Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, guys, this is Naim, and you've reached the Mosaic Church Podcast. So excited that you're part of our listening community and love for you to be even more connected. So check out our website. There's more content there and there's more opportunities for you. Get connected in our ministries and events as well. Also, love for you to share this content. If this is blessed to you. I know that God wants to use you to bless other people with it, so share this podcast you will. Lastly, would you consider supporting this ministry? This is made possible by other people's generosity, and I'd love for you to pay it forward. Join us to reclaim the message and the movement of Jesus together. So would you consider giving to this ministry? I know that God is able to do immeasurably more through us when we come together. Thank you so much. God bless you. Enjoy.
[00:00:56] Good morning.
[00:00:59] Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Okay, how many of you know what I'm holding in my hand, huh? Let's see. What have you got? What do you got?
[00:01:10] You can say. You can talk out loud. Yoga mat. Yes, people, I got a yoga mat. Any yogis in the house?
[00:01:17] Really? Jeff. Okay, I'm not judging you. I'm not judging you. I'm just saying. I'm just saying a lot, actually. But yeah, yeah. So I got introduced to yoga a couple of years ago, and, you know, when I first got introduced, I was like, you know what? I'm just not that guy. I'm just not that guy. I can't do it. Can't do it. Because I'm not. What's the word? I'm not. Yes, yes, yes, yes. And so Danielle, who's sitting here, right here, she was like, no, you gotta do it. You gotta do it. You gotta do it. And I'm like, okay, listen, here's the thing. It's not like I won't. I just can't. I just can't. I can't do it. Now, what's interesting is that Ashley, my wife, amazing wife, she can actually do it. You know why? Because she is what she is. Flexible. But she won't.
[00:01:59] She won't do it. She won't do it. Yeah, she won't do it. And what's funny is, as the years have gone by, I have definitely changed and become that person that goes to yoga. In fact, my son and I are the only two people in our family that do yoga. The only people that can't do it are. But we're willing. We're willing to try it. And so Danielle was like, you know what? You need a serious mat. And I'm like, listen, I don't need a serious mat. I got a mat. Mat. Mat. She's like, no, you need a serious mat. She bought me a fancy one. A fancy one, people. Lululemon fancy, yeah. I'm like, wow. Okay, okay. All right. So I think it makes me more flexible, actually. It does not. But, yeah, she got me a fancy mat. And you know what's interesting about yogis and people who practice yoga? They're really. I'm not saying they're a cult. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying they're a lot into it. They're like, you're Matt and you are one. Like, this is your practice. And they. I mean. And some of you might be thinking, you know, if you're watching and you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't. I don't. I don't get into yoga because I think it's. It's. It's. It's. It's. I don't know. I grew up in a faith that told me that they were from the devil. You know what I'm saying? They were like. They were not. Yoga was not a good thing. And so what's interesting, though, is getting to know the culture. I realized that there's so much of being people's identity connected to their mat. Like, they're like, this is your mat. And I started thinking about that. I was like, you know what? I think that's why Danielle gave me this mat. She's like, no, this needs to be your mat. You're one with the mat and all that. And I tell you what, I'll tell you what. I'm still trying to get flexible. But you know what's interesting about this idea of having things in your life that are part of your life, they contribute to your identity. What you wear, what you drive, who you hang out with, they're all part of your identity. They're not your whole identity. They're just a part of your identity. And as I was thinking about that, I was thinking about the miracle that we're gonna be talking about. I thought about the idea. The idea that there are certain things in our life, right? The things we can do and we can't do, and they are part of our life. But the thing that shapes our lives are the things that we will do and we won't do. Those are the things that actually shape our character. The things we choose to do and not do, not the things we can or Cannot, but what we choose to do. And so this miracle, the big idea right now is this title right here, right behind me. You either you what you can't or what you won't, you won't. So if you've been joining us, we've been in a series called, you know, It's Gonna Take a Miracle. We're going through the book of John. Not verse by verse, not chapter by chapter, but by miracle, by miracle. We're just going through. And so we land into this third miracle here. And every miracle challenges me, and I'm hoping it challenges us, because what we wanna do in this series is go God, I've been praying for some things, I've been hoping for some things, I've been wishing for some things, I've been working towards some things. Am I gonna get those things? Like, am I gonna find my person?
