INTRODUCING JESUS - A Transformed Life // One Church Podcast, 13th February 2023

We Are One church. We love God love.

People love his mission and love his church.

Welcome to the one Church podcast.

Hello and welcome to the one Church podcast.

I'm Zoe and wherever you are. Today we're so glad you can join

us. Psalm 143 says that the morning

bring me word of your unfailing love for, I have put my trust

in. You show me the way I should go

for to you. I entrust my life today.

Remember that whatever's happened in the past.

You can trust him with your future.

And now we have part 2 of the introducing Jesus series by

Pastor David recorded, our Central site on Sunday, the 12th

of February Well, if you're joining us on our podcast,

welcome this morning. You are here at the first ever

service at the one Church Central site, 9:30 in the

morning and it's absolutely Dynamic.

Everybody's looking so brilliantly, put together and

you can't see any of that online.

But here we are. And last week we began our

series on introducing Jesus by looking at Jesus.

How many of you enjoyed Josh's message last week?

We are blessed. Like that.

I'm so blessed to have so many brilliant speakers in the life

of what we are. It gives me such an

encouragement week, but we gave a clear opportunity throughout

the morning for everyone to commit or recommit, their lives

to Jesus, and choose to follow him and put their trust in him.

And last week, throughout all our children's groups, and in

our main hall, we saw over 40 children and adults respond to

the message of the first time, or as a recommitment of their

lives to Jesus. Come on that.

That's worth a celebration. And today, we're looking at a

transformed life. What happens when we encounter

Jesus and what happens when we continue to walk with it.

Now, there's a process. Firstly, Jesus is introduced to

our lives and there's a transformation of our heart

through an encounter. But then we go through a process

of Jesus, being introduced to the whole of our lives and a

transformation of our lives through a journey of Push it.

And alongside this, we're each other's.

I want to talk to you about having a transformed life.

Yes. And encounter, but how we walk

out our faith and become more and more like Jesus.

And I'm going to look at Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle

Paul and experienced an amazing transformation of his heart in a

moment. But then walked the Journey of a

transformed life, over a period of time.

So we're going to read from that.

And Matthew come and read this Bible for us.

So we're still breathing out murderous threats against the

laws disciples. He went to a high priest and

asked him for a letters to a synagogues in Damascus.

So that if he found anywhere who belong to the way, whether men

or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem as he

neared. Damascus on his journey suddenly

a light from Heaven flashed around him.

He fell to the ground and Heard a Voice say to him, Saul Saul,

why do you persecute me? Who are you Lord.

So last I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting.

He replied. Now get up and go into the City

and you'll be told what you must do for men.

Traveling with Saul stood there speechless.

They heard the sound but did not see anyone.

So got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he

could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into

Damascus for free days. He was blind and did not eat or

drink anything then. Ananias a disciple of the Lord

spoke to went to the house and entered it placing his hand on

Saul. He said brother Saul, the Lord

Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming

here. Has sent me so that you may see

again and be filled with the Holy Spirit immediately

something like scales fell from Saul's eyes.

He could see again, he got up and was baptized and after

taking some food, he regained his strength.

So spent several days Days with the disciples in Damascus at

once. He began to preach in the

synagogues but Jesus is the son of God.

All those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn't he?

The man who caused havoc in Jerusalem, among those who call

on his name and hasn't he come there to take them as prisoners

to the chief priests. I mean, what is story?

What? A, an amazing transformation of

a life. Now, this is taking place maybe

four to six years after the cross, and that the church has

been growing. There's been different stories

and here we reach this point where Paul was completely lost.

You know, he's breathing out murderous threats and it's not

just idle threats. He was there.

When Stephen was stoned. He was there giving his

approval. He was he'd gone to see

Christians, drag out their houses put him.

Prison or killed Paul had an encounter.

So, here's this voice. Who are you?

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

I mean, what a moment he had an encounter, but then Paul was

transformed in that moment in his heart.

He's blind for three days, he goes and that's some training

with the disciples, maybe for four days.

So, seven days later, having come to Paul Christians out of

there. R homes and throw them in

prison. He goes into the synagogue and

preaches, the gospel. I mean what an incredible moment

and we need all of us a moment like that and I am Jesus moment.

For me, transformed in a moment sitting in a room, a religious

guy believed in God, but I didn't know him Sat in a room

with a missionary, who led me to Jesus.

And in a moment, something happened in the next day in a

room like this, on the front row, filled with the Holy Spirit

weeping before God as a 19 year. Old young guy, we've all got our

story. We need our, I am Jesus moment

where our hearts are transformed.

But then the transformation we need then is worked out over a

whole life. It takes time.

