Identity Theft - 2

Identity Theft - 2

Subject – Find Your Identity in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection

By Rick Welborne

Colossians 1:16-20 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
¹⁸  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
¹⁹  For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
²⁰  and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

--A few weeks ago we celebrated Easter (the Resurrection of Jesus Christ) and we are praying many experienced His resurrection power in their lives. 

--We are talking about Identity Theft and how the enemy comes to steal our identity or to try to re-identify us contrary to what the Word of God declares us to be.

John 10:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--Satan, our enemy, and his hordes of demons have a mission and that missions is to steal, kill, or destroy from us the identity we have in Christ. 

--If we allow him to define us or to redefine us…we miss out on the abundant life Jesus has promised to each one of us…we allow him to commit identity theft against us.

--Today, we want to look at the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and come to the revelation that our identity is wrapped up in what Jesus has done for us.

1. Our identity is found in the death of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:22-24 (NLT) ²²  “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.
²³  But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.
²⁴  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

--On the cross, Jesus won the victory and showed the world to be powerless…how awesome is this? The debt you had, the debt I had, and the debt the world has was nailed to the cross.

--When Jesus went to the cross and laid His life down. He was saying: Their identity is found in Me because of My blood. The Romans and religious leaders did not take Jesus’ life…He laid it down freely.

John 10:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

--I want to identify with the One Who willingly laid down His life for me when He died…shedding His blood so I could be free…At the cross, at the cross, were I first saw the light…

--My identity was definitely defined when I gave up my life and died to myself:

Gal. 2:20 (NKJV) ²⁰  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

--This verse was used by the evangelist who led me to the Lord. I knew I could not live for God as the person I was. The evangelist said, you really want to live for God don’t you? Yes! Stop trying…Great!

--He then quoted the verse above…stop trying to live for God…die to yourself and let Jesus come in and live His life thru you. I finally understood the plan of salvation.

--The enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy my life…my identity was found in drugs, alcohol, and running around doing things that were destructive. My identity was changed immediately. 

--Now I was identified as born again, called by God, youth pastor, lead pastor…don’t tell me God can’t stop the identity thief…my life and my future was changed forever! Still is!

--You really can’t know who you are until you survey His wondrous love for you and realize that He did what He did because He has a plan for your life. 

2. Our identity is found in the burial of Jesus Christ.

--The Bible tells us that Jesus was beaten, tortured, and nailed to a cross. Even a spear pierced His side and He died. Jesus said, “It is finished!” He died on the cross and was buried for the sins of the whole world.

John 19:38-40 (NKJV)
³⁸  After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.
³⁹  And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
⁴⁰  Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.

--Jesus’ body was prepared for burial…His body was laid in a borrowed tomb because that was all He needed. Three days later he was coming out of that tomb.

--I believe much of our identity has been stolen by those who tell us that Christianity is all about what we get.

Christ said we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Paul explains it like this:

Colossians 2:12-15 (NCV)
¹²  When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God’s power that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead.
¹³  When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins.
¹⁴  He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.
¹⁵  God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless.

--You see, before you received Christ you were spiritually dead, and if you were like me, you were close to being physically dead. Doctor said I probably would not live two more months. 

--One of the great reasons you should be water baptized (other than the fact that Jesus said we should be) is what verse 12 said: When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ.

--When you are buried you no longer have life, when you are buried you no longer have rights, when you are buried you no longer have a will, when you are buried you are dead to sin.

--Think about it…when you are buried with Christ you identify with Him in His death…you have died to self, to sin, and to your own will…you are set up for a brand new life.

3. Our identity is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (NIV)
¹²  But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
¹³  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
¹⁴  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
¹⁵  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
¹⁶  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
¹⁷  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
¹⁸  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
¹⁹  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
²⁰  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

--Can we establish here this morning once and for all that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is very much alive interceding at the right hand of God.

--He is alive…I said He is alive…How do you know He is alive…He has resurrected me from my dead life of sin and now His resurrection power lives in me.

--Who I am has been identified by the resurrection power of Jesus in me…my parents told me I was hopeless, they told me I was not planned, they told me the evil around me was because of me.

--They labeled me, they identified me as trouble, as evil, as jail bound, as the reason behind all that was happening…all I heard was how I would not amount to anything…

--Jesus had a different plan…His resurrection power has resurrected me…I am a new creation…the old nature (the old Rick) is buried with Christ and the new Rick has been resurrected. My identity now. 

Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)
¹⁰  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
¹¹  and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

--I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…that will make me new…that will make me whole.

Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)
¹⁴  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
¹⁵  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
¹⁷  and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 

--God has identified me as a son, He has identified us as His children, he has identified us as heirs of God, and He has identified us as joint heirs with Christ! My identity is in Him!

Boundary Markers – 4

Boundary Markers – 4

Subject:  Authority - What God Says Matters

By Rick Welborne

Deuteronomy 19:14 (NLT) 

14 “When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property. 