[00:05:02] Or am I gonna be this single adult going through a lot of my years? Like, what's the tension? Because the more we wait on, it kind of messes us up a little bit.
[00:05:13] It kind of. Because hope, when it's deferred, when hope, when we're really waiting for something to take place, and it does not, it really does mess with our psyche and it changes us. So this series is important because we go, God, am I praying for this business to turn around, this marriage to turn around this? I really need this healing. I really need this. I really need this restoration God. Like, how do I pray? And so the series is really about what do we need to do to position ourselves to maybe step into the miracle that God has for us. And what does God do? And so John, the guy, the book, the guy who wrote this, he refocuses on these miracles. In fact, he has the most miracles in his book than all the others. Like, he mentions them because that's his thing. He wants people to know that God, this Jesus person, is the Christ. He is the messiah. He is. And he's full of miracles. And every miracle challenges us. So this one is gonna challenge our identity. It's gonna challenge this idea of I won't, or is it I can't. What are we really doing? What is God wanting me to do as I wait for my miracle?
[00:06:18] And possibly, is there something I need to be doing? So let's jump in. Are you guys ready? Let's jump in. We're gonna be in John chapter five. If you got your Bibles, if you got your app, it's on the app as well. You can follow along. And to make it super easy, we got it on the screen for you. Okay, so let's jump in. So it's chapter five. It says, jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the religious. Jewish religious holidays. Inside the city. Inside the city. Right near the what gate?
[00:06:49] The sheep gate. This is interesting. The sheep gate was a. Was Bethesda pool. Now this, with five covered platforms or porches surrounding it, crowds of what kind of people?
[00:07:04] Sick folks.
[00:07:06] Interesting translation. Sick folks. Okay, lame, blind, or with what? Paralyzed limbs, lay on the platform waiting for a certain. What, movement in the water. Can you picture this? So there's this pool and there are people obviously who are suffering from. From ailments, and they're hanging around there and there seems to be.
[00:07:31] Everybody's waiting for a movement in the water. And it says here, John says, for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and did what? Disturbed. Disturbed the water. And the first person. Check this out. The first person to step into it. What happened?
[00:07:48] They were healed. They were healed. Now what's really interesting is that John just says, matter of fact, this was happening. Now, it doesn't say that it was actually true. Do you know what I'm saying? It's not like it was actually true. And it wasn't even connected to the fact that it was a Jewish thing. It just happened to be that. Because again, the context is you got Jewish people, but they're living in a pagan society. And all the places that they've got set up for themselves are also influenced by Roman soldiers, or not Roman soldiers, but Roman citizens. And so this pool, the sheep gate that they're talking about, the Bethesda, when you hear. When you read the word, you know, Beth. Beth actually means home or a house. So it was called the House of Grace and Mercy. That pool was. But. But it was in fact connected to number one. It was connected to this Greek God. There was also a temple there nearby is a Greek God who was the God of healing. So if you've ever been to a pharmacy and you've seen the symbol, right? There is a staff and a what around it? Snake. Yeah, like that. That is actually a Greek God. And we have still used that even to this point. So there's this symbol there. So that's connected. And what's this idea with this pool of water? Like what's happening over there? Well, the interesting thing is that historians tell us that this pool of water was connected to King Herod's castle or palace. And so what he would do is he would.
[00:09:27] It was connected to his water system. And so when he would turn on the water at time to time to kind of, you know, take care of or provide water for his palace. That water line would in fact, disturb this portion right there. And people would think it was an angel of the Lord. And so it was always connected. There was a lot of myth around it, but people there were waiting around for a lifetime in one sense, for something to happen miraculously. What's interesting about this is that in this context, you find Jesus walking in, knowing that there are people that are desperate for healing, desperate for something to change in their lives, and they will not just believe anything, but they'll believe something that is irrational just to step into or just to find healing. And maybe, maybe there was some cases there and that's why the myth got started. But that's the context. That's the context. So what happens then? Well, then what happens is the next ver. Next passage says that one of these men, like where it says here, one of these men lying there had been sick for how many. How many. How many years?
