Steeping in Christ: Transformation Through Relationship and Inclusivity

Devotional

Day 1: Transformation Through Steeping

Our spiritual lives, much like tea, require time and presence to transform. Just as tea releases its full flavor when steeped in hot water, our souls are transformed when we spend time in the presence of Jesus. This transformation is not about adhering to religious rules or maintaining an image but about allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us, changing us from the inside out. By steeping ourselves in Jesus' teachings and presence, we become more like Christ, equipped to serve others and share His love with the world. This process is a lifelong journey, requiring patience and dedication. [30:03]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What specific time can you set aside each day this week to steep in the presence of Jesus, allowing Him to transform you from the inside out?

Day 2: Radical Inclusivity

Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is a powerful example of His radical inclusivity. Despite cultural and social barriers, Jesus offered her living water, symbolizing salvation and a transformed life. This act teaches us to break down barriers and extend God's love to everyone, regardless of their background or status. Jesus prioritized relationships over rules, inviting all to experience God's grace. As followers of Christ, we are called to emulate this inclusivity, reaching out to those who may feel marginalized or excluded, and offering them the love and acceptance that Jesus offers us. [24:27]

"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life might feel excluded or marginalized? How can you extend radical inclusivity and God's love to them this week?

Day 3: Non-Reactive Peace

In a world filled with chaos and noise, being deeply formed in Christ allows us to respond with peace and calmness, rather than reacting out of anxiety or fear. Jesus exemplified this non-reactive stance, enabling Him to love others genuinely and make accommodations for them. By cultivating a deep relationship with Christ, we can learn to respond to life's challenges with a sense of peace, reflecting His love and grace to those around us. This non-reactive peace is a testament to the transformative power of being deeply rooted in Christ. [19:43]

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a situation in your life where you tend to react with anxiety or fear. How can you invite Jesus into this situation to cultivate a non-reactive peace?

Day 4: Prioritizing Relationships Over Rules

Jesus prioritized relationships over religious rules, breaking down barriers that kept people away from God. He demonstrated that true transformation comes from cultivating genuine relationships with God and others. By following Jesus' example, we can experience the fullness of God's love and grace, extending it to those around us. This approach challenges us to look beyond legalism and exclusivity, focusing instead on building meaningful connections that reflect the heart of Christ. [11:09]

"But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13, ESV)

Reflection: Are there any "rules" or barriers in your life that are hindering your relationships with God or others? How can you prioritize relationships over these rules this week?

Day 5: The Process of Discipleship and Sanctification

Discipleship involves learning to live like Jesus, while sanctification is the Holy Spirit's work in transforming us into reflections of Christ. This lifelong process requires us to steep ourselves in Jesus' teachings and presence continually. As we grow in our faith, we become more equipped to serve others and share the love of Christ with the world. This journey of discipleship and sanctification is marked by a deepening relationship with God, as we allow Him to shape and mold us into His likeness. [29:26]

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to grow in discipleship and sanctification? How can you actively pursue this growth in the coming days?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the concept of being deeply formed in Christ, using the metaphor of making tea to illustrate the process of spiritual transformation. Just as tea requires time to steep in hot water to release its full flavor, our lives need to be steeped in the presence of Jesus to be truly transformed. This transformation is not about following religious rules or maintaining an image but about cultivating a genuine relationship with God that changes us from the inside out.

We discussed the contrast between the religious leaders of Jesus' time and Jesus himself. The religious leaders prioritized legalism, exclusivity, and power, creating barriers that kept people away from God. In contrast, Jesus prioritized relationships, inclusivity, and service. He broke down barriers, inviting everyone, regardless of their background or status, to experience God's love and grace. Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well exemplifies this radical inclusivity. Despite cultural and social barriers, Jesus engaged with her, offering her living water, a metaphor for salvation and a transformed life.

The message also emphasized the importance of being non-reactive, as Jesus was. In a world filled with chaos and noise, being deeply formed in Christ allows us to respond with peace and calmness, rather than reacting out of anxiety or fear. This non-reactive stance enables us to love others genuinely and make accommodations for them, just as Jesus did.

