The Process of Transformation

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

I have called this part of our study “The Renewed Life” because Matthew tells the story of Jesus in a way that highlights the difference that Jesus makes.

We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.

Over the last several months we talked about divine healing, deliverance, forgiveness and being a disciple of Jesus.

We have talked about faith, repentance and having a personal relationship with God.

We looked at parables of Jesus and about miracles, signs and wonders which demonstrate both the power of God and His purpose to restore all things.

When I last spoke a few weeks ago, we covered the subjects of religion and tradition.

Religion should facilitate relationship with God - but it should never become a substitute for knowing God personally.

The heart of Jesus’ teaching an ministry is personal and spiritual transformation.

We know that Jesus purpose is to restore the world and everything in it.

Tradition and religion tend to focus on the outward changes.

But transformation is about the inward change that we experience when we live like Jesus.

The word that the Bible uses is “metamorphosis” - it speaks of a total transformation from the inside out.

It is the same word that Paul uses when he says:

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I’m sure most of you have heard this before, but the best illustration I can think of for metamorphosis is a caterpillar tuning into a butterfly:

A caterpillar consumes large quantities of leaves for weeks or even month to store up energy as it grows in size. When it is full grown it attaches itself to a surface like a branch and forms a protective covering around it, called a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar’s body digests itself until it turns into a sort of soup. Once it is completely broken down, there are special cells called imaginal discs that know the design of what it is to become. They begin to form into legs with and the body structure of the new butterfly. This process can last from a few days to a few weeks. Then the newly formed butterfly emerges with wet wings. As the wings dry, they unfold and expand and the butterfly then learns to fly.

It is amazing to see the transformation of an insect which basically resembles a worm into a beautiful flying creature.

Isn’t it also beautiful to see God transform a selfish, sinful person into beautiful child of God who reflects His image?

Our passage today is going to center around the transfiguration of Jesus.

However, Matthew tells the story in a way that also points to the transformation of Jesus’s disciples - Matthew being one of them.

Transformation is a process.

We see in this text a basic outline of how transformation happens.

We set our minds on things of God.

We spend time in God’s presence.

We eventually emerge to step out in faith.

Set your mind on the things of God.

Many of our messages in this series “Live Like Jesus” have focus on aligning ourselves with God, his character and his purpose.

Living like Jesus means becoming like Jesus.

And the more we read about Jesus, the more we realize that He is not like us.

He thinks differently, and thus He also acts differently.

Transformation is going to mean thinking and acting differently.

Let’s see if we can catch Jesus’ train of thought...

Matthew 16:21–23 ESV

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

I think that if any of us hears a friend talk about dying, we would all immediately become concerned.

If you take all of the gospels together, it seems apparent that there may have been some threats to Jesus’ ministry and perhaps even his life early on.

He talks about persecution in the sermon on the mount.

And it would explain why crowds were following Him to remote places - perhaps those were the only “safe” places to teach.

Maybe Peter thought that Jesus was cracking under the pressure of it all - that would be reasonable!

But Jesus informs Peter that his suggestion is really from the devil.

Wow! I doubt if Peter or anyone else saw that coming.

Just a few verses ago, He was the one making the divine confession that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.

But Jesus has a different perspective...

Know the source of your thoughts.

Did you know that not every thought that pops into your head is really yours?

Thoughts can have different sources.

People can be manipulated by mental suggestion - subtle hints plant the seed of a thought.

Causing people to think a certain way and to think that they thought of it.

There are subliminal messages in advertising.

Magicians use the art of distraction to create compelling illusions.

And there are those who practice psychic projection.

If our minds are vulnerable to people who would try to make us think in ways that we might not otherwise think - imagine the mischief that our spiritual enemy has attempted.

Peter thinks he is having another brilliant thought, but Jesus informs him that it is just a trick of the devil.

Why? Because He is hearing from God that His path leads to the cross and Peter is trying to sway Him from that course.

Have you ever tried to tell someone something and you had no idea how what you are saying is impacting the person you are saying it to?

In one of the workshops at the conference last week. We were playing a game where a question was put up on the screen and participants who came from all over the world were to move to one end of the room or another according to how they would respond to the question in their home culture.

One question was “in your culture, if you disagree with a leader how would you express that? and the answers raged from direct confrontation to keeping the matter entirely to yourself.” Of course, most of the Asians move to the non-confrontational side of the room. However a few stood closer to the middle.

Then the group of them began to persuade the two standing alone that the correct answer was to come to their side. To one of the participants, whom we had lunch with afterward, this served to further illustrate the pressure that she felt as an Asian to conform to the demands of her culture. To her the group was saying, “you are not allowed to have your own opinion!”

Peter probably thought he was looking out for Jesus as his friend and protecting Him.

However, Jesus understood it as the enemy trying to distract Him and divert Him from His course of obedience to God.

The devil was using Peter to get to Jesus.

It seemed like an OK thought - but it wasn’t from God.

God can only be the source of good things.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

What about you? Have you ever entertained a thought only to realize that it was taking you down a wrong path?

