The Battle For Who You Are

I want to hang in the atmosphere two truths - declaration we'll set the foundation and the stage for where we're going to go today and if I don't finish I'll pick it up next week I don't I don't want to rush through it it is that important here's the first truth what you believe about God will determine how you live let's start there let's start there what you believe about God will determine how you live there's the second truth what you believe about yourself will determine how you think give it to you again would you believe about yourself will determine how you think about the life that you live what you think about and believe about yourself will determine how you process the realities of how you live what you believe about yourself will determine how you navigate the path upon which you choose to live I said again what do you believe about God will determine how you live but what you believe about yourself will determine how you think about and process how you live what you believe about yourself will determine how you filter the realities of how you live it will determine how you interpret the path and the journey that you have chosen to live based on what you believe about God you get that you're halfway home what do you believe about God will determine how you live and what you believe about yourself will determine how you think about how you live you think about the experience is how you interpret and navigate the experiences of the life that you've chosen to live because of what you believe about God the ultimate question of your life in my life is Who am I Who am I and Who am I will be directly related to the question who is God one more time Who am I and who I believe I am it related to who I believe God is one of the fundamental and foundational attacks of the enemy on your life will be in the area of your identity you're halfway home if you got that one of the fundamental attacks that the enemy will lodge against you will be on your identity who you are who you believe you are and how you act because you believe you are who you think you are fundamental attack will be on your identity when you choose to follow Christ your life will follow the path of his life listen to me here's the transition and the first attack on Jesus was the attack on his identity take me a little while to get started so work with me the first attack the first attack against Jesus his life his ministry the call on his life was related to his identity let's go to work Luke chapter 3 Luke chapter 3 Luke chapter 3 Luke chapter 3 here we go Luke chapter 3 pick me up at about verse 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove the Holy Spirit descended as a dove here we go and a voice everyone say a voice and a voice a voice came from heaven and the voice said this you are my son whom I loved one version says you are my beloved son one version says in whom I am well pleased one version says with you I am well pleased don't miss that the voice of the father the voice of the father the voice of the father we know is the father cause he says you are my son the voice of the father speaks and says you're my son that's who you are and I'm well pleased with you the seen pictures God the Father speaking directly to his son and affirming his identity one more time the scene pictures the voice of the father the voice I'll camp I'll be coming back to the voice the whole message the voice the voice the voice the voice the voice of the father speaks and says here's who you are you're my son and I'm well pleased with you the beginning of the identity of Christ we're gonna learn later on and pick it up next week that the debt identity really began with who his family where he was when his family I'll pick up that next week but the father says you are my son you are my son you are my son and I'm pleased with you that's where it begins what what does God say about you God says to Christ the father says you're my son you're my son you're my son and I'm pleased with you now that's chapter three go to chapter 4 verse 1 only a few verses later you still with me remember in chapter 3 he affirms you're my son he he doesn't pass the word he speaks directly to the Christ he says you you're mice that's who you are you're my son and I'm pleased with you now go to the next chapter just a few verses down in chapter 4 verse 1 and let's go to work then then when then when after he just affirmed somebody sees it his identity then Jesus being filled with the Holy Ghost returned from the Jordan where he was baptized where this affirmation was made led by the spirit again led by the spirit into the desert where he was there for forty days tempted by the devil don't miss the sequence the father just affirmed his identity the next scene he's tempted by the devil the question is what was the first temptation you ask good questions on a Sunday morning I'm glad you asked that keep going he he ate nothing at the end of those days he was hungry some of y'all ate this morning and you still hungry but he had eaten nothing for forty days and he was hungry which means he was vulnerable are you with me what help me today don't don't miss any detail of this passage number one the father says you're my son and then and then and then he was taken to the desert where he was hungry had not eaten he was vulnerable and then the enemy speaks and the devil said somebody sees it if you are y'all got it already if you are the son of God whoa slow your roll slow your roll devil slow your roll slow your roll didn't God just say didn't he just clarify and declare who he was you're my son that's who you are and a few days later the enemy attacks and says now if you are somebody sees it the first attack on the life of Jesus the Son of the Living God was the attack on his identity and I declare unto you the fundamental foundational attack that the enemy will