February 24, 2025 • 29 mins
Coaching young basketball players taught me more about transformation and the power of unity than I ever expected, and these lessons mirror a deep truth in the Christian journey. Just as these young athletes grew and changed on the court, we too are called to renew our minds and embody the teachings of Jesus. Our episode unpacks how the early church, guided by Paul's letters to the Romans, navigated the complexities of a morally flexible society. It's a narrative of transformation, not just for self-improvement, but for living a life truly set apart, supported by spiritual mentors and disciples who guide us along our faith journey.
Unity in Christ is more than a concept; it's a call to action that requires sincere love and humility. By focusing on what unites us, we explore how understanding our identity in Christ can transform our interactions with others. Through personal stories and spiritual insights, we reflect on how our worth is derived from God's love, which should be evident in our actions. This episode challenges us to embody peace, demonstrate faith through deeds, and embrace a life transformed by the gospel, moving beyond mere words to reflect the true essence of Jesus in our everyday lives.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You know I have the privilege of.
Currently both older boys areplaying basketball and Griffin
has gotten pretty good inbasketball Ever made his first
shot on Saturday so that waslike a huge thing for us.
When he scored I think Iscreamed louder than anybody
(00:21):
else in that entire gymnasiumand it was really kind of neat
to watch and to have that kindof conversation with him.
But one of the things that Ilove about coaching is there's
supposed to be if you're adecent coach, there should be
transformation.
That happens right.
So one of the things that,especially with Everett never
(00:44):
playing basketball, we've had tokind of go back to some
fundamental things.
So one of the things that,especially with Everett never
playing basketball, we've had tokind of go back to some
fundamental things.
He's never really even shot abasketball, so for him to make a
shot is really importantbecause he's been working at it
and so just kind of offering himtips and things like that.
And one of the things that Ireally like is his team.
So their third through fourthgrade is to see how much they've
(01:07):
transformed throughout theseason.
And that's been really fun towatch because I remember, like
the first game, there was a lotof me going don't do that, don't
do that, do that.
Okay, don't do that.
Right.
And so you kind of watch thisprogression and I remember
yesterday's game.
(01:28):
I was watching these kids andfor a moment I kind of stepped
back and I stopped talking.
You know, I'm like the coach onthe sideline, it's like shoot
the ball, like I'm a littlelouder than I need to be, but
but I remember kind of steppingback and stopping and just
watching them play and realizingthat they were cohesive, they
(01:48):
were working together, they weremaking good passes, they were
paying attention to what theywere doing, they were making
their shots and it was reallyexciting because you're like I
remember you guys on day one andto see where you are now, seven
short weeks later, is reallyneat to watch.
(02:09):
And I was thinking about that aswe get into the text this
morning, because one of thegreatest things that happens in
the life of a Christian istransformation.
That's one of my favoritethings to watch in the life of
people who follow jesus is thatthey go from point a to point b,
(02:33):
to c to d, to whatever thatlooks like.
And and I think about that inmy own life because if I go back
to who I was when I was 15, Ididn't really like that kid very
much, right, I was not exactlywho I needed to be.
But over the course of my lifeI've seen God change me and he's
(02:54):
brought people into my life andhe's allowed me to become the
man of God that I need to be,with the realization that
there's still more to learn.
Right?
I'm a firm believer that as afollower of Christ, you don't
arrive until you die, until themoment I walk into heaven.
(03:17):
There's still growth, there'sstill maturity, there's still
things I have to learn.
And Paul is talking to thisearly church and he lays out the
gospel for them, he remindsthem who Jesus is, he gives them
everything they need.
From chapters 9 to 9, 10, and11, he actually takes kind of a
(03:39):
sidestep and he laments for alittle bit of the brokenness of
Israel.
And he laments for a little bitof the brokenness of Israel.
Paul feels overwhelmed that thenation of Israel has walked
away from their God, and so helaments this falling away.
But he talks about how thisdisobedience has actually led to
the Gentiles hearing themessage of God, and so there's
(04:03):
been some kind of a benefit.
And then he kind of comes backaround and he talks about this
idea that there's coming a daywhen God's going to have this
remnant, this nation of Israel.
There's going to be a part ofthem that accepts Jesus as their
Messiah.
They're going to understand,like Paul did, because Paul even
says you can't say they're lost, because I was them, I am them
(04:26):
and I found Jesus.
And then he gets to chapter 12,and he starts out by saying
Therefore, I urge you, brothersand sisters, in view of God's
mercy, so in view of everythingthat I have said to you thus far
(04:47):
, to offer your bodies as aliving sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God.
This is your true and properworship.
Do not conform to the patternsof this world, but be
transformed by the renewing ofyour mind.
