Be with Jesus

We're called to a whole life of being with Jesus and growing with Jesus.

Paul sums that up there by saying,

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Then he goes on to that description of what that looks like

as our minds are renewed in Christ.

Woody Allen, who is nearly 89 years old, but a few years ago, said this,

My relationship with death remains the same.

I'm strongly against it.

All I can do is wait for it.

He went on to say a little bit more.

He said, One must have one's delusions to live.

If you look at life too honestly and too clearly,

life does become unbearable because it's a pretty grim enterprise.

Very often when we hear some of the words of Woody Allen,

I find I both laugh and cry at the same time.

And I think that's very much the case there.

But I think those words possibly capture the way many, many people regard life and death.

That death is something that we can do is just wait for it to happen.

Perhaps engage ourselves with some kind of preoccupation in the meantime.

But you know, there couldn't be a greater contrast with what it is to have life in Christ,

to live in Christ.

As we said, as we thought about last week,

that, as John Mark Comer puts it in this book, I think really quite brilliantly,

he says that being a Christian is not about getting into heaven,

but rather it's about getting heaven into you.

That means, yes, it's about making a commitment to Jesus,

but it's not just a one-point-in-time commitment.

It's a lifelong thing.

That means there's never any time for us to get bored as being Christians.

Because it's a lifelong process of having decided to follow Jesus,

to knowing him more and more and more,

to growing in him, him in us and us in him.

I'm going to put some things on the screen this morning.

I'm going to just start by giving you this image.

I don't know if you've ever done this,

but if you put a white rose in food colouring,

the rose eventually changes colour.

Now, I'm not a scientist,

but you can kind of work out roughly what happens there.

The dye becomes absorbed,

and so it changes the colour of that rose.

The question is,

does that happen because the rose is in the dye,

or because the dye is in the rose?

See, following Jesus is a life of being transformed.

It's about being in Christ,

and Christ in you.

And there may be that point in time,

when perhaps it's a point of decision,

but let's not think for one moment

that the Christian gospel and our response to it

is about just that one moment,

but rather it is a whole life process,

calling, invitation,

of being in Christ and growing in Christ

and knowing his presence

more and more and more and more and more,

and it doesn't stop.

But being with Jesus,

becoming Christ-like,

it doesn't just happen.

It doesn't just happen.

And Paul,

not just here,

but elsewhere as well in his letters,

describes this Christian life of discipleship.

It is one of being transformed,

but it's a lifelong process,

and it does call on us

to make an effort.

Now,

as we were thinking about last week,

when Paul talks about,

you know,

work out your salvation,

it doesn't mean work for salvation.

It's not about

earning salvation.

salvation is a free gift from God.

There is nothing you or I can do

to earn it.

But as we respond to that free gift,

so we are called

to work it out,

and that takes effort.

And as we read this list

that we had just a moment ago

of what that Christian life looks like,

it's challenging stuff.

It doesn't just happen.

And so we're called,

in response to the grace of God,

that unconditional grace of God,

to work that out,

to be transformed,

Paul says,

by the renewal of your mind.

Now,

that word,

being transformed,

can too easily be glossed over.

And what I want to do now

is just spend a few moments

just unpacking it a little bit more,

thinking about what it actually might mean.

And I would suggest

that perhaps the best way

of starting that

is to think of words

that are fairly similar,

but not quite the same.

So he talks about

be transformed

by the renewal of your mind.

And there are a number of words

that have the second part

of that word,

transformed,

transformed in it,

which are similar,

but are not quite the same.

The first one is this.

It's coming up on the screen.

To be formed.

You see,

that's the second part

of the word,

transformed.

To be formed.

And people will often

talk about

spiritual formation.

Now,

I think one of the really helpful

and interesting insights

in John Mark Comer's book,

Practicing the Way,

is he says

that

spiritual formation

is not just

a Christian thing.

Spiritual formation

is a human thing.

And it's part

of our human makeup

that we are in the business

of spiritual transformation.

Why?

Sorry,

spiritual formation.

Why?

Because every single one of us

as a human being

are spiritual beings.

Whether you believe

in God or not,

you can be an atheist,

but your life

is still a process

of spiritual formation.

Simply because

we are spiritual beings.