have against you always the irreducible minimum will be the question now who are you it is the strategy that he used against Christ and Christ says because he was his son you the father said you're my son and the first thing that the enemy did was to question that now if you are his son question it if you believe you are his son maybe you're not sure whether you're his son because the affirmation was to his sonship hmm a voice spoke listen to me a voice and the voice affirmed his identity listen to me the fundamental consistent challenge that you will face throughout your life it is that consistent challenge will be the choice of voice it will be the choice of which voice you will listen to in chapter 3 the father spoke in chapter 4 the devil spoke and the devil spoke to question the voice of the father who had already spoken so sequentially God spoke first ah God I need your help today and then the attack will be but do you believe that because the enemy said if you are ok we are know onward Christian soldiers and all that stuff you know you know I'm on the battlefield from my lord ok ok what one scholar says this he says he says where the Christian soldier is proven here's what you'll be proven it's based on what you believe about your identity say they're too fast I'll give it to you again as a soldier in the army of the Lord your your battle tests will be ultimately what you believe about who you are because the word was spoken and says you are my son all right let's go now go to John chapter 1 John chapter 1 and let's see what the word says about you John chapter 1 so you must begin with what does God say John chapter 1 verse 12 stay with me I got a long way to go in a short time to get there stay with me Bible says they came with to his own his own received him not he says but to those who believe in his name to those who did receive him here we go here we go the ones who received them he gave 1 Virgil says he gave them the power the word really means he gave them the authority the authority to become children of God not born of the flesh but born of the Spirit born of God look at me and so when you accept Jesus because it says only those who received him as many as received him listen now he gave the authority he gave the right he gave the privilege of becoming sons and daughters of God so here we go you are get this now you get this you got half the message you are a son you are a daughter of God when you accepted Christ as your Savior because the Bible says as many as received him you were given the authority you were given the right to be a daughter of God to be the son of God don't rush past that if you rush past that you'll miss it if you if you take that lightly you're in trouble because it begins with your identity the consistent challenge of your life will come back to but who are you and if I must say that those has received him he gave power he gave authority to become a daughter of God a son of God God has spoken the devil steals peace the choice is about the voice which voice will you hear because the strategy of the enemy will always be listen to me it will always be to make you doubt who you are if he can get you to doubt who you are that fundamental truth it matters not how other an additional truths are placed on top of that truth if you don't get that truth you missed it in other words it doesn't mean no good to tell you you're a conqueror if you don't believe you're a son or daughter it does no good to say you're gonna prosper if you don't believe you're a son or daughter the foundational truth is who you are and God says when you accepted Christ you became a son you became my daughter phrase that's the voice of Christ now the voice of the enemy will always come with something contrary to what God says the voice the voice the voice the voice the voice to insult somebody I hear voices I hear voices yeah yeah the voice the voice the voice see you're unworthy you're worthless you're too sinful you're useless you're helpless your own attractive you to this your to that you're not enough this you're not enough that you're a victim look what they did to you you haven't a voice you cannot speak off instead you're hopeless you're evil you're bad you're unworthy you're worthless all of these voices you're too sinful all of these voices will come echoing into your life into your ear into your mind into your spirit over and over and over and over again especially at the times when God wants you to stand up and say but I am a child of the Living God [Applause] help me so here we go your identity begins with your relationship with God so I said earlier what you believe back about God will determine how you live you believe that if you understand and accept that he is your father we talked about that last week but you are a son of God you are a daughter of God you're God's child don't rush past that you're God's child you're God's man you're God's woman let that sink in because or and over and over again the question will come back but who are you notice the attack of the enemy against Jesus same strategy if you are the son of God translation are you sure you're the son of God did God really say you his son see one of the ways that the enemy attacks us is to make us doubt what God has already said remember Adam and Eve in reminiscent that thing back in the garden number two remember that the temptation was God said now Carson limite something now you got all these trees all these in it tree in this garden you can touch but now if you see that see that tree over there if you touch that tree right there you don't die the first attack where the enemy was did God really say that he didn't mean ad no come on come on you don't really believe that do you and the rest is history or whatever she took a big bite out of it I ain't got time to say whether was an apple or peach or inattentive but whatever it was she bit it