WEBVTT 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:40.240 Sitting here wrestling my head The reality of 00:00:40.240 --> 00:01:00.469 sometimes we make plans The serpent that I have 00:01:00.469 --> 00:01:09.269 prepared. Or can you do something else? That's 00:01:09.269 --> 00:01:14.709 what I'm listening to right now. Sometimes I 00:01:14.709 --> 00:01:19.390 wish you were just a... Well, we're talking about 00:01:19.390 --> 00:01:34.150 identity. Our identity cries this morning. and 00:01:34.150 --> 00:01:41.290 great I am. That's who he is. Capable of doing 00:01:41.290 --> 00:01:47.569 anything. And we are his children, that's what 00:01:47.569 --> 00:01:53.170 the text will say this morning. But I don't think 00:01:53.170 --> 00:02:08.719 a lot of us live our lives. We truly understand 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:12.719 that we are his children. And the freedom of 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:29.699 that comes with it. Sorry, I just had this moment 00:02:29.699 --> 00:02:34.099 with myself. I'm just asking all of you to just 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:37.729 give me direction. because i always want to be 00:02:37.729 --> 00:02:41.889 um i always just want to be faithful to whatever 00:02:41.889 --> 00:02:46.770 however is needed and not just fall into routine 00:02:46.770 --> 00:02:51.409 or doing a church service and i think sometimes 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:55.189 the lord uses you to minister to the body more 00:02:55.189 --> 00:02:59.449 than people use me and that's the wrestle um 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:01.310 wrestling where does that feel like somebody 00:03:01.310 --> 00:03:06.500 here has a testament made that can speak to our 00:03:06.500 --> 00:03:12.400 congregation more than what I have to say. I 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:16.000 could be dead wrong on this. It's just the feeling 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:19.500 I have. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna open 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:22.039 that mic up. I hope it sounds better than this 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:27.780 one. That it has a lower place on any of your 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:31.340 hearts, something to share in the future. If 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:34.580 not, I'll just jump right into the text. But 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:36.979 I feel like I didn't need to ask that. Does anybody 00:03:36.979 --> 00:03:40.819 feel like they need to share this with this body 00:03:40.819 --> 00:03:48.340 right here? That's one of those awkward moments 00:03:48.340 --> 00:03:53.379 of Daniel. I'm trying to hear from the Lord. 00:03:53.460 --> 00:03:56.500 That's all I'm trying to do. But I don't want 00:03:56.500 --> 00:04:26.839 to get that opportunity. One of my favorite shows 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:32.100 to watch is The Office. Now what I've learned 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:34.899 is that some people love The Office or some people 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:39.449 hate The Office. That's an average out of the 00:04:39.449 --> 00:07:09.240 high 10 to... In verse 18 here chapter 2 if you're 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:11.319 willing and able enough for you to stand as we 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:19.939 honor the Lord's word together Children it is 00:07:19.939 --> 00:07:22.540 the last hour and as you have heard this Antichrist 00:07:22.540 --> 00:07:26.120 is coming So now many Antichrist have come therefore 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:29.079 we know that it is the last hour They went out 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:31.800 from us, but they were not of us for it. They've 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.259 been of us They would have continued with us, 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:36.839 but they went out that it might become plain, 00:07:37.339 --> 00:07:41.279 that they all are not of us. But you have been 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:44.379 anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 00:07:44.860 --> 00:07:47.439 I write to you not because you do not know the 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:50.259 truth, but because you know it, and because no 00:07:50.259 --> 00:07:54.420 lie is of the truth. Who is the liar, but he 00:07:54.420 --> 00:07:57.680 who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:01.240 the antichrist. He who denies the Father and 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:04.920 the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:07.860 Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:11.120 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:14.279 you. If what you heard from the beginning abides 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:17.120 in you, then you too will abide in the Son and 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.540 in the Father. And this is the promise that He 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:22.480 made to us, eternal life. Let's pray. Father, 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:25.860 I pray just for clarity of mind in this place 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:28.540 right now. I pray that we will hear from you. 