WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.540 So, this afternoon, we're going to spend a little time talking about the question of 00:00:07.540 --> 00:00:13.820 identity, which, as I bring it up, you recognize that's a hot topic these days. 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.699 It's hard to talk about identity without verging into political territory. 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:21.900 That's not the reason that we're focusing on this topic. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:26.140 The reason is because we've been in a series looking at a letter in the New Testament that 00:00:26.140 --> 00:00:27.179 we call Colossians. 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:30.559 It's a letter that Paul wrote to the Colossian Christians. 00:00:31.439 --> 00:00:36.280 And this letter has a number of themes, but the one that we've been tracing over the last 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:39.640 few weeks is the theme of the resurrection life. 00:00:40.179 --> 00:00:48.200 If Jesus actually rose from death, what difference does that make for us here and now? 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:49.159 That's the question. 00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:56.579 And that's based on this premise, that if Jesus did not actually rise, in other words, if it's 00:00:56.579 --> 00:01:05.120 a nice idea or a myth that was perpetuated by later followers, then as your pastor, I would 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:10.640 strongly encourage you to leave Christianity behind and to go and find another religion 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:15.620 or worldview that asks less of you, that's more convenient, that's frankly easier. 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.719 If, on the other hand, the resurrection did actually happen, somebody actually came up out 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:21.379 of the ground. 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:23.599 Then it changes everything. 00:01:24.659 --> 00:01:26.500 And that's what Colossians is about. 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:31.500 And as we come to chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3 is all about identity. 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:37.099 It's about the fact that the resurrection of Jesus has an enormous transformative impact 00:01:37.099 --> 00:01:39.920 on how we think about identity. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:42.939 So we're going to look at this in two parts. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:47.340 We're going to focus primarily on Colossians chapter 3, verses 5 through 17. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:54.019 Part 1, the crisis of identity that we currently find ourselves in, the crisis of identity. 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.560 Part 2, the renewal of identity. 00:01:57.740 --> 00:02:00.400 What becomes possible because of the resurrection of Jesus. 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:01.780 Let's pray. 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:10.280 Our Father in heaven, as we are gathered here, we are cognizant of the promises that you've 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:11.400 made over the centuries. 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:20.580 Perhaps the greatest promise of all is that you are Emmanuel, that you desire to be a God 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:24.580 who dwells in our midst, that you've fulfilled that promise, that you're here now. 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:30.020 And because you're here, we ask that as we open these written words through your spirit, 00:02:30.020 --> 00:02:35.200 you would illuminate them for us, that we would see the living word, your son, Jesus Christ, 00:02:35.760 --> 00:02:36.620 face to face. 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:41.400 And as we come to know him, we would come to know ourselves more fully and deeply. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:43.680 We pray this in his name. 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:44.140 Amen. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:50.100 So the crisis of identity, this question of identity is fundamental. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:52.680 It's a foundational question. 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:53.660 Who am I? 00:02:55.040 --> 00:02:55.960 Who am I? 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:01.939 It's impossible really to make decisions in our lives before we've answered that question. 00:03:02.140 --> 00:03:03.159 Who am I? 00:03:04.200 --> 00:03:06.000 I think we're all trying to answer it. 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:12.319 And by and large, in our culture, when it comes to questions of identity, we have adopted 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:16.360 an approach that has come to be known as expressive individualism. 00:03:16.939 --> 00:03:18.780 This is how we answer the question of identity. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.700 It's the idea that identity comes from looking within. 00:03:21.699 --> 00:03:30.039 I look inside and I discern my most authentic desires, my most authentic inclinations. 00:03:30.219 --> 00:03:34.000 And then I express those to the world. 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:41.459 The assumption being that I am what I feel, that I should embrace what I feel no matter what 00:03:41.459 --> 00:03:45.780 others might say, societies, traditions, regardless. 00:03:45.780 --> 00:03:55.740 And then we begin to construct our identity using labels, socially constructed labels, such 00:03:55.740 --> 00:04:01.039 as age or race or ethnicity or sexuality or gender. 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:07.159 And we construct this identity and we pick the labels that most accurately resonate with 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:11.139 what we feel and then we present that identity to the world. 00:04:11.240 --> 00:04:12.960 That's essentially how it works. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:23.160 And over time, this self-expressed identity has become a kind of unassailable absolute truth. 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:30.560 Perhaps for some people, the only remaining absolute truth is one's self-expressed identity. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:35.680 And there's something very compelling about this idea. 00:04:35.780 --> 00:04:39.079 The highest ethic is to be true to yourself. 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.379 Find this identity, express it, and then be true to it. 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:43.019 Follow it. 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:44.399 Don't let anybody tell you different. 00:04:45.599 --> 00:04:47.180 And I think that's very compelling. 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:53.000 The idea that we are the sole determiners of our own identity, I think that in some ways 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:54.360 that's a very attractive idea. 00:04:55.219 --> 00:05:03.139 Michel Foucault, who was one of the brilliant thinkers, brilliant man, one of the kind of architects 00:05:03.139 --> 00:05:08.899 of this approach, he was genuinely trying to do good in the world. 