Who & What Is Shaping You?

Ephesians 2:10 NRSV

10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Ephesians 2:1–10 NLT

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

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Playdough illustration: Layout some playdough and tools on a table and invite three people up to create a masterpiece in 1 minute. They can choose to use tools or not use tools. They can choose to use more than one color or just one color (Try not to say too much).

Questions:

Why did you choose the color(s) of playdough and the tool(s) you used?

What did you make what you made and do you think you would have created something different if you had more time?

Whether you want to or not, every day you wake up you are being shaped by something. And just like the one minute on the clock, we have 1 life in order to become what God has created us to become. However, in this one life that we have, there are other forces that are at work trying to mold us and shape us into things that are less than what God wants us to be. The theme of this conference is “Becoming God’s Masterpiece: Find It, Live It, Love It.” And when we say masterpiece, we are talking about your purpose and the type of person that God has created you to be. And tonight, I want help you find it, and the reasons why it is so difficult is because there are so many other things trying to shape you.

And just like the one minute on the clock, we have 1 life in order to become what God has created us to become. However, in this one life that we have, there are other forces that are at work trying to mold us and shape us into things that are less than what God wants us to be.

So tonight as the subject of this message I want to ask you this question: “Who & What is Shaping You?

Verses 1-3

Let’s look back at verses 1-3.

Ephesians 2:1–3 NLT

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Ephesians

The world is trying to shape you.

The devil is trying to shape you.

And you are trying to shape you.

And even though Paul is writing to some Gentile Christians and is using past tense language like “you WERE dead” and “you USED to live in sin,” and “you USED to live that way,” the truth is that even when you become a Christian, Satan and the world doesn’t stop trying to shape you. Matter of fact, once you become a Christian, Satan begins to work overtime trying prevent you from walking in your purpose and becoming the masterpiece that God has destined for you to be.

And even though Paul is writing to some Gentile Christians and is using past tense language like “you WERE dead” and “you USED to live in sin,” and “you USED to live that way,” the truth is that even when you become a Christian, Satan and the world doesn’t stop trying to shape you. Matter of fact, once you become a Christian, Satan begins to work overtime trying prevent you from walking in your purpose and becoming what God has destined for you to be.

And here is the kicker. A lot of people don’t even recognize how they are being shaped on a daily basis. So the question is Who & What is Shaping You?

Matter of fact, once you become a Christian, Satan begins to work overtime trying prevent you from walking in your purpose and becoming what God wants you to be.

And what I want to do right now is get really practical and share with you some ways in which the world may be trying to shape you that you may not be paying attention to.

Your environment is trying to shape you. I grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Statistically, my environment said I was supposed to had been one thing, but God said I have a different plan for your life. Many of you in here, may not have grown up in South Central Los Angeles, but everyday you are being shaped by your environments, whether it be for the good or the bad. We have family environments, we have neighborhood environments, we have school environments, and all of these environments have the potential to shape us.

Between

Secret Impurity

The culture of secret impurity is trying to shape us. How many of you ever seen the show catfish? It is easy for people to create fake accounts or be somebody else on social media that says whatever they want to say without being held accountable. You see on my Snapchat account, I feel like I can post whatever I want to post and send whatever I want to send to people because I know its going to be deleted. And sometimes we carry that secretive mindset into our relationships with God thinking that if we do things in the dark, God won’t see it.

Fiters can begin to shape you. When people first start using filters, it starts off innocent. It’s new and exciting, so you use it. But then you begin to recognize that the pictures with filters get more likes than the pictures that don’t have filters. And before you know it, it’s hard to post a selfie of yourself just showing the natural beauty that God gave you. And for those that do post selfies of their natural beauty it has to be in a certain light, at a certain angle, as if I am only beautiful in this type of light at this angle. But God said when you were born, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, which means whatever light or angle you are in, you are beautiful to God.