Some thoughts are clearly wrong - we try to avoid those.

And some thoughts seem just fine - until we realize that they are not.

Good thoughts are not just thoughts that seem good - they are thoughts that come from a good place and lead to a good result.

Karie and I were teaching about his last week - part of being emotionally healthy is knowing yourself - knowing what you are thinking and feeling.

And all of those thoughts and feelings need to be expressed and surrendered to God to find out what is from Him and what is just a distraction.

And part of that discernment process is examining where your thoughts and feelings are taking you...

Consider the consequence of your thoughts.

Matthew 16:24–28 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

All living organisms are believed to have a self preservation instinct.

Though this theory has not been tested in all living things, it can be generally observed that all living things have mechanisms to ensure their survival and to defend against threats.

Of course humans are no different...

If a person does not have a self-preservation instinct - it is considered a disorder.

So why would Jesus tell his followers to deny themselves - and to take it even further - to forfeit their lives if necessary?

Because there is another kind of life that is greater than our natural lives.

Giving in to threats in order to save your natural life, kills your spirit.

But laying down your life in a non-threatening way causes your spirit to flourish.

The way this passage is recorded in Matthew’s narrative, it would seem that Jesus said this before anyone else knew what was going to happen.

What did the disciples think he meant by “taking up your cross?”

Crucifixions were common - there were literally thousands of criminals and insurrectionists who were crucified over the time of Jesus’ ministry.

Would Jesus’ disciples have understood his words as “be ready to join them?”

If so then how would they have understood Him saying “follow me?”

I’m sure these word took on powerful meaning after the resurrection.

The disciples suddenly realized that Jesus had told them all along what was going to happen.

Knowing that life is more than just our lifetime and that God already knows the future should cause us to want to align our thoughts with what God already knows.

We can challenge our defensive thoughts by reflecting on eternity.

We are all going to stand before God one day and give account - if not for our thoughts - at least for our words and our actions.

Matthew 12:36 NLT

36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

This should radically change the way that we think and speak.

Our thoughts and our words have eternal implications.

Those thoughts have consequences - they are leading you somewhere.

Are you wanting to go where your thoughts are taking you?

Is your mindset drawing you closer to God?

Spend time in God’s presence.

Matthew 17:1–4 ESV

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

When the Bible says that Jesus was transfigured, what do you think that means?

It means he literally changed in form and appearance.

Light was emanating from His face.

His clothes were becoming opaque because light is shining through the fabric.

He turned into a heavenly being whose substance is made of light.

Oh, and the word that is translated “transfigured” - is “metamorphosis!

So when Paul say we are transformed into His image - it should also call this story to mind.

2 Corinthians 3:18 CEV

18 So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.

Wow! talk about transformation!

I want to look at Jesus until my face shines like His.

See Jesus as He is.

Matthew 17:5–8 ESV

5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Peter made a bold confession that Jesus is the Son of God but now they see it.

They see Jesus in His glorious eternal form.

They see him surrounded by the cloud just as Daniel did.

Daniel 7:13 MSG

13 My dream continued. “I saw a human form, a son of man, arriving in a whirl of clouds. He came to The Old One and was presented to him.

The disciples saw Jesus as he is and … face plant!

If we could only see Jesus as He is!

If we could only spend time in His presence.

If we could only behold His glory - not just to imagine it

but to press in until the glory reflects off of our faces.

The text says that when they got up they only saw Jesus.

What a profound statement!

I want to stay on my face until I can get up and only see Jesus.

Yes, we fall on our faces because we are terrified of the truth,

we fall down because we are overwhelmed by the glory

it takes everything in us, pushing aside that self-preservation instinct to stay in that place of humility

but we we get up - we only see Jesus.

Oh but the story isn’t over -Jesus does a little debrief with his disciples on their way down the mountain.

Ask questions until you understand.

Matthew 17:9–13 ESV

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

The disciples just had a close encounter of the very fist kind.

Jesus turns to them and says, “by the way guys… this is all classified until further notice.”

Ok, so if we are not going to talk about it anymore - just answer one question first...

Wasn’t Elijah supposed to appear to announce your coming - why did we only just see him now and in an obscure place?

Did you know that it’s ok to ask God questions?

Seriously, God doesn’t mind when we ask Him the questions that are on our minds and hearts?

When we were all three-year-old we asked lots of questions. That what three- year-olds do. Why this like this? And why does that do that?

If your parents were like mine, they probably got tired of it and said - stop asking so many questions!

God doesn’t say that. You can never ask God too many questions.

However, there are questions for which God will say “you’re not ready to hear the answer.”

But He will never tell you to stop asking.

Jesus told the disciples that His coming was announced - it was announced by John.

Who, by the way, kinda looked like and dressed like Elijah.

And where John was baptizing was very near where Elijah ascended into heaven.

So those who were looking for a sign could have connected the dots.

But they assumed that they knew and they didn’t ask.

And the ones to whom God reveals Himself are the ones who spend time with Him.

