Who Am I and Why Am I Here?
Pentecost • Sermon • Submitted
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· 371 viewsFocus: God has chosen us as His redeemed people, doing everything necessary to unite us to Himself by the blood of Jesus. Function: As Christians we turn back to His forgiveness and unity where God promises them to be, not in what we want them to be. God made all things in heaven and on earth in order to love His creation and its creatures. We were made to be loved by God. We were also made to be redeemed by Jesus, who was the plan all along (we were predestined in Him). We know we are His redeemed people when we are declared as such by His Word, baptized into the Kingdom, and receive His Body and Blood.
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Mark 6:25–29 (ESV)
25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
“This is the Gospel of the Lord?”
“This is the Gospel of the Lord?”
Nothing like heads getting chopped off to give you a different perspective on life.
Tragedy makes us ask, “Who am I and Why am I here?”
Senseless tragedy and murky morality = spiritually dizzy
Building collapse, cancer, mass shootings, addiction, etc.
What’s the point, purpose?
Who am I and Why am I here?
What does the world to do when it loses its sense of identity and purpose?
What does the world to do when it loses its sense of identity and purpose?
It makes up its own!
You get to be whoever you want to be, you make up your own identity: politics, possessions, relationships, & gender
If you’re a good person, your going to heaven...whatever that is.
God’s main rule, if you even believe in Him, is not to judge
He’s only there to love you, otherwise ignore Him; Do whatever makes you happy and feel fulfilled
As Christians, it can be tempting to define our identity/purpose on our own terms, too.
As Christians, it can be tempting to define our identity/purpose on our own terms, too.
Someone asks who you are, what do you say?
Name, occupation, residence, family, Republican, Democrat, American, Star Wars fan, Bears fan
Why I’m here? Be a good person, show God how spiritual I am
“The meaning of life is to tell people about Jesus.”
Be a better mom, dad, worker, church-goer, pastor, neighbor, friend, etc. Just be better!
We define identity/purpose internally on our own terms. Who Am I and Why am I here?
Did you know as Christians, we believe in aliens? Not little green men
Did you know as Christians, we believe in aliens? Not little green men
We believe in alien identity & purpose, God’s terms, external
We live by God’s definition of who we are & why we’re here.
Ephesians 1:4–5 (ESV)
4 In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...
Predestination is not cosmic naughty/nice lists (Jesus died for everyone!).
Predestination is not cosmic naughty/nice lists (Jesus died for everyone!).
Comfort! Salvation not arbitrary, it’s in Christ. You are in Christ!
Predestination: Jesus = Plan A, we were made to be loved/redeemed by Jesus
IDENTITY: God has elected, chosen, sealed you as His own in baptism.
Who you are foremost is not an American, Bears fan, mom or dad
Who you are was determined 2000 years ago at cross & empty tomb
First and foremost you are baptized.
Ephesians 1:9–10 (ESV)
9 His purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Creation & Redemption is a story of God’s love.
Creation & Redemption is a story of God’s love.
God makes all creation as gift to last into eternity
PURPOSE: You were made for God to demonstrate His love, gift, & faithfulness to you.
Purpose is to be redeemed, declared righteous by God: right relationship with God and world.
Alien identity & alien purpose!
Know why we say, “This is the Gospel of the Lord” when John gets his head chopped off? Because God was still Gospeling!
Know why we say, “This is the Gospel of the Lord” when John gets his head chopped off? Because God was still Gospeling!
Temptation to make up our own ways of being Christian: pray alone, read Bible alone, Christian radio, acts of kindness
Read Ephesians 3-14, God does all the verbs! God does everything necessary to unite you to Himself.
Christians turn back/repent to what God is doing. Worship!
Must be careful: idolatry isn’t just false gods, also false worship! Golden Calf...
Worship isn’t a Christian concert, country club, or time for me to connect with God
Worship isn’t a Christian concert, country club, or time for me to connect with God
Worship is mainly what God does for us, not us for Him
Baptism = identity; Body/Blood = you are what you eat!
Word declares us as His redeemed to live as His people
That’s how you know who you are and why you’re here!
World needs Christians in church where we reorient our lives to God’s definition of who we are and why we’re here.
You are baptized and chosen in Christ to be redeemed as righteous when all things in heaven & earth are united in Him
Even if you get your head chopped off. This is the Gospel of the Lord!