The New You

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Aug 26

We live in a culture where people look to feelings, experiences, relationships, careers, social media, and other people’s opinions to answer one fundamental question: Who am I? In this message, Pastor DaVon shares why you don’t have to invent your identity; you receive it in Christ. You will never fully understand who you are until you understand who you are in Him.

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Notes

John 1:19-23

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

The priests and Levites were trying to determine John’s identity.
The question “Who are you?” appears in Scripture several different times.

John 8:25

Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.”

The Jews asked Jesus directly about His identity.

Acts 9:5

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Saul asks this after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus.

‭‭Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭15‬

And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Does the spiritual world know who you are?
Do you know who you are?

We live in a culture where people try to discover who they are without asking the One who created them.

People are looking to feelings, experiences, relationships, careers, sexuality, politics, social media, and other people’s opinions to answer one of life’s most fundamental questions: Who am I?

People define you according to your past or your behavior.

This culture we live in says you are whatever you feel you are.

Who does God say you are?

You don’t have to invent your identity. In Christ, you receive it.
You will never fully understand who you are until you understand who you are in Christ.

Where does your identity come from?

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬‬‬

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

New - fresh, unused, original, something that's never existed before, unprecedented, uncommon, unheard of, different in nature.
God doesn’t improve you; He creates you new.
Paul is not saying: “You became a newer version of yourself.”
In Christ, you have become something altogether new.
You are not simply repaired; you have been made new.
In Christ, you have a new identity.
Identity is who you are.
You are not an improved version of who you used to be. In Christ, you have a new identity and a new way of living.
This word “new” doesn’t mean recent or latest.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Mercy means He’s not giving you what you deserve.
If His mercies are new every morning, then you are a new creation every morning.
A lot of people say they became a new creation decades ago, but because of His mercy, you are a new creation daily.
You are not old; you are new and fresh.
Every single day, your old way of living ends, and you start fresh.

Ezekiel 36:25-28

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

Ezekiel 11:19 NLT

And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart