Who am I? week 2
Notes
Transcript
*story about pretending and how that leads to perception management.
-Integrity vs status. Why do we pretend?
Have you ever pretended or exaggerated things about yourself?
Why?
We think our lives are less impressive than it should be. Do you find yourself thinking you should be farther along now. You should’ve done more. You should’ve accomplished more.
This is an identity issue actually. Because pretense aka pretending, is the result of seeking identity in the perception of others. Pretense is eliminated when we start to believe the truth about what God says about ourselves.
What would be your response if I told you that you are far from unimpressive in God’s eyes? Because you are and if you can believe God’s word about yourself today you can be free from pretending.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,
5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,
7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
Context for Ephesians 1-2
Focus on verse Eph 2:10
We are God’s workmanship/creation. My Christian identity is his job to create. We don’t make ourselves and we don’t save ourselves. This means that our God is active and not just passively watching.
Ask for examples of God being active in the world.
The reason you can think you are less than impressive is you are focused on your work. If you can switch your focus to His work; you can stop thinking that way. Why? Because His work is extraordinarily impressive for we are His work & workmanship.
The word workmanship/creation used in Ephesians 2:10 is the Greek word poema. Poema is where we get the word poem and here in Ephesians it is used to describe the product of activity, work, creation of the artist. God is the greatest artist. He created a poem called you and you are a masterpiece.
The reason you think you are unimpressive is you are focused on your work. But the greatest artist in the universe says you are His masterpiece.
Poema appears in one other place in the New Testament Romans 1:20. In chapter one Paul is arguing that God coming wrath is coming on all mankind and God is justified in bringing it forth because in the act of creation and what creation is, God has communicated enough of who He is that people can be held accountable.
20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.
God’s invisible attributes, two are listed here. His eternal power and His divine nature (encompasses all of his invisible qualities). His invisible qualities have been clearly seen. How?
Being understood from what has been made aka poema. Through is masterpiece of creation.
Examples of masterpieces of God’s creation: lightning storms, crashing waves.
God wrote 2 poems. Almighty creation and you. Please understand that you are far from unimpressive.
Okay yeah it is here in the Bible that I am God’s poem but there are beautiful poems and there are bad poems.
Transition: Our Old Testament is written in Hebrew. Before Jesus was born it was translated by scholars into Greek. That Greek translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint. Many of our New Testament writers relied on the Septuagint as they wrote books and letters to others. There are two places in the Septuagint where the word poema appears.
One is in Ecclesiastes:
11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
Has made is the verb form of poema. All the poems that he has made are beautiful or appropriate. So if you are His poem then He only makes one kind. That is beautiful. You are perfectly created and recreated in Christ.
If thinking this way about yourself is awkward or uncomfortable for you then could it be that you have bought the lie that your worth is found in your performance and accomplishments to determine how impressive you are? When truly it is His work that determines how impressive you are and His work is magnificent. If you own this truth then you don’t have to pretend anymore.
There is one other place in the Septuagint where the word poema is used. It is a scripture for those that have a hard time buying into this truth. Many can buy that they are a poem or that they are beautiful until they see other people. Other people look beautiful, their personalities are so amazing, the way they interact with others is just inspiring, and in comparison I’m so plain, boring, and God could of done better with me. Sometimes we can think that way.
Another poema in the Septuagint is in Isaiah 29:16
16 You have turned things around, as if the potter were the same as the clay. How can what is made say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”? How can what is formed say about the one who formed it, “He doesn’t understand what he’s doing”?
Shall the poem say to the poet that you did not poet me right?
When we think that way about ourselves we turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like clay. When we understand this truth of God it can shed truth on how we view ourselves and how we view others. When you believe God’s truth then you can no longer think of yourself as unimpressive. We can ask the Holy Spirit to remind of this truth as often as we need it.
Reflection/Implications
We do not have to pretend anymore. Have you ever noticed yourself pretending to be someone you’re not? Why? Approval or fear of loneliness?
This changes how we view others in and out of the body of Christ. We don’t compare impressiveness and instead appreciate God’s artistry in everyone. Nor will we have to see people as problems but as God’s poems. How do you view others? Do you compare yourself to others?