Paul's probably about 30 years old at this point and he had to

walk out his faith. Died.

Went maybe around 60 years old and he writes these words

probably 15 to 20 years after his conversion, he's been

working working on his faith and he comes to this passage in 2

Corinthians. Rather a Servants of God and

he's talking about the Journey of a transformed life.

A Servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way in great

endurance in troubles, hardships and distresses.

In beatings imprisonments, riots in hard work sleepless, nights

and hunger in Purity and understanding patience and

kindness in the Holy Spirit and insincere love in truthful

speech. And in the power of God, with

weapons of righteousness, in the right hand and in the letter

whose glory and dishonor, bad report, Goodra Report genuine

yet regarded as Impostors known yet regarded as unknown dying

and yet we live on beaten and yet not killed sorrowful.

Yet always rejoicing poor yet, making many rich, as having

nothing. And yet, possessing everything.

I such a powerful passage because it's about a transforms

life. It's about the journey to not

only having an encounter and a transformed heart to living it

out. Out for the rest of your lives

in blessings, and intestines in trials, and breakthroughs.

We need that. I am Jesus moment.

You need it, something happens in your heart.

I know for some, it's a little more gradual, but for many of us

in this room, we had an encounter with Jesus, but we

also need a life of discipleship that leads to a transformed

life. In every season, in every moment

in everything, yes, tell you testimony but even more

powerful, tell the story of how God has led you through the

whole of your life. And I want to just look in this

transformation. This this change our look at

four areas that Paul lived in, after this encounter for things

that happened to him after. He'd had the, I Am Jesus moment

that led to a transformed life. I think firstly he experienced

transformation in his devotion. And here we are in Philippians.

He writes this, what is more? I consider everything a loss

because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus.

My Lord for whose sake, I have lost all things.

I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ.

He was transformed throughout that discipleship in his

Devotion to Jesus. Jesus was at the core of Paul's

life. And he talks about prayer and

intimacy with God. You need your, I am Jesus

moment, your testimony, your story.

This is what the Lord did for me.

This is where he met with me. This is what happened to me.

You need that moment, but there's something now that in my

faith, 30 Seven years later. That is even more powerful.

If I could say that of a transformed life, walking it

out, he was transformed in his devotion, his devotion.

For us prayer and intimacy at the core of our lives.

With God, I was chatting to Luke this week, just on the second

row here, and I was asking him, how do you get to a free life

where you not only have a moment, but you get to a place

where you can live out freedom. And he said something to me,

which I've been thinking about this week, he says, from his

experience only by staying in the world, by staying in the

promises of God by staying in what God says, can you live that

kind of Life? Do you have a chance of that

kind of life? I love of the Bible love of What

God Says. A regular reading.

I write in my Bible and I make notes in my Bible.

If you go through it, you'll see what God's been saying to me in

my devotional life and in the New Testament, I just got to the

end of Revelation, gone back at got to read Luke's gospel and

then John's gospel. And then that I'll start again

with the new test, and I'm working my way through the

artists mind doing that. All my heart or my life.

Transformation in devotion. The need to be with others.

I've never met anyone that can do faith on their own long-term.

You need others at you, say about the holy spirit's enough.

Yeah, he is. But he also draws you into

fellowship with others so that you can encourage them and they

can encourage you iron sharpening iron helping

supporting, it's why the church family is so important.

It's why gathering in a context like this, as the body of Christ

to be together. Transformation in devotion, over

a life allowing him to speak a move and change responding to

things. I often I'm in a context where

someone will say something. I think I'm going to do a bit of

work on that in my own life. That's great.

I'm going to change in a so powerful transformation in

devotion but also poor new transformation in.

Hit the decisions he made, here we are in Corinthians at on the

screen, it says, to the week I became weak to win the war.

I've become all things to all people, so that by all possible

means. I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the Gospel that I may share in

its blessings, his life illustrates the journey to place

Jesus at the center of all of our decisions.

It starts with the I am Jesus moment, I'm deciding to follow

Jesus but then our works through our lives by continually

choosing to place him first. And it's so powerful.

Some of you in the room have been Jesus followers for maybe

50 or 60 years and, you know, that you still have to today.

Choose to walk with him. Yeah, I have a rhythm that leads

me to the devotion. I have a rhythm that means, I

think about him so much of the day, but I still make choices to

place Jesus at the center of everything.

Because faith is not an add-on. For me, I'm a I love football.

I enjoy food. I like certain things on

television and I enjoy this. And I'm also a follow.