--I believe most of us would agree that we would have never dreamed we would see such an increase in lawlessness and corruption in the United States of America. Where are the boundaries?

Isaiah 5:20-24 (NLT)
²⁰  What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
²¹  What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.
²²  What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold.
²³  They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent.
²⁴  Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 

--I pray our church that God will help us to reach out to the young people in the cities and see a mighty revival come that changes everything. Pastor, put your money where your mouth is.

--We do, one of the home missionaries we support is in the inner city of Chicago and has been there for probably thirty years…we have supported him for twenty-five years and he is black.

--My heart breaks when I hear of anyone dying and know that more than likely they died without Jesus. I hope we were broken. Orlando has become one of the most dangerous cities in the US.

--So what’s wrong?  It appears to me that we have stepped outside the walls of God’s protection, we have crossed boundaries set up by God, and we have disdained God’s authority over us.

Leviticus 26:14-17 (NIV) ¹⁴  "'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,
¹⁵  and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
¹⁶  then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
¹⁷  I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. 

--So how do we turn all of this around…not just in our country but in our homes and churches too?  

1. Return to God and His Authority. 

Romans 13:1-5 (NLT)
¹  Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
²  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 

³  For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
⁴  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
⁵  So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. 

--This is what we must hear: Everyone must submit to governing authorities. Why?  For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 

--And anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. 

--I am trying my best to keep this as simple as I can so that we understand what our problems are in our country, in our churches, and in our homes.

--The governing authorities in our country are law enforcement officers who, according to God, are His servants. They certainly are not being treated like God’s servants.  

--In our churches the governing authorities are God called pastors (placed there by God) who have been given to you for your good and for the building up of the body of Christ.

--In our homes, parents are the governing authorities set up by God and as you honor them, God will bless you.

Eph. 6:1 (NLT) ¹ Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.

--The God given authorities are law enforcement officers, pastors, and parents and the boundaries are what they say. Their laws or rules. Either we obey or we rebel.

--Hopefully most of us have been taught that you respect authority, and the sooner you do what they say.

--So many things we have seen could have been avoided if people had not been, first of all, breaking the law (crossing boundaries) and secondly, submitting to the God given authority.

--How many people could be living for God, could have saved their marriages, or could have avoided damaging addictions if they would have listened to their pastors and obeyed the Word of God?

--How many prodigals could be presently fulfilling God’s destiny and plans for them if they would have listened to the godly counsel of parents who loved them and had their good in mind.

2. There Are Benefits in Staying Within the Boundaries.  

--For this example we will use the word “Master” for the authority, and fences and gates for boundaries. The master loves her horses very much and that is evident by the investment of time and money. 

--Because the master loves the horses they are kept in a secure fenced in area with a gate to let them out and to let them back in. As a reminder:  Jesus said:

John 10:9 (NLT)
⁹  Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

--The master keeps the horses safe within the fences, he feeds them, he has water for them, he has their nails (hoofs) done, he cares for their health (vet) just like Jesus looks out for us.

--If the horses are stubborn and they break out of the fence and are out of the protective boundaries of their master, so many things can happen that brings them harm.

John 10:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

--When the horses are content to stay within their boundaries and they are not out of control…the master can open the gate and allow the horse to experience personal time with the master. Please see the analogy. 

--The horses can just be for the pleasure of the master and there is obviously a bond between the horse and the horse lover. Like how God loves us!

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) ¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." 

--Sometimes a horse that is well disciplined and trained can be used for much more important roles such as competitions. Even law enforcement. The horse can be dressed with fancy tack.

--Can you see it?  When the horse is submissive and stays within the boundaries of its master…many blessings are bestowed…Even when the horse is dirty it is washed and groomed…pampered.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
⁹  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
¹⁰  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
¹¹  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

--There is great benefit to staying within God’s boundaries. The Lord is crying out to us to come back!

3. Valuing God’s Authority Matters!

Isaiah 55:1-3 & 6-7 (NIV)
¹  "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
²  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
³  Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
⁶  Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
⁷  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

--The Lord is saying return to Me and find the value of serving Me. Why are you trying to spend your life on that which does not satisfy? Return to the safety and boundaries of His love.

--Seek Him while He may be found! Call on Him! Turn back to Him and ask for forgiveness. 

Identity Theft - 1

Identity Theft - 1

Subject – Don’t let Them Steal Your Identity in Christ

By Rick Welborne

--King Nebuchadnezzar is the king of Babylon and he has troubling dreams…no leader in his kingdom can interpret them…Daniel comes along and tells him what the dreams mean.

--Daniel is exalted by the king and he puts three Hebrew young men in charge with him…Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  

--King N builds a 90-foot-tall image of himself and requires everyone to bow down to his image at the sound of all the music being played…the Hebrews refuse…They served only one God.

--The other leaders are jealous of them, their leadership, and that they are not conforming to the mandates being put out so they tattle to King N.

