Sermon
ABOVE ALL: Walking in the Victory of Jesus - Part 1: Identity | Pastor Pablo Morales
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is
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an international church in Bangkok, Thailand,
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with dozens of nationalities worshiping together.
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We invite you to connect with us from wherever
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you are through our website ecb .asia or our
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mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed
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by this week's sermon. Good morning. This is
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the beginning of a very important season for
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us as Christians because for the next weeks until
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the end of the month, we are reflecting on the
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life of Jesus and what he accomplished for us
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on the cross. We will end March with the celebration
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of Palm Sunday and then we'll begin April with
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Easter. So today we mark the beginning of this
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season for us, and I pray that as we go through
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these studies together, it will be an insightful
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time of digging deeper into understanding what
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is it that Jesus has done for us so that we might
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follow him in the freedom that he purchased for
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us. May the Lord bless us as we begin this season.
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Please join me as I pray. This new season Lord.
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With so much excitement. We finished last Sunday.
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Celebrating what you have done. In our midst.
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We celebrated your grace. And now begin this
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season Lord. Celebrating you. Who you are. That
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we can call you Savior. Our King. That we can
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follow you. Lord, I ask you that as we start
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this new study, you will use it so that our lives
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will be transformed in the deepest parts of our
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being, deep inside our souls. Reach in those
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places, Lord. And what we need today is not just
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another sermon. We need your voice. So will you
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reach us wherever we are and use me in the power
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of your spirit and in your grace, in your strength.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Above all, walking
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in the victory of Jesus. That is the name of
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the study that we begin today and will take us
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all the way to the end of the month. The goal
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of this study, It's for us to reflect and understand
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more deeply what Jesus has accomplished for us
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so that we can walk more and more in that space
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of freedom and peace that he already came to
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give us. And that's why the first part of this
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study today is going to start with a question
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that is very personal. And it's this. Who are
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you? Now on the surface, you may immediately
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think of an answer, but I don't mean that. I
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mean, who really are you? Molly was a very famous
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journalist in the U .S. and Texas. She already
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passed away. But even though she was famous and
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well accomplished, She would share how one of
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her struggles was that she always felt and thought
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that she was ugly, even though she wasn't. But
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it all started because even though she grew up
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in a Christian home with her parents being conservative
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family, every time that they would have friends
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coming over as they were little kids, the mom
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would... introduced the two daughters saying
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about the sister, she's the pretty one, and about
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Molly, she's the smart one, because Molly loved
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to read books. What Molly heard all her life
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was, I'm the ugly one, my sister is the pretty
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one, so she grew up with this identity. So the
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first answer would have been, well, I'm a successful
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journalist, but no, Molly, who do you really
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feel you are? Deep in your soul. Beyond the titles
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and the facade. Molly would simply have to recognize.
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I'm still that little ugly girl. It doesn't matter
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where we have come in life. There are things
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that have shaped our identity. And the gospel.
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Of Jesus Christ. Wants to touch that part of
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our being. So that we will be free from the deceptions
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of the enemy. And the question of identity. Can
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be very distorted. From a woman that is pretty
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and well accomplished. Thinking that she is an
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ugly woman. To even more complex things. It so
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happened these couple of weeks in the US. in
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North Carolina that there was a case of a teacher
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that was fired. I happened to learn about it
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and I started following the case because it was
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very intriguing. Some of the kindergarten kids
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started coming home complaining to the parents
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that they were scared about the teacher and how
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at some moments the teacher would ask them to
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howl like little wolves. And so the parents started
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trying to figure out what's going on. And so
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it happened that they discovered that the teacher
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was very peculiar because this aspect of identity
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has moved to a question of not who are you, but
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how do you identify yourself? And that's how
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it has become framed. So this particular teacher,
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it says the news article, I show it here for
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you. This kindergarten teacher who identified
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as trans wolf wore collar and tail, fired after
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parents raised alarm. So who are you? This person
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will tell the kids, I am biologically a male,
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but I am really in the wrong body because I'm
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really a woman. But not only am I a woman, but
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I'm also a wolf. And at night I transform into
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a wolf. And she will show up or he will show
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up to class with a tail and a collar and ask
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the kids to howl like little wolves. It gets
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complex, doesn't it? Because who is to say, who
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am I? Me? And if I am to say, who am I? And my
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identity is self -defined. then where does it
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end? Identity. It's at the core of what Jesus
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came to address. And the problem of identity
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is that if we have the wrong perception of who
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we are, we are going to have symptoms that...
