Identity for a Crisis

Galatians 2:19-20, Romans 6:1-8 & Isaiah 61:1-7

Stillwood single parent Retreat

Take up Your Cross

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

Identity for a Crisis

The via Dolorosa

Being authentic

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

1. Jesus identifies with your disappointment in how life turned out.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law person" so that I could be God’s person. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine”;

Galatians 2:19-21 (the Message)

2. Jesus has made it possible for us to enter into “mystical union” with him, both his suffering and resurrectionSo what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

Romans 6:1-3(the Message)

2. Jesus has made it possible for us to enter into mystical union with him, both his suffering and resurrection

That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.

Romans 6:3-5(the Message)

3. When we identify with and unite with Jesus we can exchange our burdens for His blessings.

Jesus began his ministry by reading his MISSION

Statement from Isaiah 61

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me

because God anointed me.

He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken,

Announce freedom to all captives,

pardon all prisoners.

God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s

destruction of our enemies—

and to comfort all who mourn,

To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,

give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,

Messages of joy instead of news of doom,

a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.

Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"

planted by God to display his glory.

They’ll rebuild the old ruins… Isaiah 61 (The Message) quoted

by Jesus in Luke 4:17-19

What is sin?

Baptism

Body of Christ- a TEAM

Body of Christ

Come die with Him

Live with Him!

Christ Almighty

Barry Neufeld

Dec 2009