Questions that Define You

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Exodus 2:10-15; Hebrews 11:24-27

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

What defines who you are? Is it your job; your family; your personality; your financial wellbeing? For some, their addiction defines them, or even one single event in their life; good or bad.

 

In the beginning, your family is most certainly where you get your identity from. In the small town where I grew up in Mid-Michigan, I would tell people that “I am Dwight and Marge’s son”. That was my most basic identity. Before anything else, I was the son of my parents.

 

Because of the circumstances surrounding Moses’ birth, his Mother gave him up so that he could live. Eventually he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. She raised him as her own, even naming him. In fact, the New Living Testament translates that “Pharaoh’s daughter, adopted him as her own son”. 

 

Moses was the biological son of Hebrew slaves, but grew up in the house of Pharaoh. So how did Moses answer the question, “Who are you”? Where did he get his identity from?

 

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.      NIV

 

The Passion Translation, makes an even stronger statement.

 

²⁴ Faith enabled Moses to choose God’s will, for although he was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he refused to make that his identity…            TPT

 

Moses could have lived his whole life in the privilege and luxury of Pharaoh’s household; but he chose not to. Instead, Moses chose to identify with his people; his culture; his birth parents; and ultimately, his God.

 

Many years ago, at a men’s retreat, my Pastor spoke about, “Who are you? Whose are you? Whom do you serve?” For Moses, when he answered those questions, his life took a totally new direction.

 

Like Moses, you make decisions every day of your life based on your answers to these questions. As a result, what direction is your life trending?

 

 

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Luke 2:41-52

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A41-52&version=NIV;TPT

[Preface: How do you know what your calling in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly, almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

At the age of five, I wanted to be a cowboy. At thirteen, I decided to become a geologist. At twenty-four, I wanted to work with inner city kids. At fifty-two, I wanted to be an insurance agent. At seventy, I want to retire.

What did Jesus want to be when he grew up? A carpenter like his Dad? Or, the long awaited Messiah? And how did he finally realize that he was the Son of God and that his purpose was to save the world? Did an angel tell him? Or, was it like his cousin John when Luke wrote, “…the word of God came to John”.

We know very little about Jesus as a child. Did the other kids make fun of him because he was born out of wedlock? Did his Mom and Dad tell him about the supernatural circumstances that surrounded his birth? Did he sit in the synagogue school and daydream about being the Messiah someday?

What we do know is that at the age of twelve, Jesus seemed to have a very real sense of who he was. The following interaction took place when Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem while his parents thought he was with them on the caravan returning to Nazareth. Instead, three days later, they found him in the Temple.

⁴⁸ His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?” ⁴⁹ Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?” ⁵⁰ Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant.           TNT

More important than knowing what you want to be when you grow up, is knowing whose child you are. 

This question brings back many memories of Saturday mornings when my Dad would go to the bank and take me with him. As we walked into the bank, everybody knew that I was Dwight’s boy!

At the age of twelve, Jesus needed to be in his Father’s house because he knew, not only who he was, but whose he was; and as a result, he changed history. We need to ask ourselves the same questions. Do you know who you are, and whose child you are? If so, how has that touched the lives of those around you?

"Hello. My Name is Joe."

Psalm 139:13-24

 

After introductions, what do you say next? How do you answer the question, “Who are you”? Is it in terms of your job, your school or maybe your church? Do your children, your spouse or your parents define who you are?

 

 

For some it is something they have done, possibly an addiction. When introducing yourself at a meeting you give your name and say, “I am an addict”. What is it that defines you; that goes to the core of your being; that is the bottom line of how you truly feel about yourself?

 

In his prayer, David wrote the following about how he defined himself:

 

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”

 

He understands that although he had biological parents, God was his true creator. In polite conversation, we tend to not disclose our inner being. But God created our inner being, and not only did He create it, it is “fearfully and wonderfully made”. That means that there is nothing to be ashamed about who we are.

 

The definitions of guilt and shame are very similar, but significantly different. Guilt means that we feel bad about what we did. Shame means that we feel bad about who we are. God is saying through David that we need not feel ashamed of who we are, because God created us.

 

Finally, Paul wrote this about who we are:

 

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”         Ephesians 2:10

 

God has created you for a unique purpose to use the gifts and abilities that He has given you through His grace. God is the potter, and you are His clay. He defines who you are. He has prepared good works for you to do.

 

“Hello. My name is Joe. I’m a creation of God and a follower of Christ Jesus”. Who do you believe you are?