WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:00.882 and he's all right. 00:00:00.882 --> 00:00:03.448 Okay, so I get the privilege to preach this morning. 00:00:03.448 --> 00:00:08.346 Continue in our series Freedom, Breaking Chains and Living Free. 00:00:08.346 --> 00:00:13.621 How do we have freedom in Christ, from our identity with him? 00:00:13.621 --> 00:00:16.829 This is the things we've talked about so far and discussed so far. 00:00:16.829 --> 00:00:22.812 In week one, we've talked about embracing the grace and mercy of Jesus and the freedom that comes from that. 00:00:22.812 --> 00:00:28.652 We've talked about the freedom from walking in the light of confessing our sins and walking in the light of God's word. 00:00:28.652 --> 00:00:32.686 Week three, we talked about the freedom of learning and growing in truth. 00:00:32.686 --> 00:00:52.088 And today, week four, we're going to talk about this new subject the freedom of being misunderstood, the freedom of being okay if someone doesn't fully understand us, if someone doesn't fully see you, know you get you. 00:00:53.310 --> 00:00:56.444 Now, how many of you have probably been misunderstood before? 00:00:56.444 --> 00:00:57.807 Yeah, maybe you've been in this. 00:00:57.807 --> 00:01:10.331 This is kind of a silly example, but you've been in a conversation, maybe in a loud place, and you're trying to talk to someone but they can't hear you and, like this is a pet peeve of mine to have to repeat myself over and, over and over again. 00:01:10.331 --> 00:01:17.325 Parents in the room, you know what it's like to have to repeat yourself constantly and you do this kind of conversation right. 00:01:17.325 --> 00:01:19.290 You say something to someone and they're like what? 00:01:19.290 --> 00:01:21.864 And you say it again and they go what? 00:01:21.864 --> 00:01:31.064 And you say it again and like a third time, fourth time and finally by like the fifth time, you're just like you know what, never mind, like I was just trying to make a dumb joke, anyway, it doesn't even matter. 00:01:31.064 --> 00:01:35.492 Or you're on the receiving end of it and someone's trying to say something to you and you're like what? 00:01:35.492 --> 00:01:37.227 And they repeat it and they're like what? 00:01:37.227 --> 00:01:47.307 And then someone asks you what did they say? 00:01:47.307 --> 00:01:47.990 And you're like I have no idea. 00:01:48.010 --> 00:01:48.676 Most of us want to be understood. 00:01:48.676 --> 00:01:49.319 We want to be heard. 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:51.046 It's part of being human. 00:01:51.046 --> 00:01:54.890 And here's why it can hurt to be misunderstood. 00:01:54.890 --> 00:01:59.131 When we're misunderstood, we feel unheard. 00:01:59.131 --> 00:02:02.007 When we're unheard, we feel unseen. 00:02:02.007 --> 00:02:05.149 And when we feel unseen we feel unloved. 00:02:05.149 --> 00:02:08.406 No one gets us, no one fully knows us. 00:02:08.406 --> 00:02:11.669 Therefore, no one really fully loves us. 00:02:11.669 --> 00:02:23.406 And as a Christ follower, sometimes we can have this fear of being misunderstood by non-Christ followers, by the world, when we try to proclaim scriptural and biblical. 00:02:23.406 --> 00:02:28.455 Thank you, alberto. 00:02:28.455 --> 00:02:29.846 Can we give it up for our media team? 00:02:29.846 --> 00:02:33.966 He really hates when we do that. 00:02:33.966 --> 00:02:46.383 But thank you, alberto, we can have this problem of being misunderstood and sometimes it stops us from wanting to present the truth of the gospel, to present the truth of God, because we're like man. 00:02:46.383 --> 00:02:48.049 What if they see me as judgmental? 00:02:48.049 --> 00:02:51.800 What if they see me as hateful towards them? 00:02:51.800 --> 00:03:01.569 Because I'm trying to share biblical truths and sometimes, no matter how we package it, no matter how we proclaim it, people are going to make those claims about us. 00:03:01.569 --> 00:03:08.846 But we're going to learn from Jesus today how we can be okay with being misunderstood for proclaiming God's truth. 00:03:10.048 --> 00:03:18.203 We're going to be in John chapter 8 today, starting in verse 48, if you have your Bibles, john chapter 8, starting in verse 48, and we're going to finish out the chapter. 