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:16.379 He rightly observed that when you have a society or a group of people and they assign identity, 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:21.060 that they're actually in power over that individual. 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:22.339 Right? 00:05:22.419 --> 00:05:24.740 That identity can be a form of subjugation. 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:29.340 And so he was really trying to make the world a better place. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:31.900 He saw the plight of the mentally ill. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:37.720 He saw the plight of people with same-sex attraction who in those days would often be assigned very 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:42.579 derogatory labels or identities and then cast aside by mainstream society. 00:05:43.939 --> 00:05:48.620 And so he was genuinely trying to bring liberation and freedom to these people. 00:05:48.740 --> 00:05:54.000 But the question we need to ask is, does it actually work? 00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.300 And by that I mean, does it actually line up with our real-life day-to-day experiences? 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:07.480 And I think if we begin to delve deeper, we see that, in fact, in the world of expressive 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:13.779 individualistic identity construction, there's an enormous amount of confusion and disagreement. 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:20.959 You see it in advertising, there's a commercial that I think I've mentioned it before. 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:22.439 It was in the most recent Super Bowl. 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:28.160 Well, Alfa Romeo has sort of reentered the American car market and they have this new 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.000 ad campaign. 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:30.899 And it has very little to do with cars. 00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:35.819 But it says, staying true to ourselves is all that matters. 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:37.339 Okay, great. 00:06:37.660 --> 00:06:38.500 We got it. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:39.899 But then it goes on and says this. 00:06:40.540 --> 00:06:44.159 And the ability to reinvent ourselves is the most human trait of all. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:49.280 And I remember seeing this and thinking, there's something not quite right about that. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:51.500 And then I realized it's kind of a contradiction, isn't it? 00:06:52.140 --> 00:06:56.660 I mean, if there's a self, and I need to be true to that self, but then I also need to reinvent 00:06:56.660 --> 00:06:57.360 that self. 00:06:58.280 --> 00:06:59.160 Which is it? 00:06:59.480 --> 00:06:59.740 Right? 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:04.960 But if you go a little deeper into kind of real life scenarios, you see the debate rages on. 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:08.139 There's massive confusion in the world of gender identity. 00:07:08.300 --> 00:07:14.860 There's actually a fascinating debate going on right now between transgender activists and radical 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.180 feminists over the nature of gender identity. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.280 Is it something that is innate? 00:07:20.019 --> 00:07:22.600 Or is it entirely socially constructed? 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:23.000 Right? 00:07:23.700 --> 00:07:30.100 So you have a transgender rights activist who says, I'm a man, but I feel like a woman, 00:07:30.200 --> 00:07:35.580 and therefore I have a right to claim the identity of a woman because that's what I feel when I look 00:07:35.580 --> 00:07:35.920 inside. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:38.060 That's the label that I want for myself. 00:07:38.520 --> 00:07:43.120 And then you have the radical feminists who are deeply offended and troubled and challenge this. 00:07:44.020 --> 00:07:49.860 Because they say, first of all, they reject the idea that there is an innate feminine brain. 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:55.939 They say if women are any different than men in any way, it's because society has forced us to be so. 00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:01.460 And by the way, they get very offended at the idea that a man with all of the male privilege 00:08:01.460 --> 00:08:07.639 that they have in a male-dominated society would dare to claim the identity of a woman. 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:08.960 You have no idea. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:11.680 You have not earned the right, they say. 00:08:12.180 --> 00:08:13.759 So this is a fascinating debate. 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:15.860 And again, this is not a liberal versus conservative. 00:08:15.860 --> 00:08:20.639 This is within the most progressive liberal wing of the political world. 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:21.580 The debate rages on. 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:28.199 There's also a debate between the transgender rights activists and the transracial rights activists. 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:30.740 The whole Rachel Dolezal affair. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:35.919 The question being, does a white woman have the right, should she be free, 00:08:37.019 --> 00:08:39.940 to claim the identity of an African-American woman? 00:08:40.379 --> 00:08:42.960 Because that's what she feels on the inside. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.440 The questions go on and on and on. 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:49.860 And again, I want to say, these are a lot of very well-meaning people. 00:08:50.160 --> 00:08:54.639 And listen, at the heart of these issues, there is very real suffering. 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:55.660 Right? 00:08:55.900 --> 00:08:57.200 Very real suffering. 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:03.379 And everybody's looking at that and doing the absolute best they can to alleviate that suffering. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:07.080 But there's also a lot of confusion. 00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:09.960 There's a lot of confusion. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:16.379 And I think under all of this, there's a fundamental flaw with this whole approach to identity. 00:09:17.019 --> 00:09:19.240 There's a lighthearted example of this. 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:22.660 I love to quote this movie because I think that it's kind of profound. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:27.400 There's this cartoon movie called The Incredibles about a family of superheroes. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.040 And you've probably heard it before if you've been around. 00:09:30.280 --> 00:09:34.620 But I love the scene near the end where the bad guy, Syndrome, he has the good guy all tied up. 