We are not just

flesh and blood,

but there is this

spiritual dimension

about us.

And it doesn't matter

who you are,

your life

always has been

and always will be

during your time

on earth,

a process

of spiritual

formation.

Whether you are

Mother Teresa,

Martin Luther King,

Adolf Hitler,

Vladimir Putin,

dear old

Donald Trump

even,

your life is a process

of spiritual formation

for better

or for worse.

and dare I say

every single one of us,

it will be a combination

of the better

and the worse,

the good and the not so good.

Every time we make a decision,

we are engaging

whether we are aware of it

in a process

of being spiritually formed.

Every interaction

with another human being,

every time we engage

with the culture

in which we live

or we encounter

a different culture

for the first time,

we are in the process

of being formed

spiritually.

So the question,

therefore,

is not whether

or not

you are ever doing

spiritual formation,

you are.

The question,

rather,

is what are you being

spiritually formed into?

Now there's a question.

Take a moment

and just reflect on it.

I'm not going to ask you

to turn to the person

next to you and discuss it.

Think about it

just for a few moments.

As you just take

a very quick flash

glance at your life

up until this point

and right now

and what's going on it.

What are you being

formed into

spiritually?

Your whole life

has been

and will continue

to be a process

of spiritual formation.

We do not live

in a spiritual vacuum.

Now,

Western culture

perhaps resists

the idea

that there is

such a thing

as absolute truth

because our culture

says that

actually no one has,

nobody can claim

access to absolute truth

and therefore

we should always

be open-minded

about everything.

Now,

at face value

that can seem

quite a good thing.

Nobody likes people

that walk around

being judgmental.

But there's something

quite misleading

about it

because the danger

there is it implies

a relativism

that says

there's no such thing

as good or bad,

it's just what

you want it to be.

It was G.K. Chesterton

that many years ago

said

the point of having

an open mind

is rather like

the point of having

an open mouth.

Eventually,

it should close in

on something

and something

that's good for you.

So let's not make

too much of a virtue

of the culture

of open-mindedness.

Yes,

we should listen,

that is vital.

We need to listen

to others

and to one another.

We should do that.

But when it comes

to being formed,

we need to exercise

a sense of discernment

and critical judgment

as to what is good

and what is not good.

Because God does not

just want us

to be spiritually formed,

that will happen anyway,

including in a world

that is broken

and hurting.

But rather,

God calls us

to be formed

in a particular way

and we will come

on to that

in just a moment.

So Paul talks

about not being formed.

He actually says,

do not,

let's have the next one up,

do not be conformed.

Do not conform,

he says,

to the patterns

of this world.

What does that mean?

Well, quite simply,

to conform

means that

your spiritual formation

is one of where

you listen

and just go along

with the crowd.

and that can be

a very dangerous thing.

There's an old story

that's told

about a group of eggs.

They were chickens' eggs

except for one of them,

which was an eagle's egg.

I don't know how

the eagle's egg

made its way in

among the others,

but it did.

And they all hatched

at roughly the same time

and all the chicks

grew up together.

And as these chicks

matured into birds,

what you had

was a group

of chickens

and an eagle.

And they all

clucked around

on the ground

all day long,

including the eagle.

And you can imagine

how strange this looked

to see this

extraordinary,

beautiful bird,

this eagle,

clucking around,

eating grain

off the ground,

following the same

movements

as his chicken friends.

This went on

for a long time

and then one day

another eagle

came flying over

the place

where these birds lived.

they all looked up

and gasped

in wonder,

including the eagle

on the ground.

And having spent

his whole life

imitating those

around him,

he looked at his own

wings and he looked

at the wings of the eagle

flying above

and he just began

to stretch out

his own wings

and looked at the eagle

above and just thought

to himself,

maybe,

just maybe.

And he began

to sort of walk around

stretching its wings

and began to say

to his chicken friends,

I'm going to fly.

They laughed at him

and said,

don't be ridiculous.

You weren't born

to fly.

You're one of us.

Tragically,

he never flew.

Do not conform,

says Paul,

to the patterns

of this world,

but be transformed

by the renewal

of your mind.

What does that look like?

Let's have the third word

up that's similar.

To be informed.

Now,

to be informed

is a good thing.