00:03:18.203 --> 00:03:20.729 Some recap before we dive into it. 00:03:20.729 --> 00:03:53.610 If you've been following along in our series Last week, pastor Nate was earlier in this chapter and basically what's happening is there's this conversation, this discourse, this debate of Jesus with some Jewish people, some probably Jewish leaders, some people with some authority, and Jesus is proclaiming scriptural truths to them, talking about why he's here, the purpose of him being there, and they're just kind of arguing with him and it all kind of comes to a head in this last portion of the chapter and we get to see how Jesus finishes out this discussion. 00:03:53.610 --> 00:03:54.935 So that's where we pick off today. 00:03:54.935 --> 00:04:02.307 In verse 48, the first thing we see is this we see the accusation against Jesus. 00:04:02.307 --> 00:04:07.975 The accusation against Jesus, verse 48 says this that the Jews responded to him. 00:04:07.975 --> 00:04:15.534 Aren't we right in saying that you're a Samaritan and have a demon? 00:04:15.534 --> 00:04:18.762 So they call Jesus out Jesus is speaking truth. 00:04:18.762 --> 00:04:20.887 And then they start name calling toward him. 00:04:20.887 --> 00:04:23.281 All right, they call him a Samaritan. 00:04:23.521 --> 00:04:26.850 Now, if you don't know what this is, being a Samaritan was like a bad word. 00:04:26.850 --> 00:04:29.136 That was like fighting words. 00:04:29.136 --> 00:04:34.512 To call someone a Samaritan was kind of like this it was a racial and religious slur. 00:04:34.512 --> 00:04:38.810 To call someone that they're basically saying like you're, like a mixed person. 00:04:38.810 --> 00:04:47.737 They were Jewish people, mixed with blood of other people and descendants of other people, and religious because they say say like you worship different gods than we do, you don't worship the correct way. 00:04:47.737 --> 00:04:50.865 To be a Samaritan was like a racial and religious slur. 00:04:50.865 --> 00:05:06.281 Jewish people hated the Samaritans so much that if they were like going on a road trip and the GPS routed them through Samaria, they would click the alternate option and go all the way around, even if it added days to their trip, just so they didn't have to go through the city. 00:05:06.281 --> 00:05:08.968 Like that's how much they didn't like these people. 00:05:09.750 --> 00:05:14.108 And not only that, they go even further and they say he has a demon. 00:05:14.108 --> 00:05:15.692 Here's what they're saying. 00:05:15.692 --> 00:05:18.024 They're saying you're insane, like you're a crazy person. 00:05:18.024 --> 00:05:19.709 You have a demon living within you. 00:05:19.709 --> 00:05:23.324 You are ethnically impure, so we should not listen to you. 00:05:23.324 --> 00:05:25.648 You are also spiritually impure. 00:05:25.648 --> 00:05:27.911 Therefore, no one should listen to your message. 00:05:27.911 --> 00:05:37.339 See, here's what happened Christ was proclaiming truth to them, giving them scriptural truth, and they were trying to fight back against the truth. 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:41.492 But eventually they realized that what Jesus was saying was correct. 00:05:41.492 --> 00:05:48.646 So they switched from attacking the truth and debating with him and they went to attacking his character. 00:05:48.646 --> 00:05:55.185 They were trying to discredit his character, and sometimes this happens to us as Christ followers. 00:05:55.185 --> 00:06:01.706 People can't attack the truth of scripture, so they attack the character of Christians. 00:06:01.706 --> 00:06:10.848 Maybe they don't like the truth that Scripture proclaims, so instead of attacking the Bible, they begin to maybe attack us. 00:06:10.848 --> 00:06:14.930 And here's the difference between Jesus and us. 00:06:14.930 --> 00:06:20.571 And why it hurts is because sometimes their character attacks on us might be correct. 00:06:20.571 --> 00:06:27.262 Sometimes they'll say things toward us and we have to be humble enough to say man, you're right, I struggle in that area. 00:06:27.262 --> 00:06:28.285 I need to repent of that. 00:06:29.574 --> 00:06:37.615 But we get to see what Jesus does to get the attention off of himself all these character accusations and to get back on mission. 00:06:37.615 --> 00:06:41.326 We saw the attack of Jesus or the accusation of Jesus. 00:06:41.326 --> 00:06:50.202 But number two we get to see Jesus' response, how he puts it back to the truth of God's word instead of just on himself. 00:06:50.202 --> 00:06:52.461 He says this in verse 49. 00:06:52.461 --> 00:06:54.959 I do not have a demon. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:58.427 Jesus answered Super calmly, plain and simple. 00:06:58.427 --> 00:06:59.475 He's like I don't have a demon. 00:06:59.475 --> 00:07:05.148 On the contrary, I honor my father and you dishonor me. 00:07:05.148 --> 00:07:07.862 I do not seek my own glory. 