Environment

Relativism says that there is no such thing as absolute knowledge, truth or morality. Which means everybody gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. And at the moment everybody starts trying to decide what’s right and what’s wrong, is the moment everybody starts playing God. And because we are living in that type of culture, we sometimes bring that into our relationship with God, and so we begin to pick and choose what scriptures we like and what scriptures we don’t…what part of the Bible matches my lifestyle and what part of the Bible doesn’t. I want to go to Heaven and want Jesus, but on my terms.

I grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Statistically, my environment said I was supposed to had been one thing, but God said I have a different plan for your life. Many of you in here, may not have grown up in South Central Los Angeles, but everyday you are being shaped by your environments, whether it be for the good or the bad. We have family environments, we have neighborhood environments, we have school environments, and all of these environments have the potential to shape us.

Individualism

We live inside of a world where everyone has an opinion, has something to say, and has an agenda. We are drowning in information, yet everybody is still starving for the truth. And through TV, video games, and other forms of media, messages are constantly being thrown at you to shape the way you think about truth. And before you know it, you come to conferences and Bible study and church and you find yourself trying to weigh the truth found in the world with the truth found in the Word. meanwhile regardless of what the world says, Jesus says I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one gets to the Father, but by me.

Comparison

1 Corinthians 15:

The culture of consumerism is trying to shape you because it’s trying to tell you that you will never be satisfied. The world around us is trying to press us into its consumer mold. Its advertising seeks to convince us that we cannot be content without whatever it’s selling. But the Word is transforming us into people who can say, “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Friends

In , Paul said Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character. It is difficult to become God’s masterpiece when you are surrounded by friends that are try to be something else.

People have always struggled with comparison, but with the rise of social media, it is even more

1 Corinthians 12:15–20 NIV

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

If Jesus was to walk into this room right now and ask you to see your iTunes or Spotify playlists, would you have delete any songs? And if so, why haven’t you? How can you expect to listen to music that’s talking about sex and lust, and not struggle with it in your relationship with God?

People have always struggled with comparison, but with the rise of social media, it is even more.

The thing about social media is that everyone is always posting the good stuff and never the bad stuff. The highlights, but never behind the scenes. The achievements, but never the failures. So when you are constantly looking at everyone’s good stuff, you begin to compare your full reality to the image that people have posted. And before you know it, you begin to wonder:

• Why isn’t my life like that?

• Why am I not as pretty as her?

• Why don’t I get to have the new iphone?

• Why don’t I have as many friends on instagram like him?

• Why doesn’t my family do things like that?

But if you are going to become God’s masterpiece, you have to understand that God has uniquely designed you with a set of gifts, personalities and influence. God created you to be you and not somebody else.

God has spent time uniquely designing each of you in here to such a degree, that even if you were identical a twin, you wouldn’t even have the same fingerprint. That is how much energy God has spent making you.

And there are so many people missing out on their purpose and what God has for their life because they are so busy trying to be someone else.

Consumerism

The world around us is trying to press us into its consumer mold. Its advertising seeks to convince us that we cannot be content without whatever it’s selling. But the Word is transforming us into people who can say, “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

All of these things and more have the potential to shape you into things that are less than what God wants you to be.

The world around us is trying to press us into its mold of thinking the goal of this life is comfort and security. But the Word of God is renewing our minds so that we have very different aspirations from simply a comfortable life with a comfortable retirement. We want to expend ourselves for the gospel until the day we die. We so deeply believe that our heavenly Father is taking care of us and has secured a future for us in which we will gain everything, we just aren’t so concerned about losing out here. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What is life for you? If life is simply living the American dream where you go to school, gradutae, get a job, get married, have some kids, and retire, than you are missing

Acceptance & Being Liked

Environment

Now many people won’t admit they are addicted to being liked. But if you’re not, why do you post something on social media and keep checking your social media post every few seconds to see how many people liked it. I don’t care if you don’t like I like it and most importantly God likes me.

What I love about Jesus, is that even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, to a poor family,.... he never allowed his circumstances to stop him from being Jesus.

People said what good can come from Nazareth.

All of these things and more have the potential to shape you into things that are less than what God wants you to be.

Comparison

People wanted a Savior that would come

Comfort & Security

Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

All of these things and more have the potential to shape you into things that are less than what God wants you to be.

