The Moody Church Sunday Morning Podcast

In this sermon, we look at Jacob’s identity trap: seeking significance through power. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, and the father of Joseph. His story gives us a powerful look at the deep identity transformation God wants to bring into each one of our lives. We’ll look at three parts to Jacob’s story: Jacob’s Upbringing: Jacob’s identity is built around gaining significance through power. He wants to be recognized as the leader of the family, successful and prosperous, favored with the blessing of God. And he pursues this by scheming, controlling, and manipulating others. Jacob grabs significance by the throat and makes sure he gets it, no matter what. He won’t leave it up to chance, and he won’t leave it up to God. He wants to power his way into significance. We see this play out in the story of Esau when Jacobs steals his inheritance and manipulates Isaac into Esau’s birthright.

Jacob’s Sojourning: Having enraged Esau, Jacob flees and seeks refuge in the family of Laban. It is in the care of Laban that Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine: the schemer becomes the scammed. Jacob finds himself insignificant and powerless in the face of Laban’s manipulation and scheming. And it is here that his strategy for identity begins to unravel, because building significance through power only works until someone more powerful comes along. After 20 years living with Laban, God calls Jacob back to the land of his fathers.

Jacob’s Homecoming: At the age of 97, Jacob heads back to Canaan, where tensions mount again with Esau. And in desperation Jacob cries out to God for help for the first time in his life. A wrestling match ensues between Jacob and God, and they wrestle all night, not because Jacob is strong, but because God is wearing him down. God wrestles Jacob to the end of himself. And God wounds Jacob’s body to mend his soul; God wrenches his hip to bring Jacob to the end of himself, to bring him to a place of weakness, of brokenness, of powerlessness. Then, God give Jacob a new name, Israel, which means “God striver.” The name is an invitation: will Jacob keep striving with God, grasping for power, or will he finally surrender and trust God to strive powerfully on his behalf? Jacob ultimately limps into his transformed identity as he now finds significance in surrendering to God. God comes through for Jacob. God strives for Israel. And the miraculous takes place: Esau welcomes Jacob with open arms. Takeaway: The significance our souls desperately need is found in surrendering ourselves to our Father. Do you realize that in Jesus Christ your Heavenly Father has crowned you with glory and honor; seated you with Christ in the Heavenly places; and adopted you his forever Son or Daughter with an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade? You don’t have to scheme, or manipulate, or strive, or endeavor, or grasp after these blessings. In fact, if you do so, they will never be yours, for these blessings can only be received as gifts by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The true significance our souls long for comes not through power, but through frailty; not through control, but through surrender; not through strength, but through weakness. True significance comes through childlike trust. Genesis 25-32 Living the Message episode: https://youtu.be/mIbPplr1SKA

Following Jesus is basically learning to live out our new identity in Christ. But it’s difficult because we’ve spent so much of our lives living from our orphan identities. To live from our new identity as children of God requires intention and practice. We must unlearn the heart-habits of orphanhood and embrace the heart-habits of childlikeness. To help us do this, we’re going to look at different Bible characters throughout this series, one for each of the 9 identity traps, and their journey of identity transformation from living as orphans to living as children of God. In this sermon, we look at Joseph’s identity trap: seeking significance through people. Joseph was the great-grandson of Abraham. His is an amazing story, because not only is God bringing salvation to His people through Joseph’s life-story, He is also bringing about deep transformation in Joseph’s identity along the way. The story has three key points: Joseph’s Dream: Joseph’s identity is built around gaining significance through people. Joseph wants to be great and to be recognized as such, especially by his own family. That’s Joseph’s dream. His orphan-hearted identity is to gain significance through people.

Joseph’s Nightmare: If your identity is built around gaining significance through the recognition of people, what would be your greatest fear? Rejection and abandonment by other people. And when we pursue significance through this means, that’s exactly what happens. Joseph’s sense of significance is dashed as people reject, betray, abandon, dishonor, and forget him. Through each of the hard moments in his life, God is showing Joseph that people will never be able the give him the significance he longs for.

