embark on a journey through the profound truths of Jesus as the great I am. In these declarations, we'll see, we'll encounter Jesus's dual nature, his nature of being fully God and fully human. We'll also reflect on our own identity as humans, that we're created by Jesus, that we are intricately woven into His redemptive plan. And as we explore these revelations about who we are, who Christ is, I think we'll be able to understand how to live our life. We'll see how God speaks, and I hope it encourages you to know God at a deeper level and to listen to Him, our role of listening, like Samuel and the kids just taught us. So we're going to dive in these truths. We're going to uncover the beauty of our identity in Christ. Let's pray before we get started. Father, I thank you that we can come together as a church. I thank you that we can come together and sing songs in hymns that have deep meaning, that cause us to pontificate and to think through who we are, who you are, in the depth of knowing you. I thank you for the last hymn we sang that was really the story of your love for us, your incarnation coming, living a life, praying, dying, having power, and rising up from the grave. Thank you for that story. And Lord, as we look today at your statements of who you say you are, help us to identify with that and help us to understand how we fit in to the picture. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. So we're going to talk about our identity and understanding our identity. So first, I want to lay the groundwork and give you a definition, just a straight-up definition from a dictionary about identity. Identity refers to the distinct and unique characteristics, qualities, beliefs, and attributes that define an individual. It encompasses a person's sense of self, including their values, culture, experiences, and roles in society. Identity shapes how individuals perceive themselves and how they relate to the world around them, influencing their behaviors, attitude, and interactions. It's a pretty big definition. It's not a one-word definition. It has depth. And so asking the question for ourselves, what is my identity? Asking the question, who am I? It's not really a simple question. There's not a simple answer. I could answer this by saying, who am I? Who is Scott? And I could say, I'm an American. But really, that's not enough. America is a big place. I'm from the South, very different than the Midwest or the northern part of America. So that question isn't quite enough. I could say I'm 56. But this year, being 56, I've had a lot of interesting things happen to me. And I don't know if I want to identify all the time with the year 56. I think 26 is a better year to identify with. So, you know, I can't say my identity is that I'm 56. That's changing all the time. I could answer that identity question of who I am circumstantially. I could say I am busy. I am bored, I am stressed, I am happy. Right? We could take a moment in time to describe who we are, but that'll change. We could say something a little bit more relationally, might stick around a little longer. Well, I'm a husband and that's gonna stick around a long time for Dawn. I'm a father. I'll always be a father to my kids, right? I'm a son, and as long as my parents are around, I will be their son. So, relationally, it's a good way to describe me, but it's not who I am all the time. Vocationally, I told you I worked for an organization, so I'm a project director. You guys might have an identity of being a student. But those, too, may change. These don't describe the core of who we are, who we are all the time. So I think the first way to get to who we are, we need to look at how God sees us. How does God understand who we are? I think it's found in the scriptures, of course. Very start, at the very beginning, Genesis says, God created who? Man. How? In his own image. The image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. God sees us as His creation. He is the one that created us. And then Psalm 139 takes it a little bit further, saying, He knows us. He knitted us together in our mother's womb, right? He says, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God put us together. God knows everything about us. It also says in Isaiah, that we are the clay, you are the potter, God is the potter, that we are the work of God's hands. And in Jeremiah it says that, again, this idea that God formed us in the womb for a purpose, that he knows what his plans are for us. In Acts 17, we're reminded, and Paul reminds us that, in God, in Him, we live and move and have our being, for we are indeed His offspring. So the first question is, when by asking ourself, who am I? Our answer is, I am created. That'll never change. Our identity is that we are created, and we're created by God. To me, that is a significant question. That's a significant answer. Our existence is not a cosmic accident. We did not evolve from nothing. It is an intentional result of divine craftsmanship. We are created in His image, reflecting His character and purpose in His world. We are not an accident. And so, there is one thing I want you to know today. God created you with intentionality and purpose. We are created. I am created. In the Gospel of John, we encounter Jesus answering this identity question too. John gives us seven times where Jesus boldly declares himself as I am. This echoes God's