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:37.000 And he used to be a mentor. 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:38.799 And now he's turned evil. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.039 And he's sort of giving his doom speech to his former mentor. 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.000 And he says at one point to Mr. Incredible, he says, 00:09:46.379 --> 00:09:48.700 You always used to tell me to be true to myself. 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:52.620 But you never told me which part to be true to. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:56.740 And I think that that's a brilliant and insightful point. 00:09:56.740 --> 00:10:07.000 That when we look inside, if you're anything like me, when I look inside, I don't see a clearly defined self coalescing around my desires and inclinations. 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:08.700 A self that I can just express to the world. 00:10:08.940 --> 00:10:12.460 In fact, I see all kinds of fragments and parts and pieces. 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:15.139 And they're in constant conflict with one another. 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:19.240 There are paradoxical desires waging war within me. 00:10:19.299 --> 00:10:22.980 There's nothing in the way of a consistent self. 00:10:22.980 --> 00:10:33.120 I have a part of me that deeply desires to live and to be healthy and to be on this earth long enough to know my grandkids. 00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:35.899 That is a deep conviction of mine. 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:39.100 But my family is out of town right now. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:41.639 And you want to know what I've been eating lately? 00:10:43.300 --> 00:10:46.019 Well, I'll tell you, the other night I had a few people over at my house. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:51.420 And one of them just felt the moral obligation to point at my plate and just kind of give me a look. 00:10:51.419 --> 00:10:56.139 And she was very justified in doing that because I had two food groups on my plate. 00:10:56.699 --> 00:10:57.819 Steak and pulled pork. 00:10:58.179 --> 00:10:59.439 And that's all I had on my plate. 00:11:00.479 --> 00:11:02.459 And she was like, is that all you're going to eat for dinner? 00:11:02.599 --> 00:11:04.620 And I said, well, yeah, I guess so. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:06.839 But I've ate like that all the time. 00:11:06.979 --> 00:11:09.099 I mean, I could literally live off that and whiskey. 00:11:09.819 --> 00:11:10.699 And I would be good. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:12.419 Every single night. 00:11:12.439 --> 00:11:13.079 I would be great. 00:11:13.339 --> 00:11:14.779 I wouldn't live to the end of the year. 00:11:14.779 --> 00:11:17.959 But I would be very happy in that time. 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.439 So there are two pieces of me that are waging war. 00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:22.639 Which should I listen to? 00:11:22.699 --> 00:11:23.779 Which is the true self? 00:11:24.939 --> 00:11:25.579 You know, why? 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.019 Maybe this isn't true for all of you. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:30.600 But I know for some of you. 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:36.740 Why in your mind you have an on-paper idea of the kind of person you should marry. 00:11:36.740 --> 00:11:39.659 This is the kind of person you should be with. 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:42.360 This is the kind of person that will be a good parent. 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:43.980 And make for a good spouse. 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:45.759 And make for a good partner in life. 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:46.560 And it all. 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:48.180 And you say, this is the kind of person. 00:11:49.019 --> 00:11:51.440 And then there are the people you're attracted to. 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:53.919 And why are they so different? 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:55.779 I know I should want this. 00:11:55.860 --> 00:11:56.919 But I'm drawn to this. 00:11:57.539 --> 00:11:59.320 I know that my parents would be happy with this. 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:00.600 But this is what I really want. 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:03.620 Now, where are those parts coming from? 00:12:03.620 --> 00:12:05.639 And which is the true self? 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.799 Some of you, you know, there's a part of you that is bold. 00:12:11.539 --> 00:12:12.379 And adventurous. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:14.419 And self-reliant. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:15.759 And courageous. 00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:20.860 And then there's this other part of you that just wants to be taken care of. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:23.779 That actually wants to be able to be weak. 00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:26.899 What is going on there? 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:28.379 Two parts. 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:30.519 Diametrically opposed. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:32.039 What's going on? 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:34.419 Or if you're married and you have kids. 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:35.899 And you have a spouse. 00:12:35.899 --> 00:12:40.179 And there's this part of you that says, I want to be with this family. 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:41.360 I've committed to this family. 00:12:41.439 --> 00:12:42.379 I want to raise these kids. 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:43.779 I'm committed to my spouse. 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:46.959 And then there's this other part of you. 00:12:47.740 --> 00:12:50.340 That fantasizes about leaving. 00:12:51.439 --> 00:12:52.519 Being with somebody else. 00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:54.079 Living a different life. 00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:56.000 Finding your true love. 00:12:57.100 --> 00:12:57.220 Right? 00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.240 Which is the true self? 00:12:59.379 --> 00:13:02.699 What does it mean to be true to yourself in that situation? 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:03.980 Who should you listen to? 00:13:05.259 --> 00:13:08.879 A lot of people would say that you should leave. 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:10.320 Right? 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:12.680 Have you read the book Eat, Pray, Love? 00:13:12.780 --> 00:13:12.960 Right? 00:13:13.060 --> 00:13:13.820 You've heard of it. 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:15.320 It was written a little over a decade ago. 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:18.580 It was heralded as one of the great romances of our decade. 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:21.480 Elizabeth Gilbert writes this book in 2006. 00:13:21.800 --> 00:13:23.560 Makes millions of dollars. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:24.560 Oprah loves it. 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:26.460 Champions it across the Oprah sphere. 00:13:26.460 --> 00:13:35.080 She, she, Gilbert is named in 2008 one of the top 100 most influential people in the world. 00:13:35.860 --> 00:13:36.900 In the world. 00:13:38.540 --> 00:13:43.960 Thousands of people inspired by Gilbert's story mimic it. 00:13:44.060 --> 00:13:44.740 What does Gilbert do? 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:46.060 Well, she goes through a hard divorce. 00:13:46.420 --> 00:13:49.759 She leaves in search of being true to herself. 00:13:49.920 --> 00:13:54.960 And she travels the world and eats and prays and ultimately finds the love of her life. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:55.920 Her true love. 00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:57.639 A man whose real name is Jose. 00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:58.940 And she meets him in Bali. 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:01.180 And they get married. 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:03.120 And it is the fairy tale ending. 00:14:03.460 --> 00:14:05.160 And so people are inspired by this. 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:11.800 And so thousands of people leave their spouses and their kids and their jobs and their families and their friends. 00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:14.000 And they go in search of themselves. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:20.299 One, one journalist talked about the town in Bali where, that is mentioned in the book where she met her love. 00:14:20.419 --> 00:14:26.440 And said, if you go there now, you will see lots of middle-aged women wearing white linen and thoughtful expressions. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:31.240 Looking for this experience, right? 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:32.600 And it applies to men too. 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:35.539 Looking for that thing, right? 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:40.200 There are, there are Eat, Pray, Love tours and t-shirts and tea mugs. 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:41.879 It's an industry. 00:14:43.900 --> 00:14:52.900 Many of those fans felt deeply betrayed last year when Gilbert over Facebook announced that she and Jose were getting a divorce. 00:14:54.920 --> 00:14:57.640 They said, that's not how it's supposed to end. 00:14:58.460 --> 00:15:00.240 That's not happily ever after. 00:15:00.920 --> 00:15:02.460 That's not part of the story. 00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:03.560 How could you let us down? 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:04.759 And people got nasty. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.259 They felt betrayed by her. 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:06.379 Why? 00:15:06.740 --> 00:15:09.899 Because daylight was starting to break into the fairy tale. 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:11.740 And that's the thing. 00:15:11.939 --> 00:15:18.120 This idea of identity, as nice as it is, as nice as it is to think about being true to myself and finding my true love, 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:21.580 this is ultimately, at the end of the day, a fairy tale. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:24.080 It's a fairy tale. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:34.340 Because in real life, when I look inside, when you look inside, I don't think we have just a self in there that is leading us like a will-o'-wisp in the woods. 00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:41.920 That, in fact, we see all of these broken parts and fragments and partial selves, and they're all fighting with each other for control. 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:48.360 And listen, some of those parts, if you follow them, will lead you toward health and flourishing. 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:59.840 But many of those parts, many of the voices that whisper to me in the dark watches of the night don't have my best interest in mind, 00:16:00.180 --> 00:16:04.440 don't have my family's best interest in mind, don't care about my kids. 00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:13.420 And if I followed those voices, I would follow them to my own destruction and to the harm of the people I most care about. 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:15.899 So it doesn't work. 00:16:15.899 --> 00:16:21.059 So the question then becomes, what does the gospel have to say about identity? 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:23.840 What's the alternative to this approach? 00:16:24.079 --> 00:16:26.879 And that's where Colossians 3 is so tremendously helpful. 00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:29.699 It gives us a different approach to identity. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:34.019 It says, don't look inside to try to find your true self. 00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:36.500 You have to actually be drawn out of yourself. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:38.659 You have to look beyond yourself. 00:16:38.659 --> 00:16:46.439 And it says in the first few verses of chapter 3, set your eyes and mind and seek the things that are above. 00:16:46.719 --> 00:16:48.719 And specifically, what's it talking about? 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:51.500 The risen Lord Jesus Christ. 00:16:51.699 --> 00:16:53.179 The resurrected Son of God. 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:54.899 Set your mind on that. 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:56.100 Set your heart on that. 00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:00.879 And there you will begin to discover who you really are. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:01.600 Why? 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:08.720 Because Jesus brings the renewal of our imaginations to bear into our lives. 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:12.400 So Colossians 3.10, as we talk about the renewal of identity. 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:19.980 Colossians 3.10 talks about our self being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:20.779 So what's that saying? 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:27.440 The self is renewed by the image of our creator. 00:17:27.639 --> 00:17:28.420 So what's that saying? 00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:35.740 It's saying that we were created by a creator to bear the image of that creator. 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:37.960 So just think about the implications of that. 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:41.220 What is that saying about human identity? 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:48.779 If we're created to bear the image of another being out here, what does that say about us? 00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:53.619 It says that for us, our identity is like moonlight. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.700 And God is the sun. 00:17:58.099 --> 00:17:59.799 That we are meant to reflect. 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:07.220 That our identity is a reflection of the person and the character and the heart of our creator. 