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:31.879 I pray that we will not be detoured or distracted 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:34.820 by anything else except your guiding light in 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:37.440 this place. Help us understand who our identity 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.879 is in you. Help us understand what that means 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.480 to us, and I pray, Father, that you speak to 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:44.200 our hearts. We ask all these things in Jesus' 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.080 name, amen. All right, so John begins here with 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:49.840 a word of warning right out of the gate, right? 00:08:50.059 --> 00:08:53.940 He says, this is the last hour. He's not... predicting 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:57.539 a specific date, but what he's doing is he's 00:08:57.539 --> 00:09:00.799 highlighting the urgency of living faithfully 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:04.500 in a world full of antichrists, those who oppose 00:09:04.500 --> 00:09:06.919 Christ. And he's saying those people are already 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:10.759 active in the world. These false teachers, they've 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.120 left the church, which is showing that they never 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:17.720 truly belonged to him. But John reassures believers. 00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:20.259 He's reassuring us. He's saying, you have an 00:09:20.259 --> 00:09:24.100 anointing from the Holy One, and you know the 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:27.139 truth, meaning the Holy Spirit is not going to 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:31.559 lead you astray. This anointing is the Holy Spirit 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:36.720 who equips us to discern truth from lies and 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.500 anchors us in Christ. Now, if that is true back 00:09:40.500 --> 00:09:44.019 then when he wrote this, in the first century, 00:09:44.419 --> 00:09:47.500 we better know and understand that it's still 00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:52.000 true today. Now I am sure every generation since 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.659 Christ has left the earth thought that they would 00:09:55.659 --> 00:09:59.019 be alive when he returns. Every generation since 00:09:59.019 --> 00:10:02.299 Christ ascended into heaven back in Matthew chapter 00:10:02.299 --> 00:10:06.720 28 through today we have been living in the last 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.740 days. the final hours before he returns to make 00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:15.600 all things new. This is why there is such an 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:19.299 obsession with some that try to predict the end 00:10:19.299 --> 00:10:22.539 of days. Now, I'm not sure if you are aware, 00:10:23.179 --> 00:10:25.179 but the rapture was supposed to happen a few 00:10:25.179 --> 00:10:28.080 weeks ago. I don't know if you knew that or not. 00:10:28.299 --> 00:10:30.580 It was supposed to happen and here we are still 00:10:30.580 --> 00:10:34.460 waiting. Now, I am sure... positive that there 00:10:34.460 --> 00:10:37.720 is a group of people right now trying to predict 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:40.220 the next time it is supposed to happen and they 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:43.620 will start a campaign to make sure that people 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:47.659 are aware of his impending return. Now the problem 00:10:47.659 --> 00:10:51.440 with that is that we have heard so many times 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.580 that the Lord is going to come back. It's been 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:57.460 predicted and disproven so many times throughout 00:10:57.460 --> 00:11:00.940 the generations that we have become numb to that 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:05.129 reality and we don't live with urgency. Because 00:11:05.129 --> 00:11:10.190 if we lived with urgency of his return, knowing 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:13.029 he's coming again, we would prioritize things 00:11:13.029 --> 00:11:16.610 differently. Our lives would be changed completely. 00:11:17.269 --> 00:11:19.389 Now I read a story about a graphic designer this 00:11:19.389 --> 00:11:22.190 week, her name is Sarah. She has had some mild 00:11:22.190 --> 00:11:25.659 success at her company, but nothing major. She 00:11:25.659 --> 00:11:28.779 was 34 years old at the time and started to wonder, 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:30.820 maybe some of you have been there, if this is 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:33.299 even the right profession. Is this what she wants 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:35.600 to continue to do with the rest of her life? 00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:38.879 She'd always wanted to do something big, but 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:41.720 it never seemed to come. She was just doing these 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.559 mediocre things and collecting a paycheck. One 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:47.220 day, she gets a call that her company is about 00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:51.559 to launch their largest campaign in over a decade 00:11:51.559 --> 00:11:55.759 and the client was coming to see - what she could 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:59.159 put together. Now, she had a little over 24 hours 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.559 to make something spectacular. There was no extensions, 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.059 there's no do -overs. She had until 9 a .m. the 00:12:06.059 --> 00:12:10.059 following day to try to impress them. She felt 00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:13.009 the weight. She doesn't panic, though. She gets 00:12:13.009 --> 00:12:16.470 to work. She clears her desk. She silences notifications. 