Metamorphosis - Uriah St Juste - 2345

Jesus said in Matthew 28, verse 19, go therefore and teach all nations. Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Welcome to go teach all nations, bringing you Christ's teachings through Australian and international speakers. And here is today's presenter, Pastor Uriah St. Juste. It is very fitting that we are celebrating God's creation on this beautiful Sabbath day. Bow your heads with me as we pray. Father, thank you for the sweet influence of your Holy Spirit. You have promised to send him as a comforter, as a guide to all truth, as a convictor of sin. And today, Lord, we ask that he will sit beside us and speak to our hearts to bring comfort to those who are uncertain, to bring hope to those who may be fearful. And we pray, Lord, that as truth is declared from this pulpit, that hearts and minds may be illuminated and changed from darkness to light. Bless your word to your people, and may the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Let all God's people say Amen. A man who lived in the back mountains of the countryside and who did not particularly like the big city, with its sophistry and noises and strange traditions, found himself one day in just such a large city. And for the first time, standing outside a lift, he watched as a senior lady walked in and the doors closed in behind her. A few moments later, the doors open and a rather young and attractive woman marched smartly off behind the same closed doors. And the Father hollered to his young son, son, go get your ma. Everyone knows of someone. By the way, I would like to say to that man, that's not how it works. You can't trade in your wife because the latest model is out. It is until death do us part. Everyone knows of someone they would like to see change. Wives want their husbands to be more caring. Husbands want more loving wives. Parents want more obedient children. Children want more understanding parents. Employers want more hardworking employees. Employees want more generous employers. But how do we get there? How do we get to that perfect world where everyone is as he ought to be and everyone is fully content? Wings of change is a story of a caterpillar. By the way, thank you, Robin, for preaching my sermon to the kids. You did it very well. This caterpillar, his name is Anu, who was scared to become a butterfly. After experiencing some puzzling dreams, he turns to faith, a wise old snail, for advice. She gently explains to him, as the world Turns, so do you. When you change for the good you change the world, too. And if I were to ask for a show of hands of those who would like for this world to be a better place, how many of you would raise your hands? Everyone would. Many of us, though, think that for the world to become a better place, someone else needs to change. They need to change. If only they change, things will be better. But no one ever thinks, if the world has to be a better place, I need to change. The poet Maya Angelou says, we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve its beauty. Come with me on the journey of a butterfly, captured in the poem that says, in a world filled with sweet scents and blue sky lives the gentle butterfly, uplifting, whose metamorphosis has the truth to teach. Our aspirations are within our reach. For this fluttering flyer of soaring worth was at one time a creature that crawled the earth. When she climbed the plant and learned of the sky, she looked down at the earth and wondered why her destiny was to live on the land. But something inside her did not understand. The sky is my home. Every part of her felt. How long? How could crawling be? The lot have been dealt. Keeping those thoughts safe where they could be found, she slowly descended back to the ground. When she found the right plant on which to rest, she brilliantly wove a cocoon for her nest inside the chrysalis. She went to sleep, tucked in with those thoughts that she wanted to keep. And if you pay attention, you'll hear how the poem ends. In the very opening words of the Bible, God makes a very powerful statement. Genesis, chapter one, verse one. Almost everyone can say from memory because it's such a short and simple verse. It says, in the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth full stop. No ands, ifs or buts, no debates. It is simply a declaration of truth. And truth is not debated or argued. Truth is declared. You're not going to stand and argue with a man whether he can walk on the sun or not, will you? Because that is absurd. But today we live in a world that has tried to erase God from existence, and it does this by denying the truth of creation and putting in its place a theory that says that we descended from other animals. And I would like to make it clear that I am not descended from a monkey. In Romans, chapter one, Paul gives a warning, speaking to the people of his time. But this warning has probably never been more applicable in earth's history than it is today. Romans, chapter one. When you read verses 18 to 23, you would think that you have reading what we read for our scripture reading in Psalm 19, one to six. Bible says Romans, chapter one, verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So it's not a genuine mistake. There is a corrupt intention. The truth is being suppressed because verse 19, that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. All we have to do is look in the mirror and we see God, because the Bible tells us that we were made in his image. For since verse 20, the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. And it's very interesting that Charles Darwin, who influenced the theory of evolution, was a theologian. And although he did not say