Message: Who Are You?
I.
Introduction
a.
Our goal this
year is to see you get more rooted in Christ as we grow together
b.
One way we are
doing this rooting is through sermons about questions found in the Bible.
II.
Body
a.
Read John 1:19-23
– “Now this was John’s testimony when
the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask hi who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed
freely, “I am not the Christ.” They
asked him, “Then who are you? Are you
Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who
sent us. What do you say about
yourself?” John replied in the words of
Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make
straight the way of the Lord.’””
b.
John
a.
The question of
the night is: “Who are you?”
b.
John knew he
wasn’t the Christ, wasn’t Elijah, and wasn’t The Prophet
i.
He knew he wasn’t
any of these, nor was he willing to allow others to say he was or force him to
be that person
c.
John knew who he
was
i.
He didn’t define
who he was by what he looked like, by who his family was, by how much money he
had, by where he lived, by how he dressed, by what he ate
ii.
Instead he
defines himself using a scripture passage, he decides that it isn’t up to him
to define who he is or what he is to do in his life, but rather it is up to God
to define those things
iii.
Why? God knows you, he created you, he knows who
you were, who you are, and who you will be, and he knows why he created you,
why you are here and what you are to do.
He knows these things better than anyone else, even you.
c.
Me
a.
The question of
the night is: “Who are you?”
i.
I know who I am
not: Not Tony Compalo (wanted to be him, wanted to speak like him, but I am not
him); Not Gordo (youth leader calling me fat)
a.
When I try to
define myself I was wrong, when I allow others to try to define me it was
wrong.
b.
Neither knew me
well enough, I focused on who I thought I wanted to be, not on who I actually
was, others focused on who they thought I was but could only see the
superficial, nor could they see what I was created to be.
ii.
I know who I am
a.
During that same
weekend I was reminded by God that I would never be Tony Comaplo but that he had called me to be a pastor, and I was to
be who I was as a pastor not who Tony was as a pastor.
b.
But if you were
to ask me who I am I would read from Numbers 16. In the passage Israel has rebelled once
again, God sends a plague among them and Aaron (the high priest) runs out into
the place where people are dying with an offering. 47b-48 says, “Aaron offered the incense and
made atonement for them. He stood
between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.”
c.
I believe this is
what God has called me to do, carrying Christ to the place where people are
dying (spiritually speaking) and offering them a chance to escape the plague
that is going to otherwise consume them.
d.
Who I am is
defined by God and His word, because he knows me, he knows who I was, who I am,
and who I will be. He knows these things
better than anyone else
III.
Conclusion
a.
You
a.
You need to
figure out who you are not
i.
Don’t try to
define who you are and what you are to do, you don’t have enough information
ii.
Don’t let others
define who you are and what you are to do, they don’t have enough information
b.
You need to
figure out who you are
i.
Allow God to
define who you are and what you are called to do
ii.
He knows you, he
knows who you were, who you are, and who you will be. He knows these things better than anyone
else.
iii.
The best way to
figure out who God says you are and what you are called to…spend time with him
and listen. Read your bible, pray,
meditate on his word, spend time in silence or solitude,
b.
Are there any of
you here tonight that have been defining who you are or allowing others to do
so, but want to allow God to do so? Pray
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