Conformed to Christ

Last week

Something in Brent’s sermon really captured my attention, sparked my imagination.

Conformed - Romans 8:28-29

Conformed - Romans 12:2

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5873 Synonyms

5873 Synonyms

See Definition for summorphos: 4832

See Definition for suschematizo: 4964

4832: describes what is the essence in character and thus complete or durable, not merely a form or outline

4964: to shape one thing like another and describes what is transitory, changeable, and unstable

Twisted vs shaped

Bentwood beautiful - draws a shape from the wood that feels like it was always meant to be there.

How do we achieve it? Dead wood can’t be conformed.

steamed furniture

dramatic

extreme

all at once

- Paul on the road to Damascus

Acts 9:1-6

Risk - just as likely to break us as form us

Easy to mistake conforming for conforming - twisting for shaping

How to tell the difference? Does it bring our lives into closer alignment with God’s plan or further away? Does it reconcile us with God? With others? With ourselves?

Veneers

Lots of small steps along the way

Kino Guerin

Peter - always being show something new

Needs glue to hold it together

What is the glue in our lives that holds our faith together

seeking God’s presence

Peter always runs towards Jesus, even when he gets out of his depth

Walking on water

in the courtyard

Risk - without something to hold us together, we can just as easily fall apart

We can focus on only the surface matters - only the things that we think need addressing -> just a veneer

Kerf cuts

Things that are in the way of being formed need to be cut away

Pruning the vine

Matthew the tax collector

Go & sin no more

Risks - weak and brittle

Hollowness

Living sculptures

living trees can be shaped and sculpted, and pruned and woven into beautiful shapes

Timothy

Risk - as soon as the wood stops growing, it’s just as resistant to change

Particularly a risk for those of us who have grown up in the faith

We think we’ve got it all sorted, can end up just as rigid and resistant to God’s living presence in our lives.

How do we find our truest shape in Christ?

Humility (kenosis)

Love in action

Hurting tree - Cross of Christ

Stumbling blocks

We often beat ourselves up over this. Is it some shortcoming in us?

Two sides to this

complacency

our own brokenness - there are things we cannot move past on our own

The hurting tree -> the cross of Christ

moving past

moving through

Yes - three components

our own brokenness

gifts & talents

why? Pathos. Kairos.

via crucis

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

a bruised reed I will not break

Isaiah 42:1–4 NIV

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

Prayer of renewal

-> Spirit of the Living God