Feb 16, 2014 - In Luke 10, Martha opened her home to Jesus. But in vs. 39 it says, âShe had a sister called Mary, who
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BAGGAGE SCANNER
Baggage Scanner
Dr. Brandon Park | February 16, 2014
No matter what you have or haven’t done, God’s power is big enough to change y ou. There is no sin too great for God’s grace. There is no habit too big for his healing. There is no label too strong for his love. God’s _____________ is bigger than your _________. Every one of us carry emotional baggage that results in us believing the lies and the labels that are placed over our lives. We need to silence the negative voices of our past and instead, embrace the truth of God in the present. Isn’t it true that we find it easier to believe and internalize the bad stuff spoken against us than it is to internalize the good stuff? That’s the emotional baggage we c arry. Chances are, if you are like most people – you attempt to draw ____________ or ____________ from the wrong places. You are inclined to believe what others say about you over what God says about you. Today we’re going to look at 4 common labels ( lies) that we battle with, the result of what happens to us when we believe those labels, and four transforming truths we can discover in our identity with Christ.
The Labels that Bind You
1. “You Don’t _____________.” Maybe you’ve heard someone say this about y ou, or maybe their actions communicated it to you, and it’s the statement – “You don’t fit in.” Or “You don’t belong here.” Or, “You’re not one of us.” If you have ever heard that or experienced actions that led toward that thought – what will happen is your behavior will change in response to your believing in that lie. If you believe this label, it w ill result in you becoming a ____________________. When you feel like you don’t belong and you don’t “fit in” – it’s easy to become a conformer, where you try to make your actions live up to your perceived expectations of others. In the Old Testament, one of the greatest “conformers” was King Saul. In 1 Samuel 15:24, he said, “I have sins. I have violated the Lord’s command. I was afraid of the p eople and so I gave in to them.” Because Saul felt like he wasn’t living up to their expectations, he conformed his actions toward what he thought they wanted. Maybe you are feeling the pressure to conform morally. Maybe you are tempted to compromise your standards all in the name of hoping to be accepted. Many times we get into incredible debt, hoping that we can be liked by having material possessions. We all face the pressure to c onform when we feel like we don’t belong.
2. “You’re not _____________ ______________” This is the person who is led to feel: “You don’t measure up” or “You don’t have what it takes.” If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. This person thinks, “If you don’t think I am good enough, watch me try to perform and win your love or approval.” In Luke 10, Martha opened her home to Jesus. But in vs. 39 it says, “She had a sister called Mary, who sat a t the lord’s feet listening to what h e said,” which you find out later in the story, that’s exactly what Jesus wanted. B ut verse 40, Martha missed the point: “But Martha was d istracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” Marth was wanting to “perform” for Jesus – to make sure that everything was in order for Jesus to be served. She thought subconsciously that if she did everything and performed well enough – maybe Jesus would accept her. When we don’t feel like we are “good enough” we will perform and try to prove something to somebody, or maybe even yourself.
3. “You Should Be ___________________” Maybe you were sexually abused in your past and for whatever reason you blame yourself. Maybe you have committed some sexual sins or you have done something that has caused you shame. Maybe you’ve heard those words from someone you love, “You should be ashamed of yourself!” If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. You feel as if you are locked into the failures of your past and that this stigma will always be upon y ou. In John 8, we see the story of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees brought her to Jesus, ready to stone her to death, and asked Jesus what should be done. Jesus doesn’t respond verbally. We’re told that He stooped down and wrote something in the dust of the ground that was apparently
so convicting that this woman’s accusers dropped their stones and walked away. John 8:10-‐11 says, “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” 4. “You’re Not _________________. ” This label creeps into your life with statements like “You’re not worthy of love. You’re not worthy of acceptance.” Those who have been rejected or abandoned have this label slapped on their baggage. If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. In John 4:17, Jesus was dialoging with a woman that we could call a clinger. He said to her, “You are right when you say that you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” It is very obvious that this woman was trying to find meaning in men, when the truth of the matter is, she needed to find meaning in God’s Son. A “clinger” is someone who looks for validation from other people. The become co-‐dependent.