00:07:07.862 --> 00:07:12.117 There is one who seeks it and judges Truly. 00:07:12.117 --> 00:07:17.004 I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. 00:07:17.004 --> 00:07:20.440 So we see Jesus's response. 00:07:20.502 --> 00:07:21.485 Number two this is what he did. 00:07:21.485 --> 00:07:24.283 He didn't fight back and he stayed on mission. 00:07:24.283 --> 00:07:26.923 He didn't make this huge defense for himself. 00:07:26.923 --> 00:07:31.779 If you notice this, he didn't even mention the Samaritan thing Like that didn't even bother him. 00:07:31.779 --> 00:07:33.120 He didn't even bring it up. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:36.624 It wasn't even worth his time to bring it up. 00:07:36.684 --> 00:07:37.547 Here's what that shows us. 00:07:37.547 --> 00:07:41.906 We don't have to acknowledge and argue every insult that's thrown our way. 00:07:41.906 --> 00:07:48.920 So often, when people insult us, we think we have to defend ourselves and try to prove ourselves right. 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:56.362 And that's exactly the trap they want us to fall into, because it gets us off of the truth of God's word that we start to try to defend ourselves. 00:07:56.362 --> 00:07:59.536 He just answers truthfully I don't have a demon. 00:07:59.536 --> 00:08:03.285 On the contrary, I honor my father and you dishonor me. 00:08:03.285 --> 00:08:07.716 In other words, he says I'm not here for myself, I'm here to glorify God. 00:08:07.716 --> 00:08:13.478 I'm not here to talk about myself, I'm here to talk about my father, who sent me and to bring him glory. 00:08:13.478 --> 00:08:16.464 His mission was to glorify God, not himself. 00:08:17.427 --> 00:08:19.798 Then Jesus makes a bold and eternal promise. 00:08:19.798 --> 00:08:24.230 He says if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. 00:08:24.230 --> 00:08:29.581 And he's not talking about physical death All of us are eventually going to physically die. 00:08:29.581 --> 00:08:39.229 He's talking about this spiritual death, this spiritual separation from God, that because of our sin, we can no longer have a relationship with God. 00:08:39.229 --> 00:08:42.259 He's talking about accepting him as his savior. 00:08:42.259 --> 00:08:43.181 How do we know this? 00:08:43.181 --> 00:08:55.528 Earlier, in verse 24, he says this therefore, I told you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. 00:08:55.528 --> 00:09:01.167 He's telling them hey, unless you believe that I'm the Messiah, come to save you from your sins. 00:09:01.167 --> 00:09:06.768 You will die in your sins if you do not believe the message that I declare to you. 00:09:07.817 --> 00:09:14.047 He gets back on his mission, he gets away from the character attacks and he goes back to the crowd. 00:09:14.047 --> 00:09:17.224 So so far we've seen the accusation against Jesus. 00:09:17.224 --> 00:09:18.961 Number two Jesus' response. 00:09:18.961 --> 00:09:23.466 Number three we see the crowd's rejection of Jesus. 00:09:23.466 --> 00:09:25.677 The crowd's rejection of Jesus. 00:09:25.677 --> 00:09:32.585 Verse 52 says then the Jews says now we know you have a demon. 00:09:32.585 --> 00:09:35.469 So they double down on their attack. 00:09:35.469 --> 00:09:37.051 Now we know you have a demon. 00:09:37.051 --> 00:09:44.519 Abraham died and so did the prophets. 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:45.764 You say if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. 00:09:45.764 --> 00:09:50.662 Verse 53 says are you greater than our father Abraham, who died, and the prophets who died? 00:09:50.662 --> 00:09:55.144 Who do you claim to be? 00:09:55.144 --> 00:09:58.984 They double down on their accusations. 00:09:58.984 --> 00:10:01.543 They refuse to believe the message of Jesus. 00:10:01.543 --> 00:10:04.423 And then they're saying do you think you're greater than Abraham? 00:10:04.423 --> 00:10:06.763 You think you're greater than all of the prophets? 00:10:06.763 --> 00:10:08.642 We're going to see Jesus' answer in a little bit. 00:10:11.215 --> 00:10:13.634 Pastor Nate talked about last week that these Jewish people. 00:10:13.634 --> 00:10:16.764 They were clinging to their genetic heritage. 00:10:16.764 --> 00:10:22.181 They thought they were somebody special because of who their great, great great grandfather was. 00:10:22.181 --> 00:10:25.590 Jesus was saying hey, that's great that you're of his descendant. 00:10:25.590 --> 00:10:28.659 But it's about your personal relationship with God. 