A Community of Transformation

Introduction

Opening Story/Illustration: It’s often said that we love fairytales because they are true.

And I don’t mean true in the sense that there are really dragons and fairies and real people named Cinderella who put on glass slippers. But true in the sense that they are telling us something about ourselves. That’s what the best stories do. They tell us something about the human condition that resonates with us deep within.

One of my favorite fairy tales is “Beauty and the Beast.” The 1990’s Disney animated version is the best. It is a story about transformation.

This arrogant young prince turns away this old homeless lady because he finds her ugly and repulsive. But it turns out that the lady is this beautiful enchantress who has come to test him. Because he turned her away based on her outward appearance, she turns him into a hideous beast and curses the entire castle. The servants turn into castle furniture like clocks and candlesticks.

He’s told that the curse will remain until he can truly learn to love another person and they can learn to love him in return. The rest of the movie is about this desire for transformation.

In fact the Castle servants sing a song where they express their hope and desire that the curse would be broken and they would be “human again.”

All of us live in a broken world. We know what it’s like for things to be cursed and not what they should be. Like the servant’s in the beast’s castle we long for the day when everything is restored.

If you know and follow Jesus this process of transformation has begun in you life.

We could go around the room and hear stories of people who were drunks, and drug addicts, mean and nasty, angry people. “Beastly” in a sense. We could hear from some who were empty and broken and when Jesus touched your life there was a transformation that took place. You are no longer what you were.

But, the truth of the matter is - Our full transformation does not take place until Jesus returns. We are not what we were, but man we have a long way to go!

And, if we are not careful, we live in a world that wants to drag us back into ways of thinking and living that are contrary to what Jesus wants for us.

Transition to Text: This is why the Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Rome.

Paul writes this incredible letter to the Church at Rome and he writes for several reasons. He did not plant this church, but he wants to visit it one day. He wants to get to Spain and spread the gospel. There is no plane or train and so he wants to go to Spain but he wants to make a stop off in Rome. And so, like a good missionary, one of the reasons he writes is that he wants them to get to know him a little bit better and he’s hoping in some ways that they’ll be willing to give and support him and help him get to Spain. And so in an effort for them to get to know him, he lays out this long letter sort of putting all his cards on the table.

The first 11 chapters of this letter are really doctrinal. He’s going to talk about salvation and sin, life in the Spirit, and Israel and their relationship to the Church.

But the last few chapters, beginning in Chapter 12, begin to get really practical.

It’s as if he’s saying this: “Here is what to believe, now here is how to live it out.”

And he begins this section with a reminder. With this command.

Text: Let’s begin at Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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.

State or Setup Main Idea: Let’s look at this passage this morning and I hope we can take this familiar passage and bring out something perhaps a little different.

Transition to Points:

Points

There is a world that wants conform you, but there is a God who wants to transform you

Paul begins chapter 12 with a “therefore.” It’s often been said, when you see a “therefore” you should look back and see what it’s there for.

The therefore refers to all the great things Paul has talked about in Romans 1-11

Because God has been so good. Because of his great salvation, because as Romans 11:36 states: “from him and through I’m and to him are all things..”

Romans 11:36 ESV

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

He appeals or urges or exhorts them based on what God has done.

Because of God’s great mercies

Paul likes to use this word “exhort” and it’s often a sign that he’s switching topics or sections.

This “appeal” is not merely good advice. It’s the authoritative will of God for the lives of his readers.

He’s saying “As a result of what God has done, Here’s what you need to do...”

What’s he telling them to do?

Give their entire lives to God

He says we are to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice.”

When he says “bodies” in this context, he’s meaning our entire being. Our whole lives.

We don’t just give him our spirit or our mind or our body - We give it all to him!

It’s to be a living sacrifice - Which means that we are now alive in Christ. Christ has given us life and we now give that back to him! It also shows the willful nature of the sacrifice.

It’s to be a holy sacrifice

It’s to be a well-pleasing sacrifice

Making the choice to give our entire lives to God is holy and pleasing to God!

This is a “reasonable service” or “act of worship.”

In other words - Because of God’s great mercy and love for you and me, it just makes sense to give him everything.

In light of what God has done, he deserves all you have.

This verse should send us back to Romans 1:18-25

Romans 1:18–25 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

The people in Romans 1 could see God’s work. It was obvious to them, but they refused to let it lead them to the reasonable conclusion - Worship and giving their entire lives over to God.

Paul is telling his readers - You don’t do that. You see all that God has done and you respond by giving him your life in worship!

Refuse to fit into the mold of the age

The second thing he tells them is this - Don’t be conformed to the world.

This is a continuation of what it means to offer our lives to God.

It means we no longer allow ourselves to be conformed to the world.

Another way to put it is this: “Stop being fashioned or or do not have the habit of being fashioned, shaped, molded by the world or this age.”

There is a way of thinking and being that he world or this age wants you to hold.

Paul says “Stop!”

The Church should stand out from the world and this age and instead be a sign of the age to come.

This world cannot and should not serve as a model for the people of God. It is antithetical to everything God stands for.

Instead of fitting into the world’s mold, they should be transformed by changing the way they think

Paul knows that real and lasting change takes place within and works its way out.

Instead of being conformed we have to be transformed by letting God change our pattern of thinking.