00:12:16.809 --> 00:12:19.049 She puts a sticky note on her monitor that says, 00:12:19.570 --> 00:12:24.110 this is my shot. Her coffee becomes fuel. Sleep 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:27.289 becomes optional. And every minute of her day 00:12:27.289 --> 00:12:30.629 is guarded like gold. She skips the group chats. 00:12:30.970 --> 00:12:33.970 She has lunch ordered into her desk. She turns 00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:36.250 her phone upside down so she's not distracted 00:12:36.250 --> 00:12:40.149 by the glow. And at 3 AM, her eyes are burning. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.700 because she's been awake so long, but she whispers, 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:45.559 this is the shot, this is my opportunity, and 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:49.139 she keeps designing. By 8 .45 a .m., she's in 00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:51.980 the conference room with her USB in hand, her 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.320 heart is racing because she's exhausted, she's 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.480 nervous, this could be it, but her work is flawless, 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:00.740 and the client loves it. It blows them away. 00:13:01.220 --> 00:13:04.580 And she collapses in her chair, exhausted, but 00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:08.799 grinning. She lived those 24 hours like they 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:12.580 were her only ones. She'd made sure every minute 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:16.500 counted. Now here in verse 18 of chapter 2, he 00:13:16.500 --> 00:13:20.340 says, children, this is the last hour. This is 00:13:20.340 --> 00:13:24.730 it. Sarah's deadline was artificial. Ours is 00:13:24.730 --> 00:13:28.389 eternal. Live with that same clarity. Live with 00:13:28.389 --> 00:13:31.370 that same urgency that Sarah lived with. Now 00:13:31.370 --> 00:13:35.049 in our world, we face all kinds of similar distractions. 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:37.970 We hear false messages all the time. There's 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:41.190 cultural pressures. There's these voices around 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:43.429 us or even in our heads that are denying the 00:13:43.429 --> 00:13:47.710 reality of Jesus. But as believers, we're not 00:13:47.710 --> 00:13:52.480 left adrift. The spirit with in us confirms the 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:55.360 truth of the gospel it reminds us of the truth 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.720 we know that Jesus is the son of God we know 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:01.700 that he's our Savior and that truth has to hold 00:14:01.700 --> 00:14:04.340 us steady I mean do you ever feel like you're 00:14:04.340 --> 00:14:07.240 just going through life maybe this week you just 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.559 went through life and didn't really feel like 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:12.740 there was any purpose behind it every day is 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:16.659 like the day before you you wake up you get the 00:14:16.659 --> 00:14:19.259 kids ready, you head off to work or whatever 00:14:19.259 --> 00:14:22.860 it is you do, you go through the day, you come 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:25.159 home and you eat dinner and you get ready to 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:29.659 do it all over again. And that is your routine 00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:34.360 with no real urgency, no focus on eternal things, 00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:38.840 maybe not even acknowledging God in our life 00:14:38.840 --> 00:14:44.000 at all throughout the week. To live with urgency. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:48.259 means we need to prioritize things in our life 00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:52.220 that have lasting value. We have to make those 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:55.000 things priority. Scrolling through your phone 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.279 mindlessly does not have eternal value. Bench 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:03.039 watching TV shows that does not amount to anything. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:08.940 Going into work every single day and never understanding 00:15:08.940 --> 00:15:12.419 that God has placed you there for a purpose is 00:15:12.419 --> 00:15:16.340 wasteful. It's not eternal to live with urgency 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:19.860 means we have to prioritize these things Living 00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:23.639 with urgency means we always have to be prepared 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:27.259 to give an answer For the hope that is inside 00:15:27.259 --> 00:15:30.120 of us Which means you need to be equipped to 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:33.039 do that. You need to be in a discipleship relationship 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:35.759 It's not gonna work if you just show up every 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:38.820 Sunday Hear a message and sing some songs and 00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:41.980 don't do anything with it. You need to get plugged 00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:45.200 in It's good for your spiritual health. You have 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.639 to believe that every opportunity to share what 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.769 is going on in your life that to discuss all 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:54.990 the things that God is doing in your life is 00:15:54.990 --> 00:15:58.870 a God -ordained appointment for you to share 00:15:58.870 --> 00:16:02.190 about the grace that has been given to you. Now, 00:16:02.190 --> 00:16:04.110 I recently saw this interview with Chris Tomlin. 