"Until Christ Is Formed In
You"
2/24/08 AM R. Sams (Gal 4:19)
BIG IDEA: spiritual growth is a
process we are responsible for; even more so as we grow.
SCRIPTURES TO
VIDEOPROJECT (coded with P ):
OTHER SCRIPTURES:
OTHER ITEMS TO
VIDEOPROJECT: see bulletin bottom, show Spiritual Growth Continuum from last
week CALL TO WORSHIP:
THEMES/SONGS:
GOSPEL/MISSION:
VISION/PRIORITIES:
ASSIGNMENTS: the story of the mother dog with her legs
cut off. The little dogs she raised walked by scooting on their bottoms
PASTOR'S MINI-LESSON:
BULLETIN BOTTOM, p. 1 IF IT'S FAST IT DOESN'T
LAST.
I. All through this letter Paul is concerned they get the Gospel
right, which is to get grace and get life. The final outcome is so they
give both away. Getting grace is a key to getting life. But the
foundation, where it all starts, is our relationship with Christ: growing closer
in love to Him and becoming more LIKE Him (Lk 6:40).
A. So that seems
to be Paul's goal throughout this book, and Romans, was to help them be like
Jesus (Gal 4:19).
1. This word "conformed" in (Rom 8:29) is
"summorphizo": "to have the same form as another, to shape a thing into a
durable likeness. We are to be like Christ as an image is to the
original."
2. Obviously, from this metaphor in of a pregnant mother
(Gal 4:19), he's willing to go through a lot to make sure that Christ is formed
in them.
B. This happens first and foremost through our coming to
relationship with Jesus through faith. We must open our hearts up to Him
living in and through us (3:26-27; 4:6-7).
1. Christ is being formed IN
us, but we also must put Him on, like clothing. That refers more to the
things we DO OUTWARDLY to be like Him, our ACTIONS. (4:19) is what happens
INSIDE.
2. (3:26-27) is what happens OUTSIDE where people can
see. This would include the spiritual disciplines, the spiritual exercises
we do to build our relationship with Christ. The same way we do things
that build or tear down human relationships, there are things we do to build up
or tear down our relationship with Jesus.
3. Some of these things are
Bible reading, prayer, worship, etc. We must NEVER think that they are the
means to "microwave maturity." We live in an age where we want everything from
meals to maturity fast.
4. I hate the commercial that screams: "I
don't have time for a headache" Who does? Implication: "I should never
have to go through a process when I can take a pill." Don't exercise to deal
with cholesterol, take a pill. Change your diet? Nah, take a
pill. Why go through a process that may require work or be painful when I
can pop a pill? Give me a pill to cure my craving for "death by
chocolate." Don't you love that name? The Wizard of Id, who's a little
frugal, took his wife to the restaurant. "How much is the death by
chocolate?" she asked the waiter. Waiter: "$12."
Wiz: "How much to
just put her in a coma?".
II. We want maturity, growth, freedom from
pain (physical and emotional) instantly. What does Paul indicate from this
metaphor as a mother?
Christ being formed in us TAKES TIME, like
childbirth.
A. I've never given birth, thank God, an incredible gift of
His grace. I can say that because I've witnessed childbirth, three
times…or 2 ½, plus assorted pig, cat or cow births, from growing up around
farms.
B. The childbirths were pretty painful. Two completely
natural, other than a local, the first with forceps. Some of you are
remembering the pains just me talking about them (puff, puff, blow).
C.
The ½ was child number two, who came before we'd eaten. Put me in a hot
room, in a sweater and gown, seeing my wife in pain. She's giving birth
and I'm sliding down the wall with my head growing lighter by the second.
It's rough on the dad's, isn't it guys?
D. But D-Day was only a
fraction of the PROCESS of delivering a child. For months I had delivered
crackers and milk to the bedside before Joyce would try to get up in the morning
to try to soothe morning sickness before it grabbed hold. For months
smells made her green, long before it was fashionable to be green. There
was the constant need to expand the wardrobe due to a slowly expanding
abdomen. Fatigue was her constant companion. We learned to walk
differently, exercise differently and get into spaces that seemed to be
shrinking.
III. Childbirth may SEEM like an EVENT, but it's a PROCESS,
and a hard one; too long for expectant moms. So is spiritual growth.
We all want the magic formula, the silver bullet, the trip to the altar that
solves it all, the mountain top retreat where we lay it all down and never pick
it up again. We all want the church that feeds me by setting it right on
the table in front of me to eat once a week, instead of me fixing meals between
Sundays myself.
A. I would be wrong if I said nothing in the spiritual
life happens instantly. I believe in miracles. I believe in instant
healings from cancers to cankers, from drugs to flu bugs. They just aren't
the norm. If miracles were everyday they would be called "probables," not
"miracles."
B. Miracles, by definition, are exceptions to the normal
way we see life works and God works with us. I know of people healed
instantly of everything from cancers to cankers, from drugs to flu bugs.
But that's not the norm. Usually it's a PROCESS.
C. Write this
down, in things of the spirit: IF IT'S FAST IT DOESN'T LAST.
