Embracing Vulnerability: The Power of Being Known
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we explored the profound theme of being known and the inherent human fear of vulnerability. Reflecting on a personal story from middle school, we delved into the pain of being exposed and ridiculed, which often leads us to hide our true selves from others and even from God. This fear of being truly known can distort our relationships and our understanding of God's love for us.
We discussed the four buckets of mental health—situational, clinical, medical, and spiritual—and how they interplay in our lives. The sermon emphasized that mental illness is a real and multifaceted issue, not part of God's original design, but a result of sin and Satan's deception. We examined the Genesis account, where humanity's first sin was rooted in the desire for knowledge over being known by God, leading to a cycle of hiding and shame.
The sermon highlighted the importance of connection, both with God and with others, as a fundamental aspect of our design. We looked at the Shema in Deuteronomy, which calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to keep His commandments close in our daily lives. This ancient practice underscores the need for constant realignment with God's truth in a world that often pulls us away from Him.
We also touched on the impact of modern technology and societal changes on our sense of connection and mental health. The rise of anxiety and depression among youth was linked to a lack of genuine human connection, exacerbated by the advent of smartphones and social media. The sermon called out the lies of Satan, who seeks to devalue humanity and distort our understanding of God's love and purpose for us.
Ultimately, the message was one of hope and reassurance: we are known and loved by God, despite our flaws and fears. Psalm 139 beautifully captures this truth, reminding us that God has searched us and knows us intimately. The sermon concluded with a call to embrace this divine knowledge and to seek genuine connections within our community, trusting that we are never alone in our struggles.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Pain of Vulnerability: Sharing our true selves can be a painful experience, often leading to ridicule and rejection. This fear of being known can cause us to hide parts of ourselves from others and from God. However, true healing begins when we allow ourselves to be fully known and loved by God, who sees and accepts us as we are. [33:36]
2. The Four Buckets of Mental Health: Mental health issues can be situational, clinical, medical, or spiritual. Recognizing which bucket our struggles fall into can help us seek appropriate help. It's important to understand that mental illness is not part of God's original design but a result of sin and brokenness in the world. [37:31]
3. The Importance of Connection: We are wired to connect with God and with others. The Shema in Deuteronomy calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to keep His commandments close. Genuine human connection is essential for our mental and spiritual well-being, and we must strive to maintain it in a world that often pulls us away. [44:15]
4. The Deception of Knowledge: The desire for knowledge over being known by God led to humanity's first sin. Modern technology, while connecting us in some ways, often exacerbates feelings of isolation and anxiety. We must be wary of substituting genuine connection with superficial knowledge and strive to align our lives with God's truth. [50:23]
5. God's Intimate Knowledge of Us: Psalm 139 reminds us that God has searched us and knows us intimately. Despite our flaws and fears, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Embracing this truth can help us overcome the lies of Satan and find our true identity and purpose in God's love. [01:00:26]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[33:36] - The Pain of Vulnerability
[37:31] - The Four Buckets of Mental Health
[44:15] - The Importance of Connection
[50:23] - The Deception of Knowledge
[01:00:26] - God's Intimate Knowledge of Us
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me... For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
2. Deuteronomy 6:4-9: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
3. Genesis 3:4-5: "You will not certainly die, the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Psalm 139 reveal about God's knowledge of us? How does this passage describe the way God knows us?
2. According to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, what are the Israelites commanded to do with God's commandments? How are they to integrate these commandments into their daily lives?