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tell us that we have the wrong perception and
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some of those symptoms are things like fear and
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shame and feeling inferior and comparing ourselves
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to others and all of these different things that
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are underlying our experience day to day in the
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things that we engage. Where does this all begin?
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And where does it lead? Because if Jesus came
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to address this, how it developed and what did
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he do to address it? And that's exactly what
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we will do in the rest of this study. Where does
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the concept of distorted identity begin and what
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did Jesus do to address it? So are you ready
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to dig deep into the word? We have to go to the
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beginning. At the very beginning of creation,
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we are told that we humans had our beginning.
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And this is what the word of God says. That at
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the beginning when God created the heavens and
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the earth, and he created the world and all the
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ecosystem of life within it, he created humans.
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And then God said, let us make mankind in our
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image, In our likeness. So that they may rule.
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So from the very beginning it tells us. What
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was the identity and the purpose. Let us make
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man in our image in our likeness. So that he
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may rule. Over the fish. In the sea. And the
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birds in the sky. Over the livestock. And all
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the wild animals. And over all the creatures
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that move along the ground. So God created mankind.
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In his own image. In the image of God. He created
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them. Male and female. He created them. And God
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blessed them and said to them. Be fruitful. And
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increase in number. Fill the earth. And subdue
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it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds
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in the sky. And over every living creature that
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moves on the ground. So from the very beginning.
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Our identity is immediately established. We were
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designed by God in his image and his likeness.
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And the same phrase is used later of the first.
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humans, Adam, with his child that he had. And
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this child that is born is described as Adam
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had a son in his image and his likeness, which
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means that this trickled down the road. humans
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were created in the image and likeness of God,
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and they reproduced, and everyone born were having
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the image and likeness of the person before them.
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And I know that there are lots of theologians
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that have written about why they speculate this
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may mean or may not mean. I'm very simplistic
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in these terms because I'm a parent myself. And
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if I looked at Adam and said, oh, so your child
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is in your image and your likeness, it means
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that he looks like you and he is like you. We
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had our identity established from the very beginning.
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And not only that, But we were also created for
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a purpose, and that was to be given authority
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to rule over creation. From the very beginning,
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established, done. But then the distortion happened.
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And the Bible says that the first humans were
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confronted with a lie, with a distortion. Genesis
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describes that there's a snake in the garden
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that appears and deceives Eve. Later, the Bible
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describes this ancient serpent as Satan, who
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becomes known later as the prince of this world,
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the prince of the kingdom of darkness, that which
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opposes God and is contrary to the plans and
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purposes of Jesus. And it is this deception that
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begins the distortion. We are told that at the
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beginning, when this interaction starts happening,
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Adam and Eve are told, look, I know that God
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told you not to eat of this tree, but actually
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don't listen to him. Because God knows that when
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you eat from it, your eyes will be open and you
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will be like God, knowing good. And evil. When
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the woman saw that the fruit in the tree was
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good for food and pleasing to the eye. And also
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desirable for gaining wisdom. She took some of
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it and ate it. And she also gave some of it to
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her husband who was with her. And he also ate
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it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened.
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And they realized they were naked, so they sewed
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figs' leaves together and made covering for themselves.
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And this is the very beginning of the deception.
