Lesson About Being Authentic. (Being Real In A Fake/Filtered World): [Pastor Craig] Today we have a generation that has been so conditioned to filter everything, that now they do not know how to open up. Ive talked to so many of them, and I asked them. Is there anybody that knows the real you? No. Is there anybody that you share the deepest parts of your heart with? Well, no. Well, why not? Well, I really dont know how to open up, but if I really did show them who I am, Im scared to death that they wouldnt like me. A veil (mask) that first covers our face eventually covers our heart. People ask, How are you doing? We respond, Im fine. The reality is there are so many parts of you that you have not shared in years. You got the veil on. Youre playing the part. Some people are so used to showing their fake self that they dont even know who their real self is anymore. They are living for likes (approval from others). Theyre living for likes, and theyre longing for love, because until they show who they really are, until they know and are fully known, theyre always going to be longing for something more. Whats the problem? When we are always filtered, when we are always showing our best side, we may impress people, but were not connected. So often we are trying to impress the world with Heres the me I want you to see and yet we are longing for something more because we may impress people with our strengths, but we connect through our weaknesses. So what do we do now? Weve got a generation thats being trained on filtering their image, Here is the me I want you to see. Normally I would give you practical suggestions like try to be yourself, dont use a filter every time, try not to care what people think. More than good advice I want to give you godly advice, and that is this, Only Christ can remove the veil. (The veil is the mask you put on, the image you portray as reality. The secret smile you hide behind.) 2 Corinthians 3:16 says, But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For some of you, you have been turning to everyone and everything else for affirmation, but when you turn to the Lord, you dont even have to remove the veil because he does it for you. Suddenly youre not getting your approval from their likes, but youre getting it from his love. You are no longer living for the approval of people, but you are living from the approval of God. You recognize that you are acceptable to God through Jesus. When you realize that he is all that you have, suddenly you realize he is all you need. you dont need approval from someone else because you got approval from him. Your identity isnt in how many followers you have, your identity is in who you are following. Your true identity is not found in the approval of others, but your true identity only comes from the approval of Jesus.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 04:25:45 +0000
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