Who Do You Say I Am? Part 1

Dale McDonald: Hello once again. I'm Pastor Dale with Atlan Family Church right here in Atlanta BC, Canada, if you weren't aware of that. not everybody is, so I want to start with I haven't been online. I had put a video out earlier in the spring. and just basically explaining where we were and what was going on and explaining the sabbatical that I'd taken But long story short, it it ended up being longer than that. and life also happened in that time period. we put in a bigger garden this year, I planted some grass around the church office and home yeah, so with everything here I am. I will be getting back on track. I promise. So yeah, you know, feel free to drop in. We're meeting again every Sunday at ten AM right here in the church cabin. recording studio, obviously. you're definitely welcome. it's not formal. Just stop in, we'll have a chat, most likely talk about what I'm teaching on that week, but you never know. The Lord may leave it lead us in a totally different direction and that is okay. We love it when that happens, we wanted to let you know that we're back. and I'll be doing some different formats of teaching online, so stay tuned for that. I'm excited. I love getting together and and even being online, we're still together, right? I can't hear you and interact, which that part I don't really like as much. You know, maybe we'll get into some Zoom meetings or some online meetings. I do love the chat aspect. just talking about the God that we serve, right? so today I do want to thank you for connecting. whether it's on, YouTube, which is our primary platform, but we also have Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and our other platforms. Honestly, I've lost count. there's various other platforms out there, we're growing our online presence that's what we're doing right now with atlin family church so hey if there's a platform that you hang out on or that you you know you're on a lot let us know if we're not on there you know do a search for Atlanta Family Church if we don't come up that answers that question we'd love to get connected with you on whatever platform works for you. So just reach out. The best way to reach Atlan Family Church, our website. Has everything to do with our ministry. And that's simply AtlinFamilyChurch dot ca. You know what, we just love to get to know you. Send us an email Share what God's doing in your life. Maybe you could use some help with prayer or agreement in prayer or some scriptural based teaching. That's what we're all about. We just want you to know Atlanta Family Church is here for you. Okay. That's my plug for today. If this is the first time that we've met online, or if you're reading this transcript somewhere, thanks for joining. Stick with me to the end. It's gonna be a little longer message, so you know, I encourage you to stay. the message will give you a chance to get to know me a little bit about what we teach. it's from the Bible. either it's from this video or from other videos on our YouTube channel, simply called Atlan Family Church Engage Faith. that's where you'll find us if you search other platforms as well. So enough of the self marketing. Let's get started with today's message. And today I'm gonna be discussing the topic of relationships, how it affects what we receive in that relationship or not receive from others. it really depends on the level that we truly know them. relationships are a lot more than just Hey Dale, you recognize me on the street and we talk But there's so much more to me, and I know there's so much more to you. it's when we take the time to slow it down to get to know each other as I'm one of God's creation, so are you. And to share that, it just really opens up and develops that relationship. And really it's where the the rubber meets the road because God works through people. Yeah, He is God. He's all God. I get that. But his way of doing things is through relationships. It's through you and I. with God. and it's through one another. the people that you interact with, your circle of influence, if I may, is different than mine. But God can work through those channels to meet each person within the community. And then in the broader community, you know, the world around us. So it is important. God's all about family. we are as a Christian, we're the body of Christ. brothers and sisters in the Lord. I think it's a subject that a few well, I'm gonna even say many miss it on in the the fast paced world that we live in. It's unfortunate but there's so much information coming and people are coming and going and we're all so busy that we can miss the human side of life and that being the relationship of getting to know each other, as I mentioned. it's a subject I want to spend some time on. I don't want to go too quickly. I'm gonna be building a bit of a foundation in the first part of my message and we'll work into the scripture as we progress or yeah, we, you and I, us, Holy Spirit. so yeah, let's get into that message. So what if I asked you the question, Who do you say I am? Simple question. But here's reality. If you don't know me or you haven't heard about me, you can't answer the