WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.720 So when somebody rejected you, if you were rejected as 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:06.519 a young child, they cursed you, and they cursed you 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:10.199 with things that said, you don't matter, You're a failure, 4 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:12.919 you don't measure up. Why can't you be like your 5 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:17.640 brother or sister? How do you reverse a curse? I'll 6 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:21.519 tell you how. Start believing what God says about you. 7 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:23.960 You know, this week I read about the fact that 8 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:29.480 identity theft cost people billions of lost dollars and pesos 9 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:33.960 and euros and euons and other currencies. Identity theft is 10 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:37.520 a global problem. In fact, here in America there's a 11 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:41.679 new scam that identity thieves are using. These criminals use 12 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:45.759 stolen identities to file fake tax returns and then they 13 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:49.880 steal people's tax refunds. Last year, over one point five 14 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.960 million fake tax returns were filed here in America, and 15 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.439 as a result, each year, the government pays out over 16 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:00.719 five billion dollars in refunds to people who it doesn't 17 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.640 belong to to fake accounts. That means, over the past 18 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:06.480 five years, the US government has given away twenty five 19 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:09.879 billion dollars of your money if you live in America 20 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:14.879 to identity thieves. But you know, what. There's an even 21 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:18.760 more sinister and evil thief of your identity and his 22 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:21.239 name is Satan, and he wants to steal far more 23 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.920 than just your money. He wants to steal your true 24 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:27.400 identity of what God created you to be. He wants 25 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.760 to hide your true identity. He wants to diminish your 26 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.840 true identity. He wants to confuse your identity. He doesn't 27 00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:37.680 want you to know who you really are, who God 28 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:39.680 made you to be. He doesn't want you to know 29 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.400 the power that you have as a child of God, 30 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:46.640 as a son or daughter in God's family. You know, 31 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.120 one of the reasons you get so tired and get 32 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:53.680 so stressed out is because there's an unspiritual, unseen spiritual 33 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:58.480 battle or war going on in your life over your 34 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:03.400 identity every single moment. Now, as your pastor, I need 35 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:06.959 you to understand this. Satan is not as powerful as God. 36 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:11.120 For one thing, Satan cannot create anything. He can't create. 37 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:16.280 Satan can only distort. Satan can pervert, or Satan can destroy, 38 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:20.759 but he can't create. But he can convert, distort, destroy 39 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:22.719 the beautiful things that God creates. And of course we 40 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:26.919 see that happening everywhere. He does it with money. He 41 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:29.960 does it with sex, he does it with physical beauty, 42 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:32.960 he does it with power. He does it with your identity. 43 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.599 And Satan uses a number of different tools to confuse 44 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.759 you about your true identity. What does he use well? 45 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:46.400 Number one, he uses hurt and pain and trauma. If 46 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:52.960 Satan can get you angry or bitter or ashamed about 47 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:55.960 something that's happened to you, or through you, or by you, 48 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:00.319 then he's going to distort your true identity. He uses 49 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:03.639 hurt and pain. Number two, he uses other people's opinions. 50 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:06.479 And I hate to tell you this, but people lie 51 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:08.240 to you all the time, and some of the things 52 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.840 that have been said to you about you by peers, 53 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:14.599 by parents, by partners, by enemies, by friends, they just 54 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.240 aren't true. But he can distort your true identity by 55 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:21.639 what other people say about you. He uses the culture, 56 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:25.159 He uses the media, and you get these messages all 57 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:27.800 the time through the media and through movies and music 58 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:31.280 and novels that you should be like that instead of 59 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:34.560 being who God really truly made you to be. And then, 60 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:37.759 of course number four, Satan actually uses thoughts that he 61 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:40.680 suggests in your mind. And when he puts a thought 62 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:43.360 in your mind. He says, you're no good, you're worthless, 63 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.280 you'll never amount to anything, You're a failure. Are all 64 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:49.680 the things that he says, And most of all, he 65 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.680 uses the things you tell yourself. He uses the lies 66 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:56.599 you tell yourself over and over about you. He uses 67 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.680 your feelings, and you say, well, I feel this way, 68 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.639 