00:16:04.730 --> 00:16:08.269 I'm sure we all know who he is. We've sung his 00:16:08.269 --> 00:16:11.009 songs. But in this interview, he was talking 00:16:11.009 --> 00:16:15.110 about this Uber ride that he was taking to the 00:16:15.110 --> 00:16:18.129 airport to fly out to Arizona. He was flying 00:16:18.129 --> 00:16:21.850 out to Arizona to lead worship at Charlie Kirk's 00:16:21.850 --> 00:16:25.029 memorial service a few weeks ago. The driver, 00:16:25.389 --> 00:16:28.629 this random Uber driver, doesn't know who Chris 00:16:28.629 --> 00:16:32.350 Tomlin is, brings up Charlie Kirk out of the 00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:35.350 blue, and he's talking to Chris Tomlin about 00:16:35.350 --> 00:16:40.309 Charlie Kirk. The guy then asks, hey, Chris Tomlin, 00:16:41.169 --> 00:16:46.169 what do you do for a living? And his response 00:16:46.169 --> 00:16:51.820 was, oh, I'm a singer. I'm a singer. He doesn't 00:16:51.820 --> 00:16:54.559 tell him, I'm a worship leader who has written 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:59.460 some of the most used songs in the church. He 00:16:59.460 --> 00:17:02.240 doesn't tell the Uber driver, I've led thousands 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:05.599 and thousands of people throughout my career 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:10.279 into the presence of God. He didn't even actually 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:13.339 say, I'm actually on my way to lead worship at 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:15.160 the Charlie Kirk Memorial. Remember that guy 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.740 that you just brought up? I was pretty disappointed 00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:22.019 in Chris Tomlin. Because if you're getting picked 00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:24.420 up in Nashville and somebody asks what you're 00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:27.500 doing What you do for a living being a singer 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:31.700 is a pretty common answer. I'm assuming What 00:17:31.700 --> 00:17:34.960 a great opportunity that he had that was missed 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.579 to share the hope that Chris Tomlin writes songs 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:42.640 about He's not living with urgency based on that 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.519 interview What about you? How do you live with 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:51.029 urgency? How do people that are in your circle 00:17:51.029 --> 00:17:55.450 know that you have a blessed hope? Are you able 00:17:55.450 --> 00:18:01.890 to be easily swayed by false teaching, or are 00:18:01.890 --> 00:18:05.289 you ready to defend against distractions that 00:18:05.289 --> 00:18:08.710 are keeping you from living with urgency? I mean, 00:18:08.789 --> 00:18:13.410 we are here to help you be ready, but you have 00:18:13.410 --> 00:18:15.930 to take the first step. Now, I know there's many 00:18:15.930 --> 00:18:18.289 people, maybe you're one of them, that think 00:18:18.289 --> 00:18:21.650 that a church staff only works on Sundays. I've 00:18:21.650 --> 00:18:23.529 heard that countless times throughout my life. 00:18:23.829 --> 00:18:28.430 Like, oh, you just work on Sundays. But it is 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:33.490 my job to equip you for the work of ministry. 00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:36.430 It is not a bother for you to come up to any 00:18:36.430 --> 00:18:40.329 one of us and ask for help in reaching your circle. 00:18:40.750 --> 00:18:43.130 So let's go to lunch. Let's do a Bible study 00:18:43.130 --> 00:18:46.029 together. Let us help you with your questions. 00:18:46.390 --> 00:18:49.390 That is my job. That's what I do throughout the 00:18:49.390 --> 00:18:53.529 week. If someone were to ask you, what defines 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:57.130 you? Who are you? What would your answer be? 00:18:58.589 --> 00:19:02.490 Our identity so often is what we do for a living. 00:19:03.410 --> 00:19:07.269 How we make money. I mean, even retired people 00:19:07.269 --> 00:19:09.390 will go back to the career to define who they 00:19:09.390 --> 00:19:12.200 are. I've heard it countless times. I'm retired 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:16.059 from the military. I was an engineer. I used 00:19:16.059 --> 00:19:19.480 to be an accountant. Whatever it is, that is 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:23.099 where we place our identity. But here in chapter 00:19:23.099 --> 00:19:27.400 three, John tells us who we are. He says, we 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:30.599 are children of God. That is the heart of our 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.579 identity. That is who we are. God's love isn't 00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:37.539 just a feeling. It's a transformative act that 00:19:37.539 --> 00:19:41.509 makes us His children. The status isn't earned. 