Embracing Our Identity and Inheritance in Christ

### Summary

Good morning and happy Sunday! Today, we continue our series "Beyond the Basics" by diving into Romans 8, one of the most profound chapters in Scripture. We explore the themes of identity and inheritance through the lens of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christ followers in Rome. Paul emphasizes that we have an obligation, not to live according to the flesh, but to live by the Spirit. This obligation stems from the incredible gift of the Spirit of God living inside us, a gift we could never repay.

Paul uses the Greek word "opheletes," which means debtor or one who owes something, to describe our obligation. However, this is not a debt we can repay; rather, it is a call to live transformed lives by the Spirit. Living by the Spirit means putting to death the misdeeds of the body and choosing life. This transformation is akin to the story of Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables," who, after receiving an extravagant gift, is called to live a life of honesty and goodness.

The Spirit enables us to see and hear differently, changing our senses and making sins that once enticed us repulsive. Conversely, the things that draw us closer to God become attractive. This transformation is a daily choice, and as we practice listening to the Spirit, we find life that is truly life.

Paul also tells us that living by the Spirit gives us a new identity: we are children of God. This identity is our core, and it requires us to let go of other identities that the world imposes on us. Just as Israel had to shed their identity as slaves, we must shed our worldly identities to fully embrace our identity as God's children. This identity anchors us through all seasons of life and gives us a purpose and vocation in God's redemptive work.

As children of God, we are called to represent the family and be part of God's mission to save and transform the world. This vocation is deeper than any job or title we hold. It is a call to love one another and be an outward expression of God's love in a broken world. Our identity as God's children comes with both great blessings and challenges, including suffering. However, our suffering is not without purpose; it is connected to the suffering of Christ and leads to hope.

In conclusion, if the Spirit of God is in you, you have a new identity and a role to play in God's amazing, life-changing work. Let's embrace this identity and inheritance today, living as beacons of God's love and power in the world.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Living by the Spirit**: We are called to live by the Spirit, putting to death the misdeeds of the body and choosing life. This transformation is a daily choice, and as we practice listening to the Spirit, we find life that is truly life. The Spirit enables us to see and hear differently, changing our senses and making sins that once enticed us repulsive. [27:51]

2. **New Identity in Christ**: When we live by the Spirit, we receive a new identity as children of God. This identity is our core and requires us to let go of other identities imposed by the world. Just as Israel had to shed their identity as slaves, we must shed our worldly identities to fully embrace our identity as God's children. [34:15]

3. **Purpose and Vocation**: Our identity as children of God comes with a purpose and vocation in God's redemptive work. This vocation is deeper than any job or title we hold. It is a call to love one another and be an outward expression of God's love in a broken world. [41:52]

4. **Suffering with Purpose**: Being part of God's family means inheriting both blessings and challenges, including suffering. However, our suffering is not without purpose; it is connected to the suffering of Christ and leads to hope. Our suffering produces perseverance, character, and ultimately, hope. [50:56]

5. **Embracing Our Inheritance**: If the Spirit of God is in you, you have a new identity and a role to play in God's amazing, life-changing work. Embrace this identity and inheritance today, living as beacons of God's love and power in the world. The world needs to see people living in the power of the Spirit. [54:07]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[23:29] - Introduction to Romans 8
[24:32] - Inheritance and Identity
[25:33] - Obligation to Live by the Spirit
[26:44] - The Gift of the Spirit
[27:51] - Living Transformed Lives
[30:06] - The Spirit's Role in Our Lives
[31:14] - Temptation and Self-Deception
[31:57] - Spiritual Floodlight
[32:59] - Daily Choice to Follow the Spirit
[34:15] - New Identity as Children of God
[35:13] - Letting Go of Worldly Identities
[35:53] - True Identity in Christ
[36:37] - Living as Children of God
[38:18] - The Prodigal Son
[40:12] - Anchored in Our Identity
[41:52] - Vocation and Purpose
[43:11] - Representing God's Family
[44:40] - Called to Be Ambassadors
[46:07] - Role in God's Redemptive Work
[47:39] - Community and Calling
[49:08] - Demonstrating Life by the Spirit
[50:56] - Suffering with Purpose
[52:33] - Personal Testimony
[54:07] - Embracing Our Inheritance
[54:07] - Closing Prayer

