“Factories that manufacturing steel”

Theres a nice thing in moulding steel, steel will take the shape of the mould but only when its red hot!

“Keep your zeal for God. As thats the fire that melts you, to make you able to become shaped for God’s purpose for you!”

What mould are you being shaped into?

We are reminded in scripture to not be conformed to the way the world works but be transformed!

The question is: Will you be Conformed or transformed?

There is no middle ground! the world has a mould for everything, BUT, So does God! The two moulds are not compatible with each other!

Conformity is passive unlike transforming, which is active in nature!

Even Christians can fall into a passive mould of the world. If you are not vigilant against an enemy your strength may not matter, like the parable of the strong man:

Mathew 12:29: “…Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house…”

Don’t put the world into the word, Put the word into the world!

There is a true saying:
“for as he thinks in his heart so he is.”
Some people say “There’s no thought police.”
But evil thoughts have a way of surfacing in horrible ways. The heart is the first battle ground, the first victory or failure.

Tell me: what is conforming you? How is God Offering to transform you? They are often opposite moulds but in the same topic! i.e the world says “Look after number 1 first.” God offers a mentality or a transformed mind that thinks: “God has everything I need on its way! My Job is Just to seek his Kingdom and righteousness!” That righteousness may be like the widow with 2 mites:

Mark 12:41-43

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

So then what does God want to transform in your life?

We are not God’s peddler’s. Thats not our Job. We are called to relationship to him. A deep and eternal connection that nothing or no-one can break!

The world is still pushing its evil ideology of greed and the fear of loss. God will also not stop his agenda of generosity, God’s gonna win too!

No matter how great the world is or the happiness it gives you it’s still evil or sinful and we are all affected by it.

Even so theres a promise: A transformed mind is a mind that knows and understands God.

Some of us have a problem with not wanting to stand out, we often just want to just blend in, but remember! Transformation is active, conformity is passive.

It begins in the mind. As a choice. There’s only one choice. The world or God?

Jesus’s transfiguration is like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

“What was is now gone, eternal transformation”

OR

“The imperfect dies, The perfect is forever!”

We all need true transformation from God. Some are still walking even with wings. We can fly but we choose the ground! Make it make sense!

“In Christ, Made new, Not the same.”

We are a chosen generation. We are all called to devote ourselves to God before everything else.

God has birthed life from death, or light from within darkness. The dust that was Adam is us before God. In just one breath, He makes our ashes alive!

“From ashes to ashes, From dust to dust.”

But from God is life, and its that life that wakes us up in the morning. It’s his life we share by his Spirit. God is the constant in everything so…

“From breath to breath, From Spirit to Spirit!”

Never forget we are choice from God!

1 peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

A godly life reflects Christ! He wins through it. So give what he gave, victory.

1 peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.

So are you going to passively be moulded by an evil world? What areas have you been shaped by the world?

Let us be renewed in Christ.

The world wants us to be caged up but God has already opened the door to a renewed mind. To a mind free from the gutters of the world. A mind that has a key. Not a cage.

It’s worth noting this: If you put new wine into an old wineskin it will burst. So, put the new wine into new wine skins. This is a metaphor: If God puts the new thing he is doing, -the outpouring of the Spirit- we will burst if we are stuck in an old mindset, so be renewed. Get a new mind. Be made new again, and you will not burst and waste the gift of the Spirit he desires to give us so strongly.

John 10:27
“My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Go get a new mind! God has one for you! He offers it with great Joy!

There are three stages in a caterpillars life:
1. hungry caterppiler.
2. Cocoon, sleepy sleepy.
3. BUTTERFLY Weeeee!!! Flying time!!!! 😀 Yayyy!!!

God is shaping you to be greater than the world ever could. Let God be your moulder! The one who fashions you like a steel factory. Or, let the carpenter turn you from a log into an eternal masterpiece. His masterpiece!

Let us ask for a fresh revelation of who God is and forgiveness from the worldly things we have sought. We have the Ultimate king! Many kings have fought and died in battle, but none so graciously as Jesus. His Love in our hearts is a conquered world. A world without Jesus, is a lost one. A world with? Never ends.

Many Blessings
(rewritten sermon from church at connect tawa by Mason)

-Azie