Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in zoo\u00adlo\u00adgy is the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of the lar\u00adval form to the adult stage \u2013 for exam\u00adp\u00adle, from a lar\u00adva to a but\u00adter\u00adfly. The same term is also used in the Bible in Romans 12:2: \u00abBe trans\u00adfor\u00admed in your being!\u00bb This is a very inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the matu\u00adring pro\u00adcess of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. The impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve chal\u00adlenges us to allow a pro\u00adcess in our own lives that is enti\u00adre\u00adly out\u00adside our own capa\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties. No one can bring them\u00adsel\u00adves to spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal matu\u00adri\u00adty. The crea\u00adti\u00adve life-crea\u00adting action of God must hap\u00adpen to us. We are to seek it and allow it.<\/p>\n
Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in natu\u00adre is a fasci\u00adna\u00adting pro\u00adcess and shows some\u00adthing of the Creator\u2019s geni\u00adus. In zoo\u00adlo\u00adgy, the term refers to the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of the lar\u00adval form into the adult stage, the sexu\u00adal\u00adly matu\u00adre, adult ani\u00admal. A lar\u00adva trans\u00adforms into a cater\u00adpil\u00adlar and the cater\u00adpil\u00adlar beco\u00admes a but\u00adter\u00adfly through meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis. The term refers spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly to ani\u00admals who\u00adse juve\u00adni\u00adle stages dif\u00adfer very mark\u00aded\u00adly in shape and life\u00adstyle from the adult state. \tWhy don\u2019t you talk about whe\u00adther you want to work in the small group with a note\u00adbook whe\u00adre you wri\u00adte down the things that God puts on your heart? Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in zoo\u00adlo\u00adgy is the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of the lar\u00adval form to the adult stage \u2013 for exam\u00adp\u00adle, from a lar\u00adva to a but\u00adter\u00adfly. The same term is also used in the Bible in Romans 12:2: \u00abBe trans\u00adfor\u00admed in your being!\u00bb This is a very inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the matu\u00adring pro\u00adcess of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. The impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve chal\u00adlenges us to\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3301","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe exact same term is used by Paul to descri\u00adbe the deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00admen\u00adtal pro\u00adcess of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus: \u00abAnd do not con\u00adform your\u00adsel\u00adves to this cour\u00adse of the world, but be trans\u00adfor\u00admed [in your natu\u00adre] by the rene\u00adwing of your mind, that you may pro\u00adve what is the good and accep\u00adta\u00adble and per\u00adfect will of God\u00bb (Romans 12:2 Sch). Appar\u00adent\u00adly, the\u00adre is also a clear dif\u00adfe\u00adrence here bet\u00adween a per\u00adson befo\u00adre and while fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus.
\nThe goal
\nThe\u00adre are various ani\u00admals that under\u00adgo meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis: Beet\u00adles, bees, ants, frogs, but\u00adter\u00adflies. Two cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics are com\u00admon to all: com\u00adple\u00adte meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis and no repro\u00adduc\u00adtion in larvae.
\nCom\u00adple\u00adte meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis: After meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis, the adult ani\u00admal looks com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent and it also lives and eats dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. A caul is a her\u00adbi\u00advo\u00adre. It has gills and lives enti\u00adre\u00adly in water. During the three-month meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis, it grows a lung. The frog can now live on land and in the water. And \u2013 it beco\u00admes a car\u00adni\u00advo\u00adre, fee\u00adding on worms and insects.
\nIn con\u00adtrast, with most ani\u00admals \u2013 and also with us humans \u2013 the young look like a mini ver\u00adsi\u00adon of the gre\u00adat. The goal of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus, howe\u00adver, is not sim\u00adply to beco\u00adme older and more expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced. God wants to bring forth some\u00adthing new in us through his life-crea\u00adting power. Befo\u00adre, it was adapt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon to the cour\u00adse of the world; through meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis, an abili\u00adty to exami\u00adne what is the good and plea\u00adsing and per\u00adfect will of God is to grow. Ins\u00adtead of living as ever\u00adyo\u00adne does, we are to beco\u00adme peo\u00adp\u00adle who know and do the good and plea\u00adsing and per\u00adfect will of God.
\nLar\u00advae do not repro\u00addu\u00adce, only the adult ani\u00admal is sexu\u00adal\u00adly matu\u00adre and can mul\u00adti\u00adply. This is also an important goal of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus. Through meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis we are to beco\u00adme mul\u00adti\u00adply\u00ading Chris\u00adti\u00adans. Such peo\u00adp\u00adle are also cal\u00adled spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mothers and fathers; peo\u00adp\u00adle who beget, influence, pro\u00admo\u00adte and train the next gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. We live our Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty not only for our\u00adsel\u00adves, but always for others.