00:19:43.150 --> 00:19:46.529 It's a gift of grace through Christ that we are 00:19:46.529 --> 00:19:48.990 called children of God. And John has a future 00:19:48.990 --> 00:19:52.349 hope that when he returns, right, we're in the 00:19:52.349 --> 00:19:55.329 last hour, and when Christ returns, we are going 00:19:55.329 --> 00:19:58.970 to be like him, fully transformed into his likeness. 00:19:59.690 --> 00:20:02.869 Fully transformed into his holiness. This identity 00:20:02.869 --> 00:20:09.009 shapes who we are. As God's children, we are 00:20:09.009 --> 00:20:12.710 called to reflect His character. We show His 00:20:12.710 --> 00:20:16.630 love to others. We model His holiness, His righteousness. 00:20:17.650 --> 00:20:21.430 The world may not understand us, but it also 00:20:21.430 --> 00:20:24.589 didn't understand Jesus either, did it? Our identity 00:20:24.589 --> 00:20:27.750 as God's children gives us purpose and hope. 00:20:28.730 --> 00:20:34.910 So real quick, can I brag on my daughter? The 00:20:34.910 --> 00:20:41.299 answer is yes, I will. Since August, she has 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:46.700 been rehearsing to be an Allstate singer. 7 AM 00:20:46.700 --> 00:20:49.799 rehearsals, extra time on the weekends, she's 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:52.539 meeting with these group of peoples, and yesterday 00:20:52.539 --> 00:21:04.259 were tryouts for Allstate. She made it. I am 00:21:04.259 --> 00:21:08.509 proud that she - of the work that she put into 00:21:08.509 --> 00:21:11.430 it. I am glad and happy for her that she achieved 00:21:11.430 --> 00:21:17.809 her goal. However, last year was the same situation. 00:21:18.710 --> 00:21:21.410 She did the rehearsals. She put in the work. 00:21:21.829 --> 00:21:25.450 She auditioned. But for whatever reason, she 00:21:25.450 --> 00:21:28.809 did not make it. Maybe it was political. Maybe 00:21:28.809 --> 00:21:31.309 she just wasn't good enough. It doesn't matter. 00:21:31.450 --> 00:21:35.019 She didn't make it. When she told us... last 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:38.160 night that she made it, it reminded me of this 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.140 time last year when she said she didn't make 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:46.359 it. And I remember feeling the same amount of 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:50.299 pride in her last year as this year because she 00:21:50.299 --> 00:21:55.599 didn't let it define her. She was okay last year. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.299 It didn't keep her from trying this year. She 00:21:59.299 --> 00:22:03.420 knew. and knows that being in all state or not 00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:06.279 being in all state didn't change who she was. 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:12.480 I wish that I had the same identity in Christ 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:16.319 as she did when I was her age. In a world that 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:21.359 tries to define us by our jobs, our looks, our 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:25.039 likes on social media, we can feel lost. We can 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:29.680 misplace our identity, but in Christ, we find 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:33.640 it. In Christ, that's who we are. Our identity 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:37.519 is we are God's children. We are fully loved. 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:41.400 We are chosen. We are secure. It's the reason 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:44.759 we are able to live our life on purpose. It's 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:46.960 not something we earn. It's not something we 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:50.339 lose. It is given because of God's lavish love 00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:54.119 for us. And when doubts or distractions make 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:58.200 you feel stuck, hold fast to this truth that 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:03.380 you are His. And that identity opens up the way 00:23:03.380 --> 00:23:06.140 to a life that reflects his love and it lasts 00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:09.940 forever. And John says, he says in chapter three, 00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:13.140 the world is not going to get it because the 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:16.400 world doesn't know him. It's not going to make 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.559 sense to the world. So because of that, there's 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:22.200 going to be a tendency in the circles we run 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:26.150 in to label us by our failures. to label us by 00:23:26.150 --> 00:23:29.369 our jobs, to label us by our past, and they're 00:23:29.369 --> 00:23:31.609 going to use all these other things to try to 00:23:31.609 --> 00:23:35.589 define who we are. But God's voice has to be 00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:38.529 louder because He is reminding us that we are 00:23:38.529 --> 00:23:43.109 His. We are His. The world is going to lie to 00:23:43.109 --> 00:23:45.990 us. The world is going to distract us from that 00:23:45.990 --> 00:23:48.490 reality. You have to fight against it. And now 00:23:48.490 --> 00:23:50.230 here's what I've learned over the years. The 00:23:50.230 --> 00:23:53.950 best way to fight against a lie is with truth. 