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Romans 8:12-17 (NIV)
> "Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

2. John 13:34-35 (NIV)
> "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

3. Exodus 19:4-6 (NIV)
> "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to Romans 8:12-17, what is the obligation that Paul speaks about, and what does it mean to live by the Spirit? [26:44]
2. How does Paul describe our new identity in Christ in Romans 8:14-17? What terms does he use to explain this relationship? [34:15]
3. In John 13:34-35, what command does Jesus give, and how does He say people will recognize His disciples?
4. What promise does God give to Israel in Exodus 19:4-6, and how does this relate to our identity and vocation as described in the sermon? [44:40]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to "put to death the misdeeds of the body" as mentioned in Romans 8:13? How does this process look in daily life? [27:51]
2. How does the concept of being "children of God" change the way we view our identity and purpose in life? [34:15]
3. How can the command to "love one another" in John 13:34-35 be practically applied in our daily interactions and relationships? [43:11]
4. What are some ways that our suffering can lead to hope, as described in Romans 8:17 and Romans 5:3-5? How does this perspective change our approach to challenges? [50:56]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the Spirit guiding you. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How can you be more attentive to the Spirit's guidance in your daily life? [30:06]
2. What are some "worldly identities" that you might be holding onto? How can you begin to let go of these and fully embrace your identity as a child of God? [35:13]
3. Think of a specific way you can demonstrate love to someone in your community this week. How can this act of love reflect your identity as a disciple of Christ? [43:11]
4. Identify a current challenge or suffering you are facing. How can you see this situation as an opportunity for growth and hope, in light of Romans 8:17 and Romans 5:3-5? [50:56]
5. How can you actively participate in God's redemptive work in your community? What specific steps can you take to be an outward expression of God's love? [46:07]
6. Reflect on the idea of being an ambassador for Christ. What does this look like in your workplace, school, or home? How can you better represent God's family in these areas? [44:40]
7. Consider the story of the prodigal son. Is there an area in your life where you need to return to God and embrace your identity as His child? What steps can you take to make this return? [38:18]

Day 1: Living by the Spirit
We are called to live by the Spirit, putting to death the misdeeds of the body and choosing life. This transformation is a daily choice, and as we practice listening to the Spirit, we find life that is truly life. The Spirit enables us to see and hear differently, changing our senses and making sins that once enticed us repulsive. [27:51]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you need to put to death the misdeeds of the body? How can you actively choose to listen to the Spirit in this area today?


Day 2: New Identity in Christ
When we live by the Spirit, we receive a new identity as children of God. This identity is our core and requires us to let go of other identities imposed by the world. Just as Israel had to shed their identity as slaves, we must shed our worldly identities to fully embrace our identity as God's children. [34:15]

1 John 3:1 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Reflection: What worldly identity or label do you need to let go of to fully embrace your identity as a child of God? How can you remind yourself of your true identity in Christ today?


Day 3: Purpose and Vocation
Our identity as children of God comes with a purpose and vocation in God's redemptive work. This vocation is deeper than any job or title we hold. It is a call to love one another and be an outward expression of God's love in a broken world. [41:52]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: How can you express God's love in a practical way to someone in your life today? What specific action can you take to fulfill your vocation as a child of God?


Day 4: Suffering with Purpose
Being part of God's family means inheriting both blessings and challenges, including suffering. However, our suffering is not without purpose; it is connected to the suffering of Christ and leads to hope. Our suffering produces perseverance, character, and ultimately, hope. [50:56]

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: What current suffering or challenge are you facing? How can you view this suffering through the lens of Christ's suffering and the hope it produces?


Day 5: Embracing Our Inheritance
If the Spirit of God is in you, you have a new identity and a role to play in God's amazing, life-changing work. Embrace this identity and inheritance today, living as beacons of God's love and power in the world. The world needs to see people living in the power of the Spirit. [54:07]

Colossians 1:12-13 (ESV): "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son."

Reflection: How can you actively embrace and live out your inheritance as a child of God today? What specific steps can you take to be a beacon of God's love and power in your community?

