The Freedom of Identity

Well good morning Summit family. It's good to be here with you all. If you have your Bibles please meet me in first Corinthians chapter 4 but we are in a series continuing on this verse change my life and I want to invite you to a verse in the section of Scripture perk up the that I remember being in church some years ago there in Inglewood, California and listen to my pastor preach this text and it just revolutionized my my life and it say a verse in the section of Scripture that I really believe if we would just live into the reality of this text and it's going to be incredibly frame. It's one of the most not as if other sections of Scripture are but is one of the most brilliantly argued that sections of Scripture that deals with what the gospel does for those of us who struggle with people pleasing and I'm sure there's only two or three of us who struggle with that and I just want us to feel the freedom of these words, the guy who wrote this. His name is Paul and Paul says it this way he writes. This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, verse two. It is required of stewards that they be found faithful but would be a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself, for I am not aware of anything against myself but I am not thereby acquitted.

It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation.

One translation says praise from God, Laura Dupree, that you would speak to us, Lord God, that there would be a profound sense of freedom that we just walk through this message as we in this message and we are released from this place to go back to various spheres of influence. Lord I do pray for the seat of your word to follow on good ground that would produce great fruits that it would set the captives free.

I pray Lord that your son Jesus would would be magnified would be made much of I pray father God that that you would make this word so plain and so practical.

Give me concision speech clarity of thought. I pray that your Holy Spirit would be with us right in this moment is in Jesus name I ask all of these things.

Amen. All of us in this room understand what identity theft is at its core identity theft is an individual who takes very sensitive elements of our identity could be Social Security number, whatever it may be. Having gotten hold of those very sensitive details of our identity.

They any times open up lines of credit.

They make purchases in our name.

Some of been known to buy cars, even homes. I've had few friends of mine who have been victims of identity theft and they would say nothing is more violating than that because of this several years ago my wife and I even though we haven't been victims of identity theft. We want to get out ahead of the game, and so weeks, we entered into partnership with a group called LifeLock. This group called LifeLock. They exist to try to make our identities as genuine and authentic and secure as possible.

LifeLock can be a bit annoying though several times a year. I'll get notifications from them when they when they encounter what they deem to be suspicious activity in the essence of their notifications, their email notifications can really be boiled down to three words, is this you is this, you is the question of identity as our text opens up today you need understand that Paul is sending us an email notification verse one he says listen if you gotta reduce me to anything if you got a judge may scrutinize me if you got a cast the verdict on who I am.

I want you to come away with this statement of identity that I am a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God will ultimately want you to come away with that I'm a church planter than a preacher that I'm a pastor that I let a lot of people to faith in God, New York Times best-selling author of 13 books. When you come away with any of that stuff what went went when it just got of the rubber meets the road. I want you to leave with this conclusion about my identity. Here it is that I am a servant of Christ in a steward of the mysteries of God's I'd send you an email notification we got nothing deep to say real simple word is that you is that you, the question of identity, though it is the soundtrack of our souls, we are constantly asking ourselves the question, who am I Dietrich Bonhoeffer that great 20th century German theologian asked himself the question of identity even leading up a few days before he was executed for standing up for the marginalized, for standing up for truth against the Nazi regime here is on his way to the gallows and what is on Bonhoeffer's mind, it's the question of identity a few days before he dies. He writes this poem entitled new MI listen to what he says go am I this or the other. My one person today and tomorrow another and I both at once a hypocrite before others before myself up contemplatively Wobegon weakling or something within me still like a beaten army fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved my gas, they mocked me the school only questions of mine and then he concludes however I am, thou knowest. Oh God, I am dying.

He concludes I'm not ultimately a writer. I am not going ultimately be a martyr. Here's the email notification. I am dying I am a servant of Christ in a steward of the mysteries of God is that you these questions of identity. Just just want us they haunt us.

They hung the retired athlete who for so much of their life they they were kind of given to this performance driven ethic where where there identity maybe was caught up in their stat sheet men afterwards. They finally retire and are left with the question of who am I these questions haunt the individual maybe at some of you, and recently maybe you got the call got the pink slip you been working this dream job and all of a sudden that's been taken away from you.

Now you're unemployed and you're asking the foundational question who am I these questions may be when the things I'm picking up honest living in the triangle and very similar to the bay area.