00:23:54.569 --> 00:23:58.690 You fight a lie with truth the world might say 00:23:58.690 --> 00:24:01.930 to you. You're worthless You might feel that 00:24:01.930 --> 00:24:06.069 about yourself. I'm worthless First Corinthians 00:24:06.069 --> 00:24:08.970 six says that you were bought with a price. You're 00:24:08.970 --> 00:24:11.769 not worthless You might believe that you are 00:24:11.769 --> 00:24:16.230 alone Deuteronomy says the Lord goes with you 00:24:16.230 --> 00:24:20.450 and he will never leave you the lie of I'm not 00:24:20.450 --> 00:24:25.000 good enough I'm not I'm not good enough is combated 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.240 with Hebrews that says by one offering he forever 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:33.160 made perfect those who are being made holy You 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.259 are good enough There is nothing special about 00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:39.500 me. I've heard that so many times. There's nothing 00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:43.220 special about me Well, that's not true based 00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:46.319 on Genesis 1 where where God where it says God 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:50.519 has made us in his image You are his creation 00:24:50.859 --> 00:24:53.460 Culture tells us that we need more. We need more 00:24:53.460 --> 00:24:55.960 stuff. We need more experiences. We need more 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:58.380 activities. But Philippians tells us that God 00:24:58.380 --> 00:25:02.079 will supply all of our needs. I can't overcome 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:06.299 my addiction. I'm defined by it. I can't. I've 00:25:06.299 --> 00:25:08.160 tried to get help over it. I can't overcome my 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:11.220 addiction. That's a lie. The truth is Christ 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:14.500 can set you free from your bondage. Whatever 00:25:14.500 --> 00:25:17.579 lie you tell yourself or the world says about 00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:21.180 you has to be fought with scripture. You fight 00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:25.559 lies with truth, and one absolute truth we know 00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:29.299 comes from the Word of God. That is our identity. 00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:32.099 We are His children. And maybe you don't have 00:25:32.099 --> 00:25:34.599 a good relationship with your parents. Maybe 00:25:34.599 --> 00:25:36.740 they're split up. Maybe they didn't love you 00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:39.079 the way you thought you experienced. Don't let 00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:43.140 your view of your parents define how you think 00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:46.799 God views you. He's not some baby daddy that's 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:50.759 abandoned you. He is the creator of the universe 00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:53.579 who knit you together in your mother's womb and 00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:56.400 when he created you he said that's very good 00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:00.740 He sacrificed his son for you so that you could 00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:04.579 be adopted into his family That is not some passive 00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:08.240 type of love that is an outpouring of love that 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.500 is Unbelievably difficult to wrap our minds around 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:15.200 but he did it because he desires a relationship 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:18.740 with you Then John gets practical in verses 4 00:26:18.740 --> 00:26:21.680 through 10 of chapter 3 and he begins drawing 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:25.480 this sharp contrast between the children of God 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:28.960 and the children of the devil he says no one 00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:32.720 who lives in Christ keeps on sinning and Anyone 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:35.660 who does not do what is right is not God's child 00:26:35.660 --> 00:26:38.079 nor is anyone who does not love their brother 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:41.740 and sister Now hear me. This isn't about perfection. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.630 This isn't about never ever walking in sin It's 00:26:46.630 --> 00:26:52.309 about direction. Children of God, empowered by 00:26:52.309 --> 00:26:57.509 the Spirit, pursue righteousness and love, while 00:26:57.509 --> 00:27:02.509 those who persistently choose sin or hatred show 00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:06.170 they don't belong to them. This is a call to 00:27:06.170 --> 00:27:09.490 action. Our identity as God's children isn't 00:27:09.490 --> 00:27:12.859 just a title. It's a lifestyle. It's how we are 00:27:12.859 --> 00:27:15.819 to live. We're to live righteously. We're to 00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:19.400 live avoiding sin. We're to love others sacrificially, 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:24.000 just as Jesus did, because this proves who we 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:28.059 are. Now, in my house, if you know my family 00:27:28.059 --> 00:27:31.500 very well, we have done a lot of renovations 