Dakota Community Church
November 25, 2007
Name
Begin by presenting Nooma DVD #018 “Name”.
Available to purchase here:
http://www.nooma.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=325
Wow, once again the Nooma folks have done an outstanding job of powerfully bringing home an important, moving, and possibly life changing message in a mere 11 minutes.
There are probably a hundred different directions we could go from this point using this DVD as a launch point, every one of the labels on those t-shirts screams out to be addressed and hopefully we will cover many of them eventually; but, since I have the floor, I want to discuss the four main things that jumped out at me!
Let’s begin by looking at what seems to be the easiest and most obvious question to answer. It is one of the first things we learn in life, one of the first things we teach our children, and yet for many of us it stirs deep feelings and raises issues we would rather leave buried deep in our psyche.
1. What is your name?
Who are you?
It is not an easy question for many people.
When my son was in grade one he came home from school one day with one of the first little essay type papers he had ever written. The teacher had given them the task of writing something to describe themselves so that she could get to know them each a little better. What he had written made me feel very good inside, because I felt like it revealed something positive about how we were raising him and his brothers. I think it also made me feel like I had succeeded in not passing along what I believe to be one of the worst traits I posses, a poor self image, or low self esteem.
In grade one he had written a simple sentence which unfortunately would still be a stretch for me to write about myself. Here is what he wrote:
“My name is NAME. The best thing about being me is that I am NAME!”
Last Saturday night was Kathy’s work Christmas party. I was picking her up at the store and we were going from there to the hotel for the dinner and dance so I was driving downtown to pick Kathy up, all dressed up in my best suit and tie. It isn’t the way I usually dress and I don’t feel all that comfortable in those clothes. I turned on the radio, which was set to the local 80’s station, (That’s right, not the Christian station!) and was enjoying the drive until a song came on that just hit me right where I live, a song that took me to a place that this Nooma DVD is addressing, a song that reminded me of a label I accepted from somewhere a very, very long time ago. The song was by a band that went by the name of Trooper and the song was; “Three Dressed Up As A Nine”.
As I am prone to do I immediately began thinking back to times in my life when I was “all dressed up”, Grade 12 Graduation, my prom night, my wedding day, Bible College graduation, every wedding or funeral I have ever performed, work parties.
That dark part of me says, “Yes, on my best day that’s all I am, that’s all I’ve ever been. A three dressed up as a nine.”
I don’t wallow in it or anything, I’m not suicidal or in need of meds, I put it down and get on with the evening – but I still go there!
I am not the first person to wrestle with these kinds of thoughts, in fact; I am sure I’m not the only one in this room.
Judges 6:12-15
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ’Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."
The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?"
"But Lord,” Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
The second issue the DVD brings up that jumps out at me is the idea that:
2. We need to claim our own history.
“You and I have pasts, families we’ve come from, things we’ve done, mistakes we’ve made, and where we’ve been and what we’ve done has shaped us into who we are today. So we have to embrace our story, our history. You don’t have to be proud of it, but you must claim it because it’s yours.” – Rob Bell
I think that in order to accept who I am, I have to be able to look honestly at what I’ve done and where I come from.
John 8:31-32
Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
How does the truth do that?
I think each of us has inside us a deep need for truth. We are created in the image of truth but, born under the influence of the liar.
Things are not right inside us when lies are crowding out the truth.
I Timothy 1:15-16
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
3. We need to face our limits.
When we fail to recognize our limitations we prevent God from making the difference. Like Unconfessed sin.
Are you okay with your limitations or are you still constantly striving to hide or ignore them?
II Corinthians 12:9-10
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I think there are two extremes in this area, one that does not see and accept it’s limitations and one that does not see and accept it’s strengths.
Proverbs 14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
4. We need to be saved from all the times we haven’t been our true selves.
John 21:18-22
I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
Think about things we do because others expect it of us.
How much are you following someone else’s plan for your life?
If you are following a plan other than the one you believe God has for you, what are you doing?
What should you be doing?
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
