Inspiration vs. Transformation
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· 27 viewsInspiration has its place, but transformation completely remakes who we are
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Body
Body
There is a stark difference between personality and character
Before the industrial revolution the vast majority of people were born, lived their lives, and died in or near the same community.
People knew everyone
You knew everyone else
You lived your entire life within this community and so you saw people on their best days, and on their worst, and everything in between.
When you’ve known someone that long, it becomes really hard to keep a facade up.
The longer you interact with someone, the more you get to know the real them.
Marriage
Generally, character is only revealed and observed in specific situations.
Times of moral dilemma
Times of stress or emotional duress
Some character traits
Generous
Loyal
Kind
Disciplined
Faithful
Patient
Steadfast
Persistent
Optimistic
Courageous
After the industrial revolution, people began to migrate from the farms and small communities to the big cities
No one knew anyone else
How can you tell who is dependable and who isn’t?
How can you tell who is honest and who isn’t?
People began to rely on personality rather than character
First impressions
“Win friends and influence people”
Personality is easier to observe, and quicker to ascertain.
The downside though, is that personality is NOT who someone is. It’s how someone acts.
Someone can have a magnetic personality and be morally bankrupt.
Someone else can turn everyone else off but be unshakable morally.
When people are looking at personality they really trying to determine your character.
Job interview
Some Personality traits
Charming
Witty
Charismatic
Likable
Shy
Persuasive
Funny
This gives rise naturally to “inspirational” or “motivational” courses and events, self-help books, etc.
Get someone to believe they can do it
Get someone excited and charged up and ready to seize the day!
The problem with these though is that as excited as I get about something, it doesn’t change who I am
One of these seminars vs. Boot camp.
Motivational speaker inspires me to do something I can’t do right now
Amway
I’m still the same person trying to do something else
Boot camp transforms me into a soldier and I begin acting like one naturally
I’m a soldier now and I just do what soldiers do
Is God looking for personality or for character?
Does God want to inspire you to be a Christian or does He want to transform you into one?
Peter was inspired when he told Jesus that he’d never betray him
He had three years of Jesus’ teaching and preaching
Unfortunately, he was still the same Simon Peter that Jesus found fishing three years ago.
Peter was inspired during the last supper, but not transformed
On the day of Pentecost, we see a newly transformed Peter.
Our church services need to be more transformational and less inspirational.
We can’t be motivated enough to stop living in sin
We can’t be inspired enough to break free from our bondage to satan
“If I can just get people excited enough they’ll storm the gates of hell!”
Can I get civilians excited enough to go and fight the enemy on the front lines?
Maybe, but they’ll all die
They’re still civilians! They’re going to think and act like civilians
Something more will be required than getting excited to break free of our old nature
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
We have got to be transformed! We have to be transformed from civilians to soldiers as it were.
Transformed from sinners to saints
Transformed from carnal to spiritual
Transformed from a slave of satan to a child of God
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God’s not going to motivate or inspire us to live righteously, He promises that we can actually be a partaker of the divine nature.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Inspiration and motivation is all well and good, but only transformation will break the yoke of bondage
Only transformation will stamp Christ’s image on us
Only transformation will free us from our old nature
Only transformation will create in us a new nature