Finding Our Identity – 5

Finding Our Identity – 5

Subject – The One Hundred and Twenty Club

By Rick Welborne

Luke 24:49-53 (NKJV)
⁴⁹  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
⁵⁰  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
⁵¹  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
⁵²  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
⁵³  and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. 

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

Acts 1:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty)…

--About three weeks ago I was praying and worshiping the Lord and God began to pour this message into my heart. Obviously, I didn’t write anything down, I was in the shower.

--At first, I thought I would veer away from the series about Finding Our Idenity but as God spoke to my heart about the One Hundred and Twenty, I knew it had everything to do with our identity.

--Life Church and La Vida church needs to know who we are in Christ and we need to know what our identity can be in Him.

1. We Have a Choice About Our Identity.

--A couple of Wednesdays ago I preached about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and how those events have such an impact on our identity. Without that we are lost.

--We all know Jesus was crucified for all of our sins but we also know that He was resurrected from the dead which gives all of us new life. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.

--Jesus appears during the time after His resurrection and before His ascension into Heaven, and actually, He gave all of us a choice about our identity and who we would become.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NKJV)
³  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
⁴  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
⁵  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
⁶  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

--Jesus appeared, after His resurrection, to over 500 people all at one time, showing that he had conquered death and the grave, and giving them a choice to truly identify with Him.

--You see, Jesus said He would build His church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. He was putting together His army to change the world. Then, He gave this promise:

Luke 24:49 (NKJV) ⁴⁹  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." 

--Jesus gives an invitation (altar call) to more than 500 people at one time to identify with Him and to be on His team. Wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father…Holy Spirit.

--How many of them showed up? 

Acts 1:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty)…

--Jesus gives them the opportunity of a lifetime to be world changers and to identify with Him and only about one-fifth show up.

--Does any of this sound familiar? Week after week, month after month, year after year, we give people an opportunity to identify with Christ and change their world, their families.

--Have you ever asked yourself what was so important in the lives of the other four-fifths that they didn’t think it was important enough to go and wait in Jerusalem? In church? To do what Jesus said?

--Have you ever asked yourself what is so important in the lives of people today that they choose to not show up to hear God’s Word and to experience His presence? 

--Their identity is in the world. How can something like Covid make people choose to neglect God’s house. Shouldn’t we run to God instead away from Him?

Deuteronomy 30:18-20 (NKJV)
¹⁸  I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
¹⁹  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
²⁰  that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; 

2. Our Obedience Leads to Our Identity.

Acts 1:4-5&8 (NKJV)
⁴  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
⁵  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--Jesus commanded them…if you do what I tell you, you will become a part of propagating the gospel all over the world. A Kingdom Builder. Think about the other four-fifths who didn’t show up.

--Here at La Vida Church and Life Church you can be a part of being a Kingdom Builder. How? Through Missions and Faith Promises. Obedience to the Great Commission.

--Think about, not only what Jesus thought about the one hundred and twenty, but what the world thought about them. Pastor, do you have a verse for that? I do!

Acts 17:6 (NKJV) ⁶ "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

--How many of you would love to be a part of the one hundred and twenty and be accused of turning the world upside down? Obedience does that.

--Our disobedience puts us in the category of the four-fifths who kind of disappeared into oblivion because they chose not to show up for church and be filled with Holy Spirit power.

--I want to identify with the one hundred and twenty who went against the grain of society and did not fear what man thought about them. They simply wanted to be obedient to God.

--Their obedience was not only a willingness to die to themselves but a willingness to possibly die physically which happened to many of them.

--I am afraid we have raised a generation of disobedient professors of Christ but deny the power of Holy Spirit. We are seeker sensitive and we don’t want to offend anyone.

--Is there anything more offensive than letting people perish when we are supposed to have the treasure of Christ in our earthen vessels? We actually care for their souls.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people perish: 

--We need to get a vision that our identity is wrapped up in being a part of the one hundred and twenty and that we are unashamedly obedient to Jesus, whatever that may cost us. 

