Monster Making
Rom 12:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Conformed def. Webster’s: to give the same shape, outline or contour, to be similar or identical, to be obedient or compliant, to adapt ones self to prevailing standards or custom.
Conformed def. Vines: gr. Suschematizo to fashion or shape one thing like another. This verb has special reference to being transitory, changeable, unstable.
1 Pet 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. *Conformed, why? because of ignorance)
Phil 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (NIV)
Transformed. Def Vines gr: Metamorphoo to change into another form, (i.e.. transfiguration of Christ Mt 11:2) This word stresses the complete change, which under the power of God will find its expression in character and conduct.
Morphe.. Stresses the inward change and the word 'Schema" from the word conformed stresses the outward change.
q Another point that this word stresses i.e. that this transformation is in the process of time, an outward working that is not an instant thing. Where as the other word root of the word conformed is just an outward appearance or disguise.
2 Cor 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
q Changed. Transformed How is it done? by the Spirit!
Transformed def. Webster’s. Metamorphosis a change of physical form, structure or substance, especially by supernatural means. "
What will not renew the mind?
1 Tim 1:3-7
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-- which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. (NIV)
1 Tim 6:3-5
3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. (NIV)
2 Tim 2:14-18
14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
2 Tim 4:3-5
3 For the time will come (he did not say that this time would leave) when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (NIV)
Conformity is like building a monster. When Dr. Frankenstein in the movie decided to build a person, what did he use to make it? Parts of people, dead people!
He would go find a grave where the person hasn’t been dead too long and dig them, up. He would take a piece here and a piece there and sew them all together. But all he created was an outline a shape of a Man.
Did it look pretty? Was it pleasing to look at? Did it have life? No No No!
We as Christians have been doing the same thing as Dr. Frankenstein in a lot of ways. We find out when we get born again that we need a new mind, a new man, a new walk, and a new talk, anew heart. What do most of us do? We start looking for pieces of someone else’s life, pieces of other people. We decide to take a piece of 'Paul, a piece of Apollos, a piece of Kenneth Hagin, a piece of our Denomination then we start sewing it all together till it begins to resemble the model Christian of the day. What did we create? A MONSTER! UGLY in the sight of God not pleasing in the sight of God and most of all DEAD!
q I'm not sharing with you an area that I know nothing about. I have been a parrot, a clone, a walking talking MONSTER!
*I found it easier in my early Christian walk to collect parts of other people, and I could convince almost anyone that I was the real thing. I could have the same actions, talk the same way, use the right confessions at the right time; worst of all was that, I was convinced that I was being a real Christian.
How many churches have we seen that could turn out clones in the name of Christ but we knew by their conduct the rest of the week that there was no real change in the lives of these people?
q Do you know what monsters make when given the chance to reproduce (teach)? More monsters.
o I didn’t know that when I first began to teach the body of Christ, so I began to create monsters like myself, bigheaded monsters. Inside these little spiritual bodies with the big heads was no revelation of God' word for themselves. The truth of God' word was never gleaned, never mined and dug out, so that it was precious to them.
The new birth can come the same way! A sacrificed head not a sacrificed body.
There are to many babies in the body of Christ that are professing to be wise because of someone else’s teaching! There are no short cuts in the Kingdom of God.
Maybe in this world’s system, But that’s not what Paul meant in Ro.12:2 "Be not conformed" ...transitory, changeable, unstable.
James 1 :5,6 says if we lack wisdom ask God
Eph 4:14 says that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine...
Every new teacher with a big name a new revelation from God, every new find in a hole in the ground in the far east, if it sounds good, if it's intellectually stimulating, we swallow it hook line sinker po1e, fisherman and boots.
But you are to be transformed, changed from the inside, by a: day-by-day experience with God for yourself.
A day-to-day dieing to the self controlled, sense controlled mind. Give yourself bodily in prayer and study of the word, that you may discern prove for yourself (without having us do your thinking for you) and then you will know what is that pleasing and perfect will of God is.
2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Matt 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock