Transformed (Youth)
Notes
Transcript
Church Conformity
Church Conformity
Romans 12:2
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
“Don’t be conformed to this world”
What does conform mean? Conform means “to comply with, or to be similar in form or type”
“World” signifies the spirit of sin and rebellion against God that permeates our culture…the prince of the powe of the air
1John 2:16
1 John 2:16 (ESV)
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Coveting, Greed, Lying, Arrogance, Gossip
The Bible says we are not to comply with and be conformed to this worldly value system
It says we are to be transformed
Notice what it doesn’t say. “don’t be conformed to the world, but be conformed to the church”
I think some people can be deceived into thinking that conformity to the church is transformation.
This is where we get to church conformity…something that may look like transformation, but isn’t
Don’t be conformed to the church
Remember, conformity means similiar in form or type…you can be similiar to the church without having been transformed
Many young people make the mistake of thinking conformity to church culture is transformation. You might conform to the church because:
You grew up in a Christian home
You come to church because its just what you do
You do or don’t do certain things because in the church culture it’s deemed as acceptable or unacceptable.
Conformity to the church simply means you are similiar in type externally
The Gospel is about an inward transformation
This is dangerous because people can be convinced they are something that they are not.
For some, as long as they are a part of a strong church culture, they look and act the same, but the minute they leave they conform to their new culture.
Its like a Chameleon
Transformation happens inwardly first, and then expresses itself outwardly
Transformation doesn’t start with what we do or conform to, it starts with who Christ is and who we are in him
Galatians 5:18-24(ESV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
In other words, there is something that happens on the inside that begins to manifest itself outwardly!
The fruit of the spirit is not a new law, it is the result of being made a new creature
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Conformity to church culture might look good, but it can’t save you.
It might look like transformation, but it is emptied of all it’s power.
Restraint
Restraint
And this is what I call, for lack of a better word, halfway transformation.
Have you ever heard the saying, “In the world, not of it?
Listen to this prayer Jesus prayed in front of his disciples:
John 17:14-17
John 17:14–17 (ESV)
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
This is where we get the saying “in but not of”
Jesus in his prayer was saying that the goal is not to be taken out of this world, but we are not to be of it…or in other words, not to let it define us and our lifestyles
This echoes what we read in Romans 12:2, we are in the world, but we are not to be conformed to this world.
Now there can be this deception to stop right there at “in but not of”
That’s it....you’re goal as a Christian is to “not be worldly” or your goal as a Christian is just restraint in a sinful world.
Have you ever felt like that? Where Christianity just feels like avoiding all the things you know you shouldn’t do?
Some people think of Christianity more in terms of what they can’t or shouldn’t do, rather than in terms of who they are and what they are called to do.
Let me tell you something …you are more than what you are not
Not being a part of something doesn’t give you purpose for your life…it just leaves you isolated
My identity does not consist of who I am not, it consists of who I am
We are commanded to “not be a part of something”, but we are also called to “be a part of something”
You weren’t taken out of something and left in a void or vaccum trying to survive and get by in life
You have been freed from something, but you have also been freed for something.
This is where we get to the purpose part
Purpose
Purpose
Earlier I read a prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17, but I left the very next verse....so let me read that again with the last verse.
John 17:14-21
John 17:14–21 (ESV)
Here it is As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
For Jesus being “not of the world” isn’t the destination, it’s the starting place.
You have been freed from something for something.
Someone suggested that the popular phrase should not be “in, but not of” but rather, “not of, but sent into.”
The beginning place is being “not of the world,” and the movement, the mission, the purpose is being “sent into” the world.
This is where I think we can sometimes we greatly limit ouselves in what God has called us to.
I was sharing with the youth a couple months ago a similiar message to this, and I told them that so often the mentality for their age group is just “keeping them from the world”
If we can just keep them from:
Drugs and alcohol
From cheating on their grades at school
Keep them from falling into sexual immorality
Then we’ve done our job
I told them, “Your life has much more pupose than just “not doing drugs”
He has a calling and purpose for your life
Renewing your mind
Renewing your mind
But renewing of the mind is initiated by God firstly through salvation
Titus 3:5 (ESV)
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
God is the one that renews the mind!
We don’t inherit new values, new motives, new purpose without first becoming a new creature.
That’s why Jesus said we need to be “born again”