A sermon I heard on Ego;

This post is the precursor for a blog I intend to write on Baptism at a later time…

Recently I went with a friend to witness her baptism and the preacher presented a sermon whose message was all about people who are dependent on other peoples approval. Though I personally don’t suffer from that issue I know many who do.  If I depended on other peoples approval I would personally just have to lay down and die because I will never get the approval of others. I never have and I never will be approved of by most people. So I learned at a really early age that there were only two opinions that mattered; God’s and Mine. The message was the last part of a four part series on issues with “Ego” and was entitled Altar Ego…no it isn’t spelled wrong; it is rather a great play on words for those Followers of Christ in the know. 

He did something better than most preachers I have ever encountered and I have encountered many. He used the verses of scripture which inspired his message in a sequence that was utilized in such a way as to paint a picture, a descriptive road map that beautifully illustrated what he was teaching.

His major point was this;

Live from the approval of God instead of for the approval of people

These are the verses he used in his sermon;

1^st Thessalonians 2:4

⁴ But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

2^nd Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

Or in Christ, that person is a new creation.

Ephesians 1:7

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Romans 8:37

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Matthew 5:14

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Romans 8:11

¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of  his Spirit who lives in you.

Some manuscripts it reads; bodies through

Romans 8:17

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

2^nd Corinthians 5:20, 21

²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Or be a sin offering

Romans 1:7

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or  ⁷ To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1,2

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

  

It doesn’t matter what other say about me, it matters what God thinks about me.

Other messages in this series;

The need for control

Right to be offended

Feelings of inadequacy

His New message is;

New life in Christ

On top of hearing this message I had the profound privilege to witness my friend be baptized fully into her faith tradition. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friend Samantha for inviting me to be with her on her special night. It is moments like that, which remind me how blessed I truly am to be on this path.

In the christian tradition we become a new creature through baptism in The Spirit of Christ. 

So what I want to end this post with is that after the cleansing of baptism we need to take a good long hard look in the mirror and change our ways. 

It's not like I am a huge Michael Jackson fan, but I think in this case he summed it up really well, and so I leave you with his words...