Dying towards life
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
The metamorphosis «Let your being be transformed!» describes the process of a follower of Jesus in transforming from ego-nature to Jesus-likeness. Jesus needs the image of the grain of wheat that has to die in the earth so that it can bear much fruit. A follower of Jesus dies in the metamorphosis towards life. The focus of this sermon is on life in the adult stage. What does this look like in the key areas of life – money and possessions, career and employment, and family and friends?
After the caterpillar has pupated, it seems to be dead. But then it awakens to new life and new beauty through the process of metamorphosis. It is through dying that we move towards life. It is no different in the transformation of our being: «If the grain of wheat does not fall into the earth and die, it remains a single grain. But if it dies, it bears much fruit»(John 12:24 NGÜ). In following Jesus, we are challenged to do just that. That is why it does not feel attractive. Today we focus more on living and less on dying.
I am currently reading the biography of Rees Howells (1879–1950), who came from a poor family in a Welsh mining village. There he learned the secret of prayer and experienced the power of God in a most impressive way. He even became the door opener for a revival in Africa. After he had decided to live with Jesus Christ, an embattled transformation process followed. The Holy Spirit challenged him to deal with everything that belonged to the old nature. Love of money, personal ambition, natural affection for parents and loved ones, the desires of the body, love of life itself – all that makes even a converted man live for himself: his own comfort, advantage, progress, even his circle of friends – must be brought to the cross. The result was not poverty, brittleness or narrowness, but fullness, exuberant joy and deep peace.
A follower of Jesus dies in metamorphosis towards life. As soon as he has surrendered an area of life completely to God, a huge joy and freedom follows. Paul finds words for this: «One thing is certain, brothers and sisters: things are coming to an end faster and faster. Therefore, in the time that is left to us, for the married person it must not be marriage that determines his life; for the sad person it must not be sadness and for the happy person it must not be joy. Whoever buys something should handle it as if it did not belong to him, and whoever makes use of the things of this world must not allow himself to be taken captive by them. For the world as it is is doomed to destruction» (1 Corinthians 7:29–31 NGÜ). When we surrender our areas of life to God, they come into proper order and we can enjoy them in freedom without falling into an unpleasant dependency.
In the last sermon (sympathiser or follower) Jesus encounters three people in whom ultimately the material comfort, the profession and the family prevented them from fully following Jesus. Today we look at the areas again and will realise that it is only profit to put them behind Jesus.
Freedom in money and possessions
God told Abraham to leave his homeland and move to a land that He would show him. Who would do such a thing? Abraham obeyed and set out with his family. He surrendered his life completely to God. When he entered the Promised Land, he had nothing. But God entrusted him with an incredible amount of wealth. God is not stingy!
Money is an excellent servant, but a vile master. Jesus» concern is that money becomes an excellent servant. The danger in our affluent society is great that money and possessions determine our lives and we define ourselves by them. At the same time, this excludes Jesus being our Lord. «A man cannot serve two masters. He will be devoted to one and reject the other. He will give his all to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and at the same time serve Mammon.» (Matthew 6:24 NGÜ). The term Mammon does not mean money in and of itself, but the spirit behind it, which makes us dependent on money - also called love of money.
At the last regional pastors» meeting, a colleague who is retiring this year said somewhat ashamedly: «Sometimes I think about how much money I could have earned if I had stayed an engineer.» And then he told us with joy that a door for a condominium was opening and that he had just experienced a few miracles in terms of financing. If we put our material comforts behind Jesus, we will experience how he provides. Wise Solomon says about this: «Trust in your wealth and you will perish! But the godly blossom like the trees in springtime»(Proverbs 11:28 NL).
But the process of subordinating our material comforts to God is extraordinarily difficult and demanding. Because we are so rich, we think we can also lose a lot. God’s goal is to lead us into a huge freedom in terms of possessions and money. To have as if one did not have. This makes us crisis-proof. For it is true: «For wealth can suddenly disappear – it takes wings like an eagle and flies away»(Proverbs 23:5 NL). Our money is not safe, especially nowadays, and the situation can change very quickly. The metamorphosis in matters of money wants to prepare us for this. But it costs us everything. The power of mammon can only be broken through generous giving. The money must serve us and not we the money! A rich man who wanted to follow Jesus failed because he could not let go of his possessions (Matthew 19:16ff).
