Are You New?

Good morning, Watermark.

It's great to see you this morning.

Good to be here with you.

If you don't know me, my name is Eric.

I'm one of the guys on staff here at Watermark Church.

It's great to be with you today.

About six years ago, I woke up one morning and I was frustrated.

There was stuff happening at my school that I wasn't really a fan of,

and it left me frustrated.

And as I reflected on the things that were happening,

I decided that the way to fix these frustrations was a change of scenery.

I would get out of Dallas where I was going to school.

Things would be different.

Things would be new.

Things would be better.

At that same time, one of my friends had just come back from an internship

that he had done in Hong Kong.

And he wouldn't stop talking about how amazing of a city Hong Kong is

and how great of a time he had had doing this internship.

And I thought, hey, I want to get out of Dallas.

He says Hong Kong is amazing.

Perfect combo.

I applied for the same internship that he had had, and I got the job.

And a couple months later, I was on the plane heading to Hong Kong.

I landed in the city, and everything was bright and shiny and new and amazing,

and I loved it.

And everything felt better.

All of my problems were gone.

Life was good.

For a couple months.

And then Hong Kong became the old, the normal, the standard, the regular.

And as I got settled in here, I realized that the problems that I was running away from in Dallas

weren't things that were specific to Dallas.

They were things that were specific to me.

And that by changing my scenery, that that wouldn't fix my problems.

There was something bigger and something deeper that needed to change inside me

than just my location for things to change.

And we're just coming out of the Christmas season, or we're still sort of in it,

but we're in that awkward in-between phase.

And I think for a lot of us, we have this type of attitude in this season,

especially for children.

If I just get that one gift, my life will be better.

If I just get the new iPhone, then everything will be fine.

Or if you have kids who are in maybe first or second grade,

if I just get that cool water bottle that sprays the mist out of the top,

then I can be the cool kid in class.

Or maybe if my spouse gets me that new model of the Tesla,

then things will be good.

And we laugh at this because we know none of these things

are really going to change our lives for the better.

We're adults.

We've gotten enough Christmas gifts over the year

that we know you open up the gift, it's really exciting and new,

and by now, two days later, meh, it's just another toy that we have.

It might make life a little more convenient,

but nothing is substantially changed in our lives.

We're adults.

We think bigger things will change our lives.

We think, yeah, the Christmas gift won't make things new,

but my New Year's resolution next week, that's going to change things.

Just wait until you see who I become

when I go to the gym three times a week.

Or we think, maybe if I just had a new job

and I wasn't stuck with this oppressive and terrible boss,

things would be different.

I'd be a new person.

If I had a little bit bigger flat,

I would be so much less stressed and more organized.

Or maybe, like me, you thought,

a change of scenery is what I need.

I just need to get out of this city, go somewhere else,

go somewhere new, and everything will be okay.

But the problem is, none of these things will fix us.

All of these things are changing our circumstances

and changing the things around us,

and the issue with each and every one of us

each and every one of us have issues,

and they're issues that are much deeper than the circumstances around us.

And if we want true, lasting, substantial change in our lives,

we don't need change of circumstances.

we need a change of identity.

And so today, as we head into the new year,

I want to ask you a big question.

Are you new?

Not are your circumstances new, but are you new?

And to help us answer this question, I have three diagnostic questions for us.

Number one, where are you?

Number two, what are you?

And number three, what are you doing?

I know that's cryptic, intentionally.

But follow along, and you'll find out what I'm talking about.

So in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17,

2 Corinthians 5:17

it says,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

And my first question for us is, where are you?

Are you in Christ or not?

And I know this phrase of being in Christ

is not something that we talk about necessarily a whole lot

in the world at large today.

Maybe we reference it in church,

but even then, we'll do it in a way that sort of assumes

that everyone knows what we're talking about

when no one actually does.

And then everyone just nods along politely,

and then we move on to the next thing

because no one wants to ask the question and be that person.

But what does it mean to be in Christ?

I think Jesus gives us a good picture,

a word picture of this,

when he talks in John 15

about being in him like branches are in a vine.

He says, I am like a plant,

and you guys are like branches that grow off of the plant,

like this guy right here.