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:35.680 over the years. A lot of renovations. There have 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:39.440 been times where we have had to open up walls 00:27:40.090 --> 00:27:43.589 to fix electrical issues or plumbing issues, 00:27:44.529 --> 00:27:47.630 and Sina absolutely hates it when you have to 00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:51.990 spend money on things that can't be seen. New 00:27:51.990 --> 00:27:54.930 water pipes and new water lines are not pretty, 00:27:55.109 --> 00:27:58.890 according to her, right? But if we didn't do 00:27:58.890 --> 00:28:02.750 that, and we just did the cosmetic things and 00:28:02.750 --> 00:28:05.109 made it look pretty, it would all be worthless 00:28:05.109 --> 00:28:08.230 once we had a busted pipe or a water leak. and 00:28:08.230 --> 00:28:12.150 have to tear it all out to do it again. John 00:28:12.150 --> 00:28:16.210 calls us in the same way to examine our lives 00:28:16.210 --> 00:28:19.369 the same way we examine the bones of our house. 00:28:20.529 --> 00:28:23.990 If the foundation or the things inside the walls 00:28:23.990 --> 00:28:26.730 are not good, then it doesn't matter how good 00:28:26.730 --> 00:28:30.720 things look on the outside. Like checking a house, 00:28:30.859 --> 00:28:33.980 it takes courage to shine lights on our habits, 00:28:34.339 --> 00:28:36.880 to shine a light on our thoughts, to shine light 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:41.700 on our relationships. But when we do, with the 00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:44.980 Holy Spirit's help, we can address the cracks. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.299 We can address the broken pipes. We can address 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:53.339 the leaks. Maybe it's a grudge. Maybe it's a 00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:57.859 hidden habit. Maybe it's a lack of love. And 00:28:57.859 --> 00:29:01.680 when we address those things we realign our lives 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:07.319 with Christ. This honest self -examination, it 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:10.799 strengthens our walk. It ensures we're building 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:17.359 a life that reflects our identity in Him. So 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:23.640 examine your life for patterns. Do you habitually 00:29:23.640 --> 00:29:31.349 choose sin? as a lifestyle? Things like ongoing 00:29:31.349 --> 00:29:40.369 dishonesty, immorality, selfishness. Or do you 00:29:40.369 --> 00:29:49.190 grieve your sin? Do you confess it quickly? Do 00:29:49.190 --> 00:29:54.250 you pursue change? If you do not pursue change, 00:29:55.789 --> 00:30:01.049 and you begin to think through priorities, then 00:30:01.049 --> 00:30:05.750 you are not going to draw closer to the Lord. 00:30:06.529 --> 00:30:08.369 And listen, sometimes I get it, change is hard. 00:30:09.029 --> 00:30:11.049 You're probably going to have to have a difficult 00:30:11.049 --> 00:30:13.569 conversation. You're probably going to have to 00:30:13.569 --> 00:30:16.809 take steps that feel unnatural because it's working 00:30:16.809 --> 00:30:22.750 against the flesh. But does your daily life show 00:30:22.750 --> 00:30:31.500 a consistent pursuit? of God's standards. Do 00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:34.680 you have honesty at work? Do you have integrity 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:39.380 in your relationships? Is there a lie that you 00:30:39.380 --> 00:30:41.059 have been living that you've been too afraid 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:45.440 to come clean? Do you love others selflessly 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:52.720 and expect nothing in return? We're children 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:56.809 of God. if our lives bear the family resemblance, 00:30:57.130 --> 00:30:59.650 meaning we have to turn from habitual sin, we 00:30:59.650 --> 00:31:02.390 have to practice righteousness, we have to love 00:31:02.390 --> 00:31:05.630 sacrificially. And listen again, this isn't about 00:31:05.630 --> 00:31:09.410 earning salvation. That's a free gift. It's an 00:31:09.410 --> 00:31:12.829 outflow, it's an overflow of what it looks like 00:31:12.829 --> 00:31:16.650 to be born again through faith in Jesus. Now, 00:31:16.650 --> 00:31:19.630 if you're unsure, if you don't know where you 00:31:19.630 --> 00:31:23.359 stand, the good news is God invites you. It's 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:26.660 not some special club. He invites you believe 00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:30.680 in Christ Receive his forgiveness step into the 00:31:30.680 --> 00:31:33.960 family today be adopted into that they examine 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:38.039 your life prayerfully and Let these truths anchor 00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:42.680 you Now I know absolutely nothing about plants 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:45.700 trees anything a trees a tree a plants a plant 00:31:45.700 --> 00:31:49.029 in my mind But here's what I do know I know an 00:31:49.029 --> 00:31:52.029 apple tree is an apple tree if there's apples 00:31:52.029 --> 00:31:56.470 growing on it. If there's no apples on it, I 00:31:56.470 --> 00:31:58.450 could not tell you what kind of tree it was. 00:31:59.849 --> 00:32:03.470 I know a tomato plant is a tomato plant when 00:32:03.470 --> 00:32:06.710 I see tomatoes growing on it. If there's no tomatoes 00:32:06.710 --> 00:32:10.650 growing on it, it's just a weed to me. Scripture 00:32:10.650 --> 00:32:14.309 says that everyone will know that you are mine. 00:32:14.589 --> 00:32:17.009 