Freedom in profession and employment
When people talk to each other, they soon talk about their profession. Because of the profession, we place ourselves above or below the person we are talking to. Through the profession we get status, identity and meaning. One reason why I do not approach my timeout in the summer in a relaxed manner is that who am I then when I live far away from my job and the community. There is a task ahead of me: the ego nature must be replaced with the divine nature in this matter.
Work is very central for us humans. Already on the day of his creation, he was given the task of preserving, administering and shaping the earth. According to Jewish thinking, what is created later is always caringly responsible for what has gone before. So man is supposed to maintain and shape fauna and flora, lakes and meadows, the Milky Way and other galaxies in a caring way. And who then cares for man? On the seventh day God rested from all his works and instituted the Sabbath. The Sabbath and the resting God take care of us! But when work gets too much weight and pushes Jesus out of first place, man suddenly believes he can no longer afford the day of rest. He gets caught in a hamster wheel and as a result his marriage, family or health suffers. The Sabbath is a test case for the right priorities. The job also belongs behind Jesus in discipleship. We are then crisis-proof even when we lose our job, because it does not hit us in the core of our personality.
Perhaps employers are grateful when their employees are enslaved by work and achieve a lot for the sake of their self-worth. Do not be afraid! Paul says: «Do your work with zeal and joy, as if you were serving God and not people. Do not forget that the Lord will reward you with the heavenly inheritance. Serve the Lord Jesus Christ»(Colossians 3:23f NL)! If someone serves the Lord Jesus Christ with and in work, he will do excellent and honest work, and – he does it with joy and in great freedom.
Freedom in family and among friends
A fortnight ago, before his baptismal renewal, I asked the baptised if he was willing to put his wife and daughter second behind Jesus. Many felt that this question was not adequate and were embarrassed. Can there be anything more important than family? By far the best thing for your family and friends is to clearly put Jesus Christ first.
Also a fortnight ago, the Window on Sunday portrayed a woman who was 36 years old and alone with her four children. They lived as a family in Papa New Guinea. Her husband was a pilot for a missionary society. One day, the unthinkable happened: he crashed his plane and died. Today – 14 years later – she still has tears in her eyes when she talks about it. She said: «I didn’t understand God that way, but I always knew that he was there and that he was indirectly or directly partly responsible. He did not prevent the disaster. But I feel and have the certainty that he still loves me. In spite of everything that was difficult, it was also a beautiful experience, because I experienced God as a reality at that moment.» Friends and family are not crisis-proof – God is!
Never think that marriage and family would suffer if you follow Jesus with everything you have. In Ephesians 5, Paul compares the mystery of Christ’s devoted love for the church to the love of a wife and husband. The purest and greatest love the world has ever seen should serve as a model for the love between man and woman. The more you are receptive to God’s love, the greater you will love your spouse and your friends! Whoever knows himself loved by God and thus receives meaning, identity and value, does not have to overtax his spouse. He is then not responsible for his happiness, because that is already there.
Children are often the centre of attention in families. Everything revolves around the children. This is very unhealthy for their development. They are conditioned to get and have great difficulty giving. The order should be different: God first, then the spouse and only then the children. This is the secret of success for healthy children to grow up. This is also clear from the story of creation: first man was created as a counterpart of God, then man was given another human being to fellowship with, and from this relationship children grew up. Do you want to do something good for your children? Remove them from the centre of your life! In this matter, too, you find life through dying.
A follower of Jesus who allows himself to be transformed in his I finds himself as a steward and no longer as an owner. He also no longer seeks the meaning of life in the created, but in the relationship with God. This leads to an inconceivable freedom and to the highest enjoyment in terms of possessions, work, family and all other things in life. In metamorphosis we die towards life. That is radical. The root word radix means Root. «As you have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, so live with him and be obedient to him. Sink your roots deep into his soil and draw from him, and you will grow in faith and become steadfast in the truth in which you have been instructed. And then your life will overflow with gratitude for all that he has done.»(Colossians 2:6f NL). Niklaus von der Flüe asks God in a prayer for this transformation: «My Lord and my God, take from me everything that hinders me to you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that promotes me to you. My Lord and my God, take me from me and give me entirely to you.»
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
- How do we come into such freedom in the areas of life as Paul describes in the given Bible text?
- Metamorphosis means dying towards life. How do you understand this? How does one do that?
- What is the danger when possessions, work, family or other things come before Jesus in the list of priorities? What are the characteristics of this?
- To what extent is following Jesus radical? Why is it not a dangerous radicalisation?
- Pray together the prayer of Niklaus von der Flüeh and pray for the set Metamorphosis annual goals!