[00:10:27] 38 years. Now, I don't know how and when he got. He got ill, but for 38 years we know he's been sick. So he could be 38 years old. We don't know this for a fact, but what we do know is that Jesus was very intentional. He was there in this particular time. He steps in and he says when he saw him, he knew how long he'd been sick. He knew. And then he asked him this question. Now, knowing how long he's been sick, like, John writes that he knows how long he's been sick, and he asked him a question. What is the question?
[00:11:00] Would you. What?
[00:11:02] Okay, help me out. Would you what?
[00:11:04] Would you like to get well? Like, it's like the obvious question, like, hey, hey, hey, I know you've been waiting your whole life and it seems like for this, but I just wanna ask you the question, like, why does Jesus want us to talk, to tell us out loud our intention and what's interesting about this is. And which definitely I can sympathize and empathize with the guy. He says this. He says what? He what? I what? I can't, I can't. Like he says, do you want to get well? The answer would be, yeah, yes, yes, yes, yes, I am. That's what I've been here for. Yes, I want to, but he says, I can't do it. I can't do it. I wonder how much of his.
[00:11:51] Of his condition started connecting, started bleeding into his identity. Like he just. He's Like, I just can't do it. I can't do it. For I have. He says this. He gives the reason, right? He says what? He says, for I can't because. For. I have no one to what, help me into the pool at the moment, the movement of the water, like that moment. I just don't have someone to help me do that while I've been trying to get there. Someone. What else? Always gets what ahead of me? Isn't that the condition of our life?
[00:12:33] I want this. But someone just always gets in, gets the parking spot, like, always gets the job. Or someone else comes in, always cuts me off. Like, it always happens. It always happens. Like, I'm just unlucky guy. And then Jesus says this. He says, hey, I want you to stand up, roll up this mat of yours that's been a part of your identity. Yeah, let's roll this up. Roll this up. I wonder how long it took to roll it up. He's like, okay, we're waiting. Everybody's waiting. Everybody's waiting to roll this up. John's like, what else do I need to write? And it was a pretty day. I don't know. Okay, we're rolling it up. We're rolling it up. We're rolling it up. We're rolling it up. Okay, finally. And he says, hey, hey, hey, hey. And he says, what?
[00:13:21] Go home.
[00:13:23] Go home. Like this is no longer a part of your identity. Instantly, the man was healed. He rolled up his mat, right?
[00:13:31] Began walking.
[00:13:33] He goes. He leaves. What's interesting about this is that I think for some of us, what we need to realize, number one, about this miracle is that your mess.
[00:13:42] And I mean, when I say mess, I mean your condition, your whatever, your. This is not part of your identity.
[00:13:52] I mean, it's not your whole identity.
[00:13:55] It's not your whole identity. It shouldn't.
[00:13:59] I know it's a part of your life. I know it's a part of your life, but it's not your whole identity. And so your sickness is not a part of your identity.
[00:14:11] That's not your whole identity. And what's interesting about this is that sometimes our conditions that we face, the things we go through, our culture ends up defining us like that. Like, for example, you have a marriage, right? And it ends up you guys get separated and, you know, you get a divorce, right? And now you are, what? You're a person who is, what, divorced? Like, that's how it becomes a part of your identity. You are divorced. You are divorced. And that identity won't change unless you get married so that identity part of it won't get changed, because that's how we have set it up in culture. You're single, you're single. You're single. You're a single adult. You're single adult, you're single. I don't know why they call it single. It's terrible. They call it single, you're single adult. And that will never change until you get, what?
[00:15:03] Married? And guess what? If that doesn't work out, you're what? You're back to being single? Like, what. What. What's happening here? What's happening here? And sometimes we say, you know, we put the condition of the person first, then the actual person.
[00:15:21] Instead of saying, hey, this is Susan, and she's looking for her person, we go, oh, she's single, she's divorced. You know, he's single, he's widowed. So we just talk like that. The problem is our soul is hearing that, and that becomes part of our identity. And so when Jesus says, hey, with your healing, with your need, do you want to get well? We don't say yes. We say, I can't, because I have tried.
[00:15:52] I can't.
[00:15:56] I have tried. I've tried.