00:18:07.379 --> 00:18:08.700 That's what we were made for. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:11.139 We are moons, not suns. 00:18:11.859 --> 00:18:17.519 In other words, we don't have the capacity to generate an identity, to generate a self. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:20.379 We don't have the capacity to say, I am. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:23.740 Only God has that power. 00:18:24.059 --> 00:18:25.220 That's what makes him God. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.960 We are moons, not suns. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:29.639 We're not the projector. 00:18:29.980 --> 00:18:30.720 We're the screen. 00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:35.139 We're meant to reflect the heart of God into the world. 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:36.420 So think about that. 00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:37.359 If that is true. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:39.759 If that's true. 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:41.019 It has serious implications. 00:18:42.219 --> 00:18:46.219 Because if it's true that we're moons and not suns, that we're screens and not projectors. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:51.059 If it's true that we're made to reflect identity rather than generate it. 00:18:52.179 --> 00:18:54.799 That means that if we reject God. 00:18:54.879 --> 00:18:58.539 In other words, if we say, I don't want to reflect your image into the world. 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:00.839 And if we live apart from God, then what happens? 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:06.959 Well, by design, we will invariably find something else to reflect. 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:09.359 That's what screens do. 00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:11.939 That's all they can do. 00:19:12.879 --> 00:19:18.199 And I guarantee you, if you look into your life, and if you look carefully and honestly, 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:24.399 and prayerfully, you will begin to see the things that you are drawing identity from, 00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:28.959 and drawing meaning from, and drawing value from. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:29.360 Right? 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.340 And they're probably really good things. 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.039 Maybe it's your career and your success. 00:19:36.259 --> 00:19:38.279 And you say, I've built this body of work. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:40.019 I have accomplished these great things. 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:41.539 This is who I am. 00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:43.779 And you're projecting that to the world. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.799 This is me. 00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:45.299 Right? 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:46.900 Or maybe it's your kids. 00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:52.160 And you say, if nothing else, if nothing else works out, this is who I am. 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:53.039 Look at my kids. 00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:53.980 Look at my parenting. 00:19:54.340 --> 00:19:56.559 Look at what I've done by raising them. 00:19:56.579 --> 00:19:57.759 And look at who they are now. 00:19:57.980 --> 00:19:58.840 That's my identity. 00:19:58.980 --> 00:19:59.519 That's my work. 00:19:59.659 --> 00:20:01.399 Or it could be your spouse. 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:02.659 It could be any number of things. 00:20:04.459 --> 00:20:11.299 A great way to tell is simply to look and to say, what is there in my life about which 00:20:11.299 --> 00:20:13.699 I say, I cannot live without that? 00:20:14.939 --> 00:20:15.199 Right? 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:18.459 They can take away my job. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.319 They can take away my house. 00:20:20.419 --> 00:20:21.720 They can take away my money. 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:23.660 But I have my kids. 00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:26.660 Or I have my success. 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:27.600 Or I have my money. 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:28.460 Or whatever it is. 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:31.059 Whatever that is. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:36.279 That, I guarantee you, is where you're drawing your identity from. 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:44.700 And whatever there is in our lives that is playing that role, what that results in, it doesn't 00:20:44.700 --> 00:20:45.420 matter what it is. 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:47.859 It results in the same thing, which is distortion. 00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:51.219 We become distorted image bearers. 00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:53.680 We're not projecting, displaying. 00:20:54.220 --> 00:20:57.839 And in other words, we become tremendously confused in our identity. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.980 Because we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing. 00:21:01.099 --> 00:21:01.839 We're confused. 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:02.379 We're tangled. 00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:02.959 We're muddled. 00:21:03.699 --> 00:21:04.959 We have no sense of self. 00:21:07.899 --> 00:21:11.879 Because we're meant to reflect the attributes and the character and the heart of God. 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:16.179 So this is why it's good news that Jesus Christ has come. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.480 And this is why the gospel is such good news when it comes to our identity. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:27.799 Colossians 1.15 very, very specifically says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. 00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:30.880 So if you want to know what the invisible God is like, look at Jesus. 00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:31.960 Spitting image. 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:32.700 Icon. 00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:36.200 When you look at him and you look at his heart and you look at his character, you are seeing 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:37.539 God in the flesh. 00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:46.339 And the gospel says that in Jesus, God actually enters into history, dies, pays for all of the 00:21:46.339 --> 00:21:47.480 sin of humanity. 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.019 And then what does he offer as a gift? 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.539 Not only forgiveness, but a new identity. 00:21:54.859 --> 00:21:57.639 He offers to give us his identity. 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:01.819 You know, one of his greatest parables, most beloved parables, is the parable of the prodigal 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:02.139 son. 00:22:02.440 --> 00:22:07.059 And you know, the younger brother leaves and spurns his father and says, I wish you were 00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:07.299 dead. 00:22:07.339 --> 00:22:07.799 I'm out of here. