For those who miss today's Saturday Service, or didn't take down the sermon notes, here's what I manage to scribe down on my iphone.
Image is what you see, identity is who you are
"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NIV)
Whats my core identity?
Whats my core identity?
1) Primary identity
2) Life centring around a core truth that shapes my identity
3) My deepest sense of who i am and who I long to be
1) A Distorted Identity (v.16)
A "fading" glory from Moses face
"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord." (Exodus 34:29-35 NIV)
God created us in His image. Before the fall, Adam & Eve could see God so clearly in their reflections.
But now we have a fallen nature.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— (Romans 5:12 NIV)
Forgetting easily
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." (James 1:22-24 NIV)
2) A Restored Identity (v.18)
We have to remove our mask. Repend and turn away from our Sins & turn to the Lord.
Christ removed that veil!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
Beholding Him "contemplate"
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. " (Hebrews 1:3 NIV)
We reflect/illuminate what we behold.
This brings a process of sanctification. Becomes more & more like Jesus.
Moses reflected God in a temporary way, but when Jesus came we reflect Him eternally
Why is Christ the centre of our core identity?
a) He is the source of it all
b) His love for us is one sure thing that can never be taken away (Rom 8:38-39)
c) He is all that I long for
"He had made me for himself, I am restless until I find my rest in him." - Saint Augustine
How do we form core identity?
a) Centre: Make Christ the organising principle of life
b) Deep: inhabit biblical truth and value structures (Col 3:16)
c) Surface: Develop patterns of decision-making around these deeper ones
"Picture God as the Sun & us as the moon. We reflect God's Light like a moon reflects the Sun radiance.When the "World" comes in between the Sun & the moon there's partial or no reflection of the Sun. "
Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. (John 8:14 NIV)
We shift our Identity just like Jesus!
Closing song Misty Edwards- Come as close as you want
No comments:
Post a Comment