Who Am I?

This month I am led to teach a little on identity

The question, who am I? is a very important question in this season

I believe there are times, moments and season that really show you who and what you are?

And who and what you are can be the difference between defeat and victory

between success and failure - between suffering and glory --- when these seasons come upon you!

I dont know about you but I believe the BELIEVER should have the fragrance of victory - Paul said thanks be to God whgo gives us the victory -

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. 2 Cor 2.14

Tell me whats your Fragrance? (wifes conference) --- BUT THE believer is meant to give of a smell - give of a fragrance --- fragrance can tell you where you have been --- have you ever cooked and then stepped out --- You can smell like your dwelling place----sometimes you can tell the dog owner— or the one overcooks with garlic...

Well the Christians fragrance is supposed to be one of victory that infuses the knowledge of God and His goodness everey where we go!!

BUT I HAVE FOUND IN THIS SEASON - It has not been like that --- believers have been forgettiomng who they are — and other identity constructs have been superceding the revealtion of the Word .... When that happens you begin to make up who you when YOU are not supposed to be the origin of your identity or existence

“well that’s just me, thats my character, thats my sign, that’s my upbringing--- well thats How i was born”

Well from a Christian perspective our identity ORIGINATES IN GOD AND IS BORN IN CHRIST

Anyone who enters into Christ - becomes a new creature - A NEW CREATION HAPPENS AND WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BE LIVED OUT -

Jesus is teaching a lesson about identity in Matthew 16..

Matthew 16:13 (NKJV)

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

Who do men say that I AM? Have you ever wanted what people say about you?

When you leave a room what are the conversations that happen about you ..your character, your nature --- reputation has some merit

Sometimes we are like — “i dont care what people say about me”… well sometimes we should care --- soemtimes the world has a better perception of who we are than who we think we are!

A good reputation matters - the scriptures would call it having a good witness - the church, the eclessia should have a good witness --- its gives us leverage in our community efforts, its gives us open doors in evangelistic efforts --- It attracts money

I love what its says about the new and emerging church Acts 2.47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A good report and reputation aids evangelism and church growth!

In these past 2 years I know many unbelievers have been turned off by the antics and behaviour of the church …from its political idolatry, too its pandemic response, to its inadequate response to complex cultural issues…our reputations has been sullied a bit — and for the most part every denomination in Christiandom is in decline in the western hemisphere of the earth ....couple that if 20% of the current church not returning post pandemic --- the body of Christ is in a precarious position but also one that is pregnant with potential....BUT OUR IDENTITY IS IMPORTANT — WHO ARE WE AS BELIEVERS, AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS AS GOD?? — AND EVEN AT A START WHO DO MEN SAY THAT WE ARE RIGHT NOW?

Jesus also introduces the term of indentification ----the - SON OF MAN ---

I am the son of man --- OUR FOUNDATIONS CALLS ATTENDEES WILL HAVE A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR FOR THAT TERM … Jesus used it often when speaking of himself and one of the primary reasons was to identify with our humanity

Its a loaded term — one scholar said the son of man could mean nothing or everything!! — Jesus would sometimes use it to be ambiguous because Jesus sometimes liked to keep himself hidden in particular seasons and amongst partiuclar people ---- NOW nothing is hidden --- what an oversharing generation we are!! I want you to know who I am — this is ME and many times we do that we doint even know who we are!! BUT I DIGRESS!!

(Chapter 16)

14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

OK so forget about everyone else --- They get a sense that I am prophetic…OK GOOD BUT ITS INADEQUATE “I am more than a prophet” — i am beyond my gifting---- SOME PEOPLE WILL ONLY KNOW YOU BY YOUR GIFT ----what do you (those) that are closest to me ---my friends, my disciples - who do you say that I am...

I believe when it comes to our identity --- who God has created us to be ---and who we are --- its important to have peers— friends who can see you, know you, authenticate you, affirm you!! Come on --- DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME…We are all ultimately looking for someone to understand us --- SOMOENE WHO KNOWS ME — WHEN NO ONE UNDERSTANDS YOU OR TRULY KNOWS YOU IT CAN BE SO DEPRESSING --- TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD BY THOSE CLOSE TO YOU --- THOSE YOU HAVE WALKED WITH IS PARTICULARLY PAINFUL!!