[00:15:59] I was interviewing a guy for my podcast. And, you know, some of you guys know that I wrote a book, and it's coming out in a couple months. And so part of that, we did podcast episodes. And so I've been interviewing some friends of mine, and one of the guys that I had recently met over the years is a guy named John Gordon. Now, if you know anything about positivity and business and all that, John Gordon is a very famous name. Wrote 17 bestsellers. Big deal. Big deal. We just happened to be speaking at the same event. I don't even know how, but we connected. And he's such a good guy. But what I don't like about him is that he is really.
[00:16:43] He's not gonna listen to this. He'll watch this. So we're fine. We're fine. You know, he's just a little too positive for me. You know what I'm saying? He's just a little bit like, you know what I'm talking. I don't mind positivity. I like positive, but then it goes from positivity to annoying. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, something's gotta be bad. You know, something You. Can you just sit. Can you embrace the suck? Does that. You know what I'm saying, You guys? You know, I'm like, can you just not acknowledge that right? Can you not, Ben? And so I was talking to him about, like, I'm like, hey, did you. Were you born positive? Like, did you come out of the womb going, it's a great day. It's a great. Like, how did this happen? And he said, you know what? Actually, it's the opposite. He's like. And then he talks about it in the podcast, and you guys should listen to it, but it's fascinating. He says, man, I actually. I got to a point where I was very negative. I grew up in, you know, Catholic Italian home and hard. You know, hard dad. And I was just always negative. And my wife, basically, one day, she said, we're done. We're done if you don't change.
[00:17:45] We're done if you can't move out of this. And it was. He was like. He said, I had to. I had to make a decision that I'm not gonna be this guy. I'm not gonna take the identity that I was given by my DNA.
[00:18:00] Because we're all given things from our parents, we're all given things from our family, from our heritage. He's like, all this.
[00:18:09] He said, this Catholic guilt, this Catholic shame.
[00:18:13] He's like, I had to stop this.
[00:18:16] I had to decide once and for all I'm going to choose to be this guy. And I was like, oh, my gosh.
[00:18:24] He said, this doesn't come natural to me.
[00:18:28] I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, yeah, after writing all these books, it still doesn't. It's now. Now it's becoming a part of who I am. But I had to choose. So, friends. I mean, I feel like some of us, as we're waiting for things to turn around, we see everybody else cuts in line, everybody else gets the job, everybody else gets the success, everybody else gets this. That, that, that, that, that. Is it changing us? Are we being. Our identity being shaped by. Have we allowed it in, is our mess now our identity? I am that person. I'm always gonna be that person. And I don't wanna say this lightly, but it's like you end up finding a little bit security in being a victim because you're so used to it.
[00:19:18] You're like, this is what I'm used to. This is what I'm expecting out of my life. I'm going to be the one rejected. I'm going to be this person. I just. I can't. I can't because I'm not enough. I can't do this because I'm not good enough. I can't do this because I'm not lovable. I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't. I'm not smart enough. I'm not educated enough. I can't, I can't, I can't. And I just want you to know your mess is not your identity.
[00:19:44] It's not your identity. So the story goes on, right? And so it's really fascinating. So we'll pick it up again. So what happens after that? After that, it says. But it was. It was when the miracle happened. It was what? It was what? The Sabbath. Anybody know what the Sabbath was? The Sabbath from the Jewish people were people like, hey, you can't do any work in the Sabbath, okay? You can't do anything in the Sabbath, okay? And Jesus was a rabbi as well, so apparently he was off duty as well. But anyway, so. So it says here. So the Jewish leaders objected. They objected. Objected. What? What did they object? They said to the man who was cured, you can't work on the Sabbath.
[00:20:20] What? What do you mean? Now? I don't know what happened with him. I don't know. Like, he got up, he was like, I can walk. I'm going to take a run. I'm going to do all the things that my legs couldn't do. I don't. Maybe. I don't know. Or it was just that he was what, carrying his. Just his Mac. He was like, hey, hey, you can't work on the Sabbath. It's illegal to carry your. What?
[00:20:41] It's illegal to carry it.
[00:20:44] See, some of us, I mean, need to realize that there are people in our life. And even maybe I would just say in this context, religious people are in life that really love you because you're broken.
[00:21:00] But when you get healed, they don't like you.
[00:21:03] Like, they love it that you're messed up. But as soon as you get healing, they're like, I don't know about that.