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:08.879 I want my inheritance. 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:09.799 I never want to see you again. 00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:10.859 He leaves and he goes. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.700 He spins it all. 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:17.319 And then he hits rock bottom, realizes his folly, comes back to beg his father's mercy. 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:18.519 What does his father do? 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:21.220 He comes running out on the road to meet him. 00:22:21.859 --> 00:22:24.200 He wraps him in his arms. 00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:25.039 And then what does he do? 00:22:25.779 --> 00:22:29.379 He takes off his cloak and he puts it on the boy's shoulders. 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:31.700 He takes off his ring, puts it on his finger. 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:33.859 Now why does he do that? 00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:34.759 Is it because he's cold? 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:36.200 No. 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:37.480 It's about identity. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:39.400 These are identity markers. 00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:44.319 He's saying, you left and you abandoned the family and you rejected me as your father, 00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:46.480 but you never stopped being my son. 00:22:47.900 --> 00:22:50.200 And he's affirming with those symbols. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:54.160 You are my son and you will always be my son. 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:56.700 And there's nothing that you can do to change that. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.400 That's who you really are. 00:22:59.019 --> 00:23:00.559 He's affirming his true identity. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:06.579 And this is what Jesus does when we come and we confess our sin and we repent and we ask for his mercy. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:10.039 Even as the words are coming out of our mouths, he's taking his ring off. 00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:11.500 He's taking his robes off. 00:23:11.659 --> 00:23:12.539 He's putting them on us. 00:23:12.700 --> 00:23:14.839 He's saying, I want you to have this. 00:23:15.099 --> 00:23:15.639 Have me. 00:23:15.899 --> 00:23:16.700 Have this identity. 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:18.200 Become a child of God. 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:19.159 Be adopted. 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:21.679 Be a co-heir with me in the kingdom of God. 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:23.019 That's why I came. 00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:31.639 And from that moment on, God views us as he views his own son, Jesus. 00:23:31.819 --> 00:23:35.319 That is our true self, our truest identity. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:39.180 So that means, and this makes sense of verse 11, 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:44.940 that means that all of the labels that we might use as we're constructing our identity, right? 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:46.839 Verse 11, you know, I'm a Greek. 00:23:46.980 --> 00:23:47.779 I'm a Jew. 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:50.240 I'm circumcised or uncircumcised. 00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:52.940 Barbarian, Scythian, slave, free. 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:53.639 Whatever labels. 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:57.180 We could add white, black, gay, straight, Hispanic. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:58.700 We could add all of these labels. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:02.299 They all become secondary. 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:05.799 They all get pushed to the periphery. 00:24:06.619 --> 00:24:13.319 Because there's a new primary label that drops into our lives that defines us wholly and completely. 00:24:14.180 --> 00:24:15.940 And it's the person of Jesus Christ. 00:24:19.940 --> 00:24:21.200 But here's the thing. 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:27.299 Colossians 3, 1 through 4 says essentially that although we get that identity, 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:29.120 although we've been raised with him, 00:24:29.980 --> 00:24:33.840 for this period of time until Jesus comes again, it is hidden. 00:24:33.940 --> 00:24:36.100 In other words, it's not self-evident. 00:24:36.220 --> 00:24:37.819 It's not readily observable. 00:24:37.819 --> 00:24:40.779 One day it will be. 00:24:40.919 --> 00:24:43.659 One day the truth of who we are will be revealed to the world. 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:45.159 That day has not yet come. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:52.599 And so for Christians, we are in this time where we are wrestling with two selves, two natures. 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:54.939 And they're struggling. 00:24:55.139 --> 00:24:56.519 They're locked together. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.460 Horns locked. 00:24:58.579 --> 00:24:59.399 Vying for dominance. 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:02.240 There's the old self and the new self. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:07.339 And I think this makes so much more sense of our real life experience. 00:25:07.420 --> 00:25:10.099 When I look in my heart, that is exactly what I feel. 00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:22.019 So then verses 5 through 17 are all about the renewal of our identity that comes from putting off the old self and then putting on the new self. 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:25.039 And we do it again and again and again. 00:25:25.379 --> 00:25:30.539 It says, put to death everything in you that does not reflect the image of God. 00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:33.139 The identity that we have in Christ. 00:25:33.140 --> 00:25:38.580 So we're cleaning away all of the junk that is built up on the screen. 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:43.100 We're enabling ourselves to reflect the heart of God more clearly and more brightly. 00:25:43.520 --> 00:25:44.460 Put all of that to death. 00:25:44.580 --> 00:25:45.960 Like killing weeds in your garden. 00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:47.460 Put it to death. 00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:51.340 And he focuses on two broad categories of sin. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:54.320 Sexual sin and sins related to anger. 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:58.340 And I'm not entirely sure why he focuses on these categories. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:59.960 But I do think that they're particularly relevant. 