himself that we came from monkeys, but this is where we are. Some of the brightest minds, or so called brightest minds in the world tell us that there is no God. Tell us that all that we see in the universe, especially planet Earth, came by a series of accidents and chances. And science today is busy trying to find life elsewhere in the universe. Why is this important? Because the argument that with so many billions of galaxies, how come Earth not just is the only planet with life, but such complex and high functioning forms of life? When they talk about the I've seen signs of life somewhere else. It's just some little ancient microbe that has been fossilized. And they say, yes, we have found signs of life. No, look at yourself and look at each other, and you have to conclude, there must be a God. And I want to say that there are two institutions in the creation story that have been the Onslaught of men, and that is marriage, the institution of marriage, which is the foundation of the family, which is the foundation of society. And when marriage disappears, the family disintegrates and society descends into chaos. So these values that are so called traditional values that men think are Outdated, look at the consequence of Setting aside these values, the impact that it is having on our societies. God also created the SAbbath, and the Sabbath Too, has seen an Onslaught. But my Bible also tells me in the creation story that God made them male and female, and even that is under attack. But God's truth still stands, no matter what mankind may say. So if there is a painting, there must be a painter. If there is a building, there must be a builder. If there is a design, there must be a designer. And we marvel at the resplendent beauty of the butterfly's wings that engineers cannot even comprehend. But do we ever stop and think of who designed it? To think that this came by a series of changes and accidents and mutations and one form surviving another form because it was fitter for this to happen to the millions of different species of animals that exist. Animals and insects and fish and birds. IT's incomprehensible. It's illogical. But I believe in creation. Did I hear an amen? I believe in Creation because it makes Sense and because the Bible declares it. And so one day, like a well rehearsed symphony, the government of Heaven masterfully collaborated in the design and creation of our universe. God did not just only make us, but he designed us. He put some thought into it. The Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Ghost moved in perfect SyNChronization. And as the ORchestral Drum provides movement, the Holy Spirit of God, the BIble Says, in Rhythmical fashion, Moved on the surface of the waters. The SoN, CApital S-O-N. The eternal Preincarnate. JEsus had a Harmonizing Effect in the PRoCess. ColoSsians Tells us that all Things were Made by hIm. And without him was nothing Made that was Made. And the father, like the leading line of a painting or the flowing melody of a beautiful tune, led the way. In the beginning of the first day. The Bible tells us that the earth was formless and void. THere was Nothing but ChAos and Confusion. And that is exactly what ExIsts when God is not PResent. Nothing But ChAos and confusion. And then God steps in, and a change begins to take place. YOu Know the word Metamorphosis? The Prefix Meta in the accusative suggests Moving from one state to the next. Or you might say change. A succession of movement. Meta and morphe. Not Morphine. Morphe suggests Shape and form. So metamorphosis involves a transformation of your form, of your very being and your very nature. And so this formless, shapeless blob of confusion existed. And God steps in, and he speaks. His voice thunders, and change takes place. The BIBLe TelLS us, on the VEry first day, Light was Made, driving out darkness. And so began a movement from darkness to light, from ChAos to order, from PandeMonium to peace. And that's what happens when you allow God the chance to have his influence in your life. When you take your marching orders from him. When your values and your Choices arise out of God's word. When you actually care about what God thinks. And you conduct your life in accordance of God's commandments, his instructions and what he says. Human restlessness and mayhem, impatience and confusion finds divine rest and calm and peace in the presence of God. So the first day, God made the light, and he separated the light from the darkness. On the second day, God divided the waters. The Bible says he created a space that he called the firmament. And I believe God was just working, creating space for him to express his creative ability. He made the firmament, or the atmosphere as we know it, and later on, he would fill it in with many wonderful things. But on the third day, the Bible tells us that God made the dry land. You see, water is fluid. It's not stable, it moves. But God had to create solid, immovable earth, dry land, which suggests a movement from instability to stability. And I hope you can see the progression. And the dry land he decorated with all sorts of greenery, as we can see here, the verdant grass and a rainbow of flowers painted the landscape. And we must not miss the point. We must observe nature and see what it tells us about God. God loves beauty. He loves beauty. God also loves diversity. I mean, everyone loves roses, right? Most people would think perhaps the rose is the most beautiful flower. But if you're a flower expert, you might say, no, there are other orchids, or whatever it might be. But as beautiful as whatever flower you might think is the most beautiful flower is, God did not make all flowers the same. He gave us variety, variety in