Being affirmed by God

Very interesting talk in church today.

Mark 1:9-10 (NIV)
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

Everyone likes to be appreciated and needs to be accepted and affirmed. We are judged everywhere we go, but we just want to be told well done. This can leave us striving, stressing and wanting to do well. But we are equally guilty of that, eg from entertainment where we decided who should stay and who should go. We also do it in church.

We should be asking what did God say rather than what did we think?

How much of this did Jesus face?

He was doing amazing things all the time and people were talking behind his back all the time.

Before He even started ..

Mark 1:11 (NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

God the father recognised God the son's human need. 
The need for a sense of identity. 
The need for security.
The need of significance - He knew His purpose

Mark 1:15 (NIV)
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

This is not an approval rating of His ministry - this was before He had done anything.

All Jesus has done is made Himself available.

Mark 1:11 (NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

He could face the difficulties. He wasn't seeking identity, security, significance. He had it all. He could come as a servant.

What about us?

Romans 8:15 (NIV)
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

We are in Christ. A very profound truth that the same approval and identity given to Jesus can be given to us.

We can have 

identity
Security
Significance
 
Not by anything we have achieved but because who we are.

Have we really grasped this?

Such a simple message.

The core message of how we can be so strong in the kingdom of God.

Why don't we believe it?

The world tells us.

Other people may put us down. You are only as good as your last result.

We can believe what the world tells us and it can become a self fulfilling prophecy.

God keeps shouting:

Mark 1:11 (NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." 

The cycle of grace

1. Acceptance

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions---it is by grace you have been saved.

2. Sustenance

Ephesians 2:7 (NIV)
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.



3. Identity

Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

4. Achievement (service)

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The cycle of grief

1. Achievement (identity)

2. Identity

3. Drivenness

4. Acceptance

The difference between the cycle of grace and the cycle of grief can be subtle.

The cycle of grief causes exhaustion.

We work out of God's love.

Mark 1:11 (NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Whatever I do God is still going to love me.

If we don't have that acceptance from God we will look to other people for acceptance. Who am I if I don't have that title next to my name? We can become jealous of other people. We can't take criticism or become too driven.

We may have mixed motives for what we do but that can be ok.

Do affirm each other. Build each other up.

We should keep coming back to God the Father to hear those words again.

Mark 1:11 (NIV)
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."