All right, well, we get to see Rachel trying to live by the Spirit. But as we're going to be talking about, good morning. Good to see you all today. Happy Sunday and happy summer. We're kind of halfway through summer, it feels like. I don't know. I just, I love summer and I kind of want to hold on to every ounce of it. But however you're feeling about summer, we're glad you're here.

I want to welcome everybody in this room and those joining us from our campuses in San Mateo, Mountain View, Saratoga, and those of you joining with us online. We're so glad you're here. And I believe that God has something for you today in his word. My name's Scott. I'm one of the pastors here. And we're in a series called Beyond the Basics, as you know.

And we're diving deep into this book of Romans, this letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christ followers in Rome in chapter 8, which is one of the most profound chapters in all of Scripture. And for those of you that may have missed some of our other sermons on this, I'd encourage you to go to our website, and I'd encourage you to go back. Maybe you're coming back from out of town, or maybe this is your first time here. It's really good stuff.

And I want to encourage you to go back and listen to those sermons. I think it will help you in your life, and it will help you even to understand this week's message a little more. And speaking of previous messages, last week, Phil talked about God's power. If you were here, you might remember that. And he kind of made fun of people who have electric cars and drive slow, like me. So I took a little bit of offense to that.

So I just want you to know, he's gone this week. So I am working on sneaking into his car and setting it to chill mode, because I think that would help him. So if anybody wants to help me with that, or if you want to ask him about how his car is driving next week, we'll see if that works.

But today, we're talking about God's power and how it comes to us through our identity and our inheritance. So I want to start with a question. When you think about what you have inherited from your family, what comes to mind? What do you think about when you think about what you have inherited from your family?

Now, I asked my son Luke this question, and the first thing he said was, our name. Kind of obvious, but that was the first thing he thought of. Palm Bush. Now, I'm a little hurt that he didn't immediately go to rugged good looks or incredible intelligence or outstanding athletic ability. Well, you know, I guess a name is something. It is a funny name, Palm Bush. It's actually a misspelled version of a Dutch name.

When my great-grandfather emigrated from the Netherlands, the clerk at Ellis Island simply wrote down what he heard, and Palm Boss became Palm Bush. So if you ever run into another Palm Bush, there is a 100% chance that I am related to them. But along with that name, there's a story that comes with that, and a history, and an identity. And if you're a Palm Bush, this is you. This is part of who you are.

And today, the Apostle Paul, through the text, is going to tell us that we have another identity, another family, and it comes with an incredible inheritance. Let me pray for us as we get started.

Jesus, thanks for this promise through Paul's words in Romans. And I ask now, God, that you would take the words that you want us to hear, and you would speak them to our hearts. That the words of my mouth, the meditations of our hearts, would be acceptable to you this hour and this day. Amen.

So let's turn to our text. We have this fun board here where we can kind of check out the text. And the first thing we notice, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation." It's an important word. But it is not to live according to the flesh. Instead, if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if you live by the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body, and you will live.

Paul begins by saying that we have been given something so amazing, so powerful, so wonderful. The fact that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. And you can have that conversation anytime you want. We can have the power that we talked about last week. Because the Spirit of God lives inside of you, we have an obligation.

And the Greek word translated here, obligation, is "opheletes." And it can mean debtor or one who owes something. But the gift we've been given, we could never repay. So the heart behind it is better thought of as an obligation. But what does God expect of us? God wants us. He expects us, and here it is, to live our lives in that power. In that truth that the Spirit is in us. To live according to the Spirit. To be transformed. To choose life.

In Les Miserables, I'm assuming lots of us have seen it or heard about it. We see a picture of "opheletes" when the kind bishop approaches a stunned Jean Valjean. After Jean Valjean had stolen from the bishop, the bishop vouches for him, and then on top of that, as an act of extravagant grace, gives him his silver candlesticks as well.

Here's the dialogue from the story. The bishop drew near to him and said in a low voice, "Do not forget, never forget that you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man." Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of ever promising anything like this, remained speechless. The bishop had emphasized those words when he uttered them, and he resumed with solemnity.

"Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you. I withdraw it from the black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God."

You and I have been offered an extravagant gift. And it's far more valuable than candlesticks. But it comes with an expectation. When Paul uses "opheletes," he's emphasizing that our commitment and duty are now towards living by the Spirit, not according to our own distorted desires and fears and the demands of this world that will ultimately enslave us.