--How will I ever find my identity until I am obedient to the creator God Who has my life in His hands and He is molding me into what I am supposed to be?

 Isaiah 64:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.
⁸  And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. 

3. What it Means to be in the One hundred and Twenty Club.

--It means that we obey what Jesus commands us to do. We don’t filter His commands thru a world system that says life is all about me. 

Acts 1:4 (NKJV) ⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father…

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty, we simply do what Jesus tells us to do. It comes down to this, is He the Lord of your life or is it you who is in charge of your identity and destiny?

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty, we wait and we worship until Holy Spirit comes.

Luke 24:52-53 (NKJV) ⁵² And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
⁵³  and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. 

--They waited and they worshiped. They waited and they worshiped. They were filled with great joy. Why? They were doing what Jesus said and they were expecting the Promise of the Father!

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty they allowed Jesus to decide their identity and their destiny. Because He is Lord, He is the Potter and we are the clay.

--He decides who we are and what we become. 

1 Peter 2:10 (NLT2) 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.” 

--I want to identify with the One Hundred and Twenty! How about you?

The Gift – 2025 – 5

The Gift – 2025 – 5

Subject – The Gift of Holy Spirit

By Rick Welborne

Acts 2:36-39 (NKJV)
³⁶  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
³⁷  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
³⁸  Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸  "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹  Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. 

--Today we continue the series The Gift – 2025 and today we will look at the Gift of Holy Spirit. In our attempt to always be Biblical, context will be very important.

--Peter, along with the 120 just experienced the outpouring of Holy Spirit and all of Jerusalem was amazed by what they saw and experienced.

--Talk about God doing a new thing and yes, it did spring forth because it was the birthing of the church. A road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Miraculous!

--Our text was toward the end of Peter’s sermon which, in its self, was a miracle. Days before Peter could not even admit that he was a disciple but now, preaching with power and conviction.

--Matter of fact, his sermon was so powerful and the conviction was so great, the people cried out to Peter and the rest of the apostles…"Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 

--Please, remember all this happened on the Day of Pentecost so all that happened was directly connected to the outpouring of Holy Spirit. God was doing a new thing!

--Peter’s response to the question the people asked was important for the people who were present in Jerusalem and it is also important for us. 

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
³⁹  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

--How foolish can people be to try and convince us that the event of that day was only for that day when the Word of God clearly tells us the contrary.

--For the greatest part of the church of Jesus Christ, many have said “No thank you” to God for the gift of Holy Spirit. How that must hurt the heart of God.

--It’s so interesting to me that on the day Jesus was birthing His church and pouring out the gift of Holy Spirit, and promising believers this gift is for everyone, so many reject His present to them.

--As a teenager, I remember saving for almost a whole year to get my father a large beautiful stereo for Christmas (trying to win his love) and when he saw it…I don’t like that name brand.

--It broke my heart…can you imagine God’s heart when He says to His church, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses.” Nope! Not for today!

--Frances Chann wrote a book, Forgotten God, and it was a book describing how the church has rejected the third person of the Trinity as even being relevant.

--Can I tell you how much we need the Gift of Holy Spirit in our lives? Jesus tells us how much we need Him and how He can change our lives.

John 16:7-8 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
⁸  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

--Jesus is saying it is to your (the church’s) advantage for Him to go away because when He goes to be with the Father He will send Holy Spirit as a gift. Wow!

1. Holy Spirit – A Gift of Power.

Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
⁴  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
⁵  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
⁶  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
⁷  And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--Wait a minute, Jesus! Are you telling me that if I receive the gift of Holy Spirit, I will have the power I need to be an effective witness for you? Yes!

--Are you telling me that when I share you with my prodigal sons, daughters, grandsons, grand-daughters, mom, dad, and other family members, I will have supernatural power to influence them? Yes!

--Are you telling me that wherever I work or go to school that I will be able to be used by God to see their lives changed by Holy Spirit? Yes! He will convict them of their sin.