As a community, we are called to follow Jesus' example, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, transforming us into reflections of Christ. This transformation is a lifelong process, requiring us to steep ourselves in Jesus' teachings and presence continually. By doing so, we become better equipped to serve others and share the love of Christ with the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Reactive Peace:** Being deeply formed in Christ allows us to respond to life's chaos with peace and calmness, rather than reacting out of anxiety or fear. This non-reactive stance enables us to love others genuinely and make accommodations for them, following Jesus' example. [19:43]
4. Prioritizing Relationships Over Rules: Jesus prioritized relationships over religious rules, breaking down barriers that kept people away from God. By cultivating genuine relationships with God and others, we can experience true transformation and extend God's love and grace to those around us.

5. The Process of Discipleship and Sanctification: Discipleship involves learning to live like Jesus, while sanctification is the Holy Spirit's work in transforming us into reflections of Christ. This lifelong process requires us to steep ourselves in Jesus' teachings and presence continually.

** [19:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:07] - Canada's Many Seasons
[01:08] - The Art of Making Tea
[02:24] - Series Introduction
[03:38] - Giving Up Our Chair
[04:10] - Jesus' Countercultural Approach
[06:00] - The Religious Rule Book
[10:16] - Jesus' New Rule Book
[13:18] - Radical Inclusivity
[19:43] - Non-Reactive Peace
[22:41] - The Samaritan Woman
[26:31] - Transformation Through Presence
[29:26] - Discipleship and Sanctification
[31:15] - Upcoming Community Initiatives
[36:13] - The Goal of a Follower of Jesus

Sermon Clips

Instead of ruling, Jesus serves. Instead of taking the best seat at the table, Jesus starts a whole new table and then he starts adding chairs to that table because everyone is invited. Jesus describes what he's doing like this: he says, "I did not come to be served, but I came to serve." [04:02]

Jesus taught that the goal of a follower of God was not to look good on the outside but was actually to have transformation happen on the inside. Not an image that people could see, but a deep transformative work that would change the way that we think, what we say, and our actions. [12:06]

Jesus taught that everyone was on the same playing field. Everyone was a sinner, and Jesus said that all sinners are welcomed by God. It didn't matter your socioeconomic status, it didn't matter your gender, it didn't matter your sexual preferences, it didn't matter your cultural background, it didn't matter your religious affiliation, it didn't matter your political views, it didn't matter where you lived, it didn't matter what you did. All were welcome, Jesus said. [13:05]

In contrast, a non-reactive person will step in, but they will bring peace and calmness to the situation. They'll bring some logic to the situation as they restore order. The anxiety in the room or the anxiety in the crowd will often lower as everyone is able to take a deep breath. [14:58]

Over the years, through discipleship, through maturing, as I've let Jesus shape me, I've become more gentle, I've become more wise, kind, and discerning. And because of this transformation, I didn't feel as threatened by this man or his opinions. The truth is, he was making no converts that day. [18:47]

Jesus is unbothered by sin and shame and brokenness that seemed to repel other people because Jesus wasn't religious. Jesus was relational. Jesus was relational with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and this allowed him to be relational, not religious, towards other people. [20:04]

Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." Now, we need to pause there. So many things are happening within this interaction. If we were to read down in the text, we'd discover not only is this woman a Samaritan, the enemy of the Jewish people, but she's poor, she's a social outcast because of her culture. [22:49]

Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." Now, whenever Jesus is talking about living water, he's referring to salvation. And in this statement, Jesus is making a big statement. [23:57]

Jesus Walks towards Samaria because he wants this woman to know that she is loved by God himself, and the only way for her to understand this is for Jesus to show up and for Jesus to demonstrate radical love and inclusion first. And then not only does Jesus show love and inclusion towards this woman, but he goes on to extend it to her entire community. [25:42]

Jesus was modeling what it looks like to be radically inclusive of people when he sits down at the well. And when Jesus decides to stay for two days in Samaria, he is showing his disciples what it means to live amongst other people, how to develop relations with them, and then let God transform their lives through those relationships. [28:36]

The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like him we should become. Discipleship is a process of learning to actively live like and follow Jesus. Sanctification is a process that only the Holy Spirit can do, and it's allowing the Holy Spirit to change us so that we are reflections of Jesus. [29:26]

The longer we allow Jesus to stay in our lives and steep ourselves in his life, in his ways, the more permanently changed we will become, which is the goal of a follower of Jesus: to allow his presence in our lives to make us like him so that we can become Jesus to the world. [36:24]

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