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And this is where the distortion of identity
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took root. The identity was, you are already
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in God's image and His likeness. This is who
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you are. But the distortion of identity came
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and said, no, you are not what God said and don't
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trust what God said. And the result of that distortion
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was that humans started experiencing for the
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first time ever shame and fear. And they hid
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themselves. Let me go back for a second. For
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you to understand how significant this is. For
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God knows. That when you eat from it. Your eyes
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will be open. And you will be like God. It's
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like wait. Eve. Please. Let me understand. God
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just told you that you were created in his image
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and his likeness. That you already have his image.
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And that you already like him. And now this guy
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is telling you. Don't listen to that. Because.
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If you really want to be like him. You have to
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do this first. Don't listen to that. You are
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already that. You don't need to try to do something.
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To be what you already are. You are already like
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God. But Eve was not paying attention to that
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part. She focused on the verses when she saw
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that the fruit of the tree was good for food
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and pleasing to the eye, and suddenly that took
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her focus. By the way, for those of you that
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have believed for the longest time that this
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was an apple that she ate, welcome to Bible literacy.
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The Bible never identifies what fruit it was.
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He doesn't mention it. He says it was just a
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fruit that she ate. And the act of disobedience
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to God brought sin into the world and the distortion
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of identity. Listen to it. The deception becomes
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that in order to be what you already are, you
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have to do something. You get it? You have to
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understand that. Because that is the core of
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the deception. And so the distortion began, driven
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by shame and fear, driven with a purpose to prove
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that they were already what they were. What a
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waste. If they just knew who they were and trusted
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what God said. And this is at the root of the
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identity problem. And you fast forward into where
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we are today. And we have developed all these
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different ways of trying to become and prove
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that which you already are. Many years ago I
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was talking to this guy who was. Well off. Successful
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in life. But he was struggling with all of these
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different feelings of insecurity. And as we start
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digging into his story, what we discover is that
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despite the facade, despite all the success and
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the position and the money, he was still just
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that little boy that grew up poor, that was trying
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to prove that he made it in life. So everything
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that he was doing was driven by that identity,
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trying to prove himself to the world. What a
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waste. Because what we will discover is that
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once you let the truth of Jesus touch that part
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of your being, you are free from the need to
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prove anything. Or to live to try to become anything.
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Because you simply live to be what you already
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are. A child of God created in his image and
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his likeness. Created with authority to rule
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over creation. In the power of the spirit. So
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what did Jesus do? Hebrews. Tell us that these
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distorted identities. Exactly what Jesus came
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to address. And the symptoms that come with it,
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this sense of being unworthy, bitter, confused,
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inferior, all of it touched by the gospel. And
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you need to go to Hebrews chapter 2 to understand
Hebrews 2 chapter mention
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what Jesus accomplished because this is what
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it says. Since the children have flesh and blood,
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meaning they were humans, The children of God
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that he created. All of us were of this nature.
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Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by
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his death he might break the power of him who
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holds the power of death. And who is that person
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that has the power over these things? The devil.
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Jesus came to destroy the power of Satan over
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humanity. And free those who all their lives
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were held in slavery by the fear of death. For
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surely it is not angels that Jesus came to help.
