Do you know who you are?

The title for this message comes from a most unusual place. It is the theme for the movie Moana, a Disney movie about a young Polynesian girl figuring out who she is.

Common theme in movies, books, and plays.

My Fail Lady - Eliza Dolittle figures out that she is a strong independent woman.

Lion King - Simba - learns that he doesn’t have to live up to the expectation of his father, but that he learn to love the animals in his kingdom like his father loves did.

Wild Hogs - Doug, Woody, Bobby, and Dudley learn that you can never be happy pretending to be someone you aren’t, but the joy and freedom of riding motorcycles comes from starts with just being yourself.

It a common theme, I believe we all have struggled or continue to struggle to find our place in the world.

We have all asked the question

Who Am I?

To understand who you are, in part, means to understand who you are in relation to others.

John Donne - English Poet wrote:

No man is an island -where he declares that we are all connected.

and so, he says, that when someone else dies, we are diminished. This is why the poem ends;

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

This highlights why we feel a need to understand who we are in relation to the world. Where do you or I fit in?

Problem:

The problem is that as soon as we figure out where we fit in this world, it changes.

Study after study shows that people who retire early are at a much greater risk of death than those that work until age 65.

In other words, when our place in this world is threatened, and we lose our purpose, we die.

That’s how important it is to know who you are and where you fit in.

Furthermore, there is not greater need than to understand who you are, in relation to God?

How do you fit in to God’s Kingdom? What is your purpose?

Who are you

Until you understand who you are in relation to Christ, it makes no difference who you are to others. You have to understand that relationship first. Which means you also have to understand who Christ is in relation to you.

This morning we are in and we will answer two important questions. Who is Christ to you and who are you to Christ?

1 Peter 2:4 NASB95

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

1 Peter 2:6–7 NASB95

6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,”

,

1 Peter

Peter is making the connection between this passage in Isaiah to Jesus. Paul made the same connection in Romans.

The Cornerstone

Elen White -Desire of Angels

When the temple of Solomon was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry; after they were brought to the place of building, not an instrument was to be used upon them; the workmen had only to place them in position. For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought; but the workmen could find no place for it, and would not accept it. It was an annoyance to them, as it lay unused in their way. Long it remained a rejected stone. But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it. Should they make an unwise choice for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered. They must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, of frost, and of tempest. Several stones had at different times been chosen, but under the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces. Others could not bear the test of the sudden atmospheric changes. But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected. It had been exposed to the air, to sun and storm, without revealing the slightest crack. The builders examined this stone. It had borne every test but one. If it could bear the test of severe pressure, they decided to accept it for the cornerstone. The trial was made. The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit.

Jesus has to be the Cornerstone, not just of the Church, but of your entire life.

Listen to what Jesus himself said in

Matthew 7:24–27 NASB95

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Matthew 7:24-

Jesus is out rock and our foundation!

No one else can stand up to that weight. If you put all you faith in your husband, or you wife, or your pastor, or whoever, they are going to let you down.

For two weeks straight, I have slept through Friday morning breakfast.

I told them last Wednesday night, I’ll be there.

I want to be someone you can count on, but I will fail you.

These men, although they will give me a hard time for a while, put their faith in Jesus, not me.

So how do we put our faith in Christ?

I don’t mean how are men saved, I mean how do you put you faith into action in a way that is beneficial to you?

I’ll give you the short answer.

Obey Him!

Mark 12:30–31 NASB95

30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

You’ve run 50 laps your way, not run 50 laps His way.

What you will find, is peace and joy.

Bipolar Disorder (manic depression) is medical disorder where people can go from really high to really low really quickly. And its a real medical condition, and I’m not making light of it.

But we can all have manic tendencies at times.

Waves on the ocean. Swells and lulls.

When we focus on loving God and loving others, He smooths out the water.

Proverbs 16:32 NASB95

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

Proverbs 19:11 NASB95

11 A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

James 1:19 NASB95

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

My worldview, my philosophy, my attitudes, my relationships, my parenting, my marriage -- everything has been transformed by my relationship with Christ.

1 Peter

Lee Strobel

What about the unbelieving?

What about the unbelieving?

1 Peter 2:8 NASB95

8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

1 Peter 2:

Can you imagine the builders of the Temple have this huge rock delivered to the Temple site? Had they accepted it right away, they wouldn’t have to work around it.

But they rejected it and thus for years they had to build the temple with it constantly being in their way. It took 20 years to finish the temple, can you imagine?

I bet they began to had that stone, and if anyone spoke favorably about it, I’m sure they despised them too.

Evidence for Jesus

The historical evidence for Jesus, existing, teaching, dying on the cross, and raising for the dead is overwhelming.

For someone to maintain Atheism, or any religion other than true Christianity they have to

1. reject Christ

2. Constantly work around Him. as they ignore Him.

And if they don’t already, come to despise Him and anyone who speaks favorable of Him.

John 15:18 NASB95

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

So who are you to Christ?

1 Peter 2:5 NASB95

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Priesthood

1 Peter

Isaiah 61:6 NASB95

6 But you will be called the priests of the Lord; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast.

You are ministers of the Holy God.

Spiritual Sacrifices

Hebrews 13:15 NASB95

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

Pray before meals in public.

I’m thankful He is allowing me to eat.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So that if there is anything attractive in my conduct; how I treat the waiter/waitress, how I behave, that they would know that it is because of Him, not me.

Peter said that those that reject Christ will be disappointed, but to those that accept Christ he said:

1 Peter 2:9–10 NASB95

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9

Chosen Race - God picked you. God chose the Jews to have the honor to be the people through whom He would revel Himself to the world, but they rejected Him and now He has chosen you for that honor.

Difficult, but rewarding work to be sure.

A royal priesthood -

Revelation 1:6 NASB95

6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Holy Nation - Set apart for His purpose.

A People for God’s own Possession -

Exodus 19:5 NASB95

5 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

Exodus

That is who you are!

Our Responsibility

1 Peter

1 Peter 2:11 NASB95

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Do right for your sake.

1 Peter 2:12 NASB95

12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:

Do right for their sake.

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.