Finding Your True Self

Where we are

We live in covid-19 world and what I’ve noticed these days is that we have gone from fear to anger.

Where a mask not where a mask

If government bad or good

Is the sickness real or not as bad as everyone says it is.

I am preaching to a camera and the people I pastor are someplace else and at the same time, I am preaching to more people than I have ever preached to before.

Facebook and YouTube are so filled with people sharing their feeling about what they perceive to be the lies or truths of whats going on that those who might know the truth are drowned out by the opinions of those who are not in a position to do anything other than share their opinion.

Honestly, I have come to a place that I just want to scream, “IT DOESN”T MATTER.” The opinion that people want to shout from the roof tops have very little to do with the only troth that matters....

When you get to those pearly gates, I don’t think it will matter at all how strongly you felt for or against any political thing. He want to know what you did with the basics.

People Can’t Figure Themselves Out.

All of this back and forth I see comes from this thing where people thing that they are the centers of their own universe. Psychology has long ago decided that as long as you feel good then you are finally in touch with yourself. Can I just say that if you are the center of the universe, you have found the wrong truth. If you thing your opinion matters any more than the next guys, your so mistaken that … and hear this, GOD DOES NOT CARE about YOUR OPINION… UNLESS, He is at your center.

MAY THE GRACE AND PEACE OF THE LORD BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU

ONLY THROUGH HIM CAN YOU FIND YOURSELF… AND YOU ARE CREATED AWESOME.

Craving the Right Thing

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Go through the verse.

Malice, deceit, envy… all outward expressions of an inward condition.... when that impulse starts to rise up.... put it away.

If you have tasted that the Lord is Good.. .. If you have entered the Gate…gotten saved.

Where You’re Headed

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

You are coming to him

The world rejected HIm

In this letter, Peter was writing to a persecuted church

as He was rejected they (and you) will suffer rejection because your identity is now found in him.

Its worth it becasue

You are being a built up into who you are created to be…

Spiritual house

holy priesthood

You are being built into His image and he...

chosen, precious, never put to shame

despite the world’s rejection, he is the thing on which everything is built.

Get your own dirt.

His simple truth doesn’t even take much explanation. The truth is so simple that it is a stumbling block to the world that makes them so angry they have to say to the largest people group that say “Come” and says we a exclusive.

WHO YOU ARE

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

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

Remember who Peter was talking to -

those suffering persecution

Persecuted for doing the best to follow the 10 commandment

Persecuted for following such rules as “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Persecuted for telling people that they can be free from the burden of sin and have eternity with tho one who created you

Persecuted for wanting to get together on Sunday to celebrate together because it was seen as a danger to society around them but gathering almost anyplace else is ok..... oops.

Persecuted.

When every time you turn around you are getting persecuted from time to time the opinion of the world can eek in

Do you want to knowwho you really are meant to be. what will fulfill you…that deep down in your core you are this...

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

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

Chosen race.... handpicked. not based on anything other that the fact the you are handpicked by the King of kings, and the Lord of lords

Royal priesthood - chosen again by the ruler of all rulers to represent him… that title in God’s eyes puts you higher than any other position on the planet.

A holy nation --- a perfection that is not you own is yours

Before Him you are nothing, with Him you are everything.

Put this into perspective..... when you remember who you are in Him, nothing else even matters. So lets be who we are.