so to be true. Your feelings are a terrible predictor 69 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:06.879 of truth. They're often totally off base. Just because you 70 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:10.919 feel something doesn't make it true. Doctors could give you 71 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:13.159 a medicine or stimulate your brain and make you feel 72 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.920 things that are totally untrue about you. But when he 73 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.240 gets Satan gets you to believe those things, then he 74 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:24.399 can distort your true identity. Now, in my first message 75 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:27.000 that we started in this new series, called the Foundation 76 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:33.560 of a Well Lived Life, we talked about God's timing 77 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:36.560 in your life. But as your pastor and as your 78 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:39.879 spiritual coach, my goal for you is that you live 79 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.360 a life well lived. And so today I want to 80 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:48.000 focus on another very important component or element of a 81 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:50.519 foundation for a well lived life. I want us to 82 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:55.120 look at learning your true identity in Christ, what God 83 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.959 says about you, what's true about you? Knowing who you 84 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.839 really are, who God you to be, and knowing what 85 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:06.000 God thinks and says about your identity is absolutely essential 86 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:11.040 to living a life well lived. Your happiness is directly 87 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.160 connected to your identity and how you see yourself. And 88 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.920 if you don't know who you really are, then you 89 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:22.920 can't be fully happy, you can't be truly successful, you 90 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:26.560 can't relate effectively to other people, you can't be genuinely fulfilled. 91 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.879 So how do I know who I really am? Well? 92 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:36.079 You know? The famous seventeenth century French physicist and philosopher 93 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:42.800 Blaize Pascal wrote this, not only do we not only 94 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:47.240 know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves 95 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.240 through Jesus Christ. We only know life and death through 96 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:55.319 Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus, we cannot know the meaning 97 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.720 of our life or our death, or the meaning of God, 98 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:02.439 or even the meaning of ourselves. Now in the Bible, 99 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.360 in the New Testament, it lists over thirty five different 100 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:09.319 aspects of your true identity in Christ. Did you know 101 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:11.839 that if you'll just read through the New Testament, you'll 102 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:17.720 find thirty five truths about your true identity in Christ? Today, 103 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:21.399 I wanted to just focus on five five aspects of 104 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:24.439 your true identity. And if you understand these, you believe these, 105 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.000 and you act on these, you build your life on 106 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.680 these foundations as a solid rock of truth. These five 107 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:36.639 aspects will change your life now. The five aspects of 108 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:39.000 your true identity that I want you to see in 109 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.959 this time together are found in the Bible Book of 110 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:46.120 First Peter in chapter two of First Peter. And there 111 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:49.959 Saint Peter gives us five descriptions of our true identity. 112 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.680 That's all we're going to look at today. Let me 113 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:55.319 read you this passage First Peter, chapter two, Versus nine 114 00:06:55.319 --> 00:07:00.079 and ten. He says, there, he says you, you, you 115 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:05.959 are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood. You 116 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:11.079 are a holy nation. You are a people belonging to God. 117 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:14.959 Each of these statements are packed with meaning. He says, 118 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.519 you are these things that you may declare the praises 119 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:21.279 of Him who called you out of darkness and into 120 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:25.000 his wonderful light. And Peter says, once you were not 121 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:28.439 a people. You didn't have an identity, but now you 122 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:32.560 are the people of God. Once you hadn't received mercy, 123 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:37.800 but now you have received mercy. Now today, let's unpack 124 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:41.439 the meaning of each of these five phrases because each 125 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:44.439 one of them is loaded. It's packed with significance for 126 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:49.759 your life. This is God's true view of you, God's 127 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:52.399 true view of you in Christ. So first write this 128 00:07:52.519 --> 00:07:58.639 down in Christ. Number one, I am completely accepted. That's 129 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:00.439 the first thing you need to know about your identity 130 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:04.120 in Christ. I am completely accepted. Now that's important because 131 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.480 the deepest wounds in life often come from rejection. And 132 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:11.759 because rejection hurts so much, and we all have rejection 133 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:13.959 in our life, we spend so much of our lives 134 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:17.319 trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from 135 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:19.439 our parents, we want to earn it from our peers, 136 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:23.160 our friends. We want to earn acceptance from those we respect. 