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Content type: Sermon Poem / Prayer Service / Tribute Incomplete Biography
Body: The movie Chariots of Fire tells the story of Eric Liddle, an Olympic champion and missionary to China. Eric would run with a reckless abandon; his sister commented that the movie failed to capture the wildness of Eric’s running; when he would run it was as though he would suddenly reach another gear throwing his head back and arms pawing the air. He may not have run with the fluid artistic style of many of today’s runners, but as he ran Eric said, “When I run, I feel his pleasure.” Where does the strength come from? Where can you and I find the strength for our lives today? It does not come from our ability; strength is not found in hours of training or preparation. Strength is not a result of keeping a positive attitude or inner confidence. Real strength for daily living comes from deep within our hearts—not from ourselves—but from the power of God within us. •Ephesians. 3:16-19 (NIV) [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. •Ephesians 3:16-19 (MsgB) [16] I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— [17] that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, [18] you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! [19] Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Is there anyone who needs this glorious inner strength? Am I the only one who needs the renewal of divine power for daily living? We all need God’s power at work in our inner being! Is there anyone who might want to share a difficulty or problem you are facing in which you need God’s strength to make it from day to day—anyone that would like to tell us how you have to depend upon God to help you? How many people do you know who are tired and weary? People who are always on the go, but never seem to accomplish anything. Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Churches today are filled with people who struggle to live a victorious Christ-like life; instead of living holy lives many are living run-down lives. Many Christian and non-Christian alike are exhausted, tired and just plain worn-out! As Christians it should not be that way! The Bible says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV). As believers we should be the most energetic full of life people on the planet. Unfortunately, too many of us are hard pressed to just make a living and don’t have the time or energy to make a difference. o We are the salt of the earth, but we’re too tired to get out of the salt-shaker and bring change to our world. o We are the light of the world but we just want to turn the light off and go to sleep! WHY? Why are we so tired? Why are we victims instead of victorious? Why are we just getting by instead of having unspeakable joy? What are we missing in our daily lives that would set us apart from our friends and neighbors? What are we lacking that keeps people from saying, “I want what you’ve got?” IN A WORD WE ARE MISSING RENWAL! We need to be daily energized by the Holy Spirit! We need God’s overcoming, more-than-sufficient power working in our lives. When we fail to partake of God’s sustaining grace we faint and grow tired. If we don’t daily receive power and life from the Holy Spirit within us then we just run out of gas! WE LIVE POWERLESS LIVES WHILE OUR CULTURE IS STARVING FOR RELAVANCE AND LIFE. People around us want to know “where is your God?” It doesn’t have to be that way! The Apostle Paul joins his voice with the prophet Isaiah calling to let God daily renew our strength and give us an overcoming and victorious life. •Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. •Ephesians 3:16 (NIV) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, •2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT) That is why we never give up . . . our spirits are being renewed every day. What about you, are you being renewed everyday? Is God’s Spirit bringing His life and power to your inner being? Is it possible you’re even doing the right things—you pray and read your Bible, you’re here in church today, but you remain tired and weary; your strength is not renewed? What are the keys to spiritual renewal? How can Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians be answered in our lives so that we are strengthened by His Spirit in our inner being? We need to start each day knowing who we really are. We need to ask ourselves; “who am I?” DO YOU KNOW YOUR IDENTITY? Other people will often be quick to label us as they see us. If we are not careful, we will just accept the identity placed upon us by other people. However, the way people see you is not who you really are. When we accept an identity placed upon us by others, we lose our real identity and forget who we really are. We have all been identified by someone: o Culture says I’m insignificant—one person among 6 billion. o Biologists say I’m a bag of chemicals worth about $2; I’m just the product of evolutionary chance, a monkey’s great uncle. o the boss tells me I’m replaceable. o the bank calls me the bread winner one day and a debtor the next. o the government says I’m a number: 299-75-3021—just another taxpayer. o Insurance companies say I’m a medical liability or an at risk driver. o Retailers say I’m a consumer. o the church calls you a prospect, a visitor, or a member. o If I like you, I call you friend, if not I call you enemy. o My wife calls me Honey, the kids call me pappaw, and my parents called me son. Is it any wonder we are having an identity crisis? Who am I really? Our identity is not based on who others say we are—if you look to other people when you ask the question “who am I” you will get the wrong answer. Likewise, your identity is not found within yourself! o Some days my bones tell me I’m older; other days my heart wants to play. o Sometimes I feel confident while at other times I feel insecure. o One moment I’m happy the next I’m sad. o In the morning I’m tired and at the end of the day I’m exhausted. Somewhere along the way I had some energy—I think. o My conscience tells me I’m guilty; my faith tells me I’m forgiven, but I’m not sure. o I’m a failure and success all rolled up in one; which one comes out each day may depend upon the weather. o Sometimes I’m the sophisticated prince charming, but the mirror reminds me I’m not the fairest in the land. We can’t look to others, and we can’t turn to ourselves to know who we are. We need to daily look toward heaven and let God tell us who we really are. LET GOD ESTABLISH YOUR IDENTITY. Who does God say you are? You are a blood bought child of the living God—the Almighty, the Creator and lover of the human soul. You are His and He is yours. You are the center of God’s affection, created in His image. