"Off The Wall - Identity"

All in a long paragraph on the bathroom wall at the Yard and Flagon and so it got us talking about why people do that and why people sign their names everywhere and what is really behind graffiti.

What’s that all about anyway?

And so, this week and next week we’re gonna take some thoughts “Off the Wall” and see what God has to say to us through them.

Now this has been kinda funny how all this has come together for me because I’m not really an artist at all and I’ve never even written on a wall.

But when I was younger the thing to do was write, “I was here” or maybe your names – Joe or Terry or Bob was here. That was as deep as it got in 1984, but now we have to do a documentary to learn about tags to get into the art subculture that writes graffiti just to figure it all out.

Doesn’t it all seem a little complicated? Anyway, all this week I’ve been thinking about those simple words, “I was here” and what they might mean and what Sarah wrote at the Yard and Flagon.

There was something off that wall, a bit of truth that immediately spoke to Pam and myself and then to our creative team as we talked about it. And that bit of truth was this - that everyone of us in order to function in a healthy way in life, in order to do that everyone of us has to come to terms with our identity –

I was here we’ve got to figure out what we are gonna be defined by.

In short we’ve got to sort out where our significance comes from and what makes us who we are and we gotta figure out what gives us value because and this is one of those I believe statements about life. In fact it’s like in my top 5 I believe statements. People, if we don’t get our identity and significance and value issues figured out I believe – we will end up building our lives on top of pretty shaky foundations. I believe that if we don’t know what makes us significant or valuable then we will pursue those things in life which give us false value and counterfeit significance. And we will eventually be identified by and known by a list of things that end up having no significance at all and that is a big deal. Let me try to tell you what I mean. I remember the first time I came face to face with this truth I was 17 years old and I loved football. And my 3 best friends played football together with me and all we could think about was playing football and all I wanted to do with my future was to play football my entire life and it didn’t matter what my brothers said or what my folks said or even my coaches. I was gonna do

It. And everything else was gonna get put on hold and somewhere in the middle of that time my value as a 17 year old boy got wrapped up in whether or not I had what it took to play football.

Long story short – I went to the hilltops training camp against my parents wishes and on the first full day of try-outs I was running full out and just got cranked by 2 guys who were bigger, stronger, faster, tougher than me and my body. One hit me high and one low and my leg snapped like a toothpick and then reality set it. See, my folks didn’t know that I was even at the tryouts or even in Saskatoon for that matter and before the doctor’s could fix my leg I had to call Mom and Dad for permission. Well, that week I realized in a very real way that if what gave me value and significance was football well then – I guess I wasn’t very significant because football was over that fact had become painfully obvious. And I was so down I could hardly function.

Now, that sounds kinda childish and immature doesn’t it I mean who would place their whole identity in something so unrealistic?

Well, when you’re 17, figuring that out is part of growing up, but what about all the stuff we base our significance in. How real is that? And some of those things are on the paper in your hands. Let me go through that list. Lots of us place a huge amount of our self worth and significance in our jobs or our careers. Much more than we even realize and so success at work becomes what drives us and what defines us and we never think about what will define us when that’s over or what if that job came crashing down. I mean a lot of us would be crushed and feel devalued and small and insignificant because how could we have value without that certain career. The one that we’ve put – 40 or 50 or 60 hours every week into for the past few years. Think about it - if your job disappeared tomorrow would your value and significance change? And yet almost all of us connect our self-esteem to our careers.

Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Almost like a 17-year-old living in a football fantasy. Let me give you another example.

A lot of us put all or our identity eggs in other baskets as well. Like our looks – we’ve gotta look just like this or be just that fit, or have that kinda hair or this % of body fat. And anything other than that means we’re immediately feeling down or our significance has dropped in our minds. Lots of us struggle with that one.

Let me give you one more false thing we get our identity wrapped up in.

How about money?

That’s a big one isn’t it. I mean if we’re honest, so often we measure our significance by how big our pay cheque is. Or how big our house is or how new our car is.

And its all gotta keep getting bigger and better and newer and more and if it doesn’t, we’re somehow not measuring up, right? And folks in our society, this one is the most misleading – untrue – false deal there is. People our money doesn’t – define our life – no matter how much or how little you have. Money does not add value inside of us. Your money does not equal your significance. Listen to what Jesus said, “Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions,” Jesus.

And we all know that, but in this culture money has this way of just reaching up and grabbing us by the throat. And then we chase it and chase it and chase it and it becomes what defines us for our whole lives. Now, I gotta tell you - hear this okay? I go to quite a few funerals and at a funeral, how much money you had in life doesn’t matter. Do you know that money is never mentioned at a funeral, but you can tell when a persons worth and value has been all wrapped up in it because at their funeral nobody has anything to say. Because at that point they’re just a dead rich guy. So what? Okay, enough about that.