I have felt a strong sense of rejection pastorally during this season and part of it in my thinking was that they dont understand what we are trying to build here, trying to do here, trying to represent here....They dont understand what kind of leader I am and what kind of man I am and that hurts --- we are all looking for validation in our peers and somewhat even Jesus is looking to see if His disciples truly knew who HE WAS!!

AND THEN COMES SIMON PETER - A SPOKESMAN)

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

YOU ARE THE CHRIST — THE ANOINTED ONE - THE MESSIAH

THE MESSIAH IN JUDAISM WAS THE ONE WHO WAS GOING TO FULFIL THE HOPES OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL

THE ONE WHO IS ANOINTED WITH OIL - FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE— 3 kinds of people where anointed with oil in the scriptures

THE Prophet, The priest and the King - THE MESSIAH - THE CHRIST WAS PURPORTED TO BE A HYBRID OF THESE 3 THINGS - Jesus fulfills and is all aspects of the ANOINTED ONE

You the Christ - The son of the Living God!

The Message of Matthew (The Messiah’s Recognition (16:13–17))

Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. It is clear from the collection of messianic texts found at Qumran that some in Judaism were already dreaming of the longed-for deliverer as ‘Son of God’. The disciples had once already, under pressure of extraordinary circumstances, hailed Jesus as ‘Son of God’ (14:33). But now, coolly and thoughtfully, Peter does so again, and calls him Messiah too. This is the first time anyone directly addresses Jesus as Messiah in this Gospel. Going far beyond the populace, who gave a high place to Jesus and recognized him as one of the figures associated with the end-time (Jeremiah, Elijah and John the Baptist), Peter acclaims him as God’s final self-disclosure. Here was the fulfilment of 2 Samuel 7:14, predicting one who would establish David’s throne for ever. Here was the fulfilment of Psalm 2:7,

The New King James Version (Psalm 2)

7 “I will declare the decree:The LORD has said to Me,‘You are7 “I will declare the decree:

The Lord has said to Me,

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

the king who really was Son of God. There were no higher titles than these.

Jesus immediately recognises this does not come FROM JOHN and his flesh - His mind and His intellect play no part in this

No Human insight revealed this to Peter - Only God can reveal GOD- And God the Father had revealed it to Peter!

You can only truly see and know Jesus by REVELATION — Herod Antipas thought Jesus was John (14:2); many Jewish people anticipated the return of Elijah and other prophets like Baruch. Viewing Jesus in such terms thus fit him into categories of thought that already existed, rather than letting the Lord redefine their categories by his identity

WE MUST CONTINUALLY ALLOW THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION TO REDEFINE AND REVEAL JESUS TO US OR THE CULTURE AND TRADITION OF RELIGION WILL BE THE PRIMARY TUTOR!

Only God can reveal God and can I submit only God can reveal you!

ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL HIMSELF TRULY AND ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL YOU TRULY!

AND ONCE YOU RECEIVE REVELATION OF WHO JESUS IS --- IT IS IMPERATIVE TO HIM TO BEGIN TO REVEAL WHO YOU ARE TO HIM!!

Greater revelation of GOD leads to greater revelation of YOU!

The New King James Version (Chapter 16)

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

YOU ARE A ROCK - AND UPON THIS ROCK - THE ROCK OF REVELATION OF WHO CHRIST IS HAS MADE YOU A ROCK OF MAN THAT I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH UPON

The Rock is not just Peter - The rock is Peter in HIS CONFESSIONAL CAPACITY - Peter in His full trust in what was revealed to HIM FROM THE FATHER ABOUT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - Is the one who will be the ROCK - MAN for the early church - The ONE WHOSE FIRST SERMON PROPELS THE CHURCH TO A NEW REALITY THAT HAS NOT STOPPED SINCE!! - He is the rock but HE IS ALSO A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 12 (They all receive the power to bind and loose - permit and allow) AND ALL THOSE WHO WILL COME TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH - THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!

THE POINT IS REVELATION OF WHO CHRIST IS - REVEALS TO PETER AND THE DISCIPLES WHO THEY ARE

YOU ARE ROCK AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD ECCLESIA — YOU ARE ECCLESIA --- OUT CALLED ONE WITH LEGISTLATIVE AUTHORITY, CALLED OUT AND JOINED TO ME AND OTHERS IN COMMUNITY

— AND A PART OF WHO YOU ARE IS THAT THE GATES OF HADES WILL NEVER PREVAIL AGAINST YOU… AND HERE WE ARE — THAT VICTORY, THAT PREVAILING POWER IS STILL A PART OF YOUR IDENTITY --- BUT YOU ONLY REALLY REALISE IT IN REVELATION FROM HEAVEN ABOUT WHO JESUS IS!!