The Identity that Frees You
What is on the outside of a piece of baggage is of little or no importance. The purpose of baggage is to hold on to the treasure that is on the inside. When we are saved, God puts a new spirit on the inside of us that counteracts the labels this world has placed upon us. John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Truth will not free you until you know it. You must know the _________________ before it can translate into the _____________. 1 Peter 2:9-‐10 is the one statement that summarizes our new identity in Christ and it gives four transforming truths about who we are the moment we put our faith and trust in Jesus. 1. You are not _______________. You are _______________. I Peter 2:9a, "But you are a chosen race." This defeats the label of how “You Don’t B elong.” You are not unwanted…you are chosen. As Christians we are a c hosen race. The Jews were (are) God’s chosen people but now Peter is writing to Jews and Gentiles and he’s not just talking about the race called Hebrew; he’s talking about the race called Christian. God wanted you to be in His family. He chose you to be in his family. The word chose literally means “to s elect.” If you are a believer today you c an stand on the certainty of this truth: God selected you s pecifically. Jesus said, “You didn’t c hoose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Any time you feel unwanted, you know that that is from the enemy because God chose you. Romans 8:15: "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you h ave received a spirit o f adoption a s sons, by which we cry out, Abba Father." God has adopted us into His family and we can call Him Daddy. And He chose YOU because He wanted YOU to be with Him. 2. You're not a piece of __________; you are a royal ______________. 1 Peter 2:9b, “…a royal p riesthood…” This This defeats the label of “You’re not good enough.” The The devil wants you to believe that y ou’re nothing more than a piece of trash. We We must not believe his lies and labels because Proverbs Proverbs says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is h e." ." And if you think you are a piece of trash, you're going to start living a trashy life. God says s that you're a royal priest. You have royal blood flowing through your veins e as a follower of Christ. As children of God, we are princes and princesses of the King of Kings. In In the Old Testament, priests were the most special people of the Jews. Not anyone could be a priest though – you had to be a descendent of Levi. The High Priest was the one who could have direct access into the presence of God. But now as a believer, eliever, you don’t have to go through any man or any person to get to God because you have direct access to Him as a priest. You don’t have to perform to earn his favor. 3. You're not a dirty _____________. . You're a holy ______________. ______________ 1 Peter 2:9c, “a holy nation…” This defeats the label of “You should be ashamed.” The word for “holy” is hagios and it is translated 61 times in the Bible as the word “saint.” The devil devil will try and tell you that you are nothing more than a dirty sinner. sinner. God says you are a holy s aint. The moment you receive Christ – God calls you a saint. Romans 1:17, “To all who a re b eloved of God in Rome, called as saints." A A sinner is not who you are anymore…you are a saint (who occasionally sins). God looks at you as a saint. God doesn't define you by your ______________. ______________. Acts 10:15, “ What God h as cleansed no longer consider unholy.” 4. You are not a ________________ person. You are God's own ________________. “But you are… a people for God's o wn possession." possession." The The devil will try to tell y ou that you’re worthless. How many times do we live life, we don't feel special at all? God calls you His special treasure. You're the apple of God's eye. God has your picture on His refrigerator. He has your photograph raph in His wallet. You're a special treasure to God.
1
BAGGAGE SCANNER
Baggage Scanner
Dr. Brandon Park | February 16, 2014
No matter what you have or haven’t done, God’s power is big enough to change y ou. There is no sin too great for God’s grace. There is no habit too big for his healing. There is no label too strong for power is bigger than your _________. past his love. God’s _____________ Every one of us carry emotional baggage that results in us believing the lies and the labels that are placed over our lives. We need to silence the negative voices of our past and instead, embrace the truth of God in the present. Isn’t it true that we find it easier to believe and internalize the bad stuff spoken against us than it is to internalize the good stuff? That’s the emotional baggage we c arry. worth or ____________ value Chances are, if you are like most people – you attempt to draw ____________ from the wrong places. You are inclined to believe what others say about you over what God says about you. Today we’re going to look at 4 common labels ( lies) that we battle with, the result of what happens to us when we believe those labels, and four transforming truths we can discover in our identity with Christ.
The Labels that Bind You
belong 1. “You Don’t _____________.” Maybe you’ve heard someone say this about y ou, or maybe their actions communicated it to you, and it’s the statement – “You don’t fit in.” Or “You don’t belong here.” Or, “You’re not one of us.” If you have ever heard that or experienced actions that led toward that thought – what will happen is your behavior will change in response to your believing in that lie. conformer If you believe this label, it w ill result in you becoming a ____________________. When you feel like you don’t belong and you don’t “fit in” – it’s easy to become a conformer, where you try to make your actions live up to your perceived expectations of others. In the Old Testament, one of the greatest “conformers” was King Saul. In 1 Samuel 15:24, he said, “I have sins. I have violated the Lord’s command. I was afraid of the p eople and so I gave in to them.” Because Saul felt like he wasn’t living up to their expectations, he conformed his actions toward what he thought they wanted. Maybe you are feeling the pressure to conform morally. Maybe you are tempted to compromise your standards all in the name of hoping to be accepted. Many times we get into incredible debt, hoping that we can be liked by having material possessions. We all face the pressure to c onform when we feel like we don’t belong.
good enough 2. “You’re not _____________ ______________” This is the person who is led to feel: “You don’t measure up” or “You don’t have what it takes.” performer If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. This person thinks, “If you don’t think I am good enough, watch me try to perform and win your love or approval.” In Luke 10, Martha opened her home to Jesus. But in vs. 39 it says, “She had a sister called Mary, who sat a t the lord’s feet listening to what h e said,” which you find out later in the story, that’s exactly what Jesus wanted. B ut verse 40, Martha missed the point: “But Martha was d istracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” Marth was wanting to “perform” for Jesus – to make sure that everything was in order for Jesus to be served. She thought subconsciously that if she did everything and performed well enough – maybe Jesus would accept her. When we don’t feel like we are “good enough” we will perform and try to prove something to somebody, or maybe even yourself.