In some regards. A highly educated people.

Many of you, and you got the letters behind your name and yet, in spite of all of the academic achievement. Maybe you're still haunted by these questions that letters behind the name can ultimately fulfill who am I maybe teenagers asked this question. All of us in our teenage years. We wanted to be popular. The difference between back then and now is you can now quantify it, so maybe you're going to social media and you post something you're trying to see how many likes that I didn't. How many followers do I have because maybe these questions are more than just questions or questions of identity when why fallout here.

These questions aren't just for people who have failed there also for people succeeded in our church in the bank. We had 30 something-year-old retirees came to the bay area started the business from scratch, knocked it out of the park, sold it for tens of millions of dollars. Another 36 years old playing 36 holes of golf every single day and yet they wander into our church because success didn't satisfy and their asking the question who am I on and on. The whole sermon I could go with analogy after analogy after analogy, no matter where we may fall on the spiritual spectrum we fundamentally albacore asked the question of identity. This is a question Paul deals with first review chapter 1, verse 10, Paul says I've gotten a bad report and here's why I'm writing you this letter. First Corinthians 110. He's got report from Chloe's house that things are not going well at the church at Corinth, Chloe am a little annoyed because chances are I gave you this bad report and I thought we want people between us, Paul, but now you don't put my name out there for everyone in all of eternity to see things are going well pulses. Here's why they're not going well.

There's divisions recess to the church at Corinth.

Some of your saying I am of Paul. Others of you are saying no, I'm not up all the founder of the church, I'm of a policy that the silver throat order who came in preaching at the birds out the trees. No I'm not Paul not oppose another group says I'm of Peter and still another group says nope. I'm not appalled. I'm not of a policy. I'm not of Peter. I am of Christ. Here is Paul. He wades into the division at the root of the division is there are people who are settling for lesser identities of this world there putting their identity.

Many of them in man and one of the things Paul teaches us by implication is that when you and I settle for the lesser identities of this life. The next domino to fall will be division when you and I settle for the lesser identities of this life. When identity is in anything and anyone except for Christ and Christ alone division is sure to follow. Some of you all. Your identity is in your success in your job performance and so naturally. What happens is, maybe you look with a sense of jealousy or envy at those were more successful than you are.

Maybe you look down on others as you deem to be not as successful. You have division others of us may be up our identity is in our ethnicity. When my identity is in my ethnicity am going to be divided from people of another ethnicity. Others of us.

Maybe our identity isn't in any of those things. Identity is in our political ideology and convictions. So what happens when we meet someone who was about different political ideology or conviction.

There's divisions from them.

Please don't misunderstand me. Yes that pursue success. Yes, but celebrate the fullness of your Margo day which would include your ethnicity and yes have your political convictions and ideology. You can have these things what the problem is when those things have you my identity is in Christ. When I settle for the lesser identities of his life.

There's bound to be division. Now you notice very carefully and it's a masterfully argued thing. Paul now pulls us into the into the tension he feels from the Corinthians as it relates to forming his identity. On the one hand there's attention to base his identity in success. Please notice there's a group there at Corinth who were saying Paul and Paul week. We love you. I don't say any overstatement with this what you need to understand this. Paul has to be in the top five of leaders to have ever lived in the world before basing his leadership based on the influence that he continues to have top five easy right now on this day. There are probably millions of people sitting in churches across the world being shaped and formed by his writings today.

Here's a guy who planted churches in spades. Here's a guy with a ton of catalytic and entrepreneurial energy. Here's a guy who's incredibly courageous and would ask 14 walks into Lister tries to plant a church. They stone them now know about you, you got one time to stone me and I coming back to town with two chapters later he's back, courageous, entrepreneurial visionary catalytic leader who could write and influence and shape the leaders of leaders and now the church at Corinth. There's a group of people who are understandably saying Paul aware of you what's temptation here temptation is to for my identity over my successes.

Paul, the church planter.

Paul the writer, Paul the leader, Paul the entrepreneur Paul the courageous Paul doesn't do that. Maybe that some of your temptation.

Some of you right now you're sitting under the sound of my voice you are very accomplished people. You know how to get it done.

You know how to move in shape and influence you got quite the following.

Maybe you based your identity off of your success. Let's not forget that's not where the bulk of the church at Corinth is the book of the church at Corinth they not feeling Paul you got some were saying.

