Sermons

Supernatural Transformation
“Last one in is a rotten Egg!”
Ephesians 1:18-23 & Hebrews 12:1-3 

When I was 8-9 years old at summer camp there was a swimming pool, I’d never seen one before then, and in the morning, it was open for us and the water was clear and warm, different from our swimming hole in the creek. 

One afternoon someone shouted out “The last one in is a rotten egg.” Well, I took the challenge and outran the crowd only to dive into an almost empty pool. Now I didn’t realize that until I was air born and it seemed that almost immediately the remaining water was becoming red and I was sitting unable to move. 

When it was all over, I was ok with a couple dislocated fingers, a concussion and a gash in the top of my head. 

I told you that because it seems that life is like a race. It all begins with the trip we make down the birth canal (some got to take the shortcut, but then you missed all the fun!). It continues through our childhood years as parents compare their child’s growth progress, “Oh, Tommy can speak sentences now, how’s little Steven doing?” 

Then there are the childhood games some of you will remember that illustrate the point that life seems to be a race. We played tag where the race is to avoid being “It”. We played hide-and-seek where the race is to avoid being found. We played Red-Red-Rover where the race is to break through the other team’s line. We played Duck-Duck-Goose where the race is to get in the empty spot! 

It's interesting as you think about these childhood games that not much changed as we grew into adults? We still play tag, isn’t it always someone else who is responsible for our actions? We still play Hide and Seek; we don’t want to be found OUT!? Get the picture? 

Not only does life seem to be a race but it also seems to be a characteristic of this world where everyone is striving to WIN this race. 

Whether it be the race of success in career or family; or the race against time with the things that just have to be done; or the race towards perfection in health and looks; or even the race for prosperity in riches and fame. 

We are inundated in our world with the call, “Last one in is a rotten egg!” 

Certainly, we were never mysteriously transformed into an egg or considered rotten if we happened to be the last one in the water, as a child, but later in life when we find ourselves trailing in the race we feel every bit like a rotten egg. 

For some this feeling is terribly crippling, it robs them of their joy, of their sense of self-worth, of their hope, and sadly for some, their life. 

For many of us this “race” we run in life brings a lot of tasks to accomplish. These tasks can range from the big ones like raising a family, to the small ones like having vitamins in the morning. 

Have you noticed there are some things that we set out to do that never seem to get finished? For the things we don’t care about it’s no big deal, but for the things that we do care about it is a big deal. 

It’s one thing to start something. It’s something else to complete it. But is it important to finish everything we start? The fact of the matter is there are certain quests better left undone, some projects wisely abandoned. 

There is a race that is run in life but the Bible talks about a race that is far more important than the one we run in this world. In this race it is not important that you win, it’s more important that you finish, even more, how you finish. 

The Greeks had a unique race in their Olympics.  The winner was not the runner who finished first! It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit! 

My desire is to encourage us to run the race that God has set out for us, not the world’s race. My desire is to encourage us to finish this race and finish it strong. 

I want us to understand that in all the races of life we’ll find that some are optional, like reading the latest book, or getting the perfect physique. Other races are essential, like the race of faith. Which is why the author of the book of Hebrews writes: 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

We have spent a number of weeks talking about Supernatural Transformation, grasping the fact that God loves us just the way we are, but refuses to leave us there. 

He wants to replace our heart with His heart. You’ve heard a number of messages about the heart of Christ, what it means to be just like Jesus. 

Remember in our studies, the world has never known a heart so pure, a character so flawless. Jesus’ spiritual hearing was so keen He never missed a heavenly whisper. His mercy so abundant He never missed a chance to forgive. No lie left His lips, no distraction marred His vision. He touched when others recoiled. He endured when others quit. Jesus is the ultimate model for every person. 

In this message I want to finish with a challenge, a challenge to fix our eyes on Christ and run the race He marks out for us. Let God transform us, supernaturally, so that we finish the race and finish it strong! 