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:35.701 Do you believe in the son of God that was sent here to this earth to free you from your sins? 00:10:35.701 --> 00:10:37.586 And they get upset at him. 00:10:37.586 --> 00:10:41.019 Like who are you to claim that we will never see death? 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:43.543 Then Jesus says this in verse 54. 00:10:43.543 --> 00:10:49.720 He says if I glorify myself, jesus answered my glory is nothing. 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:57.682 My father, about whom you say he is our God, he is the one who glorifies me. 00:10:57.682 --> 00:11:03.506 You do not know him, but I know him. 00:11:03.506 --> 00:11:11.538 If I were to say I don't know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 00:11:11.538 --> 00:11:14.346 Your father, abraham, rejoiced to see my day. 00:11:14.346 --> 00:11:16.412 He saw it and was glad. 00:11:16.412 --> 00:11:21.466 The Jews replied you aren't 50 years old yet and you've seen Abraham. 00:11:22.068 --> 00:11:26.403 Jesus gets like a little more pointed and a little spicier here with them. 00:11:26.403 --> 00:11:36.399 Right, he's saying you don't know God and that's why you don't understand the things that I'm saying, because you are not of the same God that I am talking about. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.663 You think you know him, but you're just clinging to a family heritage. 00:11:39.663 --> 00:11:45.822 You don't actually personally know him and that's why you don't understand the truths that I'm talking about. 00:11:45.822 --> 00:11:48.020 Here's what that tells us. 00:11:48.020 --> 00:11:49.528 It's an important message for us. 00:11:49.567 --> 00:11:56.186 When we are having conversations with people who are not yet Christ followers, we can often get super sidetracked. 00:11:56.186 --> 00:12:12.697 We can talk about things like abortion and homosexuality and all of these different hot topic items of the day, but people who are not of God will not understand the things of God. 00:12:12.697 --> 00:12:17.128 Why would they understand these scriptural biblical truths if they're not yet? 00:12:17.128 --> 00:12:20.860 His children See what Christ did is he went back to his mission. 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:21.923 He says you're not of God. 00:12:21.923 --> 00:12:24.078 Here's the message, here's the gospel. 00:12:24.078 --> 00:12:32.996 When we're having conversations with people who are not yet saved, we have to get off of all of these sidetracked conversations and point them back to the gospel. 00:12:32.996 --> 00:12:35.844 Hey, you're a sinner in need of a savior. 00:12:35.844 --> 00:12:37.607 That is the message we have to declare. 00:12:37.607 --> 00:12:45.881 That is the message we have to talk about before we ever get to all of this other stuff, because life change can only happen once we have the Holy Spirit within us. 00:12:45.881 --> 00:12:47.865 That's when the transformation begins. 00:12:47.865 --> 00:12:53.917 We need to get back to them knowing God before they can understand the things of God. 00:12:53.917 --> 00:12:59.817 And then he goes this he adds that Abraham looks forward to his coming and they rejoice in it. 00:12:59.817 --> 00:13:01.985 And this confuses the crowd. 00:13:01.985 --> 00:13:04.131 They're like how do you know Abraham? 00:13:04.131 --> 00:13:06.936 You're not even 50 years old, you're just a young dude. 00:13:06.936 --> 00:13:12.668 You would have no idea what Abraham had to say and he's about to make a bold statement. 00:13:12.668 --> 00:13:16.121 But this is what we've seen so far the accusation against Jesus. 00:13:16.121 --> 00:13:19.595 We see Jesus' response to that accusation. 00:13:19.595 --> 00:13:20.817 He points back to the truth. 00:13:20.817 --> 00:13:22.018 He points back to his mission. 00:13:22.018 --> 00:13:25.740 The crowd still rejects him, his mission, the crowd still rejects him. 00:13:25.760 --> 00:13:29.744 And number four Jesus claims his identity. 00:13:29.744 --> 00:13:34.629 He makes an identity claim in verse 58. 00:13:34.629 --> 00:13:35.429 This is what he says. 00:13:35.429 --> 00:13:37.971 Jesus said to them. 00:13:37.971 --> 00:13:47.759 Truly, I tell you, before Abraham was I am. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:52.965 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple. 00:13:52.965 --> 00:13:55.360 It says before Abraham was. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:02.964 He says hey, your great father Abraham, before he ever was, I am, I existed, I am eternal. 