I'm of a policy dinner policy silver throat oratory could preach the birds out the trees. Here's a guy maybe was the JD Greer of his day were the Ricky Harris of his day, and here's Paul what they say of Paul with a pretty pretty blunt.

Paul you really can't preach and administer mediocre age are not very impressive.

You're the Brian Moritz of our congregation that some of you when I walked out on the stage ready were disappointed. Absolutely disappointed you are telling the truth is you are expecting someone else. That's what we have here. So Paul could've easily formed in identity off of his flaws and failures. By the way, that's very invoked today. This whole groups of people who formed their identities off of being a victim whole groups of people form an identity off of the trauma that happened here me I'm not being insensitive and yes you should get the help. And yes, I understand lifelong issues and we are dealing with them and commitment or something even redemptive about walking with a limp. But while our our past may explain us, it doesn't excuse us, so here's the tension. Paul says, on one hand like a group of people who want me to be defined by my successes and on the other hand, I've got a group of people who want me to be defined by my failures and yet what is he do first one uses. Here's some defined look at it with me. I am neither defined by my successes or failures. I am defined this way.

I am a servant of Christ is Paul.

The writing originally language called Greek and Greek word translated as up as servants is literally the word under grower under rower. It spoke of the scores of individuals who would be several floors down on the big Roman ships there floating around the Mediterranean and they were the ones powering the ship since they were growing. Not according to their own will, but under the authority of the pilot they would just follow the pilots instructions and Paul likens himself to one of these under rower's. This is not only that, but normally my a servant of Christ and under rower but I'm a steward of the mysteries of God. The Greek word for steward is the work or a true animosity which we get the English word economics was used literally to describe an individual who managed the house, not the owner of the house, the manager of the house. This was the individual who ran the affairs of the household under the authority of the owner, the best biblical illustration of that is Paul is his partner for to Joseph Potter for own the house. Joseph was the Coit, Thomas. The household manager. The common denominator to both of these words servants in stewards as this is one who is under the authority of another whose identity is inextricably tied to the one who is over them. Paul says I am not my successes. I am not my failures. I am a servant in steward under the authority of the Lord. The Greek word their curiosity. My master and owner.

I am under his authority. He is the one who defines me which is this here is the freedom when I really operate that way that allows me to do is to put gospel distance between my successes and gospel distance between my failures bought house in Chaco church would be shut right now because that's what the gospel does it freeze me. It absolutely frees me now okay Brian, thank you very much. This is incredibly ethereal. Can you just bring this down. How do I walk in that how to why walk in that Paul now builds a masterful argument he gives us three principles to walking in this watch it and each principal leads to the next swimwear when we release from this place.

The gospel says to you and I you are not your Instagram followers. You are not the comments on your Facebook page or not what your dad did or didn't do. You are a servant of Christ in a steward of the mysteries of God. How do I walk in that context, I love this art text is filled with legal language over and over and over again.

Paul uses words like judge or judgment. The Greek word for judge.

Watch it now doesn't so much emphasize or speak to the verdict, but the Greek word for judge speaks to the process that leads to the verdict. The idea of the word judge. Watch it now. It it it really is the idea of a person is being evaluated person who's being scrutinized. Paul now helps the legal language by talking about this phrase human court, he said. For example, verse three, but with me was a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. If you've ever been a defendant in court. It's gotta be a horrible experience I've never been a defendant in court.

But I can only imagine if you been a defendant in court about what that looks like this for weeks or months, you are constantly under microscopic scrutiny. Everything about using analyze everything about is being looked at and that's what Paul says Paul says every day you when I wake up. We walked into the human court of this world and we are receiving judgment from others.

Parenthetically, let's keep it real is given 100 of my kids would say that judgment. He specifically is saying is coming from church folk I know we don't do this at the summit sometime out of the church down the street round the corner. We are constantly being analyzed and scrutinized as Paul's ministry worship leader Hank Murphy will appreciate this.

