In a world that is consumed with "Self" [self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-discipline, self-control, self-you name it], it can be hard to not allow "self" to identify you as a person. It is a battle, and one that will never stop unfortunately.
Let's start with trying to put into perspective what the Bible says about "self". First there are some good things about "self that we need to be about as a follower of Christ. First is, "Self-control". The New Testament uses this term, depending on your translation, 6 -12 times. Each of these times point us as a believer to be "Self-controlled". The Second is mentioned and talked about indirectly, and that is "Self-disciplined". Passages like 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 points us to this attribute or characteristic of a person. To both of these I would say we need to have as part of our life, because the Bible directs us to. I would clarify, though, that neither of these are our Biblical identity as a person that God has saved or redeemed. As soon as we place our identity in being self-controlled or self-disciplined, we have stepped into a position of what is described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5...
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather, that lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
I don't know about you, but i certainly don't want those things to be true of me! the scariest part of it all is the last part... "...having a form of godliness but denying its power..." We all should allow God to examine us to check us and see what evil lies with-in us!
This passage points us to what the last days are going to look like. (Looks pretty much like the good ol U.S. of A. to me...we need to pray!) I see verse 7 as being a measuring stick for us... "...always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." You see the truth is, our identity has very little, or should I say NOTHING, to do with us/SELF! The form of godliness you see mentioned above is that of selfish motive, being self-focused. I can discipline mySELF, I can control mySELF, I can feel good about mySELF because I am worth feeling good about...and the list goes one. the Bible says nothing, to my knowledge, about having good self-esteem, or having a positive self-image, or being self-confident, or even possessing a self-worth of any kind. On the contrary, it teaches we are supposed to not consider ourSELF at all. It points us to the TRUTH that life is all about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:1-11, along with all the other passages we have looked at for the past 6 weeks, gives us a clear picture of how life is lived and the motive in living...
"If you have any encouragement form being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, is any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father."
Let us humble ourselves in the same manner that Christ Jesus did. He came to be a servant. It was not about Him. It was not about us. It was primarily about God the Father, then secondarily about us.
We as believers need to consider a few things as we think about our Identity. Here they are and may God bless your time with Him!
Am I a person that will accept truth?
What is the purpose of my life?
Whose am I?
Next week we will wrap up our discussions about Identity. You don't want to miss a night that we will tie it all together and learn how to take off the shirts/masks/false identities that we tend to believe rather that the identity that God has made us into.
Love ya, and untill then, may God bless you and your family!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Identity: I AM...Teenager
Sorry, for the delay...here we go!
1 Timothy 4:11-16
"Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch you life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
The term "Teen" or "Teenager" is a fairly new term. This term was not used until the 1920's. Before this time the only age groupings used where, "Child", "Adult", "Elderly". Before the term "teenager" came about, a person went straight from being a "child", a person dependent on an adult, to an adult, a person that is a viable contributor to society and community.
I know what you are thinking, "Childhood must of lasted till 18 or 20 years of age!" On the contrary, childhood stopped at around 10-12 years of age. At this time a child would step into adult responsibility. A child would move from limited to no responsibilities to having all the expectations of an adult. They were expected to hold a job. They were expected to act maturely. They were expected to not do dumb stuff. They were expected to not waste there life. They had expectations...TIMES HAVE CHANGED!
I asked the group last Wednesday to describe to me what is expected of teenagers today, according to what culture says. These were some of their answers: 1) to be irresponsible 2) to be immature 3) to be sexually active 4) to be goof-offs 5) to be apathetic 6) to be care free with their lifestyle 7) not to care about others 8) to be rebellious 9) to cheat 10) not have clean rooms 11) to drive fast, and many other things. The unfortunate truth is this... students or "Teenagers" have bought this lie! The SCARY thing is this... Adults have too and thus enable all the things listed above to be part of young peoples lives, and to that I say, "SHAME ON US AS ADULTS!!!"
In the above passage of scripture we see Paul give instruction to Timothy. This instruction did not empower Timothy, as a young person, to be immature, irresponsible, act stupidly or in immature ways, or anything else except what God says for us to do and to be. God chose Timothy to be a leader in the church at Ephesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to understand and believe in this truth that we have heard many times before, "Who God calls/chooses, God equips!"
Do you believe that? What has God chose you to do?