00:14:02.964 --> 00:14:07.482 He's making a call back that they would have understood, back to Exodus 3.14. 00:14:07.482 --> 00:14:08.355 It says this. 00:14:08.355 --> 00:14:12.783 It says God replied to Moses I am who I am. 00:14:12.783 --> 00:14:19.559 This is what you are to say to the Israelites I am has sent you. 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:23.245 Jesus made his claim to deity. 00:14:23.245 --> 00:14:25.929 He claimed his identity as God. 00:14:26.196 --> 00:14:27.160 And we'll hear this sometimes. 00:14:27.160 --> 00:14:29.583 We'll hear, like Jesus was a good person, he was just a prophet. 00:14:29.583 --> 00:14:31.201 Hey, that's factually incorrect. 00:14:31.201 --> 00:14:34.745 He makes a claim saying I am the same God of the Old Testament. 00:14:34.745 --> 00:14:36.321 That is who I am. 00:14:36.321 --> 00:14:39.663 And they understood this claim. 00:14:39.663 --> 00:14:42.063 And that's why it says they picked up stones to kill him. 00:14:42.063 --> 00:14:44.722 Because in their eyes, this is blasphemy. 00:14:44.722 --> 00:14:52.602 This was like one of they reject him. 00:14:53.826 --> 00:14:57.514 And it says Jesus leaves, they try to kill him, jesus leaves. 00:14:57.514 --> 00:15:00.847 And that's how the story ends. 00:15:00.847 --> 00:15:08.629 They didn't receive him, they didn't understand the message, but at the same time, jesus didn't change his message. 00:15:08.629 --> 00:15:11.950 He didn't go home feeling like oh man, they didn't like me. 00:15:11.950 --> 00:15:14.427 I should have said something a little differently. 00:15:14.427 --> 00:15:15.330 No, why? 00:15:15.330 --> 00:15:17.004 Because he was rooted in his identity. 00:15:17.004 --> 00:15:18.246 He made an identity claim. 00:15:18.246 --> 00:15:21.481 He knew who he was and he knew what his mission was. 00:15:22.524 --> 00:15:24.187 So what do we do with this? 00:15:24.187 --> 00:15:26.432 How does this apply to us? 00:15:26.432 --> 00:15:27.173 How does this help us? 00:15:27.173 --> 00:15:28.501 What can we learn from this? 00:15:28.501 --> 00:15:31.868 We have three major takeaways today for that. 00:15:31.868 --> 00:15:34.874 But it kind of depends where you're at. 00:15:34.874 --> 00:15:44.178 For the first point, today, some of you maybe identify more with the crowd, the people who haven't yet trusted Christ. 00:15:44.178 --> 00:15:46.605 Maybe you don't believe them and you're still searching. 00:15:46.605 --> 00:15:50.602 Can I say this hey, I'm so glad you're here, I'm so glad you're searching, I'm so glad you're looking. 00:15:51.504 --> 00:15:54.208 If that's you, growth happens one step at a time. 00:15:54.208 --> 00:15:58.615 This is your first step to become a child of God. 00:15:58.615 --> 00:16:07.331 To become a child of God, this is what that means to recognize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. 00:16:07.331 --> 00:16:10.448 John 1, 12 through 13 says it this way. 00:16:10.448 --> 00:16:27.995 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those that believe in his name, who are born not of natural descent, not of Abraham, not of who your father was, or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 00:16:27.995 --> 00:16:30.927 Some of you, you're not yet a child of God. 00:16:30.927 --> 00:16:35.456 Hey, I want to encourage you that there's a God who loved you so much that he died for you. 00:16:35.456 --> 00:16:35.677 Thank you. 00:16:35.677 --> 00:16:36.178 He gave his died for you. 00:16:36.178 --> 00:16:36.440 Thank you. 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:45.988 He gave his life for you to die for your sins, and he didn't stay dead, that he rose again from the grave, and that is why he is our Savior. 00:16:45.988 --> 00:16:50.912 And if that's you, maybe you need to become a child of God, to accept Christ for the first time. 00:16:50.912 --> 00:17:00.609 I want to encourage you to come and talk to me, talk to someone at our prayer and next steps banners If you want to encourage you to come and talk to me, talk to someone at our prayer and next steps banners, if you want to accept Christ as your Savior and fully understand what that means. 00:17:00.609 --> 00:17:05.728 But maybe for some of you in the room you already are a child of God. 00:17:05.728 --> 00:17:11.425 You've accepted Christ, you've trusted Christ as your Savior and here's your next step for you. 00:17:11.506 --> 00:17:16.185 Number two Identify the false identities you are clinging to. 00:17:16.185 --> 00:17:22.526 Identify the false identities, the false lies that you tell yourself. 