because she really didn't believe that God said what he said it meant what he meant the attack will be to make you doubt what God has said here we go here's the next truth I want you to get every lie you have ever believed came from the devil lord help me one more time every lie you have ever believed came from the devil jesus speaks in John chapter 8 and Jesus says not only is he a liar he's the father of Lies God is the father of the saints he's the father of lies which means the source every lie you've ever believed about yourself came from the devil he's the father he he he is the progenitor he's the origin of lies and every lie you've ever believed about yourself came from him some of the darkest seasons of my life I've been because I believe the lying and I now I know where the light came from not only is the devil a lot it's bad enough to be a liar some of y'all liars but but but but but but it is bad enough to bill but but he's the father of lies which means every lie you told he started it Oh y'all don't like knowing that when did you hear somebody say go ahead Bishop go head Bishop I say you like well go ahead Bishop just go ahead go here because the Bible says he's the father of lies don't miss that lies that I believed about myself I know where he came from now lies that you have believed about yourself that have determined a change in the course of your life you you you believe them you believe the lie and you made a decision based on the lie that you believe and it changed the course of your life because the devil was after you all the time and he's the father of lies so so you must begin with what God says about you my identity listen to me my identity is only defined and only authorized to be defined by God let me say it again only God has the authority to identify me my identity comes from him it is from the gospel and from the Father God who declares Who I am so the first thing I want to know what does he say about me I must start with his voice remember what Jesus taught in chapter 3 God spoke so what does God say here's number 1 do the first thing God says about you let me help somebody number one you are loved I'm gonna help somebody today God knows I am Jeremiah chapter 33 I got a lot of scriptures if you want to turn to him fine if you're caring for him quickly find if not just watch them on the board because it's very important number one you are loved I'm not talking about some sappy you know little you know syrupy kind of sweet and it time and look no I mean you are loved some of you are in love ever been in love now Nibin you you you you love some people but ever been in love I have loved I have loved but for 42 years I've been in the baby steal praise Jesus [Applause] what was I talking about what was that yeah yeah yeah listen get this get this get this cuz I'm telling you it is a trick of the enemy it's a trick of the enemy to trick an enemy you are loved not not with a flat bat night as long as you are as long as you do know you're loved Jeremiah 31 he says this eyed I love your word listen to me you are loved with an everlasting love God I love you word listen to me everlasting means ever lasting if it comes and goes is not everlasting if if it's based on what you did this morning and because of what you did this morning it just got cancelled it may be but it ain't everlasting love everlasting means I loved you before you knew me everlasting means I loved you before you knew that I loved you everlasting means I loved you in spite of what you did that you thought made me not love you and when I say means I love you everlastingly god I love it if you if you miss that you've missed a foundational decree of who you are you love now let's go to the deep into the pool anybody other than me don't raise your hand I'll raise my hand no seriously anybody ever felt like you did something that cancel God's love see most y'all real spiritual oh this is my story I'm I'm talking about some other stuff that I've done that I thought canceled his love for me it never looked at something and said how could anybody do that and then you realize you were the one who did it alright y'all ain't got that one you you ever seen a couple couple go through something and and you hear about it your about it and and and and you say child if that was me I'm done I'm out of here no no no you're gonna do that at least at least you ain't gonna do that to me twice you you got two chances your first time in your last time and I'm out and then you can't understand why wouldn't a set when the dust settles there's still there with that same person now what you it says child at a meeting and that's right that's why you didn't love that person right that's why that's why you got somebody else but but but God says I love you with an everlasting love you can't break it in you can't shake it and when I look at some of the stuff that I've done lord have mercy look at some of the stuff that I thought to do that I didn't do because I didn't get a chance to do but if I had a chance if bad on this side is so spiritual and I'm going over to the real folk on this side of the house of here I want to be just like y'all when I grow up cause y'all real deep I'm talking about stuff that I assumed cancel God's love and God reminds me thank you Father I still love you God brought somebody at 9 o'clock on a Sunday morning and this is your word you get this one you can put your finger up and go home cause this is your word listen he still loves you I don't know who that was for he still loves you he knows what she did last night and he loves you with an everlasting love number one number two you're accepted you're accepted all right let me go on all the way to deepen the pool on that let me ask you this don't raise your hand on this one how many of you you you love some folk but you don't want them in your house I'm raising my eyebrows I'm raising