A Teabag Experience in a Hot Water World.

A Tea Bag Experience in a Hot Water World.

Perhaps you have found yourself discontent with your life. 

-      Maybe you have had feelings of doubt or feelings of inadequacy. 

-      Do you ever ask yourself if maybe you are missing God’s best for your life? 

-      Do you wish that you were a better person and a better Christian? 

Perhaps you have found yourself asking questions like,

-      “Why am I going through so many trials and temptations?” 

-      Maybe you are feeling defeated in your Spiritual walk. 

-      Has God given you a command that you absolutely could not obey? 

-      Are you experiencing trials that just don’t make sense?

To answer these questions Biblically, we need to first understand the Biblical Concept and Necessity of Transformation. 

-      What does God mean by transformation? 

-      Why do we need transformation?

-      What does God expect of us? 

-      And what can we expect of God?

If you Diagram Romans 12:1-2, you might come up with something like this:  

I beseech you therefore,

brethren,

                  by the mercies of God,

(that) you

1) present your bodies 

a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service. 

(And) 

2) do not be conformed to this world,                      

(but) 

3) be transformed by the renewing of your mind,  

(that)           you may prove what is

that good and

acceptable and

perfect will of God.   Romans 12:1-2 NKJV

From this text, we discover that the process is progressive and on-going.  It also tells us why we need transformation and what our responsibility is in the process.

From here, we discover 3 statements about being transformed.

1. The ____PROCESS_________ of Biblical Transformation is a _____PROGRESSIVE______   process.

Hopefully you are a born again Christ follower. That is the beginning of  a lifetime of becoming increasingly more like Christ.  It's much like a teabag experience.  If you take a teabag and put it in hot water, over a very short period of time, the flavor of the tea will seep out into the water.  The end product is a wonderful cup of tea.

Similarly, God allows us to have hot water experiences in our lives to pull out the flavor of our hearts.  Sometimes He shows us problems that we need to address, sometimes he shows us beautiful things that we could only know about ourselves from the hot water experience in our life.

Imagine with me that you take an old car and drive it down the road.  The engine starts knocking and blue smoke emerges from the tail pipe.  Some things wrong with your car, so you take it to the best automotive shop in town.  They repaint the car with 12 coats of BASF Butterscotch Pearl paint.  They replace the rims and tires with Nitro rims and brand new Pirelli tires.  They upholster the interior with imported, hand stitched Moroccan leather.
When you arrive to pick up your car from the shop, you are amazed at the transformation.  You peer into the paint. Its almost as if you can stick your finger through it.  You gaze at the tires and rims.  They look slicker than algae slime on a waterfall rock.  As you sit in the seats, you sink into comfort, the fresh smell of new leather is overwhelming.  Its a wonderful experience!  Then you turn the key and hear this awful, incredible knocking noise.  The air fills with a choking, deep blue-gray smoke.
You changed the car, but you didn't address the problem with the car.

Don’t you see the parallels?  We need to know what the problem is and we need to address that problem.

That’s why God puts us in hot water sometimes.

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

Our Transformation process requires dedication to that process.

Dedication - In Romans 12:1, we have the “therefore” of dedication, and it is this dedication that is the basis for the other relationships that Paul discussed in this section^[3]

Application:
Progression starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It continues by being a part of a local family of Christ “Joining a church.” It deepens when we participate in a smaller discipleship group. 

Be purposeful and DEDICATED to following Christ.

The process is progressive and…

2. The ___PURPOSE__of Biblical Transformation is to make us __SUITABLE__   for God’s use in His work.

Roms 12:1a  “urges” us to do so.

“I beseech (urge) you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present yourself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your Reasonable service.” Rom 12:1

Romans 12:1b tells us that it is our “reasonable (or rational) service.

Romans 12:2a issues a command that we be not conformed, but be transformed.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:2b tells us that God wants transformation so that we “may prove what is

that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The Biblical goal of transformation is Christ-like humility

Jim Berg, author of Transformationd into His Image, rightly notes that, “While living on this earth, Jesus Christ exemplified the characteristics of a man controlled by the Holy Spirit and in perfect fellowship with God.”[4]

Reverend Charlie Orr uses the analogy of an onion.  Sometimes there are many layers that have to peeled away before we get the tender heart. 

Application: 
Be real honest with God about how you feel about the process.

The process is Progressive,  the purpose is to be Suitable for God’s use and….