Comparison

And there may be somebody here tonight/today that may be saying listen Brandon, I here you, but I struggle with a lot of the things you just talked about and I don’t think I can resist being shaped by all these things and become what God wants me to become on my own. And your’re right, you can’t. You can’t become what God wants you to be on your own. But guess who can make you into God’s masterpiece? Jesus!

Verses 4-9 says God, in his grace mercy, sent his only begotten son to die on the cross for our sins. and when he resurrected him from the dead, he also resurrected us. So now, through Jesus, we now have the power to resist being shaped by comparing ourselves to other people, we have the power to resist being shaped by friends, we have the power to resist being shaped by our environment, and we have the power to resist being shaped by music, or anything else that is trying to shape us into something less than what God has predestined us to be..

Because of God’s grace a mercy, you now have the power to become God’s masterpiece.

And listen, it’s not you working to become God’s masterpiece, it’s God working on you. For says “For we are GOD’S masterpiece,” not our own masterpiece. We are not creating and shaping ourselves, but God is creating and shaping us.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Okay, but if God is the one working on us and shaping us into his masterpiece, why haven’t I become what God wants me to become. Why am I still struggling with my purpose? Why am I still struggling with anger? Why am I still struggling with bitterness and unforgiveness? Is God not doing his job? That’s a great question.

Illustration: Let me have a volunteer come up here. My arm represents what God needs to shape and mold in my life in order for me to get to closer to what his has predestined for me to become. You will play God and your job is to pull my arm down to my side. Are you ready God? Go

(As the person tries to push my arm down to my side, I will turn and twist).

Me: What’s wrong?

Person: “You won’t let me do it.”

The reason why it is so difficult for God to shape us into his masterpiece, is because we won’t let him. You see God loves us so much, that God gave human beings what we call freewill. And he will not mold you into anything you don’t want to become.

And when we know about God, but then don’t let God mold us into what he wants us to become, God’s heart hurts because where have just known about God for 15, 20, or 40 years, before we were even formed in our mother’s womb, God had predestined us to do good work.

Before you met your mom, before you met your dad, before you committed any sin, before certain people walked out of your life, before anybody disappointed you, before you became an athlete, before you met your friends, and before you started dating your girlfriend or your boyfriend, God already had a plan for your life.

Look at verses 1-3.

The world is trying to shape you. Satan is trying to shape you.

The question before you tonight is “Who and What is Shaping You?”

And my hope is that God is shaping you.

But in order for him to shape you, you have to let him.

Alter Call.

And this is not about just doing good things, but this about becoming the type of person that will naturaly do good things. An apple tree doesn’t have to think about making apples, it just does because of it’s inner nature. God’s wants to shape, but you have to allow him.

The world around us is trying to press us into its highly individualistic mold. But the Word is transforming us into people whose identity flows out of being a bondservant to Jesus Christ and no longer a slave to our own independence or self-fulfillment.

And this is not about just doing good things, but this about becoming the type of person that will naturaly do good things. An apple tree doesn’t have to think about making apples, it just does because of it’s inner nature. God’s wants to shape, but you have to allow him.

God is the one that

Purpose has to begin with God.

God predestined you to do his will. That means before you met your mom, before you met your dad, before you committed any sin, before certain people walked out of your life, before anybody disappointed you, before you became an athlete, before you met your friends, and before you started dating your girlfriend or your boyfriend, God already had a plan for your life.

Environment

What I love about Jesus, is that even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, to a poor family,.... he never allowed his circumstances to stop him from being Jesus.

People said what good can come from Nazareth.

Comparison

People wanted a Savior that would come

Comfort & Security

Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Comfort & Security

God is the one that

Environment

The world around us is trying to press us into its mold of thinking the goal of this life is comfort and security. But the Word of God is renewing our minds so that we have very different aspirations from simply a comfortable life with a comfortable retirement. We want to expend ourselves for the gospel until the day we die. We so deeply believe that our heavenly Father is taking care of us and has secured a future for us in which we will gain everything, we just aren’t so concerned about losing out here. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Purpose has to begin with God.

