fbpx
314-843-3500 [email protected]

Better Self-Image

by | May 16, 2021

Sermon Notes

Introduction to Better: You know the saying “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you will keep getting what you’ve been getting” we know this is true and yet we still fall into the same routines. Routines of being overworked, insecure, foolish, and worried; but what if there were a better way? What if we could align our lives to some ancient insight about how to live and grow? In this series we are going to examine common traps that we all fall into and then we dive into how the Scriptures addresses these real concerns with answers.

If you keep doing what you are doing,
You will keep getting what you are getting.
We all need little encouragement.
Because we all face a little self-doubt.

Source of Self Doubt/Insecurity:

  • Recent Failure
  • Fear of Rejection
  • Social Anxiety 
  • Past Trauma 
  • Perfectionistic Tendencies

Even the Apostle Peter struggled with doubt about his faith and how much he could shape his identity through his connection with Christ. Paul reminds him (and us) that a relationship with Jesus gives us all the assurance we need to face whatever doubts that may come our way.

Knowing who you are in Christ,
changes how you feel about yourself.
Forgetting who you are in Christ
changes how you feel about other people.

1. The Gospel that shapes our identity comes from Jesus – Galatians 1:11; Romans 1:16

  • Loving Jesus means valuing the Gospel. 

2. The Gospel shapes our identity through justification by faith. – Galatians 2:15-16

  • Quiz Time:
    • Can you be justified by obeying the law (even the Biblical Law)?
  • I fear we have miscommunicated with our surrounding culture about the power of the Gospel to save. 

Consider the Following Statements:

  • “I don’t belong in church because I have an addiction.”
  • “I feel so uncomfortable around believers because of my past failures.”
  • “My divorce and remarriage prohibits me from being a part of a church family.”
  • “If you knew how much I drank this weekend, you wouldn’t want me here on Sunday morning.”
  • “I’m not churchy enough to go to church.”

We have inadvertently taught the world you gotta get churchy before you can get Jesus.

3. Social structures do not limit anyone’s access to the family of God. – Galatians 3:26-29

The Normal Social Distinctions do not limit our access:

  • Ethnicity  (no longer Jew or Greek)
  • Socioeconomic Status (no longer slave or free)
  • Gender (no longer male nor female)

To leverage social structures that limit access to the Gospel and life in the church community is to stand against the Mission of Jesus. 

Salvation provides so much more than a ticket to heaven.
Salvation is entrance into a community of people who are forgiven and are on mission.

No matter who you are, God has a place for you.
No matter what you have done, God has grace for you.
No matter where you are at, God has a race for you.

Discussion Questions

TALK IT OUT:

  1. Pastor Rusty shared several sources of self-doubt that are common in our society. Here is his list:
    1. recent failure,
    2. fear of rejection,
    3. social anxiety,
    4. past trauma,
    5. perfectionistic tendencies. Do you struggle with any of these? If so which one(s)?
  2. Pastor Rusty says, “We all need a little encouragement, because we all face a little self-doubt.” How do you deal with your self-doubt?
  3. Consider this powerful statement: “Knowing who you are in Christ, changes how you feel about yourself.” How can knowing who we are in Christ change how we feel about ourselves?
  4. According to Galatians 2:15-16, we can’t be justified by the law, even Biblical law. Our worth in God’s eyes doesn’t come from perfection, but from being right with God through faith. What does it mean that we don’t have to be perfect for God to love us?
  5. How does God want us to respond to those who feel they cannot be part of Concord Church because:
    1. they have an addition,
    2. they have been divorced,
    3. they aren’t very churchy?
  6. In Galatians 3:26-29 Paul makes the point that no one is right with God because of their ethnic background, socio-economic background or gender. No one can be right with God through either their background or their perfection. Each of us must rely upon Jesus’ death to make us right with God. How can understanding this reality change our attitude toward ourselves and others?
  7. Pastor Rusty says, “We are not just loved by God. It’s way more radical than that. We are justified by His Son, Jesus.” What does this suggest about how valuable we are to God that Jesus willingly died for us?

LIVE IT OUT:

  • If you have had a salvation moment, take a moment right now to reflect on each of the following realities:
    • You are loved by Jesus
    • Your relationship with God is secure
    • Your worldly status does nothing to prevent or enhance your access to your church community.
  • If you have not had a salvation moment, please check out the following link : concordchurch.com/salvation