Joseph’s Awakening: Joseph’s forgiveness reveals his transformed identity as he now finds his significance in relationship to God. Joseph realizes that if he has the approval of God, he can face the rejection of humanity, even from his family. Joseph learned to live as a child of God graced with significance from on high. Takeaway: The significance our souls desperately need is conferred by our Father. Human approval, recognition, popularity, honor‑—these are all cheap imitations of the real significance you and I were made for. In Jesus Christ, we have been graced with a significance that is weighty and durable and thick, because we have been adopted as children of God. We are sons and daughters of the King. Genesis 30-50 Living the Message episode: https://youtu.be/QdcmsUNpWA8

Who are you? How would you answer this question? In the coming weeks, we’ll explore the stories of nine different characters in the Bible, who each tried to build their identities in all the wrong places, and then discovered the kind of wholeness that only God can give. And in considering their lives, we’ll discover the identity traps we fall into, and the identity Christ offers us that changes everything. In this sermon, we explore a biblical and theological framework for understanding our identity and mapping our own hearts. Identity is, at its core, a sense of self. It distinguishes us from the people around us. It gives clarity to our place in this world. And it turns out that a sense of self is meaningful when it meets three, deep-seated, underlying needs: Significance

Security

Satisfaction Now, this is where theology comes in, because the Bible tells us that we were created in the image and likeness of God. We were created to know God as our Father, and to know ourselves as His sons and daughters. In other words, we were made to find our identity as children of God. And as children of God, we were made: To find our significance in His esteem.

To find our security in His care.

To find our satisfaction in His pleasure. That’s the identity we were made for: to live as a child beloved by the Father. But, we are sinners by nature and by choice; our sins have separated us from God. So instead of children… we find ourselves orphans. We wake up in the universe estranged from the God were meant to call “Father.” We wake up as orphans. Our orphan hearts start trying to find identity elsewhere. Consequently, there are three primary strategies we employ to get our identity needs met apart from God. We look to find our identity through: People

Power

Possessions Our Orphan hearts try to build an identity seeking Significance, Security, and Satisfaction from the creation instead of the Creator! To use the language of Romans 1: we’ve exchanged the glory of the immortal God for created things. In essence, that’s what idolatry is. Whenever we look to anything other than God for our ultimate significance, security, and satisfaction. Whatever that is becomes our functional god, and we serve and sacrifice and offer up whatever it takes to get our deep identity needs met. It’s idolatry. The lie of Satan is that we’re better off fending for ourselves, getting our deep identity needs for significance, security, and satisfaction met through people, power, or possessions. Anywhere other than our Heavenly Father. And so we go out into the world trying to get our deep identity needs met. We pursue people, not so much to love them, but so that we can get our needs met. We acquire power, not so much to serve others, but so that we can secure ourselves. We amass possessions, not so much to share generously, but so we can enjoy ourselves. The whole of our identity starts caving inward when we live as orphans. We go into the world needy, consuming, taking. It’s less about what we can give, and it’s more about what we can get. Because as an orphan, I’ve got to find my own identity; I’ve got to get my own significance, my own security, and my own satisfaction. Because we are estranged from God through sin, by default we learn to build our identity and cope through life as orphans. And so most of us, one of these three deep identity needs becomes dominant. We all need significance, security, and satisfaction, but one tends to loom large in our hearts. And then we tend to learn toward People, Power, or Possessions as our primary strategy to get that identity need met. But then, in the mercy and grace of God, He sent us Jesus to take all our broken, sinful identities upon himself, to give us his own righteous identity instead, and to fill us with the Holy Spirit. Do you realize what this means? By the mercy of the Father, in the grace of Jesus, and by power of the Spirit, you can begin to live as Children once more! Which means we can live from the deep resources of our Good Father as His beloved children: He gives us the Significance of his honor.

He gives us the Security of his love.