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But Abram's descendants, for this reason, He
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had to be made like them. Humans like them. Fully
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human in every way. In order that he might become
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a merciful and faithful high priest in service
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to God. And that he might make atonement for
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the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered
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when he was tempted. So he is able to help those
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who are being tempted. And this is the end of
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this section. It tells us, look, from the beginning,
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when humans believed in the distortion and gave
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now authority to Satan into the created order
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that had been entrusted to them, Now, since that
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point on, Satan has had authority over the created
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order and humans have been subjugated to living
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in fear. Fear of death and fear of all these
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other things. So Jesus has to enter their domain
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to be able to destroy the power of Satan from
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within. And that's why. Jesus is born of a virgin
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and that's why he becomes flesh and blood like
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us because he had to enter our domain to be able
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to be like us to be able to break the power of
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Satan. And that's why in Christian theology,
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the doctrine of the incarnation, God becomes
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flesh, is essential. Without it, salvation does
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not work. That's why we believe, as the passage
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said, that Jesus was fully human. But not just
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fully human. Fully God. So what happens? is that
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Hebrews says that Jesus enters this domain as
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a human being to break the power of Satan so
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he can free the people from living in fear. And
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one of the things that he had to do in order
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to start breaking the power of Satan is that
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he had to face Satan as a human being in the
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moment of temptation. And at that moment of temptation,
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Jesus had to suffer through that space in order
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to break the power of Satan. And because he did,
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he now has the power to help those who were under
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that context before. And I love how this comes
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together. Because when we look at what Jesus
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did, at the temptation, something emerges. Okay,
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someone has to take a step back. Identity is
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not defined by me, it's defined by God who made
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me. And God said, you are my child created in
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my image and likeness with authority to rule
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over creation. That is who you are. But then
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Satan comes and says, no. That is not who you
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are, therefore do these things to try to prove
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that you are who you already are. And from that
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moment on, the distortion enters into place and
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establishes fear and gives power to Satan. Now
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Jesus comes into that picture to free us. He
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says, I have to become a human like you, but
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I have to break the power of Satan by confronting
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him at the temptation. And because I have been
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tempted, like all humans have, I have the power
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to help you now break fear and oppression from
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your life. So Jesus, how did you accomplish that?
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Show me, so that I can follow you well and walk
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in your freedom. And for that, we have to go
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to the beginning. Because Jesus will break the
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power of Satan over humanity. And that is where
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we go to Christmas again. The Bible says that
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when Jesus is announced, his birth is announced,
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his identity and his purpose is immediately established.
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And I remember that a few weeks ago, Pastor Jeff
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shared that passage with us as well, reminding
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us who Jesus is. You will conceive, the angel
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said to Mary, and give birth to a son, and you
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are to call him Jesus, which means God saves.
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And he will be great and will be called who?
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The son of the most high God. Identity, Jesus
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is the son of God. Secondly, the Lord God will
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give him the throne of his father David, and
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he will reign over Jacob's descendants for how
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long? Forever, his kingdom will never end. Who
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will give him authority on the throne to rule
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forever? His father, God. So from the beginning,
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establish clearly. Jesus, you are the son of
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God. You are coming here to gain the authority
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from Satan. You are going to be given the throne
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by God. And now you're going to rule forever.
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So then Jesus is born. He grows. And before he
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starts his ministry, he goes through his baptism.
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And when John the Baptist sees him, he says,
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Jesus. You don't need to be baptized. I don't
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need to baptize you. You need to baptize me.
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And Jesus said, I know, I know. Don't worry.
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Let's just get done with this because we need
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to fulfill all righteousness. So just baptize
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me. So at that moment, we are told when all the
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people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized
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too. And as he was praying, something happened.
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What happened as he was praying? The heaven was
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open. So imagine Jesus being baptized and suddenly
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it says the heaven was opened and something happened.
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The Holy Spirit descended on him in a bodily
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form like a dove and a voice came from heaven
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saying, let's read this together, you are my
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son whom I love. With you I am well pleased.
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Jesus is being baptized, the son of God who came
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to overcome the power of Satan and to establish
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all authority under his kingdom. And as he's
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being baptized, ready to begin his ministry,
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God the Father speaks and says, you are my son,
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you I love, and you I'm well pleased. And the
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baptism ends. You know what happens next? Right
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after Jesus gets baptized, Luke tells us the
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very following verse that Jesus is going to experience
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something. But here you have it. What is Jesus'
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identity? You are the son of God, fully human,
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fully God. Purpose? You're going to rule over
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creation in a kingdom that will never end. And
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what is your status? You're loved by God. So
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now Jesus is baptized, and he, Luke says, left
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the area where the Jordan River was, and he went
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into the desert to be tempted by Satan himself.
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It's like, rewind, just like at the beginning,
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now fast forward, and that's what it sounds like.
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You can try it at home if you want. And now,
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the same guy that duped first humans into this
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distortion and established power over them is
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going to try to do the same thing with Jesus.