\nSo the goal of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis is to beco\u00adme a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly new per\u00adson who invests hims\u00adelf in others. We will go through the Ser\u00admon on the Mount (Matthew 5\u20137) tog\u00ade\u00adther during the year and the\u00adre the goal of a fol\u00adlower is descri\u00adbed with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words: \u00abBut you shall be per\u00adfect, even as your Father in hea\u00adven is per\u00adfect\u00bb (Matthew 5:48 NL<\/span>). The pray\u00ader of Fran\u00adcis of Assi\u00adsi, which we will hear in the teaser throug\u00adhout the year, finds words for this per\u00adfec\u00adtion we seek. It is a pre\u00adcious tre\u00adasu\u00adre from the histo\u00adry of the Church!
\nLord, make me an instru\u00adment of your peace,
\nthat I love whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle hate;
\nthat I for\u00adgi\u00adve whe\u00adre one offends;
\nthat I unite whe\u00adre the\u00adre is strife;
\nthat I speak the truth whe\u00adre the\u00adre is error;
\nthat I bring faith whe\u00adre doubt threatens;
\nthat I awa\u00adken hope whe\u00adre des\u00adpair torments;
\nthat I kind\u00adle light whe\u00adre dark\u00adness reigns;
\nthat I bring joy whe\u00adre sor\u00adrow dwells.
\nLord, let me strive,
\nnot that I may be com\u00adfor\u00adted, but that I may be comforted;
\nnot that I am unders\u00adtood, but that I understand;
\nnot that I am loved, but that I love.
\nFor he who gives hims\u00adelf receives;
\nhe who for\u00adgets hims\u00adelf finds;
\nhe who for\u00adgi\u00adves will be forgiven;
\nand he who dies awa\u00adkens to eter\u00adnal life.
\nThe means
\nA fol\u00adlower of Jesus is to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed into a per\u00adson who can test and do the good and plea\u00adsing and per\u00adfect will of God. The means to that end is meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis: \u00abBe trans\u00adfor\u00admed in your being!\u00bb This who\u00adle phra\u00adse is trans\u00adla\u00adted from the Greek verb meta\u00admor\u00adphoo, and spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly it is an impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve passive.
\nThe impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve paints befo\u00adre our eyes the urgen\u00adcy of this trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. We should want and stri\u00adve for it! But at the same time, the pas\u00adsi\u00adve indi\u00adca\u00adtes that we can\u00adnot do it our\u00adsel\u00adves. It has to hap\u00adpen to us. In the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis of ani\u00admals, it is the hor\u00admo\u00adnes that con\u00adtrol the pro\u00adcess. Who con\u00adtrols the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life? Who is behind the pas\u00adsi\u00adve. Someone has to do it!
\nWhen the mil\u00adking machi\u00adne was inven\u00adted, the far\u00admer no lon\u00adger had to pull the milk out of the udder with his own mus\u00adcle power. It was done by an elec\u00adtric pump sys\u00adtem. Was the mil\u00adker no lon\u00adger nee\u00added? Very much so, becau\u00adse he first had to attach the machi\u00adne to the udder so that the machi\u00adne could do its work. We can\u00adnot initia\u00adte the pro\u00adcess of trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon our\u00adsel\u00adves, but we abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly have to make sure that the power is appli\u00aded! We can\u00adnot actively bring about the pro\u00adcess, but we must allow it.
\nLast year, Mar\u00adtin Kie\u00adner told us about the but\u00adter\u00adflies in a seni\u00ador citi\u00adzens\u00bb after\u00adnoon. He told us that when the chry\u00adsa\u00adlis is trans\u00adfor\u00admed into a but\u00adter\u00adfly, a new heart is crea\u00adted. This fasci\u00adna\u00adted me and remin\u00added me of a sen\u00adtence by David in the Psalms: \u00abGod, crea\u00adte (bara) in me a clean heart and give me a new, upright spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Psalm 51:12 NL<\/span>). This phra\u00adse uses the same verb as in the crea\u00adti\u00adon sto\u00adry: \u00abIn the begin\u00adning God crea\u00adted (bara) the hea\u00advens and the earth\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:1 NL<\/span>). Bara means the crea\u00adti\u00adon out of not\u00adhing, the crea\u00adtio ex nihi\u00adlo. The acti\u00advi\u00adty of bara is reser\u00adved for God alo\u00adne. Only He can crea\u00adte some\u00adthing out of not\u00adhing. The who\u00adle world came into being in this way.
\nInci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, it is the power of the cross with which he brings about the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in us. This is impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly depic\u00adted in our annu\u00adal pic\u00adtu\u00adre. \u00abI pray that you may rea\u00adli\u00adse how over\u00adwhel\u00admingly gre\u00adat is his power with which he works in us who belie\u00adve in him. It is the same migh\u00adty power that rai\u00adsed Christ from the dead and gave him the place of honour at God\u2019s right hand in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:19f NL<\/span>). From the cross flows an unstoppable power that can chan\u00adge the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus. It is the same migh\u00adty power that rai\u00adsed Christ from the dead and gave him the place of honour at God\u2019s right hand side in hea\u00adven. From lar\u00adva to but\u00adter\u00adfly. From con\u00adfor\u00admi\u00adty to the cour\u00adse of the world to the test of God\u2019s good and plea\u00adsing and per\u00adfect will.