137 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:25.920 We want to earn it acceptance from those we envy. 138 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:30.160 And this drive to be accepted influences everything in your life. 139 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:32.480 The kind of clothes you wear, the car you drive, 140 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:35.720 the house you buy, the career you choose, and we 141 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:38.600 buy and we do all kinds of crazy things to 142 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:42.879 earn acceptance. Now, the pain of not being chosen on 143 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:47.399 a team. You've probably experienced that, where they're choosing upsides 144 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.480 and you're not one of the first ones to be chosen. 145 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:51.240 You keep going, Oh God, please don't let me be 146 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:56.240 the last to be chosen. And you hate it if 147 00:08:56.279 --> 00:08:59.399 you've ever been the last person chosen when they're picking teams. 148 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:04.879 Being chosen does a lot for your self worth. And 149 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:08.279 if you're chosen for an award, if you're chosen for 150 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:11.840 an honor, if you're chosen for a promotion. You know 151 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.600 what gives me self esteem is a Kay Lewis who's 152 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:18.759 now Kay Warren chose me over all those other guys. 153 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.639 I knocked them all off. I beat him. Kay chose me. 154 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.200 That gives me value. Now here's the good news one 155 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:30.720 Peter two nine. You have been chosen by God himself. 156 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:34.360 Whoa If God chooses you, If God likes you, and 157 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:36.080 you like you, somebody else I don't like you. That's 158 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:41.080 their problem. Now why am I completely acceptable? Because God 159 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:46.360 chose me before everything, the Bible says in Ephesians one four. 160 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:50.200 And He chose us in him, in Christ. He chose 161 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:54.080 us in Christ before the creation of the world. Did 162 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:56.559 you know that before God created the universe, he had 163 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.320 already chosen you to be holy and blameless in his 164 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:03.320 sight by his love. Before God chose to make the 165 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.679 sun before God chose to make the oceans. Before God 166 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:08.639 chose to make the earth and the world and the 167 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:15.240 birds and everything else, he chose you. That shows how valuable, 168 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:20.600 how acceptable you are. God shows you you're acceptable. Number two, 169 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:25.519 Jesus made me acceptable by his death on the cross. 170 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:29.679 Hydas Chapter three, verse seven says, this Jesus treated us 171 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.639 much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God. 172 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:38.200 Circle that he made us acceptable to God, and he 173 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:41.840 gave us the hope of eternal life. Now this acceptance 174 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.840 God accepts you. It's not based on your performance. It's 175 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:46.519 not based on what you do. It's based on what 176 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.600 Jesus did, not based on who you are. It's based 177 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:52.759 on who Jesus is, his character. God loves you, and 178 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.000 he says you are acceptable because my son died for you. 179 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:59.799 I made you, and my son died for you. So 180 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.480 the first thing we need to know about your identity 181 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:05.759 is that I am completely acceptable. The second thing you 182 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:08.360 need to know about your identity what God says about you. 183 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:11.200 The true view of you, is this, I'm not only 184 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:17.120 completely acceptable, I am extremely valuable. You are extremely valuable. 185 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:20.840 In fact, the Bible says that your life is priceless. 186 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:23.879 Most of you know that. I'm a book collector. I 187 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.279 have a library of over forty thousand books, and most 188 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.639 of them I bought used. And when you go into 189 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.039 a used bookstore or you go online to use books, 190 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:37.399 they rate every book as they're either poor or good, 191 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:41.679 or acceptable or fine or like new. There are categories. 192 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:48.039 God says, you're not just acceptable, you're valuable, You're fine, 193 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:53.360 You're priceless. And Peter's second description in second first Peter two, 194 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.879 verse nine, he says you are a holy nation. Circle 195 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:00.440 that word holy. I got to explain that. And you 196 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.799 are a people belonging to God circle the word belonging. 197 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:10.600 What makes something valuable? God says your priceless. You're invaluable. 198 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.879 What makes you so valuable? Well, values dependent upon several things. First, 199 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:18.759 value depends on who owns something. You know, when you 200 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.360 go to an auction, things that are owned by famous people, 201 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:28.159 or by celebrities or historical people, they cost more because 202 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:30.679 they were owned by somebody else. It might just be 203 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.159 an ordinary, you know, pitcher, or jar or shoe, but 204 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:39.879 if it was owned by somebody famous, it raises its value. 