revelation to Moses at the burning bush His proclamation before Abraham was, I am. When we read in John, when John the Baptist says, before I was, Jesus was already. In the beginning was God and the Word. Jesus is the I am. fully God, but also fully man. As the eternal I Am, He willingly took on flesh, took on the human form through what we call the incarnation, the coming to earth. This miraculous act of becoming fully human while retaining His full Godness showcases really His love for us. Through His humanity, He shared in our joys and our pains, our everyday experiences. We have a Savior. We have a God who deeply knows us. So when Jesus is answered to the question of, who am I? His answer is, I am God, but I am man too. So as we ponder, Jesus as the I am we should naturally I think at least for me We should naturally connect to the idea that if I am created by God and if Jesus is God Then perhaps I should learn to listen to my creator I Should look for ways to understand how he speaks. I should look for the ways he communicates to us. I And so I can look in the Scriptures, of course, and throughout Biblical history, there are many people that God spoke to. He reveals Himself through, today, through His Word, through the illumination of the Scriptures, by showing us the path we should take and revealing His character in this holy book. But He also gently speaks to us. through the Holy Spirit, helping us to understand the word as we read it. He guides us daily in our decisions as we ingest this. He speaks to us through prayer in the stillness of our hearts and circumstances of our lives. God speaks. The God who created us loves us so much that he came to earth that we might know him, and we might know that he understands us. We talked about it with the kids. There are many biblical figures that listen to God, and we have a great example. Abraham heard God's call and immediately left his homeland. Moses listened to God's direction at the burning bush and led the Israelites out of Egypt. Elijah discerned God's voice in the gentle whisper. Mary, the mother of Jesus, humbly accepted God's plan through the angel's message. These are examples. I do really like the example of Samuel. That's why I wanted to do it in the kids' talk. This is an example that we all must remember. Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. We too, we really should embrace the reality of hearing God's voice. Just as Jesus proclaimed his identity as the I Am, we really should tune our hearts to recognize his voice in the midst of all the noise around us. So many other things are trying to shape our identity. Politics, our teachers, the circumstance of life, the good and the bad, everything is trying to get us to move our focus away from God, the Creator, to ourself. To creating our own idea of who we are. But I think the seven I Am statements really help us to understand exactly what Jesus is saying. So let's get in John. So open your Bibles to John. We're going to kind of go through each one of the I Am statements and see what they're saying to us. All right, so let's look. The first one is the bread of life. Jesus proclaims, I am the bread of life. So John 6, 35. We'll start there. And I'm just going to walk us through these and see how they apply to our identity in Christ. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. Here, Jesus says, I am the bread of life. The I am, again, that transports us immediately to God. I am, I am. I am the I am, right? So here we have Jesus identifying himself as God, but then he adds a qualifier to help us know how to relate to him. He reminds us that he sustains us not only our spiritual hunger, but also our physical and emotional needs. Bread is a sustaining thing. It feeds us. Jesus is saying, I am God, I will feed you. Our identity as humans is woven into the idea that God provides. He, just as bread nurses our body, Jesus nurses our souls and provides for our well-being. This idea of bread also kind of reminds us of manna and reminds us of God in the wilderness sustaining the Israelites during that long journey from Egypt to the promised land. Jesus is the bread of life signified spiritual significance and divine provision for eternal life and for this life. Our identity becomes one that relies on his provision for complete well-being. Jesus said I am the bread of life. We say I am nourished Jesus as the bread of life nourishes us Our identity is one of being nourished light of the world as the light of the world Jesus in chapter 8 Talks about this spiritual truth of light. So let's look at that. I 8-12, again, Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. As the light of the world, Jesus illuminates not only spiritual truth, but also the significance of our human existence. We're not meant to stumble. In the darkness of confusion and aimlessness, our identity finds purpose and direction in the divine light of Christ, radiating hope to the world who's desperately seeking meaning. Jesus as the light of the world. means that we are enlightened. We have a path, a lamp, that our feet will not stumble as we go throughout life, as we seek to know God, our Father. We are illuminated by Christ and His guidance. The Old Testament, you know, often speaks of light. I think of the pillar of fire that led out the Israelites from Egypt in the wilderness. That symbolized God's illuminating presence. Jesus claims to be the ultimate source of spiritual enlightenment and guidance for us. Jesus says, I'm the light of the world. We say, I am enlightened. Part of our identity is being enlightened by God himself. John 10 is the next one. I'll just read 1 through 10's John 10. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the doors but climbs in another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice. and he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, and they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of a stranger. This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go out and will go in and out and find pasture." Jesus' declaration of, I am the door of the sheep, paints this picture, a vivid picture of our identity being invited and protected within God's care, within Jesus' care. Just as the shepherd guards the entrance to the sheepfold, Jesus safeguards us from spiritual harm. Our identity takes on the sense of security and belonging within the realm of His love. Jesus said, I am the door of the sheep, We say, I am invited. I belong. I exist under his care. Using this mental picture to create our identity helps us to know that we are protected and invited and belong. Verse 11, that same thing goes a little bit further. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. I come that you might have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The shepherd, the good shepherd, lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus as the good shepherd, we discover that he deeply cares about us. It also shows that we deeply need his guidance. Just as the shepherd knows the sheep by name, He knows us individually and calls us into a relationship of trust and security. Think of Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. This concept of God as shepherd is nothing new, and it resonates to the fact that we need to be led. We need to be protected. Jesus' claim aligns Him The I am aligns God, the all, the eternal, the deity of God and the humanity of God as one who cares for his people, his creation, and he shepherds them. His care, his guidance, his sacrificial love for his followers. Jesus says, I will sacrifice for you. Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. We say, I am secure. I am secure in Christ. He's got my back. He knows what is best for me. He will lead me into paths of righteousness. He will provide everything I need for life and godliness. The next one is John 11. The next big I am statement, 1125. Jesus said, To her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall live. And anyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." Embracing Jesus as the resurrection and the life reminds us that our humanity is short, right? We're mortal people, but we can be transformed into eternal life. Our identity takes on new dimensions as we realize that death is not the end. In Christ, in Him, we find hope that transcends the boundaries of our existence, of our earthly existence. There is more to this life than living and dying. There is an eternity waiting for us. Jesus teaches us. He taught us that in this statement where He says, I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. We say, I am eternal. The fact that Jesus, God of all things, says he has power over all things, of life here on earth and life to come, should shape our identity, should know that we are eternal. For some of us, that eternity means eternity with God the Father. For others, it means eternity separated from God. The reality is Jesus helps us to think about our life. There is eternity at sake. We are eternal creatures created that way. The next one is what Josh helped us to understand last week. I am the truth, the way, and the life. That's in 14. 14.6. John 14.6. Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In Jesus, as the way, the truth, and the life, our identity as humans takes us on a journey. We find purpose and following. We find purpose in knowing that we're on this way, this path. It is a true path. And at the end of this path is life, eternal. During this path is an abundant life of finding guidance and direction from God Himself. We find purpose in following in His ways, a path of righteousness and love. His truth guides us through the complexity of lives. He guides us by giving us a solid foundation of assurance that He is with us. We abide in Him. We find meaning, fulfillment, and joy. Our identity is one of meaning. The Old Testament speaks of God as the source of truth and guidance. In the Psalms, specifically, Jesus claims emphasize that He is the ultimate truth and provides for us the only way to salvation. There is only one way to the Father. We learned that last week, and it is through Christ and Christ alone. The world tries to give us a different identity and say there are other ways to God, but Jesus reminds us. I am the creator. I created this whole system and I am the only way To salvation I am the way the truth and the life Jesus said I'm the way the truth in life. We say I am guided We could say we say I'm saved We say I'm in the truth Our identity is fashioned by this reality that God is provides the way. The next one is 15.1. Actually, this is the seventh one, so the last one that John provides for us. John 15.1 says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it might bear more fruit." By recognizing Jesus as the true vine, we