But how does this work? What does it mean to live according to the Spirit? Now, first, it assumes that the Spirit lives in you. The Spirit makes his home with us when we believe the gospel and when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

And for some of you, that might be a new idea that you're considering and living into and learning about right now. And I want you to know, this is a safe place to be you wherever you are in your spiritual journey. We trust that God will speak to you and move you along that as you need to.

But for others of us, we know Jesus and we've welcomed him into our life, but we're still living by the flesh. Or we're half in and half out. We just want a slice of Jesus or a pound of Jesus. We want it both ways, but Paul does not give us that option. There is no slice option anywhere. Because he knows it's not going to get us where we want to go. You've got to decide who you're going to follow.

Now, even when you have the Spirit of God in your heart, you're going to face temptation. And at times it can be hard to discern. Am I hearing the voice of the Spirit? Or am I hearing my own desires in there? And we're really good. We know this. We're really good at self-deception.

Author and pastor Tim Keller says that the Spirit can be like a floodlight in our life. The spiritual floodlight allows us to see into the dark corners of our lives. To see what we would not see otherwise. And so the Spirit enables you and I to see things differently in every way. It changes the way we see. It changes our vision. It changes our hearing. It changes our senses.

You know how when you've gotten sick eating a certain kind of food, the very sight or smell of it repels you for a long time? My son once ate an entire Costco jar of puffed cheese balls. Let's say those came back to haunt us in a very graphic way that I'm sorry for putting in your head. But let's just say we had a terrible night and now he can't stand even the sight or smell of those cheese balls.

You know when the Spirit's working inside of you, sins that normally would be enticing get dulled and may even become offensive to you. And in contrast, the things that draw you to God become interesting and attractive like reading the Bible and worshiping and prayer. Your heart gets changed and so it breaks for the things that break God's heart.

As the Holy Spirit shines that floodlight and opens up those dark places, you can deal with them. You can bring them to the light and the things that are holy and true and good you can put in your life. And with practice, we can hear the Spirit, we can sense it better and better every day, but it takes that daily choice of listening and following.

And when we do that, when we do that we find life that's truly life, the life that God wants us to live. Now that is such good news already, but it gets even better. Let's continue in the text.

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God." If you're led by the Spirit of God, you get a new title. You are a child of the living God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the Spirit you received brought about adoption to become sons and daughters, and by Him we cry, "Abba Father."

For the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. When we live out of the power of the Spirit, we become part of God's family. That's a big deal. We get a new identity and it's our core identity. And to receive this identity, we just need to let the Spirit do its work in us.

But part of it is we have to let go of some of those other identities that we have in our lives. For Israel, and Paul is continually referencing back to Israel. For Israel, their identity was being slaves. They had to wander in the desert for 40 years for them to get it out of them, that identity, that way of living.

40 years of God providing for them with manna. 40 years of God leading them with a pillar of cloud and fire. 40 years of God developing their faith and trust in His promises. It takes a while sometimes. But I wonder what other identities you may be holding onto. What other things define you?

When I was younger, it was as an athlete, and then a student, and then a husband, and later a father. How do people describe you? You know, every website, especially social media, asks you to fill out a profile, right? What do you write on your profile? I am so curious. I'm going to look all of you up on LinkedIn and we're going to see what it says.

But what do you write? What do you write on your profile? What do you want to project? What do you want people to see?

You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired, at infinite cost to himself, a relationship with you.

You need to understand this. You need to be out there. You need to be part of the moment. If you don't have a moment, the moment is lost. If you find your identity in those things, it's just going to be an identity that is precarious. You're at the mercy of what the day brings or what somebody says about you or your latest accomplishments.

It's a kind of tyranny if you think about it. And lots of people, lots of us live squarely in the middle of it. And it's not a new problem. So Paul is really clear here. He says, don't live as slaves anymore. There is another way. There is something that can set you free. Live into your identity.

You are a child of God. You are a child of God. You belong in your brokenness, in your imperfection, in your mistakes. You are a child of God. And we claim that identity by living in the Spirit, leaning into what the Spirit tells us, accepting the truth and rejecting the false promises and lies of this world.

And make no mistake, this world will give you an identity if you let it. But Paul wants you to know there's an identity that you can have if you want it. But we can reject it too.