And he says, you need to be in me.

Now what does it mean for this little leaf right here

to be in this plant?

If I just set it right there.

Are we good?

It's in the plant?

Physically, it's located next to the plant,

inside the plant.

But no, it's not talking about just physically being located there.

It's talking about having a life-giving, vital connection

where the plant is supplying all of the nutrients and needs

that this leaf needs for life.

That this leaf life comes from the plant.

That there is, it's not just proximity.

It's not just, oh, we're touching now.

Tied it on there and it's going to stay.

But it's actually that there is a life-giving connection

where the nutrients for life that this leaf needs

come from the plant.

And when we rip the leaf off from the plant,

like I just did, it's dead.

It still looks alive, but it's dead.

And it's only a matter of time

until the symptoms of death start setting in on the leaf.

And when the Bible talks about us being in Christ,

what it means is that we have a vital,

life-giving connection with Christ

where all of the sources and nutrients of our life,

not physically, but spiritually, come from him.

So does that mean showing up in church?

Is that what it means to be in Christ?

I think using this analogy, showing up in church

is sort of like setting the leaf on top of the plant

and saying, there we go, we're good.

But it's very easy to be in church and not be in Christ.

Does it mean reading our Bibles every day?

Maybe that would be like taking some string

and tying this leaf back on here.

It looks good.

Can't tell from the outside that anything's wrong.

But it's only a matter of days or weeks

before the greenness starts to wear off the leaf

and it turns brown.

And the Bible says that we have a fundamental problem

because each and every one of us

is what the Bible calls a sinner.

It means we've rebelled against God.

We were created to have a perfect relationship with God,

to be connected to him,

to have this relationship with him

be the source of life for us.

And yet each and every one of us looked at God,

looked at his commands and said,

no God, I know better than you how life works.

I have a better understanding

of where I need to get my nutrients from.

I'm going to tear myself off,

separate myself,

and try and provide my own sustenance in life.

I think that my job is going to give me meaning

more than you are.

And so I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep my job,

even if that means cutting corners

and lying on the accounting sheets for my boss,

because I need this job more than I need you.

And we go along throughout life,

and every time we disobey and rebel against God,

we separate ourselves from him a little bit further.

And like this leaf,

when we're cut off from that source,

we're dead,

and it's only a matter of time

until the symptoms start showing up.

And what the Bible says

is that Jesus came to the earth,

that he lived a perfect life

in this perfect connection with God,

and that he died the death that we deserve

so that we can be reconnected to God.

In planting, in agriculture,

there's something called grafting,

where you take something from one plant,

and you cut it a certain way

and bind it to another plant,

and actually they can become one plant again,

even though they've been separated.

And the Bible talks about our connection with Christ

being like being grafted into a plant,

where even though we were separated,

even though we were far off

and weren't connected

and receiving this nutrition for life

that we need from him,

that he came and made a way

for us to be connected to God again.

And I don't know enough about grafting

to save this leaf, so sorry.

But the Bible says that through Christ

and through the work that he has done,

we have an opportunity to be in him,

to be connected to him

in this vital and life-giving way.

And so there are two places today

as we gather here that we can be.

We can be in Christ,

or we can be not in Christ.

And it's very important

that we answer this question.

Where are you?

Are you in Christ?

Do you have this relationship with God

where you have been forgiven

for your rebellion against him,

where you have trusted in him,

and where you are now receiving the nutrients

for your spiritual life

from him and his word?

Or are you separated from him?

The Bible talks a lot about the benefits

of those who are in Christ.

It says that in Christ,

we have forgiveness.

In Christ, we are made alive to God.

In Christ, we have eternal life.

In Christ, we have freedom.

In Christ, we become the children of God.

And the list goes on and on and on.

And what that means is that

if you are here today and you are in Christ,

then you have these things.

And if you are here today

and you're not in Christ,

then you've cut yourself off

from these things.

And so what difference does it make

whether we're in Christ or not?

It makes a big difference.

Because externally,

the actions can look the same

between people who are in Christ

and who aren't.

They can both go to church.

They can both read their Bibles.

They can both do service

within the community.

But the difference is

the motivation behind these things

and the heart behind these things.