Then you'll be able to test andapprove what God's will is, his
(05:08):
good, pleasing and perfect will.
So Paul is talking to them.
He says listen, I urge you.
I urge you, brothers andsisters, in light of everything
that I've given you, to betransformed.
(05:28):
Your mind, the way you live,the way you act, the way you
talk, is not supposed to be likeeverybody else.
You have the power of Christ inyou.
He says this in Romans 8, thatin Christ, you have the power to
(05:53):
overcome sin.
He says.
Therefore, be transformed inthe way that you think, don't
settle for anything less andlisten.
As Christians, I think we haveto take that seriously.
The moment we met Jesus,everything started to change.
It doesn't mean that ithappened overnight, because it
(06:16):
didn't.
It doesn't mean that there'snot things that we don't have to
work on because we do, thingsthat we don't have to work on
because we do, but it means thatif we are in Jesus, we are
supposed to live differentlythan the rest of the world.
That's what it means to be setapart.
(06:36):
This early church.
Their biggest struggle was theyfound themselves in a culture
that really didn't accept whatthey were trying to do.
In the hub of Rome is a churchthat's focused on Jesus Christ,
in a place where religion was.
(06:57):
Every religion was accepted andapproved except for this one,
in a culture that had runrampant and run wild and
morality was flexible andeverything was accepted and the
idea that it made you happy,just do it.
(07:20):
And here you have a churchwho's trying to live like Jesus,
and Paul is encouraging them tobe that, and Paul is
encouraging them to be that.
He says, brothers and sisters,let your mind be transformed,
because the mind that you nowhave is empowered by the Spirit
(07:41):
of God, everything you have.
And so he continues in verse 3.
He says For, by the grace givento me, I say to every one of
you do not think of yourselfmore highly than you ought.
So Paul starts to lay out whatthat transformation looks like.
(08:01):
He says Don't think of yourselfmore highly than you ought, but
rather think of yourself withsober judgment, in accordance
with the faith that God hasdistributed to each of you.
And then he continues for justas each of us has one body with
many members, and these membersdo not have all the same
function, so in Christ, though,many form one body and each
(08:24):
member belongs to the others.
We have different giftsaccording to the grace given to
each of us.
If your gift is prophesying,then prophesy in accordance with
your faith.
If it's serving, then serve.
If it's teaching, then teach.
If it's to encourage, then giveencouragement.
If it's to give, then givegenerously.
If it's to lead, do itdiligently, and if it's to show
(08:45):
mercy, do it cheerfully.
And Paul is saying listen.
Whatever God has called you todo in the moment, in this church
now.
Do it, but do it with ahumbleness, with a realization
that every person who's part ofthis church in Rome there's a
(09:08):
reason they're here.
So, for those who are Jews, youneed the Gentiles, and if
you're a Gentile, you need theJews, because all of you
collectively are under theLordship of Christ.
That's what makes the church soamazing.
The church is supposed to bethis body of believers who come
(09:31):
together from differentbackgrounds, different cultures,
different ethnicities,different workplaces.
We all come together for thesole purpose of worshiping God.
That's what makes the churchbeautiful, because when the
world tells us that things can'twork together, when the world
(09:55):
divides us against each other,we come into the church and we
realize that in Christ we're allthe same.
That's what sets us apart,that's what makes us different.
That's why, on a Sunday morning, no matter who walks through
that door, we show them love andwe show them mercy and we meet
(10:18):
them where they are.
That's why it's so importantthat when we come together as
believers, that even if wedisagree politically, we still
find common ground in Christ,because, at the end of the day,
jesus is the only thing thatlasts anyways.
Everything else will fall apart.
(10:41):
That's why Paul talks aboutthis in a couple of his letters,
about not being divided, notallowing division to destroy you
.
He says here to be humble,don't think of yourself more
than you ought to.
With sober judgment, realizethat your purpose in the body of
(11:05):
believers might not be theexact same as somebody else's,
but they belong here too.
That's what makes the churchwork.
You know, when we talk abouttransformation, I think that's
(11:28):
probably one of the things as aChristian that sets the stage
more than anything for sharingthe message of the gospel.
I talked about this last nightand we had the privilege of our
worship team was at the foundry.
They have like a last Saturdayworship night, so we went up
there and I was able to share alittle bit out of Romans 8.
And I was talking about when Iwas younger.
(11:53):
In the late 90s, early 2000s,there was like this brand of
clothing called Caruso.
I don't know if you guysremember them, but they were
like t-shirts.
They were Christian t-shirts.
They would take like reallypopular logos and like they
would like make it say somethinglike Christian-y, right.
So there was one that had aNike check that Jesus did it.
There was one that, like forCoca-Cola, like God is
refreshing.
And so there were these shirts,right.
