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August 3, 2021 2:00 am
What place does God actually have in the plan for our lives? Trevin Wax reveals the limitations in our own understanding and the limitless God whose dreams for us are bigger and better than we can ever imagine.
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Okay I want to find out if you ever really listen when I preach. Now you you do when you come up.
Oh, honey that was great.
I wonder if you really ever listen okay and I wonder if anybody Carnation Edison is sweating right now.
I think you're going to know the answer. This welcome to family life today where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most and will send Dave Wilson and you can find us@familylifetoday.com or on our family life.
This is family life today.
I've said many times in 30 years of preaching that there are two beliefs that we hold that again, this is just my perspective, but I said there two beliefs that we hold that determine every decision we make every day.
Those two games are what we think about God, which is theology and what we think about ourselves, which is identity. A+ can't that say those are right or wrong.
There is a just yell 34 years.
A walk with Christ and look at my life and looking at Scripture looking around and see how people live.
I think I can make a case that how you think about God and this is you know the attributes of God who is and how you think about yourself less theology and identity. I really do think when you pull back what I want to say that why they make this I think it comes down to theology and identity. And so today we got trouble wax with us who's written a book really about both, but really zeros in on identity called rethink yourself. We very started discussion on it's a wonderful way to look at how we build our theology and how we build our belief about identity and I want to dive in more today on identity by trapping welcome back to family life to it's great to be back with you. It's been fun already having this conversation with you because were living in a culture which really is looking inward. We have hot topics like identity, be true to yourself.
This is way where you find your source of joy and happiness and listeners are thinking well yeah that sounds good and you are saying oh yeah that's been culturally building for years and years that were finding our identity and our happiness as we look inward. That's what we talked about previously, again, is a real quick summary of there's three approaches we had to really her previously hit those and I really want to camp a number three which is sort of the best way but sure if the first two real quick so most people in our culture. According to the surveys and different sociologists and people that look at our culture have said this is the case of most people look at art at the purpose of life as you need to look inside yourself to then find and express yourself so you look in first to discover who you are to find out what your deepest desires are when you look around to the people around you to affirm you to support you to cheer you on. In that self that you have constructed and then if you feel like you need to.
You look up to God or to some higher power for inspiration in your life some sort of spiritual dimension in terms of priority, though that is the dominant way that most people in our society. Think of the purpose of life by the way, do you agree that's how most people in the church think you know that's the sad thing about the surveys that show a lot of people go to church because they think the church will help them do that to look in better to be the better person.
They can be to be nice and moral decent, but to chase. They are their own dreams they arty have for their life. So a lot of people in our churches.
It's so easy because this is the cultural air we breathe. You might think that look in first approach to life would empty our churches, but it actually feels our churches. People who think the church will help them better look in and I remember you know be in college in Vietnam after my dream and for me it was on a football field, but I remember thinking if I had Jesus to my life just getting better. It was literally the third option right you know I've got the look in I'm chase my dreams everybody around me supporting and it even applauding it and I thought, man, how can you be bad to add a little God to it. Never think I would put them at the center of it just having blessed and that was good and I was sort of the mindset of everybody say I got enough God that's good. I don't need to your upset this whole you know I have a car just go for it. Five and I use this illustration because I'm kind of a visual teacher of a tandem bicycle and when I gave my life to Christ. It's exactly what you're talking about. I'm in the front seat of my bike in the tent and taking me where I want to go but then I might like Jesus in this and so I think Jesus get on the back email because he'll probably just add a little bonus and help me help me go in this direction when I didn't realize was what I needed and a lordship decision was Jesus you take me where you want me to go and I'll sit in the back, but most of us don't want that. But let's get to the right way because the second way is look around, look up look in Detroit doesn't work either.
The community-based way of you know the community to find you. The family chose you for your to be.
