Awakening to Our True Identity in Christ

1) "What about those times when we lose our identity because we believe the false accusations that our enemy, the devil, Satan, throws at us? See, that's what we're thinking about today, as we are in part four of a five-week sermon series. It's based upon this book, Finding Your Way Back Home. And it's all about these five spiritual awakenings that we all need to help us find our way back to God. Whether we're finding our way back to Him for the very first time, or we're finding our way back to God another time. We need these five spiritual awakenings to help us keep finding our way back to God so that we can continue to grow in our relationship with God." [02:46] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "The awakening to help is when we decide that we're going to return home. When we decide that what we're doing is not working. And so we decide to return home. We return home to God. We return home to God. We return home to God where we belong. The awakening to help is when we admit that we can't do it on our own and that we need the help that only Jesus can provide. And sometimes when we have come home, we can forget who we really are. We can sometimes struggle to regain or to live in our true identity. And that's why it is so important. It's so important for us to continue to experience awakening number four, which is the awakening to love." [04:02] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "How do we avoid spiritual identity theft through this awakening to love? Well, the first thing you have to do is, you have to embrace your new identity. That's what we all have to do. Every single day, we have to embrace our new identity and who God says that we are. If you look again in Luke 15, and we're focusing on just a few verses here today. Verse 21, Jesus says, The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Now, my guess is that most of us, if not all of us, can relate to those words. Because at some point in your life, you probably have felt like you were not worthy. Not worthy to be loved. Not worthy to be forgiven. Not worthy to be used by God. Not worthy to receive the gift or the blessing. We know what it's like not to feel worthy." [07:35] (70 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "And so the way that we defeat this shadow of shame that sometimes follows us, that keeps us around and whispers or shouts in our ears is not only by embracing our new identity, but it's also in choosing to live in the proof of the Father's love. Friends, we have to choose to live in the proof of the Father's love. Luke chapter 15, verse number 22. Jesus says, But the Father said to his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Bring a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. While the son is feeling the weight of shame, the father is giving directions to his servants. Bring a robe, bring a ring, and bring some sandals." [14:17] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "And so these three gifts, they communicated to him the truth. The truth about what his true identity really is. Maybe like me, you've had times when you've struggled with this. Maybe at times you've carried the weight of regrets. Maybe at times you have felt like you were not worthy of God's love or worthy of his grace and mercy or worthy of his forgiveness. And look, I get it. think most of us do. Because on our own, we're not worthy. I mean, let's be clear about that. On our own, we're not worthy. But the awakening to love allows you to understand that Jesus makes us worthy. He makes us worthy. His sacrifice upon an old rugged cross makes us worthy. And the awakening to love allows us then to cast off the shadow of shame and regret and to come to live in the reality that we are living in. We're loved. That God loves you deeply, just as you are." [22:32] (78 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "There's no doubt we know we live in a world where people are searching for identity. And there are lots and lots of people that now, now identify in lots of different ways. But the only identity that means anything at all, really, when it comes down to it, is that you are a loved, dearly loved child of God. That is what makes you valuable. That is what makes you worthy. That God loved you so much that he would send his son Jesus to die on a cross so that you could be forgiven of your sins. And throughout the New Testament, we're given reminders. We're given reminders of our identity that God gives to us when we come home, when we return to God, when we allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord and the Savior and the leader and the forgiver of our lives." [24:39] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "Friends, we need to understand, that our feelings cannot always be trusted. And sometimes our feelings are unreliable. But I'll tell you what is not unreliable. It's the word of God. The word of God, the truth of God, it never lies. It is totally reliable. And so that means that we must constantly be pushing back on anything that goes against the truth of God's word. We must be pushing back on whatever lies the devil tries to convince us of. We must push back on anything that says, you're not loved, you're not accepted, that you can't be forgiven. Because friends, you have a father in heaven who loves you as you are, and not as you should be." [27:24] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)