Jesus, faith is not an add-on. It is at the very core of who I

am as a person and whenever I talk to another person, whenever

I have a conversation, reflect one of our neighbors brought us

a squash is that we do not quite worked out what to do with the

squash, the very difficult to peel and But I'm not complaining

very grateful for that, and he brought that and every time I

see Pete and he's a brilliant neighbor, I went to him this

week because I borrowed a toolbox from somebody who are

and I made a mistake and I couldn't shut the lid for a

broken. The lid, I tried everything I

couldn't do it. So eventually, I carried this

round to my neighbor Pete, who looked at it, fiddled with it,

move something. And shut it, immense everything.

He's been ran to our house when I've had water gushing out, the

dishwasher when I made a mistake by drilling the wrong thing by.

I'm very very loved by God but practical skills in the area of

DIY and not my greatest gift but he can do anything, he can mend

anything. But when I talk to him, I always

want to get there with Jesus with because although he's got

all these practical skills, there's something about Jesus.

I want to tell him about The Journey of introducing Jesus to

every area of Our Lives that we have integrity.

Like Jesus. Love Like Jesus honesty.

Like, Jesus. Generosity like Jesus serving

and compassion, like Jesus commitment.

Like Jesus, you know, when I walk with him I encounter Grace

and love and mercy and yet his presence also impacts my life to

live a life of Integrity. That what you see is what you

get. When you meet me or when I meet

you, this is the real deal. To tell the truth and not

exaggerate to forgive those who hurt us to let our yes.

Be yes. And your no be no to be humble.

Teachable others centered. If you find yourself talking

about yourself too much, when you talk with another person,

tweak it a little and talk about them a little bit more.

Giving of my resources to him. It's all part of a changed life.

It's all part of being transformed in my decisions

serving others, loving the poor caring for the vulnerable.

Loving God, with all my heart. I read a story yesterday, I

found so powerful from Premier News and let me just read it.

You this week are disqualified drink driver who had driven into

another car. Killing a church, volunteer was

jailed Ryan, mcclory was 35 three times over the limit

driving at 60 miles an hour, in a 30 mile, an hour Zone in

Gorton. When the incident happened on

the 5th of December 20, 22. He admitted causing death by

dangerous driving at Manchester Crown Court.

Postgraduate student Lewis do B25 of studying for a master's

degree. He'd been returning from an

evening at Christian. Revival Church in Manchester

where he was a volunteer. He was in the car that was

struck by mclaury and he died in hospital later that night.

According to the crown prosecution, service mclaury had

been drinking all day, a taken diazepam and was the score.

Ready. Disqualified from driving

following a recent drink driving conviction, the CPS said there

was no evidence to indicate that he applied the brakes or

attempted to reduce speed before the Collision.

I'm in a victim statement. Read to the court.

It's the doobies mother said that her son Lewis was not only

her son, but he was also the spiritual Giants of their house.

I now have a hole in my heart. She said that no one can ever

fill. But she then added that she

hoped the mclaws family could help him find a meaningful

purpose in his life. And she said, I sincerely

release my pain of losing my son by giving forgiveness to you.

My heart, breaks for you as a family because you've lost your

son to a prison cell and I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Wow, transformation by decision. Doesn't mean we don't hurt

transformation in Doctrine. Paul was probably one of the

most educated scholars in the Bible, Train from an early age.

He called himself a Hebrew of Hebrews.

Yet he was transformed in his life when he encountered.

Jesus it just says here in Ephesians 6.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, the

word of God in your life, encouraging to walk in good

Doctrine. And this is what happened to

Paul, but our journey is the same.

What does God say? Now I we love people with all

our hearts as a house. and we welcome people and we serve

through our Ministries and our compassion work, people of all

different backgrounds, And we try and serve them without

discrimination. And without judgement.

And we also know that there are different views.

And yet, in our house, we hold to the truth that we believe.

That Jesus is the only way to be right with God.

And there's no other way, only him.

For us that sexual intimacy, in the Bible is only found between

a husband and a wife within marriage.

The heaven is not a guarantee but it's a choice we make by

inviting only Jesus into our lives.

That the Bible is the finished complete word of God and is

unchanging. We're transformed in our

Doctrine. You know what I believe as a

follower of Jesus must be influenced and formed through

what he says in the Bible and sometimes Church.

What we may hold to is unpopular.

So, what do we do? We love everyone, we care for

everyone, when we get an opportunity to show compassion

to somebody. We do this week in your church,

one Church, dozens of people have been given food, clothing

care, support Furniture training.

I've been loved, and prayed for children young.

People students have been given the best programs.

We can do small groups, around the city of open their coffee

and biscuits. Tend to others.