Some of you are thinking, "Yeah Bo, but Timothy was not a teenager, I should have some wiggle room because I am younger than he was!" Or maybe you are thinking this, parents..."My kid is only 12, and they are better than most kids I know there age."
My answer to these questions is, "Let's look at scripture." Back to our passage above, we see Paul tells Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young..." Let's stop here. I might be wrong but I venture to say that everyone reading this has a person older than them in there life. We all are younger than someone, except for one person in the world, the oldest person in the world. With this thought in mind, we need to read the rest of the verse, "BUT set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." WOW, did you see it? We all have responsibility to set an example to people that are older than we are, except for one (and this person is included with all of us to obey scripture that points us to teach and lead people that are younger than us, namely Titus 2). So whether you are the age that Timothy was or not is not the issue. The issue is you are young, so set an example by believing the truth and rejecting lies! Parents, don't believe the lies the from Hell that says your kid should be overlooked and not held to high standards! Communicate with them and create high expectations for them and with them that will allow them to set an example to the believers that might not be living in the power of the Holy Spirit! Don't you settle for non-discipled kids...disciple them in the ways of Truth! Have guts to train them in ways that will set them apart from any other person their age. Allow them to be challenged and to challenge others to live more like Christ. THE STANDARD YOU ARE TO LEAD YOUR CHILD IN IS NOT OTHER CHILDREN!!! IT IS THE WORD OF GOD!!!
So let's look at another example in Scripture that should help us understand this. Old school style...I LOVE THIS...you ready...
How old was Josiah when he was place in a position with great responsibility?
Did Josiah please or displease God with his life?
How old was Josiah when he began to seek the LORD?
What is you excuse? Have you bought the lie that "I'm just a teenager and I'll grow up one day." or "My kid is just a teen and they will grow up one day."?
I love you! That is why I want to raise the bar of expectations for you both as a student and a parent. Students are being challenged to learn Calculus, Biology, Trigonometry, and many other words I can't spell. Are we as a church and as parents willing to challenge them to know, understand, and live scripture. Seems to be a lot more purpose in light of eternity if we would.
Let us not listen to the lie of Satan! Let us dive into the Word and believe the Word with all that we are, out of a great and deep love of the Father, who allows us to love in the first place.
Until next time...
1 Timothy 4:11-16
"Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch you life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
The term "Teen" or "Teenager" is a fairly new term. This term was not used until the 1920's. Before this time the only age groupings used where, "Child", "Adult", "Elderly". Before the term "teenager" came about, a person went straight from being a "child", a person dependent on an adult, to an adult, a person that is a viable contributor to society and community.
I know what you are thinking, "Childhood must of lasted till 18 or 20 years of age!" On the contrary, childhood stopped at around 10-12 years of age. At this time a child would step into adult responsibility. A child would move from limited to no responsibilities to having all the expectations of an adult. They were expected to hold a job. They were expected to act maturely. They were expected to not do dumb stuff. They were expected to not waste there life. They had expectations...TIMES HAVE CHANGED!
I asked the group last Wednesday to describe to me what is expected of teenagers today, according to what culture says. These were some of their answers: 1) to be irresponsible 2) to be immature 3) to be sexually active 4) to be goof-offs 5) to be apathetic 6) to be care free with their lifestyle 7) not to care about others 8) to be rebellious 9) to cheat 10) not have clean rooms 11) to drive fast, and many other things. The unfortunate truth is this... students or "Teenagers" have bought this lie! The SCARY thing is this... Adults have too and thus enable all the things listed above to be part of young peoples lives, and to that I say, "SHAME ON US AS ADULTS!!!"
In the above passage of scripture we see Paul give instruction to Timothy. This instruction did not empower Timothy, as a young person, to be immature, irresponsible, act stupidly or in immature ways, or anything else except what God says for us to do and to be. God chose Timothy to be a leader in the church at Ephesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to understand and believe in this truth that we have heard many times before, "Who God calls/chooses, God equips!"
Do you believe that? What has God chose you to do?
Some of you are thinking, "Yeah Bo, but Timothy was not a teenager, I should have some wiggle room because I am younger than he was!" Or maybe you are thinking this, parents..."My kid is only 12, and they are better than most kids I know there age."