question, right? Like you'd be guessing. You'd be probably looking at my lack of hair and saying, Well, he's that bald guy. it describes me, but it's not really me. I'm more than my lack of hair. You know, it it is what it is. it's when we ask that question, who do you say I am? And it's referring to myself again. I'm gonna pick on myself a lot in this message. I may get several different answers from that question. Now it depends on who I ask, their personal experience in knowing me, or maybe from what they've heard other people say about me. situation. We've all had that where most likely where somebody has said something and it just simply wasn't true. it can hurt our reputation. It can slander us. it can really stop the plan of God for people in that relationship. When we jump to Conclusions or assumptions or whatever you want to call it you may disregard my ministry. It's that simple. maybe you're praying, and you you really need to receive a promise from Jesus, a blessing. God may be using me to get that blessing to you. by embracing what you've heard, if it's wrong, that's where the problem begins. you may be desperately needing an answer to prayer. what you you need from God just may be missed by not getting to know me. That's why we're created to help each other, work with him. I go like this, but he's within us. He's all around us. But we are his hands. It's that simple. We are his legs, his mouth. we are his physical presence within this world. And if we don't get this relationship part right and we, maybe have a element of pride come in or selfishness or maybe I've done something that you didn't like, maybe you don't agree with what God's doing through me, that can close some doors again suddenly You've stopped God. You've stopped the creator of the world working through you and through us together. and then there's a ripple effect, gonna be honest, of that lost connection and the blessing that would have been realized at that moment or during that time of the relationship, it's gone. So it's critical. when I say miracle that you may have missed or the promise you may have missed as God worked through me, I'm not saying I'm special. I'm just one of the body of Christ. but he may be the very person that God wanted to use to help you receive his blessing. that's where, we can we can all miss it. I'm gonna admit that. I and I have. but we just strive to to hear his voice when he brings somebody new across our path that we take the time again, slow down, get to know that person, and even go to the next step and say, Lord, is there a reason that we're connected? he's there to answer. if we need wisdom, he'll give us wisdom. If he we need the answers, ask him. That's what he loves. So again, bear with me. today it's going to be a little longer. but I will break it up. and as I get into the main message points, I really want you to see this concept. it's going to be in a a natural example as as I've started out here, using myself primarily. But there's going to be a parallel that I'll bring bring out of the scripture here in the message. So again, if you ask the question, Who do you say I am? What happens if you get it wrong about who I am? As I mentioned, it can stop the blessing that God wants to get to you through me. So let's keep that in mind. The anointing that's on me as a pastor or teacher may not be received by you. You may just disregard our entire calling because you have a preconceived idea who of who I am. And again, God may really want to get that blessing to you or that teaching to you to keep you on the right track or to lift you to a higher level. But because you've listened to that gossip or you've listened to that loud voice in the community or in your family, sorry. There's one in every family. I'm sure ooh, my family's not gonna like that. but voices are loud today, whether it be internet, you know, people at work. There's lots of stuff coming at us. as I've mentioned, let's slow it down. Let's look back at how God created things. He created humans for a relationship. and it's going to be a blessing to all of us. getting back again on track, you may be that person who's struggling in life right now. But Again, if you've heard something that wasn't true about who I am or what I I represent, it'll affect the ministry. It it just will not be effective ministry if we do interact, because you you may always have that in the back of your head. but I heard he did this, or I heard they are this way, or I heard, you know, they they have this kind of teaching and it it doesn't align with my teaching. Whatever it is. Stop. Slow down. Have that relationship. Learn who I am. Learn Who God's created in me and in my family, in my wife, whoever it may be, or your neighbor, or your family. so many relationships have been severed because of something somebody heard or they misunderstood. That can happen too. You you get offended, you they didn't act like you thought they should, so therefore that's it, I'm done. when you make that decision to sever that relationship, again, the flow of what God wants to do through each of us as individuals is stopped. So just keep that in mind. it's such a fast world. I