Beyond Recognition

Romans 12:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If we want to transform we cannot conform.

The Beyond Recognition message focused on the need to transform ourselves after we enter into a relationship with God.

This transformation does not come easily and involves a struggle against ourselves. We began the message discussing the best TV Show on the planet (I guess this could be argued), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Assuming you've watched the show, the same predictable pattern is present:

• A family tells the story of it's struggles.
• The community discusses how great the individuals need is and how, despite their difficult situation is, they continue to serve others.
• The family discusses what needs to happen to better their situation.
• The family goes on an awesome getaway.
• They watch their house be destroyed.
• Their home is constructed.
• They come home.

It is so awesome to watch these stories unfold. There are certainly some parallels from that show to our own spiritual life. We too have struggles, we have been separated from God as a result of sin. Our home, needs a little Ty to get rebuilt. Jesus comes into our lives and orchestrates change. Our baptism into Christ resembles the demolition of our former house. That's where the similarities stop.

For the Christian, there is no, "MOVE THAT BUS" reveal to show the remade us. Our lives remain and continue to be in construction phase. It's an interesting coordinated effort in which Jesus refuses to do all the work for us, yet without the assistance of Jesus, our efforts produce nothing.

We looked at the healing of the paralytic Mark 2:1-12 and discussed the following questions with regard to our transformation:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS FIXED??? The paralytic knew his legs didn't work properly. Do we know what needs transformed in our own lives?

DO YOU QUIT WHEN YOU FACE BARRIERS??? As they went to approach Jesus they realized that they couldn't get to Jesus through the crowd. However, they persevered and created a new way. Are we willing to press on when it gets hard, or do we just quit and say we tried?

WHAT CAN HELP??? WHAT ARE YOUR RESOURCES??? The paralytic had a set of friends who were willing to help him out. They also used resources to get on the roof and also through the roof.

ARE YOU GOING TO GOD??? The guys all went to Jesus. It is so easy to go everywhere else with our problems and not want to "bother" God. Do we go to Jesus?

WHAT IF THE PROBLEM YOU WROTE DOWN IS NOT YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM? Jesus displayed more concern over the man's sin issue rather than his physical issue. What if the thing that we are most concerned with isn't our biggest problem?