[00:21:12] Cause they like that there are people in your life who just love you or want to be in your life because they believe that they can fix you.
[00:21:22] But when God does a miracle in your life, they're like, I'm not quite sure.
[00:21:26] So the Pharisees were like, ah, we didn't do this. So obviously it's not even real. And you can't do this. You can't even work. And he's like, what are you talking about, work, man? I'm picking up. I'm picking up my life and walking with it. What's happening? What's happening? So they go, hey. And they go. The man. They're like, it's illegal. The man who healed me, it says here, told me, told it to me.
[00:21:54] He said, who said such a thing as that? They demanded. Then the man didn't know, and Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. So Jesus does this. He leaves, and he's like, I don't even know who this guy was. Like, I don't know. All I know is it's this. It's this.
[00:22:14] So what happens? What happens. What happens is that he begins to live his life. Now, I don't know if you know what you do when a prayer gets answered. Like, when you actually go, okay, God, this is happening. You get the job. You get the healing. You get the whatever. I mean, what do you do there? What do you do there? Like, I know I have moments of gratitude, but as John's writing tells us, when we talk about miracles and we're praying for something and when things actually do happen, you know, when you get the job, when your prayer request is now a praise thing, you. You know, it's like, this is it. It has happened. Does that change you? And could that change you in a positive way or could that actually change you in a negative way?
[00:23:08] See, your mess.
[00:23:10] Your mess is not your identity. But also. Also, I would say this, your miracle is not your identity.
[00:23:22] Because for some of us, you're like, no, no, I'm that person that I pray and things happen. And that's just me. That's just me. That's my identity. This is where I am.
[00:23:32] I'm always blessed and never stress.
[00:23:37] I'm that guy. I'm that person. I'm that person. This is my identity. This is who I am. This is it. You know, I find myself.
[00:23:45] I would find myself in this camp right here. You know, there are several things that Ashley does not understand about me, okay? We joke about this all the time. Number one, how I just cannot find the easiest way to leave a parking lot. I cannot. I just. I just. She's like, it's. I'm like. I just keep on going. I'm like, where are we going?
[00:24:06] The other thing that is fun when it's driving with me is that she is when we're going somewhere, and I'm like, okay, well, let's find a parking spot. I go to the. In front of the restaurant, the front of. She's like, you. You're not gonna find a parking space, princess.
[00:24:23] In front of the space. In my head, I'm like, yes, I am. Yes, I am. And sometimes I get There I get princess parking people. If you don't know what that is. It's for princesses. Anyway, so.
[00:24:35] And I still do this. I just go. I just feel in my head, I'm like, God just is his goodness and mercy follows me. I just. I just go about my way going, yes, it's just gonna happen. If it doesn't happen. It's all good. It's all good. Now the people with me are annoyed as they get out. Cause it just takes longer. When I could have just parked where there were parking spots, but I was like, no, why do we have to walk? God is for us. Okay, okay. And I go, and sometimes I get lucky, but sometimes I just feel like I'm always lucky in life. And I think it's part of my personality, is that I've identified that my miracle is part of my identity. You see, my miracle when I first came to Christ was Jesus showing up in my room. And I have to be honest with you, after I shared that story a couple of dozen times, people were like, oh, my gosh, you're the guy. You're the guy that Jesus showed up in his room for. And I remember being introduced like that and speaking to a crowd of people. And I was like, yeah, I am.
[00:25:40] Yes, I am that guy. I am that guy. And what happened is that my miracle became my identity. That's who I was until God was like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. What are you doing?
[00:25:55] What are you doing?
[00:25:58] Like, just because you've had some blessings in your life, just because things have worked out, just because I've shown up in a way that, you know, other people don't get to experience. That's not all you are, by the way. Like, your miracle, when you get it, is not your identity. It's not.
[00:26:20] Because here's the problem.
[00:26:22] When the luck runs out, what happens?
[00:26:25] God hates me.
[00:26:28] I'm a terrible person.
[00:26:30] I'm doing something wrong. All of a sudden I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm a saint. Because things are working out and things stop working out. I am now, what a sinner. And so we go back and forth. And that's how sometimes religion will work. Now, why I make a big deal about this is because what Jesus did in this miracle, which is so interesting, right? He does this miracle for this guy. He leaves, disappears in the crowd. Remember that? And then time passes. And what happens is John writes the story. He says, afterwards, Jesus connected with the guy again. But here's what happens. So afterwards, Jesus found him in the. What?