color, in texture, in form. God loves variety. And as I look at you, the congregation before me, I see God's colors and his shapes, his creativity, not just in you as an individual, when you stand in front of the mirror, but your family, the Church, family, the community is an expression of God's beauty and diversity in creation. And on the fourth day, God turned his creative paintbrush to the sky. And with one masterful stroke, the sun was hung into place. Perfect. The perfect spot. And the empty darkness of the night. He splattered with galaxies and the moon to act like a lantern in the night. What about the fifth day? On the fifth day, God populated the air and the sea with life. From the jellyfish to the blue whale, from the Emu and the Kiwi to the colorful Amazona Versicola, the national bird of my homeland. All are the work of his hand. And again, what do you see? Color. You see diversity of shape, size and form. That's the kind of God that we serve. There's our St. Lucian Parrot. On the 6th day, the land was teeming with animals, fast and slow, two legged and four legged creatures, and even those who hop on strong hind legs and carry the young in a pouch. But also on the 6th day, God made Adam and Eve and God gave them life. The Bible says that he formed them. He shaped them out of the dust of the ground. You see, when God made the rest of creation, he spoke and he said, let there be. And there was. But when it came to man, God exercised intimacy. He came down from heaven, came down to earth, touched the ground and descended on his hands and knees. And he shaped and formed mankind, shaping his head and his face and his arms and his torso and his legs and putting his eyeballs in very carefully. He took time. And then the Bible says he breathed into man's nostrils and man became a living soul. Not just the hands and the feet, but even God's mouth. And today there's something called the Kiss of Death. Of life. Sorry, the kiss of life or the kiss of death, which is not really done anymore for safety reasons. But in times past when someone is not breathing, you breathe for them. And when you think of it, like maybe it was not a slip of the tongue for some people, if you think of it, a stranger doing this to you, you might think it's a kiss of death, but it's what saves your life. That person has to get close to you and stick their lips on your lips and breathe for you. That's how intimate it got between God and man. And then the Bible says that God made a special day. He looked at all that he had made and he said it was very good. And on that day, this was the day when God rested from all his work, that he had made a day to celebrate his creation. The birthday of the earth. The birthday of the air that we breathe that's still There the birthday of the cool waters of the lakes and streams that are still There a birthday of the ocean that can cool us down on a hot summer's day the birthday of the flowers that perfume the air the rose, the lily, the chrysanthemums and orchids tulips and buttercups And down to the lowliest blossom of the dale the birthday of the birds that provide sweet music to fill the air and the furry creatures, the possums and koalas and kangaroos great galaxies too far for the eye to see, our sun and moon, the whales of the ocean. This day is the birthday of all of these things. And God designed it that way that we would stop one day every week and remember that he was the one who created. And so, naturally, if you get rid of the Sabbath, if you change God's Sabbath day and you interfere with it, naturally creation will go out the door as well. And this is exactly what we see happening. And by the way, if you read the rest of Romans chapter one, you will see where Paul says that denying the existence of God, where it naturally leads. And compare this to the world that we live in today and tell me the Bible is not accurate. But God also made something else. He made the power of choice. In Genesis, chapter two, verse 16 and 17, the Bible says, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat it. For in that day you eat of it you shall surely die. Many people who are either skeptics or agnostics or outright atheists argue, well, if God is so powerful, all powerful, and if he's so loving, why is there as little Oliver, five year old Oliver, just down the road at the Door Creek Public School, asked that question in the class when I was teaching scripture many years ago. Why did he allow my tomatoes to die? Profound, fundamental question from a five and a half year old. And it is because God is a God of love. You see, God could have created Adam and Eve and programmed them to love and obey him, but that would not be love. That would be coercion. Love is never forced. Neither is obedience ever forced. Love and obedience must dwell in the environment of free will. This is what we call choice. Let me put it to you more bluntly. God gave man the power to choose him or reject him. God gave man the power to obey him or disobey him. And in case you're not getting it, God gave man the power to sin. But it was his choice whether he would sin or not to sin. And we all have that choice. Human beings are free to choose God or not to choose him. And God made it that way. Now you might say, what kind of a choice is that? If you disobey God, he kills you. That's exactly what Satan argued. But we know that God is a God of love. And the story of God as found in the Bible answers that question. All was good and perfect until one day a created being of great beauty transformed himself into a creature of immense beauty and tantalized the senses of our mother Eve. The devil did as he does today. He questioned God's word. Has God indeed said you may not eat