acknowledge that our identity as branches is intimately connected to the divine source of life, Christ himself. just as a branch, right? If you think about that word picture, just as a branch draws its sustenance from the vine, we draw our spiritual health and sustenance from Christ as our vine. Our identity as human finds purpose and fulfillment when we remain in Him, when we remain in His love. We build, we give fruits, we reflect His character. Fruit is reflecting His character, the fruit of the Spirit. We begin to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. All these things are given to us when we are tapped into the vine, the true vine, Jesus as the vine. When Jesus says, I am the vine, who am I? We say, I am connected. I am connected to God, my creator. So each of these I am statements, Jesus reveals facets, really facets of our core identity. It helps us to know that we're nurtured. In my identity, I am a nurtured person by God himself. My identity is I'm enlightened by God himself. I'm invited to fellowship with Him. I'm secure. I'm eternal. I'm guided. I'm connected. Our relationship is profound. God is not just I Am. It's not enough. God is not just God that created and walked away. These I Am statements tell us that God created and stepped into our reality purposefully, and our identity is found in what He does for us. He gives us sustenance. He gives us enlightenment. He provides for us. We're secure because the Creator, we know it. We have a chance to know our Creator. We're eternal. We're guided. We are connected. Using words to describe our identity also carries out the idea of things we're not, right? So we've talked about all these things we are. For example, I am a man. That implies I'm not a woman. Right? It's the opposite. In the moment I'm declaring, if I'm declaring I'm happy, in that moment means I'm probably not sad. Right? So there is an opposite. The same holds for our identities in Christ. Because Jesus is the bread of life, I'm nourished. Means I'm not deprived. If you're at a point in your life where you feel like you're not understanding God enough, are you truly seeking God as the bread of life, receiving your nourishment from Him, or is your nourishment coming from some other place? from the world, perhaps. Because Jesus is the light of the world, I'm enlightened. It means I'm not confused. I'm not confused about my faith. I'm not confused if God exists because I am tapped in to God as light. I know that He is the light of the world. Jesus as the door, right? It means I'm invited, not excluded. If I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and accept Him as that, and have given my life to Him, I am now included. I am invited into fellowship with Him. I'm not outside. If I know Him as the Good Shepherd, I'm secure, not insecure. Not wondering, does God love me? Will He forgive me of my sin? Oh, I failed today. Will He love me still? No. Yes, He will. He does love us because He is a good shepherd. And we are secure, not insecure. As the resurrection and the life, we are eternal. We're not temporary. That means there's more to this life. That means what we do matters, has significance, is important. We're not just a flower that fades away. We're not just a life that goes and ceases to end as the world tries to tell us. We're not created by nothing. I mean, we are created out of nothing. God created us. We're not... What am I trying to say? We don't evolve into something else. We are purposeful. We are eternal. That's good to remember that. Everything we do has consequences and eternal significance. Jesus has the way, the truth, and the life means we are guided. So we're not lost. Right? We are found by God himself. We can rest assured in who we are. We can know that we are not lost. We know the way to heaven. In that last one on the true vine, we're connected to God, to church, to one another, to other believers. In that connection, we are given help and strength and love and joy where we find fellowship with one another. We're connected, we have meaning, we get to know and help other people. We're not disconnected. If you're disconnected in this life right now, perhaps because you don't know Jesus, at all, and you're not connected to him. If we are connected to him, we are purposeful. Feeling disconnected, then we have to start to question ourselves. Do we know the I am at all? So that makes me think, right? Not believing in Jesus as the I am, as God, who is fully God and fully man, who has intent for our lives, has consequences. So just like there are seven I am statements that helps us have our identity, I think there are seven statements that are consequences. First one is separation from God. I think I have a slide on that. Jesus's claims as the I Am are central to the Christian understanding of salvation. Rejecting his deity, his divinity, and the role he plays as Savior means rejecting the path to reconciliation with God. This separation from God, who is the source of life and light, who is the truth, the way, carries profound spiritual consequences. separation from our Creator. Not believing these things means missing out on salvation. Jesus' I Am statements emphasize His role as the source of eternal life, the only source. Not believing in who He is, the I Am, the significance of His work on the cross, means missing out on the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life