When someone is in Christ,

they're going to serve in the community

out of an overflow

of the love that they've received from God.

They're receiving

all of this abundance of life from God.

And it's like a cup that's overflowing.

They want to share

out of the excess of what they have.

They have their identity secure

and they go out and they serve.

But someone who's not in Christ

on the outside can look the same.

They can go out,

do the exact same acts of service

within the community.

But they're like an empty cup

that's trying to fill themselves up

with meaning by what they're doing.

So they go out and they work

and they work

and they try really hard

to build this identity

through their service.

And it can work for a while

just like the leaf can stay green

for a while.

But eventually what happens is

your identity becomes so tied

to what you do

that you have to keep working

even when you've worked yourself

to the bone

and you're tired

and you're exhausted

and you know that you need a break.

You have to keep going

because the moment you stop

you lose your identity

because your identity

is tied up in what you're doing.

You've been working so hard

to build up an identity

through these acts of service

and through doing good things.

You can't live without them.

You become dependent on them.

Where someone who is in Christ

who has that identity secure

before they start

is able to go

and to serve

and to love

and to rest

and to not fear

losing their identity

in that process

of rest.

And so

as we start out today

where are you?

Are you in Christ

or are you not?

The verse continues.

It says

if anyone is in Christ

he is a new creation.

The old has passed away.

Behold

the new has come.

It brings us

to our second question.

What are you?

Are you new

or are you old?

The verse is very clear

that when someone is in Christ

they are a new creation.

And the new has come

and the old has passed away

and there has been

a transformation

that has happened

in their lives.

And this transformation

isn't just

okay

God's given you

a second chance

time to go

try harder this time.

It's not extra effort.

It's not extra exertion.

But it's a fundamental

change of identity.

They cease to be

the old person

and become

someone new.

And I think

that for those of us

who are in Christ

this is something

that a lot of us

have a very hard time

understanding.

because

we become a Christian

and we look up

and the world

is exactly the same.

And we don't feel

any different.

And we look around

and we're like

what has changed?

And we think

well since I'm a Christian

I should be reading

my Bible

and we get to this verse

and we think

oh

well that's supposed

to be true about me

but I don't necessarily

feel like it's true.

And so I think

a lot of people

in the church

when they have

that experience

say alright

this is supposed

to be true of me

I don't feel

like it's true

so I have to

go out there

and try and make

it be true.

We go put out

this effort

to make this idea

of being new

true because we feel

like it's not

already true

in our lives.

It's sort of like

imagine this scenario

with me.

When I was a kid

my grandfather

had a crabapple tree

in his front yard.

Now crabapples

aren't really edible

they're like

mini super sour apples

that apparently

can be used

in certain dishes

but even then

his was an old

sick crabapple tree

so the apples

that it would grow

not only were they

tiny and really sour

but they were also

rotten.

You weren't going

to eat the apples

that grew on this tree

and it wasn't

the prettiest tree

ever

and then it would

leave these little

apples scattered

all over the lawn

every fall.

So imagine that

one day my grandmother

had said hey

I want that tree

out of our yard.

I want a nice

new good apple tree

there so we can

enjoy the fruit

from the apple.

And my grandfather

says alright

I got this

and he goes out

to the garage

and he grabs

a huge piece

of plywood

and some paint

and he sets

up his shop

and he paints

a picture

of a nice

new beautiful tree

and he carries

this big piece

of plywood outside

and he sets it

down on the ground

in front of the tree

and he walks

inside and he says

hey there it is

new tree.

Now is my grandmother

going to be fooled

by that?

Of course not.

Is anyone

going to be fooled

by that?

No.

And even if she

was fooled

by that temporarily

the next moment

that she goes

outside to the

front yard

my grandfather

has to scramble

because the picture

is obviously

only going to

cover one side

of the tree.

So he's got

to run out there

and pick up

the picture

and just

constantly move

it around the tree

as she's moving

around the yard

so that he doesn't

get busted

for what he's done.

What he's done

is not going

to be effective

at giving

new life

to the tree.

He's going

to be living

in fear

and anxiety

of getting

caught

the entire

time

and he's

going to be

exerting

himself

and putting

out insane

amounts of

effort

to keep

up the lie

and all the

while there's

still a dead

tree behind

the pretty

mask.