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But Hebrews told us what happened. Because Jesus
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suffered temptation and overcame. He has the
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power to help us break. So what exactly happened?
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Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan
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and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
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where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil
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and he ate nothing during those days and at the
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end of them he was hungry. The Bible talks about
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40 days in a very mysterious way because it doesn't
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explain it to us. But Jesus came to redeem not
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just humanity, but the descendants of Abraham,
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the nation of Israel. And Israel had gone through
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40 years in the desert, years of disobedience
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and judgment. And now Jesus, And he's going to
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spend 40 days in the desert. So many people make
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that connection. The 40 days, the 40 years, there
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seems to be a parallel. Something is happening
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here. We don't really understand. But we know
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that Jesus was fasting for 40 days in the desert.
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And at the end of it, he becomes hungry. And
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that, at the point of vulnerability, is when
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Satan shows up. The devil said to him, if you
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are the son of God, tell this stone not to become
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red. It's like, what? Satan, do you know something
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I do not know or I know something you do not
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know? I'm confused because I just read the announcement
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of Jesus' birth and says he is the son of the
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most high God. And that God is going to give
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him the throne. And he was just baptized, you
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know, 41 days ago or so. And we just heard God
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talking and saying that Jesus is his beloved
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son. So I don't understand. Why are you telling
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Jesus if you are the son of God? As if he wasn't.
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He is the son of God. What are you talking about?
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Good thing that Jesus also knew that. Jesus answered,
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it is written, men shall not live on bread alone.
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And the devil led him up to a high place and
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showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of
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the world. And he said to him, I will give you
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all their authority and splendor it has been
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given to me. And I can give it to anyone I want
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to if you worship me. And it will all be yours.
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You don't have to go to the cross and die for
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people to gain all authority. I can give it to
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you. Just worship me. Because all this authority
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was given to me by the very people that were
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entrusted with it. Satan, do you know something
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I do not know or I know something you do not
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know? Because I just read at the beginning that
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when Jesus' announcement was given, it said very
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clearly that God his father was going to give
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him the throne of David and that Jesus was going
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to rule forever. Good thing that Jesus also knew
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that. Jesus answered, it is written, worship
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the Lord your God and serve him. I don't need
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to worship you to get the authority from you.
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Authority from you is nothing but slavery to
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fear. So no thank you. The devil led him to Jerusalem
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and had him stand on the highest point of the
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temple. If you are the son of God, he said, throw
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yourself down from here. Satan, do I have to
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say this again? What are you saying? If you are
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the son of God, he is the son of God. Are you
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wanting him to prove something to you? As if
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identity needs to be proven? There's nothing
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to prove. He is who he is because that's who
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he is. Good thing that Jesus knew that too. So
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Jesus is there, and Satan knows that Jesus is
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going to quote the Bible to him, so he quotes
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it first. Do this, Jesus, for it is written,
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he will command his angels concerning you to
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guard you carefully. They will lift you up in
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their hands so that you will not strike your
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foot against a stone. And Jesus answered, it
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is said, do not put. The Lord your God to the
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test. When I read this, I imagine Jesus coming
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to the third moment of this interaction to look
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as Satan says, Satan, haven't you read? It is
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written, do not put your Lord to the test. Because
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that is who he is. And at that moment, Satan
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shuts up. When the devil had finished all his
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tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
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And that is what Hebrews was telling us happened.
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Jesus was tempted by the devil. And because he
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was tempted directly, yet did not succumb to
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the power of Satan, he is able to break the power
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of Satan over humanity. And you could see it
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right there. Satan is old. But his techniques
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remain same old, same old. He's going to try
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to make you believe that you have to prove that
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you are who you already are. He did it with the
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first humans and duped them into it. He tried
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to do it with Jesus and he couldn't. Because
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at no moment, Jesus says, oh, maybe I'm not fully
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the son of God. Maybe I need to do something
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to really become the son of God. No. He knew
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what the father had said and he simply trusted
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it. The goal of Jesus was to come to break the
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power of Satan over creation. To break the power
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of fear that humans were enslaved to. And Hebrews
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says that one of the first things that he did
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was to break the power of Satan over identity.