3. In Genesis 3:4-5, what lie does the serpent tell Eve, and how does it twist the truth about God's command? [39:15]
4. How does the sermon describe the impact of modern technology on our sense of connection and mental health? [50:23]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the knowledge that God knows us intimately, as described in Psalm 139, challenge our fears of vulnerability and being truly known? [01:00:26]
2. What is the significance of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 in the context of maintaining a connection with God? How does this ancient practice relate to our modern lives? [44:15]
3. How does the desire for knowledge over being known by God, as seen in Genesis 3:4-5, continue to affect our lives today? What are some modern examples of this struggle? [39:15]
4. The sermon mentions the four buckets of mental health: situational, clinical, medical, and spiritual. How can recognizing which bucket our struggles fall into help us seek appropriate help? [37:31]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt vulnerable and feared being truly known. How did that experience affect your relationships with others and with God? How can you begin to embrace being known by God despite these fears? [33:36]
2. The Shema calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. What practical steps can you take this week to keep God's commandments close in your daily life, as described in Deuteronomy 6:4-9? [44:15]
3. Modern technology often exacerbates feelings of isolation and anxiety. What specific actions can you take to reduce your reliance on technology and foster genuine human connections? [50:23]
4. The sermon discusses the lies of Satan and how they distort our understanding of God's love and purpose for us. Identify a lie you have believed about yourself or God. How can you counteract this lie with the truth of God's word? [54:30]
5. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. How can this truth help you overcome negative self-perceptions and embrace your identity in Christ? [01:00:26]
6. The sermon emphasizes the importance of community and genuine connections. What steps can you take to build deeper relationships within your church or small group? How can you support others in their struggles with mental health? [01:06:27]
7. Reflect on the impact of societal changes on your mental health and sense of connection. What adjustments can you make in your daily routine to align more closely with God's design for connection and well-being? [47:47]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Vulnerability
Description: Sharing our true selves can be a painful experience, often leading to ridicule and rejection. This fear of being known can cause us to hide parts of ourselves from others and from God. However, true healing begins when we allow ourselves to be fully known and loved by God, who sees and accepts us as we are. Vulnerability is not a weakness but a pathway to deeper connection and healing. When we open up to God and others, we create space for genuine relationships and spiritual growth. [33:36]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV): "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Reflection: Think of a part of yourself that you have been hiding from God or others. How can you take a step towards vulnerability and openness today?
Day 2: Understanding Mental Health
Description: Mental health issues can be situational, clinical, medical, or spiritual. Recognizing which bucket our struggles fall into can help us seek appropriate help. It's important to understand that mental illness is not part of God's original design but a result of sin and brokenness in the world. By acknowledging the complexity of mental health, we can approach it with compassion and seek holistic healing. This understanding helps us to support ourselves and others in a more informed and loving way. [37:31]
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Reflection: Identify which bucket your current mental health struggles fall into. What steps can you take to seek appropriate help and support?
Day 3: The Necessity of Connection
Description: We are wired to connect with God and with others. The Shema in Deuteronomy calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to keep His commandments close. Genuine human connection is essential for our mental and spiritual well-being, and we must strive to maintain it in a world that often pulls us away. Building and nurturing these connections requires intentionality and effort, but it is vital for a fulfilling and balanced life. [44:15]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Reflection: Reflect on your current relationships. How can you strengthen your connection with God and others this week?
Day 4: The Deception of Knowledge
Description: The desire for knowledge over being known by God led to humanity's first sin. Modern technology, while connecting us in some ways, often exacerbates feelings of isolation and anxiety. We must be wary of substituting genuine connection with superficial knowledge and strive to align our lives with God's truth. True wisdom comes from being known by God and living in accordance with His will, rather than merely accumulating information. [50:23]
Proverbs 3:7-8 (ESV): "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones."
Reflection: Consider your use of technology and social media. How can you prioritize genuine connections over superficial interactions today?