of every tree of the garden? In other words, did God really say that? Come on, do you really think that's what God said? Is that what he really meant. Surely you can do otherwise. You can do as you please. And Eve, like Jesus, when faced with the same situation in the wilderness, when he was tempted of the same devil, she retorted with Scripture, her response was, thus saith the Lord, and that is all what we need to do. The Bible itself says that it is a two edged sword. It is a weapon of offense and it is a weapon of defense. And so this is where your safety is, the truth that is contained in God's word, in the madness that exists in the world today, where sometimes it's difficult to tell which way is up and down. Our only safety is to know the truth that's in God's word and to know it so well that you can repeat it in any time and in any place and in any situation. Yes, she quoted God's word to Satan. And she says, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, quoting what God said, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, thus saith the Lord, you shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Oh, there's a problem there as well. As Eve had done, in quoting God's word, she made a mistake and added something that God had not said. Deuteronomy, chapter four, verse two. The Bible says, do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord, your God that I give you. This might sound simple, but it is very important that we do not add or subtract to God's word. And the promise of the tempter was, life will be wonderful. If you think you're living now, you ain't seen nothing yet. For God knows, in the day that you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil, as if that's something so wonderful. Disobeying God. There was an onslaught on her senses, which were unbearable. She could see the color inviting her. She smelled the alluring aroma. She could almost taste its delicious juice. And I think that's why she put in those words that God had never said. You know, it said, when you're driving on the road and if you're overtaking a vehicle, if you look at the vehicle that you're overtaking, unconsciously, you are actually staring towards it. And I suspect the fact that Eve mentioned touching the fruit when God never said anything about touching it tells me that she had already conceived in her mind of touching it. She wondered what it felt like. And then she realized that she could touch its smooth skin. And she did. She could have it all. Nothing happened. And caught up in a rapturous ecstasy, she indulged her craving. And oh, what joy she thought it would bring. What was supposed to be true happiness, as Promised to her, only brought pain and sorrow. Hunger and sickness, injustice and poverty became the inheritance of this earth. Even nature itself threatens to destroy us with death. An astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, when asked if he believes in God, he says, how can he believe in a God when he looks at the universe and he sees so many ways the universe is trying to kill us? But what he does not realize is this is a result of man's own choice. When we think things will be better, we are actually opening a Pandora's box of destruction. And as a result, death came into this world. And I want you to pause and think what it was like for Adam and Eve, who made a choice. They remembered the thoughts and emotions that went through their minds when they made that choice. And on that day, when they discovered that one of their own sons, the first death that they experienced of a human being, their own flesh and blood rising up against his brother and shedding his blood, can you imagine what that would have been like for them? They were kicked out of their home. They lost it. But was God angry with them? Would God destroy what he had created? Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse three, assures us. God says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness, I have loved you. God revealed his loving plan of redemption. While they had to face the consequences immediately, God gave them hope. He announced the promise of a savior. He would send his one and only son. Born of a virgin. He did nothing but good. He healed those who were sick. He forgave those who made mistakes and sinned. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked. He showed the Father's love. Those who were downpressed, he lifted their spirits. He gave them hope. He even raised the dead. And every funeral the Bible records that Jesus encountered, he ended that funeral. Raise the dead. No more funeral anymore. Go home and celebrate. That's how much Jesus detested death. And that's why he allowed himself to be hung on a cross, and he died himself. So that you do not have to die. And this story of Love is displayed before you in the Gospel so that you can make a choice Whether you will choose Jesus or reject him. He was betrayed by a friend, the Kiss of a friend. He was subject to a mock trial. He was scourged 40 times minus one. And finally, they crucified him. And even in death, he was a witness to God's love. While he was on the cross, he was saving people, forgiving men of their sins, not thinking of his own self. While on the cross, even the hardened centurion's heart was melted when he said, truly, this was the Son of God. They laid him in a tomb. But come resurrection morning, thank God, no grave could hold his body down. And that's why I could say, that's why he could say, I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. And very soon, every one of us will be able to say this, just like Jesus did, he who believes in me, though he may die, Jesus promises us, yet shall he live. This is the promise of the Gospel. This is what gives the Christian hope. And it's not just a promise in the future, but even now, he helps you to become more like him. This is what Paul says. Writes in one Corinthians, chapter 15. Speaking of death, he says from verse 51, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. The ultimate Metamorphosis, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is solid up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of Death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But this is the verse that gets me excited. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory. You don't have to remain a slave to sin. You don't have to reflexively just give in. When you are tempted by the devil, when you give your heart to Jesus and you are living for him, he transforms you from the inside out. He gives you the power to choose him. You don't have to be weak. And every time the devil comes knocking, you just capitulate. No, you can say, get thee behind me, Satan. The Bible says to us that when we resist the devil, he has no choice but to flee and leave you alone. So when you are tempted, tell the devil to get lost and cling to Jesus. I'm sure you want to know what happened to our little friend the Caterpillar. The poem continues. One sunny day the cocoon became unsealed. Mysteriously, a butterfly was revealed. Seeing this miracle, the poet says, with my own eyes of caterpillars becoming butterflies brings real hope of the possibility of total transformation. For me, when we talk about letting nature be our Bibles on the Sabbath, those little details that give us hope, like the caterpillar that crawls the earth, we are destined for divine rebirth. And I want to submit to us that there is coming a day when we too will break forth from our old life of sin and soar on the wings not of a butterfly, but on the wings of an eagle. We will fly, being lifted by the Holy Spirit to soaring heights of spiritual satisfaction and partake of the sweetness of God's love towards us. We will be partakers, the Bible says, of the very divine nature, your nature will change. If you were a habitual liar, you will learn to tell the truth. If you were a drunkard, you will be sober without alcoholics Anonymous. That's the transforming power. And we will never get tired of singing God's praises. We will run and will not weary. The Bible tells us we will walk with Jesus and never faint from exhaustion. Then will come a day when we will continue to fly, continue to rise, to be transformed from glory to glory into his likeness, until we get so close to him that he says, my child, come home. Until then, Jesus stands at your heart's door and he is knocking. WhaT Are you going to do? Are you going to leave him out there in the cold? Or are you going to let him in? Unawareness, the poem says, arises from within the mind where God hides, waiting to be called, whispering hauntingly, come deeper. Find me. The world is a butterfly's wings. Be gentle and come deeper. This message was made available by the Dora Creek 7th Day Avenues Church. For more resources like this, visit Doracreek.church. You the Savior is waiting to enter your heart. Why don't you let him come in? There's nothing in this world to keep you apart. What is your answer to him? Time after time he has waited before. Now he's waiting again to see. You're willing to open the door how he wants to. Sam Ram Sa, you take one step for the Savior, my friend. Your mind is on wide. Receive him and all your darkness will end within your heart. You alive. Time after time he has waited before. Now he is waiting again to see if you're willing to open the door how he wants to come in. Fountain Academy sang the Savior is waiting. And coming up next, the Galken evangelistic team will sing Come, let us return to the Lord all of us like sheep have gone astray seeking our own way We've left the shepherd's care again through the wilderness we wander in the hopelessness of sin we must run into his arms somewhere we stand Let us return to the Lord Let our heart year for the Lord Only his love will save us for though our lives are broken he will men and restore our hope again Let us return to the Lord. Let us return to the Lord name alone we have been saved rescued from the grave and through his blood we have the passion of bring us to our knee we can know the heart of God if we believe so. Come, let us return to the Lord Let our hearts yearn for the Lord Only his love will save us for though our lives are broken he will men and restore our hope again Let us return to the Lord Let us return to the Lord. Let us return to the Lord. This is whiter than snow by Ben Everson Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole. I want thee forever to live in my soul. Break down every idol cast out every foe now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Lord Jesus, look down from thy throne in the skies and help me to make a complete sacrifice. I give up myself and whatever I know. Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Whiter than snow. Yes, whiter than snow. Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat I wait, blessed Lord, at thy crucified feet by faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow. Thou wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Whiter than snow. Yes, whiter than snow. Now wash me and I shall be wider than snow. Lord Jesus, thou seest I patiently wait. Come now in within me a new heart create to those who have sought thee. Thou never set no. Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Whiter than snow. Yes, whiter than snow. Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Close this program has been brought to you by three ABN Australia Radio.