He gives us the Satisfaction of his joy. And having received His nourishment for our deep identity needs, we move out into the world in strength. We can approach people in love. We can use power to serve. We can hold possessions with generosity. Every day this choice is before us: Who am I? Am I an orphan that has to fend for himself, using people, power, and possessions to meet my deep identity needs? Or am I a child of God? By grace through faith resting in the deep Significance, utter Security, and profound Satisfaction that are mine in Christ… such that I’m filled up to pour myself out for the sake of others! How do we do this? We get close to our Father, so we remember who He is, so we remember who we are, so we can remember to act like ourselves. Romans 8:14-17 Living the Message episode: https://youtu.be/UwUNqFQWrH4 Questions about this sermon can be emailed to: [email protected]

The Book of Joel was written to the people of Judah and Jerusalem as a warning, but its truths are just as applicable to us today as they were thousands of years ago. The historical context of the book is Judah's pattern of revival and decline, and in these passages Judah is falling into the same apostasy that plagued Israel. The prophet Joel cries out to people for a deep, sincere, and authentic commitment to God. In these passages, Joel brings a basic message of wholehearted return to God with a promise of a second chance. Joel gives three warnings we should heed today: Sin

The Consequences of Sin

The Solution for Sin Takeaway: what is it that God wants you do to to return to Him? Joel 1:1-12

Have you ever experienced a kind of whiplash after Christmas? All the wonder, joy, peace on earth, goodwill toward men, all is cheery and bright…and then January hits. Bills come due. Reality sets in. Christmas often seems like a feel-good season that’s disconnected from the troubles of the real life. A mass-marketed departure from reality. We pretend like everything’s great, even though we know it’s not. Modern Christmas can feel so commercialized, pretend, filtered. But you can’t say that of the very first Christmas. In this sermon we dive deep into a very raw series of events that took place in the days of Jesus’ infancy. There’s nothing commercialized, pretend, or filtered about these events. The Bible tells us Jesus was born not into a pretend world of Christmas cheer but a rough, hostile, and broken world. He’s a real Savior for the real troubles of a real world. In this passage from Matthew 2:13-23, we find Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing in the night. It’s going to teach us three things about the King who is come. Jesus the Refugee: Jesus is a new Redeemer for a new Exodus. Takeaway: Jesus know what it means to be a stranger.

Jesus the Exile: Jesus is a new Hope for a new Exile. Takeaway: Jesus knows what it means to be oppressed.

Jesus the Nazarene: Jesus is a new King for a new Kingdom. Takeaway: Jesus knows what it means to be despised. There’s nothing commercialized, or pretend, or filtered about this first Christmas. Jesus is a real Savior for the real troubles of a real world. Christmas is about a God who climbs into the darkest, most agonizing brutalities of this sin-cursed, Satan-dominated, death-oppressed world, and takes it all upon Himself only to burst forth in resurrection power. God is calling us: “come follow me…from humiliation to glory…from the cross to the crown…from death into resurrection life.” “I came all the way down… to join you where you are…Now come all the way up… and join me where I am!” Merry Christmas, everybody. The King is come! Matthew 2:12-23

Who has Jesus come for? The angel told Joseph: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” His name means “The Lord saves,” because He will save his people from their sins. But who are “his people?” Who is it that Jesus has come to save? Now, from our vantage point the answer seems obvious: Jesus came for all people! But when Jesus first showed up, it wasn’t quite so obvious. After all, Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel, a Jewish Savior for the Jewish people. And of course, Jesus did come for Israel. But more than that, Jesus is the hope of all the world! It’s interesting that Matthew has already hinted at the fact that Jesus has come, not just for Israel, but for the entire world. Matthew goes out of his way in the genealogy from chapter 1 to show us not only that God can work scandals to His glory but also that God is including Gentiles (non-Jewish people) in His redemptive plan. And just so we don’t miss the point that Jesus came for all people, this passage in Matthew 2 with the three Wise Men, the Magi, emphasizes that Jesus is the Savior of the world. From the story of the Magi, we learn three things: The Magi: God makes Himself knowable. Are you listening?

The Quest: God makes Himself findable. Are you seeking?

The Offering: God makes Himself receivable. Are you welcoming? Who has Jesus come for? He’s come for you. Matthew 2:1-12 Living the Message episode: https://youtu.be/gZd4b5uwuBE Questions about this sermon can be emailed to [email protected].

