2008-02-10 Sermon Title: Transformation
Thu, 02/14/2008 - 16:01 — hpcbc
Sermon 2/10/08
Sermon Title: Transformation
講道題目：更新變化
Sermon Text: 2Corinthians 5:17
講道經文：哥林多後書五章十七節
Scripture Reading: Psalms 51:9-12
讀經：詩篇五十一篇九至十二節
We usually think of transformation as something becoming more beautiful, or getting better in terms of quality. Can you imagine a wiggly worm like a caterpillar can be transformed into a beautiful butterfly? The change is not just maturation; it involves a process called metamorphosis. The caterpillar passes into a pupa during which the whole body is completely disintegrated leaving only a few cells (histolysis). The remaining cell will differentiate and grow into an adult butterfly (histogenesis). This process of metamorphosis is called holometabolism; it has completely done away with the old and produced a new individual that operates differently. The caterpillar belongs to earth crawling on its little limbs; the butterfly belongs to heaven flying with open wings. The caterpillar is happy with the greenery and is satisfied in eating leaves; the butterfly is flirting with the beautiful flowers and enjoys their nectar.
In the Old Testament there was a people called the Hebrews. God had chosen them as His chosen people. In the course of history they were sojourning in Egypt under the bondage of the Egyptians. God called Moses to delivery them from slavery in the land of Egypt and make them a free nation to serve God. Soon after they had seen the signs and wonders of God, they started to complain in the wilderness of Sin that they would rather serve the Egyptians. They were born slave and knew nothing better than slavery; they would rather sit around the meat-pot than risk the insecurity of freedom. (Exo.16:3) The Lord said to Moses, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself….’” (Exo.19: 3-4) God not only set them free, God also provides. God had carried them on eagles’ wing soaring high above and see the surroundings with eagle eyes’ view. Why would they want to go back to Egypt after they had seen how God parted the red sea for them to walk on dry land; sent quails and Manna from heaven and refreshed them with water gushing from the rock? Sometimes we can compare ourselves very well with the Hebrews in Egypt. Our lives are shaped by the society. One tries very hard to keep his job, whether he likes the job or not, in order to feed the family and keep the lifestyle expected of him by the society. Sometimes he feels depressed because he is so tied down with things that are getting him nowhere. He gets upset because he has not gotten the promotion that he thinks he deserves. He may get jealous because his classmates have better jobs and bigger houses than he has. But still he is in the rat race because the only way he knows when facing problems is to tough it out. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (matthew11:28) Is it not nice to realize that we can come to Jesus and he will carry us on eagles’ wing and set our spirit free from our burdens? We can soar high our spirit and not be enslaved by our worries.
When God created man and put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they knew the sweet fellowship with God until they sinned against God by disobedience. The Bible tells us. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”(Romans 5:12)
The world becomes so entangled with sin that it does not know what it is like to be free of the bondage of sin. The world in sin is very much like the Hebrews being enslaved by the Egyptians. The toiled under the whip of the slave master who also provided them with a morsel of meat in their pots. They were so used to that kind of life that they did not even think about freedom. To be enslaved by sin appears to have no way out and at the end will be death. However, the Bible tell us there is one way, “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that bring life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19). The first man, Adam, was of the dust of the earth, the second man, Jesus, from heaven. “As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” (1Corinthians 15:46-49) Paul was telling us that the body we have inherited from Adam is of the dust of the earth; this body is earth bound and will return to dust. However, for all those trusted in Jesus, we are looking forward to the day when this body will be transformed into an imperishable body. The transformation is not just plastic surgery that takes away the wrinkles and the extra body insulations; neither is it an extreme make-over with a new nose job and added curvature. It is a completely different body, metamorphosis if you wish to call it, a glorious heavenly body.
Paul was telling the church in Corinth a mystery, “I declare to you, brother, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” (1Corinthians 15:50) This is the reason why Jesus told Nicodemus, the learned Jewish teacher and leader, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3) Christians have dual citizenship. When a person is born in the United States, he automatically becomes a US citizen. In the same way, if one is born in China, he is a Chinese citizen. Citizen can also be acquired by naturalization if one has certain skill or money to invest. However, the citizenship in the kingdom of God can only be claimed by birthright. No amount of money or skill or good work can earn a person the right to be in the kingdom of God. Jesus continued to say, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5) It is a completely new life. Paul said, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life…For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:3-7) Jesus said no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Baptism is a powerful imagery: the Holy Spirit leads us to acknowledge Jesus is the Christ who died on the cross to redeem us from sin; the water of baptism symbolizes that we are dead to sin and are raised up again to live for Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2Corinthians 5:17) Like a butterfly in the sky, enjoying the freedom of a new life.