(12:15):
And I remember this becausewhen I was younger I thought I
was really cool because I had,like, almost every one of these
shirts.
So every time I got money Iwould buy a shirt and I would
wear it proud.
I would walk around and I'dhave the shirt and I'm like
surely these people know that Ilove Jesus.
They have to, right.
(12:36):
I mean, look at the shirt, itsays it, right.
And so a lot of my early faithwas this outward appearance of
the things that I did.
It mattered to me because Iwanted people to know that I
love Jesus, no matter what.
But here's the problem withthat.
I had anger issues in my early20s and there was one time that
(13:03):
I had one of these shirts on andI lost my temper in public and
someone said to me yeah, jesus,huh.
And I was like oh man.
And I say that because it kindof put this part in me.
My initial response now is ohman.
My response then was like don'tjudge me, you don't get to do
(13:24):
that to me, right?
But the more I thought about itand the more that I reflect
back on it, that shirtrepresented what I wanted to be
in Jesus.
But I hadn't quite caught up tothat yet.
That transformation in my lifewas still taking place.
(13:49):
And so when we were talkingabout this last night, when you
talk about transformation,transformation is a process that
takes time, but transformationas a follower of Christ is
necessary, it's bound to happen.
There's no and I know I've saidthis before there's no such
thing as sitting on the bench.
If you're a follower of Jesus,you're on the field, you're
(14:13):
active, you're out there, you'reliving it, the way you live,
the things you do, how you speakto other people.
And Paul is talking about thiswith this church.
He says listen, you are calledto be a living sacrifice.
A living sacrifice means thateverything that is of me has to
(14:36):
die on the altar, so thateverything that is jesus becomes
who I am, and and that's a hardthing to do sometimes, because
we're human and and and, and wemake mistakes and sin creeps in.
But Paul says remember whatyou're living for.
Remember he says in chaptereight, remember the power that
(14:59):
is in you.
Raise Christ from the dead.
That same power now resides inyou.
You're no longer a slave to sin, you're no longer supposed to
be of this world.
You're supposed to betransformed Church.
We're supposed to come togetherin humbleness and humility
(15:19):
serving the kingdom of God.
And then we walk out thesedoors.
People should know that we loveJesus, even if we don't have a
t-shirt that says it.
That's what it is to betransformed.
And Paul continues, starting inverse 9,.
He says Love must be sincere.
(15:41):
Hate what is evil.
Cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another inlove.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
He's talking to the church.
He says be devoted to oneanother in love.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
He's talking to the church.
He says be devoted to oneanother in love.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, butkeep your spiritual fervor
(16:02):
serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient inaffliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord's peoplewho are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Now listen, this is where itgets hard.
Bless those who persecute you.
Bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
(16:24):
Mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with another.
Do not be proud, but willing toassociate with people of low
position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone for evil,but be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as itdepends on you, live at peace
(16:47):
with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dearfriends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is writtenit is mine to avenge.
I will repay, says the Lord.
On the contrary, if your enemyis hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give himsomething to drink.
In doing this, you will heapburning coals on his head.
(17:08):
Do not be overcome by evil, butovercome evil with good.
And Paul writes this in light ofeverything he gave them in
Romans 8.
You go back to Romans 8,.
(17:30):
It says remember the message ofthe gospel, remember that
you've been saved, remember thatthe Spirit of God lives in you.
He goes back to Romans 6, andhe reflects on their baptism.
He's like remember that in yourbaptism you were buried and
raised to life in the same wayChrist was.
As you experience his death,you experience life with him.
And he gets the roman 12.
(17:52):
He says now go and live it out.
Don't get caught up in all thisdivision.
Don't get caught up in in beingdivisive.
Don't.
Don't get so caught up in allof the conflict that you forget
that everyone who sits next toyou is in the same Jesus that
(18:14):
you are, and that mattersBecause at the end of your life,
that is the only thing that'sgoing to last.
And he's talking to Romans andJews.
The Jewish side of this washaving a really hard time with
(18:34):
some of the laws.
I talked about this, I think,last week.
They wanted the Gentiles tobecome circumcised because
that's what they were taught.
And the Gentiles were likewe're not doing this.
I can't imagine being 38 goingto church and someone saying you
have to get circumcised.
I'd be like I don't think I'mcoming back, appreciate that,
but but they, they were sofixated on what was dividing
(18:57):
them that Paul says stop it.
Every single one of you is inChrist.
Jesus has saved you.
Now go live it out.
Show humility, have zeal forthe kingdom of God.
(19:20):
Give everything you have to theforward movement of this church
, of this gospel message.
Don't worry about what dividesyou.
Focus on what unites you.
He says you have everything youneed to be exactly what God is
(19:46):
calling you to be, so go do it.