I think a lot

of us think

this is what

happens when

God makes us

new.

He just paints

a new sign

he puts it

out there

and then we

are responsible

from now on

for carrying

around this

sign to cover

up who we

really are.

We're afraid

and anxious

that we're

going to get

busted

and we're

exerting

ourselves

and exhausting

ourselves

because we

know that

what we're

showing to

everyone else

is not the

truth

and at the

same time

we feel

like we're

dying

inside.

God.

And guys

I have

good news

for you.

That type

of change

is not

what this

verse is

talking about

when it

says that

anyone who's

in Christ

is a new

creation.

No this

verse is

talking about

something

radically

totally

different.

It's like

if my

grandfather

had gone

out there

and he

had dug

up the

old tree

he had

thrown it

out and

he had

put a

new tree

in its

place.

And the

new tree

may look

very similar

on the

outside to

the old

tree that

was there

before.

My

grandmother

might even

go out

and be

like is

this really

a different

tree?

Because it

looks very

similar to

the one

that was

here before.

But at

harvest season

when the

fruit grows

on the

new tree

they will

see a

difference

because the

healthy tree

is going

to grow

healthy

fruit.

And when

the fruit

grows

they're going

to see

these are

not rotten

sour crab

apples

but these

are real

apples.

And the

Bible says

that that

is the

type of

change

that God

affects

in our

lives.

Even though

we may

not subjectively

feel like

that is

true the

Bible says

the moment

that we

trust in

Jesus for

salvation

God affects

that change

in our

lives.

objectively

true whether

we feel

it or

not.

And so

our job

is not

to go

out and

hold up

a sign

to hide

what's

behind

us

but rather

to live

the reality

that we

have a

new

identity.

And I

know the

feeling of

being that

person who's

holding up

the sign

running around

while you

feel like

you're dead

inside.

I know

from experience

it is

exhausting.

It is

not fun.

It is

not

where I

would want

any of

us to

be.

And if

you are

here today

and you

feel like

you're in

that place

where you're

just trying

so hard

and you

feel like

you can

never get

it right

I would

encourage you

to find

me or

Chris or

Jeremy and

talk with

one of us

after service

and we'd

love to

pray with

you about

that.

Because the

reality is

that Christ

came not

to give

us a new

facade so

that we

can put

an effort

to make

everyone

else think

we're

new.

But Christ

came to

transform us

from the

inside and

to make

us new.

Like the

new tree

in the

yard.

It may

look similar

on the

outside.

The harvest

is going

to show

the reality

that there

is something

new.

The old

isn't just

hiding,

waiting to

be discovered

behind the

new face.

the old

has been

completely

uprooted

and replaced

by the

new.

So where

are you?

Are you

in Christ

or not?

What are

you?

Are you

new?

Are you

old?

Are you

old but

holding up

a mask

that says

that you're

new to

the world?

And then

my third

question for

us today,

what do

you do?

we've

already

mentioned

the old

person and

the new

person,

the person

who's not

in Christ

and the

person who

is in

Christ,

can live

lives that

on the

outside look

very similar.

But the

heart behind

it is very

different.

The motivation

behind that

life is

very different.

And so the

fruit that

comes out of

that life

will be

very different.

Just as

the old

apple tree

and the

new apple

tree can

look similar,

but at

harvest time,

the old

tree is

going to

grow rotten,

bad apples.

And the

new tree is

going to

bear new,

fresh,

beautiful,

delicious apples.

The old

man, the

old person,

is going to

grow fruit or

produce results

in their lives

that are in

line with

their old

identity.

And the

new person

is going to

produce results

in their

lives that

are in

line with

their new

identity.

reality.

And so

how does

a new

creation live?

If you

read through

these verses

that we have

right here,

there's a

list.

And the

list is too

big for us

to go through

entirely with

the time that

we have left

today.

But there's

two things

that I want

to hit on,

two things I

want to talk

about from

this list

that are

major markers

of the fact

that we are

new,

that we are

changed,

that we are

different.

And the

first is

in verse

20,

slash

18 through

20,

I'll read

it all.