The Church suffers in its identity when the person of JESUS BECOMES DIMMED

When we make him some natural freedom fighter, some respected teacher and prophet--- BUT NEGATE HIS HEAVENLY, GODLY, OILY , PRIESTLY, KINGLY MANDATE --- we lose a sense of WHO WE ARE

AND THEN THE CULTURE CAN DICTATE, LIFE CAN DICTATE, RACE AND GENDER CAN DICTATE and before you know it --- the binding and loosing power of the BODY IS JUST SOMETHING FIGURATIVE

NO REAL CHANGE— NO REAL IMPACT — JUST A LITTLE ECHO CHAMBER - PREACHING OURSELVES HAPPY— AND THE WORLD CONTINUING AS USUAL --- OR WE BECOME TYRANTS WHO ABUSE OUR POWER AND LEGISTLATE LAW BUT LEAVE THOSE THAT ARE MANDATED TO KEEP IT WITH LITTLE TO NO TRANSFORMATION--- THATS BECOME THE CONSERVATIVE CHURCHES AGENDA!

WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU? ARE YOU STILL A ROCK BURNING WITH REVELATION - MIND BLOWN BY THE FATHER OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO YOU ARE?

Identity is BIRTHED BY REVELATION

After this juncture of revelation JESUS THEN BEGINS TO REVEAL MORE ABOUT HIMSELF TO HIS DISCIPLES

The New King James Version (Chapter 16)

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

FROM THAT TIME ON - Sometimes we are not ready for more until our revelation catches up to what the Lord desires to reveal to US

FROM THAT DAY ON --- He begins to show them some things are going to happen to me — its a part of my call!!

AND HERE COMES PETER - The ROCK MAN - THE MAN OF REVELATION!

The New King James Version (Chapter 16)

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

BEFORE WE JUDGE HE IS THE PICTURE OF THE CHURCH - HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO RIGHT AND THEN BE SO WRONG!!

Thats you! Thats me --- we are works in progress — DONT JUDGE SOMEONE FOR THEIR HIGHS OR LOWS

Dont idolise the highs of men and then be cast them down in judgment when the fall --- PETER IS A GLORY STORY, A GRACE STORY — I WILL BUILD ON FLAWED MEN AND FLAWED WOMEN

AND FLAWED CHURCHES --- AS LONG AS THEY ALLOW ME TO REBUKE THE DEVIL OFF THEM--- CAN YOU STILL BE REBUKED?!!

The New King James Version (Chapter 16)

23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Get behind ME SATAN — The church doesnt like to be corrected anymore --- dont tell me I got it wrong, I see it wrong--- I KNOW JESUS --- I HAVE REVELATION --- I AM THE ROCK

Not if you cannot receive correction!! NOT IF YOU BEGIN TO MIND THE THINGS OF MEN

WE will close this this POINT — I AM STILL TEACHING ON IDENTITY....Jesus uses this contrast of His dealings with Peter to reveal something about WHO WE ARE AND WHAT IT WILL REQUIRE!

(Chapter 16)

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

YOUR IDENTITY DOES REQUIRE DENIAL

YOUR IDENTITY HAS A CROSS

YOUR IDENTITY IS DISCOVERED BY FOLLOWING JESUS

YOU HAVE TO LOSE THE IDEA OF YOUR LIFE AS YOURS — IT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!

Thats why I HAD TO REBUKE YOU PETER --- YOU WANTED MY PLAN ON YOUR OWN TERMS--- YOU WANTED IT TO BE THE WAY YOU ENVISIONED IT — But sometimes Gods way is different from our way!

THAT CROSS CAN HIT DIFFERENT — But its as much a part of Jesus identity as the son of man as His glory as the son of GOD!

Dont continue the journey of discovering who you without going deeper into a discovery of who HE IS —

LOSE YOUR LIFE IN HIM AND YOU WILL FIND HIS LIFE IN YOU!

HELP US JESUS - LETS PRAY

ALTAR CALL ---