Getting it Right with God - Part 1: Understand Your Identity | Pastor Boniface
Getting it Right with God - Part 1: Understand Your Identity | Pastor Boniface
Scripture:
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If my people, who are called by my name, will
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.”
CONTEXT:
IF…THEN is called a conditional statement.
It is used to state and test a condition and its outcome.
Conditional statements imply a cause-and-effect relationship.
Most authors of the scientific papers will use these sentences in their
abstracts to discuss the reasons to conduct their study.
• Scientific researchers know that if they see the first event
happening, then the second event will follow.
• Knowing about conditional statements enables mathematicians
and scientists to make predictions about the future.
“IF My people”
This is the beginning of the conditions that God is looking to be met
before He will act.
From this context, it is clear that God is setting a conditional promise
to His people [do these things and I will act].
God is expecting specific things before He brings revival to our
land/church.
“My people, who are called by my name.”
However, these promises are only for those who place their faith in
God [My people].
As Christians, we are called out [for a purpose] by his name to stand
out from the rest of the world.
The Church – “Christ’ continued presence and work in the
world”– The Antioch experience.
God is looking for His people, not everyone out there - God is
expecting something (responsibilities, task) from us.
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Today, we have witnessed thousands of pastors, leaders and believers
struggling to:
Understand themselves, understand their calling, understanding times
and seasons we live in.
Understand the people/congregation they were entrusted to take care
of, even struggling to understand God who called them into the
ministry and… eventually, burnt out and decided to quit…
This has been a struggle for most of us today.
SO;
WHO AM I, WHO ARE YOU, WHO ARE WE?
KEY POINTS:
1. Understand the true SOURCE of your identity.
Not in material things – money/wealth, education, public figure etc.
Not in your ministry – pope, bishop, pastor, apostle, prophet etc.
Apostle Paul warns himself and others:1 Cor. 9 27 But I discipline
my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I
myself should be disqualified.
**…but in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:31)**
Collosians 1:13-14…13 He has delivered us from the domain of
darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We are children of
God (1 John 3:1-3)
Jeremiah 9: 23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his
wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man
boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he
understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast
love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I
delight, declares the Lord.”
*So…If My People, who are called by my name understand the SOURCE of their identity, they
will get it right with God
2. Understand the POWER of your identity.
**…in the perfect knowledge of God**
David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
37 The LORD [the one I know] who rescued me from the paw of the lion
and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”.
Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
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Luke 10:19 “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the
enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them.
Nothing will harm/injure you.”
*So…If My people, who are called by my name understand the POWER of their identity, they
will get it right with God
***We are called by his name and there is power in the name of Jesus***
3. Understand the ASSURANCE of your identity.
The story of Paul, the apostle
From Saul (the murderer) to Paul (the apostle, preacher)
Acts 9: 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about
this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in
Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to
arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument
to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of
Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
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Romans 8: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free
from the law of sin and death. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things
to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*So…If My people, who are called by my name understand the ASSURANCE of their identity,
they will get it right with God