Chicago Fire - Jesus and a Life Transforming Church

Throughout the book of Acts, we see that life transformation is the result of meeting Jesus.

Acts 9:1-19 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

The Road to Transformation

Where is the road that you are on leading you?

How many of you have ever been so passionate about an issue or so entrenched in your ways that you literally left victims in your wake? This is what Saul had - passion to do what was right, but found himself on the wrong side of the cause. Saul's zeal for God was great, but without understanding, he found himself doing more harm than good. You may have been like this in your life before Jesus fighting against Christianity. You might have been this way as a Christian towards the church, fighting against institutionalism and wrongly found yourself separated from committed community. You may find yourself in this state now in your marriage, fighting for what you believe is the way that things should go. How many times in fighting for these things have you found yourself in the midst of the fight, fighting against Jesus?

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Meeting Jesus at the cross means that you not only are forgiven of your sins because of His atoning work, but that you have a lifestyle of acknowledging sin in your life to continue the process of ongoing transformation.

How have you seen your walk with Jesus up to this point?

Has it merely been cultural?

Does it seem foreign to you when we speak about making Jesus known?

“When people are not stunned by the greatness of God, how can they be sent with the ringing message, ‘Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods!’?”
– John Piper

Has your walk been life transforming? If not, you may need a Damascus road experience.

What do I need for my Damascus Road?

1) Zeal to please God.

Not everyone sees what you see. Respond based on the revelation Jesus gives you. Do not wait for your friends, family or co-workers to join you.

If— BY RUDYARD KIPLING

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies) If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son.

Ask God where scales need to fall from your eyes and focus on it in prayer.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

2) Zeal to do whatever it takes for transformation.

Breaking with your routine will be a good place to start. It takes a minimum of 21 days to develop a habit. Set aside designated time to seek God for transformation.

Do a Bible search to find as many Scriptures that you can relating to the subject to focus on it. Start a notecard pack for memorization.

3) A zeal for Jesus loving community.

Ask someone over the next 3 weeks to, like Ananias, pray for you and give you input on your progress.

Why did God send Ananias? What did it do for Ananias? What did it do for Paul?

The other members of the body act as a mirror to you to help encourage and confirm transformation.  It is like a bride getting ready for a wedding with her attendants.

Jewish scholar Jon D. Levenson who teaches at Harvard referenced in his book The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son that in ancient cultures, there was no thought about individual prominence or success, it was about the family succeeding. If one member of the family acted irresponsibly or in a shameful way, the whole family was responsible. Even if you feel like a spiritual untouchable because of the dysfunction of your natural family, God is placing you in spiritual family. Let's take responsibility for the family and live to bring great honor to the Father.

In doing this, God changes your very identity (Saul would later and to the rest of the world through the ages be known as the Apostle Paul - Acts 13:9) - the way that you see yourself and others see you.

You are transformed over time - having a vision of what you should be as a husband, father, employee, citizen.

Second City Church- Chicago Fire 2015 Sermon Series