\nOur actions
\nSo our task in this sto\u00adry is to be pas\u00adsi\u00adve. But this does not mean chill-out, lethar\u00adgy or indif\u00adfe\u00adrence. In gre\u00adat inten\u00adsi\u00adty we are to look, to allow, to see to it that what we can\u00adnot do our\u00adsel\u00adves hap\u00adpens. The far\u00admer has to get up at 5:00 in the mor\u00adning and start the mil\u00adking machi\u00adne so that the cow is mil\u00adked. We have to look at the glo\u00adry of the Lord so that the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis hap\u00adpens to us: \u00abYes, we all see with unvei\u00adled face the glo\u00adry of the Lord. We see it as in a mir\u00adror, and by loo\u00adking at the image of the Lord, our who\u00adle being is trans\u00adfor\u00admed in such a way that we beco\u00adme more and more like Him and share more and more of His glo\u00adry. This trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon is the work of the Lord; it is the work of his Spi\u00adrit\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:18 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nOur pas\u00adsi\u00advi\u00adty is only rela\u00adted to meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis. We can beco\u00adme acti\u00adve throug\u00adhout by behol\u00adding the glo\u00adry of the Lord. We find this first of all in the Bible. But Jesus also reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf in crea\u00adti\u00adon, in prai\u00adse and in our neigh\u00adbour. Let us take time in the new year to gaze in won\u00adder at this glo\u00adry. It is in con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adting this God that trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon hap\u00adpens, in which we recei\u00adve more of his glo\u00adry. We also beco\u00adme what we look at.
\nThe small groups should sup\u00adport us on this path. In a mee\u00adting with the lea\u00adders of the small groups we tal\u00adked about beco\u00adming very con\u00adcre\u00adte in the new year. We sug\u00adgest that we keep a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal dia\u00adry and con\u00adti\u00adnuous\u00adly wri\u00adte down the things we want to hold out to Jesus for trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. We also want to for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte a meaningful goal for the year. Someone told me that they had set the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing goal for the year: I want to beco\u00adme a more ser\u00ade\u00adne and joyful per\u00adson. Throug\u00adhout 2020 he pray\u00aded for this inten\u00adti\u00adon and ama\u00adzing things hap\u00adpen\u00aded \u2013 real changes!
\nThis moti\u00adva\u00adtes me to also for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte such a goal for mys\u00adelf, which will pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly be quite simi\u00adlar. Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in mat\u00adters of sere\u00adni\u00adty and enjoy\u00ading life, I noti\u00adce that I have beco\u00adme too much the maxi\u00admum ver\u00adsi\u00adon of litt\u00adle Mat\u00adthi\u00adas. Often I still live with simi\u00adlar sen\u00adten\u00adces as in child\u00adhood. I let mys\u00adelf be pro\u00advo\u00adked too often, com\u00adpe\u00adte with others and can\u00adnot enjoy life at all becau\u00adse I am always per\u00adforming and pro\u00adving. I will ask for trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of this tough soup all year. Ins\u00adtead of a colourful, dancing but\u00adter\u00adfly, I am still too much of a cater\u00adpil\u00adlar eating my fill. We could be but\u00adter\u00adflies dancing in the wind, yet too often we hang as chry\u00adsa\u00adli\u00adses on a branch.
\nThe\u00adre are ani\u00admals that under\u00adgo a meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis. In con\u00adtrast, with most ani\u00admals \u2013 and also with us humans \u2013 the young look like a mini ver\u00adsi\u00adon of the big ones. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, this also appli\u00ades to the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life. A litt\u00adle cut\u00adthroat beco\u00admes a big one. A small ego\u00adist beco\u00admes a big one, but one who knows how to con\u00adce\u00adal this bet\u00adter. It is so sad when, after many years of disci\u00adple\u00adship, deep\u00adly ing\u00adrai\u00adned bad beha\u00adviours do not chan\u00adge. When the same des\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adve rela\u00adti\u00adonship pat\u00adterns are still the\u00adre. When I still go through life with the same fear. If I am still depen\u00addent on the applau\u00adse of others. If I am still fee\u00adling sor\u00adry for myself.
\n
\nLet us put an end to such unde\u00adsi\u00adra\u00adble pat\u00adterns tog\u00ade\u00adther in 2021 and beco\u00adme more women and men who matu\u00adre refres\u00adhin\u00adgly dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly and clo\u00adser to the per\u00adfec\u00adtion of God. The impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve cle\u00adar\u00adly shows that this will not hap\u00adpen wit\u00adhout effort. But \u2013 how much is fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus worth to us?
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Romans 12:2; 2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:18<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in zoo\u00adlo\u00adgy? What is it in the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life?
\n\tFrom which sta\u00adte to which sta\u00adte is the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis accor\u00adding to Romans 12:2 sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to trans\u00adform us?
\n\tWhat does the impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve pas\u00adsi\u00adve mean? What does this gram\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal form say about the process?
\n\tIn what might the impe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve show its\u00adelf in our dai\u00adly lives (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:18)?
\n\tFor\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte a meaningful goal for the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of your life that you want to pur\u00adsue throug\u00adhout the year!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"