Daniel 3:13-18 (NLT)
¹³  Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in,
¹⁴  Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?
¹⁵  I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
¹⁶  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.
¹⁷  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
¹⁸  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” 

--What a powerful story of these Hebrew young men who have made a decision to be who God called them to be not what others tried to make them into. Sound familiar?

--Today we are starting a new series which is called Identity Theft. I prayed about this for several weeks. 

Identity theft just started out as the potential of someone stealing our SS# and credit card information.

--We gave a benevolence check to someone from Life Church years ago and they took the account number off the check and made their own checks…They were trying to steal what was not theirs. 

--The more I thought about this thing with Identity Theft and hearing junk on the news on a daily basis has opened my eyes to a more sinister plot of the enemy. Our Life Church verse:

John 10:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--Of course, another form of identity theft has been the world robbing the church of its true identity. They have convinced us that if we speak out against things that are anti-biblical that we are bigoted or racist.

--If we speak out against homosexuality or about gender identity that we are mean and without compassion.

--Which person is lacking in love and compassion…the guy who refuses to tell you the bridge is out or the person who does everything to warn you and stop you?

--I personally refuse to be identified or labelled by a liberal world system that says anything goes except Christianity…the Bible will be my manual to direct my path. Same with the Hebrew young men.

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 

1. My identity has been defined by God.

Matthew 19:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'
⁵  and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
⁶  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Family Research Council:  Virtually all people have a biological sex, identifiable at birth and immutable through life, which makes them either male or female. The transgender movement represents a denial of this physical reality.  

Genesis 5:2 (NCV) ² He created them male and female… We are made in the image of God.

--News flash…God has already decided your identity when you were born male or female. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

--Family Research Council shares how those who try to have their sexual identity changed are among the highest on the list of suicides…they are so confused. Actually deceived. 

--Let me say loud and clear…any form of sexual abuse is Identity Theft because of what it robs from its victims. Children and women were never intended to be targets of sick men abusing them. Thieves!

--Years ago I had to deal with one of the most difficult Identity Theft issues I had ever seen. We had a couple in our church (retired) who had three beautiful daughters (grown and gone).

--The man dies and the woman is hurt and broken at her loss. All three daughters sit down with mom…dad abused us all while we were growing up. Obviously the daughter’s identities were stolen…much pain.

--Now imagine the identity of the woman as a good mother and a faithful wife…her identity stolen by the lust and greed of this selfish husband and dad. Imagine the anger but how do you fix this…her peace was stolen.

2. When we question God about our identity we are headed for trouble.

--Many of us have been brain washed by the media and its constant bombarding of the worldly agenda. God please take us back to Andy and Barnie and Bonanza where right was right and wrong was wrong.

--Now, almost every sitcom has at least one homosexual couple and it is made to be cute and funny but it is neither cute nor funny when it goes against scripture. The three Hebrews knew who they were.

--That slow constant dripping is so messing with the minds of even those who claim Christ…I heard a believer say not too long ago about same sex relationships…what does it matter if they love each other? 

--You can accuse God all you want but you have a choice in the matter…The enemy comes to steal your identity but Jesus said He came so you could have life and have it more abundantly! Be steadfast! 

Isaiah 29:15-16 (NIV)
¹⁵  Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"
¹⁶  You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"? 

Romans 9:20 (NKJV) ²⁰ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

--Romans 1 tells of the downward spiral that we can go down if we are not careful…We do not give Him glory as God, we are unthankful, our thinking is foolish, our hearts are darkened, we exchange truth for a lie:

Romans 1:26-28 & 32 (NCV)
²⁶  Because people did those things, God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women.
²⁷  In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs.
²⁸  People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do.
³²  They know God’s law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them. 

3. The answer: Turn back to God!

--If God created us, if he created us male and female, if He created us to be in the likeness of His image, shouldn’t we turn back to Him. Shadrack, Meshack. And Abednego chose not to turn away.

--If He knows the plans He has for us…plans to give us a hope and a future…shouldn’t we turn back to Him.

--If He is willing to heal the broken hearted and to set the captives free (from Identity Theft, from sexual abuse or gender identity), shouldn’t we turn back to Him.

--Listen to what God did for people who had their identity stolen.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)
⁹  Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
¹⁰  or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
¹¹  Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

--You were made right with God by calling on His name…maybe you have turned away for a season…maybe you have never turned to Him at all…shouldn’t you turn to Him today?

--Your identity is found in Christ…any other identity is superficial and deceiving…God looks at you as being His special people or person: Shadrack, Meshack. And Abednego chose to live different than the rest.

1 Peter 2:10 (NLT) ¹⁰  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 

Conclusion: Who do we trust when it comes to our identity, our gender identity, our lives going forward, who do we trust…Please choose to trust in God. Why? He created you the way you are for His purposes.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
¹³  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

--God was not confused when He formed you…He created you to have His true identity.