That's been care and love. But sometimes we hold on to our

truth, not because it's comfortable but because it's

right pause transformed in his Doctrine and lastly pause

transformed in his desire, he went from this being, let's kill

Christians. To, at the end of his life, 30

years later, saying from 2 Timothy, I fought the good

fight. I have finished the race, I have

kept the faith. For us, faith can lead to a

transform life. We need like four Paul walking.

All these years. Jesus, first Lord of everything

seeking first, his will he's Lord of my life.

He is my everything. This is the Journey of a

transformed life. Yes.

And I am Jesus moment. Some of you may find that in the

next couple of minutes. But then all of us are out

working our faith, our transformation, in our devotion,

a transformation in the decisions, we make a

transformation in our Doctrine and transformation in our

desires to place him first. I love this journey and as for

me today and this message is being shared all across all the

different 7 services in five different sites today.

As for me, I'm saying, Lord keep changing me to be more and more

like Jesus. Just like us to pray.

And ask you some questions. Now, have you been introduced to

Jesus yet? Have you been introduced to

Jesus? Do you know him for yourself?

You know, I may be from that. Are you walking in the truth and

being transformed? I love Grace.

Listen, have you fallen over this week so I can get up.

Have you got some regrets in your heart today?

Okay, you can come to him. Examine Your Heart.

Lord, I'm sorry, keep walking. Are we willing to keep learning

in our devotion and our decisions, our Doctrine, our

desires, I love that. Passage that said out outwardly,

we might be wasting away, but inwardly, we are being renewed,

changed transformed. So just in an application here

in his presence. Will you pause and just

remember? How much you are loved?

How much you are loved? Listen, whatever's in your head

try and just focus on that one thing.

I am loved. By the god of the universe.

Just think about it for your life.

Remember how much you are loved? I just wonder in this room

whether there's someone who perhaps doesn't know Jesus or

perhaps you just feeling a long way from him today, I would love

to give you an opportunity to have your either.

The first or another, I am Jesus moment that says where Paul

Stoddard is where his life began to change his heart was

transformed. Perhaps, you need a moment like

that. I'm going to pray a prayer.

And why don't we all just pray? This prayer out loud as well.

Why don't we all say this? Thank you, God, that you love

me. Thank you that you sent Jesus to

die on a cross for me. I come to you today.

And I acknowledge that there is sin in my life.

There are wrong things in my heart.

Thank you. That you're willing to change

me. I come to the cross.

I say sorry for my sin. And I invite you Jesus into my

life. I give you me come and transform

my heart. Today, right now.

I just why we're just In God's Presence here.

If you pray that prayer either for the first time or perhaps,

as a recommitment today, I'd love just to pray a prayer of

blessing over you all. I'm going to ask you to do in a

minute. He's put your hand up and guard.

All see, I'll see, and we'll just pray for you.

So if you pray that prayer for the first time you want this a

transformed heart, you know you know if that's you here just put

your hand up now and say that's me.

I've prayed that prayer this morning.

I want that to be in my life. Anybody else?

Just raise our hand as great. Anyone else can lift it high if

that's you if you pray that this morning.

Fantastic. Father I pray for these three or

so people. We'll hear that they might know

right now that you're doing a work in their hearts, o God, by

the power of the spirit, may they have an, I am Jesus moment

and then counter meet them where they are.

We pray in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.

We'd love to just be held to just give you a bit of a booklet

and pray with you at the end if you were there there, but what

about the rest of us? What about a transformed life?

Are you willing again today to say in my devotion?

I'm going to keep walking my decisions.

I'm going to keep him at the center in my Doctrine.

I'm going to stay in the Bible and love people.

And walk in his word. I'm your desires.

I want to place Jesus first. Well, why don't we stand

together? All of us in the room and just

make that your prayer right now just say, Lord come and do

something fresh in my heart. Thank you, Pastor.

David for that wonderful message.

Remember if you'd like to receive prayer or respond to

anything from the message, we're here for you and you can get in

touch. Now, let's hear about what's

coming up in the life of one church.

It's time for our family news, yesterday in our size, we had an

opportunity to pray for the events going on in turkey and

Syria, and space to give to the emergency aid if you'd still

like to give to that. We go to our website and you can

do that coming up. This Friday is United by a at

the too Funky Music Cafe with time to worship and encounter

god with churches from all over our city at 7 p.m. from the 21st

to the 23rd of February is school's out a great time to

serve the local communities of Children and Families.

If you'd like to get involved and help get in contact and come

and join us. And if Be praying for us.

And finally, on the 26th of February and number 12, at 7

p.m., we have our next encounter night, a time for worship

prayer, and going deeper into the presence of God.

The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord.

Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

And finally, on the 26th of February and number 12, at 7

p.m., we have our next encounter night, a time for worship

prayer, and going deeper into the presence of God.

The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord.

Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.