life and righteousness by the Spirit is a greater
ministry than the old covenant ministry of death and condemnation.
a) Moses was a minister of the old covenant, we as believers, not just
preachers but every one of us are ministers of the new covenant!
2. We today have a greater privilege than Moses himself and a greater
experience of God’s glory than Moses did on the mountaintop of Sinai!
3. Moses would go into the presence of God and his face would shine from
being in the presence of God’s glory but that glory would fade as time went
on, so he hid his face with a veil so people would not see the glory fading.
4. Now listen to 2 Corinthians 3:18 Read
5. Just a few observations for today
a) We are like mirrors reflecting God’s glory to others!
b) We do not need a veil over our faces because the glory that is touching
our lives is not fading away but rather we are being transformed,
changed into that same image of the glory of Christ from one degree of
glory to the next –
(1) Show this again in the text
(2) A synonymous verse with Romans 8:29 we are being conformed to
the image of Jesus at the core of our being.
(3) What do you think that says about things like impatience,
selfishness, anxiety, fear, anger, lust, greed, negative thinking etc.?
c) Finally, note that this transformation is from the Lord, the Spirit of Jesus
Christ who lives inside of us!
C. So in light of the context of this passage (which talks about Moses meeting with
God face to face and the Jews reading God’s word) and the use of the word
behold which has two possible uses: we are not only reflecting Jesus glory but we
are transformed when we put our gaze upon (behold)Jesus and keep it there. So
we can position ourselves to be changed by the Spirit of God in two ways:
1. When we are intentional to worship Him and not just sing songs but are
beholding Him and we are being transformed
2. When we read God’s word not just for information or a discipline we are
supposed to do but rather to have a vital experiences with the living God
through His Word where we are changed in a way that our way of thinking
and hearts are changed forever
D. The third way we can position ourselves for change we see in Romans 12:1-2 –
Please turn
1. As I read note in verse 2 again we see this transformation happen in our
minds as we allow God’s Word to get so deep within us that it changes us.
Read 12:1-2
2. But right at the start of v1, we see the third way we can position ourselves for
this deep change.
a) Reread v1 a-c
b) Present your entire life to God – simply saying to God here I am God,
take over my life by your Spirit and do in me whatever you want to do –
I am yours from now on – I am the clay you are the potter – do as you
please in me!
IV. Communion
A. As we go to communion this morning it is another great opportunity to be
transformed as you behold Jesus and reflect upon His death for you, what it
means to you and what it demands of you!
B. Talk to God about it, which is another face-to-face encounter with God talking
with each other – prayer is another form of transformation. It says in Luke 9:29
that while Jesus was praying he was transfigured.
C. During this communion time would you position yourself to be changed and ask
God which means of transformation we learned about this morning you should
begin to practice on a regular basis to place yourself under the s-o-n to get a life
changing s-o-n tan on your heart, one that will not pass away!