6th Dec Sermon Discussion - “The Blood Of Our Identity- From Shame To Significance”

Mass Icebreakers – “Face Off!”

1. Everyone use their hands to cover their faces like a mask.
2. Go round to another person and count “1,2,3” with that person and drop their hands from their faces looking eyeball to eyeball with the other person. First person to laugh loses. Repeat with as many people as they can in 3 mins.

Sermon Title: The Blood Of Our Identity- From Shame To Significance
Foundational Scriptures: Isa 50:6-7, Isa 52:13-15.

Isaiah 50:6-7 (MSG)
“I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard. Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced. Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this.”

Isaiah 52:13-15 (NLT)
“See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.”

Understanding Questions

1. According to the scriptures above and what we heard in the sermon, where was one of part of the body that Jesus bled for us? Answer : His face, blood flowed from His face. He was disfigured so much that people could not recognize Him.

2. Why did Jesus have to “lose His face” for us? Answer : Face represents our identity. We can find our identity through the blood that flowed from the face of Jesus for us.

3. Why did Jesus have to shed blood on His face? Because:

a. Our Identity Is Lost When We Sinned.

i. Before sin came into the world through Adam & Eve, there was only God consciousness. After sin came in, it brought self-consciousness.

ii. Consequences of lost identity and self-consciousness – We will ask questions like: “Who Am I?”, “Where’s my place?” We’ll try to find identity and significance in stuff like fashion, cars, our talents, riches etc.

iii. How to regain lost identity? The story of Moses:
• He had an identity crisis as he was born a Jew but raised an Egyptian.
• He spent forty years tending sheep. In Exodus 3:10, God appeared to him and called him to deliver Israel from Egypt – “Let My people go”.
• Moses asked God, “Who Am I?” and God replied, “I am with you”. Moses then asked God “Who Are You?” and God replied, I AM Who I Am”. God was telling Moses and us – You are who I AM. If you know ME (God), then you will know who you are!
• Galatians 3:28 (NIV) “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The world tells us to discover or find ourselves. God tells us to die to ourselves so that we can find our identity in Jesus Christ alone.

b. Our Identity Determines Our Destiny

i. If you don’t know who you are, you won’t know where you are going.

ii. Story of David - David’s destiny was a king but due to wrong choices, he almost lost his destiny until he repented.

iii. Self-consciousness brings fear and traps us in the opinion of others. People who don’t know God are always searching for their true destinies.

iv. Isaiah 62:2 (NIV) - “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.” When we invite God into our lives, He always gives us a new name. People call us by our weaknesses but God only calls us by our destinies and potential. Examples – Abram (dignified father) to Abraham (Father of many nations). Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (The Princess). Simon (stone) to Peter (the rock). Gideon who was cowardly and feared the Midianites, the angel spoke – “You mighty warrior of valour!”.

v. If Satan can rob your identity, he can rob you of your destiny, you’re finished! God the Father spoke and affirm to His Son Jesus His identity in Luke 3:22 “You’re My Son in whom I love; with you I am well pleased”. Satan tried to rob Jesus of His identity when he tempted Him in the widerness.

vi. So, Who are we and What is our destiny?? 2 Cor 5:17 & 2 Cor 5: 20-22 -“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!...We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

WE ARE A NEW CREATION & WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR JESUS!

Ministry Time (Note: Cell Leaders, it is very important to do this)

1. Ask all your cell members to close their eyes. Tell them, “We will apply the blood of Jesus to receive a new identity and destiny today. The Holy Spirit is going to help us”.

2. Lead your cell members to confess that they feel lost because of sin. Also lead them to reject all lies of Satan and names of weaknesses that their parents or friends have given them. You can identify some names like “stupid”, “good for nothing”, “lazy”, “loser” etc. Lead them to pray and ask the blood of Jesus that flowed from His face to cleanse them.

3. Next ask them to release their own self to Jesus in exchange for a new face, a new identity. You can go round and lay hands on them as the Spirit leads you.

4. End off with a song or shout of victory e.g. Declare - “I am a warrior, I am strong, I am an ambassador for Jesus” etc.