3. The _____PEOPLE____________  involved in Biblical Transformation include, Christ and you.

ME:  My responsibility is ____Continual SURRENDER______

Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, and 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  12:2 also tells us that we are to prove what the will of God is. 

These verses show us three facets of our life that we are to surrender to God.

1-    surrender our bodies to him. 

2-    surrender our minds to Him and

3-    surrender our will to Him.

OUR BODIES - I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice to God, which is your reasonable service.  Rom 12:1

What is a living Sacrifice?  

God doesn’t expect us to allow ourselves to be run over by everyone.  But we must be willing to lie down and die should God require that of us.

Livingstone understood this:

“People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward of healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter?

“Away with such a word, such a view, and such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering or danger now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall hereafter be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us.”

—David Livingstone^[5]

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)  says, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

This is our worship experience.  We worship our God every day by offering our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice to be used by Him, however and whenever He desires.  He is the rightful owner!

OUR MINDS - Rom 12:2 tells us that we are to be transformed not conformed.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Rom 12:2

Don’t be transformed by the world, be transformed by God.

We are in the world, but we are to be insulated…

Renew your mind – through Scripture reading, Scripture memory, and through applying God's truths to life

OUR WILL - Jesus told us that when we pray, we are to pray ‘not my will, but thine.’ 

God wants us to surrender our will and instead adopt His will.  Seeking to join Him in His agenda. 

Romans 12:2b tells us that we offer our bodies, minds and will, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

GOD: God’s part is final ____Complete SALVATION_____

God’s part in the process is to save us.  When we come to the realization that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we choose to believe on him and we confess him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit transformations us into a new creature.  As we surrender our bodies as a living sacrifice, he shows us where he is at work and He invites us to join Him.  The Holy Spirit enables us to accomplish those things.  He renews our minds as we seek him through the Scriptures, through prayer and through service to Him.

God has called us to God-sized tasks.  If we join Him in those tasks, then He will enable us to accomplish them.  We will know going in that only God can accomplish this.  We will know while in the middle of that task, that only God can accomplish this.  And we will know when the task is completed that only God could have accomplished such a thing.

If only we as individuals and we as a church would sell out totally to God, surrender everything to God and allow Him to use us.  I am telling you that God could touch the world even through me and you.

Q: What flavor is God drawing from my heart today?

Conclusion:

The Biblical concept of transformation takes into account that transformation is ongoing, the goal of transformation is to become a Christ-like humble servant to be used by God to accomplish His will, and our part is surrender of our body, mind and will while God’s part is justification and sanctification.

We are placed in hot water situations to draw out the undesirable flavors in our lives.  This is not the action of a cruel God, rather this is the action of a just God who loves us and wants to give us a more abundant life.  We choose how to react to those situations.

Have you ever thought of it, that only the smaller birds sing? You never heard a note from the eagle in all your life, nor from the turkey, nor from the ostrich. But you have heard from the canary, the wren, and the lark. The sweetest music comes from those Christians who are small in their own estimation and before the Lord. ^[6]

When God puts you in hot water situations, what do you choose? 

Your hot water may be the loss of a loved one, the loss of some of your faculties.  Maybe you are started to come to grips with the aging process.  Perhaps you have recently experienced trauma in your life.  Maybe God has allowed you to enter a dry spiritual spell.  Do you choose to acknowledge that God is trying to draw out the flavor of your heart or have you chosen to become resentful?  Are you throwing up your fists to God in anger?  Have you decided to take action on your own not seeking the will of God?

Friend, God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you in order that you may live, but now he wants you to become the living sacrifice.  He wants you to allow him to transform your mind.  He wants you to adopt His will and seek His kingdom.  Are you up for the task?  Will you surrender your all to Him?  Will you allow God to use this congregation to touch our world?  I pray that you do.

•     Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all. —St. Augustine

---

^[1]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[2] Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.

^[3]Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.

[4] Jim Berg, “Transformationd into His Image: God’s plan for transforming your life,” (Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1999,2000) p. 5.

^[5]Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.

^[6]Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.

Do You Get It?

Jesus - All Consuming Fire

My Best Technology Tool for Ministry

I hate junk mail! 

I hate it so much, that I have spent the last 5 years of my life trying to get off of everybodies mailing list.  And, I have been pretty successful.  The few pieces of mail that make it through now, are usually discarded in the trash before I can even determine who they are from.  On the other hand, I recieve daily email, twitter and text message alerts from my bank, my wife, my kids, people and organizations that I follow on Facebook and Twitter, etc. etc. etc.

