WHAT IS OUR IDENTITY?
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
Who are you?
Who are you?
As your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, and your family observe you - how do they identify you?
Do you even have an identity?
Some have responded to the actions of other by this statement: “I don’t even know who you are”
How are you identified spiritually?
How are you identified spiritually?
There were those in our Lord’s day who had no identity?
Jesus said, “I never knew you” (Mt. 7:23)
What is our identity as a Christian?
What is our identity as a Christian?
What identity are we setting forth?
God once asked Hezekiah, “What have they seen in thy house” (2 Kgs. 20:15)
What do people see as our identity?
Better yet - What should others see in us?
What is the identity of of the church? Who are we?
DISCUSSION
We are Brethren - a Family
We are Brethren - a Family
15 but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
We are children of God and must behave ourselves accordingly
We are a family and must treat each other as such
Does the world see us doing this?
We are a Worshipping People
We are a Worshipping People
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
Must - an imperative
Spirit - with the correct attitude
Truth - according to God’s commands
We are a Singing People
We are a Singing People
19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
“Is any cheerful? let him sing praise” (Jam. 5:13)
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
Song: There’s within my a melody...
A happy and faithful Christian is a singing Christian
We are an Assembling People
We are an Assembling People
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
Our assembling:
Proves one’s loves for the Lord
15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.
Reflects our greatest interest
33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We are a Doing People
We are a Doing People
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
38 even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Christianity is a doing religion
Christianity is an activity
Are we letting out light shine
16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We are a Happy People
We are a Happy People
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
16 Rejoice always;
Of all the people in the world we should be the happiest
Not “weaned on a sour pickle”
We have a happiness the world can not understand
We are a Preaching People
We are a Preaching People
1 I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.
18 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.
Christianity is a teaching religion
Evangelism and Edification
Many, if not most, religions are nothing more than a social club
We are a God Fearing People
We are a God Fearing People
28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
13 This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
21 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
Fearing God is showing Him the proper reverence - the proper respect
Respect, but also fear punishment
We are a Giving People
We are a Giving People
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
5 and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
6 But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Consistent givers
Liberal givers
Cheerful givers
Givers of self
We are a Kind and Loving People
We are a Kind and Loving People
32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.
1 Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
We are not...
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice:
People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care
Kindness and compassion for others has a great impact
1 Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
We are a Non-Changing People - in doctrine
We are a Non-Changing People - in doctrine
3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
1 Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,
12 Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
Standing in he old paths
16 Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein.
Buying the truth and selling it not
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
We are a Heaven Seeking People
We are a Heaven Seeking People
8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain:
11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
We are seeking for eternal life
Looking forward to our time in heaven
Talking about heaven
Seeking heaven will motivate us to be faithful to the Lord
CONCLUSION
This should be the Christian’s identity
What is your identity?