who do YOU say I am?

A Story

I was planning a worship set.

Feeling crushing pressure and tension.

I was utterly stuck.

I thought, “I’m a worship coach!” (adlibmusic.com)

So I posted a question on my blog to process and get perspective.

I read one of the responses:  “to obsess over this, as if the future of the Kingdom rested on my ability to hear God for the perfect list” and realized I wasn’t worried about the Kingdom, I was worried about the opinion of a pastor.

I read the phrase “Clear my name, God” from Psalm 26, and I recognized I had attached my name to the leading. It was one of the main reasons for feeling the pressure! Instantly convicted, I repeated the phrase over and over, letting God’s forgiveness wash over me. I said, “God, I take my name off of the leading for these next two Sundays. Forgive me for constructing my identity from my leading, my style, my creativity, my track record.”

I still struggled as I planned, so I wrote in sharpie who God says I am on my yellow pad.

What defines me?

What I wear?

Where I’m from?

What I know?

Who I know?

What I do?

What I’ve done?

No.

These things shape me, and more interestingly, they reveal what defines me.

All of us live as a result of what defines us. It drives everything we do. And most of us don’t know who we are, what defines us. Or we have a false sense, an untrustworthy definition.

I live as a result of what defines me.

 

Here’s Another Story

On one Saturday, I sat in a room of leaders. My calling is to eradicate isolation and burnout so leaders bear much fruit. My insecurity was stunning that day. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, make any connections, do anything other than just sit there and keep to myself…isolated. (clever, no?)

It defined me.

“Not enough” defined me.

It told me who I was, and it told me what to do.

Mr. Insecurity. Mr. No One Will Like Me. Mr. No One Cares About Me. Mr. Shut Up And Keep To Yourself. Mr. Eradicate Isolation was Mr. Isolation.

But there are other lonely leaders in that room.

There are churches who need to be led by a leader who walks in Godly authority.

There’s a leader who’s caught up in trying to make the church he leads match the thriving church down the street – so intent on doing so that he has forgotten about what God already told him to do.

There’s a leader who is overwhelmed by the pressure of life, family, ministry…that tomorrow, she’ll give up.

Somewhere in that room is Rescue. Is Victorious. Is Conqueror. But right now, he’s Mr. Insecurity.

See, our lives are a gift to each other. God designed us in His image. God’s definition defines us.

And when I live by some other definition, it’s not just me that loses out, it’s you, it’s the world.

That Saturday, the Spirit of God prompted me to ask Him a question. A question Jesus had asked His disciples.

Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Jesus has this way of asking an easy question and then flipping it to go deep into someone’s heart.)

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

People are always trying to define you, or at least understand your definition, because it reveals who you are, how you will act, what you will do.

If Jesus was unsettled in who He was, He might have made an OAK tree grow out of his hand or changed the color of His hair. Instead, He reveals the strength of His identity by rebuking them in verses 7-11. He’s saying, “You don’t understand yet?! What? Don’t you know that being more than enough defines me? The strength of my identity is more than enough, and that means when you are around Me, you’ll never have to worry about…having enough bread.”

Identity or definition always gets lived out. That’s why it’s crucial.

There is power at stake when someone understands their identity. What happens when you know who you are? Everything happens!

Before we begin to work hard to figure out our definition, our identity, verse 17 reminds us it’s not from human revelation, but by the Spirit of God.

So that Saturday, I pulled a “Jesus move” and flipped His question around and asked Jesus, “Who do You say I am?” And everything changed.

Since that day, I’ve asked Him on various occasions to answer that question. I’ve heard:

Victorious, Conqueror, Warrior General, Winner, Son, Confident, Shepherd, Strong, Builder, a true David, Faithful Steward, Hero (your assignment requires it)

 

The Identity Triangle

You are worshipers, sons and daughters growing in your knowledge of God.

Let me give you some freeing context before you either

 -a) ignore me because you think you’ll never be able to be disciplined enough to earn your identity as a worshiper or

 -b) you’re already fretfully making a mental list of the things to be added to your duty roster to avoid being disqualified and found out to “not be a true worshiper.”

If you work at being obedient through the Law, you’ll try to define your identity by your Good Works. If I pursue obedience before knowing my identity, my good works (obedience) become my identity rather than who my Father says I am.

As C. J. Mahaney explains in The Cross Centered Life:

“Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God. In other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance.”

 

Is this Biblical?

You might be saying: “I want to please You. I want to do everything I can do for You…and hope it’s enough.” Read Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV):

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said,  “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.”

When Jesus was baptized (before He had done ANYTHING in ministry), God gave Him His stamp of approval, His Identity and His blessing. He hadn’t healed anyone. Hadn’t prophesied. Hadn’t cast a demon out. Hadn’t raised the dead. Nothing.

By the way we live, it would seem like that moment would’ve happened more like this: “This is my son, whom I love; He’s really got potential. He may do great things. I’ll let you know in a few years if He amounts to anything. He’s new in ministry, but give Him a few years to prove Himself.”

But no, He says, “I AM WELL PLEASED.”

So it’s in the context of being drawn to the Father, knowing we’re sons and daughters, dearly loved and pleasing, that we obey, understand what good works we can be doing, and journey forward as worshipers!

If you’d rather listen to the talk that this came from, just go to bit.ly/WF014.

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

who do YOU say I am? (Nº 14)