I Am We Are I. Introduction

Transcription

1 I Am We Are I. Introduction a. Who is God? i. Pharaoh s question: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go. Exodus 5:2 ii. Earlier, Moses had asked God how he should answer the Israelites when they asked a similar question. 1. Exodus 3:14, And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. iii. After Pharaoh scoffed at the idea of letting the Israelites go, listen to what God says to Moses in Exodus 6: Then the Lord said to Moses, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land. And God spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the Lord. iv. The rest of the Old Testament describes to us who God is. b. I AM i. Points out the eternal nature of God. ii. But God explains to us further who He is. 1. I am a Father. 2. I am Love. 3. I am Just. 4. I am a Judge. iii. We could keep extending that list. iv. But let s take this a little bit different direction. c. Who are You? i. A couple of different angles ii. Approach from standpoint of responsibility 1. I am a Christian 2. I am a husband 3. I am a father 4. I am a neighbor 5. I am an employee 6. Etc. iii. But I want to approach it from the standpoint of characteristics or qualities. 1. How would you describe yourself?

2 II. I am a. Encouraging. i. I make it a point to lift the spirits of others 1. Constantly, I know I can have a positive impact on others. 2. Sometimes, it depends on what kind of mood I m in. 3. Never, I always seem to say the wrong thing. ii. Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. b. Courageous. i. I am willing to take a stand for the truth 1. Always, I am ready, willing, and looking for opportunities. 2. Only when I have no other choice. 3. Never, I don t like conflict, and I will compromise to avoid it. ii. Joshua 1:9, Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. c. Diligent. i. I work extremely hard 1. At everything I do. 2. When I m doing something I enjoy. 3. Only when I have to. ii. Proverbs 13:4, The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. d. Patient. i. I lose my temper and say/do things I regret 1. Rarely ever, it takes a lot to make me angry. 2. More frequently than I would like, but I m really trying. 3. Quite often, but they deserved it. ii. Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. e. Happy. i. People see me as a 1. Generally happy person, and they have a good understanding of why I m happy. 2. Moody, sometimes really happy and sometimes really grumpy. 3. Downer, and they don t really want to spend much time around me. ii. Psalm 144:15, Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

3 III. We are f. More characteristics. i. We could make a much longer list. 1. I am KIND. 2. I am COMPASSIONATE. 3. I am DISCIPLINED. 4. I am FAIR. 5. I am TOUGH. 6. I am HONEST. 7. I am HUMBLE. ii. But we re going to stop right there. 1. We ve got more to get to. iii. Who are you? 1. At your core, what are the qualities and characteristics that make up your character? a. The church is a collective body. i. You take a lot of I am s and you add them together. ii. To form a We are. iii. So that s what I want you to think about now. iv. Collectively, who are we? b. Enthusiastic. i. When it comes to the work of the church, this church 1. Eagerly gets the job done, and everyone pitches in. 2. Seems to not really care, and the minority does the majority of the work. 3. Just goes through the motions, and the bare minimum gets done. ii. Ephesians 4:16, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. c. Giving. i. In the giving of time and money to the church, we 1. Give more than we are really able. 2. Give enough to take care of the basics. 3. Give minimally and don t really want to give that. ii. 2 Corinthians 9: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

4 d. Loving. i. Our love for each other 1. Is clearly evident among all of our members. 2. Is a little fragmented which some members feeling isolated. 3. Is rarely shown, and most only see each other at services. ii. Colossians 3:14, But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. e. Determined. i. When adversity strikes the church 1. We tackle it head-on, and we grow stronger. 2. We make it through it, but wear the scars to show it. 3. The congregation crumbles. ii. Revelation 2:7, To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. 1. In the context of problems which would be faced by these churches of Asia. f. United. i. This church will stay united 1. No matter what because we all have a love for God, the truth, and each other. 2. As long as we have a strong preacher who will keep us together. 3. Only until some divisive situation arises. ii. Ephesians 4:3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. IV. Are these accurate depictions? a. We ve given our answers. i. Hopefully we are objective. ii. But sometimes we over-estimate ourselves. iii. Paul s caution in Romans 12:16, Do not be wise in your own opinion. b. How do other people see you? i. It would be nice to be able to know how others see us (truly). ii. What is the book on you? 1. Everybody has a book. iii. Sometimes we re not the person that we claim to be. iv. Romans 2:24, For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written. c. How does God see you?

5 i. 1 Samuel 16:7, Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. ii. Sometimes, we can fool a lot of people into thinking that we re something that we re not. iii. But God sees right through it. iv. How would God describe you? d. How do other people see this church? i. Churches have reputations (especially in a small town). 1. By what they teach. 2. By individual conduct of members. 3. By collective conduct. ii. John 17: I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 2. This points out the dire need for unity: it is through unity which we prove to the world that Jesus was sent from God. e. How does God see this church? i. Revelation Letters to the seven churches of Asia. 2. I know your works ii. When God looks at this church, what does He see? iii. Read Revelation 3: You don t have to be big in man s eyes to be big in God s eyes. V. Conclusion: Influence. a. These are important questions: i. Who are you? ii. Who are we? b. Why? i. Because it is our job to lead others to Christ. 1. And what people think of us will go a long way to whether we are successful. ii. Because we are going to stand before God in judgment. 1. And all that really matters is how God sees us.