205 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.600 Would a car owned by a famous celebrity Lady Gaga 206 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:48.600 be worth more than your car? Yeah? Would basketball shoes 207 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:52.000 warned by Lebron James be more valuable than your shoes? Yes? 208 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:56.200 Would a piece of furniture used by a prime minister 209 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:00.559 or a president be more valuable than maybe your furniture? Probably? 210 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.639 How about a guitar used by a rock star compared 211 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.000 to the guitars that I have? Yes? You see, the 212 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:11.679 owner often adds values to common things. So who do 213 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:16.159 you belong to? Well? The Bible tells us Deuteronomy seven six, 214 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.960 you are a people holy to the Lord, your God, 215 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:24.000 his treasured possession. Did you know that you are God's 216 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:29.759 treasured possession? Isaiah forty three, verse four. God says you 217 00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:33.320 are precious to me, like a precious metal, at gold, 218 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.879 like platinum. You're precious to me. So why am I 219 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.679 extremely valuable? Well? First, God owns me. But in the 220 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:45.759 first more than that, because God is my father. God 221 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:49.240 is your father. And the Bible says in Luke twelve 222 00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:52.759 twenty four, look at the birds. God feeds them, and 223 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:55.840 you're far more valuable to him than any birds. Why 224 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.120 because you are his child. God is your father. And 225 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:02.440 another reason why you're invaluable is because Jesus gave his 226 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:07.120 life for me. Jesus gave his life for me. In 227 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:10.720 First Printh, in seven, verse twenty three, the Bible says, 228 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:15.240 you have been bought and paid for by Christ, so 229 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.240 you belong to him. So Christ died for you, and 230 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:22.799 God created you, and he's your father. You're in You 231 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:26.360 belong to him. That adds value to your life. You know, 232 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:29.080 value not only depends on who owns something, but value 233 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.440 depends on what somebody is willing to pay for it. 234 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.639 So if I were to ask you a question, how 235 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:38.639 much is your house worth? Well, I can tell you 236 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.360 without even looking at your house, I can tell you 237 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.840 what your house is worth. It's worth whatever somebody is 238 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:46.759 willing to pay for it, no more and no less. 239 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:49.399 You might think it's worth a lot more, but it's 240 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:52.240 only worth whatever somebody is willing to pay for it. 241 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.720 How much was a piece of art worth, It's worth 242 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:57.120 what somebody's willing to pay for it. How much is 243 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:00.559 a rare baseball card worth what somebody he's willing to 244 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:05.320 pay for it. A few years back, I remember there 245 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.600 was a story in the in the news about the 246 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:12.879 daughter of a very wealthy oil shake in the Middle East. 247 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:17.320 On her, and that daughter was kidnapped, and the sheikh 248 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:21.000 put out a word all over the Middle East. Pay 249 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:25.759 any price for her return, Pay any price for her return. 250 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:32.879 She's the king's daughter. Well, you're the king's daughter, you're 251 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:38.240 the king's son. You're God's child. And the greatest ransom 252 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:42.440 ever paid was paid for you by Jesus Christ. We 253 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:45.919 have a God who suffers. God came to earth and 254 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.120 suffered for you. God exchanged his own son for your salvation, 255 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.879 for your freedom. Christ gave his life that you might 256 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.559 have eternal life. And if you want to know how 257 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.559 value you are, you look at the cross. The cross 258 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:05.720 proves your value with Jesus with his arms out stretched, 259 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:08.320 dying on that cross, is saying, I love you, I 260 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.559 love you, I love you. You're this valuable, You're this valuable 261 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.559 to me. So the people who told you in your 262 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:21.039 life you're worthless, they're dead wrong. That's an evil statement. 263 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.240 They're dead wrong. You are not worthless, you are priceless. 264 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:28.360 You're not just completely acceptable to God in Christ. You 265 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:32.840 are infinitely valuable to God in Christ. He accepts me, 266 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:36.480 and he says, I'm acceptable, I'm valuable. The third thing 267 00:16:36.519 --> 00:16:39.000 God says about you is you're lovable. Write this down 268 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:43.639 number three. I'm not just these other things. I'm eternally loved. 