Transformed, Your Life Redefined

Transformed, Your Life Redefined, is a new sermon series we started today at 4 Winds Church. The first in this series was a look at "Discipleship". I believe that the average person going to a church on any given Sunday wants to see their faith actually make a difference in their lives. More than just going to a service hoping that the preacher is "on". I mean, why go if it's just going to be the same thing every week with the same results and the same struggles each Monday - Saturday? Here is where there seems to be friction between our internal desires and outward expressions.

Even though we know that we are called to be a disciple most people in the church today probably don't even understand the word. To be a disciple you have to be willing to be not only taught by another but also to take on those values and teachings held by the teacher. In other words, you actually become "like" the teacher or Master. To do this one has to be willing to give up everything that does or could get in the way of that transformation. Jesus said it very clearly in Luke 14:33 where He says that you can not be His disciple if you do not give up everything else important to you, including family. When we follow Christ it is an "All Or Nothing" venture. I believe that most Christians approach following Christ like cramming for the final exam. If we can just pass the test by getting the bonus question right we can get into Heaven. However, Christ said that eternal life was not where you live but in "knowing the one that the Father sent". Once again we find that it's about having this "Relationship" that is most important. Yet, in our modern culture I find that all we really want to do it "pass the test". How sad is it that the very transformation we would really like to have, we are not even aware that it's our attitude that keeps us from attaining it. Do we read and go to school to learn "truth" or just to get a degree so we can make money? Do we go to church so we can pass the "eternal exam", or to be transformed so we can live the "abundant life" Jesus promised?

Jesus said that if we loved Him we would keep His commandments. What did He command us to do? In the great commission we find the He commanded us to "make disciples". We also find in scripture that we are supposed to teach people who in turn would be able to teach others as well. So here is where it starts to get real messy.

How many of us are willing to have someone else speak spiritual truths into our lives on a regular basis outside of listening to sermons? How many of us are willing to put aside our personal agenda in order to pursue a transformed life in Christ? How many of us are willing to pour our lives into someone else as the scriptures commands us to? When we refuse to teach, train and lead others we are stopping up the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We were created in Christ for the very purpose of helping others grow in their faith in Christ. It is what He commanded us to do. Jesus even said that He would be with us to the very end of the age as we do what He commanded us to do. For Christians to experience real transformation, there must be a willingness to live out a "Life On Life" life. Without this willingness there will simply be more of the same results from the same approach and attitudes. If you want your life to be transformed, start helping others grow in their faith. Start looking for a Mentor to pour truth into your life.
You will have to be willing to be like "Young Grasshopper" from the TV show "Kung fu". You're going to have to Google that one.

Just my thoughts