To be informed

means that we know

what's going on

and in fact,

as we read through

these words of Paul,

he talks about,

he gives us information

as to what it looks like

to be transformed.

He says things like,

never be lacking in zeal,

but keep your spiritual fervour,

serving the Lord,

be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer,

share with the Lord's people

who are in need,

practice hospitality,

bless those who persecute you,

bless and do not curse,

rejoice with those who rejoice,

mourn with those who mourn,

live in harmony with one another.

So it goes on.

We have a list

which gives us information.

But, you know,

to be informed

is not the same thing

as being transformed.

We need to be informed.

Information is

the front porch

of understanding.

And that is what,

you know,

reading the Bible,

giving us information

is an important part

of the whole process

of being transformed.

But,

just information,

if we just go to the Bible

for information,

it is a dangerous thing.

You might know

the information

of the Bible

inside out

and back to front

and never be transformed.

You might know

the Old Testament

so well

that you can not only

name the,

name the Uriah,

the Hittite's

second cousin,

twice removed's wife,

but also be able

to give me

her inside leg measurements

in Hebrew.

But that doesn't mean

to say you'll be transformed.

Now,

Bible reading,

I mentioned it earlier

this morning

in the service,

is a really,

really important thing.

The danger can be

that we approach it

as an information

process

alone.

And the danger

can be with that

is that we think,

I've got to speed

my way through this,

I'm going to do

my Bible reading today

and read it

as quickly as possible.

Great,

done it,

pew,

I can get on

with my life.

Or we can read it

and think,

I've got to get

as much information

as possible

through this.

And it's for this reason

why I'm not of the opinion

that the starting point

in regular Bible reading

should be the quantity

that we read.

In fact,

I would say the opposite.

It is far more helpful,

I would suggest,

to actually make

our habit

of approaching Scripture

not so much

in terms of

how much can I read today,

but how much can I

immerse myself

in this today

and to that end

a shorter quantity

of Scripture

might,

might

be a more sensible way

of doing that.

The point is,

is that

if we read the Bible

just to be informed,

yes,

that's good,

it's helpful,

but it doesn't take us

to where we need to be.

So might possibly

we be talking

not about information,

but the next one

is being reformed.

Now being reformed

is good

and when we read

that list,

again,

we read that list

in Romans 12

where Paul gives us

a description,

the information

of what it looks like,

you could say,

well yes,

bless those who persecute you,

bless and do not curse,

rejoice with those

who rejoice,

mourn with those

who mourn,

live in harmony

with one another,

do not be proud,

be willing to associate

with people of low position,

do not be conceited,

do not repay evil

for evil,

all of these

different things

we might say

are hallmarks

of a reformed character.

Being reformed

is no bad thing,

but it doesn't

go far enough

because it means

taking something

and changing

aspects of it,

but that,

even that,

is not what

Paul talks about.

Rather,

he says,

be transformed,

be transformed.

So,

if we've thought

a bit about

what being transformed

isn't,

what does

it actually mean?

Well,

of course,

the New Testament

was not written

in English,

it was written

in Greek

and the word

for transformed

is metamorpho

in the New Testament

Greek.

It appears

on two other

occasions

in the New Testament

which are not

always translated

in exactly

the same way.

But this is important

and relevant

and helpful

in a very practical

way,

I would suggest,

for us to understand.

When Paul says

be transformed,

he has a very

particular thing

in mind

and in order

for us to really

get to that,

it is helpful

to look at

these two other

occasions

where the same

word,

metamorpho,

appears within

the New Testament.

First,

let's look at

the Gospels

because we find

in both

Matthew and

Mark's account

of a very

particular time

in the life

of Jesus,

the same

word appears

and it's the

story of what

is called

the Transfiguration.

Let me read

to you

Mark's

account

of that

event.

After six

days,

Jesus took

Peter,

James and

John with

him and

led them

up a

mountain

where they

were all

alone.

There he

was

transfigured,

hold on to

that word,

there Jesus

was transfigured

before them.

His clothes

became dazzling

white,

whiter than

anyone in the

world could

bleach them.

I know that

sounds like a

washing powder

advert,

it's not.

There appeared

before them

Elijah and

Moses who

were talking

with Jesus

and Peter

said to

Jesus,

Rabbi,

it is good

for us to

be here,

let us put

up three

shelters,

one for you,

one for

Moses and

one for

Elijah.