It says,

All this

is from

God,

who through

Christ

reconciled

us to

himself,

and gave

us the

ministry of

reconciliation.

That is,

in Christ,

God was

reconciling the

world to

himself,

not counting

their trespasses

against them,

and entrusting

to us the

message of

reconciliation.

Therefore,

we are

ambassadors for

Christ,

God making

his appeal

through us.

We implore

you on

behalf of

Christ,

be reconciled

to God.

And what

it's saying

here is that

if we are

the new

creation,

then one

way that

our lives

are to be

fundamentally

different is

that we are

to be what

he calls

ministers of

reconciliation,

or ambassadors

for Christ.

Christ.

If you think

about what

an ambassador

does,

they're a

foreigner.

They come

in from

an outside

country to

a foreign

land as a

representative of

their government.

The Bible

says that when

we become

Christians,

we are made

new.

We're not the

same old people

as we were

before.

We're something

different.

We no longer

represent just

humanity,

but we

represent a

new king,

Christ.

And Christ,

our king,

has sent us

to the world

as his

ambassadors to

deliver a

very, very

important message

to everyone

around us.

And that

message is that

we are alienated

from God,

but God,

in his great

love,

wants us to

be reconciled

to him.

Now,

this is something

that is unique

to people

who are in

Christ and

who have

been made

new creations

because if

you haven't

experienced this

reconciliation with

God yourself,

it's very, very

difficult to

invite others

to experience

that reconciliation

and new

relationship.

But if we are

new creations

and we've

experienced this

reconciliation with

God,

and we have

this new

relationship with

him and we

are new

creations,

then he says

that's not

something that's

supposed to

stay with us.

It's something

that we're

supposed to

take and

spread to

the world

as his

ambassadors.

We are

God's primary

means of

taking this

message into

the world

if we are

his people.

Which means

that ministry

is actually

not just the

job of the

people on

staff at

the church.

It's the

job of

everyone who

is in

Christ.

People think

of me as

the student

minister or

something along

those lines,

but actually

there are way

more students

here who

should be

doing student

ministry than

me.

Because there

are way more

students here

than there are

of me.

And every

student who is

in Christ

should be a

minister to

the other

students in

their school.

If you are

working in a

business place,

then you should

be in business

place ministry.

Because that is

what Christ has

called every

Christian in the

business place to

be.

A minister of

reconciliation who

as an ambassador

of God goes out

and tells the

world around them

that God wants

a relationship

with you.

And this is a

distinctive mark of

someone who is a

new creation.

So how do we do

that?

What does that

look like?

Maybe if you are

a parent, you have

kids, they are

fighting, and you

talk to them about

the need to

reconcile with each

other, but also at

the same time

mention the fact

that even more

important than

needing to reconcile

with each other,

they are alienated

from God, and

they need to be

reconciled in that

relationship.

Maybe if you have

a disagreement with

someone, something

that you really

want to win, that

you learn to

swallow your pride

and let the other

person win.

That's weird.

People in the

world won't get

it.

Maybe they'll even

ask you questions.

Why?

When you had the

right to win that

argument, your

arguments were good.

The other person

had no ground to

stand on.

If you had pressed

hard enough, you

could have won it.

But it will open up

opportunities to share

with them that I

serve a God who,

when we had wronged

him, came and took

the initiative to be

reconciled to us.

And I want to

emulate that to the

world around me and

show examples of

even when I'm right,

even when I can get

my way and I have the

right to do it, that I

give it up and I serve

for the sake of

reconciliation, for the

sake of maintaining

that relationship.

relationship.

And I do it so that you

can see how amazing of

an experience it is and

so that hopefully you

will want to be

reconciled to God.

And so God calls us to

be these ministers of

reconciliation, people

who go out and show

the world the wonders

and joys of being

reconciled to him and

who call people to be

reconciled to God.

So if you're here today

and you haven't yet

entered into this

relationship with God,

if you haven't gotten

to the point where you

are now in Christ, I

would encourage you to

be reconciled to God.

And if you're here

today and you are in

that relationship with

Christ and you have

been reconciled to him,

my encouragement to

you is to be a minister

of reconciliation.

