Matt Chandler - Unearthed: Who We Are?

Last week, we started this series called «Unearthed,» and I tried to get my cards on the table—that’s all I was trying to do. I was attempting to tell you that we need to do some work if we’re going to be what we desire to be. So, I mentioned that all of this year’s preaching is planned out; in fact, we already have next year planned. We’re going to cover 1 Peter in the spring, and then in the fall, I will do a big series on the Imago Dei, where we discuss manhood, womanhood, children, and I don’t want to call it elderly—I want to find something cooler than that. We will also address homosexuality, and we will talk about these things that are all tied to the Imago Dei: what it means to be a human being. So that’s next year; but this year, it was Revelation, right? It was, «Let’s get some courage; let’s lean into the moment.» Now, this series is called «Unearthed» because I need us to understand who and what we are if we’re going to cause trouble for the enemy. You’ll learn more about this as we dive into the sermon, but my endgame is, as best I can, to make his life as miserable as he’s making ours. That’s it! I have no power for that other than the power of the Holy Spirit, but I’m hell-bent on it. I wake up thinking, «How can I cause problems for him today? How can I live my life in such a way that he thinks, ‘Gosh, I despise this guy’?» I want that for our whole congregation, but to get there, you have to understand the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ over all things. That’s Revelation, calling you into courage, calling you into commitment, calling you into an unwavering, «won’t shrink back» mentality. The other thing we’re desperate to know is the «who» and the «what»: Who are we? What are we? That led us to «Unearthed.» If you’re naval-gazing and thinking everything about you is terrible, and you can’t see your distinct, significant identity in Christ, then I think you will compare yourself to others, rob yourself of the joy of your destiny, and sit on the sidelines. I believe this is one of the big ploys of the enemy in our day. So last week, that’s what I tried to lay out. I said there are three ways we can understand who and what we are. The first is that we are human beings made in the image of God; we are distinct among the rest of creation. We have been given a mental, emotional, and spiritual component that, as much as you think your dog loves you, he or she does not possess. I’m not saying they aren’t wonderful companions; I have a couple of them. But your dog isn’t worried about what happens to it when it dies. Your dog isn’t thinking about retirement or its relationship with its girlfriend. Those thoughts are non-existent in your dog or hamster, or whatever pet you have. We alone possess that because we alone have been made in the image of God. That’s the first point. The second way to understand the «who» and «what» is through our general identity. Your general identity has everything to do with what you do with the person and work of Jesus Christ. You want to move from being human to one of two categories: the first category is «Child of God.» A child of God believes that Christ, the Son of God, co-eternal with the Father, put on flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a spotless life, was crucified for our sins, absorbed God’s wrath towards us, and imputed to us His righteousness at His resurrection. He reigns and rules alongside the Father right now. He is ascended to the right hand of the Father in physical form—not ghostly form, but physical form. You and I are partakers in that victory; we have been adopted as sons and daughters. That makes you a Child of God. If you’re a Christian here, you’re a Child of God—you have moved from being human to being a Child of God. The other option, the only other option, is what the Bible calls a Child of Wrath. I know that offends modern sensibilities, so let me try to frame it in a way we can understand. If you are a Child of Wrath, you have chosen to believe that you are smarter than God and a better authority over your life and the lives of those you know than the creator God of the Bible. In doing that, God’s response is you saying, «I don’t want you; I want your stuff, your creation, but I don’t want you.» You think you’re smarter than Him, so you want to live your life however you want, without giving Him any credit for the good.