Epiphany 1, Year C

“Mine” Text: Isaiah 43:1-7

Big Idea: When you know whose you are, everything changes.

Engage – Helen Keller learns she can learn

Illustration:

Helen Keller was both deaf and blind from infancy.

She lived in darkness, unable to communicate, until one breakthrough moment.

When her teacher, Anne Sullivan, placed Helen’s hand under running water and spelled "W-A-T-E-R" into her other hand, Helen suddenly made the connection between the word and the reality it represented.

That realization changed everything. She went from being trapped in isolation to becoming a woman who would go on to change the world.

Key Question: "What if discovering your true identity could change everything about the way you live?"

Transition: "The fact is, realizing who you truly are changes everything—how you think, how you act, and how you relate to the world around you."

Tension – The Struggle with Identity

Many people struggle with identity—who they are and what they are worth.

This leads to:

Conforming to societal expectations (thermometer faith).

Living with no firm convictions, shifting with culture.

Staying in toxic situations due to a lack of self-worth.

The world tells us that identity is something we create—based on career, status, appearance, or success.

But what happens when those things fade?

Key Question: "Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us in that struggle—He speaks directly to our identity and declares who we truly are."

Truth – God’s Declaration of Identity (Isaiah 43:1-7)

A. God's Redeeming Love (Isaiah 43:1)

Isaiah 43:1 ESV

1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

God’s Ownership – The phrase “But now” marks a shift from judgment to redemption, showing God's deep love and covenant faithfulness.

Creation & Formation – God didn’t just create Israel; He shaped and formed them for His purposes.

Redemption – “I have redeemed you” recalls the Exodus but also points forward to Christ’s ultimate redemption.

Personal Calling – God calls His people by name, indicating a personal, intimate relationship.

Belonging to God – “You are mine” provides the ultimate security.

🔹 Illustration: A child adopted into a loving family doesn’t have to earn their place; they belong because they have been chosen. Likewise, we are secure because God calls us His own.

Application:

Your identity is not in what you do but in who God says you are.

You are not defined by past failures but by God’s redemption.

Transition: "Knowing that we belong to God is powerful, but what about when life gets hard? What about when we go through trials?"

"Helen Keller’s breakthrough moment with the word ‘water’ didn’t mean life suddenly became easy. She still had to learn, struggle, and push through challenges. But once she knew she could communicate, she wasn’t the same. She had a new identity—not as a helpless child but as someone with the power to understand and be understood. The same is true for us. God has called us by name, but that doesn’t mean we won’t face trials—it means we don’t face them alone."

B. God's Presence in Trials (Isaiah 43:2-4)

Isaiah 43:2–4 ESV

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

Trials Are Assumed – The passage does not say if you pass through waters and fire, but when.

Waters & Rivers = Overwhelming Challenges – Echoes of the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14), but also a metaphor for suffering and hardship.

Fire = Intense Suffering – A reminder of Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), where God preserved His people.

God’s Presence is the Key – The promise is not that we will avoid trials, but that God will be with us in them.

🔹 Illustration: A parent holding their child’s hand while crossing a deep river—the presence of someone stronger makes all the difference.

Application:

You may feel overwhelmed, but you are not alone.

God doesn’t promise an easy life, but He promises His presence.

When life gets difficult, we must ask: Do we trust that God is with us?

Transition: "But why does God go to such lengths for us? What is His purpose in calling us His own?"

C. God's Purpose for His People (Isaiah 43:5-7)

Isaiah 43:5–7 ESV

5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

God's Purpose is Global – This passage speaks of restoration and regathering—not just physically (Israel’s return from exile) but spiritually (salvation for all nations).

Creation for His Glory – “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.”

We are not just saved from something (sin, exile, judgment) but for something (God’s glory, mission, worship).

The Fulfillment in Christ – Jesus fulfills this passage by gathering people from every nation into His kingdom (Revelation 5:9-10).

🔹 Illustration: A lighthouse exists not for itself, but to shine a light for others. God has redeemed us to reflect His glory to the world.

Application:

Your life is not just about survival—it’s about God’s glory.

You are called to live differently, boldly, and purposefully as a reflection of God’s love.

How are you glorifying God in your daily life?

Application – Living in Your Identity

Stop living like a spiritual beggar – walk in confidence.

Approach God boldly in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Live differently because you bear His name.

🔹 Illustration: A father shaping his child’s identity—God calls us to reflect His character.

Transition Statement:

"Helen Keller could have stayed where she was—living in darkness, unaware of what was possible. But she didn’t. She leaned into her new identity. She kept learning, growing, and eventually used her voice to impact the world. When God calls us His own, it’s not just a title—it’s a new way of living. We are meant to walk in confidence, knowing that we are created, redeemed, and called for His glory."

Inspiration & Reflection – What If?

Imagine what your life would look like if you fully embraced this truth.

How would it change the way you pray, the way you love, and the way you face trials?

What step will you take this week to live in the confidence of being God’s chosen?

Transition Statement:

"Helen Keller once said, ‘Once I knew the meaning of the word “water,” light broke through my darkness.’

That moment changed everything.

And for us, the moment we truly grasp who we are in Christ—that we are created, redeemed, and called by name—light breaks into our darkness too.

The question is, will you live in that identity?"

Action / Next Step (s)

Memorize Isaiah 43:1 – "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."

Pray daily, thanking God for your identity in Him.

Encourage someone else with the truth that they are deeply loved and called by God.

Closing Prayer (Disciple’s Prayer Model)

Praise – Father, You are the One who created us, formed us, and called us Your own.

Purpose – We desire to live as those who belong to You, reflecting Your glory.

Provision – Strengthen us to trust in Your presence in our trials.

Pardon – Forgive us when we forget whose we are and live in fear.

Protection – Keep us from the lies that try to steal our identity in You.

Praise Again – You are faithful, and we stand secure in Your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Key Scriptures Used

Isaiah 43:1-7 – Foundation of the message.

Exodus 14:13-31 – Crossing the Red Sea (deliverance).

Daniel 3:16-28 – God’s presence in the fire.

Hebrews 4:16 – Boldly approaching God.

Romans 8:38-39 – Nothing can separate us from God's love.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – New creation in Christ.

Revelation 5:9-10 – Christ gathering people from every nation.

Bottom Line: “When you know whose you are, everything changes.”