Who Is a Disciple of Christ? (Part 3)
Jesus transforms our lives by entering into our heart and soul, changing our nature to become like Him, and expecting us to change our attitude and behavior towards others.
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes that a true disciple of Christ undergoes a profound transformation, akin to the change from a lifeless tin toy to a living being, through the acceptance of Jesus. He illustrates this transformation with stories of individuals who, upon accepting Christ, radically changed their lives and sought forgiveness for past wrongs. The sermon highlights that Jesus does not abandon us after salvation; instead, He walks with us, guiding our transformation in every aspect of life. The essence of discipleship is not merely superficial change but a deep, holistic transformation of character and behavior to reflect Christ's nature. Ultimately, the message is that true discipleship involves a commitment to change and a desire to live in accordance with Jesus' teachings.
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What is Life? The philosopher C. S. Lewis said, "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." Jesus wants to change us, to make our nature like His. He works closely with us to change our lives. Like the story of a toy made of tin getting life, we receive a new life through Jesus. But some obstacle in our life can block this transformation. That obstacle is the "tin" in our life which has not changed yet. This statement should make us think deeply. What is the meaning of C.
S. Lewis's words? When we believe in Jesus, He won't take us to a corner, put us there, say goodbye and walk away. He will never do that--ever. When the Son of God comes to our life, He enters into our heart and soul. He stays within us in every moment of our life and until death He holds our hand and walks beside us. Let me illustrate with an example: there was a man who lived a carefree life for 35 years. There was not a single person in his village known to be his friend.
Everyone disliked him. As a drunkard, he spent all his time fighting with others. His mother often thought about him, cried and lost her health. At this time, the man happened to hear the Gospel, accept Jesus Christ as his Savior and surrender himself completely to Him. His life was transformed like a sunrise changes utter darkness. arizona-165094 He went to all the houses in his village for the next one and half weeks. Why? Not to take revenge, but to meet each neighbor personally and apologize for his past mistakes.
He mother came along with him to some houses. With deep regret in his heart and tears in his eyes he asked each one for forgiveness. "For that time when I committed a mistake, please forgive me. For the bad words I used, please forgive me. I did things which I should not have done, forgive me." How could such a change happen in a person's life? When Jesus Christ entered his life, his behavior and nature completely changed. I know another man, who is from Niranam, Kerala. Fifteen years earlier, had had stolen from the factory where he worked.
But when he accepted Jesus Christ in his life he returned the expensive thing which he had stolen. Practical people advised him, "Don't be foolish, they will send you to jail." But the man said, "I have to do this even if I have to spend my entire life in prison. Now I belong to Jesus; He expects this." In the New Testament we read about a person named Zacchaeus. He illegally collected taxes from the Jews on behalf of the government of Rome. But what happened to him when he met Jesus Christ?
He decided to return all his wealth which he took illegally from others. These are just a few stories. Yet not one or two, but many people's lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ. They are changing to become like Him. The Lord Jesus Christ transforms lives. Being like Jesus does not mean changing only some things in life, instead it means changing every part of life. Especially in our attitude and behavior towards others we have to be changed.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Transformation of Life Through Jesus
- A. Jesus wants to change us to become like Him
- B. He works closely with us to change our lives
- C. The obstacle to transformation is the 'tin' in our life
- II. The Nature of Jesus' Presence in Our Life
- A. He enters into our heart and soul
- B. He stays with us in every moment of our life
- C. He holds our hand and walks beside us until death
- III. Examples of Life Transformation
- A. The man who changed his life after accepting Jesus
- B. The man who returned stolen goods after accepting Jesus
- C. The story of Zacchaeus and his transformation
Key Quotes
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” — K.P. Yohannan
“He will never do that--ever. When the Son of God comes to our life, He enters into our heart and soul.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Being like Jesus does not mean changing only some things in life, instead it means changing every part of life.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- We must surrender ourselves completely to Jesus Christ to experience life transformation.
- We must change our attitude and behavior towards others to become like Jesus.
- We must not be content with changing only some things in our life, but rather strive to change every part of our life to become like Jesus.