everything no I ain't mad at you then I'm a manager I just don't want you in my house no no no we could we could you just don't come around don't get in the neighborhood don't drop in no you love but you ain't accepted no can we stay real no I'm talking about real families half y'all ain't in real famine talk about real families talk about some of y'all's cousins and some of y'all's uncle's in Uncle Bud and skeet it in Bush nut I'm talking about yeah yeah every family got a Skeeter and a bush [Applause] you love him you just don't want to hang around but God says God I love you word God says you're accepted the word means he he has reached out and he has brought you to himself it means it means it really means you're embraced ever needed a hug from God ever going through such a rough time a dark time a challenging time and you just needed a hug from God the work the word means it's the idea of being embraced I says you you're embraced you love you accept them and that's what God says but there's also the voice of the enemy and the first thing he does is to make you doubt your identity if you're God's child why is all this stuff happening to you no no you no no no you said you you said you a child of God no no if if you such a channel of God what about all this stuff you're going through I know you I know what you're going through and if you're such a child if you're really a child of God a woman of God a daughter of God or a man of god what a son of God why why are you going through all this hell matter of fact I know some folk who don't even claim to be saved were going through some of the hell you going through he wants to make you doubt did God really say that Jesus other enemy said if you're really God's son then do this he's saying you you you you if you believe that you're God's Son if you doubt that you're God's Son then go and do this if you're really the Son of God then do this prove it he sends mixed signals that are ultimately designed to make you doubt who God says he wants to make you doubt the Word of God maybe God didn't really mean it or here's one better no he meant it he meant it for her but but but ever daily he didn't mean it for me and so the attack is always in the area of making you doubt what God said then and then his next step is he will swatch this he will fuel the doubts by sending people into your life to reaffirm the doubt that you had y'all ain't got that ya ain't got that here we go Psalm 3 for that time turned it if not take my word for it TomTom 3 psalm 3 Psalm 3 what's there some three Lord how they increased who trouble me what's this line many are they who rise up against me a whole bunch of folk that's a little Ebonics that I kind of translated in there says many are they who say to me there is no help in your God look at me look look look look look first of all you doubt what the God's gonna do it anyway then he sends people to reaffirm your doubt and they echo the doubts that you had in the first place you're already wondering where is God and then somebody comes along and says now where is God there's no help in your God he the enemy will Willison he will attack you with doubt and then he'll send people into your life to reaffirm the doubt here's the next strategy this is a rough one he will attach a lie to the truth you missed it I told you is the father lies what he will do common strategy he will he will attach a lie to what is true in order to get you still end up doubting God and see if that can help you and see the sea uh remember job bless his heart one of the saddest when you read job you know have a you know either cup of coffee or cup of something and some clinics PO fella that brother went through it once it so his I love the Bible Bible says his so-called friends one of his friends one of his for him named elephants and that's your first Pauline by the name Elif as you meet anybody in life they mail affairs turn around and go the other way cuz they have nothing but bad news for you man then you know that right now he says it is he says no I know why you're gone job lost everything what's this now he lost everything he lost money he lost his prestige he lost his reputation he lost his kids he lost his land he lost his riches he lost everything and so this friend comes along in quotes and says oh I know what's going on oh oh I know what's going on now I don't have time to go to King James New King James Lovell King James and I be jump over to what the message says the message say this I take it well problem is it's because you are a first-class moral failure I'll tell you what does that mean is that there's no end to your sins what's this here comes the voice it's your fault the trick of the enemy the lie the lie is your fault now what's this that is a lie attached to the truth the truth is he did lose he lost everything but the enemy attaches a lie to the truth and the truth is he did lose the lie is is your fault it's interesting because God says I've got plans for you and I know the plans that I have for you emphasis in the construction of that sentence means I know now you may not know but I know and I know that my plan is not to harm you I'm not out to get you I'm out to bless you and when I get through I'm gonna prosper you I'm gonna make you whole I'm gonna make you bless because my plan is to give you a future and give you a hope the future means it ain't over here it does not stop here I don't care how bad it looks I don't care how dark it may seem I don't care how the winds are blowing I don't care how the storms are ready it ain't over here because my plan is you've got a future and a future means you've got to move from the right now until the not yet you can't get stuck where you are because you're not where you're going who was that for I don't even I don't even know who that was for you can't get stuck where you are cause you're not where you're going