00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:05.140 I think he has in mind things that harm not only individuals but also break down communities. 00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:06.160 That's a part of it. 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:10.220 But even today, I mean, look at what's going on in our hearts. 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:11.819 You want to know what's going on in the human heart? 00:26:12.600 --> 00:26:13.259 Look at the internet. 00:26:14.299 --> 00:26:17.860 This amazing invention that has done such good for the world. 00:26:18.579 --> 00:26:21.000 But we've given people two very powerful things. 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:23.660 A public voice and anonymity. 00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:28.460 And what comes spilling out when you give people those two things? 00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:31.860 When you remove the restrictions and you just let it flow. 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:33.720 Well, what flows out of the human heart? 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:36.759 Sex and anger. 00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:45.660 The internet has become a repository of sexual brokenness and outrage and malice and slander. 00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:46.640 Anger. 00:26:47.700 --> 00:26:47.860 Right? 00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:50.640 So God says you have to work against that in your life. 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:51.840 You have to put it to death. 00:26:52.340 --> 00:26:53.880 You have to extinguish it. 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:56.780 That mars the image of God in you. 00:26:56.980 --> 00:26:59.900 That's not the heart that you're meant to reflect. 00:27:03.420 --> 00:27:06.660 Part of Christian identity means putting these tendencies to death. 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:15.920 And then in verses 12 through 17, Paul tells us to put on the attributes that do reflect the identity and character of God. 00:27:16.020 --> 00:27:16.740 Put on the robe. 00:27:17.020 --> 00:27:17.720 Put on the ring. 00:27:18.080 --> 00:27:20.340 Begin to reflect and display the heart of God. 00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:27.379 So he talks about compassionate hearts and kindness and humility and meekness and patience and forgiveness. 00:27:27.879 --> 00:27:31.359 And above all, he says love, which binds everything together. 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:33.179 He's describing God's character. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.740 You want to know what God's like? 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:35.559 That's what he's like. 00:27:36.439 --> 00:27:39.559 And that's the identity that we're meant to embody and reflect. 00:27:40.579 --> 00:27:43.939 Now, I want to make this important point as we're kind of drawing all this together. 00:27:43.940 --> 00:27:49.299 This is not saying change your identity and God will love you. 00:27:51.019 --> 00:27:52.059 That's religion. 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:53.000 That's legalism. 00:27:54.360 --> 00:27:56.000 That's the opposite of what this is saying. 00:27:56.180 --> 00:28:04.980 This is not saying get your act together, pull yourself together by your bootstraps, shape up, stop all that bad stuff, start doing the good stuff, and then you can belong to God and bear his image. 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:05.259 No. 00:28:06.080 --> 00:28:10.900 It's saying God loves you so much that he's already given you this identity. 00:28:11.700 --> 00:28:13.080 This is your true self. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:21.199 And any time you act in the ways that are being described in the first part of this passage, any time you're doing that, you're forgetting who you are. 00:28:22.019 --> 00:28:23.419 You're forgetting your true self. 00:28:24.199 --> 00:28:25.519 Have you ever seen the movie Memento? 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:28.659 Christopher Nolan's brilliant kind of breakout film. 00:28:29.659 --> 00:28:31.000 It's kind of an old film now. 00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:33.639 I think it came out around 2000, 2001, something like that. 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:35.659 But it's an amazing film. 00:28:35.659 --> 00:28:40.579 Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, and Leonard Shelby has gotten a head injury. 00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:47.740 And because of that head injury, he has anterior grade amnesia, which means he can't remember anything for more than a few minutes. 00:28:47.879 --> 00:28:49.339 Any new information, none of it sticks. 00:28:50.679 --> 00:28:53.819 And so the entire movie is Leonard's quest. 00:28:54.359 --> 00:28:58.939 He's investigating himself in search of his true identity. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:01.659 He's trying to figure out who he is. 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:05.460 And he keeps forgetting and forgetting and forgetting and forgetting. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:08.840 And there are all these people in his life, and some of them are not very trustworthy. 00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:12.620 And everybody's trying to help him, but some people are actually taking advantage of him. 00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:15.120 They're taking advantage of the fact that he's forgotten who he is. 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:19.139 And the point is, I think that we're all like Leonard. 00:29:19.659 --> 00:29:21.979 I think that we all have spiritual amnesia. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:25.079 And I think that we're constantly forgetting who we are. 00:29:25.339 --> 00:29:29.059 And listen, there are a lot of people out there, some of them well-meaning, some not so much, 00:29:29.739 --> 00:29:32.379 who are taking advantage of that. 00:29:32.659 --> 00:29:35.819 They're trying to convince us that we're somebody we're not. 00:29:36.359 --> 00:29:37.879 Which is exactly what happens in the movie. 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:42.240 We constantly forget who we are. 00:29:42.600 --> 00:29:45.240 And so we need to be reminded who we are. 00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:51.660 Paul says we need regular community and regular practices to constantly remind us 00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:56.580 that we're no longer the old self, that we are actually someone new in Jesus Christ. 00:29:56.840 --> 00:29:59.500 And that's what verses 16 and 17 describe beautifully. 00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:00.440 He says, 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:06.520 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:10.920 Scripture is one way that we are reminded who we really are. 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:12.400 Here's my life story. 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:14.759 Here's the story that makes sense of me. 00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:19.859 And then he goes on, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 00:30:20.879 --> 00:30:21.660 Corporate worship. 