He did

not know

what to

say,

they were

so frightened.

Then a

cloud appeared

and covered

them and a

voice came

from the

cloud,

this is my

son whom

I love,

listen to

him.

suddenly,

when they

looked around

they no

longer saw

anyone with

them except

Jesus.

They were

frightened,

we're told.

They must

have been

terrified.

This dazzling

brightness as

Jesus who

one day would

die and be

raised in

resurrection glory,

they get this

glimpse ahead

of his death

as to what

that resurrection

looks like.

And what

word is used

to describe

it?

Transfiguration

in English.

But in the

New Testament

Greek it is

the very same

word that

Paul uses

when he

says be

transformed.

In other

words, this

New Testament

vision of

transformation

takes us

back to the

transfiguration

or if you

like transformation

because it's

the same

word of

Jesus.

like Jesus

at that

point in

his story,

we have

not yet

died.

But we

are promised

that again

like Jesus

we will be

raised.

Now this

is what we're

talking about

when we're

talking about

not getting

into heaven

but heaven

getting into

you.

We have that

promise that

is like no

other promise

that one day

we won't just

simply drift

off into

some distant

spiritual state

but we will

be given

resurrection

bodies.

We read

about that

in 1

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter 15

where Jesus

is described

as the

first fruit

of resurrection.

What comes

after the

first fruit

well that's

you and

me.

And that's

what the

gospel hope

is.

For that

everlasting

life, that

eternal life

when we are

raised forever.

Look at your

hands for one

moment.

Look at the

fingerprints on

those hands.

Your fingertips,

sorry.

The contours,

the pattern is

unique to you.

Embedded in

your body is

that unique

DNA.

You and

only you

will ever be

you.

And that

same body

will be

transformed

according to

the word of

God.

Will be

transfigured

into an

everlasting

body.

you will

still be

the same

person in

resurrection

glory and

yet you

will be

transformed

in a way

that we

can only

imagine.

Except we're

not left

alone to

imagine it.

We're given

God's word

to help us

imagine what

that looks

like.

We have

this story

in the

life of

Jesus where

the disciples

before his

death are

given that

glimpse as

to what

the resurrection

life is

like.

As Jesus

is transfigured

momentarily in

that moment,

but is now

transformed in

his resurrection

glory.

And that

is the

vision that

we are

given to

live our

lives by

now.

Not some

distant,

removed,

otherworldly

thing,

but something

that we can

know right

now in this

bodily existence.

sense.

To be

transformed

means to

know that

reality of

that future

everlasting

promise now

in this

body.

Be

transformed,

says Paul.

Latch on to

that which

awaits you.

Now let's

bring this

back to

Paul.

Because I

said there's

another

incident,

another

occasion where

we find in

the New

Testament where

mention is

made,

where the

same word

transfigure,

transform,

they mean the

same thing,

metamorpho,

which we

find them

once again

on the

lips of

Paul.

And we

find it in

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse

18.

The words

are on the

screen.

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.

Rather than

just me read

and you

listen,

let's join in

saying these

words together

because they

are actually

for every

single one

of us.

Join with

me.

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.

To be

transformed,

not conformed

to the

patterns of

this world,

but to be

transformed

means to

know now

that which

is promised

for the

future.

And when

Paul calls

us to

know this,

he calls

us to

lay hold

of it,

to know

that future

vision which

becomes the

reality now.

This is getting

heaven into

you.

Think of the

rose in

the

die.

This is

the calling

that we

have to

absorb this

stuff, to

know that we

are in

Christ and

that Christ

is in

us.

And it's

not just a

one moment

thing that

happens just

one point in

time in

our lives

at the

point of

conversion or

at any

other moment,

but rather it

is a

lifelong

process of

continually being

transformed into

the knowledge of

that resurrection

hope that is

ours.

Be

transfigured,

be

transformed.

We're going to

pray in a

moment and I

want to share

with you one

last image to

help us remember

this.

And it's a

story about

many years ago,

I think it's a

fable actually,

but it's a

story about a

man who begged

and lived

outside the

gates of a

palace.