my plan is a future I got a future for you the enemy will attach a lie to the truth okay let me hear nothing us yes we remember the prodigal son but it goes bable says he came to his daddy and said look I wants my stuff I'm out of here and Bible says a game of stuff in the boy left now the truth is he left the lie that the enemy places on parents is it's your fault that your child went wrong I'm gonna help somebody today ever think of that father who'd blessed that son with a legacy think of what must have been going through his mind when the son makes the choice to go on a road that would end up in the Hall pin first of all he's a Jewish boy got no business with no hogs and pigs anyway that's the first problem but it amplifies that what's this now it amplifies how far down your child can go and the trick of the enemy that whispers in the ear of a faithful mother and the faithful father you must have done something wrong any parents other than me ever felt like it happened because you must have done something wrong maybe you didn't teach the right one maybe you didn't get to the right scripture verse maybe you didn't stay home long enough maybe you didn't teach him how to pray long enough maybe you didn't lay hands on all kinds of fantasies that going in mind then the truth is the child makes a decision to go down a road that bends and destruction but the enemy will attach a lie to the truth and make you think it's your fault and you live in guilt you squander you wrestle you roll around and guilt what did I do wrong if the enemy can attack Jesus the enemy can I check your child I don't know who that was for it's not your fault the trick of the enemy is to attach the light of the truth the truth is the cow made a bad decision god I love you word but the picture is the scene of that father waiting at the end or that long dusty road because in the heart of the father that's still my child there's something about a Mama's love and her daddy's love that even when that child acts a fool and goes out and makes stupid mistakes but that's still my child they make choices that you would not make but that's still my child they go down roads that you would never go down but that's still my child you stand back and watch them suffer the choices that they've made but that's still my child they struggle with the consequences of bad decisions but that's still my child and if they ever turn around Mama's waiting right here and daddy's waiting right here come on home son come on home daddy come on home daughter because daddy loves you with an everlasting love how goddaughter the lie is you're a failure like is this your fault here's the last thing and I'm ready to go if he stays on your trail the devil can make you think that your failure is final it was a prophet by the name of Jeremiah Jeremiah curse the day he was born and he wanted to die stay with me I'm almost done he wanted to die because he felt like a failure help somebody on this one he felt like he had failed and therefore his life was not worth living he said Lord I did this nobody turned nobody repented I did this it didn't work I did that it didn't work I tried visser didn't work he felt like a failure and he wanted to die the enemy will release the seduction of suicide and make you conclude that your life is such a failure it's not even worth living didn't learn that from Jeremiah didn't learn that from the Bible I've been there I have felt so much of a failure that I I had let God down I I had made vows that I broke I'd made promises that I didn't keep I I hurt people who loved me I betrayed people who trusted me and I believed the lie your life is so jacked up it's not worth living and so I tried to end it ever been so far down you looked up and saw down ever ever felt like such a failure you questioned the value of even going on been there not not proud of it but been there because I believe the lie and if the plan had been carried out I wouldn't be here I should have been dead long time ago but God said to Jeremiah you can't die now I still need to use you you have a story to tell you've got a testimony that just might help two or three people you you're gonna meet some folklore as far down as you are who messed up as bad as you messed up who screwed up and jacked up as much as you did and they might just need to hear a testimony that if God brought me back he'll bring you back if he picked me up he'll pick you up if he turned your life around he'll turn your life around if he can still use me he can still use you maybe God just let me live to be here to tell you he'll never stop loving you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] he the lie is you might as well give up that is a lie out of the pit of hell the Lord told me you have someone here you don't know me I don't know you you don't know your yeah you didn't know my story I don't know your story God showed me you'd be here room full of a thousand people God said you'd be here said the Lord you don't understand he said just tell your story son God said he'd bring you here and His Word to you he still loves you [Applause] whose word is that who's whose word is that yes yeah man I'm feeling I'm feeling you I'm feeling yeah yeah I'm feeling you I'm feeling you I'm feeling I'm feeling you man I'm feeling you yeah I'm feeling you he's yeah I see you I'm feeling you I'm feeling you he still loves you still loves you he still loves you he's he's a good father he's he's a good good father and and and my identity is that I'm loved by him [Music] who are you I'm loved by him the the grammar doesn't fit but the truth is everlasting man I'm loved by him that's who I am

Channel: Faithful Central

Views: 3,280

Rating: 4.8461537 out of 5

Keywords: identity, fcbc, faithful central, Bishop Ulmer, kenneth ulmer

Id: Cb_Kq7IFk2w

Length: 49min 26sec (2966 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 20 2019