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And because Jesus was able to break the power
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of Satan over identity, Jesus is able to break
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the power of distorted identities that you and
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I are still under. Identity, as it turns out,
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is at the core. of experiencing salvation. Because
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it's not just an issue of believing in Jesus
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and being forgiven and dying and going to heaven.
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But have you let the power of Jesus really redefine
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the way you think of who you are and therefore
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the way you live your life? Or are you still
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living From the perspective of distorted identity
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following Jesus. And therefore the way that you
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are living your life is characterized by the
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symptoms of this distortion. You are still living
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in fear. You are still living in shame. You are
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still feeling not good enough. You are still
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feeling you need to compare yourself to others.
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You still need to manipulate and push because
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you have. to prove that you are someone who is
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worth it. There's a point in our lives in following
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Jesus in which the gospel has to penetrate that
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deep part of our soul because that is what Jesus
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came to do. The way this works is just so sad.
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Satan has been opposing you, trying to oppress
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you since you were a little kid. And the first
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distortions that you acquired that are still
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following you today were established then when
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you were the most vulnerable. I worked with a
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designer once, a graphic designer who was very
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well accomplished. In fact, she owned her own
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company. And she was doing so well in her business.
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But something happened in her life that she could
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not shake off. She was an elementary student.
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I think she was maybe like in fifth grade or
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so. And she says that She came to the school
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that day and she did something wrong in her homework.
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So the teacher asked her to stand in front of
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everybody and in front of all the class. The
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teacher called her that she was stupid. And from
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that moment on, that identity attached to her
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heart. And she always felt That it didn't matter
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how well she did in her life, she was nothing
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but just a stupid woman trying to make it in
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life. I'm telling you, Satan is depicable, sneaky,
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evil. What did he make you? What did he lead
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you to think you are? Because whatever he made
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you believe you are, I'm here to tell you, you
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are not that. Let me tell you what I mean. Because
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in the privacy of counseling, shepherding people,
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I've seen certain things that seem to be patterns.
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The first one is the distortion that I am my
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past. I've done terrible things, Pastor Pablo,
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and I'm just so unworthy. If you struggle with
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a sense of unworthiness, it's not because you
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are unworthy. It's because you have not let the
-
grace of Jesus reach that place. You are not
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your sin. Your sin and your identity are not
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the same. Think of it this way. If I start sneezing,
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and I start feeling sick, you will not say, I
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am the cold, would you? You will say, I have
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a cold. Because you know that those symptoms
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are a virus that are in you that are making you
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sick. But you know that you are not your virus.
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In the same way, I'm here to tell you, you are
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not your sin. Sin is a distortion, is the sickness
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of the soul. But you are not your sin. You are
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separate from it. And Jesus knows that. But do
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you know that? What Satan has done in your life
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is to make you believe that your failures and
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your sin are your identity and they are not.
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Jesus paid for all your sins. If you are a follower
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of Jesus, it's only redeemed a follower of Jesus,
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not unworthy followers of Jesus. So I'm here
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to invite you today to tell Jesus, would you
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let? your grace and power break this nagging
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feeling of unworthiness that I carry with me.
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And let me live in the power of your freedom.
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The second distortion is that I am a victim.
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I feel constantly that I'm struggling with bitterness
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because the things that were done to me Shouldn't
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have happened to me. And I feel that people have
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done me wrong. And therefore I live the rest
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of my life bitter. Because I am a victim. And
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this is often the case of people who have been
-
harmed by the evil of sexual abuse and molestation.
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If you feel like you are a victim, I'm here to
-
tell you, not only you are not your sin, and
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that is not your identity, but the sin of others
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is not your identity either. That is their sin,
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that is their action, and whatever they did to
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you is not who you are. And you will have to
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invite the grace of Jesus. Enter that place where
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it can flow through you. Where you can truly
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forgive the evil that they did to you. So that
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you no longer live your life as if your identity
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is a victim of what was done to you. There's
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only one type of follower of Jesus in the gospel,
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and that is redeemed followers of Jesus. Let
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the grace of Jesus free you from that bitterness.