[00:27:07] Just want you to know, not on the street, not in the pool, no, in the temple. And told him. Told him this. And Jesus never told this to anybody else. He says this, now you are well.
[00:27:20] And then he says, don't what?
[00:27:22] Don't sin as you did before, or something even worse may happen to you.
[00:27:31] Now, what in the world was that all about?
[00:27:36] Because we know in other miracles, in other instances, people go, hey, hey, hey. This person is born with this, who sinned him, mom and dad, family, what's going on? So people wanted to know always the reason for illness and all that. And then Jesus, this is the only miracle. He goes, hey, if you keep sinning, it's going to get worse.
[00:27:57] Which, what does that mean?
[00:28:00] If we read it just like that, we go, oh, oh, yeah. That's what happens. Now we know every action has consequences. Every sin has consequences. But this is something more because of where he told him, not just what he told him.
[00:28:16] He told him in the temple, and he told him that you are still. You missed the mark.
[00:28:25] You allowed certain things as a part of your identity before, and you're missing the mark again.
[00:28:33] You're missing the mark again. See, the word sin in Greek is the word. It's an archery word that literally means to miss the mark.
[00:28:44] You're missing the mark. See, when we use sin and the word sin, we just put it in religious context, and it's always a moral thing. And with Jesus, it was not a moral thing. It was not only a moral thing, it was more than that. That's why in certain miracles, you'll see Jesus, he tells someone, instead of telling them, you're healed, he'll say, your sins are what, forgiven? See, Jesus did not put morality and all the laws, religious laws, in the category of this is sin, and this is not sin. See, for Jesus, sin was a whole lot more than what we think. You know, there are different words for. There are different words for sin and in different languages. You know, like, I speak several different languages. And so it's interesting because when you translate the word, it just really means something different. So in this context, when John was writing, it was definitely this idea of like, you're. You missed the mark. I mean, you're off. You're off. The word in Arabic for sin is the word thenb.
[00:29:56] You want to say that word? Let's do it right. Thenb, thinb, thenb, literally translated means a tail of an animal.
[00:30:07] Yeah, tail of animal, what? In Arabic, the word picture they're describing is. Is that when people sin, when they are sinning, or when they're doing things that are sinful, they are chasing their tail.
[00:30:27] They're chasing the tail. That means they're doing things that is not going to get them. What, anywhere?
[00:30:34] Anywhere.
[00:30:36] And so what's interesting is that I wonder if Jesus is saying, hey, listen, you missed the mark and now you're in the temple and you've got the status now, and you're that story of a dude that was lame for what, 38 years? And now is, you know, jumping around in temple, being able to be in the temple because before you were unclean. Now you're like, you're that guy. You're in the.
[00:31:06] People are gonna prop you up. This is. I just want you to know your miracle is not your identity either. And you're gonna do the same thing. See, sin is living less to your potential. Sin is living less to what God has created you to live.
[00:31:26] Sin is finding your identity in something that was created or that was done for you. Sin is finding your identity in anything else than the one who created you. So he goes, hey, don't do this, because you're going to find yourself in even worse situations if you do it. See, for some of us. For some of us, let's, like, it should be sobering to go, okay, hold up, hold up. Where does my identity come from? So here's the point, right? Your mess and your miracle, right? You are more. You are more than your mess and your miracle. You and I, we have to find identity in more than that. What does that mean? That means the thing you're praying for, the miracle that we're talking about, you have your own. Whatever.
[00:32:25] If you get it, if you don't get it, if it happens, if it doesn't happen, I just want you to know that does not change your identity.
[00:32:33] No, no. And then you might.
[00:32:36] I just want to be this person who God just blesses. And I get that. I get that. But I'm just telling you, when we're praying for certain things, it really can affect our character, our identity. If you've been wanting to have a kid for a long time and it doesn't happen, it will mess you up. Up.
[00:32:56] It'll mess you up.
[00:32:58] Mess you up.