My answer to these questions is, "Let's look at scripture." Back to our passage above, we see Paul tells Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young..." Let's stop here. I might be wrong but I venture to say that everyone reading this has a person older than them in there life. We all are younger than someone, except for one person in the world, the oldest person in the world. With this thought in mind, we need to read the rest of the verse, "BUT set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." WOW, did you see it? We all have responsibility to set an example to people that are older than we are, except for one (and this person is included with all of us to obey scripture that points us to teach and lead people that are younger than us, namely Titus 2). So whether you are the age that Timothy was or not is not the issue. The issue is you are young, so set an example by believing the truth and rejecting lies! Parents, don't believe the lies the from Hell that says your kid should be overlooked and not held to high standards! Communicate with them and create high expectations for them and with them that will allow them to set an example to the believers that might not be living in the power of the Holy Spirit! Don't you settle for non-discipled kids...disciple them in the ways of Truth! Have guts to train them in ways that will set them apart from any other person their age. Allow them to be challenged and to challenge others to live more like Christ. THE STANDARD YOU ARE TO LEAD YOUR CHILD IN IS NOT OTHER CHILDREN!!! IT IS THE WORD OF GOD!!!
So let's look at another example in Scripture that should help us understand this. Old school style...I LOVE THIS...you ready...
2 Chronicles 34:1-3
"Josiah was EIGHT years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the EIGHTH year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David."
How old was Josiah when he was place in a position with great responsibility?
Did Josiah please or displease God with his life?
How old was Josiah when he began to seek the LORD?
What is you excuse? Have you bought the lie that "I'm just a teenager and I'll grow up one day." or "My kid is just a teen and they will grow up one day."?
I love you! That is why I want to raise the bar of expectations for you both as a student and a parent. Students are being challenged to learn Calculus, Biology, Trigonometry, and many other words I can't spell. Are we as a church and as parents willing to challenge them to know, understand, and live scripture. Seems to be a lot more purpose in light of eternity if we would.
Let us not listen to the lie of Satan! Let us dive into the Word and believe the Word with all that we are, out of a great and deep love of the Father, who allows us to love in the first place.
Until next time...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Identity: I AM...Emotions
Circumstances=Emotions=Possible Change of Identity
We all have emotions. The definition of, "Emotion" is...an intense mental state that arises subjectively rather that through conscious effort. So emotions just emerge from deep within us. The sad thing is that most people allow emotions to consume them, making them not live in the true identity the God has made put them in, The Identity discussed in an early post (Identity: I AM...just a sinner saved by grace).
Last night we set out to understand emotions and how to not to allow the emotions of life to be our identity.
First we looked at the vastness of human emotions. Here are some that we identified as most prevalent in us and the people that surround us: affection, love liking, attraction, lust (2), cheerfulness, happiness, satisfaction, zest (3), pleasure, pride (2), enthrallment, annoyance, anger, fury, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, torment, depression, sadness, melancholy, guilt, insecurity, pity, alarm, fear, terror, nervousness, & worry. Each of these were talked about in small groups and where pulled from a pretty exhaustive list of human emotions. Each group was instructed to look through the list and identify the top 5 emotions, in there opinion, that consume teenagers, making them live the identity of the emotion instead of the identity of Christ. Example: A known believer is also known for his/her explosive outbursts of profanity and rage when this person doesn't get their way or is in a confrontation. The emotion just consumed their true identity.
Emotions are not sins! what we do with the emotions that emerge at different times in our lives will determine is we sin or not. Whenever an emotion consumes a believer in Jesus to the point that the emotion is not controlled by the Spirit of God that is in us, then we sin.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us,
"Do you not now that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others. I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Q. - What does this have to do with emotions and being consumed by them?
A. - You have to, "Beat (your) body and make it (your) slave"
WHAT?
In everything of life that we are told or instructed to do, we need to ask a question...Y.B.H. (Yeah, But How?) So when I say, "We can't let the emotions that emerge from within us consume us, resulting in our identity to be changed." you need to say, "Yeah, but how...bodunkle?" So here is how. I do want to clarify on thing. There comes a point that if we ask this question that we avoid what we already know and in essence deny truth to be part of our life. So don't be the kid that is always in this conversation...
kid "Y.B.H?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"
You get the picture...the "WHY?" kid. DON'T BE THAT KID!
Here's the answer to the question you just asked, "Yeah, but how do i beat my body and make it my slave?"...You have to be Chronically F.A.T.!
F.aithful - We have to be faithful to the Identity that God has made us into. He was done a great thing in us, and we need to be faithful the what He has done...be faithful to Him! Love Him with all that we are, and show a dark and dying world His love!