What I love about Jesus, is that even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, to a poor family,.... he never allowed his circumstances to stop him from being Jesus.

What is life for you? If life is simply living the American dream where you go to school, gradutae, get a job, get married, have some kids, and retire, than you are missing

People said what good can come from Nazareth.

Maybe this is the way God and others see our lives. It’s common for people to notice the work God has done in us and comment on the beauty. And even though compliments are nice to hear, I’ve been known to resist them. (Admit it, you probably have too.) It’s not so much a humility thing as it is an “I-don’t-see-myself-as-beautiful” thing. From my limited perspective, I can see only the unfinished work. But in truth, my vantage point doesn’t negate the beauty of the work God has done and is doing in my life.

Real beauty isn’t about a finished or flawless product. It can’t be. It’s not possible on this side of eternity to have completed beauty. Our restoration will be complete in the presence of God when we see Him face to face.

Now, you might be saying, “But Gwen, I can’t be beautiful! You don’t know what I’ve done…or what I’ve been through…or what I’m going through!”

Friend, God knows where you have been, what you have been through, and where you are now. He knows what your flaws are and loves you in spite of your imperfections. His tender love is far-reaching and complete.

Your past sins do not define you.

Your painful scars do not define you.

Your present sufferings do not define you.

They are just shards of brokenness that God will use to lovingly refine your beauty. The transformation from broken into beautiful is neither easy nor instantaneous. It demands a yielded heart and can be quite painful, but it comes with great reward. God will need your broken pieces—your scars, shame, insecurities, disappointments, betrayals, and failures.

Comparison

Nobody can beat me being Brandon. God created me uniquely.

Environment

What I love about Jesus, is that even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, to a poor family,.... he never allowed his circumstances to stop him from being Jesus.

People said what good can come from Nazareth.

Comparison

People wanted a Savior that would come

Comfort & Security

Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Comfort & Security

People wanted a Savior that would come

The world around us is trying to press us into its mold of thinking the goal of this life is comfort and security. But the Word of God is renewing our minds so that we have very different aspirations from simply a comfortable life with a comfortable retirement. We want to expend ourselves for the gospel until the day we die. We so deeply believe that our heavenly Father is taking care of us and has secured a future for us in which we will gain everything, we just aren’t so concerned about losing out here. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What is life for you? If life is simply living the American dream where you go to school, gradutae, get a job, get married, have some kids, and retire, than you are missing

Comfort & Security

Environment

Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

What I love about Jesus, is that even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, to a poor family,.... he never allowed his circumstances to stop him from being Jesus.

Comfort & Security

People said what good can come from Nazareth.

The world around us is trying to press us into its mold of thinking the goal of this life is comfort and security. But the Word of God is renewing our minds so that we have very different aspirations from simply a comfortable life with a comfortable retirement. We want to expend ourselves for the gospel until the day we die. We so deeply believe that our heavenly Father is taking care of us and has secured a future for us in which we will gain everything, we just aren’t so concerned about losing out here. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Comparison

What is life for you? If life is simply living the American dream where you go to school, gradutae, get a job, get married, have some kids, and retire, than you are missing

People wanted a Savior that would come

Comfort & Security

Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Comfort & Security

The world around us is trying to press us into its mold of thinking the goal of this life is comfort and security. But the Word of God is renewing our minds so that we have very different aspirations from simply a comfortable life with a comfortable retirement. We want to expend ourselves for the gospel until the day we die. We so deeply believe that our heavenly Father is taking care of us and has secured a future for us in which we will gain everything, we just aren’t so concerned about losing out here. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What is life for you? If life is simply living the American dream where you go to school, gradutae, get a job, get married, have some kids, and retire, than you are missing

Who & What Is Shaping You?

Introduction

1 Minute on the Clock (Countdown)

Who & What Is Shaping You?

Verses 1-3

Environment

Secret Impurity

Filters

Relativism

Information

Friends

Music

Comparison

Verses 4-9

Verse 10

Verse 10

Who & What is Shaping You?

SURRENDER