I Am Who God Says I Am

Topic: I Am Who God says that I am

Text: Psalms 139

Date: 2/20/21

Series: Set Me Free

Introduction:

One of the many ails that some wrestle with is how they view themselves. Some view themselves as worthless. Some view themselves as worthy. Some just dont know what to think about themselves. I want to tell you that I believe that the church has perpetuated this. We’ve constantly shared (me included) that we must find ourselves in Romans 3 (which is true), but when people get stuck there, for some reason we dont push them to 1 Peter 2.

1 Peter 2.4-10

As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame. So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone, and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Should we see that Romans 3 (sinners/unworthy) is where we were yes, but out of honor for Christ, because of the gospel at work in the hearts of believers, Jesus didn’t let us drown! He has made us new. Therefore, we no longer identify as worthless, but worthy. We are who God says that we are!

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

Many view this as your self-esteem or your self worth.

Self-esteem refers to an inner sense of worthiness that gives a person resilience and resistance to attack or criticism. Generally speaking, each person has a concept about his or her self-worth (which may or may not be accurate), and self-esteem is how the person feels about (or evaluates) that concept. Having healthy self-esteem does not mean being proud or having an overblown view of one’s own importance. Paul encourages us to “think soberly” when it comes to evaluating ourselves (Rom. 12:3). This means assessing ourselves with honesty and fairness.

When people are continually told they don’t measure up, or they’re consistently passed up for the smarter, prettier, or stronger, the collective message is that their lives have little or no value or significance. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Many define self-esteem as “feelings of worth based on their skills, accomplishments, status, financial resources, or appearance.” This kind of self-esteem can lead a person to feel independent and prideful and to indulge in self-worship, which dulls our desire for God. James 4:6 tells us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we only trust in our earthly resources, we will inevitably be left with a sense of worth based on pride. Jesus told us, “You also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10).

This does not mean that Christians should have low self-esteem. It only means that our sense of being a good person should not depend on what we do, but rather on who we are in Christ. We need to humble ourselves before Him, and He will honor us. Psalm 16:2 reminds us, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” Christians attain self-worth and esteem by having a right relationship with God. We can know we are valuable because of the high price God paid for us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In one sense, low self-esteem is the opposite of pride. In another sense, low-self-esteem is a form of pride. Some people have low self-esteem because they want people to feel sorry for them, to pay attention to them, to comfort them. Low self-esteem can be a declaration of “look at me” just as much as pride. It simply takes a different route to get to the same destination, that is, self-absorption, self-obsession, and selfishness. Instead, we are to be selfless, to die to self, and to deflect any attention given to us to the great God who created and sustains us.

How do you view yourself? Where does your confidence lie? Is it in what others say about you or does your confidence rest in the one who created you?

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

Pastor it’s difficult for me to rest in the confidence when:

I’ve never felt appreciatedI’ve always been rejectedFather didnt want meMother abused meDealt some sort of assault When even as a kid I was told that I would amount to nothing

How can I be confident (in Christ) That I am who God says that I am?

Psalms 139 shows us 4 truths that we not only help us in our confidence in who we are, but will also serve a reminder to us that we are valuable to our creator:

We can remain confident by being reminded that:

1. The Lord knows who we are

First, remember that The Lord knows who you are.

Psalms 139.1-6

Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

He knows my ways (Psalm 139:2-4)

He knows when I sleep, what I eat, where I go, what I am about to say, and my habits.

He knows me relationally (Psalm 139:5-6)

He touches me when I need comfort. He protects me when I feel insecure. God has a knowledge about me that I don’t even know about myself.

God knows our every move, our every thought. He even knows what we will say and what we will do in the future. Such knowledge is incomprehensible to us who are limited by time and space.

Matthew 10:26-30

“Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

God knows us, totally and completely. He knows our thoughts, our actions, our choices, our desires, our fears and our dreams. We can hide ourselves from others and sometimes even from ourselves, but we can hide nothing from God. Nothing about us can shock Him, because He knows it already. We have no need to try to be something we are not, because He knows exactly who and what we are.

In a world that sets such store by appearances, by the perception of success or of being in control, and by man-made expectations, what a relief it is to be able to come to our God just as we are – and to know that He loves us and desires to meet with us, despite who and what we may be. We can turn to Him in the blackest of sin, in our greatest weakness, our foolish unbelief or our misguided choices. If we seek Him, He will not turn away from us. God knows us intimately and completely, and because He did He was willing to die to make a way for us to reach Him.

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

God has determined our value based on His purpose for creating us in the first place and on the price He has paid to redeem us for all eternity.

2. We can't run from who we are

Not only must we remember that God knows who we are, but second, we must remember that we can’t run from who we are created to be. When things dont quite go the way we want them to, we tend to want to just throw in the towel. We want to give up. Listen, when God has made you a leader, You’re a LEADER! When God has made you teacher YOU’RE A TEACHER! You can plug in whatever adjective you want, but, you can’t run from who you are. You cen’t duck out on who God created you to be. Well, Im not ready for this, or im not quite ready for that. Listen YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS THAT YOU ARE!

How do I know you can’t run from who we are? Because God is always with us. He’s always present. Pushing us to be who he created us to be.

Psalms 139.7-12

Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.