Day 5: God's Intimate Knowledge of Us
Description: Psalm 139 reminds us that God has searched us and knows us intimately. Despite our flaws and fears, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Embracing this truth can help us overcome the lies of Satan and find our true identity and purpose in God's love. Knowing that we are fully known and loved by God gives us the confidence to live authentically and pursue our God-given purpose. [01:00:26]
Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV): "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Reflection: Reflect on the truth that God knows you intimately and loves you deeply. How can this knowledge change the way you view yourself and your purpose today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Could it be that as we're talking about the brokenness of being known by other humans that as we put that on to God is that he's actually the one that knows us best. Knows the most about us and loves us more than we could ever imagine." [34:41]
2. "We are wired to connect. That is who we are. That is who we are created to be, is that we are wired to connect. In fact, see that ordering in Genesis. And then it continues as God is establishing humanity and establishing humankind and then giving them orders and instructions of how they're supposed to interact with God." [43:07]
3. "I believe that the farther away from the one who made you and knows you will make you feel less known. And we will then lash out in kind, because we believe that sin and that Satan are not real. And that that is not where this battle is. This battle is, is that if I can solve the Democrats' problem or the Republicans' problem, then we're going to have peace. And my friends, this side of heaven, we won't. The problem is spiritual." [53:15]
4. "You are known. You are known by the one who matters. J.I. Packer says it this way. He says, what matters supremely, therefore, is not in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it, the fact that he knows me. I'm graven on his palms of his hands. I'm never out of his mind. All that knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative of knowing me." [57:25]
5. "We are born into sin because of our humanity, and yet while God created us, we are still subject to death on the side of heaven. And he repaired that through the life of Jesus. Isaiah 53, 4, and 5 talks about Jesus coming and taking that on, that he was even considered... He took on our sin. He took on our shame. He took on our knowing. And it even says that he was cursed for that. He took all of that on so that we could remember that he was in a knowing relationship with God." [01:01:54]
### Quotes for Members
1. "It is interesting even walking out here there's just there's a weight to this and and I'm it's an honor that we can sit in this with you that we get to have this conversation together. This is the second in a 12 part series that we're going to be talking about and actually for the next couple weeks we're going to be talking about the different lies that we believe of ourselves. Pastor Larry kicked it off last week so fantastically. If you haven't had a chance to listen to Pastor Larry's message last week on it's okay to not be okay. I would really encourage you to because it frames the conversation and what we're going to be doing this summer." [35:36]
2. "So then with that I would say the one part that is very important for you to know right now is as he talked with medical professionals they really encouraged us to identify as we're talking about this idea of mental health. That there's four different buckets that we really operate out of and they're this they're situational clinical medical and spiritual and I think those four buckets what they help us to do is not only to recognize and identify what it is that we're going through but it's also to recognize that some of them some of the things that we are struggling with when it comes to mental health really are situational. Is it a time it will this pass. There's parts where it's clinical that there's somebody that I need to sit and I need to talk with. It's medical that there is wiring in my brain. And there's a chemical imbalance that I need to identify and then I think that there's a spiritual element that we're going to be leaning in heavily to this." [36:27]
3. "I think it's so wise that we are in this mental health series starting right here here with specifically this idea of knowing because sin and our lives are in this constant cycle of wanting to be known by God and other people, then covering that and then manufacturing a story and a narrative of what I want you to know about me. When actually, if I were to just go back to what is fully known, but the problem is if you fully knew that, then you wouldn't love me and you wouldn't accept me. And so then that becomes this very ugly cycle that I don't know if you've ever lived in that, but I don't know if you've ever lived in that. But I sure know that I have." [41:51]
4. "I believe that the farther away from the one who made you and knows you will make you feel less known. And we will then lash out in kind, because we believe that sin and that Satan are not real. And that that is not where this battle is. This battle is, is that if I can solve the Democrats' problem or the Republicans' problem, then we're going to have peace. And my friends, this side of heaven, we won't. The problem is spiritual. And so then the second lie is this, is that Satan is not real, but he is. And it is a spiritual battle, not one of flesh and blood." [53:15]
5. "I think it's interesting that in the wilderness, in the Old Testament, that at some points in times, it was only 10 to 12 miles wide, which housed millions of people. So you know that as this whole large group of people wandered for 40 years, they believe that they wandered over 3 million miles of wandering over 40 years. You got to believe that as they're wandering, they're like, I've seen that rock before. I've been here before. Maybe God's trying to get me to know and to learn something. Here's what he was trying to tell them. I haven't forgotten you. And as you may know, that's a painful lesson to learn sometimes." [58:50]
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