Famous story that's in the Gospel of Luke about the prodigal son where the son decides that he wants to surrender his identity and his family and follow the voice of the world, right? And it ends badly. And he thinks he's lost it. The best he can imagine is coming back, crawling back to his father and his family and say, I'm willing to be a slave. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, but I know I can't still be in the family or be her son.

But he finds out that the father's love has not diminished for him. He is still a son and he is still part of the family and he can't believe it. And he has so much gratitude and joy, the father, to see the son return to who he was meant to be.

And when we live into our true identity, as God's beloved children, we get filled with that kind of love as well. We become the people that God wants us to be. And yet, and yet I know, I know it can be tough to stay in that place, that voice that says, no, I want something else. It's hard, but know that no matter where you wind up, you can always come home because you are a child of the living God.

If the Spirit is in you, whenever we do a baptism around here, we celebrate this truth because baptism commemorates the work of God's work in our hearts, our cleansing and rebirth. But it also marks us as part of God's family. We're brothers and sisters in Christ. And baptism is a great big exclamation point that says, I am a child of God. This is my identity.

So when we do baptism, think about that. And this truth, this identity anchors us. And it's a great big exclamation point that says, I am a child of God. Through all the seasons of our lives.

I love the way a late author and pastor Lou Smedes puts it. He says, "My wife has lived with at least five different men since we were wed. And each of those five has been me. The connecting link with my old self has always been the memory of the name I took on back there when I made my vows. I am he who will be there with you."

When we slough off that name, when we lose that name, when we lose that identity, we can hardly find ourselves again. It's a daily challenge to live into our identity as a child of God. But our promises and our vows anchor us in that place, even when we change, even when we go through the trials of life.

My brother-in-law has a tattoo that's on his knuckles. It's kind of cool. It spells out, "hold fast." Now he is Scottish. And this motto is part of his heritage as a McLeod. Apparently, one of the chiefs of his family in the 13th century was wrestling a wild bull and members of the family shouted, "hold fast McLeod." Probably in a much more Scottish way.

But now that phrase continues to bring hope and identity to McLeod's all over the world. You may not be wrestling any wild bulls, but we are wrestling every day to live into our identity as God's children. And we have a cry that we all share. We can call out to our God anytime, anywhere with the same name that Jesus called him, "Abba, Daddy."

And there's going to be times when we need to call out to him. Now, this is really good news too, but there's another implication to being part of the family. Because we're new creations with a renewed awareness of God's presence and heart for the world, we get to be part of the great work that God is doing. We get to be part of the story and help write it.

And now, in religious circles, we use this word vocation, which basically means how God calls you to serve him in the world. Being a son or daughter of God has implications for your vocation. Now, if you have children, you may have some idea of how this works. As our kids got older, they wanted to help Rachel and I with things that we were doing. We would try to include them and it might have been cooking or cleaning or fixing things or other types of chores around the house. And it was wonderful.

Now, sadly, this tendency waned in the teenage years, at least in our household, maybe not yours, but I'm happy to report that it picked up post-college. Turns out living on your own is a powerful teacher. Very, very happy about that.

But in general, here's how it works. When you're a guest, you get to sit on the couch and we bring you stuff. We attend to you. When you're part of the family, you get to serve others. You have responsibility. You represent the family to those outside.

We had one teacher that had all four of our kids. It was really special. Now, the first two just wound up being in her class, but the last two she requested. She knew the family reputation. Our kids are all different, but there was something that she appreciated and knew that she would get with a Palm Bush kid.

It also may have had something to do with the fact that she got an awesome room mom as a part of that deal. But you know what point I'm trying to make. As a child of God, we represent the family. We get to be in the family business.

What is God's business? God is saving and transforming this world that he created, and we get to be a part of that redemptive work that God is doing. We are called and set apart to be the outward expression of God's love in a broken world.

He said it like this in John when Jesus was talking to him. "A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. And by this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."

By your love, people are going to know who you represent. So the bottom line is this identity as a child of God comes with purpose, vocation. And it's deeper than any job we do, any title we hold, any education or degree. We follow Jesus into his ongoing work in the world. And we're going to be a part of that to heal, to bring hope and truth, to walk alongside the broken.