The way we communicate is changing. 

That's why I have invested in tools to help me communicate with those in my ministry.  With a shoestring budget, it just doesn't make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on postage, printing and paper.  Instead, I have invested a few dollars per month in an email solution that allows me to send high quality, professional communications to those I minister with and too.  And it works GREAT!

The email tool is Constant Contact.

I have been using Constant Contact for about two years now and I absolutely love it!  No more hours of trying to figure out Microsoft Publisher, guessing which copier button makes the front print on the back, no more runs to Staples for more copier paper, no trips to the post office.  It's just amazing!  I have much more productive time to spend thinking about what I am going to communicate to my audience and I have freed up a lot of valuable resources in the process.

The neatest benefit?  If my audience doesn't want to receive my email, then they simply click on one link and they are automatically unsubscribed.  Likewise, if they do like my content, then with one click they can share my newsletter with anyone in their social sphere. My contact list has grown from less than 100 to well over 1000 because of this tool.

And what about timing?  I can send a Constant Contact message in less than 3 minutes if I need too. The receiver can then choose when and where to open and read my correspondence.  In a matter of minutes, I can share a message with over 1000 people.  That's pretty effective!

By the way,  you can try Constant Contact for Free to see if you like it.  If you choose to sign up, use this link and we both get a $30.00 credit.

If you don't have the few dollars for Constant Contact, then there is another tool, SurfMonkey, available that is totally free.  I used it for a few months, but found Constant Contact to be so much richer and easier to use.  I will spend the money for a tool of this quality.

So how do you communicate with those that you minister too? 

RELEVANT

One of the most recent buzzwords around the coffee tables of preachers has been the word 'relevant.'

It seems that to be successful, even the oldest established churches need to discover this new concept of being relevant to the community.  So how do you do that?  Hire the best musicians in town?  Play the latest craze in music?  Hip-hop, rock, contemporary Christian?  Get a band?  Serve coffee?  These things aren't what make us relevant.  Rather, these are things that we consider "IF" we are relevant.

Relevant is not what we do!  Relevant is what we are! 

Relevant doesn't mean the music is cool. Relevant means that the heart is warm. If you want to be relevant to your community - Love them!  Start building a bridge today.  Maybe your bridge is a comfortable contemporary environment where new visitors can feel welcome.  Or maybe your bridge is a ministry where you serve your community with no expectations in return?  So they can know you love them. 

I am a Ministry Coordinator for a food ministry that exists almost solely for this purpose.  We give churches a tool to reach their community for Christ.  How? By offering a reasonable alternative to the escalating costs of food.  Our cooperating churches setup a food cooperative.  People come and purchase a box of groceries for about half its normal price.  They are met by friendly people that shake their hand, smile at them and most churches even have volunteers that will take the groceries to the car. 

We ask, "How have you been this month? Can I pray for you?"  Then we pray for them if they will let us, (almost all do!) and tell them we will see them next month.  Why?  Because we are relevant.  We love people and if the only way we can build relationships (bridges) into their world is through food - then we will feed them.

There are literally millions of ways that a church can reach out to the community.  The secret isn't whether or not you choose the right ways.  The secret is whether or not you really care enough to be worried about whether you have chosen the right ways.

Relevant - it's what we are!

Finding Your Way - You Have a Future!

Realize that you have a future!


Craig Groeschel says, "Every Saint has a past, Every Sinner has a future."

Some of you would say, "But Tony, I messed up! You don't understand, I _____ (fill in the blank)." And I would say, "So What!" You would argue that all those other Christians are so great.

Listen to me - Every Saint has a past that they wish they could hide or do over. Life is messy and you just get some of it on you no matter how hard you try.

BUT Every Sinner also has a future! God has a bright future planned for you!

The great theologian; Nicholas Sparks, says in his work The Notebook - “Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.”

When Adam and Eve messed up, God didn't forsake them. They changed the nature of the relationship, but God didn't forsake them. As a matter of fact, in the judgement God pronounced that he would defeat satan once and for all through Eve's decendents!

In Jeremiah 29:11 we here, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

In Psalm 118:1 we here, "Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever."

Expecting that God has used us up is completely contrary to Scripture.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”[a] 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]


Realize that you have a Future with God!