{"id":4759,"date":"2017-12-17T16:09:26","date_gmt":"2017-12-17T16:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/?post_type=ctc_sermon&#038;p=4759"},"modified":"2018-01-09T16:37:38","modified_gmt":"2018-01-09T16:37:38","slug":"who-are-you","status":"publish","type":"ctc_sermon","link":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/who-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Who are you?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"qtranxs-available-languages-message qtranxs-available-languages-message-es\">Disculpa, pero esta entrada est\u00e1 disponible s\u00f3lo en <a href=\"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/4759\" class=\"qtranxs-available-language-link qtranxs-available-language-link-en\" title=\"English\">English<\/a>. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.<\/p><p><\/p>\n<h3>Readings:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>John 1: 6-8; 19-28<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><span id=\"en-NLT-26017\" class=\"text John-1-6\"><sup class=\"versenum\">6\u00a0<\/sup>God sent a man, John the Baptist,<\/span>\u00a0<span id=\"en-NLT-26018\" class=\"text John-1-7\"><sup class=\"versenum\">7\u00a0<\/sup>to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.<\/span>\u00a0<span id=\"en-NLT-26019\" class=\"text John-1-8\"><sup class=\"versenum\">8\u00a0<\/sup>John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"first-line-none\"><span class=\"text John-1-19\"><sup class=\"versenum\">19\u00a0<\/sup>This was John\u2019s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants\u00a0from Jerusalem to ask John, \u201c<em><strong>Who are you<\/strong><\/em>?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<span id=\"en-NLT-26031\" class=\"text John-1-20\"><sup class=\"versenum\">20\u00a0<\/sup>He came right out and said, \u201cI am not the Messiah.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26032\" class=\"text John-1-21\"><sup class=\"versenum\">21\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWell then, <strong><em>who are you<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d they asked. \u201cAre you Elijah?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"text John-1-21\">\u201cNo,\u201d he replied.<br \/>\n<\/span>\u201cAre you the Prophet we are expecting?\u201d<span class=\"footnote\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px;\" data-fn=\"#fen-NLT-26032i\" data-link=\"[&lt;a href=&quot;#fen-NLT-26032i&quot; title=&quot;See footnote i&quot;&gt;i&lt;\/a&gt;]\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"text John-1-21\">\u201cNo.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26033\" class=\"text John-1-22\"><sup class=\"versenum\">22\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cThen <strong><em>who are you<\/em><\/strong>? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26034\" class=\"text John-1-23\"><sup class=\"versenum\">23\u00a0<\/sup>John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:<br \/>\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI am a voice shouting in the wilderness,<br \/>\n<span class=\"indent-1-breaks\">\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"text John-1-23\">\u2018Clear the way for the\u00a0<span class=\"small-caps\">Lord<\/span>\u2019s coming!\u2019\u201d<span class=\"footnote\" style=\"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px;\" data-fn=\"#fen-NLT-26034j\" data-link=\"[&lt;a href=&quot;#fen-NLT-26034j&quot; title=&quot;See footnote j&quot;&gt;j&lt;\/a&gt;]\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26035\" class=\"text John-1-24\"><sup class=\"versenum\">24\u00a0<\/sup>Then the Pharisees who had been sent<\/span>\u00a0<span id=\"en-NLT-26036\" class=\"text John-1-25\"><sup class=\"versenum\">25\u00a0<\/sup>asked him, \u201cIf you aren\u2019t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26037\" class=\"text John-1-26\"><sup class=\"versenum\">26\u00a0<\/sup>John told them, \u201cI baptize with\u00a0water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize.<\/span>\u00a0<span id=\"en-NLT-26038\" class=\"text John-1-27\"><sup class=\"versenum\">27\u00a0<\/sup>Though his ministry follows mine, I\u2019m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26039\" class=\"text John-1-28\"><sup class=\"versenum\">28\u00a0<\/sup>This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>So, I would ask each one of you this morning: <em><strong>who are you<\/strong><\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>John the Baptist, knew clearly, who he was. Do you know who you are?\u00a0 Are you living the life that God intended for you to live, being who God made you to be? Have you reached a place of maturity where you know and accept what God says about you, agree with Spirit that this is true of you, and become the best version of you that exists?<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s do a small exercise, and review different areas of our lives: starting with our bodies.\u00a0 I want you to close your eyes for a moment, and just be present in your body. Be aware of your head, of your neck, your shoulders, your left arm, your hand, your right arm, your right hand&#8230; and now let&#8217;s move down to your legs. And now let&#8217;s move back to your head. And now, I want to ask you: are you your body? Or is your body simply the vessel that carries you?<\/p>\n<p>If you are not your body, then\u00a0<em>who<\/em> are you?<\/p>\n<p>What about your possessions? Do those define who you are? Your home, your car, your bank account? Is that <em>who you are<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>How about your job, profession and career? Does that define who you are? How many people do you know that have changed careers? How many times in your life has your career and profession changed? How many people do you know that have been laid off or fired, that have quit, that have moved to another country and had to start over in another field? Is a person truly defined by their career or profession? <em><strong>Who are you<\/strong><\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>What about your family? Are you mum, dad, the black sheep, the only single one left, the life of the party, the grandmother? Is that who you are? How many people do you know who have lost members of their family? And yet they still continue to live and find new identities and purposes.\u00a0\u00a0<em><strong>Who are you<\/strong><\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>How about your emotions? Are you happy, sad, angry, fearful, ashamed, tired? But is that <strong><em>who<\/em> <\/strong>you are? Or is that simply a state of feeling and emotion that comes and passes?