There’s so much joy and merriment at Christmastime. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!And yet, for many of us, Christmastime also carries a deep underlying ache. Empty chairs. Broken hearts. Dashed hopes. Because despite what the fairy tales told us, not all our dreams came true, and “happily ever after’s” seem cheaply foreign to the stories we live in. And amidst all the romantic idealism of Christmas cheer, we just can’t shake the reality of life’s shattered dreams, can we? It’s helpful to remember that the very first Christmas wasn’t brimming with romantic idealism and cheery sentimentality. In fact, it all begins with shattered dreams. Mary and Joseph had dreams of how their lives would go. Everything was going according to plan. All their dreams were coming true, until that very first Christmas, when their lives were upended, their plans were canceled, and their dreams were shattered. What do you do when your dreams are shattered? When your past feels devastating? Your present feels confusing? And your future feels bewildering? In this passage, we get a front-row seat to watch Joseph navigate this moment when all his dreams were shattered at Christmas. We can learn what to do when our dreams are shattered from watching Joseph do three things: Hope in God’s Redemption: God’s redemption comes through messes. He starts with an irretrievable mess and brings redemptive hope. And so, the takeaway for Joseph—and us—is to give God our mess. When your dreams are shattered, hope in God’s redemption.

Trust in God’s Wisdom: God’s guidance comes through His Word. It’s easy to lose your bearings and get caught up in emotion and anxiety when your dreams are shattered. And in these moments, the takeaway for Joseph—and us— is to give God your trust. When your dreams are shattered, trust in God’s wisdom.

Rest in God’s Provision: God’s peace comes through surrender. When we let go of our anxiety and surrender to God, that is always the way to peace. So, the takeaway for Joseph—and us—is to give God your unknowns. If you will let go of the outcomes you can’t control, if you will give God your future that seems so bewildering, God will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. God promises even now that He is working all things together for your eternal good and His everlasting glory! Matthew 1:18-25 Living The Message episode: https://youtu.be/ksVAKgr6TM0

Advent means “arrival” and it’s full of awaiting. In the Old Testament era, the people of God were awaiting the advent of their Messiah, the Anointed One, who would fulfill all of God’s covenant promises to His people. And two thousand years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem, Jesus the Son of God, who is called the Christ, the Messiah, and the Hope of all the World. He died on a cross, was buried, raised, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, from whence He shall return to set all things to rights. And so too, in the New Testament era, the people of God are awaiting the advent of our Lord and Savior, the crucified and risen Son of God, the return of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who shall reign forever and ever! So here we are, in the days between the advents. We are both rejoicing in The King who has come, and longing for The King who is coming. In this four-part sermon series, we will be digging into Matthew’s biographical account of the coming of Jesus the King. Matthew begins with an extensive genealogy, documenting Jesus’ ancestral pedigree. This is one of those passages we might be tempted to just skip over when we come to it. But in many ways, this genealogy sets the table for just who Jesus is and what He’s come to do. Like the opening act of a great play or movie, the beginning foreshadows the end. Why is it so important that we understand Jesus’ connection with Abraham, David, and the Exile? It’s all about who Jesus is and what He’s come to do. This sermon considers each of these three anchor-points in turn under the headings: The Promised Seed: Jesus come to reverse the curse and unleash blessing. All that was forfeited by Adam and Eve, Jesus comes to reclaim. All that was promised to Abraham, Jesus comes to fulfill. This is “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham.”

The Royal Heir: Jesus comes to restore the throne and ascend in glory. All that was forfeited by Solomon, Jesus comes to reclaim. All that was promised to David, Jesus comes to fulfill. This is “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David.”

The Redeeming Servant: Jesus comes to end the exile and begin a new covenant. All that was lost in the Exile, Jesus comes to reclaim. All that was promised in the Servant, Jesus comes to fulfill. This is “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of the Exile.” Takeaway: Jesus is the Hero we’ve all been waiting for. Don’t you see, he’s our substitute in every way? In this genealogy, Matthew is foreshadowing who Jesus is and what He’s come to do. Jesus is Abraham’s “Promised Seed” come to reverse the curse and unleash blessing. Jesus is David’s “Royal Heir” come to restore the throne and ascend in glory. Jesus is Israel’s “Redeeming Servant” come to end the exile and begin a new covenant. He’s the Hero we’ve all been waiting for, and His name is Jesus. Matthew 1:1-17

