Foundry Community Church
Transfiguration Sunday - Year A
  • Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken

      • Psalm 99NIRV

      • 2 Peter 1:16–21NIRV

  • Abide With Me (Eventide)

      • Matthew 17:1–9NIRV

  • You hear me say the phrase, “The Radiance of Glory.” I say it often. Scripture also tells us that we are the “Radiance of God’s Glory.”
    Earlier, in the Gospel narrative, we find Jesus at Baptism by John the Baptist, with the sky opening up and hearing the voice of God declaring Jesus as His Son and that He has the Favor of the Father.
    Here, not a big group of people. Just Jesus, Peter, James and John.
    …And they are joined by a distinguished group…

    Revelation on the Mountain

    Matthew 17:2–3 ESV
    2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
    Immagine being part of the group of guys with Jesus that day. Seeing Jesus shining like the sun and His clothes becoming white as light! Whoa!
    Then, Moses and Elijah choppin’ it up with Him! Wait! Where did they come from?
    Maybe there’s a lesson here for us. Get away from the crowds. Just find yourself in the quiet places Jesus takes you and allow Him to show you His Glory!
    When you are in God’s presence, what do your problems matter?
    You could start by highlighting how Jesus took Peter, James, and John to witness His transformation on the mountain. Emphasize that this moment reveals Jesus' divine nature and foreshadows His resurrection glory. Encourage believers to seek solitude with Christ to experience His presence and be transformed by His radiance even in their own lives' struggles, reminding them of the hope and renewal His glory brings.

    Listening to God's Voice

    It’s pretty awesome just hanging out with Jesus. But when there are messages from God the Father on top of that…
    But then, there’s Peter..
    Matthew 17:4–9 ESV
    4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
    Can you immagine the collective “eye roll” from the others… Nothing needs to be said though, because this happens…
    Matthew 17:5 ESV
    5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
    This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this… It happened at baptism too right?
    Matthew 17:6 ESV
    6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
    Before we rush to judgement about them being ‘terrified,’ what has God said to you that terrifies you?
    The same answer is for you as well…
    Matthew 17:7 ESV
    7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
    Isn’t it about time to “Rise and have no fear?”

    Witness to Majesty

    Good news for us. Peter did eventually “grow up.” Listen to his words…
    2 Peter 1:16–18 ESV
    16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
    Notice he didn’t say anything about cowering in fear… Instead…
    2 Peter 1:19–20 ESV
    19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
    Uh, oh…You mean I don’t get to ‘interpret’ the Word of God to fit my narrative? Nope…
    2 Peter 1:21 ESV
    21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
    Maybe, just maybe we should just do what God says to do…

    Majesty and Worship

    This wasn’t the first time in Scripture we have seen someone transfigured. Ironically, the first one was one of Jesus’ guests on the mountain, Moses.
    Exodus 24:12–13 ESV
    12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
    God is bringing Moses away from all of the distractions so that He can speak with Moses. Seems God likes to speak to us when we are alone…
    Exodus 24:15–18 ESV
    15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
    Another good lesson for us here. When we don’t allow God to bring us into His presence, when we refuse to enter His presence, it appears that God is destroying those who choose to enter. But in God’s presence, we hear the voice of God, we feel His presence, and only that which is unholy is destroyed and we are forever more in His image.
    Exodus 24:15–18 ESV
    18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
    To be in God’s holy presence for 40 days and 40 nights!
    I love how the Psalmist says it…
    Psalm 99:1–3 ESV
    1 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!
    This sounds like a really good kind of leader to follow! But he goes on!
    Psalm 99:4 ESV
    4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
    We hear a lot about justice and equity in the world today. But what is “justice and equity?’’ Remember Peter’s words earlier? These are words that are defined by God, not man.
    We all want Justice, we all want ‘equity’ to be treated fairly.
    Let’s get this… What did Jesus teach us about ‘justice’ and ‘equity?”
    In the context of a ‘post transfiguration’ narrative, He says this...
    Matthew 22:37–40 ESV
    37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.
    OK, Love God first. Got it…
    Matthew 22:39 ESV
    39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    But He goes on to the hard part. Love your neighbor as yourself…
    Listen to the Psalmist asking an interesting question…
    Psalm 2 ESV
    1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
    In context with the rest of the Gospel narrative, we plot in vain and we rage, because we don’t love God and we don’t love our neighbor as ourselves.
    We are selfish people, not any different than the children of Israel who told Moses, “…You go up on the mountain and meet God! We don’t want to go up there and feel His wrath!”
    God just wants us to come into His presence so He can form and fashion us in His Image and Likeness once again!:
    The Psalmist then gives us this rally cry.
    Psalm 2:3 ESV
    3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
    It’s our choice to rail against God or rally with God!
    Can you immagine what God is thinking about all of the chaos in America right now?
    Well, I can tell you His response:
    Psalm 2:4–6 ESV
    4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
    He’s laughing at all of it! Why you ask? Because He has sent the Redeemer of the World, His Son!
    Psalm 2:4–9 ESV
    7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
    Kind of sounds like what He decreed at Jesus’ baptism and again on the mountain!
    Then listen to this great promise!
    Psalm 2:4–9 ESV
    8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
    God’s soveriegnty and His Justice only come to the world when His Children ask!
    God is desireing to transfigure us, just like He did Jesus. He wants to declare His Glory in and through us. He wants us to be the “radiance of God’s Glory!”
    Let’s ask Him to do so!

      • Matthew 17:2–3NIRV

      • Matthew 17:4–9NIRV

      • Matthew 17:5NIRV

      • Matthew 17:7NIRV

      • 2 Peter 1:21NIRV

      • Exodus 24:12–13NIRV

      • Exodus 24:15–18NIRV

      • Matthew 22:37–40NIRV

      • Matthew 22:39NIRV

      • Psalm 2:4–9NIRV

  • MYSTERION
  • Doxology
  • Immortal Invisible God Only Wise
  • Now Unto Him
Foundry Community Church
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