Essentials: Tranformation

Take Home: We all fall short of the standards God has for us, so we must strive for transformation to become the people Jesus has called us to be. To achieve this, we need to focus on the right areas and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Message Focus: Navigating Transformation: Putting off our old self and putting on the new self (Eph 4:23)

Transformation from Within Mark 7:14-23

Scripture Introduction

Why Jesus’ disciples did not walk according to the traditions of the elders?

Leave the commandments of God and hold to traditions of men

Jews had suffered and died for not eating pork.

What comes out of a person is what defiles him . . . out of the heart

Treating symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause.

This is what some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were doing with legalism.

It is the heart that we often don’t address when navigating transformation in our own lives or communicating Kingdom living to others. We often have a list of dos and don’ts instead of focusing on the driving force of the will.

Rhizome Analogy: Identity, Values, and beliefs all influence behavior.

Problem of focusing on changing actions

Actions come back because of what is feeding them

Discover your want (need) or trigger

Romans 12:2 “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.”

What are my thoughts about my want or trigger?

Is this good and acceptable?

Is this the perfect will of God?

What would be a proper way to see this?

You must know

Don’t try and tackle it all at once.

Do I feel convicted, guilty, or am I justifying myself.

There is nothing that I can do that will separate me from God

What does he want to change in me (according to scripture)

What are some wonderful things he is doing/done through me (e.g., what do I bring to the table (e.g. spiritual gifts))

Transformation Takes Time Mark 8:22-26

Scripture Introduction

Leaven and the Pharisees

Peter’s Confession

Feel like a failure because they still struggle after giving it over to God.

Notice, Mark does not answer many of the questions that rise in our minds. “Why did they go out of the town?”, “Why did Jesus touch him instead of pronouncing sight?”, “Why did Jesus use spit?” “Why shouldn’t he enter the village?” The reason, the gospel authors wrote for historical accuracy not as proselytizing preaching (i.e., historical reporting).

First Work of Jesus

Do you see anything

This question indicated Jesus was intentional in having the work partially done.

Echoes Jesus question to the disciples in 8:17, “Do you still not see?”

I see people, but they look like trees, walking

Probably not a quote, since the blind man would not know what trees looked like. Rather, Mark is simplifying the longer dialogue since the concept is what is important.

Second Work of Jesus

Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again . . . he saw everything clearly

This is a sandwich text. Think of Luke’s explanation to Theophilus of giving an orderly account so he could have certainty concerning the things he had been taught. The Holy Spirit worked through Mark to organize his gospel so we can better understand the workings of God.

This is between accounts of Peter/disciples thinking he/they know something, but finding out that he/they don't. The ones who have eyes don't see, but the one who cannot see, does see.

Peter, like the first blind man, had spiritual sight but failed to see the true contours of Jesus’ messiahship. The disciples, like the blind man, had been “touched” by Jesus and had received a preliminary blessing. Their spiritual insight, however, was far from complete.

Constructing the basement room: Clean the space, put up the new, fix the mess ups along the way.

The disciples needed

the Holy Spirit

Time with Jesus

To see productive results in their Christian walk.

Summary

We all fall short of the standards God has for us, so we must strive for transformation to become the people Jesus has called us to be.

Transformation Must Starts from Within

We need to focus on the right areas

Transformation takes time

We need to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

A Possible Next Step