--Are you telling me that everywhere I go there will be the presence of God to help people see their need to give their lives to Christ? Yes! He will show them how good Jesus is.

2. Holy Spirit – The Giver of Gifts.

1 Cor. 12:4-11 (NLT2) ⁴ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
⁷  A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
⁸  To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
⁹  The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
¹⁰  He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
¹¹  It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 

--How amazing and wonderful. When we receive the gift of Holy Spirit, we receive so much from the Lord.

--Holy Spirit can give us the gift of wisdom. The ability to give wise advice and guidance. He can give us the gift of knowledge to bless a brother or sister…or someone out of the church.

--Holy Spirit can give us the gift of faith. Supernatural faith to believe for a miracle. He can give us the gift of healing to see someone totally healed. 

--I worked at an oil drilling equipment plant in Dallas, Texas. A man I had been sharing Christ with came to me and said his back was hurting so bad, he couldn’t hardly walk. 

--He asked me to pray for him. I prayed in my spirit for God to heal him supernaturally. I prayed for him and we all left to go home. It was Friday. Monday the man ran to me.

--He grabbed me and starting shaking me. I said, “What happened?” He said before I got to my truck, I was healed. He said I went home and told my wife we were going to church.

--We went and both of us were saved and we are going to be baptized next Sunday. Supernatural faith and healing of the sick and lead to salvation.

--Holy Spirit can give us power to see miracles. He gives us the gift of prophecy and the ability to give a message in tongues. Also, the ability to interpret the message. 

--Please understand, you do not own these gifts, they are given as God sees they are necessary. Who would not want Holy Spirit’s gifts to be a blessing to others. 

3. Holy Spirit – The Gift of Counsel, Truth, and Guidance.

John 15:26 (NIV) ²⁶ "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

John 16:13-14 (NIV) ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
¹⁴  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

--Holy Spirit comes to be our counselor, our comforter, our teacher. He is the Spirit of truth. We need supernatural truth so we will not be deceived by the enemy. 

--Verse 14 says…He will bring glory to Me. Holy Spirit inside of us will help us to bring glory and honor to Jesus in all that we do. 

--Pastor Rick, I need to be able to serve God and live the life He wants me to live. Ok! Receive the gift of Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11 (NIV)
¹¹  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 

Finding Our Identity – 4

Finding Our Identity – 4

Subject: Taking Responsibility for your Identity

By Rick Welborne

Joshua 24:15&22-24 (NCV)
¹⁵  But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.“
²²  Then Joshua said, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD.“ The people said, “Yes, we are.“
²³  Then Joshua said, “Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the LORD, the God of Israel, with all your heart.“
²⁴  Then the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and we will obey him.“ 

--As we continue to look at this subject of “Finding Our Identity” I am concerned about how our world will look going forward and what our children and grandchildren will face in the days ahead. 

--Everyday there is at least one story where this issue of gender identity is brought up…a guy who competes as a girl in weight lifting and wins the National Championship in that division.

--Issues in multiple states where men claiming their identity is female going into the women’s restrooms and videoing the ladies in there…of course you do not here this on the national news.

--Don’t misunderstand me, I truly believe these people need our help and our prayers. Most of them have been abused in one form or another and have definitely lost their way.

--It is our responsibility to show them the way not just in words but in how we live. We will more than likely have to do spiritual warfare to see them set free. We must agonize in prayer!

--Just remember, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus has the power to set all of them free just like He did for us. We should never look down our noses at others because we were lost too.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

--In our text today Joshua is getting ready to pass from the scene and he is giving some very important great instructions. The more I meditated on these verses the more I saw them in the context of our identity.

Joshua 24:15 (NCV) ¹⁵  But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.“

--That last sentence was so magnified by Holy Spirit that I could not get away from it…we must make a choice when it comes to ourselves, our families, and our determination to serve God.

1. I Choose to Find My Identity in Christ.

--It almost sounded like Joshua was trying to talk the people out of serving God…I know how your ancestors lived and how they served the gods of the Amorites. Who were these Amorites?

