Transformed - Christine Lewis

Hey, good morning, everyone. If you'd like, you could open your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, that's where we're going to be reading today while you're getting there. I just wanted to thank everyone for being so encouraging to me as I Was preparing this message. This is definitely outside of my comfort zone and thank you all for being a group of people that I feel comfortable. At least giving this a go, but try. So if you've made your way to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, starting at verse 12 and continuing a little into chapter 4. 2nd Corinthians 3, 12 there for having such a hope. We use great boldness in our speech and are not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face. So that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away, but their minds were hardened for until this very day at the reading of the old Covenant. The same Veil remains on lifted because it is removed in Christ. But to this day, whenever Moses read a veil Lies Over Hearts their hearts, but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now. The Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom, but we all was unveiled faces looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Just as from the Lord, the spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received Mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of Shame, not walking into a green or distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth, commending ourselves to every person's conscience in the sight of God, and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that they will not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God.

Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for a time here this morning for bringing us all together and for the opportunity to share your word or pray that you would use this time to bring encouragement and understanding to each of us. And two draws nearer to you through it. Disney.

If you heard David message last week, you may remember him saying that there is no favoritism with God that we can all cultivate the same type of closeness to God. That we see in the last days of Moses David, or Paul. When we choose to draw near to him this morning. I'd like to look at another scripture to see what occurs in us when we choose to draw near to him. And just so you're not in too much to spend. I will give you my main thought up front in the presence of God. We are being transformed into the image of Christ, which is our true identity. When we think about the concept of transformation, we may think of some Whirlwind makeover before and after Fixer-Upper home renovation, or maybe like a more spiritual front, someone who experienced a radical change in their lives. Maybe they went to a church camper something and had an experience. But for the rest of us that don't have such an experienced. Do we see transformation occurring in our lives like a child, whose growth is more apparent to grandparent or someone then to their own parents because we're seeing them every single day. Our own spiritual transformation may be difficult to recognize. Yet, you may have heard. The saying change is the only constant. I would add, especially as a Christian spending time in the presence of God transformation is inevitable. I like to take a closer look at the scripture specifically. We're going to be looking at the 2nd Corinthians 3:18.

But we all with unveiled faces looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Just as from the Lord, the spirit.

But we all but we all that is everyone just like they just think everyone who is turn to Christ not just Moses or Paula or if you have to David. It's all of us with unveiled faces. So earlier in the passage that we're at the beginning, Paul was talking about Moses, putting a veil over his face and we find that story in Exodus 34 section that story. So you have some contacts and it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai. And the two tablets of the testimony where in Moses hand as was coming down from the mountain. That Moses did not know that the skin of his face shown because of speaking with him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel song, Moses behold the skin of his face Shone and they were afraid to approach him then Moses called to them. And Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation return to him, and Moses spoke to them afterward, all the sons of Israel came near and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord has spoken to him on Mount Sinai when Moses had finished speaking with them. He would have a all over his face, but whenever Moses went in before the Lord, To speak with him. He would take off the sale until he came out and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel. What he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses that the skin and what is the space shown? So Moses, with the bid the veil back over his face until he went back in to speak with him. So we could hear that Moses had been on Mount Sinai for 40 days. Receiving the second copy of the Ten Commandments from the Lord. After he had smashed the first copy with the golden calf episode, but he was in the presence of God and when he returned, his face was shining like literally emitting a light so much that it scared and he had to cover it with a veil. Is 2nd Corinthians. Paul uses a metaphor to say that the same Dale Moses War over his face, remains over the hearts of those who have not turned to Christ, whatever the law is read verse, 15 and 16, but to this day, whenever Moses is read the veil Lies over their hearts, but whenever someone turns to the Lord has taken away. Just as Moses remove the veil whenever he went into the tent of meeting to speak to the Lord, when Christ removes, the figure of figural veil from our hearts. We can come into God's presence.