Transformation is the plan.
Listen, I remember what my lifewas like before Jesus.
I don't ever want to go back tothat.
I remember the brokenness, Iremember the burden.
(20:11):
But I also remember that Ithought I had it all figured out
.
It took a change of heart, achange of mind for God to help
me realize that everything Ithought I had was nothing
compared to what he had for me.
And that's what Paul is sayingto them Remember who you are,
(20:33):
remember what has been done foryou and go live it out in such a
way that it's undeniable.
Listen, I don't need a shirt.
I shouldn't need a shirt foryou to know that I love Jesus.
I shouldn't need to post allover my social media just so you
(20:56):
think that I follow Jesus.
I should live my life in such away that it's evident by how I
talk, by how I treat people, byhow I love people, by even how I
view myself.
Can we talk about that for asecond?
How you view yourself is adirect reflection of how you
understand God views you.
(21:16):
If you're in Christ, you're achild of God, which means that
he created you exactly the wayhe intended for you to be
created.
Your worth is based on the factthat he was willing to die on
your behalf because you neededsaving.
That is something we shouldrejoice in.
The world tries to convince methat somehow I have to earn the
(21:41):
favor of God.
And God says stop it, I loveyou.
I love you, I need you.
I will move mountains to get toyou because I created you.
And so how we view ourselves,how we talk about ourselves, is
a reflection of that, and peopleneed to see that in us.
(22:05):
And people need to see that inus.
People need to understand that,yes, I know who I was, but I'm
not that person anymore.
I've got the power, the spiritin me.
How I treat people, man, thatmatters.
(22:27):
Those conversations we have, bythe way, in public and private,
not just the public ones how wethink about people, all of this
is part of transformation, paulsays as he writes his letter.
He says love your enemy.
If your enemy is hungry, feedthem.
If they're thirsty, you givethem something to drink.
(22:54):
You meet them where they areand, as much as it's possible
for you.
He says, live at peace witheverybody.
You and I are supposed to bedifferent.
That's what sets us apart.
The world should look at us andlook at the church and realize
(23:15):
that the only way they're evergoing to find this is through
Jesus.
Paul says it.
Romans 8, in Christ.
In Christ, you now have all ofthese things at your disposal.
So, transformation if we're inJesus and transformation is not
happening, it's not because theSpirit's not working.
Transformation requires you andI to look inside and say what
(23:41):
are the things that I need toget rid of?
God brings people into ourlives.
I talked about this last nighttoo.
God brings people into ourlives.
I talked about this last nighttoo.
God brings people into ourlives sometimes that help us
course correct and they mentorus and they disciple us, and
we're called to do that forother people.
When we see people living in sinor living the way that they
shouldn't, we have to lovinglycome alongside them and help
(24:01):
them navigate that.
I saw something the other dayand it was a valid question, and
I don't remember where exactlyI saw it.
(24:21):
So if this is someone, ifsomething that someone posted
don't take it personal.
I really have no recollectionof.
I do know something that wasposted on someone's wall, but I
was thinking about this and thequestion was why can't we just
live in peace and let everyonelive their own life?
And I think that that's againsteverything Scripture teaches us.
(24:42):
It's not that we go aroundbashing people in the head or or
anything like that.
But the goal in christ is tohelp other people be like jesus.
So if I love someone I shouldbe willing to come alongside
them and help them learn thatand to kind of navigate that,
because I want them toexperience everything that I've
(25:04):
experienced in christ.
So that's kind of the struggleand the challenge as disciples
is we go into the world and wesay listen, we know you're
living the wrong way and we knowthat because the Word of God
has told us that and I love youenough to tell you about this,
(25:24):
because I've seen what it's donein my own life and I've seen
what it's done in my own lifeand I've seen the transformation
that comes.
And I can't sit back and idlylet you continue down this path,
because if I love you, I'msupposed to come alongside you,
I'm supposed to help you findtransformation because I myself
need it.
(25:44):
So it's not about encroachingon people or trying to cause
problems or judgment, but it'sabout if you only knew what God
could do in your life, you wouldrealize that everything else
the world has to offer you meansnothing.
Why, 15 years old, I had myfriend Ryan Wachowski loved me
(26:10):
enough to tell me about Jesus.
He didn't have to, but he did.
He helped me realize that theway that I was living was not
what God was calling me to do.
And Paul is telling them inRome, chapter 12 you're a living
sacrifice now was not what Godwas calling me to do.
And Paul is telling them inRome, chapter 12, you're a
(26:32):
living sacrifice now.
Whatever you think you've beendoing, you've been called to
something much greater.
The Spirit of God is in you.
Transformation of your heartand your mind.
Come in Christ, because thegoal is not to be a better
(26:54):
version of me.