that only He can offer. We're created to have eternity with Christ, with God. We miss out on that if we don't believe the things that Jesus says. We remain in spiritual darkness, consequence of not believing that Jesus is the I Am, the light of the world. is remaining in spiritual darkness, away from the truth and the guidance he provides. Darkness leads to confusion, moral decline, and lack of purpose. If any of those words resonate with you, you have to ask yourself, are you on the other side of creation, not knowing your creator? Are you in Christ at all? Lack of transformation. Believing Jesus as the I Am brings out transformation and renewal in someone's life, in our life. Rejecting the belief that Jesus is God and man, who wants to provide for us, hinders us becoming more Christ-like. We won't be satisfied, and the work of the Holy Spirit won't guide us to listening to His Word. Loss of hope, the I Am statements, highlight Jesus as the source of hope and purpose. Not embracing these claims result in the lack of hope and the sense of aimlessness, and one misses out on the spiritual abundant life in Jesus' promises. Unanswered questions, a result, a consequence of rejecting Jesus' identity as the I Am, might leave us with unanswered questions about life's meanings. about the origin of life, about destiny. The claims Jesus offers answers the fundamental questions that everyone is asking. Who am I? Who made me? Where am I from? Where am I going? Jesus answers these questions. These seven I am statements help us to know the answers to life's biggest questions. Ultimately the eternal consequences if we reject Jesus as the I am We have eternal consequences Scripture speaks of a reality that is an eternal separation From God who read for those that reject him Heaven or hell it's that simple some of us perhaps even some in this room, we don't believe that Jesus is God and man, died on the cross for our sins, is the light, provides sustenance for us, provides everything we need. If we're not believing that, the scriptures say, our eternity that is waiting for us is one in hell. But if we do believe these things, we do accept Christ as our Lord, the eternity that is waiting for us is in heaven. It's important to note that these consequences, I wrote these down not to inspire fear, but to emphasize the significance of Jesus's identity in the message that he brings. The heart of the gospel is an invitation to believe Jesus as the I am. The heart of the gospel is to believe Jesus is God came to earth as a man who lived a perfect life, who then living that perfect life, went to the cross to be a sacrifice for our sins, to pay the punishment that we so rightly deserve. And in the midst of that punishment, He took on all of our sins so that we might be seen as righteous before God. And if we believe that Jesus is the Lord, that He died, that He rose again, proving that he is truly God, the I Am, back to the I Am part. He lived this perfect life. He came to this earth. He died, but then he resurrected and returned to heaven, proving his deity, the I Am, the God part of who he is. The heart of the gospel is an invitation to believe this story and receive the gift of salvation, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. So that's what I want you to think about as we begin to close down this service. Beloved congregation, beloved church, LPC, as we embrace our identity in Christ as the great I Am, let's continue to marvel at this dual nature of who we believe in, fully God, fully man. Let's reflect on how we might listen to God continually Let's remember that we're created beings. When life throws its worst at you, remember your identity, that you are created. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of the Creator. You have purpose. And you have a plan for you. God has a plan. Let's listen to His voice. Let's respond in faith. Let's walk forward in the assurance of our identity in Christ. Let's embrace this identity of His divinity is in us. His humanity is for us. His creative purpose is for us. His voice will guide us every step of the way. Now, there might be some of you that need to say right now to God, in the quietness of your hearts, Lord, forgive me for not believing. I believe in you now. So as we close our eyes in this moment, think about your identity. Put the other slide back up there, the first one. Are you nourished? Are you enlightened? Are you invited? Are you secure? Are you eternal? Where is your eternity? Are you guided? Are you connected? If you are not, today is the day of your salvation. Today is the day you say to God, I believe in you. I trust you. Forgive me of my disbelief. Today could be the mark, the beginning of your journey to having an identity in Christ, being a Christian. Let's take this moment in silence to think on these things. Lord Jesus, thank you that you created me. We acknowledge that everyone in this room was created. And in that creation, you did not leave us to wander around on our own. You nourished us. You give us lights. to walk in this earth. You included us in your conversations, in communication. We are secure. You give us eternity with you forever in paradise. You guide us and you connect us to yourself. Thank you that there's so much more than just being a person, a human. Thank you for our identity and you, the great I am. In your name, we pray.