He lived in

rags but one

day he was

very excited

when he saw

a sign

inviting

anybody and

everybody in

the whole

kingdom to

a royal

banquet that

the king was

putting on.

But there was

one condition.

In order to

come to the

banquet you

had to be

clothed in

royal garments.

Well the man

looked at the

rags that he

lived in and

begged in.

And then he

looked again at

the invitation.

And then he

looked at the

guards standing

outside the

palace gates

and just

thought,

is it worth

a try?

So he went

to the guard

and he said

to him,

sir, I would

love to come

to that banquet.

May I just

ask a favour?

May I talk

to the king?

The guard

who'd seen

this man out

there every

day for years

felt for him

and so on

the off chance

he decided

to go and

talk to

his senior

who in

turn had the

same thought

and went to

see somebody

else, who

went to see

somebody else,

who went to

see somebody

else and

eventually the

message was

brought to

the king

himself.

The king's

heart was

warmed by the

story and so

he invited him

in.

The man in

his rags was

escorted by

the guard to

somebody who

eventually was

led to

somebody else

and he

passed through

room after

room after

hallway,

passed from

one person

to another

and then

eventually he

was led to

a room in

which the

king himself

was sat.

This man was

shaking like a

leaf, could

barely look at

the king and

said, your

majesty, I

see the

invitation to

everybody to

your banquet.

But I

noticed that it

says that in

order to come

you must

wear royal

garments and

yet I only

have these

rags.

Sir, might

you be good

enough to

lend me some

of your old

royal clothes?

The king

loved this.

He loved the

fact that this

man felt that

he could approach

him.

He said, I'm

going to give

you some of my

garments.

He gave

instruction for

him to go

off, be

taken off and

to be fitted

out.

He was

brought before

the king

dressed in

the most

expensive clothes

that this man

had ever

seen.

The king

said to him,

you are now

welcome to

come to my

banquet.

And furthermore

you may keep

these clothes,

but I want you

to know this,

they will never

ever wear

out.

man.

Well, the

man was

excited about

this and

just as he

was leaving,

he turned

around wearing

these new

clothes and

saw the

bundle of

rags that

were his.

And he

went back and

he bundled

them up and

he grabbed

them and

put them

under his

arm.

The day of

the banquet

came round

and the

man went

in his

royal robes

with his

rags under

his arm.

He sat

at the

banqueting

table and

throughout the

whole evening

the most

extraordinary

foods were

passed before

him.

And yet how

much of the

banquet he

actually missed

because all

the while he

was trying to

balance these

rags on his

lap, hoping

that nobody

could see.

As years

went by,

the words of

the king

proved to be

absolutely true.

Those clothes

never showed

any sign of

wear or tear.

And yet

wherever the

man went,

he always

went with

his rags,

bundled up,

tucked under

his arm,

such that he

was only ever

known, not

as the man

with the royal

clothes, but

the guy with

the rags.

when we

come to

follow him,

when we

come to

be with

Jesus,

to be in

Christ and

to know

Christ in

us, when

we come to

know his

transformation,

that's an

eternity that

starts now.

Now,

we are

called to

let go of

that past,

to not

conform to

the patterns

of this

world, but

to be truly

transformed,

such that our

focus is

not on that

which we've

left behind,

and is not

on those

patterns that

surround us

each day,

and that

would seek to

form us in

a particular

way, but

to dare to

be different,

to dare to

dream, to

dare to

hope, to

dare to

believe that

we are

actually with

Jesus, to

not conform to

the patterns of

this world,

but to be

transformed by

the renewal of

our minds.

Let's pray

right now

that that can

happen.

Let's pray

together.

Lord Jesus

Christ, we

thank you

that you

come to

us, not

just for

somebody to

believe in,

but somebody

to live

in.

Thank you

that you

clothe us

in royal

garments,

that you

invite us

into that

living,

loving

relationship

that is a

daily reality.

Help us,

Lord,

to focus

not on the

things around

us, but on

you, to be

transformed, to

be transfigured,

to dare to

live our lives

as resurrection

people, knowing

that our future

in you is

certain.

And because

that future is

certain, so is

the present.

so transform,

transfigure us,

we pray, by the

renewal of our

minds, by the

power of your

Holy Spirit, in

Jesus' name.

Amen.