The goal is to be like Jesus.
It's not how does Jason improve, it's how do I become more like
Christ in everything that I do?
That's transformation.
That's what Paul is calling for.
So, therefore, offer yourselfup as a living sacrifice for the
(27:18):
transformation of your heartand your mind Romans 8 because
in Christ, the spirit that is inyou, the spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead, is the samespirit that now lives in you,
and you no longer are slaves toyour old self, but you're called
to be something new.
All right, let's pray.
You know I have the privilege of.
Currently both older boys areplaying basketball and Griffin
has gotten pretty good inbasketball Ever made his first
shot on Saturday so that waslike a huge thing for us.
When he scored I think Iscreamed louder than anybody
(00:21):
else in that entire gymnasiumand it was really kind of neat
to watch and to have that kindof conversation with him.
But one of the things that Ilove about coaching is there's
supposed to be if you're adecent coach, there should be
transformation.
That happens right.
So one of the things that,especially with Everett never
(00:44):
playing basketball, we've had tokind of go back to some
fundamental things.
So one of the things that,especially with Everett never
playing basketball, we've had tokind of go back to some
fundamental things.
He's never really even shot abasketball, so for him to make a
shot is really importantbecause he's been working at it
and so just kind of offering himtips and things like that.
And one of the things that Ireally like is his team.
So their third through fourthgrade is to see how much they've
(01:07):
transformed throughout theseason.
And that's been really fun towatch because I remember, like
the first game, there was a lotof me going don't do that, don't
do that, do that.
Okay, don't do that.
Right.
And so you kind of watch thisprogression and I remember
yesterday's game.
(01:28):
I was watching these kids andfor a moment I kind of stepped
back and I stopped talking.
You know, I'm like the coach onthe sideline, it's like shoot
the ball, like I'm a littlelouder than I need to be, but
but I remember kind of steppingback and stopping and just
watching them play and realizingthat they were cohesive, they
(01:48):
were working together, they weremaking good passes, they were
paying attention to what theywere doing, they were making
their shots and it was reallyexciting because you're like I
remember you guys on day one andto see where you are now, seven
short weeks later, is reallyneat to watch.
(02:09):
And I was thinking about that aswe get into the text this
morning, because one of thegreatest things that happens in
the life of a Christian istransformation.
That's one of my favoritethings to watch in the life of
people who follow jesus is thatthey go from point a to point b,
(02:33):
to c to d, to whatever thatlooks like.
And and I think about that inmy own life because if I go back
to who I was when I was 15, Ididn't really like that kid very
much, right, I was not exactlywho I needed to be.
But over the course of my lifeI've seen God change me and he's
(02:54):
brought people into my life andhe's allowed me to become the
man of God that I need to be,with the realization that
there's still more to learn.
Right?
I'm a firm believer that as afollower of Christ, you don't
arrive until you die, until themoment I walk into heaven.
(03:17):
There's still growth, there'sstill maturity, there's still
things I have to learn.
And Paul is talking to thisearly church and he lays out the
gospel for them, he remindsthem who Jesus is, he gives them
everything they need.
From chapters 9 to 9, 10, and11, he actually takes kind of a
(03:39):
sidestep and he laments for alittle bit of the brokenness of
Israel.
And he laments for a little bitof the brokenness of Israel.
Paul feels overwhelmed that thenation of Israel has walked
away from their God, and so helaments this falling away.
But he talks about how thisdisobedience has actually led to
the Gentiles hearing themessage of God, and so there's
(04:03):
been some kind of a benefit.
And then he kind of comes backaround and he talks about this
idea that there's coming a daywhen God's going to have this
remnant, this nation of Israel.
There's going to be a part ofthem that accepts Jesus as their
Messiah.
They're going to understand,like Paul did, because Paul even
says you can't say they're lost, because I was them, I am them
(04:26):
and I found Jesus.
And then he gets to chapter 12,and he starts out by saying
Therefore, I urge you, brothersand sisters, in view of God's
mercy, so in view of everythingthat I have said to you thus far
(04:47):
, to offer your bodies as aliving sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God.
This is your true and properworship.
Do not conform to the patternsof this world, but be
transformed by the renewing ofyour mind.
Then you'll be able to test andapprove what God's will is, his
(05:08):
good, pleasing and perfect will.
So Paul is talking to them.
He says listen, I urge you.
I urge you, brothers andsisters, in light of everything
that I've given you, to betransformed.
(05:28):
Your mind, the way you live,the way you act, the way you
talk, is not supposed to be likeeverybody else.
You have the power of Christ inyou.
He says this in Romans 8, thatin Christ, you have the power to
(05:53):
overcome sin.
He says.
Therefore, be transformed inthe way that you think, don't
settle for anything less andlisten.
