Hello, My Name Is

Introduction:

(Finish this sentence)

Hello, my name is……dumb, stupid, unsuccessful, worthless, nice to meet you.

How insane would that be to introduce you that way? Kind of makes you thing about how we define ourselves right? Matthew West has a song, “Hello, My Name Is” and it got me thinking just how we introduce ourselves. How does God introduce us? It also got me thinking of how we would finish the statement, “Hello, My Name Is……”

Hello, my name is…..smart, funny, respectful, trustworthy, nice to meet you.

This way of completing the sentence is more me, right?

This is a much better way of an introduction.

Think about this today, do you define yourself with negative thinking or with positive thinking? How would your life be different if we saw ourselves as a child of God instead of the negative names we give ourselves?

Today we are going to look at this from two different yet distinct perspectives.

Point 1: The Negative Perspective

How often do you really think positively about yourself?

Do you think there are more negative words than positive?

Do you define yourself by your mistakes and weaknesses?

We are told to live and die by the world.

We allow the world to define us

We let the world dictate how we should behave and act

The world tells us to live in darkness

The world tells us to live a life of sin because it’s okay

We allow television, computers, cell phones to rule our life

We watch shows that enable its okay to sin with no consequences

Those who live in the world tell you that they are happy and everything is okay

Yet behind closed doors they are searching for something.

They are not happy and everything is not okay. They are struggling and hurting

There is a chief accuser of the world and that is the Devil.

Are we allowing Satan’s lies to enter our heart and stay there?

The devil is out to steal, kill and destroy….he can do that with words

From the negative perspective how would you define yourself by completing this sentence?

Hello, My Name Is………

A. Defeat

Definition: to frustrate; to foil/baffle; downfall; failure to win

We can feel defeated

We can feel that we are on a downward cycle

There is nobody who loves us

Nobody cares about me

Everyone is out to get me…why can’t I just have 1 win

Why can’t I have someone on my side?

Psalm 31:9-11 says, “9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by roaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.” (NIV)

Illustration: R.B. Zuck (The Speaker’s Quotebook Page 115)

If you want to be distressed, look within.

If you want to be defeated, look back.

If you want to be distracted, look around.

If you want to be dismayed, look ahead.

If you want to be delivered, look to Christ.

If you want to be delighted, look up!

B. Regret

Definition: miss very much; mourn loss or death; expression of distressing emotion; feel sorry or disappointed

Children feel this way when they upset their parents

We can still feel this way as adults when we disappointed our spouses and family

It is an emotional state of being

Sometimes we feel we can not climb out of regret

It is the voice that goes off in our heart and reminds us everyday of our mistakes or loss

It is hard to shake this….it is something that happens everyday

It can be a constant reminder in our lives

If we stumble and fall this is where we end up and it never leaves. It never goes away

Sometimes I think this emotion will never go away

This is the way we feel when we can’t forgive and forget

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (NIV)

Illustration:

The Cross is a symbol of Gods heartbreak over a world that is gone astray.

C. Broken

Definition: imperfect or incomplete; not functioning; overcome with grief or disappointment; weakened in strength and spirit

Cars break down but most of the time can be fixed

Sometimes things don’t function at all once broken and need to be replaced

We can feel broken as well

Words can hurt and leave us feeling broken.

We can be broken over relationships, job, family, loss of loved ones, etc

It leaves us feeling empty inside