<\/p>\n<p>John responds rather cryptically to the Pharisees and scribes:\u00a0\u201cI am a voice&#8230;\u00bb The first verses of John tell us a little more about John the Baptist&#8217;s identity:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span id=\"en-NLT-26017\" class=\"text John-1-6\">\u00abGod sent a man, John the Baptist,<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26018\" class=\"text John-1-7\"><sup class=\"versenum\">\u00a0<\/sup>to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.<\/span><span id=\"en-NLT-26019\" class=\"text John-1-8\"><sup class=\"versenum\">\u00a0<\/sup>John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.\u00bb<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And you, who are you? What were you sent for? God sent you&#8230; Have you discovered yet what for? Are you living out that purpose? Are you being everything that you could possibly be?<\/p>\n<p>Your identity doesn&#8217;t depend on something you do or have done. Most of us confuse doing, having and feeling with being.\u00a0 Instead of saying I feel sad, we identify with the sadness and say \u00abI am sad\u00bb. Instead of saying that I work as a lawyer, we say \u00abI am a lawyer\u00bb. Instead of saying I have a family, we lose our identity within that family.\u00a0 But is that truly who you are?<\/p>\n<p>John knew who he was. And Jesus certainly knew who he was.\u00a0 Jesus said:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I am the bread of life.<\/li>\n<li>I am the light of the world.<\/li>\n<li>I am the door.<\/li>\n<li>I am the good shepherd.<\/li>\n<li>I am the resurrection and the life.<\/li>\n<li>I am the way, the truth and the life.<\/li>\n<li>I am the vine.<\/li>\n<li>\u00abI tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And who are you?<\/p>\n<p>Now, I don&#8217;t care much for Joel Osteen, but I quite like part of his start to Sunday services and his declaration about the Bible:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joelosteen.com\/downloadables\/Pages\/Downloads\/ThisIsMyBible_JOM.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This is my Bible.<\/a><br \/>\nI am what it says I am.<br \/>\nI can do what it says I can do.<br \/>\n&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Who are you?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Who does God, through the Bible, say that you are?\u00a0Let me give you some ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You ARE a child of God, complete in Christ &#8211; John 1: 12; Colossians 2:10<\/li>\n<li>You ARE loved, accepted, redeemed, holy, forgiven, free from condemnation, chosen, established, anointed and sealed by God. 1 John 3: 3; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:14; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 3:12<\/li>\n<li>You ARE a joint heir with Jesus, united with God and one spirit with God Spirit. Romans 8: 17; 1 Corinthians 6:17<\/li>\n<li>You ARE a temple of God: his Spirit and life lives in you. 1 Corinthians 6:19<\/li>\n<li>You are God&#8217;s co-worker; a living stone on which the spiritual house is being built. 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Peter 2:5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, if that&#8217;s who you are: what are you doing that lives up to this description of you? Does your life reflect who you are?<\/p>\n<p>If you embodied this description of you: what would be different to how you are living your life at the moment? What needs to change in your life, for this to really be you? What would new things would appear in your life if this was you?<\/p>\n<p>What scares you the most about this description of you?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Being a child of God? a joint heir with Jesus?<\/li>\n<li>Being united with God &#8211; complete Oneness?<\/li>\n<li>being complete?<\/li>\n<li>being loved, accepted, redeemed, holy, forgiven, free from condemnation, chosen, established, anointed and sealed by God?<\/li>\n<li>being God&#8217;s temple?<\/li>\n<li>being God&#8217;s co-worker and co-creator?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What obstacles or idols in your life keep you from living this out? What habits or practices do you need to incorporate into your life to live this more fully?<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s keeping you from living this life today? From walking out of the Church today and being You, the best You that there is, the You that God created you to be in all your fullness and glory, so that others might see Christ in you?<\/p>\n<p>Because today, YOU are the hope of the world. You are the voice in the wilderness. You are the light in the darkness. God sent YOU!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disculpa, pero esta entrada est\u00e1 disponible s\u00f3lo en English. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language. Readings: John 1: 6-8; 19-28 6\u00a0God sent a man, John the Baptist,\u00a07\u00a0to tell about the light so that everyone might believe&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","ctc_sermon_topic":[615],"ctc_sermon_book":[114],"ctc_sermon_series":[],"ctc_sermon_speaker":[62],"ctc_sermon_tag":[],"class_list":["post-4759","ctc_sermon","type-ctc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","ctc_sermon_topic-chosen","ctc_sermon_book-john","ctc_sermon_speaker-beth-anne-gray","ctfw-has-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/4759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ctc_sermon"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4759"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/4759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4761,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/4759\/revisions\/4761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_topic?post=4759"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_book","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_book?post=4759"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_series","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_series?post=4759"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_speaker","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_speaker?post=4759"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/balboaunionchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_tag?post=4759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}