And we're connected, as Paul writes, we're connected to that great call that has been part of God's people since he called Israel to himself. Moses got this word from God about Israel's vocation, and he shared it with them. He said, "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession. And although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Israel would be the light that would show God to all the nations on the earth. And now because of Christ, we are included in that calling by the Spirit. We're adopted into that calling. In First Corinthians, Paul says it like this. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

We are to be those who enter the world as an extension of God's love and an example of who God is. Just like my kids are a reflection of me, not completely, but you know something of me from my kids. And together as a church, all of us who are part of the family of God are called to bring this hope.

That's our vision. That's what we want to be as a church family, sharing that hope, demonstrating it, living it out. Being a beacon to our communities. And I want you to know that each one of you has a role to play in this work. Everyone is needed.

And it may take some time to sort that out. You may be wondering, what is my role? What is my purpose? And when you get in that place, the flesh mindset can start to get at you and say, well, you know, other people, but maybe not you. I mean, you're too broken. You're too messed up. You don't have a theology degree. You only read your Bible once a year. You only pray twice a year. You're a behind-the-scenes person. You don't actually like people. You know, whatever it is, those thoughts start to come into our brain. Those lies start to fill our hearts.

But I want you to hear this. No matter where you start, God will use you in his ongoing work in the world. You have something to offer. And sometimes we need the family of God to help us see it.

So here's an encouragement. I hope that the people around you can help you with this question. Now, I love personality assessments and digging deep into strengths and weaknesses and tendencies and preferences and how those are connected to events and experiences and genetics. They help explain some of our behaviors and how we show up in the world.

But those things will not give us purpose. That comes in the context of something bigger. And it's not always related to our abilities, our talents, and our strengths. And a famous example is, we're going back to Moses again. Moses, who was called to negotiate with Pharaoh, says this to God in Exodus 4:10. He tells God, "Pardon your servant, Lord, but I've never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." It can't be me.

God didn't care. He sent him anyway. I remember when I was in college, there were lots of different avenues I could pursue at that time in my life. And that is when the church, I remember so strongly, the community of God's heirs, brothers and sisters, began to call things out in me. People prayed for me. They said, "We think this might be your path," not in a pressured way, but in a caring, thoughtful way.

I knew I'd be loved and welcomed, whatever I chose, but I had something beyond the self-consumed echo chamber of my own thoughts and feelings. My flesh and the community became part of the Spirit working and living in me. And most of you won't be called to professional ministry, but you're called. You're called to the ongoing work that God's doing, and the community can help call that out in you.

Because the world needs to see it. You know, Paul implores us to live life by the Spirit, not because God's a control freak and wants to just see us obey. It's because we need to demonstrate what this life looks like for the world so that they can see it.

And I'm not saying that God's a control freak. I'm not saying that God's a control freak. I'm saying there's something bigger out there. And if we're not living by the Spirit, we have nothing to show. We're just trapped in the same hamster wheel of deceptions that the world sells. The world needs to see something different.

Now, I want to say this. It doesn't mean that we live perfect lives. Nowhere in the text does it say that. It says we live dependent lives, trusting God and living out our faith in practical ways, demonstrating the transformation that's taken place inside us through the power of the Spirit.

Now, the final part of our passage reminds us that if we're truly living into our calling and into God's will, it's going to be a challenge. Now, if we are children and we are heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory.

Being part of the family means that we inherit lots of things. We inherit great things and we inherit hard things, right? But we get to address God as Abba, Father, in the midst of that. And I think Paul tells us that because he knows we're going to be in places where we will need to cry out to our God, Abba, Father, just as Jesus did in the garden.

This verse, though, tells us something really important, that our suffering is not without purpose. It's connected with the suffering of Christ. And remember, Christ's suffering led to hope for all of creation. And Paul further elaborates this idea back in Romans chapter 5. He says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out to us."

And so, we're going to be in places where we can through the Holy Spirit and he has given to us. Now, we're going to talk more about the connection between suffering and glory next week. But the point is that suffering for the sake of the kingdom will lead to hope. And we don't always know how it connects or we can't always see how it makes sense in the moment.

But God promises us that our suffering has purpose and will lead to glory somehow, some way. Several years ago, my wife, Rachel, had to go through treatment for cancer. There were so many appointments and long days of sitting at the hospital. And in those times, she cried out to her Abba. And then verses of scripture would come to her mind and bring her comfort.

