Transformation: What’s Next 2 Tim 2: 11-13

We are now in the final week of our sermon series on having our lives transformed into the likeness of Christ. For the last several weeks we have discussed what can block such transformation and what can help it blossom. But as we draw near to the end of this series, and the the end of the season of Lent - a time set aside to prepare our hearts for the coming of Easter - the question looms: what’s next?

In order to discern what is coming next we first need to remember. In Psalm 77 we find the words, “I will remember your deeds of old.” Whose deeds? God’s deeds. In order to trust God to move us faithfully into the future, we need to remember who God is and what God has done for us. 

I’ve been involved in different types of ministries over the years. One was an evening Vacation Bible School program that ran throughout the school year for one night a week. At the conclusion of one of the sessions the director gave me a little book that I still treasure today - a book of God’s promises. It seems that we don’t spend enough time in the Church talking about the promises of God. God promises to meet our needs, give us eternal life if we so choose, lead us by the Holy Spirit. God promises to love us, forgive us, protect us and give us peace. The list goes on and on. We need to remember the promises of God and trust God with our very lives. If we don’t know what God has promised, how can we move into these promises in the future?

We also need to remember who we are and whose we are. If someone asked you at a party who you are what would you say? Most people begin with their name. Then follow up with what they do for an occupation. Or something about their families. Or where they live. These are all wonderful things, but they are simply reflections of who you truly are. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life you become a son or daughter of God. That is our primary identity. That is what defines us. Our very relationship to God. 

Additionally, we need to remember the covenants we have made with God and with one another as the body of Christ. A covenant is a holy agreement between God and the people of God. It’s a vow, or promise that we make with our very lives. A contract. We make covenants at important times in our lives. At weddings we promise to have and hold our spouse from that day forward no matter what the circumstances - rich or poor, in sickness or health, until you are parted by death. At baptism we promise to renounce the force of wickedness at our lives and in the world and to claim the freedom that can only be found in God. When someone is baptized we as the church, the local body of Christ, promise to nurture the person being baptized. When we join the church we vow to give of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to the work of the Kingdom of God. 

But sometimes we go through our days in such a blur that we forget. We fail to remember the promises of God that claim us. We forget our primary identity - forget who we are. We forget the promises we made, sometimes so long ago, at key times in our faith walk. And when we forget we are more prone to sin.

No one is above sinning. Even if we have known Christ our entire lives we can still sin. In fact, each of us probably have different sins that can lead us astray. At my last appointment one of the churches on the charge took a leap of faith and invited AA to use their building. The local chapter of AA was a bit confused at first when I contacted them first, asking if they would like to use a church building, rent free, throughout the week to hold their meetings. But it was a decision we never regretted as a local church. We formed relationships with the man the woman who oversaw that meeting, and through them we learned one of the lessons of AA - you have to stay vigilant. You cannot let your guard down or you are more prone to relapsing. So it is in our faith lives, brothers and sisters. We have to remember in order to stay vigilant. When we forget and start to let our guard down, sin can overtake us. 

Sometimes as a pastor I will have folks who came to know Jesus in a powerful way come to me desperate to feel the warmth in their hearts that accompanied their salvation. The amazing feeling that overtook them when they were baptized. I always invite them to remember. For folks who have been in any relationship a long time will tell you that feelings or emotions can fade, but love is a choice. We make the choice to remember and love God every single day. Not just days when our hearts are warmed. Not just days when we feel like it or it comes easy. 

But once we remember then what? Where do we go from here? In the words of 2 Timothy, that all depends on what we choose. If we have died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are faithless - he will remain faithful. Will we choose to die with Christ? Will we choose to endure? Will we continue to live into the covenant? 

As we end this Lenten journey, we leave this place continuing to grow in our relationship with God. Think about the person you are closest to on this earth - a spouse, a friend. Was your relationship the way it is today from the first time you met? Probably not. We grow in our relationships as we spend time with that person. Getting to know them. Having experiences with them. So it is with God. When we spend time with God we grow in our relationship and can trust God more.

We especially trust God more as we seek God’s will. For God doesn’t always reveal the will of the divine in dramatic fashion. In fact, often the will of God is revealed in bits and pieces, where we don’t know all the details. But we come to know more about God’s will by being in relationship with God. Spending time together in prayer and silence and being in the Word of God.

Brothers and sisters, let this not be the end of our journey. Let us remember who God is and who we are as sons and daughters of the Holy One. Let us seek to remember the promises of God and the promises we have made to God. Let us continue to grow deeper in love with God. Choosing to love God daily. Amen.