00:17:22.526 --> 00:17:28.851 Maybe you are a child of God, you've trusted Christ as your Savior, but you're still struggling with your identity. 00:17:28.851 --> 00:17:32.362 You still feel misunderstood, you still feel discouraged. 00:17:32.362 --> 00:17:37.393 You're still not sure what your mission and purpose in life is. 00:17:37.393 --> 00:17:41.589 Hey, can I say that's normal if you have these false identities. 00:17:41.589 --> 00:17:48.009 All of us carry false identities that have been spoken over us or that we've believed for our lives. 00:17:49.421 --> 00:18:03.211 There's a false identity that I struggled with for a really long time and sometimes it still pops up and I still struggle with this and it goes all the way back to like middle school, elementary, high school. 00:18:03.211 --> 00:18:09.732 I was not exactly a model student in elementary, I'll put it that way. 00:18:09.732 --> 00:18:13.371 I did my fair share of summer school so that I could get into the next grade. 00:18:13.371 --> 00:18:16.741 Any like summer school kids like me in here, all right, a couple of us, all right. 00:18:16.741 --> 00:18:20.510 In elementary I was like barely passing. 00:18:20.510 --> 00:18:29.625 Same with middle school, like Ds I was clinging to, like hey, cs get degrees, so if I can just get a C and try to play some sports, like that's pretty good. 00:18:30.867 --> 00:18:38.846 But finally we got to my 10th grade year and I was like this is the year, man, like I got to start getting it together. 00:18:38.846 --> 00:18:43.824 You know college applications start mattering, they care about your GPA and I got tired of just feeling like dumb. 00:18:43.824 --> 00:18:51.205 So I was like this is the year I'm going to lock in, as the kids say, right, and I'm going to get a 4.0. 00:18:51.205 --> 00:18:53.509 I set this goal for myself. 00:18:53.509 --> 00:18:56.374 I was like I'm going to be a 4.0 student. 00:18:56.374 --> 00:18:58.404 10th grade, this is the year. 00:18:58.404 --> 00:19:03.192 So I'm super excited during the summer and I'm like I want some accountability with this. 00:19:03.192 --> 00:19:05.367 So I go and I run and I tell my dad. 00:19:05.367 --> 00:19:07.948 I'm like hey, dad, dad, I got to tell you something. 00:19:07.948 --> 00:19:19.162 This year I am committing I'm going to be a 4.0 student, straight A's, I'm going to get all straight A's. 00:19:19.182 --> 00:19:22.932 Now maybe some of you are parents in the room and you said some things maybe you shouldn't have said, and you know that. 00:19:22.932 --> 00:19:24.402 Hey, I have a great father. 00:19:24.402 --> 00:19:29.039 But this is one of those moments I told him Dad, I'm going to get straight. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.526 A's Super excited and he kind of thought about it. 00:19:32.526 --> 00:19:37.575 I'm like waiting for his answer. 00:19:37.575 --> 00:19:45.567 Then he speaks and he says Cody, that's a really good goal. 00:19:47.500 --> 00:19:51.268 But sometimes in life you should set more realistic goals for yourself. 00:19:51.268 --> 00:20:02.627 So if you set like super high goals and you miss them, you're kind of setting yourself up for failure and so the truth is not everyone's an a student. 00:20:02.627 --> 00:20:12.113 Maybe you're like, maybe you should try to get c's and b's, like, maybe set that as your goal for yourself to help you. 00:20:12.113 --> 00:20:18.681 So I walked away from that conversation like, well, my dad thinks I'm an idiot. 00:20:18.681 --> 00:20:21.366 I put that on myself. 00:20:21.366 --> 00:20:24.474 I was like man, my dad doesn't think I'm smart. 00:20:24.474 --> 00:20:29.067 My grades have shown in the past yeah, I'm not very smart, I'm just a dumb kid. 00:20:29.067 --> 00:20:32.012 That's the identity I put on myself. 00:20:32.012 --> 00:20:38.609 But I'm also very stubborn and I'm also very competitive. 00:20:38.609 --> 00:20:44.315 So when my dad said that about me, I said, oh, okay, well, I'm going to show you dad right. 00:20:44.336 --> 00:20:45.660 So I go into 10th grade year. 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:47.345 He said you don't think I can get straight A's. 00:20:47.345 --> 00:20:48.327 Watch this. 00:20:48.327 --> 00:20:53.746 So I go through 10th grade year and like I'm doing it, I'm getting straight A's like A student. 00:20:53.746 --> 00:20:55.769 People are like what happened to this kid? 00:20:55.769 --> 00:20:57.172 I got straight A's. 00:20:57.172 --> 00:20:58.894 I get all the way to the end of the year. 00:20:58.894 --> 00:21:03.406 I have a 4.1 GPA, absolutely crushing it. 00:21:03.406 --> 00:21:07.428 Yeah, thank you Killed it that year. 00:21:12.740 --> 00:21:25.520 But then comes the dreaded part at the end of the school year that, like adults are thankful we don't have to do anymore Final exams. 