That's the dominant for most parts of the world, but I mean just what you said and though about just even the very notion of adding Jesus to your life. It sounds like a home purchase. You don't hear he's going out were just we'd love for him to take part in our lives, but Jesus comes to take over his last my life Jesus right don't take over right I want to still be in control and that leads us to that that third way which is what I believe the Bible teaches where the purpose of life is first to look up first to God that question you brought up before about what do you think about God who he is what he is like, what are his his attributes. You know what is the Bible teach us about about God. He's at the center. We are not the center of the universe with him revolving around our place. He's at the center of everything, and we are part of his big plan God coming first. Then looking around to others to that the people of God. The family of God that we are called to be a part of him and then looking in to see that unique contribution that God has for us to make to his kingdom. You know, the apostle Paul talks about how in the church. You know there's with one body, but there are many different parts we all have different roles to play. I think I mean as a parent I I know my kids are unique and I want to celebrate those that the unique aspects of of those kids, but I want to celebrate them in a way that's can I have them asking questions. Where does my identity my gifts my talents of things that God has given me. Where is that going to fit in in his overall plan not, how can God fit into my plans in my life. But how can what God has given me fit into his plan for for the world. That's the bigger question that I think we have to wrestle with you. So what happens in it. In a sense I think we all know, because hopefully we've experiences but help the listener understand. So if I take that approach, I'm going to start the opposite of what I did in college. You know I'm good little God to my life. Never know on this sinner. My life looking up as you call it God is going to be the rock. The foundation already know what that means. At this moment when I do it but I want to look up and start my approach life there.
How do want one. What's that look like what we do when I have even I look up you know what happens to our mindset when we really understand who God is. Well, when we look to God and we put him first in there is going to be a definite change in priorities in our life. You know what I remember this as a went when I was a freshman in high school and I was saved as a young child and am thankful for the Lord save me so young but I remember being a freshman in high school at a disciple now weekend that our church did it with the youth group and I remember that particular weekend.
Me coming to the realization, if everything that ice say I believe about Jesus is true that he really died for my sins that he's been raised from the dead, that he really is King my life's going to be different for the rest of my life like this if if that's really true I'm not in charge and I remember coming to that to that feeling as as a freshman in high school. Realizing I could own this for myself. This can be my parent's faith. This can't just be something of an add on to my life that has led to different life decisions that would look weird to the world. Very strange to the world and I we could go into several of them just my own life.
I'm sure you all would have yours as well that where sometimes the Lord asks you to do things that don't make any sense from a worldly way of thinking, but that's because you have a different way of thinking yeah give a different way of looking at the Whitsett entry.
When you said that would look weird or strange to the world we now know what you mean by the world. It's a mindset that's right, sort of a mindset that's usually look in look around, look up the worldly mindset is like what what is that even a parent my sitters childlike what my mom said to me, what you doing Meyer you giving your life to Jesus and why do you want to go into ministry. That's a waste of what my dad told me it's an absolute waste of your life. You know that. Do you day it's a waste of your education. All of you began your gifts and my parents. I can't make any money. How will you be happy with what is interesting isn't that like that connection of money mean money is important, but money isn't the source of our happiness.
That's right, you know we should all want to live in a way that makes other people that doesn't make sense without Jesus had their like your dumb I'd rather but I did.
That's the kind of thing when you're in conversations with with people who don't know the Lord that that's the kind of thing that is going to make them ask questions, you know, Peter says, to be ready when someone asks a question about the hope that is within you. At some point we deftly want to have the right answers to people that ask questions, and it's important to do apologetics and you know I have good answers to questions that people may have the bigger more haunting question for me though is what if no one asking questions about the hope that is within me because it looks like my hope is just like everyone else's hope. Yeah, that's the bigger question that I think we have to wrestle with is our life different is it different in a positive beautiful way that people want to know that asking questions that people notice like well why what happened to you when you have a you said your 15 and used in a minute. By the way, that's a revelation for a 15-year-old, because you know it's so look in at that age, you don't even consider anything else but a 15 or like, why, why wait if the resurrection is true. That means he's God he rose from the dead, he's alive. He's in charge. My whole life different play that out. What happened is you went to high school and college, I mean this is the implications of looking up right that's right one life, but manage change everything in what way will it definitely gave me a different perspective on what my mission in life was to be about, so I immediately began to see myself as a human instrument of God's purposes, and all sorts of different areas, so are our church. We would do mission trips that the very next year, and this is all God's timing, but the very next year was the first time I went to Romania which wound up being a country that I when I was 19 years old. I bought a one-way ticket and move their and lived there for five years. Why what happened, why would you do that so I know I'm looking back now that I have a junior in high school. I think it took more for my parent's faith for me to go to dinner for me as a 19-year-old.
The Lord really gripped my heart with a passion for ministry missions and I just had this overwhelming sense of calling to steward gifts for a season six to steward my gifts there and so I had gone every year as a as a young person.
Whenever we would have a mission trip.
We did medical missions and evangelistic missions and and things but then when we when I got to that. That season where I felt like God was calling me to a Christian University there and to do ministry in the surrounding villages. Last I needed to learn the language. It was all of those cultural things that I had to, to learn, but it was was very, very strong in in my life and I am thankful that I had parents that were were supportive even though I know it was hard for them.
