When It Comes To My Persona Series

It’s Not About Me… When It Comes To:

PERSONA

Matthew 16:13-19

Video Clip: “It’s All About Me” Singer

One of the most evident ways we prove to the world and to the Lord, that it truly is “All About Me,” is through our Persona.

DEFINITION: American Heritage Dictionary pl. defines personas as:

The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one’s public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self. A personal facade that one presents to the world; The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one’s public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self. A reflection of the role in life the individual is playing.

We work hard on our persona! We are taught at an early age to carefully develop it by suppressing our true feelings about people and things… we learn to schmooze, we learn to pretend we like people and then talk behind their backs, we become very good at painting the picture that we think others want to see… and little by little we build this façade that many people believe is really who we are… But God knows better and He longs for you and me to get it right!

SO… what is right? What should our painting look like? What should people see when they look at us… If Jesus Christ were to assign an angel as your PR guy, with explicit instructions to launch a biblical PR campaign for you… what would He require?

Our text is: Matthew 16:13 - 19 (KJV) 13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

THE QUESTION before us is this: Within the persona that you are building, Whom do men say that Jesus is?”

Notice some things about how people perceive Jesus:

I. He’s just another religious figure

14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

People don’t need more religion… they need a relationship… I’m not talking a membership (although it’s important and biblical to be a part of a local church)… but your membership cannot be the driving force in who you are as a Christian… and it can’t be the thing that you hold up to others in order to demonstrate how Jesus can change their life… when we show Jesus has just another option, we risk much…

- They may admire religious figures (good experience w/ church), but admiration doesn’t change a life. They will embrace church, but not Jesus Christ… they will follow you to the church and take up the offering plate, but they won’t follow you to Calvary and take up their cross… Because you aren’t headed that way either…

- They may despise religious figures (bad experience w/ church), and that turns them away totally…

- So the answer is to help people (through our life and what we are constructing) to understand the truth about who Jesus really is and what He has done for them… and thus, how He will one day judge us in light of what He has done for us… That is building on the right foundation…

Notice how Jesus confirms that…

II. He’s the key to our very existance

15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

It’s interesting to me that He wanted to know what those closest to Him thought… Who were they saying Jesus was?

Does Jesus care really care about who you think He is? YES, but probably not for the same reason you think He does… We are often so arrogant to think that Jesus Christ is hung up on what we think of Him… the reason, is that image is so important in our culture… substance doesn’t sale… perception does… Problem is, God doesn’t buy it and He will not judge us like we do political candidates… God has seen all of my commercials and He’s not buying it… He knows who I really am.

As long as we attempt to build the image around us, we will continue to dishonor the Lord’s sacrifice and repel people from ever experiencing a personal, intimate relationship with Christ!

Peter got it right… Look again at the text and notice…

III. He’s the key to our effective witness

16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

- Only God can reveal Himself to a person

o Persuasion can’t “What I can talk you into, someone else can talk you out of.”