Transformative Encounters: Our Journey with Jesus
Summary
In the sermon, the pastor underscores the significance of acknowledging our lives before and after encountering Jesus. The pastor delineates our spiritual journey into three parts: the prologue, the plot, and the epilogue. The prologue represents our life before Christ, the plot symbolizes the moment Jesus enters our lives and brings justifying grace, and the epilogue signifies our life after knowing Jesus. The pastor uses the analogy of wearing glasses to explain the need for spiritual clarity and understanding, referencing the story of Jesus healing a blind man from birth in John chapter 9. The pastor also shares a personal experience of realizing that God's love extends to each individual, including themselves.
The pastor then poses several thought-provoking questions for the congregation to consider, such as what their life revolves around and where they find their security and worth. They also explore the feelings of worthlessness and being ignored, drawing parallels to the blind man in the Bible who experienced similar emotions. The pastor concludes by highlighting the motivation to seek Jesus and the transformative power of encountering Him.
Pastor Lany Ward encourages the congregation to reflect on what they want God to turn around in their lives. He shares his own personal experiences of God turning his life around, from being born in Sri Lanka to eventually settling in the United States. He introduces the sermon series called "Your Story," highlighting the importance of knowing not only our life story but also our spiritual story. He references 1 Peter 3:15, which urges believers to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope they have in Jesus Christ.
The pastor emphasizes that God is always looking for us, no matter how far we may have strayed or how many detours we have taken. The pastor encourages the congregation to reflect on their own stories and to let the Holy Spirit guide them in finding their purpose. The pastor introduces John Moore, who will share his own God story, and shows a video of children seeing for the first time to remind the congregation of the awe and wonder of encountering God.
In the final part of the sermon, the pastor focuses on the importance of reflecting on our lives before encountering Jesus. The sermon raises questions about what our lives were like and how we experienced God's grace before knowing Him. The concept of "prevenient grace" is introduced, which refers to God's provisions for us before we are even aware of it. The pastor compares this grace to a safety net that holds us even when we fall or face difficulties.
Key Takeaways:
- Recognizing our lives before and after encountering Jesus is crucial. This understanding helps us appreciate the transformative power of Jesus in our lives and encourages us to share our experiences with others. ([12:45])
- The story of Jesus healing a blind man from birth in John chapter 9 serves as a reminder that our spiritual blindness is not a result of sin, but an opportunity for God's works to be displayed. This story encourages us to seek Jesus for spiritual clarity and understanding. ([22:30])
- The pastor's personal experience of realizing that God's love extends to each individual, including themselves, underscores the importance of believing in Jesus and the promise of eternal life. This realization can motivate us to seek Jesus and experience His transformative power. ([34:15])
- The pastor's personal journey from Sri Lanka to the United States serves as a testament to God's ability to turn our lives around. This story encourages us to reflect on what we want God to change in our lives and to be prepared to share our hope in Jesus Christ with others. ([45:50])
- The concept of "prevenient grace" reminds us that God's provisions are present in our lives even before we are aware of them. This grace acts as a safety net, holding us even when we fall or face difficulties. Reflecting on our lives before encountering Jesus can help us appreciate this grace and the transformative power of God's love. ([58:20])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"
2. John 9:1-7 - "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.' After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means 'Sent'). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
3. John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Observation Questions:
1. What does 1 Peter 3:15 suggest about how we should respond when asked about our faith?
2. In John 9:1-7, what does Jesus say is the reason for the man's blindness?
3. What does John 3:16 tell us about God's love for the world?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does 1 Peter 3:15 instruct us to communicate our faith to others? What does it mean to do so with "gentleness and respect"?
2. In John 9:1-7, how does Jesus use the man's blindness to demonstrate the works of God? What does this suggest about suffering and God's purpose?
3. How does John 3:16 define the extent of God's love and the promise of eternal life?
Application Questions:
1. Can you recall a recent situation where you had the opportunity to explain your faith to someone? How did you respond and how could you apply the principles from 1 Peter 3:15 in future situations?
2. Can you think of a personal hardship or suffering that you or someone you know has experienced? How might you see this as an opportunity for God's works to be displayed, as in John 9:1-7?