Y.B.H.?
A.vailable - It is impossible to be faithful to God and His identity in us if we do not make ourselves available to Him. Two things have to be part of our life for us to be available to God. We have to communicate with Him through prayer & we have to listen to Him through His word! When we don't do these things as individuals, or families, we can not be faithful on a continual basis.
Y.B.H?
T.eachable - For us to be willing to make our self available to God, we have to have a certain type of mind set. We have to have an attitude that we want to be taught. If that is part of who we are then we will make our self available to the Lord to do His thing in our life through Prayer and His Word.
Y.B.H bodunkle? I see the flow, but I don't want to be taught. I know God has transferred me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son that He loves, but I am just not F.A.T. right now. Here my response, and we will be looking at this in more depth later, Pray that you would believe, or have more faith in what God has accomplished in you. The Y.B.H. stops here. You have to cry out to God to do a work in you that I can not teach you or put in you. That is between you and Him.
Start that prayer today as a family!
We all have emotions. The definition of, "Emotion" is...an intense mental state that arises subjectively rather that through conscious effort. So emotions just emerge from deep within us. The sad thing is that most people allow emotions to consume them, making them not live in the true identity the God has made put them in, The Identity discussed in an early post (Identity: I AM...just a sinner saved by grace).
Last night we set out to understand emotions and how to not to allow the emotions of life to be our identity.
First we looked at the vastness of human emotions. Here are some that we identified as most prevalent in us and the people that surround us: affection, love liking, attraction, lust (2), cheerfulness, happiness, satisfaction, zest (3), pleasure, pride (2), enthrallment, annoyance, anger, fury, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, torment, depression, sadness, melancholy, guilt, insecurity, pity, alarm, fear, terror, nervousness, & worry. Each of these were talked about in small groups and where pulled from a pretty exhaustive list of human emotions. Each group was instructed to look through the list and identify the top 5 emotions, in there opinion, that consume teenagers, making them live the identity of the emotion instead of the identity of Christ. Example: A known believer is also known for his/her explosive outbursts of profanity and rage when this person doesn't get their way or is in a confrontation. The emotion just consumed their true identity.
Emotions are not sins! what we do with the emotions that emerge at different times in our lives will determine is we sin or not. Whenever an emotion consumes a believer in Jesus to the point that the emotion is not controlled by the Spirit of God that is in us, then we sin.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us,
"Do you not now that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others. I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Q. - What does this have to do with emotions and being consumed by them?
A. - You have to, "Beat (your) body and make it (your) slave"
WHAT?
In everything of life that we are told or instructed to do, we need to ask a question...Y.B.H. (Yeah, But How?) So when I say, "We can't let the emotions that emerge from within us consume us, resulting in our identity to be changed." you need to say, "Yeah, but how...bodunkle?" So here is how. I do want to clarify on thing. There comes a point that if we ask this question that we avoid what we already know and in essence deny truth to be part of our life. So don't be the kid that is always in this conversation...
kid "Y.B.H?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"
You get the picture...the "WHY?" kid. DON'T BE THAT KID!
Here's the answer to the question you just asked, "Yeah, but how do i beat my body and make it my slave?"...You have to be Chronically F.A.T.!
F.aithful - We have to be faithful to the Identity that God has made us into. He was done a great thing in us, and we need to be faithful the what He has done...be faithful to Him! Love Him with all that we are, and show a dark and dying world His love!
Y.B.H.?
A.vailable - It is impossible to be faithful to God and His identity in us if we do not make ourselves available to Him. Two things have to be part of our life for us to be available to God. We have to communicate with Him through prayer & we have to listen to Him through His word! When we don't do these things as individuals, or families, we can not be faithful on a continual basis.
Y.B.H?
T.eachable - For us to be willing to make our self available to God, we have to have a certain type of mind set. We have to have an attitude that we want to be taught. If that is part of who we are then we will make our self available to the Lord to do His thing in our life through Prayer and His Word.
Y.B.H bodunkle? I see the flow, but I don't want to be taught. I know God has transferred me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son that He loves, but I am just not F.A.T. right now. Here my response, and we will be looking at this in more depth later, Pray that you would believe, or have more faith in what God has accomplished in you. The Y.B.H. stops here. You have to cry out to God to do a work in you that I can not teach you or put in you. That is between you and Him.
Start that prayer today as a family!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)