Discovering Our True Kingdom Identity in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Drawing Near to God

Our primary calling is to draw near to God and be in an intimate relationship with Him. This calling is distinct from our assignments, such as being a pastor, teacher, or any other role we might take on in life. While our assignments may change over time, our calling to God remains constant. This distinction helps us focus on our relationship with God rather than just our roles or tasks. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we can better understand our purpose and navigate the various assignments we may receive throughout our lives. [01:17]

James 4:8 (ESV): "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to draw nearer to God and deepen your relationship with Him?

Day 2: Recognizing the Attack on Identity

Satan's primary strategy is to attack our identity, leading us to identify with anything other than our true kingdom identity. This is evident in societal trends that encourage people to choose their own identities, often in ways that contradict God's design. Recognizing this attack helps us stay grounded in our true identity in Christ. By understanding that our identity is chosen by God and not something we create ourselves, we can resist the pressures of society and remain steadfast in our faith. [05:26]

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV): "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

Reflection: In what ways have you felt pressured by society to define your identity? How can you reaffirm your true identity in Christ today?

Day 3: Preserving Kingdom Values

As the salt of the earth, we are called to preserve kingdom values and slow down the moral and spiritual decay in the world. This involves living out values such as humility, mercy, and purity of heart. Our influence and impact are diminished when we allow impurities and compromise into our lives. By maintaining our integrity and commitment to kingdom values, we can effectively serve as a preservative in a world that is often morally and spiritually decaying. [24:34]

Matthew 5:13 (ESV): "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

Reflection: What are some specific kingdom values you can focus on preserving in your daily life? How can you avoid compromising these values?

Day 4: Reflecting the Light of Jesus

We are called to be the light of the world, reflecting the light of Jesus into the darkness. This requires us to maintain a pure and clean reflection, free from the impurities of sin and compromise. Our good deeds should point others to God, not to ourselves. By living a life that reflects God's glory, we can guide others towards Him and illuminate the path to salvation. [40:50]

Ephesians 5:8-9 (ESV): "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)."

Reflection: How can you ensure that your actions and words today reflect the light of Jesus and point others to God?

Day 5: The Importance of Ongoing Repentance

Repentance is an ongoing process in the life of a believer. It involves continually turning away from sin and compromise and turning towards God. This keeps our reflection pure and allows us to effectively be salt and light in the world. By regularly examining our hearts and repenting of our sins, we can maintain a close relationship with God and fulfill our calling to be His representatives on earth. [52:43]

Acts 3:19 (ESV): "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

Reflection: What areas of your life need repentance today? How can you make repentance a regular practice to maintain a pure and close relationship with God?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved deeper into the concept of kingdom identity, building on last week's discussion. We explored the distinction between calling and assignment, emphasizing that our primary calling is to draw near to God. Our identity in the kingdom is not something we choose but something revealed to us by God. This identity shapes how we see the world and how we live our lives.

We discussed the pervasive attack on identity in our society, particularly how Satan uses various means to distort and confuse our true identity in Christ. This attack is evident in the way the world encourages people to choose their own identities, often in ways that are contrary to God's design. However, as citizens of the kingdom, our identity is chosen by God, and we are called to discover and walk in it.

We examined the metaphor of being the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." Salt, in Jesus' time, was a valuable commodity used primarily for preservation. As salt, we are called to preserve the values of the kingdom and slow down the moral and spiritual decay in the world. This involves living out kingdom values such as humility, mercy, and purity of heart.

Being the light of the world means reflecting the light of Jesus into the darkness. We do not emit light on our own but reflect the light we receive from Christ. Our lives should be a mirror, reflecting God's glory to the world and pointing others to Him. This requires us to maintain a pure and clean reflection, free from the impurities of sin and compromise.

In conclusion, we are called to be both salt and light, preserving kingdom values and reflecting God's light into the world. This requires ongoing repentance and a commitment to living out our true kingdom identity.

