Sermon Notes
Key Thought: Jesus’ life had a certain rhythm. He would conduct long days of ministry and service, then he would unplug from the world for a short time. Embedded in the story of Jesus’ transfiguration, we see key ideas about how to arrange life according to this cycle of serving, resting and serving. If you are new to Christian faith, or you want to jump start your walk with Jesus, this is a great place to start.
We often view the Christian walk in two extremes:
1. Spiritual Development
- Bible Study/Prayer
- Devotional Reading
- Worship
- Fasting
- Reading Theology
2. Service to Others
- Mission Trips
- Giving/Financial Support
- Hospitality
- Caring for the needy
- Going to the fringes
- Serving your Family
Key Point:
Caring for your soul is essential to caring for other souls.
Jesus teaches us how to care for our souls in a way that helps us care for other souls. -Matthew 11:28-30
You will rest. It will either be planned by you or forced upon you. – Matthew 17:1-12
1. The transfiguration shows three essential elements are needed in our pursuit of caring for our souls:
- A small group of friends
- A remote place
- A Vision of Jesus
Key Questions
Who is in your inner circle?
Where is your Mount Horeb?
What is your vision of Jesus?
2. The transfiguration gave these key disciples a tangible experience on which to draw upon. – Matthew 17:4-6
Key Questions
Are you letting God’s voice interrupt your plans?
To whom are you listening?
3. Time away ultimately is good. But it is not the ultimate goal.
Application:
- Identify:
- A group
- A place
- A Vision of Jesus
- Listen
- Let God’s voice interrupt your plans
- Get Ready to get real.
TALK IT OUT:
- Pastor Rusty noted that Jesus’ life had a rhythm. He would spend long days focused on ministry to others, then He would unplug from the world and focus on His Father. Why do you think Jesus modeled this balanced rhythm in His own life?
- The transfiguration shows the importance Jesus placed on close friendships. Since he took His closest disciples with Him and did nothing by accident, what lessons do you think He was trying to teach them and us?
- Pastor Rusty has observed that “caring for your soul is essential to caring for other’s souls.” What can we learn from the fact that Jesus took time from the incessant demands of His life to make time for fellowship with His Father?
- Believers often view life by focusing on either our spiritual development, or our service to others. Pastor Rusty observed that, “Knowing which way we tend to lean can help us make adjustments in order to keep you spiritual life in a healthy balance. How do you maintain that balance in your own life? How can you improve that balance?
- What do you think the three disciples took away from this experience? How can we take what they learned and apply it to our own spiritual lives?
- Why do you think Jesus told the disciples in vs. 9 that they weren’t to tell anyone what they had seen until after He was resurrected?
- Pastor used a mustard seed to demonstrate that God responds to even the smallest amount of faith. He made the point that Jesus’ focus isn’t really on the amount of our faith, but instead is on the object of our faith. Why do you think our faith in God is so significant?
LIVE IT OUT:
- Where is your secret Mount Horeb or “sacred space” with God?
- If you haven’t been regularly carving out a “sacred space” for God, how might you create a “sacred space” for Him in your life?
- Make a list of at least three friends who you think God might want you to invite to become your “inner circle.”
- What is God currently doing to strengthen your faith in Him? Ask God to increase your faith in Him even more.
- Ask God to help you welcome His work in your heart and use what He is doing in your heart to impact the inner circle of friends you listed above.