http://bible.com/events/46344332

What has the year 2020 been to you?

-“uncertain” 

-“a year of renewal and grief” 

-“a glorious burden”

-“disorienting….a blur….revealing”

-“a year of incredible growth, of stretching change….like I’m at the gym training for a marathon, \ and now God is saying its one of those Ultra-marathons.”

-“a year of new experiences and challenges that have both unified and divided our society”

-“a challenge” 

-“unprecedented”

If the events of 2020 has caused you to feel any combination of confusion, worry, fear, frustration, anger, grief, or lament, then you are not alone. The purpose of this series is to help us put into God-framed perspective the difficult year this has been. By understanding such elements as struggle, worry, healing and hope, we will connect our experience with the viewpoint and will of God.

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked  the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41

 -One of the greatest moments of crisis in the life of believers is when they buy into the lie that following Jesus means they are immune to hard things.   

–Even though some of these disciples on the boat were experienced fishermen, the storm was so great that they were afraid. 

-The question they ask Jesus is a question many of us can relate to in these days: “Don’t you care?”

-Ultimately the disciples had more faith in the power of the storm to destroy them than the power of Jesus to save them 

Questions from the Storm:

• Why did they have to endure the storm in the first place?

• Why was Jesus sleeping? 

• Why didn’t they trust Him after all they had seen?

• Why were they “terrified” after He calmed the storm?

The most important question of all comes at the very end of the story:

“Who is this?”

Is it possible that the disciples who were following Jesus 

The modern day language is really “apprenticing under Jesus”

They went where he went 

They listened to him teach 

They saw the miracles he performed 

But they still didn’t truly understand who Jesus was 

“Who is this?”

Many of do not have faith in God, but rather we have faith that God will come through for us. 

In the storm, and in the moment of uncertainty, so much of the false things we lean on are stripped away. And there is nothing left but God. 

We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. He wants us to find him in the midst of it first.

Beth Moore

What do we do in the storm? Look to Him

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Other Scripture for Study/Reflection:

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 23:4 

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

http://bible.com/events/45874900

The Gospel of Christ is a Gospel of transformation. This series has been a deeper dive into the transforming work of God in our lives, both in a moment and through a process.  Today we conclude our series speaking about the culmination of God’s transforming work in our lives.   

From the moment that sin entered into the world through the garden of Eden, humanity has longed to return to Eden. Eden represents a place where all is as God created it to be and where we  experience the fullness of God’s glory.  The story of God shows us this journey:

-The Tower of Babel is built as man attempts to reach heaven. (Genesis 11) 

-God promises to bless Abraham and make him a great nation.  Later the author of Hebrews notes how Abraham longed for a place ( “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10)

-Moses leads the children of Israel out of captivity towards the land God has promised, in spite of their disobedience and rebellion.  (Exodus 4-40) 

-The children of Israel established Jerusalem as the city of God.  This is an incomplete picture of Eden as people worship idols  and rebel against God. 

-Jerusalem is conquered and plundered by the Babylonians, and so the cycle continues on throughout the story. 

-As we see so much chaos and brokenness in our world today, we continue to long for God’s reception and return to Eden. 

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-5a

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

-A new heaven and a new earth suggest that in that final day, what will happen is a transformation. 

-Transformation is not just a past tense reality, or a present tense reality….it is a future reality 

-Heaven is the ultimate transformation in the life of the believer 

There’s a lot I used to think about when I thought about heaven 

Two realities of heaven: 

1 . We will see Jesus face-to-face.

-John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you 

to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

-In heaven we will stand in the presence of Jesus, our Lord and Savior 

-We will worship Him and experience his glory and goodnesses like never before 

2. What He says goes, finally and forever.

-It often feels like the hurt and pain of this world has the final word, but in heaven we know that He will have the final word.  

-In this Gospel of transformation, our God of Transformation has the final word. All things will be made new! 

Bottom Line:

Our final transformation is our firm hope

Other Texts for Study/Reflection:

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

http://bible.com/events/44825376

Changed to Change: Our Mission in Action, Part 3

Our transformation is both the MOMENT and the PROCESS

We absolutely believe in the power of God to transform us in a moment AND in the power of God to transform us over time. 

Philippians 1:3-6NIV

3 I thank my God every time I remember you.  4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

God who “began” and God who will “carry it on to completion”

This Greek word here epiteleō means to “perfect, finish, bring to an end”

Note that HE started the work and He will complete it. The only question is whether we will surrender to that work.

We are experiencing the NOW and NOT YET of the kingdom of God 

The now represents God moving in the moment. The not yet represents waiting on God and trusting His timing. 

Our theology is deeply impacted by the power of transformation. 

-The moment you confess your sin to God, you turn from your sin, and you put your faith in Him, you are forgiven. This is the moment of salvation. 