Paul was Lebron James of his day, constantly being scrutinized constantly being evaluated wherever he was going. Again there scrutinizing the way he preaches he is being scrutinized in places like Lister and Ephesus with mom's gathering trying to trying to kill him. He's being scrutinized by religious leaders and say he's not gotten all of his religious eyes and crossing all of his religious teeth, judgment, judgment, judgment, judgment, judgment, and that's you and I every day we are at the mercy of other people's opinions are what we drive and if were married and how many kids we have at home and how we parented when we send them to school and in and if you're not married or making opinions about battle where you went to school where he went to university how many letters you have behind your name where you work, how much money do you make where you live where you vacation people are making judgments about each other and we can say amen because we do that the other constantly forming opinions. What is Paul say is very small thing that I should be judged by you, and goes on to say, I don't even judge myself. The implication is we all struggle with what I called an inner lawyer. All of us have right now in inner lawyer who is constantly working overtime. Testing their own sense of verdict based on evaluations and opinions that we have of ourselves love Charles Spurgeon instead of Charles Spurgeon that Sunday afternoons. If he felt like the sermon didn't go well. He would sit in broodmare in his living room in his London home and although I can relate to Babette about about figured that it didn't go well, ma'am constantly brooding that we are consciously saying what I say it that way and or how come I didn't speak up for it, which is constantly evaluating ourselves and all of us need to know the freedom that Paul that we need to give our inner lawyer a pink slip so all been there. Okay Brian I understand that were judged by others constantly judged by ourselves. How do I break free of that. Paul tells us in verse four he says that the in it is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. Paul, how are you able to walk in freedom you got all of these opinions coming your way.

How are you able to walk in freedom.

Paul says I have gotten to the place in my life that there is only one judge who matters in any you innately. It's God.

And the reason why his judgment matters is because you see in part what he sees it all juicy my actions.

He sees my heart. You see my activities. He sees my motives and there's coming a day when I will have to answer not to you not to mama not that big mama I will have to answer to God. So I played to an audience.

One that frees me that future reality determines my actions today laid on the summer Coronado hop on a plane and drop our second son off at college to down one to go pray Lord hallelujah thank you Jesus.

Already we start making payments already start making payments and have really good talk to them as it son I'm only contributing towards four consecutive years for programs five you better figure how to do it for the money runs out. So here we are able to make these payments because from the day he was born.

We labored under the assumption that there would be a future day in which she would say I want to go to college that future fix day caused us to make some decisions in the present.

Just kinda methodical. Paul is saying there's coming a day when were going to die, writer of Hebrews would say it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment need as much kale salad as you want it going to die and face the only true judgment that comes from God because of that fixed reality that it any given moment. God can say to give me back my breath. May that have drastic implications on the choices I make today so why are we operating under the tyranny of people pleasing because these individuals are our final judge may we be freed now.

What happens when I understand that when understand is only one true judge. I live in that way. What then happens. Paul tells us when I live under the reality. There's one true judge on working for his judgment. What then happens is people become small, God becomes big, people become small, God becomes big. Notice what he says in the text, verse three, he says, but with me it is a very small thing of the Temple of record for small is my cross from which we get the English word microscopical microscope. This word for small is the superlative of my cross is teeny teeny teeny teeny teeny teeny teeny teeny teeny to the nth degree as my grandma used to say it's T 19 is beyond time notice. Paul isn't saying that other people's judgments are invisible, yet he sees it, yet he feels it, but in the scope of the gospel is beyond microscopic Paul models this force with the Galatians. Paul Heath goes to the region of Galatia need plants.

These churches all these Gentiles come to faith in Jesus Christ. He then leaves after he leaves is a group of religious leaders call the Judaizers to vent come in after Paul and tell these new Gentile converts in the region of Galatia for soliciting the can't really trust Paul Heath. He wasn't a real apostle. He wasn't handpicked by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So here's what you need to do in order to be saved. You must add to the finished work of Christ. Circumcision Paul gets wind of this and he writes the letter to the Galatians and the first thing he does in the first two chapters as he deals with his genuine apostolic identity in Christ right out the gate. He refutes the Judaizers who tried to attack his identity by saying these words about who he really is. Look at them with me.

He says in Galatians 110 form I'm now seeking the approval of man or of God or my trying to please man, if I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Paul is saying that it is absolutely incongruent and incompatible with the gospel to labor under the tyranny of people pleasing and be a servant of Christ. At the same time. What is Paul saying Judaizers small God is big, set my sons practice yesterday's basketball practice and I was reminded of the time he was a little kid when his first start in the play rec league basketball, seven, eight years old and I go to his games and I noticed right away when my son would steal the ball on defense or hit a shot on offense. He would actually belittle the game look up at me in the stands I've given the thumbs up and continue on and then right after the game. My son would come right up to me and would say to me dad had.

