Identity In Jesus

Identity In Jesus | Mercy Village Church | 7/14/2024 | Selected Scriptures

Intro

Our Vision Statement: Quote It!

We’re going to cover it in five parts: identity, intimacy, community, intentionality, and legacy.

And we’re going to apply it each week in two categories that are familiar: Be Here to Be Built Up and Buy In to Build Out

Today we start with identity: try something with me: you can answer it in your head or if your brave, tell your neighbor: who are you?

Depending on who is asking, we might answer with our name, or job title, or relationship to someone, etc.

But today—of course—we’re talking about our CORE IDENTITY. What realities shape the story of who you are? Most importantly, what realities shape the story YOU believe about who you are?

Main Thrust

[[**SD**]] Children of God, we are sincerely invited to have our identity re-storied and re-storied again within the true narrative of Jesus’ sufficiency and supremacy.

Pray

Father, what we know not, teach us. What we are not, make us. What we have not, give us.

1. The Supremacy of Jesus

Hebrews 1:1–14 (ESV)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;

they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,

like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Those verses could take weeks to unpack, but i just want us to see the highlights:

Jesus is God with skin on.

He is the creator and sustainer of all things.

He is eternal in eternity past and eternity future!

He is higher than the angels!

He sits at the right hand of the Father (a place of honor signifying His equality with God)!

He is anointed by God!

And He has a name above every other name.

John 1:1–5 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word (Jesus) IS GOD

He’s eternal

All things we’re made through Him

He is the wellspring of life

And the wellspring of light… light so powerful that no type or amount of darkness can overcome it!

Jesus is the glory of God! The grace of God! And the truth of God!

2 Corinthians 1:19–20 (ESV)

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

The delivery of all God’s promises is in Jesus!

Now we could go on and on with this! Verse after verse after verse! But here’s the point:

All divine names and titles are applied to Him. He is called God, the mighty God, the great God, God over all; Jehovah; Lord; the Lord of lords and the King of kings. All divine attributes are ascribed to Him. He is declared to be omnipresent, omniscient, almighty, and immutable, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is set forth as the creator and upholder and ruler of the universe. All things were created by Him and for Him; and by Him all things consist. He is the object of worship to all intelligent creatures, even the highest; all the angels (i.e., all creatures between man and God) are commanded to prostrate themselves before Him. He is the object of all the religious sentiments; of reverence, love, faith, and devotion. To Him men and angels are responsible for their character and conduct. He required that men should honour Him as they honoured the Father; that they should exercise the same faith in Him that they do in God. He declares that He and the Father are one; that those who had seen Him had seen the Father also. He calls all men unto Him; promises to forgive their sins; to send them the Holy Spirit; to give them rest and peace; to raise them up at the last day; and to give them eternal life. God is not more, and cannot promise more, or do more than Christ is said to be, to promise, and to do. He has, therefore, been the Christian’s God from the beginning, in all ages and in all places. -Charles Hodge

And here’s why we start here—with the supremacy of Jesus! Christian—based on what we’re about to cover (the work of Jesus)—YOU CALL JESUS BROTHER!

Photos of Caroline and John Jr. in the oval office: (three slides) John Jr. turned the desk into a fort and Caroline is doing handstands!

TRANSITION: Let the hearer understand! True Christian! You’re family! Let this shape your identity!

2. The Sufficiency of Jesus

Sufficient for every part of our salvation!

Sufficient For Our Justification

Galatians 2:16 (ESV)

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

This is a statement of right standing before God! And it’s a miracle of grace accomplished by Jesus!

Romans 5:6–11 (ESV)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

1 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Jesus is a ONCE FOR ALL kind of sufficient

Sufficient for our legal standing before God

And sufficient for our relational standing before God! (reconciled)

But the work of Jesus doesn’t end with justification…

Sufficient For Our Sanctification

Where justification carries legal implications. Sanctification is this reality of internal transformation.

Justification: once for all / Sanctification: continuous throughout life

Justification is the work of only God in Christ / In sanctification we cooperate

But things get interesting when we look at how the Bible talks about sanctification:

1 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV)

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

That sounds like something that already happened…

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

That sounds like an ongoing process

1 Corinthians 15:22–23 (ESV)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:49 (ESV)

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

That sounds like something in the future. So is it past, present, or future? Yes!

Marker board time! … which brings us to glorification…

Sufficient For Our Glorification

Romans 8:29–30 (ESV)

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

1 John 3:2 (ESV)

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

TRANSITION: Now i get it… we’re moving fast (you’re welcome!) BUT HERE IS THE POINT: Everything on that marker board: Jesus is sufficient to pull it off!

So when we say five words: “we are saved by Jesus!” … we mean that we ARE saved. ARE BEING SAVED… and WILL BE SAVED… BY JESUS!

But that’s all kinda theological… at least it sounds that way… but it’s actually very personal!

3. The Sincerity of Jesus

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The supreme God of the universe! Upholder of time and space. King of kings and Lord of Lords… invites you!

The One who did all the work invites you into all of His rest!

He sees the laborious straining of this life… the weariness of this life… the heaviness of this life… and our shoulders slumping… and He extends His sincere invitation!

TRANSITION: He says, “come to me to be restored! AND RE-STORIED!

A massive part of the lightening of our load is coming to know who you truly are and not having to fight and claw and churn and strive to etch out an identity any more!

4. Our Identity in Jesus

Other Side Of The Marker Board

But it’s even more than this!

Remember Adam and Eve after their sin? They hide (guilt) AND they cover themselves (shame)

And we’re still struggling to do the same thing… we try to etch out some identity in this world… but we’re riddled with guilt and shame!

But watch God: He calls them out of hiding (don’t wallow in guilt!) and covers them (be free of your shame!) And He promises a Savior to come and make it all right again!

Adam and Eve take the story to a dark place… But God promises to re-story the story

And watch how Jesus makes that promise come true…

1. He does more than cover our sin/shame… he cleanses it

1 John 1:7 tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ, cleanses us from all sin!

And Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And it keeps getting better!

2. Jesus hides us in himself

Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

TRANSITION: [[**SD**]] Children of God, we are sincerely invited to have our identity re-storied and re-storied again within the true narrative of Jesus’ sufficiency and supremacy.

JESUS!

Is this your identity?

It can be! PREACH THE GOSPEL! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

And Saints

Be Here to Be Built Up

BE IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS: Here is a “breath prayer” for this week: “Christ is in me / I Am In Christ

How has this shaped you AND how does it need to shape you?

BE HERE AT MVC: to Be Built Up! To Be Re-Storied!

Buy In to Build Out

We long for this to be a place for of discovering and re-discovering the re-storying power of the gospel of Jesus!

How will you buy in (time / talents / treasures) to see that built out?

Walk with Jesus! with us! (more on that next week)

PRAY

Reflection Questions:

> What are the biggest shapers of your identity

> How has the supremacy, sufficiency, and sincerity of Jesus shaped your identity. And how does it need to re-story your story?

> How can you buy in—with your time, talents, and treasures—to the re-storying work of of Jesus at MVC?