Be someone who goes

into the world and

calls others to join in

that relationship as

well.

The second thing I want

us to see about the

way that new creation

lives differently is in

verse 21.

It says,

For our sake he made

him to be sin who knew

no sin, so that in him

we might become the

righteousness of God.

God.

Righteousness is a big

word that we don't

really use today, but it

means having a right

relationship or a right

standing with God.

It says that when we

were sinners, when we

were separated from God

and alienated from him,

Christ came in, even

though he was perfect,

and took on that

separation and alienation

so that we can have a

new right standing and

right relationship with

God.

God.

If you are a new creation,

you have a new standing

and a new relationship

with God.

The wording of this

verse is huge.

Notice it doesn't just

say we have the

righteousness of God.

It says we become the

righteousness of God.

There's a big difference

between having something

and being something.

If I want to go to China,

I have to go and apply

at the office and then

pay lots of money and I

get a China visa.

And when I have this

China visa, if I

accidentally forget it

when I'm going to the

border, they won't let me

into the country.

If I go into the country

and I break the law, they

can take away the visa.

And even if I follow all

of the rules perfectly,

eventually the visa expires

and I have to put in more

effort of applying again

and paying again to get

another visa.

In contrast, I was born

in America and I am an

American.

Unless the USA ceases to

be a country or they

severely change their

citizenship laws, I am an

American.

If I lose all of my

identification, I can go to

the American consulate and

they will work with me to

get me a new identification

to prove that I am an

American.

because it's part of my

identity.

When you have something,

it's like the China visa.

It can easily be taken

away.

You have to put in effort

to maintain it.

But when something is part

of your identity, it's part

of who you are and it can't

be taken away.

If we have the righteousness

of God, we have to work.

We have to try.

We have to hold on to it

to maintain it.

But if we are the

righteousness of God, then

it's something that God has

implanted in us as part of

our new identity.

When he makes us new, that

is part of our new

identity.

Something that can't be

ripped away from us unless

God ceases to exist or God

changes his rules about how

to get into his family,

which the Bible is very

clear will not happen.

And so when it says that we

have become the righteousness

of God, we have a new

identity implanted in us.

And if you have that identity,

I encourage you this week to

live in obedience to God and

to avoid sin completely, not

even to flirt with it.

Because the Bible is clear that

as part of our new identity, as

being in Christ, sin is

fundamentally opposed to that

new identity.

It rips us apart from him.

And if we have been reunited,

sin is now opposed to our

identity.

Rebellion against God is now

fundamentally opposed to who

we are.

It's not something that we do

to try and earn God's favor.

It's not something we do,

obedience isn't something we do

to try and make God love us

more.

Obedience is something that we

do because it's part of who we

are now if we are in Christ.

And so my challenge to you, if

you are new, if you are in

Christ this week, be a minister

of reconciliation and live as

the righteousness of God,

walking in obedience to him,

not even coming close to sin,

even though it can be so

appealing and hold out so many

promises to us.

Remember that if you are a new

creation, sin is fundamentally

opposed to your new identity.

So the big question overarching,

are you new?

Where are you?

Are you in Christ or not?

What are you?

Are you a new creation?

Or are you simply an old

creation holding up a mask,

trying to make everyone think

that you're okay?

And if you are a new creation,

what do you do?

Are you living in line with your

new identity?

God came to make us new.

God came not to give us the

appearance of life, but to give

us life and life abundantly.

And as we enter into this new

year, I pray that each of us would

see that and experience it and

live that new life that we've been

given in Christ.

Or accept the new life that we've

been offered in Christ, if we

haven't done that yet.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your love

for us.

We thank you for this promise that

if anyone is in Christ, we are new

creations.

That it's not something that we have

to earn on our own.

It's not something we have to fake to

keep up appearances of.

But it's something that you have made

objectively real in our lives.

God, I pray that we would recognize

that reality.

That we wouldn't be shaped by what

we think of ourselves on a

subjective level, but that we would

remember the objective truth of the

change that you have brought in our

lives.

I pray that if anyone's here who

hasn't yet had that change, that

they would see your beauty today and

fall in love with you and trust in

you.

And I pray that each of us this week

would live in line with who we are in

you.

And in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.