mentioned that already. the information that we're getting and so we're so easily building that mindset of, you know, you better get ahead now because otherwise you're gonna be left behind in in life, that sort of thing. And if it includes stepping on people, you know, I've heard that too, that certain people in order to rise up the corporate ladder, perhaps, they don't mind stepping on people, hurting people. Somebody may have stepped on you to get to the next level. It hurts, it stops a relationship, and it's not God's best. So If somebody asks who do you say I am locally, some people may say, Well, Dale's that pastor of Atlan Family Church. they're online, hopefully they know that. or they may say, Dale's that Christian Bible teacher who really helped me get my life back on track. Again, that's our hope for every encounter that we have with everyone we meet, either online or in person. it depends on people slowing down and just getting to know the the person. And I also want to point out The answer to that question, who do you say I am, it can change over time. Since, most of us have had a job or career, something we've done or currently do for income. And none of my previous jobs or careers truly defined who I was. It was simply what I did for income at that time during my life. And it's the same for you. if you're in plumbing You do plumbing. You are not a plumber. If that makes sense. so getting back to myself, I've drove commercial truck. I don't see myself as a truck driver. I've done some handyman work, home maintenance. I don't see myself as a handyman. I've also farmed and ranched. We we ha raised some cows and some calves. I don't see myself as a farmer. And I've done a few other jobs in my lifetime. I don't see myself as those titles. you might be asking, so what are you getting at? Well, I'm really hoping that you're getting it. I've done probably like most people, many things. thanks to God, I I give him all the glory and all the credit. He's given me abilities and I thank him for that. but I really don't see myself as anything that I've listed. They're just titles. That's it. there's a whole lot more to me than what I've listed. And likewise, when we've messed up in life. Mm-hmm, I have. And maybe you have too maybe you are currently? Okay, we won't go there. but what you do in life, like your actions aside from your career, you know, when you really mess up, it doesn't define who we are. We made a mistake. I'm gonna be honest, I purposely left out some of the things that I did in my past That's where it should always be, is just left out. God's forgiven me, He forgives you, and we need to move on. if we dwell on that and we start to believe that that's who that person is, they told a lie for for example, so therefore they're a liar. No, they they misrepresented the truth, they made a mistake, whatever it may be, they may even have lied. But the thing is that is not them. That's something that they did. we can offer our forgiveness, that would be a Christian thing to do, and move on. Rather than sever that relationship. We know that everyone makes mistakes. I do. You probably do. No one's perfect, right? Well, other than Jesus. but that's why it's so critical to take the time in developing that relationship you can't just do that in one visit or one encounter as we develop a relationship we'll get to know what each one of us do with our time but we'll also get to know our character our personality our sense of humor or not are what we believe, which I believe is the most important. What do we hold dear to our heart? That is what really forms our character and our integrity. it's a huge part of who we are as a person. And the aspects I strive to be known as, and it's my hope that you would get to know me as number one, I'm a Christian. I'm a pastor, I'm a Bible teacher, I'm a husband to my wife. Maybe not in that order, sorry. Number one, I'm a husband to my wife. And as a Christian pastor, it it all goes together. my belief system is based on the truth of God's word. Bottom line, that's what I hope that when you meet me, that's what comes across. So if it isn't our work, our credentials, or our talents that defines us, then what really defines who we are? What truly defines each of us is the truth, capital T, capital T. that we know and act on. And we see that in the word in John eight, thirty-one, thirty-two. And I'm going to be reading out of the New Living Translation. Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. The Bible we know is the truth. But it's only what you know of that word that will actually set you free. And with that I see our time is where it needs to be to cut off. So I do encourage you to join me in the next session. I will begin where we left off and we'll go from there. Thanks for joining me today. If you have any other questions about this message or any other message, again reach out to Atlanfamilychurch dot ca. That's the best way to get a hold of myself or my wife. we'd love to just get to meet you and see where you are on your path and Hopefully if there's any questions, we can help you and come on over for a coffee or a tea. it's all about a relationship.