1. A Built Up Identity Pastor Nathan Weller July 8, 2018
Series: Rooted and Built Up

3. 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life,
is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when
your life was still part of this world. (cont’d)
--Colossians NLT

4. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious
behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other,
for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn
to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life,
it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ
is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you
must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. (cont’d)
--Colossians NLT

5. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes
from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
--Colossians NLT

7. Following Christ means experiencing a total identification with Christ

9. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others.
--Colossians 3.13 NLT

11. You are wanted by God

13. 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves…1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on
the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor
at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life
is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life,
is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
--Colossians 3.12a, 1-4 NLT

15. 'Tis not that I did choose Thee, For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
But Thou hast chosen me;
--Josiah Conder--

17. ...set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ
sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth…
--Colossians NLT

19. “I’m going to my counselor and much of what she has said is
right. My counselor said I built my very significance and acceptability
and identity on men. That’s why I’ve been defenseless with them…I’ve simply needed them too much. All of that is right and helpful. However, my counselor doesn’t have a very good solution
for me. My counselor says what I should do instead is to get myself
a great career. Get an education. Have a successful career.
Well, my counselor means well and of course I absolutely do need
to get some training and get myself a job…and career…but what she’s saying, is I should do that so I will also feel better about myself, by doing that. But, that would mean I would be switching from
one kind of idol to another. (cont’d)

20. But the therapist wants me to look at my career and say unless
For many years, my heart has been looking at men and saying unless I’m successful at love I’m nothing.
But the therapist wants me to look at my career and say unless
I’m a successful independent business woman who’s in control of
my own life, I am nothing. I don’t want to be enslaved to my work
as I was to men. I don’t want to be as enslaved to my independence as I was to my dependence. I’m actually being asked to exchange
a typical female idol for a typical male idol…and I don’t want either... when I go to church…when I’m in worship…when what Jesus
did for me is so real, and so wonderful, in my heart I think of the
men in my life, and I say…I speak to them, and I say this….’
I’m glad to know you…and I certainly wouldn’t mind... (cont’d)

21. ...being married, but you are not my life. Christ is my life.
I’m done making anything else my life. You’re a good thing but
you’re not an ultimate thing. I would love to have a husband, but if
I don’t, I’ve got Jesus. And I set my mind on things above. You can’t give me any of the things that Jesus has given me.’ See, I don’t
want to look to men OR a career…a career can’t die for me. If I live for a career and fail it’ll beat me up all my life for having been a
failure. But if I fail Jesus, He died for me…to forgive me.”

23. You are okay with God

25. 5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have... (cont’d)
--Colossians NLT

26. ...stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to
know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life,
it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ
is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves.
--Colossians NLT

28. “We once had our national heroes; each nation still glories in its
great men of the heroic age, or in its mythical heroes; but the one Champion and Hero of Christianity is our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has slain our dragon foes, routed all our adversaries, broken down the massive fortress of our great enemy, and set the captives free... King Arthur and the knights of the round table, we are quite willing
to forget when we think of “another King, one Jesus,” and of another table, where they who sit are not merely good knights of Jesus
Christ, but are made kings and priests unto him who sit at the head
of the festal board. Barbarian, Scythian, Greek, Jew, — these distinctions are all gone so far as we are concerned, for we are all
one in Christ Jesus.”
--Charles Spurgeon--

30. You are loved by God

32. 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you
must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in
perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ
rule in your hearts. For as members of one... (cont’d)
--Colossians NLT

33. ...body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
--Colossians NLT

35. --Mark 1.11 NLT And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly
loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
--Mark 1.11 NLT

36. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly
loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
--Mark 1.11 NLT
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”
--Mark 9.7 NLT

38. She’s followed me. Like a hound of heaven. Like a ...hound dog.
And then a hand on my shoulder. Then it moves to my head. And then a second hand on my head. “Dear Je … I should say, Jesus. This is your friend Judy. I am asking you to help my brother of mine, Jon.”
She’s followed me. Like a hound of heaven. Like a ...hound dog.
we won’t allow this we will kill us all
“You know, Jesus, that my Jon is not well. So I am saying to you, my friend, would you please make him better? Would you please … I should say, please make him his own self again?”
you can’t save him he’s gone it’s us now
“You … you come too, you other Jons. Jesus … I should say, Jesus loves you too. All of you come now.”

39. “Jesus … Jesus loves you, Jon. And I love you my own self.”
Death Comes for a Deconstructionist

41. --Mark 5.19 ESV Go home to your friends and tell them how much
the Lord has done for you...
--Mark 5.19 ESV

43. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts
to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through him.
--Colossians ESV

45. A Built Up Identity Pastor Nathan Weller July 8, 2018
Series: Rooted and Built Up