07 Our Identity (Pt. 1)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Team Member Meeting - for everyone

“Partners or Members” we will have our ANNUAL MEETING March 12th after service.

Want to join the SVCC PARTNERSHIP?

*CHURCH UPDATES: Digital and paper connect Card

DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review: DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE TO GOD

Romans 6:11 “11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 3:8 “8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy [LOOSE] the works of the devil.”

TODAY: Identity

Alive to God & Identity -

Our sense of self is to recognize that we are NOW dead to sin and alive to God!

Examples of Identity:

Cultural Identity

Filipino - American

What is white?

Midwesterner vs. Californian (Nor Cal vs. So Cal)

Sexual Identity

sexual attraction

Gender Identity

trans* or cisgender?

cultural constructs: masculine vs. feminine

Biological gender vs. gender identity (i.e. Gender Dysphoria):

Preston Sprinkle, in his book Embodied, defines someone’s biological sex as being male or female based on the “presence or absence of a Y chromosome, internal reproductive organs, external sexual anatomy, and endocrine systems that produce secondary sex characteristics.”2 He then defines gender identity as “the psychological aspects associated with being male or female, or ‘one’s internal sense of self as male, female, both, or neither.’”

Political Identity

Democrat

Republican

Jesus was neither of these because He wasn’t an American!

Independent

Identity is one’s stable sense of self-understanding

(source: AJ Swoboda at Foursquare Forum)

The Bible talks about identity by naming people (i.e. Gen. 1 “the woman”, cf. v. 3:20; what does Jesus call ladies in the Gospels?))

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Opening Scripture:

Matthew 3:13-17 “13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

Identity as the centrality of Jesus

Baptism in the river Jordan is to portray a new entrance into a new promised land (not happening in the temple).

Jesus’ identity is not earned or “adopted” here at His baptism - always God.

Jesus enters the dirty waters of humanity and reveals to us something of our nature.

Identity as the anointing of the Spirit

Only after the Spirit has fallen is Jesus SENT…the church is sent after the Spirit falls too.

Cf. Heaven opens and then next in Matthew the roof of Jesus home is ripped opened and a “sicko” is dropped in.

One of the first miracles: Luke 5:17-20 “17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.””

Matthew 9:2 “2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.””

Matthew 3:17 “17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

The Father speaks a word of identity over Jesus before He does anything spectacular.

Conclusion/Reflection:

Identifying with Jesus reorients our lives

Dead to sin and live to God

Galatians 3:26–29 ESV

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Other Sources to Consider:

https://journal.rts.edu/article/sources-of-the-self-the-distinct-makings-of-the-christian-identity/