But there’s a whole lot of other stuff we tie our significance to - good things really.

Like being a mom or a wife or a dad or a husband or friend or leader and let me tell you these are very important roles we play in life, but that’s just what they are - roles. And your worth and value and significance does not lie in any role you live out.

Now, don’t get me wrong none of these things – from football to making lots of money – to being a great leader or an awesome mom none of these are bad things. However, if they alone are what we think gives us significance then we’re building our life on some pretty shaky ground.

There was a funeral here today.

Barb Gullison story - Cancer (for years) – sick for months

Everything stripped away

• Health - strength (gone)
• Possessions (didn’t matter)
• Money (didn’t matter) No significance/value in any of these
• Job (didn’t matter) Confined to a hospital bed
• Position/title (didn’t matter)

But when you walked into Barb’s hospital room there was strength

and dignity and value and even in the midst of disease and weakness and death she had great significance and worth. And her family gathered around her every day (2 generations) including her 1 month old grandson (Hunter) – her 1 st grandchild and when they were together everybody in that room knew the value of Barb Gullison and that her significance was great.

Why? Because Barb was significant to God and she was valued greatly by her heavenly father and she knew it. Barb got that and she didn’t need anything else to be significant. And it made all the difference in the world.

Let me give you a few more thoughts on this. King David says this, the most powerful man in the world at the time, but he knew where his significance was.

Psalm 139 verses 1 - 4 and 13 – 16 (NIV)

O LORD, . . . . . . you know me . . . . . . . You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. And before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

People you are significant to God and He knows your name.

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me . . .

You know when I sit and when I rise; O Lord . . . You know me . . .”

Folks, you and your name are valuable to God. Your name is important to

Him and He sees each of you individually not just of humanity all together. Do you know what that really means?

Big truth, that means that our significance is placed inside of us by our creator not by any outside action we take or any role we play. How do I drive this home? It’s in your name.

Name People

• Holly Armstrong
• God knows your name and you are significant to Him. Just you – without anything else
• Harold Peters
• God knows your name and you are significant to Him. Just you – without anything else
• Jolaine God knows your name and you are significant to Him. Just you – without anything else

God knows your name and you are significant to Him. Just you – without anything else – Holly Armstrong

And your significance has nothing to do with how great a mom or Dad you are or how clever you are at work, or how good looking you are or how much money you have. God doesn’t even register that stuff when it comes to value and significance.

You are who you are and that’s good enough for God.

Without anything else – you just are and that’s good enough.

Now at the risk of over simplifying this message let me say this again your value and significance can’t come from money or a title or a career if only comes from God. Our creator and to Him we are extremely valuable.

Listen to these words from God written 1000’s of years ago.

Isaiah 43:1b  (NIV)

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Great promise from God to those who follow him.

“Fear not, I have summoned you by name and you are mine.”

God is calling each of us by name – Cheryl and Bob and Allison, Shannon and Nancy and Mark and Jerry and Twila and Reg.

“God knows your name, your tag and you are significant to Him and He loves all the stuff you do and He loves all the things you’re good at and He is proud of the roles and positions you play in life as mother and father and leader and coach.

But without any of those other things – just you – is enough for God.

Let me give this one more push. Not only does God know your name and not only do you have great value in his eyes, but listen to this - you were also chosen by Him and you were chosen by name to do something of eternal significance with your life. Listen to these words by the Apostle Paul.

“For he chose us before the creation of the world. In him we were chosen, according to the plan of him who works out everything. And then Paul goes on to say, I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” Ephesians 1:4a . . . 11a and 18 and 19 (NIV)

• People, those words have great truths that ring through them. God
• chose us before the creation of the world to follow Him and He chose us to give us hope for the future and to receive power for this life and for the next.
• People, hear this - God formed you before you were born. He
• created you and by that act he gave you value and significance on the
• inside. You’re value doesn’t come from anything else external to life,
• but only from God and His love inside you and then He also chose you to take the light that you receive from Him to take that value and significance and the imprint of His hand on your life to take those things and then walk through this life and into the next boldly and with confidence following His eternal plan for your life and with every step you take walking with Him. With every step your value and significance and identity becomes clearer and clearer and clearer.
• So, that’s it that’s the message. Your name matters greatly to God and He wants it to last forever.
• And our creative team wanted to drive this home for us and make it personal before you leave so we’re gonna ask you to do something before you go.
• Sign your name – write your tag. Write a thought or two that you have. Markers and coreplast boards on the walls. But don’t just write it like you have a 1000
• times get this truth – God knows your name and you have great value because of that.