I was there the oldest and I'm going to college where you know what it was one of those things you know and God. God is a call everyone to cross-cultural missions.
God doesn't call everyone to do that the kinds of things. He called me to do, but God has a particular calling for everyone and the question is to to constantly be asking yourself where can I go, what can I do with the gifts that God has given me will be most exploited for the kingdom of God.
What is it that God wants for me. Where can I be lights. Where can I be salt in what field has he planted me and how do I file that field. Whatever field it may be.
Those are questions that we have to ask is Christians because the. The ultimate goal is not that we follow our heart, but that we follow God's heart for us and for the world and that what he says to be true takes precedent over however we we may view our lives yeah and what you just explained basically was. If you really look up that your term in some ways it could be looked down at the word of God. Whatever way you want to sit in our book we call go vertical right outside your marriage is never to find satisfaction one another that would be look around or look in Julia find a vertical so vertical marriage means that your sense and I look up you just explain how changes everything, because if that a 15-year-old, you realize he's the king, he rose and the dead. It's real you now look in differently because you explain just there like I'm looking in. Now the say what my gifts whose he made me to be.
How can I use these to bless others that only comes right from a lookup perspective is that is that what happened in your life and that's what were hope and so what happens with our lives and with our kids will I think this is a I think it it has happened, but I think it's always still happening tonight is a lifelong process so you sometimes you hear songs or statements in Christian circles were will say I want more of Jesus and less of me and I know people what they mean by that is what John the Baptist is saying, you know, I must decrease. He must increase. John 330 yes right and not in that sense, that's absolutely true, but there is a sense in which all at the end of time. When God remakes the whole world and when we are finally not just sanctified meat made holy but glorified where we are the most perfect versions of ourselves we can be.
I am not going to be less troubling. I will be more trouble than and yet more like Jesus than ever before. I will be more Christlike.
But in a trap and kind of way because he Jesus is going to get glory from all of his people not being clones of him, but of being like him foundational lay at the heart level but also gloriously unique where everyone has their own part to play in the symphony that is going to echo God's praises for all of eternity now are talking identity. That's right. And so, let's talk about this identity that you're talking about right now because you're getting your identity from Christ to look and then what's different is where that word is so hot right now were all talking about identity and songs and movies and everything. What's the difference will the world is going to tell you to base your identity in yourself and whatever you think or in your in your achievements, your preferences, there were all sorts of things in your life that can be become the dominant thing that you begin to then say this is who I am inside weird Jesus challenges us is that when you come to Christ you're coming to a Savior who says if you want to follow me.
You have to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me. Whoever would find his life us lose it. Whoever loses her life is the one is gaining their life. Jesus is turning that that way of thinking on its head completely, but he's not doing so and and it just the sense of why have to deny my identity. He's doing it and say no I'm gonna give you a new identity. You're going to have this identity is going to be paramount to be prominent. The most important part of you is that your redeemed that you are child of God, that you belong to his family and that identity is one that no one can take away from you see all the other identities can be can be flexible. They can be fluid your your achievements could fall away, you could lose possessions if that's where you, your career, that maybe you put your identity or career that career could go away you know you could lose your job as an economic downturn who knows what it might be. But when you have God establishing your identity then do you have something solid something substantive that's going to be there no matter what the circumstances in life are yet. I think it's you I think it's so critical for us is believers married.
Many of us parents. That's why said the beginning that I that again. I pray preaches way too much belief, what you believe theology about God what you will believe about yourself identity determines everything because I'm thinking this is what I as a parent, it has to be one of my driving passions to get this into my son or daughter, especially as they're gone. They'll 10, 11, 12, no, 14, 15 years old because there listening to other messages and voices which we all are, but I want them to know, and I can't do it, but I can live it and then speak it out it in the in the home who God really is. You know that he did raise from the dead. He is alive. He is present right here right now and you are uniquely wired created by God and he has a purpose for your life is everything you're saying try and bring it down do not know like practical theology is like I'm driving and I got my son with me.
I've done this 100 times, like I never had this vision of I want my boys to be well-rounded, which by the way is most parents vision like Allenby route well-rounded one for you also put them in every school activity in every sport and it's like no God made him really good at something, or they have a passion about something you want him singularly focused and good. It right and so is apparent you come alongside and good you can make you like Arliss on as a tech guru from day one, we would we would camp out in the woods behind our house with a tent and CJ would have a VCR. This is old. It was wired from the house with the 18 extension cords that would pop in a movie in the middle of the woods. You know like my other sensitive leg. CJ had to do that I really know how we did it up well and I was like defeating the purpose.