And as she recovered, she collated all those verses that had held her in that time and put them on these beautiful cards and gave them to women as they were diagnosed with cancer because she wanted them to know the hope that got her through.

Now, I know that some of you in this room are facing some very hard things and you're suffering and wondering. And it's especially when we're in those places of suffering that we rely on the presence of the Spirit inside us, reminding us that we are a child of God and that God will hold us, that we can cry out to Him and be honest with Him and wrestle with Him and tell Him how we're feeling.

And our God, who is no stranger to suffering, will say to you, "You have my Spirit within you. I know you. You are mine. Choose the way of life even when it requires sacrifice. Trust me, I am with you."

If the Spirit of God is in you, you have a new identity. You are a child of God and you've inherited a legacy. You have a role to play in this amazing life-changing work that God is doing in the world.

Do you believe that? Can we live into this identity and embrace our inheritance today? Can we be the people in the church that he's called us to be? Because the world needs to see people living in the power of the Spirit, and that could be you and me today.

Will you join me in prayer?

Lord, we are so grateful for these words from Paul and we're so humbled that we get to call you Abba, Daddy, and be counted as your children. As your Spirit lives in us, give us the courage and passion to live out our roles in your great work in the world.

And walk with us, Lord, when we're in the midst of trial and suffering. And God, for those who don't yet know the Spirit, would you draw them close to you and show them your goodness and love. We want to live as a beacon for this world, Lord, and we need you and we love you. And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Paul begins by saying that we have been given something so amazing, so powerful, so wonderful. The fact that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. And you can have that conversation anytime you want. We can have the power that we talked about last week. Because the Spirit of God lives inside of you, we have an obligation." [27:51] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "When we live out of the power of the Spirit, we become part of God's family. That's a big deal. We get a new identity and it's our core identity. And to receive this identity, we just need to let the Spirit do its work in us. But part of it is we have to let go of some of those other identities that we have in our lives." [34:15] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "You will not find your identity in what you have, but in who has you. You will not find your identity in what you do, but in what has been done for you. And you will not find your identity in what you desire, but in who has desired, at infinite cost to himself, a relationship with you." [35:53] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Live into your identity. You are a child of God. You are a child of God. You belong in your brokenness, in your imperfection, in your mistakes. You are a child of God. And we claim that identity by living in the Spirit, leaning into what the Spirit tells us, accepting the truth and rejecting the false promises and lies of this world." [36:37] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "If the spirit of god is in you you have a new identity you are a child of god and you've inherited a legacy you have a role to play in this amazing life-changing work that god is doing in the world do you believe that can we live into this identity and embrace our inheritance today can we be the people in the church that he's called us to be because the world needs to see people living in the power of the spirit and that could be you and me today" [54:07] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for Members

1. "But today, we're talking about God's power and how it comes to us through our identity and our inheritance. So I want to start with a question. When you think about what you have inherited from your family, what comes to mind? What do you think about when you think about what you have inherited from your family?" [24:32] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "You know when the Spirit's working inside of you, sins that normally would be enticing get dulled and may even become offensive to you. And in contrast, the things that draw you to God become interesting and attractive like reading the Bible and worshiping and prayer. Your heart gets changed and so it breaks for the things that breaks God's heart." [31:57] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "And when we live into our true identity, as God's beloved children, we get filled with that kind of love as well. We become the people that God wants us to be. And yet, and yet I know, I know it can be tough to stay in that place, that voice that says, no, I want something else. It's hard, but know that no matter where you wind up, you can always come home because you are a child of the living God." [38:18] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Paul implores us to live life by the spirit, not because God's a control freak and wants to just see us obey. It's because we need to demonstrate what this life looks like for the world so that they can see it. And I'm not saying that God's a control freak. I'm not saying that God's a control freak. I'm there's something bigger out there. And if we're not living by the spirit, we have nothing to show." [49:08] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "Now, the final part of our passage reminds us that if we're truly living into our calling and into God's will, it's going to be a challenge. Now, if we are children and we are heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory. Being part of the family means that we inherit lots of things. We inherit great things and we inherit hard things, right?" [50:56] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)