Identity Week 1

Brad Daugherty

Identity • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Identifying With Christ

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Where do We Find Our Identity

Tonight is the beginning of our series called Identity. Identity is something that everyone struggles with. It is a world wide human condition. What is identity? Let’s get a dictionary definition of what Identity is.

the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is.

So identity determines who or what a person or thing is. And since that is the case we need to see where do we look and what do we allow to make an imprint on our identity.

So a few years ago Elisha and I were out in the woods. We hunt and we were putting up a new tree stand. Now if anybody knows about putting up a tree stand you have to have ratchet straps to hold them in place. Now I fully believe that the devil himself invented ratchet straps. So I climb up and man I just can’t get this thing. Its too loose, its too tight, it’s twisting, I mean everything that can go wrong is going wrong. Now at this point in my life I’m a Christ follower but I’m starting to let that old identity come up. All I can hear is those old words coming back…not good enough, not smart enough, stupid, worthless and on and on. And I BLEW UP. I threw that ratchet strap as far as I could and I yelled and said things I’m not proud of.

The point is I let what the world was saying and what the enemy was saying was my identity to creep back in.

You see if you allow it the world have you looking everywhere for your identity. Let’s see where do we look for our identity?

School—Work—Money—Drugs—Alcohol—Dangerous Behavior—Famous People—Sex—Talent—Sports—Band—Other peoples opinions—Our parents opinion—church (uh oh)

We all allow one or more of these and so many other things to form our identity. Even the things in our lives that most people would think of as good aren’t when we find our identity in them. You can’t find your identity from CHURCH. It’s a great place and family but its not your identity. You can’t find your identity from Band or Sports. What happens when you form your identity around that and then at some point in your life you can’t or don’t do that anymore. Depression anxiety stress. Why because you formed your identity around those things. You see we build our identities around things. Things that at the end of the day they just don’t matter.

Jesus said this in Matt Ch 7 about building on the wrong things:

New Living Translation Chapter 7

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Everyone in here is going to face storms in your life. Some of you have already dealt with more than some of us ever will. But IT IS A FACT. We will face storms. The wind, the rain, the hail, and the flooding will hit. This is where being rooted in your identity is the only way to keep from collapse.

What I’m saying here is stop building your identity on sand. IT WILL COLLAPSE

Jesus also said this in Matt Ch 6

New Living Translation Chapter 6

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Your identity is the GREATEST TREASURE YOU HAVE!!! You need to remember that. Make a mental note or if you are taking notes write that down.

Now let’s figure out just what our identity is: If you have your Bible go to Ephesians 1:4-11

In it says:

New Living Translation Chapter 1

4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

So let’s pick that apart: Holy----Without Fault----Adopted-----United----Heirs----Chosen

All those things are great but we are missing one key ingredient. One thing that makes all of this a reality:

It says IN CHRIST.

We all carry some false beliefs inside our heads and our hearts. When we are In Christ we can turn those false beliefs over to Him and begin to believe in our true identity. You see being IN CHRIST turns:

being rejected into accepted,

turns bondage and chains into redeemed,

turns under the law into covered by grace,

turns feeling orphaned into adopted

and we an go on and on and on

Now I want to look at some other verses in the Bible that point out our identity in Christ:

says we are a new person!

New Living Translation Chapter 5

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

The Apostle Peter wrote this:

1 Peter 2:9-10

New Living Translation Chapter 2

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”

You are CHOSEN…ROYAL....HOLY....GOD’s VERY OWN POSSESION

That’s your identity in CHRIST

Says this:

New Living Translation Chapter 8

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are OVERWHELMING VICTORS…AND LOVED ENOUGH THAT NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

So with all of that said STOP!!! Stop looking for your identity in all of these trivial pursuits.... Stop looking for you identity in sex or what the world tells you your sexual orientation is. Yep I went there. Stop trying to create an identity that both God and science has already settled. Stop trying to find your identity in how funny you can be or how much you can show people you just don’t care. You shut the world out and act like nothing bothers you but God knows your heart and knows how much you are hurting. Stop trying to find your identity in how much everybody likes you or how great of a student, musician, singer, or athlete you are. Every bit of that will fall by the way side. YOU ARE BUILDING YOUR HOUSE ON SAND.

So what do we do where do we go from here. Remember everything revolves around being IN CHRIST. That’s the first step. In order to find our identity we have to go to the one who holds it. Some of you are a little uncomfortable right now. There is a war going on inside you. You’ve never really accepted Jesus. You’ve never made that first step to find your true identity. Tonight is the night to do that. It’s very simple- Accept that you are a sinner in need of grace, believe that Jesus came to earth suffered, died on a cross for our sins, and rose again on the 3rd day. And confess that He is the Lord of your Life.

For some of you you are a Christ follower but you’ve forgotten your identity. You’ve been looking everywhere else for it and you realize that’s not WHO YOU ARE. Tonight is the night to fix that too. Tonight is the night to set aside all the garbage this world tells you and trust again in your Savior. For some it may be rededicating your life, for some of you it means there are things you need to come to the altar and pray about. Let’s get that done tonight. So here is what we are gonna do. When I say stand we are gonna stand up. Those of you who want to finally accept Christ as your savior the leaders are in the back they have lanyards on. Go find one talk to them. Or if you need to rededicate your life to Christ do the same thing. Or come talk to me. For some of you need to come to the altar and pray. When I say stand if you have something you need to do don’t hesitate as soon as you stand up start moving. Don’t let the devil trick you into sitting still. Now is the time today is the day for salvation. Now STAND. Come on some of you have decisions to make. Some of you are holding on to an identity that is fake and tired and built on sand. It’s time to find your TRUE IDENTITY.

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