[00:33:00] If you're praying for something that you desperately want, and when you get it, and when that happens, I'm not saying it messes you up. I mean, it's awesome. It's great. I just want you to know you're more than that. You're more than that. You're more than what has happened. To you or what God has done for you. You're more than that. What do you mean? You're more than that? And we have to find our anchor in not the things that have happened for us, good or bad, but in who we are. In who we are. So, Peter first, Peter, this passage here tells us exactly who we are. So it says here, he says, you are. You are a what? A chosen people.
[00:33:49] So I want you to know you're chosen people. Number one. You're chosen. That's part of your identity. You were picked. You're intentional. You're intentional. You're like, no, no, I was a mistake. I was like that other. You know that. You know, I was a mistake. No, no, no, no, no, no. You were intentional, my friend. You were intentional again. Then he goes, besides that, you are a royal priest. A what? A holy what? A holy nation. He's talking to a group of people. He's like, hey, you're intentional. You know, you're chosen, but you're also holy.
[00:34:22] Oh, man, I am not holy. See, I've said it before. If you will be honest, God will make you holy. But if you pretend to be holy, you're never honest.
[00:34:34] But if you know God, you're making me holy. You're making me holy. That's part of your identity. God doing a work in you is a part of your identity. Christ lives inside of us.
[00:34:49] So you're holy. And this says. And then he says, you're God's very own. What?
[00:34:56] You're God's very own possession.
[00:34:59] Like you are his.
[00:35:01] So if you ever felt like, oh, man, I'm all alone in this world, I mean, I get it. You can feel like that. It's not necessarily true.
[00:35:12] You're his. You're his. If you feel like you're trying to figure out this world all by yourself, you're facing this crisis, this barren season, all by yourself. I just want you to know that your identity says that you are chosen. You are being made holy, and you are his possession. He holds on to you. It seems like everything else is falling apart, but he is holding on to you. And then he says, part of your identity is this, that you can show others the goodness of God. For he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you. Once you had no. What?
[00:36:04] Once you had no identity because your identity was based on what you had, what you didn't have.
[00:36:11] What happened to your life? What didn't happen to your life? Your background, your ethnicity, your traditions, whatever.
[00:36:19] Before, you didn't have an identity.
[00:36:23] But now you're God's people.
[00:36:26] You have identity. And that identity, again, is wrapped up in the fact that you are chosen, you are being made holy, and you are his, and also that you have a purpose. He says, I want you to do as people who are now being given this new identity. This is what I want you to do. I want you to share of God's good goodness. You have a purpose. So I just want to challenge us as we wrap up today's talk.
[00:36:59] All right, so, Q.
[00:37:03] How is. How is something you have or don't have affecting your identity? Are we going back? Are you reminding your soul about who you really are?
[00:37:18] Are you at a point of going, ah, I just can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this? Or is it like, I won't do this?
[00:37:26] Maybe God says, hey, if you are willing, I'm able.
[00:37:35] But I'm not able if you are not willing.
[00:37:41] So what does it look for us to put ourselves in a place of, like, God, have your way with me. Have your way with me. Do something in my life.
[00:37:51] Can I pray for you? Let's do it. Lord God, thank you so much.
[00:37:57] Reminding us, God, that these conversations about miracles are challenging because sometimes we just feel we just have to believe more and we just have to have faith more. And God, all those things are so true.
[00:38:11] But God, every time youe do a miracle, you cause us to look within ourselves.
[00:38:19] You cause us to really ponder before it seems like you go, I'm going to heal your body. I'm going to provide the things you need. But I really want to get to you. I really want to get to your soul. I really want to get to who you are.
[00:38:36] I want to heal you not from the outside.
[00:38:40] I want to heal you from the inside out.
[00:38:44] So, God, I pray, I pray that as we move towards receiving our miracles, God, that our identity is not found in the fact that we were the ones that happened. No, we're grateful for that.
[00:38:58] But we don't fall into sin. We don't fall into chasing our tails, chasing our tails, missing the mark as we focus on worshiping the miracle or the blessings instead of the one who blessed us.
[00:39:20] So, God, reorient our lives this morning.
[00:39:25] Revive our souls.
[00:39:28] Revive our souls, God.
[00:39:32] Thanks for listening to this message from Mosaic church in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more audio and video content, visit us at MosaicChurch TV.