Everyone will know that you're a part of my family 00:32:17.009 --> 00:32:22.789 by the fruit that you bear. If you are unforgiving 00:32:22.789 --> 00:32:27.829 like everyone else around you, how in the world 00:32:27.829 --> 00:32:34.650 do you look different? If you are a gossip and 00:32:34.650 --> 00:32:38.410 like spreading that nonsense, how does that look 00:32:38.410 --> 00:32:41.839 any different from the world? If you are holding 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:47.819 on to bitterness and refusing to forgive, how 00:32:47.819 --> 00:32:49.680 in the world is the world supposed to know that 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:55.079 you are a believer? Your identity is different 00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:58.579 from what the world tells you you are. Your identity 00:32:58.579 --> 00:33:03.059 is in Christ. We are children of God. We are 00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:06.319 living in the last hours. We have to live with 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:11.519 urgency. There's people in your circle, whether 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:13.799 that's your family, whether that's your neighborhood, 00:33:14.099 --> 00:33:15.900 whether that's where you work. There are people 00:33:15.900 --> 00:33:20.019 in your circle that have no idea who Christ is. 00:33:20.940 --> 00:33:23.259 They do not have a relationship with him. They 00:33:23.259 --> 00:33:29.599 are not adopted into his family. And I believe 00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:36.000 God has placed you in your circle for a purpose. 00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:43.089 Let your life Reflect his character. Be different. 00:33:45.130 --> 00:33:49.349 Love sacrificially. Extend grace. Be quick to 00:33:49.349 --> 00:33:58.349 forgive. Be slow to speak. You can change your 00:33:58.349 --> 00:34:02.730 circle because your identity is in Christ. You're 00:34:02.730 --> 00:34:04.839 not defined by your past. You're not defined 00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:07.559 by your job. You're not defined by how much money 00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:10.099 you have in the bank account. You are not what 00:34:10.099 --> 00:34:13.239 the world says you are. You are a child of God, 00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:16.880 and we need to live like it. And so as I close 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:18.519 this out in prayer, as the worship team comes 00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:23.960 up, maybe you don't know how to pray. Maybe that's 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:26.239 you just don't know how to pray. And so when 00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:28.099 we come to this time, you're just kind of sitting 00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:30.300 there looking at the floor or just reading the 00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:33.929 words on the screen. If you don't know how to 00:34:33.929 --> 00:34:36.769 pray, let me encourage you in this way. God, 00:34:36.769 --> 00:34:43.389 reveal to me my heart. That's it. Reveal to me 00:34:43.389 --> 00:34:48.849 my heart. Reveal to me where I'm not walking 00:34:48.849 --> 00:34:54.590 as a child of God. Reveal to me where I'm not 00:34:54.590 --> 00:34:57.630 living a life that honors you. Reveal to me my 00:34:57.630 --> 00:35:03.500 need for a savior. And just allow them to speak. 00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:07.699 Allow them to speak. So let me pray for us, and 00:35:07.699 --> 00:35:10.099 we'll have time to reflect on that. Father, I 00:35:10.099 --> 00:35:15.579 pray that as we close out this service, I pray 00:35:15.579 --> 00:35:18.500 that your voice will be louder than any distraction. 00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:27.840 I pray that we will be known as a church that 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:33.690 is rooted in our identity in you. And I pray 00:35:33.690 --> 00:35:35.190 for the individual that's just struggling with 00:35:35.190 --> 00:35:38.429 lies. I pray that your spirit will just guide 00:35:38.429 --> 00:35:43.429 them to the truth. That we are secure in you. 00:35:43.889 --> 00:35:48.869 We are loved by you. We are adopted by you. We 00:35:48.869 --> 00:35:53.889 are set free by you. And so God, we ask you to 00:35:53.889 --> 00:35:56.449 freely move in this place. We do ask your spirit 00:35:56.449 --> 00:36:02.769 to move, to blow on through. So open our hearts 00:36:02.769 --> 00:36:04.289 and ears to hear from you. We ask all these things 00:36:04.289 --> 00:36:08.210 in Jesus' name, amen. As we're saying, I wanna 00:36:08.210 --> 00:36:09.929 encourage you, the altar's open. If you need 00:36:09.929 --> 00:36:11.949 to lay those things before him, I'm also gonna 00:36:11.949 --> 00:36:13.449 remind you that we have communion available. 00:36:13.489 --> 00:36:17.769 If you wanna just remember the sacrifice that 00:36:17.769 --> 00:36:20.829 Jesus made for us on the cross by partaking in 00:36:20.829 --> 00:36:23.010 communion, you're welcome to do that. We invite 00:36:23.010 --> 00:36:28.630 you to the table. Remind yourself of who you 00:36:28.630 --> 00:36:38.570 are in Christ, as we're saying. Thank you for 00:36:38.570 --> 00:36:41.789 listening today to 563 Church, a production of 00:36:41.789 --> 00:36:44.449 Cornerstone Church, Eldridge, Iowa. For more 00:36:44.449 --> 00:36:46.230 information about our church or just getting 00:36:46.230 --> 00:36:49.570 right with God, please visit us at 563church 00:36:49.570 --> 00:36:52.670 .com. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram. 00:36:53.309 --> 00:36:54.050 Have a great week.