IV. To
switch metaphors from childbirth to athletics that Paul often uses, he's got in
mind the Ithsmian games that happened in Corinth, second only to the
Olympics. There were two qualifications to compete, you had to train by
the rules, and you had to finish the race. If not you didn't qualify for
the prize, the garland crown given by the king himself. What a picture of
the Christian race, a lifelong process; a marathon, not a sprint (Ac 20:24; I
Cor 9:25; 2 Cor 8:11; Phil 3:13-14; 2 Tim 4:7).
V. I know some would
like to hear about specific spiritual disciplines like prayer or Bible
study. "Pastor tell me something that will motivate me to do these, that
will help me overcome lethargy and fatigue from my flesh that fights against me
doing these over the long haul. I can do them for 100 meters, but then I
falter.
A. I just heard that in a sprint, a runner hits max
acceleration at about 30 yards. After that he is steadily
decelerating. After 30 yards it's about who decelerates
slowest.
1. The point: even the shortest sprints have an endurance
component IF you're going to win.
2. After about 30 years we are all
decelerating physically, but we can be growing stronger spiritually. We
must. It's a process, a life; not a sprint (2 Cor 4:16).
B. I
have good news about the disciplines, the training exercises, like Bible study
and prayer. Almost anything can be a spiritual discipline if it helps form
Christ in you.
1. There are basic exercises anyone can benefit from:
walking, stretching, pushing away from the table, just MOVING. That would
be like Bible study, prayer, worship: common to all.
2. But there are
some that are specific to our need. Joyce had some knee microsurgery, as
have many of you. The exercises the therapist designs for your need is
different that the guy who's had spinal fusion. I need specific exercises
for my tight plantar facia which I share in common with all the NBA
greats.
C. "What exercise will help Christ be formed in you?"
D. Let's say your problem is you're too negative; the glass is always
half full, no one ever does it right, etc. A gratitude journal would do
you a world of good. Spending time at the end of each day reflecting on
where you showed grace and where you sprayed salt. Or having your
accountability partners ask you about that weekly.
E. Let's say being
too busy, stressed and hurried, is a problem for you. There's never enough
time. Ever hear of the discipline of SLOWING?
You would seek the
longest line at the supermarket. You need to stay in the slow lane of the
highway. You need to frequently let others go ahead of you in
line.
1. {My story}…agonizing over to let the lady with the walker go
ahead of me in line at the PO. Then the other window opened. OK now
should I go over in that line, boosting her to third, same as letting her go
ahead, or should I encourage her into the newly opened line. While I'm
thinking a couple of people hop into that line. I made my move into the
new line as third. She moves also up to third. We're tied. I
rationalize that at least I've moved her ahead one. Well…the guy who's
first in my line has a problem. That guy follows me everywhere!…actually
he goes in FRONT OF me everywhere. The good news is: the lady in the
walker gets out ten minutes ahead of me. The bad news is I didn't listen
to the Spirit which said let her in front of you when she first walked in.
I was in a hurry…
2. Enough about me. You don't need to hear
about slowing, do you? ANYTHING that forms Christ in us over time, a
process, can be a spiritual discipline.
F. Make sure it's doing it's
job. Watch out for this problem with any spiritual discipline: it can make
you proud.
1. St John of the Cross, one of the greatest leaders of the
early church, wrote: "When beginners become aware of their own fervor and
diligence in their spiritual works and devotional exercises, this prosperity of
theirs gives rise to secrete pride…they conceive a certain satisfaction in the
contemplation of their works and of themselves…they condemn others in their
heart when they see that they are not devout in their way" (p. 40,
Ortberg).
2. Make sure it's doing it's (Gal 4:19) job. Evaluate
it. Ill. The discipline of fasting. I've been and had some
people confess they are "mean fasters." You've heard of "mean drunks" vs.
"jovial drunks." A mean faster is NOT becoming more like Christ, he's just
getting mean from going without food. Does that mean fasting isn't for
you? No, but you've got to ask: "What is Christ showing me by the fact I'm
turning mean every time I fast?" If you don't do that, then it's not forming
Christ in you.
VI. I'm coming to believe spiritual mentors, spiritual
friends, and accountability groups are almost on the level of the big three of
worship, prayer and Bible study, mostly because of all the Bible verses which
indicate they're standards in our spiritual growth (Pr 27:17; Heb
3:12-14).
A. A good mentor, accountability partner, spiritual coach,
and INCLUDE CHURCH, will help you design your own set of exercises to help form
Christ in you. Remember the spiritual growth continuum I showed you last
week? The WC research shows clearly the farther you are toward the right
end, the more you have to be come up with the exercise program you need, like a
professional athlete vs. an elementary one.
B. It's not that you
don't need accountability or church, but these HAVE to take on a different role
as you grow, much like a parent toward a growing child. WC said if this
doesn't happen you will be dissatisfied with your growth, and blame the church,
others. Taking responsibility is a key to growth and maturity of any
kind. That's a part of this PROCESS.
C. Is Christ being formed in
you? That is what it's all about. What things are helping?
What things are hindering? Do you need help designing your spiritual
exercise program? We're here to help. Come. But you can't have
Christ formed in you till you invite Him in. GOSPEL. Closing
song(s).