But we all with unfilled faces looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord. Next. I'd like to look at The Fraze looking in the mirror. I've been reading from The New American Standard Bible, which I actually chose specifically for the way to translate this phrase of looking in a mirror. If you have other Bibles you may have noticed there is actually quite a lot of variation. And how each translation words this this part of the verse, the NIV says contemplate, the Lord's Glory ESV says, behold the glory of the Lord, the NLT says can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. The King James says, beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. And the nrsv says glory of the Lord, as though reflected in a mirror. The Greek worrying that Paul uses here is not very common, which the commentaries that I was reading pointed out. Implies that Paul had a special reason perhaps for choosing it when he could have just said something more familiar like seeing or be holding one thought, is that the mirror represents our limited understanding as it doesn't 1st Corinthians 13:12. Now we see things imperfectly like poisoning Reflections in a mirror, but then we will see things with perfect clarity. Another thought is that Christ is the mirror reflecting God to us perfectly 2nd Corinthians 4:18 states that Christ is the image of God. Colossians 1:15. Also says, he Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Even Jesus in John 14:9 said anyone who has seen me has seen the father.

Another way I found helpful to think about this phrase because it seems a little confusing to me. At first, I was looking in a mirror was particular more literally, so I actually tried to imagine the mirrors of Paul's day were different than ours now, but regardless of that, when we look in a mirror, what is our purpose in doing? So maybe you just see that. Does my hair need to come? Do I have something stuck in my teeth? But ultimately, we want to ask, what do I look like and maybe on a deeper level? Who am I? I was imagining instead of looking at my reflection and seeing only myself. What if I saw when I looked in the mirror, the glory of the Lord, as this verse says know, before you start sand visiting some Christian version of Freaky Friday, where the mom changes in the girl has lots of different versions. I seen, where you would turn into something like bearded Jewish man, perhaps, let's consider this through the context of the next raise that we're going to look at but we all with unveiled faces looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord are being transformed. We just, we just to the best interpretation. I have come to the looking in the mirror phrase. We are transformed by looking into a mirror. That is Christ, which reflects the brightness of God's glory perfectly. We are up by the reflected glory and thereby changed. Literally the lights from God, bounces off the mirror of Christ on to us as we look at Christ and if it changes, you may have your place from. Are you with this phenomenon, if you have a mirror and a light shines on it and you see like a bright lights to a bright spot somewhere else. It's kind of that concept is how I would think of the verb is used for transformed in. This verse is actually the same as used in the account of Jesus's Transfiguration in Mark 9, and also Matthew 17 2 There. He was transfigured before. Them his face Shone like the sun and his clothes became White as the light. When we picture, Jesus was Transfiguration, it's easy to see his glory. Glory means praise honor and also great Beauty blender and it can be use literally to indicate a brilliant light. We can see all those things in Jesus is Transfiguration, but when we try to apply that to herself and think of ourselves being transformed, we probably picture something much less magnificent, maybe even a little mundane something as big as being a better person at the end of verse 3:18. Paul says, we are transformed from glory to glory or some versions even saved one degree of glory to the next. Now, that doesn't mean that it's a competition of who can get the most Glory, but it is called way of showing a gradual process. That will reach complete fulfillment that our transformation will be a process of ever-increasing Glory until we reach complete Glory, at the Lord's return.

The Greek word used for transformation and trenching and Transfiguration is also the same word from which we derive, the word metamorphosis wish you or probably but the meaning is to change from one thing into another in geology metamorphosis or metamorphic. Rock is a rock that has been completely changed from its original form. When acted on by high heat and pressure deep in the earth. It's very specific. Qualifications that need to be met for this process to happen. Marvel is probably the best-known example of a metamorphic rock. In biology metamorphose, metamorphosed is the process of transformation from an immature form of an insect, or amphibian into an adult form into a more distinct stages. You may think of a tadpole turning into a frog or a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Thanks to Chris who I forgot wouldn't be here. This morning. We had the privilege of keeping some monarch chrysalis is a month or so ago, and I think you can picture of Monica. We got to watch one, caterpillar become a chrysalis and two of their chrysalises hatch into butterflies, and it was really an amazing process to watch totally changed from one to another. And we are always trying to like watch it closely and catch the exact moment and L-3 times we missed it, but I wanted to have like a camera almost, you know, but it was just completely transformed. If it's something that you've not been able to witness up close. I think it's a really fun and interesting as an adult. Even I thought it was amazing. So I would do it next summer, but in both of these processes, the changing of rock, and the changing of creature. The change is caused by being in the presence of a force for rocks. That is the extreme heat. And pressure for insects is actually the presence of certain hormones in their bodies that caused this change. And I'm going to argue for us transformation or metamorphosis happen. As we are in the presence of God. The term metamorphosis is also used in Romans 12:2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Being transformed by the renewing of our minds happens. As we grow in maturity as a Christian. We are transformed by looking into the mirror of Christ as Christ. Perfectly reflects. The brightness of God's glory. We are illuminated and transformed. This idea is also found in 2nd Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if anyone is in Christ. This person is a new creation, the old things passed away, behold new things have come. And again in Colossians 3:9 to 10, you have taken off your old self with its practices. And if put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge, in the image of its creator. I thought you might have noticed that all of these scriptures, I've given to speak about transformation, have come from Paul old versus new change transformation are all Big scenes of Paul's. If we remember Paul's story. I think it only makes sense that this would be so important to him. Paul or salt at violently persecuted. The early Christians at the beginning of his life even watching on and approving, the stoning of Stephen. Then as he was on his way to improve imprisoned, more Christian. He had an encounter with the Risen Jesus that completely changed the rest of his life. He went from doing everything he could to destroy the church to preaching the gospel to Gentiles far and wide planning churches. And riding a large portion of what we now have is the New Testament. Paul went from being the church's. Biggest persecutor to its biggest proponent. Why Paul is an example of one of those radical conversion stories, that not all of us will experience such Extremes in our lives. Paul, makes it clear that through Christ transformation is not just possible but should be expected. And this brings us to the final phrase. I want to examine this morning. But we all with unveiled faces looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Just as from the Lord, the spirit the same image that Christ is reflecting. Is that of God the Father.