269 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:47.559 That's the third thing God says about you. God's true 270 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:51.519 view of you. You are completely acceptable, and you are 271 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:55.879 infinitely valuable, and you are eternally loved. First Peter chapter two, 272 00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:58.639 verse ten says this, once you're not a people. In 273 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:01.240 other words, you don't have any idea identity. You're kind 274 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.640 of nothing. But now you're the people of God. Now 275 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.880 that has profound implications. When you accept Christ in your life, 276 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:12.079 you become part of his family. That family, by the way, 277 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.200 is called the church. The church is the family of 278 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:17.400 God on earth. It's going to go to heaven. The 279 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:19.160 Church is the only thing that's going to last forever. 280 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.839 God's family. And you know what God is, Father is 281 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:26.279 not ashamed of his family. Look up on the screen. 282 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:29.680 What this verse says. Hebrews chapter two, verse eleven says 283 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:34.279 this the New Living translation, Jesus and the ones he 284 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:38.200 makes holy have the same Father. And that's why Jesus 285 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.839 is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters 286 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.680 life and not an amazing thing that Jesus Christ would say, 287 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.359 you're my sister, you're my brother. He's not ashamed to 288 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.720 say you're my sister, you're my brother because we're in 289 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:58.599 the family of God. That shows infinite value. It shows 290 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.720 infinite love. Am I A thirty one Verse three? God 291 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:06.680 says this, I have loved you, my people. That's with 292 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:12.720 an everlasting love. Nobody else loves you like that. God says, 293 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:16.079 I have loved you, my people, with an ever lasting 294 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:19.920 It's always lasting. It's not ending, it lasts forever. It 295 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:23.799 is ever lasting love, with unfailing love. You've had people 296 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.559 love you in ways it failed. I have failed my 297 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.759 wife and I love her dearly. I have failed my 298 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:33.359 kids and I love them dearly. I love you, and 299 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.400 I have failed you members of Saddleback Church. But the 300 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:40.519 Bible says God has an unfailing love, and he says 301 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:43.839 I have drawn you to myself. Now you need to 302 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:48.599 understand for your identity two characteristics of God's love. Number One, 303 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:53.799 it's unconditional. It's not I love you if you know 304 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:56.000 a lot of times you see people on TV or 305 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.599 girlfriends and boyfriends that you know I love you if 306 00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:00.880 and that's conditional love. I love you if you love me, 307 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:03.759 I love you. If you please me. I love you 308 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:06.119 if you turn me on. I love you if you 309 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:08.039 do the things I want you to do. That's not 310 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:11.799 real love. I love you if it's conditional love. And 311 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.880 then there are people who say I love you because 312 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:16.480 and they write these nice Hallmark card letters. I love 313 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:20.640 you because you're good looking. Well, that's conditional, because what 314 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:24.519 happens when they lose their good looks? I love you 315 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:27.519 because you're talented. What happens when you find someone more 316 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:30.079 talented and you stop loving them? I love you because 317 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:32.200 you love me. Well, what if they get sick or 318 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:36.480 they stop loving you? Will you still love them? When 319 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:39.559 you say I love you because you were given conditional love, 320 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:42.640 God's love for you is not I love you if 321 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:45.319 God's love is not, I love you because God's love 322 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.440 for you is. I love you period. I love you 323 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:51.119 in spite of the fact that you don't always love me, 324 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:54.160 that you're not always consistent, that you don't always do 325 00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:57.119 the right thing. God's love is unconditional. And number two, 326 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:02.119 God's love is consistent. That means it's not fickle, it's 327 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.200 not unpredictable. Some people growing up grew up with inconsistent parents. 328 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:12.039 Inconsistent parents create insecure kids. I had a guy tell 329 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:13.400 me one to I didn't know if my dad was 330 00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:15.680 going to slug me or hug me. I never knew 331 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.519 he was unpredictable. You're never going to have to ask God, well, 332 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:23.279 God loved me today when you get up in the morning. 