Who am I & Why am I here?

Intro

What’s up everyone?, I pray that everything at school has gone well these first few days.

I know that there are always a lot of firsts, and a lot of anxiety about what is to come. Because we don’t really know do we?

Maybe:

That friend from last year has changed

You’ve changed

This was your first First day in Junior High, or maybe it was your last in High School.

When we think about this kind of stuff, we realize that:

life is confusing, and uncertain

I know we’ve talked about this before, but for those of you who don’t know, I am a worrier. I know that i look tough, but think less Warrior, like this guy,

And more Worrier like her

I see passages all over the Bible about being Strong and Courageous, about peace that surpasses all understanding, and about how Jesus is working for the Good. but that doesn’t make it easy. I have failed and failed, and failed God time and time again, but every time I feel like i’ve let him down, He not only picks me up, but He shows me that:

I can’t let Him down, because I wasn’t never Holding Him up

and that

He isn’t mad at me, if He were he wouldn’t always be there.

What I think we may miss is that In the midst of the confusion and chaos, There’s a God in Heaven who never changes.

So tonight,

I want to show you that if we will stop looking for consistency in inconsistent things, we will find our Purpose and Our Identity.

Matt, What do you mean?

Check this out, There is a big gap between Creation (Us) and the Creator (God). But we like to act like that gap doesn’t exist. We like to tell ourselves that we live in the same space as God, and that we are on the same level as Him. We don’t do it on purpose, like we don’t say “God, I’m smarter than you.”, but isn’t that what we’re saying when we do things that He says not to do?

One day we’re on fire for the Gospel, and the next we fall back into a sin that we can’t seem to shake.

That’s one of the many differences between us and Him. Consistency. We’re all over the place, but He stays the same.

God is the “Author and Perfecter of our Faith, The Great Physician, The King of Kings. And that’s exactly who David saw when Wrote this song to God.

Check this out:

Psalm 139:1 ESV

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

Have you ever felt like You’re alone? Like even though there are people all around you, nobody really sees you?

God Sees my Every Movement

You have Searched me? What does that mean? The word that david uses here has two meanings.

to “Pierce through” - kind of like when someone says they “see right through a person.” Like they could see through all of the false stuff, and see who a person really is. That’s How God sees us. He sees the real us. The Us that we don’t really want anyone to see, He sees it.

“Searching for Treasure” - Though God can see all of the bad stuff in our lives. That’s not really what He’s looking for. He’s searching for ways to Bless us, and for things in our lives that can be used to Glorify Himself.

My dad told me once, “You can do 100 good things, and 1 bad thing, and People will remember the 1 bad thing.” He is 100% right, but that’s not the way that God works. He wants to Redeem us, but in order for that to happen, We have to follow Him!

Not only does God see everything:

God Knows my Every Motive

Check it out:

Psalm 139:2–4 ESV

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

God Knows my Every Motive

Have you ever been called out for doing something a certain way, but on the fly you were able to justify it by making up a “good” reason for your action?

God knows why we’re doing what we are doing. Every single moment of every single day, of every single year. Isn’t that AMAZING!!

to put that in perspective:

It has been said that every day the average man speaks enough words to fill a good-sized book and in the course of a lifetime enough words to make enough books to fill a college library. We forget the majority of those words, but every one of them in known to God.

That should not only blow our minds, but bring us comfort.

The Last thing that we see in this passage is that:

God Surrounds my every Effort

Psalm 139:5 ESV

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

God Surrounds my every Effort

This idea of being “Hemmed in” can make us uncomfortable if we misunderstand. But the point is that nothing that Happens catches Him off guard. We are sealed within His walls in a way that will guard us from both the Enemy, and from our own sinful efforts.

Check out Psalm 139:6

Psalm 139:6 ESV

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

At the Time that David was writing this, a popular phrase was “Man, Know thyself.” Doesn’t that sound familiar? It sounds exactly like what we’re hearing today. “Believe in yourself.” Be the best version of yourself.” The people in David’s day, were faced with the same impossible task as we are today. “Knowing who we are.” Because of how messed up we are, there is no way for us to truly know who we are.

I used to think that I knew who I was. (Bring out letterman Jacket) This is my High School Letterman Jacket. I know it’s not blue, but don’t hate… When i was in school, we wore these things everywhere. It really didn’t matter what the occasion was, school function, bonfire, church get together, wedding, funeral, whatever, if i could get away with it, i was wearing this jacket. Why? because It told my story.

Then it was time for me to go to college. I got to Jacksonville and it was time for me to go to some of the freshman get togethers. Of course every time, i threw this bad boy on, and went on my way! My world was rocked that first semester. Why? Because as time went on, I became less and less comfortable wearing this Jacket. I started realizing that it really didn’t mean as much as i once thought it did.

I got lost. I got confused. I didn’t know who i really was anymore.

Who am I & Why am I here?

But Here’s the Hope that we have. Even though we cannot fully know ourselves, God can, and does.

That’s where our identity comes from. We are who God says we are.

God says that I am:

Chosen - Colossians 3:12

“12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

a Citizen of Heaven - Philippians 3:20

“20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

His Friend - John 15:15

“15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

His Child - John 1:12

“12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

Closing Illustration

So the coby clan had the opportunity a few weeks ago to go on our family vacation to Gulf Shores for a few days. We’re big AirBNB people, so we rarely get a place right on the water, but we’re always close and it’s always less expensive. That’s besides the point thought.

So i don’t know if yall have noticed, but it’s been a super hot summer. That’s was no different at the beach. Like, if i could’ve fried breakfast on the streets. Well, we walk the short distance to our beach access, and i start to notice something, but i don’t say anything. an hour or so goes by, and sam says he needs to go to the potty. So we walk up the ramp to the nearest restroom, and i notice it again. Finally, we’re heading back down to the beach. Sam is walking behind me, and I begin to zig zag. He says “Daddy, don’t do that! I walk in your shadow!” you see the ground was hot, and He noticed that walking in my shadow brought relief.

Right now sam finds His identity in His mother and I. Because We care for Him, and we set the example for who He wants to be. But eventually we’re going to let him down.

You see, Where I was zig zaging to mess with sam, Jesus never does that. He wants us to find safety, rest, and most of all Identity in Him.

It is impossible to ever truly know who we are, and why we are here, outside of Jesus.

In just a moment I’m gonna pray, We’re gonna sing, and you’ll have an opportunity to respond to what you’ve heard tonight. Maybe you’re searching. We’d love to pray with you, talk with you about how you can discover who you really are by meeting the one who made you. Pray with me.