00:21:25.520 --> 00:21:27.707 Part at the end of the school year that, like adults are thankful we don't have to do anymore final exams. 00:21:27.707 --> 00:21:29.613 And I killed all my final exams and I have my last one to take and it's my history exam. 00:21:29.613 --> 00:21:30.213 So I take this history exam. 00:21:30.213 --> 00:21:30.715 I'm super nervous. 00:21:30.715 --> 00:21:31.557 I'm studying for hours. 00:21:31.557 --> 00:21:41.002 I take it, turn it in, come in the next day and the teachers give you your grades back and they do the thing where they put it upside down so you can't see it. 00:21:41.002 --> 00:21:42.307 No one else can see it right. 00:21:42.307 --> 00:21:44.251 So I'm nervous. 00:21:44.251 --> 00:21:55.250 I'm trying to get perfect score and I flip it over and I see 1-0-0. 00:21:55.250 --> 00:21:58.488 100% on the exam. 00:21:58.488 --> 00:22:02.326 But this is what happened. 00:22:02.326 --> 00:22:14.248 I broke down in my seat crying, probably 30 other students in the classroom and like I'm just sobbing and crying and people don't understand why. 00:22:14.248 --> 00:22:29.982 See, on the test there was a bonus question and if you got the bonus you could get 103% and I got it wrong. 00:22:30.002 --> 00:22:35.027 So all those identities of you're dumb, you're stupid, you're a failure came flooding back. 00:22:35.027 --> 00:22:37.209 If I were smart enough, I would have got a 103. 00:22:37.209 --> 00:22:38.529 If I were smart enough, I would have got a 103. 00:22:38.529 --> 00:22:41.873 If I were smart enough, I would have got everything perfect, everything right. 00:22:41.873 --> 00:22:42.634 Here's the thing. 00:22:42.634 --> 00:22:48.763 Reality said dude, you're a 4.1 student, chill out like you're doing okay. 00:22:48.763 --> 00:22:57.506 But my identity said no, you're dumb, you're stupid, don't listen to the GPA, you didn't get a perfect score. 00:22:57.566 --> 00:23:09.851 So many of us in this room have false identities that we cling to Lies that someone has spoken over you, that you believe about yourself, or lies that you tell yourself that you would never say to anyone else. 00:23:09.851 --> 00:23:20.569 We need to identify the false identities we are clinging to, that we are letting rule over our lives, because those are not the identities that God claims over us. 00:23:20.569 --> 00:23:23.468 Now, mine was that I'm dumb, stupid. 00:23:23.468 --> 00:23:25.086 Maybe for you it's something else. 00:23:25.086 --> 00:23:33.507 Here are a list of just some common lies, of what they can look like Maybe for you it's I'm not good enough, I can't do anything right, I'm not good enough. 00:23:34.460 --> 00:23:36.885 Maybe for you I'm defined by that past mistake, like I can't do anything right, I'm not good enough. 00:23:36.885 --> 00:23:38.250 Maybe for you I'm defined by that past mistake, like if you knew my past. 00:23:38.250 --> 00:23:41.928 Maybe for you I'm just a failure. 00:23:41.928 --> 00:23:44.007 Everything I try to do, I just mess it up. 00:23:44.007 --> 00:23:48.150 Maybe you believe deep down inside no one really loves me. 00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:52.431 Maybe you think because of the way you grew up that you have to earn God's love. 00:23:52.431 --> 00:23:57.894 Maybe you think this lie that God could never use someone like me. 00:23:57.894 --> 00:24:00.942 I'm not talented enough, I don't have what it takes. 00:24:00.942 --> 00:24:05.231 Maybe for you, your lie is I've always been this way. 00:24:05.231 --> 00:24:07.542 I can't change, like this is just who I am. 00:24:07.542 --> 00:24:13.153 Maybe your lie is I've messed up too much for God to forgive me. 00:24:15.721 --> 00:24:18.730 Maybe for you it's my worth is based on how others see me. 00:24:18.730 --> 00:24:23.748 You just care about what other people think about you and that's what gives you your value and your worth. 00:24:23.748 --> 00:24:27.951 Maybe for a lot of us it's if I'm not successful, I'm not valuable. 00:24:27.951 --> 00:24:31.410 If I don't have this position in my job, then I don't have value. 00:24:31.410 --> 00:24:34.690 If I don't make this much money, then I'm a failure, I'm not valuable. 00:24:34.690 --> 00:24:42.080 Can I say this? 00:24:42.101 --> 00:24:43.846 These are all false identities that hold us back from living in the freedom of Jesus. 