Our Identity, Our Ability, and Mission with Christ
Our Identity, Our Ability, and Mission with Christ
Matt 16:18 KJV
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
This a great promise in facing spiritual warfare, in our lives and the life of God’s church.
Eph 6:10-12 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Satan continues to be very dynamic with his relentless attack on God’s people and his church.
ILL: Poor self esteem can immobilize God’s people and his church.
Not long ago, in the wall of an old castle in Italy where some repairs were being made, the workmen found a relic that told a tale of ancient barbarity and crime. Some baron of the old days put an enemy in a little niche in the wall, just large enough to hold a man, and then set the masons at work building the wall around him. Slowly the masonry crept up, as stone was laid on stone, until at last it arose and left the man standing there in his living tomb.
1. Satan desires to defeat and imprison God’s people, behind the walls of poor self esteem negative and negative attitudes about themselves.
2. With a poor self esteem many activities look impossible, but by God's help they are within the realm of possibility.
· As a familiar case in point we remember the story of the twelve spies. When they had spent their forty days spying out the land of Canaan they returned with a divided verdict. They had found the land peopled by men who were large and warlike and dwelt in fortified cities.
· Only Joshua and Caleb had the faith to say, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are able to overcome it." The other ten advised, "He are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we." (Num. 13:30-31).
Low self-esteem is based on a distorted perception of our identity.
Low self-esteem blinds us in seeing our ability, blinded to our Identity, blinded to our Mission and commission
1. All we see is what we don't have, or what is wrong
2. We Harbor doubts and lack of faith
3. We wall ourselves in by our lack of spiritual vision
The secret of good self-esteem can be found in our identity.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! NIV
In Christ, we have been given a new identity.
We need to see ourselves as Christ sees us.
The secret of good self-esteem can be found in our mission.
People with low self-esteem usually are afraid to try anything significant in life because they have a hard time believing they would be able to accomplish it.
2 Corinthians 5:18
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: NIV
Your mission is to be involved in helping the world be reconciled to God.
Just the fact that God values you enough to include you in his plan indicates that you have tremendous worth to him.
Illustration: Mother Teresa’s decision to stop collecting awards because they interfered with her mission to illustrate that our self-esteem is not rooted in our meager accomplishments, but rather in the glory of having been called.
The secret of self-esteem can be found in our potential.
God sees our potential.
Regardless of what we think about ourselves, God is more concerned about are future than our past
Illustration: the transformation and the renaming of Simon to Peter that God sees not the person we have been—or even are—but the person he can make us become.
We need replace the negative thoughts and attitudes about our selves
Think you can’t," - "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13).
Having Fear, Doubt - "God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7).
"The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear" (Ps. 27:1).
Worried and frustrated, "Casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).
Think you have noting to give. - "My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Lack wisdom, for "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
Feel over whelmed, - "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Summery
God is building and adding to his church daily. He is working in new ways and ministries in us.
God’s will is to rekindle a visions, and identity which will result in deeper commitments.