###

Key Takeaways

1. **Calling vs. Assignment**: Our primary calling is to draw near to God and be in an intimate relationship with Him. Our assignments, such as being a pastor or a teacher, may change, but our calling to God remains constant. This distinction helps us focus on our relationship with God rather than just our roles or tasks. [01:17]
2. Attack on Identity: Satan's primary strategy is to attack our identity, leading us to identify with anything other than our true kingdom identity. This is evident in societal trends that encourage people to choose their own identities, often in ways that contradict God's design. Recognizing this attack helps us stay grounded in our true identity in Christ. [05:26]
3. Salt of the Earth: As the salt of the earth, we are called to preserve kingdom values and slow down the moral and spiritual decay in the world. This involves living out values such as humility, mercy, and purity of heart. Our influence and impact are diminished when we allow impurities and compromise into our lives. [24:34]
4. Light of the World: We are called to be the light of the world, reflecting the light of Jesus into the darkness. This requires us to maintain a pure and clean reflection, free from the impurities of sin and compromise. Our good deeds should point others to God, not to ourselves. [40:50]
5. Ongoing Repentance: Repentance is an ongoing process in the life of a believer. It involves continually turning away from sin and compromise and turning towards God. This keeps our reflection pure and allows us to effectively be salt and light in the world. [52:43]
### [52:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:17] - Calling vs. Assignment
[02:22] - Opening Prayer
[05:26] - Attack on Identity
[08:58] - Societal Influences on Identity
[11:30] - Kingdom Identity
[13:14] - Discovering Purpose and Calling
[15:11] - Peter's Revelation
[18:51] - Kingdom Authority
[20:54] - Sermon on the Mount
[24:34] - Salt of the Earth
[27:54] - Spiritual Entropy
[31:14] - Preserving Kingdom Values
[36:17] - Influence and Impact
[40:50] - Light of the World
[44:15] - Good Works Reflect God's Glory
[52:43] - Ongoing Repentance
[55:13] - Closing and Altar Call

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Jesus mean when He calls us the "salt of the earth"? ([24:34])
How does Jesus describe the consequences of salt losing its saltiness? ([32:40])
What are the two metaphors Jesus uses to describe our role in the world? ([40:50])
According to the sermon, what is the primary purpose of being the "light of the world"? ([41:33])

Interpretation Questions

How does understanding our primary calling to draw near to God help us in discovering our kingdom identity? ([01:17])
In what ways does the world encourage us to choose our own identities, and how does this conflict with our kingdom identity? ([09:55])
What does it mean to preserve kingdom values as the "salt of the earth," and how can impurities affect our influence? ([34:07])
How can ongoing repentance help us maintain a pure reflection of God's light in our lives? ([52:43])

Application Questions

Reflect on your current relationship with God. How can you draw nearer to Him this week to better understand your kingdom identity? ([01:17])
Identify a specific area in your life where you feel your identity is under attack. How can you reinforce your true identity in Christ in that area? ([09:55])
Think of a situation where you can act as the "salt of the earth" by preserving kingdom values. What practical steps can you take to influence that situation positively? ([24:34])
Are there any impurities or compromises in your life that are diminishing your influence as a Christian? What steps can you take to address these issues? ([34:07])
How can you reflect the light of Jesus in your daily interactions? Identify one specific action you can take this week to be a better reflection of Christ's light. ([41:33])
Repentance is an ongoing process. Is there something specific you need to repent for today to keep your reflection of God's light pure? ([52:43])
Consider the people around you who may be in darkness. How can you intentionally position yourself to reflect Jesus' light to them? ([42:20])