Amorites – People of the hill country - Bitter; rebels; babblers.

--Joshua was asking…who are you going to identify with…the Lord or your ancestors who were a bitter bunch of rebels who were mostly talk and trouble! Where are the strong?

--Where are the men who will stand up for what is right and not be afraid to be real men…God never intended men to be effeminate and emasculated. 

--I am not saying that all men have to go out and slay a dear for dinner or love sports or be able to bench press 300 pounds but I think it is time for some Joshua’s to come forth!

--Joshua said…as for me…maybe I can’t speak for anyone else but as for me…I will serve God, I will fight for what is right, and I will be a leader, I will attempt to lead my family!

--Before it was politically incorrect, little boys played army and they played cowboys and Indians. We dreamed of being the hero of every fight we were in…we imagined doing great feats! 

--We blew something up, we got rid of the bad guys, and we rescued the damsel in distress. We wanted to be the strongest, the fastest, the best. We wanted to come in on a white horse and rescue everyone.

--Kind of like Jesus when he comes back for the final battle…He is coming on a white horse and we are coming with Him to do battle with the enemies of God and we will win…shout Hallelujah! 

Revelation 19:11-14&16 (NKJV)
¹¹  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
¹²  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
¹³  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
¹⁴  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.                      ¹⁶  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

--Joshua said…as for me…there is a time to be a suffering servant and a time to be a conquering King. There is a time that a man has to rise up and say I am heading to war!

--Jesus does not sound wimpy to me! He sounds strong, powerful, protective! Listen men, trust me, your wives and ladies, in general, are still looking for their prince coming on a white horse.

--You can be that man. Feel that gap! Take your place and let your family know that as for me…I am going to serve the Lord…no more excuses…no more being weak!

--I wish some men would get on their feet and say…as for me, I will be that man!

2. You Will Help Your Family Find Their Identity in Christ.

--I am well aware of the dynamics or make up of our church when it comes to family and what that looks like for our congregation.

--We have traditional families with mom and dad and the kids. We have husbands and wives and no kids. We have singles and we have single moms. We have widows and widowers.

--Everyone is an integral part of the body of Christ that makes up Life Church A/G. All of you are important to God and to us. Someone in that family has to take the lead…we will serve the Lord. 

--As I have already stated, there are men in our church who should take the lead and lead their wife and children in the ways of God and His Word.

--Some of you single moms have a great challenge before you, in that you are trying to lead your family. You can be the one saying…as for me and my house we will serve the Lord

Isaiah 54:4-5 (NIV)
⁴  "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
⁵  For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 

--Get past the fear, the disgrace, the humiliation, the shame, your loneliness and realize that God is your husband now…He is your redeemer so let Him redeem you…As for me and my family!

--Your family is looking to you for leadership…by God’s grace make some declarations and lead. We parent or parents are the greatest hope of our kids salvation and calling. Yes, it is a tough job!

--You may say…My kids are choosing the wrong path…listen, as long as they are in your house you lead them to God, to church, to the Word…you show them the way…As for me and my house!

3. You Will Find Your Identity in Serving the Lord.

Joshua 24:15 (NCV) ¹⁵ But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.

--The Scriptures are clear, in that, we only have two choices in whom we will serve…it is either God or Mammon, money, the Cosmos, the world, the flesh, ourselves, Satan.

Matthew 6:24&31-33 (NLT)
²⁴  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
³¹  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
³²  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
³³  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 

Dave Arnold – Faith is the link that connects our weakness to God’s strength. When we depend on ourselves, people can see what we can do. When we serve and depend on God, people can see what He can do.

--As for you and your family, serve God…be faithful and watch what He will do!

2 Peter 2:9 (NCV) ⁹ So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him when troubles come. He will hold evil people and punish them, while waiting for the Judgment Day.

Listen to what Jesus said when Satan tried to tempt Him to bow down:

Luke 4:5-8 (NIV)
⁵  The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
⁶  And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
⁷  So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
⁸  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"