Friday, June 28, 2013
Download MP3 (right click to save)
Man, having watched the old Superman TV show and some of the early movies, it's got to be tough for Clark Kent. You know, these days. I mean, it's getting harder and harder to find a phone booth to change in. But He always manages to change his identity to Superman. That's the important thing. You can't be a super hero until you change your identity. When you think about it, most of our super heroes over the years don't become heroes without that change of identity, whether it's Clark Kent changing to Superman, or it's Wonder Woman, or it's Batman. Now, that's okay for the comics, but in real life, the heroes are the ones who never change their identity.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Heroes Know Who They Are."
Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Philippians chapter 3. It's about a man who had many possible identities. He would make Clark Kent look like a piker. Listen to this. The Apostle Paul writes to us about some of the identities in his life. He says beginning in verse 5, "I was circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, I am a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin..." "I've got a tribe I'm very proud I'm from." He says, "a Hebrew of the Hebrews." He says, "I'm the top of the line in that department." "...in regard to the law, I'm a Pharisee."
Boy, there's another identity. And then, "As for zeal, persecuting the church," He said, "I was a very good church persecutor." Great way to make a living, huh? He says, "As for legalistic righteousness, I was faultless." Look at all those identities this guy's got. Now, "But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Out of all the identities Paul could have had, he said, "There's one that I want to step into. I have settled on one identity and I have decided to give that one identity everything I can. It is following Jesus Christ. That's who I am."
Most of us are like Clark Kent. There's the me I am at work. Now, I don't get into a phone booth (can't find one anyway), but I change my identity for the me I am at church then, and then the me I am with my wife, and then the me I am with different groups of friends, and the me I am playing sports, etc.
I talked with this high school football player, and he said, "Ron, it's tough to be only one of 30 kids who stands up to the teacher when they say godless things. It's tough to be the only guy in the locker room with a clean mouth and the only guy who is loyal to Christ." I wanted to encourage him. I said, "Bill, you won't always be a football player. You won't always be a student at that school. You won't always be friends with those kids. You won't always be a student in that class. There's only one thing you'll always be. You'll always be a Christ follower." I'll tell you what I told him. "Life becomes more peaceful, less stressful, less confusing when you pick one identity and stick with it."
See, life settles down when you make this choice, "I'm going to really be what I'll always be." And that's what you'll always be is a Christ follower. That was Paul's choice. He said, "All other identities are temporary." Don't let a temporary identity cause you to betray who you really are and who you will always be. You're so afraid. It's kind of like "Well I'm an employee of Company X, or I'm a student of Professor Y, or I'm a neighbor or coworker of person Z." None of those are who you are. Whose hero do you want to be?
Don't let your Jesus identity be your secret identity anymore. You will forever be the property of Jesus Christ bought with His blood. So why don't you really be what you'll always be. Fantasy heroes keep changing identities, but real heroes pick one and go for it because heroes know who they are.