Today we come to the fourth and final chapter in the Book of Jonah. It all began when God called Jonah to go preach to Nineveh, and Jonah flatly disobeyed, heading nearly 3,000 miles in the opposite direction aboard a ship to Tarshish. And just when he thought he’d gotten away, God hurled a great storm to stop him in his tracks. Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of God. But in His mercy, God rescued Jonah from the watery grave with a great fish that swallowed him whole. And after three days, Jonah finally repents and calls upon the mercy of God. In response, God has the fish vomit Jonah up on the shore and recommissions him to go preach to Nineveh. And this time, Jonah obeys. He cries out judgment against Nineveh and the whole city responds in repentance, crying out to God for mercy. Chapter three ends with this beautiful crescendo: “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” What a magnificent moment! A marvelous display of God’s mercy! Repentance has come to the city! So, when we turn the page to chapter four, we’re expecting triumph. But in fact, what we find is quite the opposite. Instead of applause, we find anger. Instead of rejoicing, there’s rejection. Instead of gratitude, we get griping. It’s a shocking ending—one of the most shocking in all the Bible—that once again highlights God’s unrelenting grace for undeserving people. The Indignation of Jonah: Jonah finds God’s grace to be scandalous. Jonah is made because God is acting like Himself, and Jonah can’t stand who God is! At his core, Jonah wants a God of karma not grace. See, Jonah hasn’t yet fully realized that God’s salvation is always by grace alone. Jonah doesn’t yet realize that all his righteousness is but filthy rags before a holy God, and that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Takeaway: Grace is our only hope.

The Instruction of the Plant: God gives Jonah space for heart examination. Takeaway: Self-righteousness is deadly.

The Intention of God: God invites Jonah to share His heart for the city. Takeaway: Should we not pity this great city? Like Jonah, we have been called to this great city. And at times this city might feel like it’s full of enemies: Political enemies. Economic enemies. Moral enemies. How do we share God’s heart for this great city? Don’t run the other way.

Don’t call down condemnation.

Don’t make it “Us vs. Them”.

Do serve with sacrificial love.

Do speak grace and truth.

Do prioritize mission. The most important thing we’re called to in this life is to join in the mission of God to redeem this lost world one soul at a time. We’re ambassadors for Christ, sent to this great city, and we must keep our focus. Because God is unrelenting in His grace for undeserving people. Jonah 4:1-11

Sometimes people get the impression that in the Old Testament God is full of wrath, whereas in the New Testament He is full of love, compassion, and mercy. It’s understandable why that impression could be formed. After all, the Old Testament contains major moments of judgment like the Flood, the Plagues, and the Exile, and the New Testament contains the epicenter of grace as Jesus lays down His life for our forgiveness. But what we tend to forget is that while the cross does mean mercy and grace and forgiveness for us, for Jesus it meant judgment, wrath, and condemnation. The reason the New Testament feels less full of judgment is because Jesus took the judgment we deserved. The reason it feels like there’s less wrath is that Jesus bore the wrath instead of us. The reason there’s no condemnation is because Jesus was condemned in our place. The New Testament has its fair share of judgment, wrath, and condemnation, it’s just that Jesus has paid it all! And not only that, but the Old Testament has far more mercy and grace and compassion than we often realize. Jonah 3 is simply dripping with the love, forgiveness, and kindness of our God. And the God of compassion who sent Jonah to a city filled with undeserving people, that they might be saved by His unrelenting grace, is the same God of compassion who, seven centuries later, sent Jesus to a world filled with undeserving people, that we too might be saved by His unrelenting grace. See, in both Old and New Testaments we find the same heartbeat and enduring character of a God who is forever and always unrelenting in His grace for undeserving people. This passage from Jonah 3:1-10 helps us see afresh three things about God: Empowering Love: God gives second chances. We are new too far gone for grace.

Sovereign Rule: God is sovereign over all. And, God moves heaven and earth to reach us.

Proactive Mercy: God is eager to forgive. Whatever you’ve done, whoever you’ve become, all is forgiven, please come home. Jonah 3:1-10 Questions about the sermon can be submitted to [email protected].