Are we getting the way he found island that could be in solitude which it was in some ways, but the beauty is that is as you raise a son like that for a daughter that's artistic or you name it doesn't matter.
God's made to at least put them in and that's part of their identity so I wasn't trying to say CJ, you need to be you know of an author or a you know that was not his thing. He reads the encyclopedia for fun. That's what he does right and so is apparent.
Thinking of this.
What you say and when I'm looking up first understand who God is, changes the way I view myself now as a parent, like Helena, I would've called out on my kids right it's like man I want to birth in them there identity created by God. That's where what you're talking about comes home to the family now might say that's true or how would you how would you ever set our thinking about the 34-year-old mom in her minivan with the two kids in the backseat. You know she's thinking.
How is this relevant to me right I just gave mom of one of the good friend of our our oldest son.
A copy everything yourself because we were having this very conversation about identity and she was saying.
I don't want my boys to make some of the same mistakes that I made. Growing up where I base my identity and something else. It's not what brings happiness. You know, and so I think I think this is it's such a critical thing to say but I love it I love your illustration of calling out what you see in your sensing. That's different than this. It's so easy for us as parents to want to relive our own childhood only and is in yelling it in our lives. But you see what it is right are single because I'm passionate about this, you must be passionate about this and at night. I know this temptation for myself as someone in ministry. I've seen other ministry families where it sort of just assumed well if you're the son of a pastor you're going to be a pest, but that pressure on on a kid. You've got to see what is God uniquely wired them to do and then want to do it to fan the flames of that but to do so in a way that it's connected to God's bigger purpose for the world is not just about making money. It's not just about achieving earthly success, but it does things aren't wrong, of course, not letting right. The source of your identity, it will only lead to frustration or maybe even unhappy and disappointed because it none of those things can withstand the weight of our quest for happiness just they just can't I me. I want my kids to not to to be true to themselves but to be true to their future selves. The self that God is making them that the ideal version. The Christlike version that I know is there that God when he calls them to become Christians is just like for all of us. We we want to be true to the future person that God is making us to be and so when I sent her when I fail or when I struggle. I'm not being authentic in that struggle. I'm actually being inauthentic because my my identity is as a child of God when you when you come to faith in Christ, God the father says over you what he says over Jesus and his baptism. You are my beloved son, you are my beloved child in you I am well pleased.
And because we have Christ's righteousness over us because we believe in Jesus Christ. God sees us the way he sees Jesus that is the foundational idea identity that we have and when we sin not being more ourselves were actually being less ourselves being less of the person that God has called us out to be worsening against that newfound identity and it's that identity that's gotta be prominent in our thinking and our life is so good.
Good word. Thanks for being cited for having me stop and think for just a minute how countercultural what driven wax has been sharing with David and Wilson is to live authentically as a follower of Jesus Christ. That's gonna stand out in this culture that's going to cause a lot of people to pull back and scratch their heads and say I need to hear from you what it is you're doing how you live like this driven has written about this subject in a book called rethink your self all about identity. It's a book that were thinking would be good for parents and teens to go through together or you could engage with your young adults around the subject were making the book available this week to anyone who can help support the ongoing ministry of family life to family life today is every day, reaching hundreds of thousands of people with practical biblical help and hope for marriages and families through this radio program this podcast to our website. Family life to the.com resources. The events we host all of that comes together to help effectively develop godly marriages and families. We believe godly marriages and families can change the world one home at a time. So if you would help us with the donation to increase the impact to help us reach more people more often with practical biblical help and hope for the marriages and their families would love to send you as a thank you gift a copy of criminal wax book rethink your self. You can donate online@familylifetoday.com or you can call one 800 FL today to donate again. Our website is family life to the.com or call one 803 586-329-1800 F as in family L as in life, and then the word today and thank you in advance for your financial support now tomorrow we want to talk about how you find God and his purposes and his glory in the midst of the mundane ordinary stuff of life. How can you have that kind of a God centered focus on all that's happening in your marriage and your family.
Courtney right six could join us to talk about that.
We hope you can be with us as well on behalf of our hosts David and Wilson on Bob Lapine see you back next time for another edition of family life and we love today is a production of family life accrue ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most