3. How can you practically express the love of God, as described in John 3:16, to someone in your life this week?
Devotional
Day 1: The Transformative Power of Encountering Jesus
Recognizing the difference in our lives before and after encountering Jesus is a crucial part of our spiritual journey. This understanding not only helps us appreciate the transformative power of Jesus in our lives but also encourages us to share our experiences with others. ([12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8zS02pi-w&t=750s))
Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Reflection: How has your life changed since you encountered Jesus? What aspects of your old life have been transformed?
Day 2: Seeking Spiritual Clarity
The story of Jesus healing a blind man from birth in John chapter 9 serves as a reminder that our spiritual blindness is not a result of sin, but an opportunity for God's works to be displayed. This story encourages us to seek Jesus for spiritual clarity and understanding. ([22:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8zS02pi-w&t=1335s))
Bible Passage: Ephesians 1:18 - "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need spiritual clarity? How can you seek Jesus in these areas?
Day 3: The Promise of Eternal Life
Realizing that God's love extends to each individual, including ourselves, underscores the importance of believing in Jesus and the promise of eternal life. This realization can motivate us to seek Jesus and experience His transformative power. ([34:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8zS02pi-w&t=2040s))
Bible Passage: 1 John 5:11 - "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
Reflection: How does the promise of eternal life motivate you to seek Jesus? How can you share this promise with others?
Day 4: God's Ability to Turn Our Lives Around
Reflecting on our personal journey and the changes we want God to make in our lives can serve as a testament to God's ability to turn our lives around. This reflection encourages us to be prepared to share our hope in Jesus Christ with others. ([45:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8zS02pi-w&t=2735s))
Bible Passage: Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Reflection: What changes do you want God to make in your life? How can you share your hope in Jesus with others?
Day 5: Appreciating God's Prevenient Grace
The concept of "prevenient grace" reminds us that God's provisions are present in our lives even before we are aware of them. This grace acts as a safety net, holding us even when we fall or face difficulties. Reflecting on our lives before encountering Jesus can help us appreciate this grace and the transformative power of God's love. ([58:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC8zS02pi-w&t=3485s))
Bible Passage: Psalm 139:5 - "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."
Reflection: How have you experienced God's prevenient grace in your life? How can this understanding of grace transform your relationship with God?
Quotes
1. "We all have blind spots to our thinking or our beliefs, we have blind spots as to how we treat one another in our relationships and God is wanting to open our eyes to open our hearts to open our minds and that time when we get to see things in a new light is mind blowing it's beautiful." (#59:57)
2. "What is it that God needs to turn around for you? We all have something in our lives that is not the way we want it to be or the way that God would want it to be. Whether it's in your heart or out loud, just name it. Name what it is that you want that you need God to turn around." [36:49]
3. "God has turned my life around on many occasions. The first was when we left Sri Lanka. Little did we know at the time that that was the last cruise ship to go through the Suez Canal before the Middle East War. Then God turned my life around again and brought me to the United States. It's a journey with a starting place and a destination, but a whole lot happens in between." [37:44]
4. "For the first time, I realized that when it said 'for God so loved the world,' it also meant 'but God so loved me.' It was a slow realization, but it brought me comfort and reassurance that God will be with me through calamities and difficult times." [54:04]
5. "What motivated me to get glasses was the fact that everything was blurry. Similarly, for this blind man, he wasn't motivated to find Jesus, but Jesus saw him, met him, and knew that through him, he could give this man a new life. It's a reminder that God is searching for us and wants to bring clarity and purpose to our lives." [57:23]
6. "To recognize how we were before we met Jesus as much as our encounter and how our life is afterwards because guess what God is in the work of meeting us where we are because we are all searching." [40:24]
7. "There are three parts to our story: the prologue, our life before Christ; the plot, when we encountered Jesus; and the epilog, our life after knowing Jesus." [41:09]
8. "Prevenient grace is God's Provisions for us before we knew it and before we were aware of it...even if they fall, guess what they're not going to get hurt because there's a safety net and that safety net is like God's prevenient grace." [48:24]
9. "There is this grace that we are aware of because God loves us so much he's going to hold us...there is absolutely nothing that we can fall into a pit where God's arms are underneath us holding us up." [49:23]
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