As Christians, I think we haveto take that seriously.
The moment we met Jesus,everything started to change.
It doesn't mean that ithappened overnight, because it
(06:16):
didn't.
It doesn't mean that there'snot things that we don't have to
work on because we do, thingsthat we don't have to work on
because we do, but it means thatif we are in Jesus, we are
supposed to live differentlythan the rest of the world.
That's what it means to be setapart.
(06:36):
This early church.
Their biggest struggle was theyfound themselves in a culture
that really didn't accept whatthey were trying to do.
In the hub of Rome is a churchthat's focused on Jesus Christ,
in a place where religion was.
(06:57):
Every religion was accepted andapproved except for this one,
in a culture that had runrampant and run wild and
morality was flexible andeverything was accepted and the
idea that it made you happy,just do it.
(07:20):
And here you have a churchwho's trying to live like Jesus,
and Paul is encouraging them tobe that, and Paul is
encouraging them to be that.
He says, brothers and sisters,let your mind be transformed,
because the mind that you nowhave is empowered by the Spirit
(07:41):
of God, everything you have.
And so he continues in verse 3.
He says For, by the grace givento me, I say to every one of
you do not think of yourselfmore highly than you ought.
So Paul starts to lay out whatthat transformation looks like.
(08:01):
He says Don't think of yourselfmore highly than you ought, but
rather think of yourself withsober judgment, in accordance
with the faith that God hasdistributed to each of you.
And then he continues for justas each of us has one body with
many members, and these membersdo not have all the same
function, so in Christ, though,many form one body and each
(08:24):
member belongs to the others.
We have different giftsaccording to the grace given to
each of us.
If your gift is prophesying,then prophesy in accordance with
your faith.
If it's serving, then serve.
If it's teaching, then teach.
If it's to encourage, then giveencouragement.
If it's to give, then givegenerously.
If it's to lead, do itdiligently, and if it's to show
(08:45):
mercy, do it cheerfully.
And Paul is saying listen.
Whatever God has called you todo in the moment, in this church
now.
Do it, but do it with ahumbleness, with a realization
that every person who's part ofthis church in Rome there's a
(09:08):
reason they're here.
So, for those who are Jews, youneed the Gentiles, and if
you're a Gentile, you need theJews, because all of you
collectively are under theLordship of Christ.
That's what makes the church soamazing.
The church is supposed to bethis body of believers who come
(09:31):
together from differentbackgrounds, different cultures,
different ethnicities,different workplaces.
We all come together for thesole purpose of worshiping God.
That's what makes the churchbeautiful, because when the
world tells us that things can'twork together, when the world
(09:55):
divides us against each other,we come into the church and we
realize that in Christ we're allthe same.
That's what sets us apart,that's what makes us different.
That's why, on a Sunday morning, no matter who walks through
that door, we show them love andwe show them mercy and we meet
(10:18):
them where they are.
That's why it's so importantthat when we come together as
believers, that even if wedisagree politically, we still
find common ground in Christ,because, at the end of the day,
jesus is the only thing thatlasts anyways.
Everything else will fall apart.
(10:41):
That's why Paul talks aboutthis in a couple of his letters,
about not being divided, notallowing division to destroy you
.
He says here to be humble,don't think of yourself more
than you ought to.
With sober judgment, realizethat your purpose in the body of
(11:05):
believers might not be theexact same as somebody else's,
but they belong here too.
That's what makes the churchwork.
You know, when we talk abouttransformation, I think that's
(11:28):
probably one of the things as aChristian that sets the stage
more than anything for sharingthe message of the gospel.
I talked about this last nightand we had the privilege of our
worship team was at the foundry.
They have like a last Saturdayworship night, so we went up
there and I was able to share alittle bit out of Romans 8.
And I was talking about when Iwas younger.
(11:53):
In the late 90s, early 2000s,there was like this brand of
clothing called Caruso.
I don't know if you guysremember them, but they were
like t-shirts.
They were Christian t-shirts.
They would take like reallypopular logos and like they
would like make it say somethinglike Christian-y, right.
So there was one that had aNike check that Jesus did it.
There was one that, like forCoca-Cola, like God is
refreshing.
And so there were these shirts,right.
(12:15):
And I remember this becausewhen I was younger I thought I
was really cool because I had,like, almost every one of these
shirts.
So every time I got money Iwould buy a shirt and I would
wear it proud.
I would walk around and I'dhave the shirt and I'm like
surely these people know that Ilove Jesus.
They have to, right.
(12:36):
I mean, look at the shirt, itsays it, right.
And so a lot of my early faithwas this outward appearance of
the things that I did.
It mattered to me because Iwanted people to know that I
love Jesus, no matter what.