ashamed 3. “You Should Be ___________________” Maybe you were sexually abused in your past and for whatever reason you blame yourself. Maybe you have committed some sexual sins or you have done something that has caused you shame. Maybe you’ve heard those words from someone you love, “You should be ashamed of yourself!” prisoner If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. You feel as if you are locked into the failures of your past and that this stigma will always be upon y ou. In John 8, we see the story of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees brought her to Jesus, ready to stone her to death, and asked Jesus what should be done. Jesus doesn’t respond verbally. We’re told that He stooped down and wrote something in the dust of the ground that was apparently
so convicting that this woman’s accusers dropped their stones and walked away. John 8:10-‐11 says, “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
worthy 4. “You’re Not _________________. ” This label creeps into your life with statements like “You’re not worthy of love. You’re not worthy of acceptance.” Those who have been rejected or abandoned have this label slapped on their baggage. If you believe this label, it will result in you becoming a _______________________. clinger In John 4:17, Jesus was dialoging with a woman that we could call a clinger. He said to her, “You are right when you say that you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” It is very obvious that this woman was trying to find meaning in men, when the truth of the matter is, she needed to find meaning in God’s Son. A “clinger” is someone who looks for validation from other people. The become co-‐dependent. The Identity that Frees You
What is on the outside of a piece of baggage is of little or no importance. The purpose of baggage is to hold on to the treasure that is on the inside. When we are saved, God puts a new spirit on the inside of us that counteracts the labels this world has placed upon us. John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Truth will not free you until doctrinal practical you know it. You must know the _________________ before it can translate into the _____________. 1 Peter 2:9-‐10 is the one statement that summarizes our new identity in Christ and it gives four transforming truths about who we are the moment we put our faith and trust in Jesus.
unwanted You are _______________. chosen 1. You are not _______________. I Peter 2:9a, "But you are a chosen race." This defeats the label of how “You Don’t B elong.” You are not unwanted…you are chosen. As Christians we are a c hosen race. The Jews were (are) God’s chosen people but now Peter is writing to Jews and Gentiles and he’s not just talking about the race called Hebrew; he’s talking about the race called Christian. God wanted you to be in His family. He chose you to be in his family. The word chose literally means “to s elect.” If you are a believer today you c an stand on the certainty of this truth: God selected you s pecifically. Jesus said, “You didn’t c hoose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Any time you feel unwanted, you know that that is from the enemy because God chose you. Romans 8:15: "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you h ave received a spirit o f adoption a s sons, by which we cry out, Abba Father." God has adopted us into His family and we can call Him Daddy. And He chose YOU because He wanted YOU to be with Him. trash you are a royal ______________. priest 2. You're not a piece of __________; 1 Peter 2:9b, “…a royal p riesthood…” This This defeats the label of “You’re not good enough.” The The devil wants you to believe that y ou’re nothing more than a piece of trash. We We must not believe his lies and labels because Proverbs Proverbs says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is h e." ." And if you think you are a piece of trash, you're going to start living a trashy life. God says s that you're a royal priest. You have royal blood flowing through your veins e as a follower of Christ. As children of God, we are princes and princesses of the King of Kings. In In the Old Testament, priests were the most special people of the Jews. Not anyone could be a priest though – you had to be a descendent of Levi. The High Priest was the one who could have direct access into the presence of God. But now as a believer, eliever, you don’t have to go through any man or any person to get to God because you have direct access to Him as a priest. You don’t have to perform to earn his favor. sinner . You're a holy ______________. saint 3. You're not a dirty _____________. ______________ 1 Peter 2:9c, “a holy nation…” This defeats the label of “You should be ashamed.” The word for “holy” is hagios and it is translated 61 times in the Bible as the word “saint.” The devil devil will try and tell you that you are nothing more than a dirty sinner. sinner. God says you are a holy s aint. The moment you receive Christ – God calls you a saint. Romans 1:17, “To all who a re b eloved of God in Rome, called as saints." A A sinner is not who you are anymore…you are a saint (who occasionally sins). God looks at you as a saint. God doesn't define you by your ______________. ______________ failures . Acts 10:15, “What God has cleansed no longer consider unholy.” worthless person. You are God's own ________________. possession 4. You are not a ________________ “But you are… a people for God's o wn possession." possession." The The devil will try to tell y ou that you’re worthless. How many times do we live life, we don't feel special at all? God calls you His special treasure. You're the apple of God's eye. God has your picture on His refrigerator. He has your photograph raph in His wallet. You're a special treasure to God.