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the ultimate craftsman; God made you to fulfill His divine purpose. You are an heir of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Your citizenship is from heaven and you are seated in heavenly places! You are an eternal being who will never really die. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit filled and empowered to be Christ’s witness. You bear the seal of the Holy Spirit so that nothing can ever take you out of His hand. The answer to the question “Who am I” is found in knowing WHOSE I AM! Your identity is established in heaven by God—you are a child of God! We need to daily remember who we are in Christ. We will be empowered and energized to live a victorious overcoming life when we know our real identity. To help you be renewed in your inner being each day here are 31 statements of who you are in Christ. If you will take the time to focus on one of these each day, then the fire of God’s love will be rekindled in your heart to empower you for that day. 1. I am a child of God. John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1 2. I am not my own; I’ve been purchase by the blood of Christ. 1 Corr. 6:19-20 and 1 Peter 1:18-19 3. I am the center of God’s love and affection. Zech. 2:8 4. I am alive in Christ. Eph. 2:4-5 5. I am made in the image of God. Gen. 1:26 6. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14 7. I am the purposed creation of the ultimate craftsman. Eph. 2:10 8. I am an heir with Christ Jesus. Rom. 8-17 and Gal. 4:7 9. I am a citizen of heaven. Phil. 3:20 10. I am an eternal soul and will live forever. John 3:36 and Rom. 6:23 11. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit—the dwelling place of God. Eph. 2:22 12. I am sealed by the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13 13. I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witness. Acts 1:8 14. I am the salt of the earth. Matt. 5:13 15. I am the light of the world. Matt. 5:14 16. I am Christ’s ambassador. 2 Corr. 5:20 17. I am worth more than many sparrows. Matt. 10:31 18. I am a sheep of His pasture. John 10:14-16 19. I am a friend of Jesus. John 15:14 20. I am not a slave to sin, but a slave to righteousness. Rom. 6:18 21. I am free from condemnation. Rom. 8:1 22. I am a member of the body of Christ. 1 Corr. 12:27 23. I am chosen by God. 2 Thess. 2:13 24. I am a member of His royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9 25. I am holy, set apart by God. Eph. 1:4 26. I am equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:17 27. I am a new creation. 2 Corr. 5:17 28. I am free! John 8:36 29. I am joined to Christ and His life flows within me. John 15:5 30. I am an over comer—more than a conqueror. Rom. 8:37 31. I am the bride of Christ! Rev. 19:7 We are loved and worthy and exactly as God has designed us. Dr. Seuss explains it this way: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” Jesus also offers this lesson through his famous scripture about the lilies of the field. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” Lilies are some of the most exquisite, stunning things in creation. Yet, on our best day, on our most creative day, we couldn’t make one. Oh, we’ve tried – Michael’s craft store has silk and plastic versions, Monet tried to paint them, and the jeweler Harry Winston even created a lily necklace with seventeen carats of diamonds. Not-even-close. Humans and lilies are not that different. We are both creatures molded from God’s hands. We are both exquisite and perfect just as we are. Most importantly, we are both loved, and we are both worthy. The main difference is that the lilies know it and we don’t. Unlike human beings, lilies know they are loved and worthy and beautiful exactly as they are made. There’s no worry that they should be something they are not. There are no worries about where they fall short. Every moment of their lives is spent living their gift—living simply as God designed them to be. Or as Dr. Seuss said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out!” Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth? Would care to know my name Would care to feel my hurt? Who am I, that the bright and morning star? Would choose to light the way For my ever-wandering heart? Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin Would look on me with love And watch me rise again? Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea Would call out through the rain And calm the storm in me? Who Am I? I am a creation of God, I am loved by God, I am a child of God! Psalm 139 13:16 (MSG) “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God-you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration-what a creation! You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, How I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; All the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared Before I’d even lived one day.” Thank you Almighty God for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! In the precious name of Jesus, Amen! Top of Form Bottom of Form
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