The word race used in Hebrews 12 is from the Greek agon, from which we get the word agony. The race of faith is not a jog but rather a demanding and grueling, sometimes agonizing race. It takes a massive effort to finish strong. 

Perhaps you’ve observed that there are many who have paused or stopped running? There was a time when they kept the pace. But then weariness set in. They didn’t think it would be this tough. 

Or they were discouraged by a bump and daunted by a fellow runner. Whatever the reason, they stopped running. They may put a dollar in the offering plate and warm a chair, but their hearts aren’t in the race. 

They’ve retired before their time. Unless something happens, their best work will have been their first work, and their finish will be pitiful. 

By contrast, Jesus’ best work was His final work, and His strongest step was His last step. Jesus was the model of endurance. 

If you read further in Hebrews, you find that Jesus, “endured opposition from sinful men?” (vs13). The Bible says that He endured, He didn’t give up! He could have quit the race. But He didn’t, even in the face of opposition. 

And that brings us to another point, in the race marked out for Christ there was opposition. Just 
as in the race marked out for us, we will face opposition. 

Have you ever thought about the terrible things Christ faced? Can you think of times when Jesus could have given up? Remember, He was human. 

Think about His time of temptation. We all know what it is like to endure a moment of temptation or an hour of temptation, even a day of temptation. 

But the Bible says Jesus faced temptation for forty days! 

Sometimes we think of the times Jesus was tempted as isolated events scattered over the forty days but in reality, Jesus’ time of testing was nonstop. “For forty days He was tempted by the devil”, Satan hounded Jesus relentlessly, refusing to leave. Every moment whispering in His ear. Every turn in the path, sowing doubt. 

Luke doesn’t say that Satan tried to tempt Jesus, he didn’t say that the devil attempted to tempt Jesus. No, the passage is clear: He was tempted by the devil. 

Tempted to what? To change sides, to go home, to settle for a kingdom on earth. A war raged within. Stress stormed without. And since Jesus was tempted, He could have quit the race, He could have given in and given up. But He didn’t. He was not finished! 

So, temptation didn’t stop Jesus, but neither did accusations. Have you ever been in a position 
where you were doing something and you were criticized by bystanders? 

How does it make you feel? Have you ever wanted to lash out, “Fine, YOU do it!” It’s one thing to be discouraged by those you don’t know but what if it’s by friends or family? 

That’s what happened to Jesus. His own family called Him a lunatic. His neighbors treated Him even worse. When Jesus returned to His hometown, they tried to throw Him off a cliff. BUT JESUS DIDN’T QUIT RUNNING THE RACE! 

Temptations didn’t sway His resolve. Accusations didn’t discourage His purpose. Nor did shame diminish His willingness. 

Let’s take a moment to think carefully about the supreme test Jesus faced in the race. Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Jesus’ death on a cross was shameful, yet He thought nothing of it. Shame is a feeling of disgrace, embarrassment, or humiliation. That is precisely how Jesus felt. “Why? He never did anything worthy of shame!” No, but we did. 

On the cross God made Him become sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), Jesus was covered with shame. He was shamed before His family. Stripped naked before His own mother and loved ones. He was humiliated before the men around Him. 

Forced to carry a cross until the weight caused Him to stumble. Shamed before His church. The elders of His day mocked Him, calling Him names. He was humiliated before the city of Jerusalem and condemned to die a criminal’s death. 

But this shame before men was nothing compared to the shame Jesus would have had before His Father. To us, our individual shame seems too much to bear at times. Can you imagine bearing the collective shame of all humanity? 

In the face of this disgrace and shame we are left pondering How Christ endured? How could the writer of Hebrews refer to Jesus as thinking nothing of the shame? 

In answering this we answer the question for our own lives. In the race marked out for us we find that like Jesus we are tempted. Like Jesus we face opposition. And like Jesus we are ashamed. But unlike Jesus, we give up, we stop running, we fall down, we fail. 