The concept of being in the image of God comes all the way from the beginning of Genesis when God was creating the world Genesis 1, 26 to 27 says, then God said, let us make Mankind in our image in our likeness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God. He created them male and female he created them and its simplest form to be in the image of God is to be like God and to represent God. I don't know how much you've been through this in your life, but it is really powerful and something that should impact the way we see ourselves. And those around us. In Systematic Theology, Wayne grudem says this. It would be good for us to reflect on our likeness to God more often. It will probably amaze us to realize that when the creator of the universe wanted to create something in his image, something more like himself than all the rest of creation. He made us. This realization will give us a profound sense of dignity and significance. As we reflect on the Excellence of all the rest of God's creation, The Starry Universe, the Abundant Earth, the world of plants and animals, and the Angelic kingdoms are remarkable even magnificent, but we are more like our creator than any of these things. We are the culmination of God infinitely wise and skillful skillful work of creation, even though sin has greatly marred that likeness we none the less now, reflect much of it and show it even more as we grow in likeness to Christ. I want to conclude by giving you a short example. Two weekends ago, we got to go camping with John and Lee and Tom and the kids. And at one point we were all sitting around the campfire and somehow, I don't know how the topic of embarrassing teenage identity phases. I'm just ready to head. Tom. I didn't ask for permission to share this with mr. T. But you talked about having a band and some chains you have to ask her for more examples of us. Exactly it included. But she said that she even had a little punk rock, look, that she would save only for at Creation Fest to describe small buns over here. And if she could spray-paint different colors, I tried to think of mine was actually went to the opposite extreme. If anything was remotely fashionable or I thought other People would think it was cool. I would not wear that, I would stay away from it. And I think I was going for the look of practical and hardworking, but as a result, I basically dressed like maybe a Mennonite boy from booster Junior High. I think I'm trying to get some photographic evidence, but it seems like most of us can probably think of a time. In our lives. Often during our teenage years when you're trying really hard to project, a certain image of ourselves through our clothes or hair or maybe the car reader over the activities. We were involved in or the people we hung out with Events. This desire has probably become more subtle. As we've grown up. We all carry with us. A certain sense of who we are and who we aren't and how we want others to think of Us 2. The problem with that mentality is that we can often get stuck there. This is who I am. This is what I am not. This is the way I will always be and if the Christian Life is meant to be one of transformation, whether we intended to or not our own conceptions of ourselves May segment that transformation. I want to encourage you. As you continue to spend time in God's presence to allow yourself, to be transformed to put on the new self and allow it to change the way you think. The way you see yourself in the way you act, if I believe I'm being transformed. I have the freedom to do things. I've never done before like this, but believe God is calling you to, or to quit doing the things. God is calling me away from. I am being transformed. We are being transformed. This morning. I want to challenge you to remember. We all have the access to the presence of God. And when we are in the presence of God, we are being transformed into Christ Image, which is our true identity.