00:24:43.846 --> 00:24:48.001 These are false identities that someone's spoken over, that you, that you've spoken over yourself, that we cling to and we believe. 00:24:48.001 --> 00:24:50.607 But God wants to free us from those things. 00:24:50.607 --> 00:24:55.726 God says you're not, those things you are, who he says you are. 00:24:55.726 --> 00:25:03.471 The challenge is learning to let go of those false labels and cling to the truths found in Jesus. 00:25:03.471 --> 00:25:07.869 Maybe you have to identify what lies do I believe about myself? 00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:18.219 And then number three today and we'll be done to submit to your identity as a child of God, to submit to your identity as a child of God, to submit to your identity as a child of God. 00:25:18.219 --> 00:25:24.326 Number three and I use that word submit on purpose, because there will be times in your life where you do not believe these things. 00:25:24.326 --> 00:25:30.126 There will be times in your life where you read something in scripture and you're like God says that's me. 00:25:30.126 --> 00:25:31.704 I don't feel that way. 00:25:31.704 --> 00:25:33.025 I don't think that way. 00:25:33.025 --> 00:25:46.596 We have to submit and say, hey, if that's who God says I am, that is what I'm going to believe to be true, and you've probably heard this before that you're God's child and you need to rest in your identity in Christ. 00:25:46.596 --> 00:26:00.220 But I think the reason so many Christians struggle with actually doing that is because you don't know who God says you are, is because you don't know who God says you are. 00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:04.310 You haven't gone through the Bible and read the promises that God has declared over you. 00:26:06.082 --> 00:26:08.630 We saw this when Jesus stood firm on his identity. 00:26:08.630 --> 00:26:09.925 He claimed his identity. 00:26:09.925 --> 00:26:12.228 He said I am. 00:26:12.228 --> 00:26:14.003 Did you know? 00:26:14.044 --> 00:26:17.606 There are several I am statements that God has made about you. 00:26:17.606 --> 00:26:26.781 I just want to read through some of these that I am a child of God, adopted into his family, joint heirs with Christ. 00:26:26.781 --> 00:26:29.267 I'm forgiven. 00:26:29.267 --> 00:26:31.250 I'm not my past sin. 00:26:31.250 --> 00:26:32.532 I'm not my past shame. 00:26:32.532 --> 00:26:33.381 I've been forgiven. 00:26:33.381 --> 00:26:36.248 I am chosen and loved. 00:26:36.248 --> 00:26:38.113 I don't have to earn anything. 00:26:38.113 --> 00:26:39.863 God chose me and he loves me. 00:26:39.863 --> 00:26:41.707 I am redeemed. 00:26:41.707 --> 00:26:42.868 I am not condemned. 00:26:42.868 --> 00:26:44.894 That guilt that I hold over myself. 00:26:44.894 --> 00:26:46.261 God doesn't hold that over you. 00:26:46.261 --> 00:26:49.788 I am free from sin's power. 00:26:49.788 --> 00:26:52.420 Therefore, I should stop living in sin. 00:26:52.420 --> 00:26:58.833 I am called with purpose that God has a unique purpose for your life. 00:26:58.833 --> 00:27:01.002 He wants to use you for something incredible. 00:27:01.002 --> 00:27:03.487 Your life has deep and rich meaning. 00:27:03.487 --> 00:27:09.021 Lastly, I am who God says I am. 00:27:11.366 --> 00:27:18.450 To go through the scriptures to say I'm going to declare these things over myself and I want to say this this is not some like self-help talk. 00:27:18.450 --> 00:27:20.106 This is not some motivational speak. 00:27:20.106 --> 00:27:25.028 This is you saying God, I'm gonna worship you Even though I don't believe these things about myself. 00:27:25.028 --> 00:27:33.867 I'm gonna submit to my own intellect, I'm gonna submit to my own feelings and say this is who you declare me to be and I'm gonna start living like it. 00:27:33.867 --> 00:27:43.991 In this world we hear this so often that you have to find yourself, that I have to go out and discover myself and figure out who I am. 00:27:43.991 --> 00:27:48.450 I want to leave us with this is you don't need to discover who you are. 00:27:48.450 --> 00:27:52.422 God has already declared who you are. 00:27:52.422 --> 00:27:57.355 You just need to learn it, live in it and accept it. 00:27:57.355 --> 00:28:00.702 You don't need to discover who you are. 00:28:00.702 --> 00:28:03.509 God has already declared who you are. 00:28:03.509 --> 00:28:06.340 Will you believe it this morning? 00:28:06.340 --> 00:28:08.926 Will you believe that that's true in your own heart? 00:28:08.926 --> 00:28:11.130 We're going to sing this song If we want to stand and worship.