00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:27.700 Coming together and singing beautiful songs together that remind us who we really are. 00:30:27.700 --> 00:30:33.440 And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 00:30:33.580 --> 00:30:36.539 giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:30:36.700 --> 00:30:41.980 Doing everything we do is pointing us to Jesus, the icon, 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:46.299 who not only shows us who God is, but shows us who we are called to be. 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:48.779 So here's the main point. 00:30:50.059 --> 00:30:51.700 I'm going to draw this to a close here. 00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:52.779 Here's the main point. 00:30:52.779 --> 00:30:56.720 When it comes to your identity, when it comes to my identity, 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:01.579 many people will tell you, be true to yourself. 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:03.720 But the gospel will say, no. 00:31:05.379 --> 00:31:06.859 Don't be true to yourself. 00:31:08.379 --> 00:31:10.480 In some cases, run from that. 00:31:11.819 --> 00:31:13.759 The gospel says, here's the good news. 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:19.139 Jesus became like us so that we could become like him. 00:31:19.140 --> 00:31:23.060 And when you come to him, you receive a new identity. 00:31:24.020 --> 00:31:25.740 So don't be true to the old self. 00:31:26.360 --> 00:31:27.900 Be true to the new self. 00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:32.900 The new self that we find in Jesus Christ that's given to us as a gift. 00:31:33.380 --> 00:31:40.820 And every time we forget that, God in his love and in his mercy reminds us again and again and again. 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:44.880 Last image I'll use comes from one of my favorite movies, Blood Diamond. 00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:48.060 I've mentioned this before, so if you've been around, you've heard this. 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:56.720 At the end of the movie, Blood Diamond, there's a scene where Danny and Solomon are digging up the diamond. 00:31:57.180 --> 00:32:01.440 The diamond about which the whole movie hinges. 00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:03.680 And so Danny and Solomon are there. 00:32:03.740 --> 00:32:04.460 They're digging up the diamond. 00:32:04.780 --> 00:32:07.020 And Solomon's son, Dia, is also there. 00:32:07.360 --> 00:32:12.440 Now, Dia has been earlier kidnapped by people and forced to be a child soldier. 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:16.520 So they've gotten him back, but Dia is not really sure who he is. 00:32:16.560 --> 00:32:17.640 He's forgotten his identity. 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:20.400 And so as Danny and Solomon, they get the diamond. 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.620 They pull the diamond up out of the ground. 00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.860 They say, oh, we finally found it. 00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:25.300 And they turn and they look. 00:32:25.600 --> 00:32:26.920 And Dia has picked up a gun. 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:29.620 And he's pointing it at the two men. 00:32:31.820 --> 00:32:33.560 Is he going to kill his father? 00:32:33.740 --> 00:32:35.960 Is he going to take the diamond and go back to the bad guys? 00:32:36.259 --> 00:32:37.060 What's going to happen? 00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:40.120 So here's what his father says. 00:32:40.600 --> 00:32:41.220 What do you think? 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:43.040 What would a father say normally? 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:45.299 You know, what would many fathers say? 00:32:46.039 --> 00:32:46.920 What's wrong with you? 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:47.559 What's your problem? 00:32:47.639 --> 00:32:48.579 Put that gun down. 00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:49.359 Stop it. 00:32:49.500 --> 00:32:49.700 Right? 00:32:50.579 --> 00:32:51.740 That's not what he says. 00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:52.279 Look. 00:32:53.180 --> 00:32:55.639 He says, Dia, what are you doing? 00:32:56.460 --> 00:32:57.200 Look at me. 00:32:57.920 --> 00:32:58.639 What are you doing? 00:32:59.879 --> 00:33:03.740 You are Dia Vandy of the proud Mende tribe. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:06.139 And then Dia raises the gun, points at his father. 00:33:06.140 --> 00:33:11.420 You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. 00:33:12.580 --> 00:33:14.020 And he begins to walk toward Dia. 00:33:14.500 --> 00:33:16.240 Your mother loves you so much. 00:33:16.800 --> 00:33:19.840 She waits by the fire making plantains and red palm oil stew. 00:33:19.960 --> 00:33:21.820 And your sister Nyanda and the new baby. 00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:24.780 And tears begin to stream down Solomon's face. 00:33:25.980 --> 00:33:27.380 The cows wait for you. 00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:30.360 And Babu, the wild dog who minds no one but you. 00:33:30.660 --> 00:33:33.920 And tears now start to stream down Dia's cheeks as well. 00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:37.700 As Solomon continues and he's walking closer and closer to his son. 00:33:37.820 --> 00:33:40.420 He says, I know they made you do bad things. 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:43.200 But you are not a bad boy. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.960 I am your father who loves you. 00:33:46.140 --> 00:33:48.960 And you will come home with me and be my son again. 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:53.720 And Dia drops the gun and Solomon embraces his son. 00:33:54.860 --> 00:33:56.539 It's the most amazing scene. 00:33:56.720 --> 00:34:01.039 The reason I love it is because that is exactly how God responds to us. 00:34:01.140 --> 00:34:03.860 When we come to God in sin, no matter what we've done. 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:07.259 God says, I know you've done bad things. 00:34:07.940 --> 00:34:09.680 But that is not who you are. 00:34:10.579 --> 00:34:12.079 You are my child. 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:15.720 And you will come home and you will live with me. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.200 And you will be my child. 00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:19.300 And he embraces us. 00:34:20.099 --> 00:34:22.720 And again and again and again. 00:34:22.940 --> 00:34:26.240 He reminds us gently, firmly. 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:29.400 Sometimes whispering, sometimes shouting. 00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:31.079 You have forgotten who you are. 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:32.220 You are my child. 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:33.639 Come home with me. 00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:35.759 Arms always open. 00:34:37.099 --> 00:34:40.079 And he reminds us again and again and again. 00:34:40.219 --> 00:34:44.639 And slowly but surely, we actually start to believe it ourselves. 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:47.900 And that is how the renewal of identity happens. 00:34:48.539 --> 00:34:49.579 Let's pray.