I do not notice my son didn't say this to coach you didn't ask this of the other players even asked us of the other players parents. The only ask this of his dad. It was as if Mike, my son was saying if dad says I'm good I'm good. I was big, others were small, is exactly what Paul is saying my identity is in Christ time freed from the tyranny of other people's opinions. There's one true judge. That judge is God. And when that happens, Paul is saying God, am I good because if I'm good, that's all that matters.

So what happens when we understand God's the one true judge people become small, God becomes big thirdly and finally, what happens we are emancipated from a performance ethic resent this way let's go in the opposite direction when I'm in bondage to what people think of me when I'm in bondage over other people's opinions of me when I'm in bondage to what my mother-in-law when she comes to visit, thinks of me when I'm in bondage of of other people's opinions of me, but then happens people become vague God become small when people become vague and got become small, I'm now on this treadmill of acceptance and approval are now working myself silly to get you like me is exactly what Madonna at the height of her powers said Madonna at the height of her celebrity. She sat down and did an interview with Vogue magazine. Listen to what she says my driving life comes from a fear of being mediocre. That is always pushing me.

I push past one spell a bit and discover myself as a special human being. But then I feel I am still mediocre in an interesting, unless I do something else because even though I become somebody I still have to prove that I am somebody, my struggle has never ended and I guess it never will. Millions of dollars. World-famous not satisfied still having to work in prove and prove and prove old friends when your identity is in Christ and Christ alone.

We don't work for approval. We work from approval.

Paul and Paul sits down the right, the current everyone. Some understand is my one true judge and because of that God is big and people are small and when that happens I am free from the tyranny of your opinion. We did this because Paul says these astounding words. Remember the Corinthians hated his preaching prescriptions to one through five. Through the lens of a person who is absolutely free in Christ whose identity is in Christ, not in their work. He says and when I came to you, brothers, I didn't come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and interfere in much trembling in my speech and my message was not implausible. Words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith my night might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power is saying here I am potential he was born. Imagine that. I wonder how that would go over dating on a preaching meeting at a jaded switch nonsense and boring this week or you think about how many pastors and churches throughout world history got fired from their churches because they didn't have plausible speech. The celebrity culture has is messed up. Paul says I came just giving you Christ and if that's not good enough. I'm okay with that because I'm secure in my identity when I was a kid my father used to say to me and my siblings all the time little phrase remember who you are with rest when I started driving out as my deputies to take young lady out the keys to his Burgundy Ford Aerostar. My goodness, that were tossing the keys on my way out the door to pick up a young lady for date and he would say remember who you are. Other times I go hang out with my buddies since some of them weren't saved and that was a have a great time. But remember who you are. No that wasn't asking me to remember my drivers license number or Social Security or home address in some senses. He was reminded me son your last name is Lorentz last name Lorentz is so peculiar that anybody who has that last name is directly related to us. So some senses that was saying as you're out with this young lady is your hanging out with your buddies don't do anything that would bring shame on the family name, but that had something else in view that name Lorentz is a good name because it's connected to a greater name and that greater name is Jesus.

Remember son that your identity is in Christ that who you are is found in him. Jesus Christ several thousand years ago took on flesh and dwelt among us.

He came into the human court of this world. He was scrutinized he was examined and people were constantly critiquing him. Ultimately, they were discouraged with him because he refused to placate their expectations by becoming a political leader who would overthrow Rome.

Ultimately, they led him into a kangaroo carport met kangaroo court gave them Dave Jesus, I should say a bad verdict.

Humans gave Jesus a bad verdict on the cross, Jesus took that bad verdict and gave us a good verdict and that good verdict is we are declared righteous justified by faith, before you ever had a quiet time, declared righteous before you ever shared your faith, declared righteous before you ever gave any money declared righteous men by the letters behind your name, but by the name saying he asks you a new name is no other name of I'm good with him and I'm good father to break down the name of Jesus would release us free us from the tyranny of people please free us from from the judgments of others free us from judging others, may we rest or identity solely and you cement name Jesus. The name that is above every name that I pray, amen