-We believe that the Spirit desires to do a deeper work of not just delivering us from our acts of sin but cleansing our hearts from the desire to sin. 

-There is a different between acknowledging Him as Savior and acknowledging Him as Lord. 

-The moment you invite Him to lead your life, purify your heart, you are sanctified. This is the moment of sanctification. 

-Because He has worked in the moment of salvation and the moment of sanctification does not mean that God is done working. 

For the rest of your life God will continue to work to refine your character, molding and shaping you into Christlikeness. This is the ongoing process of transformation. 

Philippians 3:14NIV

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 2:12NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

Romans 8:28NIV

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Romans 12:1NIV

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 

The mistake we often make is to allow our emotions dictate the terms of our transformation. We value transformation on God’s terms. 

The challenge is to believe God can transform us in a moment and He can transform us through His process. We trust in His decision about which one applies to us in each moment.

For further study/reflection:

Philippians 2:12-13NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

2 Corinthians 3:18NIV

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

Philippians 3:14NIV

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Nazarene Position on Entire Sanctification:

https://2017.manual.nazarene.org/section/christian-holiness-and-entire-sanctification/

http://bible.com/events/43903065

Changed to Change: Our Mission in Action, Part 2

Our mission:

Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ.

Transformed defined:

1. To change in composition or structure

2. To change the outward form or appearance of

3. To change in character or condition

There are two dimensions of transformation:

1. We believe God can and does act in an instant to transform us

2. We also believe that transformation is an ongoing process

Today’s focus is going to be on the instantaneous transformation, the NOW.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17NIV

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

Human beings were created for a purpose, a purpose far beyond just being good little boys and girls in God’s garden.

N.T. Wright says, “Humans were made to be ‘mage-bearers’, to reflect the praises of creation back to the Creator and to reflect the Creator’s wise and loving stewardship into the world.”

Romans 6:19-23NIV

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.  20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Add your private notes…

We believe that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is the only hope of transformation that we have

Prevenient grace is drawing us towards repentance.

The Church of the Nazarene says, “Repentance is a sincere and thorough change of the mind with regard to sin, involving a sense of personal guilt and a voluntary turning away from sin.”

1. We are justified, which means we are forgiven of our sins and declared not guilty before God. We are reconciled, brought back into relationship with him.

2. We are regenerated– this is the act of the Holy Spirit in our life when we are made spiritually alive.

3. We are adopted into the family of God. We have been transferred from relationship with the world to relationship with God.

Colossians 3:1-14NIV

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices  10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.  12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

http://bible.com/events/42854859

What is the purpose of the church? 

-Ephesians 3 says the purpose of the church is that the wisdom of God might be revealed.  

-Ephesians 4 says that there are individual gifts that are to be used within the body, within the church for the work of ministry. God’s ministry is happening through us 

-1 Peter 2 says that we are to declare His praises, the one who saved you and rescued you. Our lives are literally to point towards Him in all we do

-Acts 2 shows the church forming community, selling what they had, sacrificing and sharing what they had to minister to the needs of ALL. The church was gathering regularly, devoting themselves to the teaching of God’s Word, and to prayer.  

What is God’s purpose for our church specifically? 

At the beginning of 2020 we introduced a brand new mission statement for our church: Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ. 

Throughout our “Changed to Change” series we want to explore the following:

-a Biblical understanding of the call to transformation 

-Biblical transformation happens in a moment 

-Biblical transformation happens over time 

-the attainment of Heaven is the ultimate transformation

The bottom line:

The Gospel of Christ is The Gospel of Transformation

**LOGO SLIDE**

Three snapshots of Biblical transformation:

 1. “BORN AGAIN” (John 3:1-8)

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born (gennaō – To be born or begotten, as in a woman giving birth to a child. Nicodemus’ confusion may come from the fact that this use sounds like a literal reference to being actually born, which is Jesus’ intent) again.  (John 3:3)

-This reference to being “born again” also implies a dying. (John 12:24)

-You can’t read these words of Jesus without clearly understanding that Jesus is interested in complete and total transformation -He is talking about being born again 

2  “NEW CREATION” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)

 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation (ktisis – the act of founding, being a creature. Also rabbinical usage to refer to those who converted to Judaism from idolatry) has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

• To be transformed from living for self to living for Him is dramatic change.

• One doesn’t happen without the other. You can’t be in relationship with Christ without transformation and you can’t be transformed apart of Christ. 

3. “SANCTIFICATION” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

 (hagiazō – separate from the profane for dedication to God; Separate, consecrated. Purified. Renewed) 

• This is not a symbolic act, but one’s spirit, soul, and body being sanctified, which means to  “separate, consecrate, purify or renew”

• On our own, we are sinners, but the power of transformation is that God can sanctify us, purifying us so that we are no longer slaves to sin 

Scripture for further Reflection/Study:

Romans 5:1-4 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform 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.

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Revelation 21:1-5a

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”