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The third distortion is the person that thinks
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I am my feelings. And this idea that I am my
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feelings leads to a lot of confusion. And this
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sense of confusion changes here and there. Today
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you feel this, then you change. Then you feel
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that, and then you change. And this idea that
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I am my feelings has permeated a sector of society
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that often identify themselves based on sexual
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desires or feelings of gender identity. And feelings...
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Are never the ones to define your identity. Only
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God can define who you are. And he created you
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in his image. Not in your image. In his likeness.
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Not in the likeness of the feelings that you
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have today. So for those of you who are in that
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place of confusion. Jesus came to free you from
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that confusion. And I'm here to encourage you
-
to invite the grace of Jesus to break from the
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power of unbelief that Satan has made you believe
-
that you cannot trust what God has said, that
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you cannot trust who God made you, and instead
-
you have to become that which you will never
-
be. And finally, the other common distortion
-
is that I am my position, my job, my salary.
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And when you believe that that's the case, you
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constantly will struggle with the sense of inferiority.
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You say, Pastor Paulo, that's not my case. Yeah,
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that's what you think today. Wait until you are
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demoted. Wait until your paycheck is reduced.
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Wait until you retire and you no longer have
-
the position and the title and the key to the
-
office. Wait until you lose your job and you're
-
looking for a job for a whole year and now one
-
wants to hire you. It's in those moments that
-
you start realizing That you're struggling with
-
identity. Because fear and shame. Inferiority.
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A sense of hopelessness takes over. And I'm here
-
to remind you. Especially if you're in a time
-
of waiting. You are not your job. You are not
-
your title. You are not your paycheck. You are
-
a child of God following Jesus and he has called
-
you to serve him and he's going to position you
-
here today, position you there tomorrow. Titles
-
in the kingdom do not matter and paychecks and
-
size of paychecks do not matter. The only thing
-
that matters is that you're a child of God and
-
that you walk in obedience with Jesus. Because
-
he ultimately Is your identity. Do these distortions
-
sound. Too familiar. If these distortions are
-
familiar to you. I'm glad. That you were here
-
today. Because Jesus. Came. To free you. And
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I pray. That today. You are able to tell the
-
Lord Jesus. Jesus, break the stronghold that
-
Satan has gotten over my life. Help me see myself
-
for whom I truly am. And I'm going to invite
-
you to read these words of 2 Corinthians chapter
2 Corinthians 5 chapter mention
-
5. Let's read it together. Therefore, if anyone
-
is in Christ, the new creation has come. The
-
old has gone. The new is here. All this is from
-
God who reconciled us to himself through Christ.
-
And gave us this ministry of reconciliation.
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That God was reconciling the world to himself
-
in Christ. Not counting people's sins against
-
them. And he has committed to us the message
-
of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's
-
ambassadors. As though God were making his appeal
-
through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf.
-
Be reconciled to God. Be reconciled to God. Because
-
Jesus already paid for your victory. Now live
-
in it. God made him, Jesus, who had no sin and
-
overcame the power of Satan and temptation. Jesus,
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to be sin for us so that in him we might become
-
the righteousness of God. That is what he has
-
called us to be. Lord, Three little words. But
-
they cut so deep. Who are you? Lord I ask you
-
in Jesus name. That you give us the clarity and
-
the power. To answer that question truthfully.
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Because you already answered it for us. Let our
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hearts and our souls agree with you. In Jesus
-
name. Thank you for tuning in to the ECB Sermon
-
Podcast. Whether near or far, if you are looking
-
for community or are in need of prayer, we welcome
-
you to engage by sending us an email to If God
-
is calling you to support our ministries, you
-
will find giving options on our website. And
-
remember to join us next week. God bless you.