Embrace Your God Given Identity

Intro

What would you say you’re most known for? GO!

Grab a few answers

There was something that we can begin to notice as we hear some of these answers.

They are all things that we do.

A lot of us base who we are on what we do… which is not a completely BAD THING! and honestly, I can see why. I mean, look at this schedule that some of you can have:

[SLIDE WITH SCHEDULE]

Your entire day is filled with activity. It seems like there is not a moment where you’re not being told exactly what you should be doing.

And there doesn’t seem to be a lot of time where you can just… relax. Where you can just be.

But what I do want to talk about today is this activity… where a lot of us find our value.

Because - what happens when it’s gone?

What happens when you’re no longer on the team?

What happens if you move and switch schools?

What happens if there’s an injury?

What happens if you can’t play the instruments anymore?

When all of the labels fall off. That’s what we want to talk about. Who are you?

Tension

Because rather than answering this question… me and you like to try on a lot of costumes:

Maybe it’s the costume of humor and jokes: What if I just tried being more funny even though I know that’s not me… would people like me more?

Maybe it’s the costume of not caring: What if I just stopped trying in school even though I know I love school… I don’t want to be seen as a nerd or a try-hard.

Maybe it’s the costume of going with the flow: What if I just laughed at the jokes that people said about me even though they hurt… I don’t want to be seen as soft.

Maybe it’s the costume of the way you look: What if I start trying to have the style and look that I’m being told I should have even though I know it’s not me… I want to fit in to everyone else.

Maybe it’s the costume of public versus home you: What if I just act com pletelky different when I’m around other people? I don’t want them seeing who I really am.. they might not like me.

We can all pretend for awhile. At some point, that gets tiring. It get’s exhausting. And it’s an endless loop of trying to be someone that we are not.

Truth

David had a similar temptation.

I’ve loved that we have gotten to talk about David over the last few weeks. He was described as a man who was “after God’s own heart” - he did everything he could to continue to get to know who God is and how he could continue to devote his life to following Him.

Right before he became the king of Israel… he was a shepherd.

And as a shepherd, he Killed Goliath- a 9 ft tall the mighty warrior. Goliath was defying God’s chosen people- Israel.

But before he did this, he stumbled upon the entire army who was afraid to fight Goliath because he was so massive.

But David was not afraid - here’s what he said:

1 Samuel 17:33–37 “Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.””

There was a lot of doubt. But David knew that the Lord was with him - he knew that nobody could defy God and get away with it.

So surely… David’s gonna strap on all of the warrior gear to fight this guy, right?

Let’s see:

1 Samuel 17:38–40 “Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”

So let’s picture this together: Can I get one person to come up here?

Saul hands david the armor and says, well if you’re gonna fight goliath… you’re gonna need this.

So david puts it on, and he starts walking in it. “how’s it feel?”

David says… yeah this is not going to work for me. Takes it off and says that he’s good with his staff and sling.

Now remember this: For David… this is not some sort of “defiance” against king Saul. This is clarity about who he is.

These sorts of battles were fought a certain way, and you would have needed a certain sort of protection. There was an expectation that bringing the armor into the fight was the norm.

But David wouldn’t wear this because it didn’t fit how he knew God had wired him and equipped him for this fight.

God was not leading David to fight like Saul. God asked David to be and fight like David would fight. The same way he has fended off the lions and the bears. As the shepherd he had been.

And the same is true for us -> God isn’t needing us to be like someone else as we go into the battle of everyday life. But most times, we think we need to be something else in order to walk through life.

And here’s my warning to you, friends:

When we start to try to wear a life this is not ours… when we try to become something we’re not just so we can survive and fit in with everyone else through middle school in high school - we miss God showing up in our life through who we actually are.

BUT

Here’s our hope:

We can embrace our god given identity when we know our identity is based on the one who never changes - God.

And when this happens… we have a lot more confidence in who. we. ACTUALLY. are.

We don’t have to act like we don’t care about school…. because dangit I love school and I love how god wired my brain to LEARN!

And you know what, I love people and I know it doesn’t make me feel great to keep trying to “be funny” and make jokes at people. And sure some people pick on me for being “too nice” or “no fun”, but you feel great because you’re staying true to who you are and loving people the way God has called you to.

You don’t have to try to keep proving that we’re the best in a sport or activity… You don’t have to be like someone else. You can simply keep working at it bvecause YOU love it and YOU love to grow. And then it gives you joy because you know your value is not based on what you do.

You finally get to rest and you know who you really are when all the labels are off - You are God’s. And You know your identity is based on Him alone.

Application

So here’s what I’d love to do: You’ve got a paper underneath your seat.

And here’s what i’d like for you to write down: What is one “label” that you have believed the most? Or what is the armor that you’re trying to fit into that you know is not who you are?

Maybe it’s something a parent or coach told you

Or a comment a friend has made

Or a standard you’re trying to live up to.

Write it down (pause 20 seconds)

THEN… Look at it.

And now together- I want us to rip this and in a prayer to God say: “That’s not my armor”

And in a few minutes when you go to group… I’d love for you to be thinking of who you really are. Maybe it’s your charachter quality, or a strength that not many people know about, or a way you like to help people…

Then share with them if you’re open to it!

LANDING

Because I don’t want you to rob our group of who you really are. I don’t want this to be a place where you walk inside these doors and feel like you need to pretend to fit in. Your leaders don’t want you pretending because you think that’s the only way you’re going to fit into your small group.

Because we know and have talked about the last 4 weeks that our identity is in God alone because HE is the one who knows you. He is the one who has created you. HE is the one who gives you purpose.

And he’s the one who wants you to embrace your God-given identity.

And let’s keep leaning into our small groups and one another to be a space where someone can show up and be exactly who they are as they decide to follow Jesus.

Let’s pray.