Step out in faith.

In the illustration of the caterpillar and the butterfly, the transformation process concludes with the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis.

However, its wings are still wet and crumpled. The butterfly must stretch its wings and use them.

You could say that the transformation is not complete until the butterfly actually flies.

Christian transformation is not complete until we actually do the things that Jesus did.

We begin by thinking like Jesus.

And then we start to look like Jesus.

But we’re not done until we act like Jesus.

You may think that means doing miracles and casting out demons.

You’re not wrong.

But most people don’t start there.

Start by just stretching your wings - bring Jesus into the situation.

Guide people to Jesus.

Matthew 17:14–18 ESV

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.

Isn’t this the way it goes...

You have a mountaintop experience.

You have a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ that makes you feel like absolutely anything is possible.

And then you come back down the mountain.

Back to reality.

Where there are real life and death problems.

And you suddenly realize that what you experienced on the mountain - that was all God - and you’ve got nothing!

Unless God shows up, you have nothing to give.

That’s what the disciples were experiencing.

Fortunately, that’s when Jesus showed up.

Jesus’ first words were for the disciples.

“How long am I going to have to do everything for you?”

That’s not sarcasm - that’s a real question!

Jesus knows that His time on earth is limited - they are going to have to “learn to fly” by the time He does.

Jesus is clearly trying to get the disciple to a place where they are ready to complete His ministry and mission.

John 16:25–27 NLT

25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.

But the disciples aren’t there yet.

And many times neither are we.

Do you know what you can always do, even when you feel like you don’t know what to do? - Just guide people to Jesus.

Jesus said, “bring him to me.”

Do you know how many times people ask me questions or they ask me for advice about situations - and I’m thinking to myself - “I would like to know the answer to that too!”

I may look like I know what I’m doing, but many times inside, I’m secretly crying for help.

But I have learned enough to know that even when I don’t know what to do, I can still guide people to the One who does.

Let’s pray! - I don’t know what to do, but Jesus does, let’s ask him together.

OK, so we prayed - so now what?

Now we listen.

We talk through what we know and we expect the Holy Spirit to guide us.

We do what we know to do while we wait for guidance on the part that we don’t know.

And if things don’t go the way we think they should, we talk to Jesus about that too.

Use the faith you have.

Matthew 17:19–21 ESV

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Why couldn’t we do it? The disciples asked.

Because of your little faith.

We tend to take Jesus answer as condemning - but it’s not.

It’s just the facts.

Because you’re not there yet.

You can’t run before you can walk.

Other accounts say prayer and fasting are needed.

You need an exercise regiment before you are ready for a race.

This is not a slam on the disciples - far from it - Jesus is letting them know what is possible and what it takes to get there.

You got just a teeny tiny amount of faith - like a mustard seed.

But even a mustard seed grows into a huge plant.

You will get there but you have some growing to do.

So what do you do? - Start with the faith that you have.

So you tried doing miracles and it didn’t work.

But you can help distribute loaves and fishes to a crowd.

Guess what? You got to participate in a miracle!

So you tried to cast out a demon and it didn’t work.

But you can bring the boy to Jesus and the demon leaves.

Guess what? You just had your first lesson in casting out demons.

Why do we always thing that we have to do things perfectly the first time we try something?

When the butterfly comes out and it has wings - he just sits there for a while practicing the flapping motion.

You got to find out what it feel like first before you are ready to go airborne.

That is how it is with transformation - it is a process.

Your mind is not instantly renewed the moment you accept Christ.

That process of renewing your mind takes time - lots of time.

Oh, and you are never really done - it’s ongoing over your lifetime.

That time that you spend in God’s presence is not a one time deal.

We all know people who are always going to the altar and sometimes we may get impatient - “what is it now?”

The truth is, if we were all so spiritual we would all be at the altar every Sunday.

You can never get enough of God’s presence!

That thing about walking by faith - that takes practice.

They say that if you try to help a butter fly break out of its chrysalis you will kill it.

It needs the struggle of pushing back the walls of its chamber to strengthen its wings to fly.

You are inadvertently depriving it of what it needs to survive.

What if we saw our struggles as a necessary exercise of our faith?

What if we read Jesus remarks of having little faith not as a discouragement but as a challenge?

What if we understood taking up our cross not just as embracing Christ’s suffering but also daily embracing the process of transformation?

Questions for reflection:

When you think about spiritual transformation, do you imagine it happening in a moment or over a lifetime? Do you think about the time you first came to Christ or about your life with Christ now? What if it’s not an either or? What if it’s both and your future as well?

Have you had a spiritual encounter with God? Have you witnessed the brilliance of Christs light shining in your life? Have you ever spent time on your face, just soaking in the glory of His presence? Have you stayed there until you only see Jesus?

If you compare your spiritual transformation to that of the butterfly, where are you in the process? Are you hungry to learn all that you can about God? Are you hidden away in God’s presence while everything inside feels like its breaking down? Are you stretching your wings of faith and learning to fly?