Wherever we go, God is there. Whether you’re high or low, up or down, strong or struggling, the Lord is with you (Hebrews 13:5). If you’re walking with the Lord, this is comforting. If you’re running from Him, it should be convicting.

Although the people in hell do not experience God’s gracious presence, even those in hell will recognize that it is the Lord, not Satan, who is the master of hell. There is no place so high or so low, so far east or so far west, so light or so dark that it is outside the presence of God. This is a great comfort, especially to those who are suffering.

- No persecutor’s dungeon is too dark for God to see his people.

- No prison camp is too filthy for him to be present with them.

- No home is too broken that God doesn’t want to be there for His people.

- No man or woman is too far God that God isn’t willing to be where they are.

Wherever they are, he will be with them.

Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

We can’t run from who we are! Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

3. The Lord made us who we are

Third, here this… God made us who we are. You must remember that God made you who you are.

How often do you just rest in that truth? How much do you just park there and focus on that fact that your confidence can be totally in Christ because He made you.

Psalms 139.13-16

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

Fearfully when translated from the hebrew means with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and with respect. Wonderfully when translated from the hebrew means unique and set apart.

To know we are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord, we need to understand the smallest details of our lives occur according to the plan of the Lord (Ephesians 1:11).

Psalm 139:14 contributes to our understanding of this subject by highlighting the all-knowing, all-present, and complete knowledge of the Lord. Such knowledge reveals the Lord is not a casual observer who takes knowledge in as we do.

“I will praise you” (Psalm 139:14) because:

- The Lord ordains everything from eternity past to eternity future and everywhere in between.

- The Lord who is holy, good, and just also sustains and governs and brings all things to pass from the creation of the cosmos to the functioning of our cells in our bodies.

The Lord made us who we are! We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Because all humanity is fearfully and wonderfully made, all life is sacred (Genesis 9:6).

Because all humanity is fearfully and wonderfully made, humanity is the pinnacle of creation created to resemble God and to fill the earth through procreation with fellow image-bearers of God.

Because all humanity is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, all humanity should be treated with dignity and respect.

The Lord made us who we are!

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

Family, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! Our self-esteem is really made up on how we view ourselves. Listen to this..

You are not worthlessYou are not a mistakeYou are not a second class citizenYou are not scumIm sorry that what happened to you happened, but that doesn’t define who you are!

remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

Remember:

1. The Lord knows who you are

2. You can’t run from who you are

3. The Lord made you who you are

4. We can't close ourselves off to the Lord

With everything that has happened to you, dont close yourself off from the Lord.

You can tell if a person hates God. They show certain characteristics. I don’t mean people who are just indifferent to God. I mean people who hate God.

1. Deny God’s existence (Psalm 139:19)

2. Defame God’s character (Psalm 139:20)

3. Detest God’s relationship (Psalm 139:22)

(Look in the text) it says: Psalms 139:19-22

God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me— who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely. Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you? I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies.

Those who hate God and close themselves off to Him, they deny his existence, defame his character and even detest his relationship, but what about those who love Him? What about those who dont close themselves off to him?

Watch how he closes this Psalms:

Psalms 139:23-24

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

Let God search me

That’s hard to do, to slice open your soul to God and ask him to search all through your being. What would God find in you that is offensive and flawed? It can be painful. But that’s where breakthroughs begin because the way up is down. Humble yourself before God, and he will lift you up.

2. Let God test me

The word translated ‘thoughts’ in some Bible versions carries the idea of anxious thoughts. We can easily see why David mentions this. He has been praising the God who is unlimited in knowledge and power, the one who is present everywhere. Such a God is worthy of our complete trust and devotion. But how often we fail to trust him! How often we let anxious thoughts control us rather than childlike trust in this mighty, wise God!9

3. Let God see me

Let God examine me. Let Him see if there is any idolatry or sin in me. This takes trust in my relationship. Only I truly trust someone and love them enough will I be willing to let them examine me. I need God’s accountability in my life. I need the Spirit seeing me, searching me and telling me when I am wrong.

4. Let God lead me

If I want the greatest relationship, then I need to let God lead me. Just as the man leads the woman when the two are dancing, God is in a dance relationship with me. He leads and I follow. When He leads and I choose to follow, then the relationship grows and get better. Because the best relationship you ever will have for eternity will be with God.

Listen, I know that we you have experienced is tough. I know that many have said and done things to you that put you in a place where you question God, but hear this… You are who God says that you are! Don’t close yourself off to God.

Main Point: We must remain confident (in Christ) that we are who God says that we are and nothing can change that.

Conclusion:

God loves each person He creates and has a unique plan and purpose for each life. True self-worth always starts and ends with Him, and never depends on the perceptions of others. God forever established your worth (over 2,000 years ago) by one act: He gave His Son for you. “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 SAMUEL 16:7).

Pawn shop wars, super bowl ring illustration…

At an auction, how is an item’s worth determined? Only by the highest price paid. Jesus paid the highest price possible—He gave His life to give you life. This priceless sacrifice established your worth…forever!

The Bible tells us that God gave us worth when He purchased us to be His own people (Ephesians 1:14). Because of this, only He is worthy of honor and praise. When we have healthy self-esteem, we will value ourselves enough to not become involved in sin that enslaves us. Instead, we should conduct ourselves with humility, thinking of others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Romans 12:3 warns, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

You are who God says that you are!