333 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.000 You don't never have to is God going to love 334 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:30.799 me today? You see, we always get into trouble when 335 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:36.240 we doubt God's love. It is unconditional, and it is consistent, 336 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:41.440 and it is everlasting, it is eternal. Why why are 337 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:47.079 you eternally loved? Because God is love? So one hundred 338 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:51.799 verse five. God's love is eternal and his faithfulness last forever. 339 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.519 So let's just review God's true view of you. Says, 340 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:04.400 You're completely acceptable, you are infinitely value. You are totally lovable, eternally, 341 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:09.319 everlastingly lovable. And now he says, number four, you're forgivable. 342 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:14.119 Write this down. I'm totally forgiven. This is what God 343 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:18.000 says about you. I'm totally forgiven. First Peter, Chapter two, 344 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:20.519 verse ten. He says, you know, one time you didn't 345 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:26.039 know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy. 346 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:32.039 He says, you know, before you know you were living 347 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:33.720 in guilt. You were living in shame, but he says 348 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:38.920 you've received God's mercy in Christ. Do you know that 349 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.119 before God even made you, before God even created you, 350 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.880 before God designed you, before you took your first breath, 351 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:49.640 he already knew the worst things you'd ever do, and 352 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.400 he still loves you, and he's not surprised. It's not 353 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:55.400 like a oh man, I didn't see that one coming. 354 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.240 I didn't know that was going to happen in your life. 355 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:03.559 He already knows everything wrong that you would do. The 356 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:08.119 good news is that in Christ, my sins are wiped out. 357 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:12.079 It's like taking a giant eraser and erasing all my 358 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.079 sins that are written on a whiteboard. That's grace. You know, 359 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.440 some people, even Christians who have accepted the love of 360 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:24.839 Christ and have committed their lives to Christ, they still 361 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:28.200 don't get grace, and so anytime something bad happens in 362 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:32.200 their life, they think God's getting even with me, God's 363 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.839 getting even with Does God really treat his children that way? 364 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:37.759 Does God get even with his children? The answer is no, 365 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:43.079 absolutely not. That's not grace. Romans eight one says there 366 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:47.079 is now no condemnation, zero zip not of nothing. There 367 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:50.200 is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus. 368 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:55.599 Write this down in your outline. God doesn't carry grudges, right, 369 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.480 God says, I don't hold them against you. Right when 370 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:01.960 you sin, and when you've given your life to Christ 371 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:08.000 and you're in Christ, God doesn't rehearse it. He releases it. 372 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:13.079 So you need to understand that you are totally forgiven. 373 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:17.039 And you're totally forgiven for two reasons. First, because it 374 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:21.279 is God's nature to forgive. God is a forgiving God. 375 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.480 You ever feel like you know, I wonder if God 376 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.079 gets tired of me coming back to him and asking 377 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:28.680 for forgiveness. Well, Isaiah forty three, twenty five. God says this, 378 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.640 I am the God who forgives your sins, and I 379 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:37.200 do this because of who I am. I will not 380 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:43.279 hold your sins against you. Wow. God forgives me not 381 00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:46.319 because I deserve it, not because I've earned it, but 382 00:23:46.359 --> 00:23:50.519 because He's a forgiving God. It is his nature to forgive. 383 00:23:50.839 --> 00:23:54.880 He wants to forgive. And the other reason you're completely 384 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:58.480 forgiven is because Jesus has already paid for all your sins, 385 00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:01.440 so you don't have to pay for them. And if 386 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:04.519 he us Chapter one, verse seven. It says this, for 387 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:09.039 by the blood of Christ we are set free. That 388 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:13.440 is our sins or forgiven. How great that is the 389 00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:17.799 grace of God. All right, God's true view of you, 390 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:23.079 this is your real identity. I'm completely acceptable, I am 391 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:30.640 infinitely valuable. I am eternally lovable. I am completely forgivable, 392 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:34.559 freely forgiven. Number five this is a big one. I 393 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:38.400 am fully capable. Did you know that? That's what God 394 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:43.000 says about you. You're not incompetent, You're not a cipher, 395 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:47.160 You're not a nobody. God says you are fully capable. 396 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:52.279 I am fully capable of becoming exactly what God made 397 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:55.720 me to be. First Peter, Chapter two, verse nine. He says, 398 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:01.519 you are royal priests. That's packed with a lot of insight, 399 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:06.359 chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who 400 00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:09.359 has called you out of darkness into his wonderful life. 401 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.160