How can we keep running as Jesus did? How can our hearts have the endurance Jesus had? 

And here is where we return to the text. As the writer of Hebrews put it, 12:2-3  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

I’ve emphasized it over and over again in these messages, when we fix our eyes on Christ, when we focus on His heart, His life, His strength, the door begins to open for God to work a Supernatural transformation in our hearts and lives. 

In this instance, when we focus on what Christ focused on, we notice that HE endured temptation, discouragement, and shame because of the joy placed before Him. 

What was the joy Christ had set before Him? One thing was probably heaven (after all Jesus is the only man who can hold to the claim of living on earth after living in heaven!), but I think it was more than that. 

I think Jesus was joyfully anticipating the feast awaiting Him in heaven, but more invigorating I believe Jesus was anticipating who would be feasting at the table with Him! 

I believe the joy Jesus had set before Him was the redemption of Mankind. What gave Him strength, what gave Him endurance, was the knowledge that His sacrifice would bridge the gap between lost humanity and a loving God. 

His sacrifice would provide the force for a restored relationship between God and His people. You and I were the joy set before Christ! He endured because He knew that you and I would then be able to have a relationship with Him. 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

This was the prize of the race for Christ. This is the prize of the race He sets out for us, a prize that we can experience right now and every day of our lives, a loving relationship with God. Church, we can finish the race and finish it strong if we fix our eyes on Christ! 

There are times when we see, and then there are times when we see. Most of us know what it means to see something we’ve only dreamt about, but do we know what it’s like to see Jesus? Do we know what it’s like to “fix our eyes on Christ?” 

God is urging us to fix our eyes upon Him. Heaven invites us to set the lens of our heart on the heart of the Savior and make Him the object of our life. 

So, what does it mean to see Jesus, not just see Him but see Him? 

The shepherds can tell us. They saw angels but that wasn’t enough. They saw the night sky shattered with light, but that wasn’t enough. Never had they seen such splendor, but that wasn’t enough. They wanted to see the one who sent the angels. 

The Magi had the same desire. They weren’t satisfied with the spectacle of the star. They pursued the light over Bethlehem to see the light of Bethlehem! 

More remarkable than their pursuit, was Jesus’ willingness to be found. Jesus wanted to be seen! Whether they came from the pasture or the palace, whether they lived in the temple or among the sheep, whether their gift was gold or honest surprise, they were welcomed. 

Try looking for one example of a person who desired to see the infant Jesus and was turned away and you won’t find them. 

You will find examples of those who didn’t seek Him. Those, like King Herod who were content with less. Those, like the religious leaders who preferred to read about Him than to actually see Him. 

The ratio between those who missed Him and those who sought Him is thousands to one. But the ratio between those who sought Him and those who found Him was ONE TO ONE. All who sought Him found Him. 

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

Let’s look at John and Andrew, “Where are you staying?” 
Or Matthew, “Can you spend the evening?” 
Or Simeon, “Can I stay alive until I see him?”

Or the Magi, “Saddle up the camels. We aren’t stopping until we find him.” 
Or the Shepherd, “Let’s go and see.” 

God rewards those who seek Him. I implore you, with passion I challenge you, Run the race that God has set out for you, and finish it strong by fixing your eyes on Christ. 

Don’t just glance at Him, don’t be satisfied with angels. Don’t be content with stars in the sky. Seek Him out as the shepherds did. Long for Him as Simeon did. Worship Him as the wise men did. 

Do as John and Andrew did: ask for His address. Do as Matthew: invite Jesus into your house. Imitate Zacchaeus. Risk whatever it takes to see Christ. 

God rewards those who pursue Him. The reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself. And what is the reward, “The heart of Jesus.” 

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

Read Eph. 1:18-23 Can you think of anything greater than being like Jesus? Won’t you let Him transform you? 

In Jesus’ Name, Amen!