Most of the commentators agree on this - Paul has in mind here a radical shift in our thinking and a change deep inside of us that enables us to live rightly in the broken world we find ourselves in.

There is a world that wants to conform you

Think about all the ways in which the world wants to shape us and mold us

Illustration: I’m told that we see between 6,000 and 10,000 ads each and every single day. All trying to sell us something. To give us their take on a “better life.”

We’re sold fear by politicians and we conform to the anger and hatred and bitterness that’s all too familiar in our time.

We’re told we’ll have a better, more full-filled life if we just buy this product.

Youtube videos and Netflix and Facebook and Instagram work to shape and mold our thinking in sometimes subtle and at other times not so subtle ways.

Illustration: My 3yr old son has this bad habit of watching a movie and sort of fixating on a character and then he wants to be that character. It’s cool for a min. But he’s very detailed oriented. So the kid studies the movie and looks at the shoes, the shirt, the hair style, the socks, etc. of the character and then he wants mom and dad to find him things so he can dress up like this guy.

This is cute when you’re 3, but how many of us are subtly being conformed in ways we aren’t even aware?

When I was younger, there were certain friends my parents didn’t want me hanging around. Why? They watched my behavior and they began to see subtle shifts. Just the fact that I was with them was causing me to often unintentionally conform my behavior.

There is a God who wants to transform you

This begs 2 questions -

How does he transform me? How is my mind renewed?

What does this transformation look like?

The first question I want to answer as we close. The 2nd question I want to answer tonight in part 2.

Transformation is ALWAYS a work of the Holy Spirit.

BUT the Spirit uses all sorts of means to accomplish this transformation.

Transformation is a work of the Spirit done in and through the Church

Where do we get that from? Notice after these verses where does Paul go to?

Romans 12:3-8 He goes straight towards the Body of Christ. Now this is a different section and he’s shifting topics BUT it’s interesting that after telling us to have a “renewed mind” the first place he goes is the body of Christ or the Church.

I think there are two connections from “the body of Christ” to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The church is made up of people who have been and are being “transformed by the renewing of their mind.”

The Church plays a role in the transformation process.

Romans 12:3–8 ESV

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

We can also tell, from Ephesians 4:11-16, which mirrors this passage, that Paul believes that the work of the gifts within the Church are to build people up towards maturity in their faith - another word for that would be “transformation.”

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

What’s he saying in these verses?

We are one body, but we each have a unique role to play.

God has given us gifts to contribute to the ministry of the Church.

When we are saved, we no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ and to one another. To His Body.

I’m going to be completely honest with you - I think most Christians today have a really horrible theology of Church.

For Some Church is just about the sermon. If that’s the case, then why attend? Our Pastor is incredible, but as incredible as he is, I have in my pocket the ability to listen to literally hundreds of other pastors who are just as good or better. IF THE SERMON IS THE POINT then why should I show up?

For Some it’s all about the Worship. If that’s the case, why attend? As good as our worship is, my phone gives me access to some of the best worship songs and worship leaders in the world. They are anointed and God is using them. I can throw in my headphones and worship any time I want. IF THE MUSIC IS THE POINT then why should I show up?

For Some, the teaching or a small group is the point. As good as all that is, I can find great teaching in all sorts of other place.

For some, it’s fellowship, it’s being with other people. As good as all that is, I can fellowship with people all sorts of places.

So what is the point of Church?

The act of getting out bed this morning - Of choosing to make this place and space a priority each week.

The act of standing in this room and lifting our hands and seeing one another in prayer and in worship

The act of sitting and listening to the word of God being proclaimed

The act of sitting in a class and engaging with a Sunday School teacher or small group leader

These are all, used by the Holy Spirit, to form or to use Paul’s language - Transform us. When we engage in them, they begin to slowly change the way we think.

When you prophecy, when you serve, when you teach, when you exhort, when you are generous, when you lead, when you are merciful - when you bring the gifts God has given you to the table You are contributing to the health of the Church, which in turn contributes to a shift in our thinking which leads to transformation.

Illustration: A podcast I recently heard told the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We are at war - But it’s not a culture war. It’s not a war of flesh and blood.

It’s a war over whether we will be conformed or transformed.

If we want to see people transformed, we must offer something different. Too many of us are just offering up anger and bitterness. We are angry and bitter because the church is no long the center of the culture. I don’t care if the church is the center of the culture. I’m more concerned with whether Jesus is the at the center of my life and the life of my family and my kids.

Doing this requires great intentionality. We need all hands on deck. The world is forming people. If we are not being transformed by Jesus, we will be conformed to the world. There is no middle ground. This means that teaching and working in the church is vitally important. Nursery works aren’t babysitting - They are forming people. Teachers are just watching kids - They are forming people. Sunday school isn’t about just getting information - It’s about formation. We’ve got to get back to seeing our roles as critical for the kingdom. It matters.

Conclusion

Restate or Reveal Main Idea: Transformation is a work of the Spirit, often done through the church

So what?

Next week we are going to be hosting a ministry showcase. What’s the point of it? We need all hands on deck. We want you to be aware of what is offered to you beyond Sunday service. We want you to find a place to serve. Why? Because engaging with the Church give she holy Spirit space to transform us.

Now What?

Prayer