Sermon Clips

1. "What is our identity, our true identity in the kingdom? And a lot of times we think about purpose, we think about calling, we associate that with identity. And a lot of times when we think about calling, because each one of you is called. Each one of you has a calling on your life. And so we think about, well, what is my assignment? And I don't want us to confuse assignment with calling. While they do go hand in hand, when you look at the Bible, God speaks of calling, he's always speaking of calling people to himself. So we see that in identity, in calling, in purpose, first and foremost, it is that God is calling us to himself." [01:17] (77 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "There is an attack on identity. Do you agree with me there? We can look out into the world. We can see Satan and what he's doing, and there is an attack on identity. And Satan knows this. I'm not trying to give him credit or glory or anything, but we just need to understand some things here. Satan knows this, that how we see things, the lens at which we see things through is determined by the way we see things. And first and foremost, by how you identify yourself." [05:26] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "In the kingdom, we are in the kingdom. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. The old is gone. You are a citizen. If any of you have received Jesus into your heart, you are no longer of the world. You're in the world, but you're not of the world. You are a citizen of the kingdom of God. In the kingdom, your identity has been chosen for you." [11:30] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Every single one of you is called by God. God's calling is upon your life. You are called to do mighty, miraculous things in and through Jesus. Every one of you. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you've done. I don't care what you haven't done. The call of God is upon your life. But one thing that we have to remember, and I just hit on it a little bit, is first and foremost, God is calling us to himself. The way that you discover your purpose and your identity is by drawing near to him. He reveals to you. He's drawing you close to him." [13:14] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "You are the salt of the earth. The first thing is that you are salt. You're salt. Now, let's make sure we understand the context of what Jesus is. Here, we understand, we know what salt is, but what is the context of at the time, 2000 something years ago, when Jesus said this, you are the salt of the earth. At this time, salt was the most valuable commodity that there was. So that could preach in itself, right? You are valuable. Act like it, right? I mean, we could preach that, but that's not where I believe the Lord has us today." [24:34] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "You are the salt of the earth. You are called to preserve the values of the kingdom on earth. You're the salt of the earth. There's a scientific term called entropy. And what entropy means is that all things in this universe are moving from a state of order to disorder. There's nothing that is new being formed. Now there is scientific evolution where we see things transform into other things. They break down and they transform into other things. Gas when you boil it becomes, I mean water when you boil it becomes gas. But then it will come back into liquid. Liquid form again. So there's things that transform. But everything is breaking down. That's scientific. This podium will eventually break down. Entropy. All things are breaking down gradually. Everything is going from a state of order to disorder. So that is the physical definition of entropy. And it's a scientific fact. But there is also spiritual entropy that is happening in our world because of sin." [27:10] (78 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand. Where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your good deeds shine out for all to see. So that everyone will praise your heavenly father. You are the light. The light of the world. Again let's look at the word you. Plural. Us. His followers. We are the light of the world. But it's also emphatic which means this. You and you alone are the light of the world. What does that mean then? It means that the world is dark. The world is a very dark place. And we are called to be the light." [40:50] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "We are mirrors. Our life is a mirror. Our life is a reflection. Where we receive light and we give light. We don't emit light of our own. We receive light and we give light. Just like. And here's the thing that we have to understand. Just like you know a mirror right? If you want to see your reflection. You have to be positioned in a certain spot. If I turn this mirror. I can start to see things. Things that are at different angles right? The angle at which I hold the mirror. Determines where the reflection is going. Or where it's coming from. So one thing that we have to know is this. That we need to have our gaze fixed on Jesus. But at the same time. That we are fixed and focused on Jesus. We need to be turned towards the world. To reflect the light of Jesus to the world." [42:20] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "We are saved by grace. We're not saved by works. We're saved by grace. But in that same almost couple sentences later. It says this. That we have been created anew in Christ Jesus to do good works. So we're saved by grace. The things that we do or don't do. That's not what saves us. It's the grace of God. That saves us. But we are created anew in Christ Jesus to now do good works. And you notice here. The reflection goes both ways. When you are a mirror and you understand that my life is a mirror. My life is a reflection. Notice it doesn't say here. In the same way let your good deeds shine out for all to see. So that everyone will give you praise. It doesn't say that. It says let your good deeds shine out for all to see. So that everyone will praise your heavenly father." [44:15] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Blessed are the poor in spirit. For they shall inherit the kingdom of God. It's the first thing he says. The poor in spirit. We are not talking about a poverty mindset. We're not talking about. You're supposed to live your life poor. And not have anything. Not have money. Not. No. That's a poverty mindset. That is not what Jesus is saying. At all. But the first thing he says. Blessed are the poor in spirit. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means this. That I realize. That without God in my life. I am spiritually bankrupt. Hallelujah. Like I. Without him. I. My spirit. I am so poor. I am bankrupt without him. I have a desperate need for him. No matter what God is doing. No matter what assignment I'm walking in. No matter how much authority I'm walking in. I am always spiritually bankrupt without him in my life. I am absolutely 100% dependent and desperate for God. In my life. The poor in spirit. It's the first thing that he says. Because that is the foundation of everything else." [47:14] (81 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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