But here's the problem withthat.
I had anger issues in my early20s and there was one time that
(13:03):
I had one of these shirts on andI lost my temper in public and
someone said to me yeah, jesus,huh.
And I was like oh man.
And I say that because it kindof put this part in me.
My initial response now is ohman.
My response then was like don'tjudge me, you don't get to do
(13:24):
that to me, right?
But the more I thought about itand the more that I reflect
back on it, that shirtrepresented what I wanted to be
in Jesus.
But I hadn't quite caught up tothat yet.
That transformation in my lifewas still taking place.
(13:49):
And so when we were talkingabout this last night, when you
talk about transformation,transformation is a process that
takes time, but transformationas a follower of Christ is
necessary, it's bound to happen.
There's no and I know I've saidthis before there's no such
thing as sitting on the bench.
If you're a follower of Jesus,you're on the field, you're
(14:13):
active, you're out there, you'reliving it, the way you live,
the things you do, how you speakto other people.
And Paul is talking about thiswith this church.
He says listen, you are calledto be a living sacrifice.
A living sacrifice means thateverything that is of me has to
(14:36):
die on the altar, so thateverything that is jesus becomes
who I am, and and that's a hardthing to do sometimes, because
we're human and and and, and wemake mistakes and sin creeps in.
But Paul says remember whatyou're living for.
Remember he says in chaptereight, remember the power that
(14:59):
is in you.
Raise Christ from the dead.
That same power now resides inyou.
You're no longer a slave to sin, you're no longer supposed to
be of this world.
You're supposed to betransformed Church.
We're supposed to come togetherin humbleness and humility
(15:19):
serving the kingdom of God.
And then we walk out thesedoors.
People should know that we loveJesus, even if we don't have a
t-shirt that says it.
That's what it is to betransformed.
And Paul continues, starting inverse 9,.
He says Love must be sincere.
(15:41):
Hate what is evil.
Cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another inlove.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
He's talking to the church.
He says be devoted to oneanother in love.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
He's talking to the church.
He says be devoted to oneanother in love.
Honor one another aboveyourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, butkeep your spiritual fervor
(16:02):
serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient inaffliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord's peoplewho are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Now listen, this is where itgets hard.
Bless those who persecute you.
Bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
(16:24):
Mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with another.
Do not be proud, but willing toassociate with people of low
position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone for evil,but be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as itdepends on you, live at peace
(16:47):
with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dearfriends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is writtenit is mine to avenge.
I will repay, says the Lord.
On the contrary, if your enemyis hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give himsomething to drink.
In doing this, you will heapburning coals on his head.
(17:08):
Do not be overcome by evil, butovercome evil with good.
And Paul writes this in light ofeverything he gave them in
Romans 8.
You go back to Romans 8,.
(17:30):
It says remember the message ofthe gospel, remember that
you've been saved, remember thatthe Spirit of God lives in you.
He goes back to Romans 6, andhe reflects on their baptism.
He's like remember that in yourbaptism you were buried and
raised to life in the same wayChrist was.
As you experience his death,you experience life with him.
And he gets the roman 12.
(17:52):
He says now go and live it out.
Don't get caught up in all thisdivision.
Don't get caught up in in beingdivisive.
Don't.
Don't get so caught up in allof the conflict that you forget
that everyone who sits next toyou is in the same Jesus that
(18:14):
you are, and that mattersBecause at the end of your life,
that is the only thing that'sgoing to last.
And he's talking to Romans andJews.
The Jewish side of this washaving a really hard time with
(18:34):
some of the laws.
I talked about this, I think,last week.
They wanted the Gentiles tobecome circumcised because
that's what they were taught.
And the Gentiles were likewe're not doing this.
I can't imagine being 38 goingto church and someone saying you
have to get circumcised.
I'd be like I don't think I'mcoming back, appreciate that,
but but they, they were sofixated on what was dividing
(18:57):
them that Paul says stop it.
Every single one of you is inChrist.
Jesus has saved you.
Now go live it out.
Show humility, have zeal forthe kingdom of God.
(19:20):
Give everything you have to theforward movement of this church
, of this gospel message.
Don't worry about what dividesyou.
Focus on what unites you.
He says you have everything youneed to be exactly what God is
(19:46):
calling you to be, so go do it.
Transformation is the plan.
Listen, I remember what my lifewas like before Jesus.
I don't ever want to go back tothat.
I remember the brokenness, Iremember the burden.
(20:11):
But I also remember that Ithought I had it all figured out
.
It took a change of heart, achange of mind for God to help
me realize that everything Ithought I had was nothing
compared to what he had for me.
And that's what Paul is sayingto them Remember who you are,
(20:33):
remember what has been done foryou and go live it out in such a
way that it's undeniable.
