Introduction

Good morning, everyone.

We are here. Together. In this place of worship. A place of comfort. A place of hope. A place where we can be ourselves. Where we can find ourselves.

Today, we will turn our hearts and minds to a passage from the Book of Psalms. A passage that speaks to us about who we are. About how we are made. About how we are seen by God.

Psalm 139:13-18 says,

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you."

Isn't that something? To know that we are seen by God. Known by God. Loved by God.

Ravi Zacharias once said, "What does it mean to be human? It means we are created in the image of God for the glorious reality of being in permanent fellowship with Him." In our time together today, we will consider the idea of our creation, our identity, and our spirit. We will consider what it means to be a masterpiece in the making. To have an identity in integrity. To celebrate self, and to celebrate spirit.

So, let's pray.

Dear God, open our hearts and minds to your word. Help us to see ourselves as you see us: as your beloved children, wonderfully made. Guide our thoughts and our words as we consider these truths. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Let's get started.

Masterpiece in the Making

We find ourselves in the hands of a Creator who is always at work. The image of God knitting us together in our mother's womb is a powerful one. It speaks of careful attention, of intricate detail, of a personal touch. It's not a factory production line. It's not a mass-produced, one-size-fits-all approach. It's a unique, individual, lovingly crafted work of art.

The process of knitting: It's not done in an instant. It takes time. It takes patience. There's a pattern to follow, but there's also room for creativity, for personal touches. Each stitch is important. Each stitch is part of the whole. And it's all done with a purpose, with an end result in mind. This is how God creates us. This is how God sees us. Not as unfinished, not as lacking, but as a masterpiece in the making.

The idea of being fearfully and wonderfully made: It's a phrase we might hear often, but do we really understand what it means? The word 'fearfully' here doesn't mean to be afraid. It means to be in awe, to be filled with reverence. It's a recognition of the power and majesty of God, of the wonder of His creation.

We are part of that creation: We are part of that wonder. We are wonderfully made. Not just in a physical sense, although that is certainly true. Our bodies are incredible machines, capable of amazing things. But we are also wonderfully made in a spiritual sense, in an emotional sense, in a relational sense. We are complex, we are diverse, we are unique. And all of this is by design. All of this is part of the masterpiece.

Being made in the secret place: It talks about being woven together in the depths of the earth. This speaks to the hidden aspects of our creation, the parts of us that others don't see. Our thoughts, our feelings, our dreams, our fears. These are all part of who we are. These are all part of the masterpiece. And God sees all of it. God knows all of it. Our frame was not hidden from Him when we were made in the secret place. He saw us before we were even formed. He knew us before we were born. He has a plan for us, a purpose for us.

A challenging thought: Because it means that we are not our own. We belong to God. We are His creation, His masterpiece. And as such, we are called to live in a way that reflects His design, His purpose. This doesn't mean that we have to be perfect. Far from it. The process of creating a masterpiece involves a lot of trial and error, a lot of mistakes, a lot of learning and growing. But through it all, the artist never loses sight of the end result. The artist never gives up on the masterpiece.

God never gives up on us: He continues to work in us, to shape us, to mold us. He continues to see us as His masterpiece, even when we can't see it ourselves.

Identity in Integrity

In the midst of our existence, we find ourselves standing at the intersection of our own creation and the integrity of our identity ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO