Sermon Central
-
Mistaken Identity
Contributed by Thomas Giddens on May 3, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: This country, and the church has a Mistaken Identity, we have lost sight of who we are.
"Mistaken Identity"
1Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (I Peter 2:9 NKJV)
Intro:
What we have today is a case of mistaken Identity. This country calls itself a "Christian" nation, yet you look around and you see less and less evidence of God in anything that we do. More and more unborn babies are being killed every day, trash floods our TV sets. We have even taken "Under God" out of our pledge of allegiance. Yet we still call ourselves a Christian nation.
When one professional athlete who proclaims he is a Christian, and take a Pro-Life stand is ridiculed and called an extremist, and another Professional athlete can announce that he is Gay, and is praised for his boldness and encouraged in his lifestyle, WE HAVE LOST OUR IDENTITY AS A CHRISTIAN NATION!!!!
When an 8 year old dyslexic little girl is reprimanded for praying before she takes a test at school, and threatened expulsion for praying before eating her lunch, WE HAVE LOST OUR IDENTITY AS A CHRISTIAN NATION!!!!
The Church Has A Mistaken Identity In The World Today!
The world identifies the church as...
1. A place of judgement rather than a place of love.
2. A place of condemnation rather than a place of forgiveness.
3. A place that they are not worthy to enter, rather than a place of restoration.
4. A place full of hypocrites, rather than a place full of people serving The Lord.
The reason for this mistaken identity is because the church has forgotten who we are. ( OUR TEXT)
1Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (I Peter 2:9 NKJV)
The church identifies itself as....
1. A place to gather on Sunday (Social Club) rather than a place of reverence to God.
I am young and I like a lot of the new things that churches are doing, but I am still old school enough, that I think the house of God should be treated as such. A place of reverence to an "ALL MIGHTY GOD".
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Matthew 21:12, 13 NKJV)
Jesus respected the House Of God, so should we!
2. A place that makes you feel good, rather than a place to come and have a supernatural experience with God.
3. A place to meet people, rather than a place to serve.
As a church we have forgotten what the bible says in Matthew chapter 5 verses 14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV)
Where the identity problem lies is.. We have linked "The Church" to a building. The church is not the building, but the people In the building.
Jesus identifies the church as the people
1Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (I Peter 2:9 NKJV)
We must understand that we do not belong to ourselves, we belong to HIM.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 6:19, 20 NKJV)
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV)
