Sojourners: Guest Speaker John Magpantay- The Road of Transformation

[powerpress] Real followers of Christ consistently construct a biblical worldview so that we increasingly and authentically reflect God's glory on earth.

Salvation permeates every aspect of our lives. Increasingly: glory to glory, strength to strength; we don’t stagnate, our road gets brighter, our roots go deeper. Authentically: like a new language: read, study, obey. This is an act of validation, and it is natural.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5)

“The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.” – John Locke

It is not a matter of personality or “intelligence,” but of values and Christian character. All of us are equally reliant on God’s grace. Christ’s truth and power supersedes “personalities.”

“…it is a call not to specific acts of behavior, but to a type of character. It is a call to see oneself as having a role to play within a story where there is one Supreme Character whose life is to be followed.” - N.T. Wright, After You Believe

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-8 ESV)

We are to become more like Christ and reflect God's glory.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-8 ESV)

Real followers of Christ don’t stop in “simply believing.” They work out their salvation through grace.

Discipleship: Peter's Road of Transformation

What is discipleship?

Today, I want to focus on the process through which we construct and live out this worldview. We’ll look at the life of Peter and understand how a man of humble beginnings became a strong disciple whose walk of faith is a testament to what discipleship looks like. In Peter’s life, we can learn how someone who was inconsistent (sometimes wise, sometimes tactless), fickle (pledged allegiance to Christ, but denied him three times) and brash (cut off someone’s ear, corrected Jesus) was transformed into one of the forefathers of our faith. In simple terms, it’s being given a whole new identity in Christ.

The call of following Christ always entails that we leave something or someone behind.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20 ESV)

See, most of us enter this walk of faith already knowing the ultimate destination. We recognize we need God in our life on Earth, and we know that we’ll meet him face-to-face one day, but we are always figuring out how to live today. In any case, our salvation doesn’t end in believing Christ. (John showed a bridge illustration.)

“Discipleship means adherence to Christ…Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ.” – Dietrich Bonheoffer

The discipleship process is not an abstract doctrine that has limited real world applications; nor is it a blanket Christian term for “simply doing church stuff.” When you truly understand who Jesus is and what all His words, actions, and teachings meant – the entirety of His life, there is absolutely no way that you will not want to “leave your boat & family,” just like Peter did, and follow Christ. Discipleship is therefore the process of re-creating a whole new life that is rooted in Christ. You don’t insert Jesus into your life. You give Him free reign to obliterate everything that stands in His way of leading you through this process. This transformation doesn’t end with us.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

If God is transforming the world, then we are His royal priests. Our transformation doesn’t end with us, and it overtakes our entire being. If we are to be His “royal priests,” we need to allow the process of discipleship to shape us.

He will transform the world through believers, but first, believers must submit themselves to the transformative, life-long process of discipleship. We can’t “privatize” our faith and only be mindful of the moral rules we keep to make us feel good about ourselves. We have the larger responsibility to shape our world so that it starts to reflect God’s glory. Nor can we simply “romanticize” our faith and do whatever simply feels good.

(John showed an illustration from The Fault in Our Stars – Augustus Waters.) If you are in Christ, you are just a shadow of your future self. Christ will transform us as we walk with Him daily so that we become more of who He designed us to be – each of us a unique reflection of a particular facet of His glory.

God wants to redeem this world and restore it to His original design. As the master designer, He had a perfect plan for the Earth with humans taking the lead role in managing His creation. We all know that the current state of affairs is far from this ideal picture. We don’t need to look far to see brokenness, corruption, estrangement, and darkness.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)

God is responsible for transforming the world. Our responsibility as believers is to submit to the process of discipleship so we can be sent out and empower others to do the same.

Discipleship: The transformative process of constructing and living out a worldview as we follow Christ.

The Road of Discipleship

1. Toll Gate: Carrying Our Cross

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:38-39 ESV)

In the Bible, the very first step anyone takes after the decision to follow Christ radically affects their whole existence. In Jesus’ day, a cross was a symbol of suffering, and we all have trials and afflictions that may be very hard for us to bear—even with God’s help. But Jesus meant something far deeper than this when He told His disciples to carry their cross. The cross was mainly a symbol of death. What Jesus was telling them is that they needed to put to death their own devices for salvation and entrust their entire existence to Him.

Jesus doesn’t simply call us to believe that He existed, or even to believe that He can save us. He calls on us to commit our whole lives to Him—to trust Him alone for our salvation, and then to follow Him daily.

Real followers of Christ adhere to His death, and, therefore, surrender their right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The absolute cost of following Christ is not knowing where He’ll lead you, and, therefore, not knowing what you’ll have to leave behind. As you walk with Christ on a day-to-day basis, the Holy Spirit and wisdom from God’s Word will lead you to places where you will be standing on nothing but your faith in Christ. Just like when Peter stepped out into the boat, he waited for Christ’s call.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:4 ESV)

Examples: Two people with the same “components, but different journeys and one conclusion.” The contents may be the same, but the conclusion differs. Following Christ is a daily lifestyle.

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.” - Martin Luther

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11, ESV)

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 ESV)

It’s a daily process.

In him we live and move and have our being Acts 17:28 ESV

We need to find our whole existence in Him. We all know how it's like when two people walk together, live. They start to dress alike. (John showed pictures of famous stars dressed alike who were dating.)

2. Roadmap: Seeking the Truth

Peter's Moments of Truths

1. Walked on water (Matt 14:18) 2. Disowned Jesus (Matt 26:33,75) 3. Lacked understanding (Matt 15:15-16, Matt 16:22, Matt 18:21) 4. Challenged human authority (Acts 4, 5) 5. Declared Jesus as the Messiah (John 6:69)

3. Mile Markers: Fruitfulness & Pruning together

Fruitfulness is the byproduct of remaining in Christ, while pruning is the evidence that God cares for your growth. To remain in Christ is to remain in the Word and in Christian community.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5 ESV)

Sojourners: Guest Speaker John Magpantay- The Road of Transformation

Rollan Fisher