Listen, I don't need a shirt.
I shouldn't need a shirt foryou to know that I love Jesus.
I shouldn't need to post allover my social media just so you
(20:56):
think that I follow Jesus.
I should live my life in such away that it's evident by how I
talk, by how I treat people, byhow I love people, by even how I
view myself.
Can we talk about that for asecond?
How you view yourself is adirect reflection of how you
understand God views you.
(21:16):
If you're in Christ, you're achild of God, which means that
he created you exactly the wayhe intended for you to be
created.
Your worth is based on the factthat he was willing to die on
your behalf because you neededsaving.
That is something we shouldrejoice in.
The world tries to convince methat somehow I have to earn the
(21:41):
favor of God.
And God says stop it, I loveyou.
I love you, I need you.
I will move mountains to get toyou because I created you.
And so how we view ourselves,how we talk about ourselves, is
a reflection of that, and peopleneed to see that in us.
(22:05):
And people need to see that inus.
People need to understand that,yes, I know who I was, but I'm
not that person anymore.
I've got the power, the spiritin me.
How I treat people, man, thatmatters.
(22:27):
Those conversations we have, bythe way, in public and private,
not just the public ones how wethink about people, all of this
is part of transformation, paulsays as he writes his letter.
He says love your enemy.
If your enemy is hungry, feedthem.
If they're thirsty, you givethem something to drink.
(22:54):
You meet them where they areand, as much as it's possible
for you.
He says, live at peace witheverybody.
You and I are supposed to bedifferent.
That's what sets us apart.
The world should look at us andlook at the church and realize
(23:15):
that the only way they're evergoing to find this is through
Jesus.
Paul says it.
Romans 8, in Christ.
In Christ, you now have all ofthese things at your disposal.
So, transformation if we're inJesus and transformation is not
happening, it's not because theSpirit's not working.
Transformation requires you andI to look inside and say what
(23:41):
are the things that I need toget rid of?
God brings people into ourlives.
I talked about this last nighttoo.
God brings people into ourlives.
I talked about this last nighttoo.
God brings people into ourlives sometimes that help us
course correct and they mentorus and they disciple us, and
we're called to do that forother people.
When we see people living in sinor living the way that they
shouldn't, we have to lovinglycome alongside them and help
(24:01):
them navigate that.
I saw something the other dayand it was a valid question, and
I don't remember where exactlyI saw it.
(24:21):
So if this is someone, ifsomething that someone posted
don't take it personal.
I really have no recollectionof.
I do know something that wasposted on someone's wall, but I
was thinking about this and thequestion was why can't we just
live in peace and let everyonelive their own life?
And I think that that's againsteverything Scripture teaches us.
(24:42):
It's not that we go aroundbashing people in the head or or
anything like that.
But the goal in christ is tohelp other people be like jesus.
So if I love someone I shouldbe willing to come alongside
them and help them learn thatand to kind of navigate that,
because I want them toexperience everything that I've
(25:04):
experienced in christ.
So that's kind of the struggleand the challenge as disciples
is we go into the world and wesay listen, we know you're
living the wrong way and we knowthat because the Word of God
has told us that and I love youenough to tell you about this,
(25:24):
because I've seen what it's donein my own life and I've seen
what it's done in my own lifeand I've seen the transformation
that comes.
And I can't sit back and idlylet you continue down this path,
because if I love you, I'msupposed to come alongside you,
I'm supposed to help you findtransformation because I myself
need it.
(25:44):
So it's not about encroachingon people or trying to cause
problems or judgment, but it'sabout if you only knew what God
could do in your life, you wouldrealize that everything else
the world has to offer you meansnothing.
Why, 15 years old, I had myfriend Ryan Wachowski loved me
(26:10):
enough to tell me about Jesus.
He didn't have to, but he did.
He helped me realize that theway that I was living was not
what God was calling me to do.
And Paul is telling them inRome, chapter 12 you're a living
sacrifice now was not what Godwas calling me to do.
And Paul is telling them inRome, chapter 12, you're a
(26:32):
living sacrifice now.
Whatever you think you've beendoing, you've been called to
something much greater.
The Spirit of God is in you.
Transformation of your heartand your mind.
Come in Christ, because thegoal is not to be a better
(26:54):
version of me.
The goal is to be like Jesus.
It's not how does Jason improve, it's how do I become more like
Christ in everything that I do?
That's transformation.
That's what Paul is calling for.
So, therefore, offer yourselfup as a living sacrifice for the
(27:18):
transformation of your heartand your mind Romans 8 because
in Christ, the spirit that is inyou, the spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead, is the samespirit that now lives in you,
and you no longer are slaves toyour old self, but you're called
to be something new.
All right, let's pray.
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