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When The Past Becomes Your Identity

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Chris Grainger 1:43

Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, fellas, the spiritual kickoff time. Let's get into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week is Revelation 21, verse 5. It says, And he who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. Okay. So, fellas, we're going to save some time. We can see how we can simplify and apply this to our life as Christian men today. It's only one verse, so I think we're going to have a lot of fun with it. And before we get into it, though, daily the spiritual kickoff, we do it Monday through Friday. We call it the daily spiritual kickoff. And guess what? It's completely free. We give this, we just give this away. It's our way of serving you. We even give you a free gift for signing up for it, okay? So head over to thelionwithin.us, start your daily spiritual kickoff. It also gives you access to our prayer request space. And guys, this is a big deal. And I'm saying it's a big deal because it's a big deal. You need prayer. We all do. We're not in this alone. It can feel like it at times, but we're not. So look, head over to thelionwithin.us, start your daily spiritual kickoff, get you that, get you that daily SKO, and also get you access to that to that prayer request space, which by the way comes with a free prayer call every Monday. We open it up to all the guys, the thousand plus guys that are in the lion. We open it up to all of them. Hop on a Google Meet with us, and we're going to go to the Lord in prayer. That's what it's all about, okay? So the Lion within IUS to get started with that. Now, this verse right here, Revelation. First thing we need to understand, it's not revelations, it's one revelation from to John. So where is it? Super easy to find. It's almost as easy as Genesis, okay? Study the front of the book, you go to the back of the book. If you get to the book of maps, you went a little bit too far, okay? I'm just kidding, fellas, because you don't have to get maps at the back of your Bible. It's the last book, okay? So it's super important. But there's some things here in this one verse that we need to unpack and think about today. Because uh so many guys, and I talk to guys every day now, it's unbelievable what God has been doing. So many guys are exhausted and they feel trapped by their past. They're trapped by old failures, by poor decisions that they made, by words that they said that they wish they could take back. They're trapped by, you know, maybe it was a bad season of life. And for so many of these dudes, those memories start becoming the narrative of who they think they are, right? And they may believe in grace intellectually, like they believe in it, or but but emotionally and practically, it ain't there, bro. It's just not there. Because they live as if their worst moments get the final say. And that's why scripture, man, I'm telling you, you gotta have scripture to combat the lies of the enemy. And that's why this Revelation 21, 5, this is a disruptive verse. It's very disruptive, and it's also freeing, okay? And he who sits on the throne says, Behold, I am making all things new. All things, not some things, not most things, but all things new. And notice who says it right here, fellas. John, it's like like this is this uh this is speaking right here directly. John doesn't describe Jesus as pacing and hoping and negotiating. He says, He's like, you know what? He is sitting on the throne when he says that when he says this. And that image matters because that's such a big deal. The king is sitting on the throne and he ain't scared, he's not anxious, he's not scrambling, right? Or reacting to things that are happening around him. He's reigning. He's reigning. And his authority is subtle in him and his sovereignty, we can't question it. Okay. And Jesus isn't making a suggestion here, he's issuing a declaration. And when the King of Kings says that he's gonna make all things new, guess what? That includes you, right? Not some cleaned up version of you, not a future version of you, but the man standing right now, carrying both the failures of your past, of your past, rather, and the faith of your future. And this verse confronts one of the subtle lies that Christian guys believe, that our past actions define us more than Christ does. Right? And that's crazy. That's audacious to think that. Because all of a sudden, when we do, we're starting to let the past be Lord. And think about it, honestly, for a second, guys. Let's just be real. When you let the past sin, regret, or shame define you, what are you really saying? We're saying that those moments are more powerful than the cross. We're saying that those failures are louder than his resurrection. And we're saying that our story outranks his authority. And it's hard to say that out loud, right? But this is what this is what happens because this is dangerous thinking. Not because like God is fragile or something like that. No, no, bro. But because it puts us, you're trying to put you on the throne. And when you insist that what you did ultimately defines who you are, you've placed yourself above him. Think about that. And we just we say that our verdict is final, not his verdict. And that's not repentance, fellas. That's like self-rule. And scriptural is scriptures tells us we are terrible gods of our own lives. This is just, we just are. And I think that's why John wrote this for us, okay? Because it's tempting to read Revelation as something, as something written to people long ago about a distant future. But John didn't record these words for curiosity or timeline debates. He wrote them to strengthen our believer, our faith when we have real pressure. This is for for every guy. This is for guys that are tired. This is who guys who are who are tempted to compromise. This is for guys who need to remember that Caesar wasn't king, but Jesus was, right? That truth hasn't expired. Jesus is still on the throne, fellas. He's not abdicated his authority, right? He's not handed the pen of your identity back to us and say, here, you just write whatever's good for you. No. Revelation 21.5 reminds us that the final word of our lives does not come from our past or our performance or our pain. It comes from the reigning King of kings and Lord of Lords. And he is a friend, yes. But he is Lord first and foremost. And we love to talk about Jesus as our friend. And I get it, man. It makes a lot of sense. He is close, right? He's compassionate, he's personal, but he ain't casual. But he's not casual. The Jesus that John describes here is approachable because of his authoritative nature, not spite of it. His friendship is meaningful because his lordship is real. And somewhere along the way, man, somewhere along the way, so many dudes have sought have gotten Jesus into like this soft and supportive character instead of this sovereign king. Like we invite him into our plans instead of surrendering to his will. Like, wait a minute, man, let's get this right. Or we ask him to bless our direction rather than submitting to his. And then we wonder why we're worn out and it ain't working. If Jesus is not Lord, something, someone or something else is. And most of the time that someone is us. And with us comes what? Fear, control, self-condemnation, all the stuff that comes with that. But there's freedom, fellas, when we let go of that control. And here's a reframe that so many of us probably need to hear. You're not in control, and that's okay. You're not in control, but that's okay. In fact, guys, it's good news. Because you are never designed to carry the weight of defining yourself, right? Or redeeming your past or securing your future. That burden belongs to the one that's on the throne. So when we're tired, when we're beaten up, when our past keeps saying that we're disqualified, you don't need a better argument. Nope. You just need a better king. And that's him. That's the king of kings, the Lord of Lords. Jesus loved you enough to go on the cross on your behalf. He rose victoriously. He reigns today. And this promise is not just for forgiveness, but for renewal, a future where all things are fully restored and brought into glory with him forever. That's not just wishful thinking, guys. That is a royal declaration. So look, Revelation 21:5. It isn't just about the end of time. It's about the end of false identities. Like the King of Kings has spoken. The past is not the our Lord, and our failures are not final. The shame that we feel is not the sovereign piece. The only thing that's sovereign is Him. Because He's making all things new. So hold your head high. Release control and step forward, not as some guy who defined by who he was, but as a man shaped by who Christ is. That's what we're getting excited, excited about. I'm telling you, it's such a big deal. That's why scripture, just taking time to unpack scripture and to think about it in a meaningful way, is so important. That's why we do this every week at the Lion Within Us. That's why we do this every day at the Lion Within Us. Because at the end of the day, nothing I'm gonna say, nothing I'm gonna say, can can earn your salvation or anything like that. No, all I'm trying to do is help you understand Scripture in a more meaningful way so that when the Holy Spirit starts whispering to you and trying to nudge you along the way, that you'll be able to see it clearly, right? So the question you have to think about this week when you hear a verse like this, making all things new, what what past failures are you allowing to define you? And I don't know what that past failure is. It could be a failed marriage, uh, it could be anxieties, could be pornography or or uh or lust or temptation. I don't know, bad financial decisions. Whatever that past failure is, we all have them. They don't get to say who you are. If you still have trouble with that, I'm gonna encourage you to straight up lean into the line within us. We have guys who wanted to speak life into you today. Guarantee you, we have not had a prayer request that's been dropped in the line within us, that the guys have not just absolutely rallied around. And I'm talking about not just I'll be praying for you, bro. Like legit praying for it, okay? Coming on behalf with each other, battle brothers, ready to lift it up. So I'm telling you, it's such a big deal. And look, when we talk about uh not being passed by the future, but being defined by Christ, you know, moving forward in the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, it only happens when you have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, and you only have the power of the Holy Spirit when you have surrendered your life to your lordship of Christ. If you've never done that, like what are you waiting on, man? You're listening to the lion. Obviously, God is doing something, He's stirring something in you. You got this curiosity about who Jesus is, and maybe you've never actually heard the whole deal, right? But at the end of the day, it's very simple. God's perfect design. He had a beautiful design when he made the world, right? And things were great for like two pages in scripture, and then after that, you had the fall. And we ran from God. That's it. We ran from God, right? So the perfect design was fractured. And then that's when you have sin. And sin is anything that separates us from God. That's all the sin is. Don't get tripped up and in it. It's just separates us from God. That is what sin is. Then we try to pursue these things as a world. We try to pursue with money and and and sex and and parenting and career and all these things that we feel like we're gonna fully and finally satisfy us, but they don't, right? They don't. So at the end of the day, what do we have to do? Well, we we have to repent. We have to turn from that. If we're gonna turn from something, what are we gonna turn to? Well, it's gotta be Jesus, because he left heaven on a rescue mission for us. So he was born of a virgin, fulfilled all the prophecies, did all the teaching, the miracles. Then he went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, which we couldn't pay for ourselves. And then when they pent when they killed him on the cross, right? He didn't just faint or pass out or go to sleep. He actually died on the cross. So when he died on the cross, that paid the penalty. They laid it, they laid him in the tomb. Guess what? It's like an Airbnb. He only needed for the weekend because on Sunday, three days later, he rose. And that is who we worship, a living savior. And that's the promise that we have. So when you put your faith and your hope in Jesus as your as your Lord and Savior, you're saying, look, not my way, but yours. Your ways are so much better, and I need you, Lord. My way has not been working. And I don't know if this is resonating. I know I'm just kind of like, I feel like I'm going super fast. I don't mean to be, but like the spirit's just moving. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus and you recognize that you are a sinner, if you do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then it's time to do something about it and confess Him as Lord of your life. And not just Lord over Sunday, but Lord over every day, every moment, every situation, Lord over the bathroom or Lord over the bedroom, Lord over the border, wherever you find yourself in traffic, he's Lord everywhere. And that's a good thing because we need a whole lot more Jesus and a whole lot less of us. And that confession of Him as Lord is when the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit's gonna come. It's gonna take over, man. It's gonna start doing something radical, radical in you. But you don't get to tap into that until you surrender to him. That's a big deal. So if you want to utilize the Holy Spirit and help that and let it help you rather, make better decisions and understand what God's will is for your life, it starts with confessing him as Lord and Savior, first and foremost. So if you've never done that, let's do it right now. Like, what are you waiting on? Like, seriously, you can you can you can uh invite Jesus into your life listening to the line within us. You don't have to be sitting in like a church pew, bro, for an invitation call. Like it doesn't work that way. You can do it wherever you are. Maybe you're on a treadmill and it's finally speaking to you. You're finally getting the gospel right now. You're like, oh, I've never heard the way this old boy right here is telling talking about the gospel. It's finally making sense. Good. It ain't me, it's him. It's the Holy Spirit speaking through me. But now it's up to you. It's up to you to make that decision to confess, to fall on your knees, or don't fall on the treadmill. But you know what I'm saying? Get off the treadmill and invite him into your life. And I'm willing to pray with you right now. So if you're ready to invite him, let's let's go. Father, that one listener. I feel like this guy's on a treadmill. I don't know, Lord. Maybe the spirit's just, or maybe the spirit's trying to tell me to get on treadmill. I don't know. But I feel like there's a listener out there right now who recognizes that their life, they have never fully surrendered it to you. And they recognize that this moment you are calling them, them directly to do that. And I don't know how, Lord, how you do this, because this is just your ways are not my ways, and you're you're just so much bigger than I am. I'm just being obedient by sharing the good news of the gospel. And I know that the power of the Holy Spirit can move in a way that makes no sense to me. So I pray you that they hear, they know that their prayer is heard. When they're surrendering right now, that it's that they truly are surrendering their life to you. And I pray you put people on their path that's going to help guide them, direct them, and just walk with them, God. And I'm just so thankful for this opportunity just to share the good news of the gospel in this way. We love you. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, look, you just surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ. Touchdown. Let's go. Send me an email, okay? I want I want to send you some encouragement. We got some resources I'd love to send your way as well. Chris at thelinewithin.us. So it's C-H-R-I-S. Don't forget to the thelinewithin.us. Send me a note there. I want to get you hooked up with some free resources as well. That's just give you a virtual high five, bro, and a fist bump, and then maybe we can get on a call and talk. If you're looking for a church or some ways to get plugged in, we'd love to help you with that as well. Okay. Uh, other than that, fellas, uh, the lionwithin.us, that's where you find all the resources, okay? That's such a big deal. Like daily scripture kickoff, the lion's den community. Uh, we have our leadership mastermind. She can put in an application for that. Hey, if you like reading the Bible on the Bible app, great. I do too. Guess what? Open the Bible app and search for the Lion Within Us on that. You'll find our page. We're a partner with the Bible app. It's been great working with them. So we have probably 50, 60 something plans at this point out there now, fellas. It's been incredible. God has been doing just a mighty work there. Follow us on the Bible app. That way, when we drop new plans, like legit, I just got an email from the Bible app this morning. They just released another plan for us. Okay. So, like when we have plans, they come out every couple weeks. We're trying to get plans out. When those plans come out, you'll be notified. You'll be the first one to get it, and then you'll be able to walk through it and hopefully be encouraged by it. Okay. So thelionwithin.us is where you find all our resources. And look, if you straight up like everything that you're hearing, you listen to the podcast, maybe you you check out the daily SKO, maybe you follow our stuff on the Bible app and like it's legit helping you and serving it anyway. Support us. Support us. Go to the lionwithin.us slash donate. Become a monthly supporter. We would love to have your support each and every month. This takes legit work. And we're talking about this. I'm not even going to get into the number of hours because it can get kind of overwhelming to the guys listening. Let's just say this. It is more than you than than than I can express right here. Like it's just unbelievable the amount of work that goes into this, but guess what? There is a fire in me and in others at the line within us because the work that we're doing matters. So the writing, the editing, uh all the meetings, the conversations, the praying together, all that, fellas, it takes resources. So you could be a supporter. It would just be a great way. Hey, pop on for whatever amount that you want to do per month. But it is needed in a mighty way. So the lionwithin.us slash donate. Pop on there. Maybe you want to do a one-time big contribution. Thank you. Maybe you want to give us something every month. Thank you. Just if you would consider that, that would be wonderful. All right, guys. We'll see you next time. We got a great episode coming up on Wednesday. Hopefully you're going to enjoy that one. If you need anything, reach out. The LionWithin.us is where you find us. Give us a rating review. That helps big time. Have a great day. Get after it. And then just keep unleashing the lion within. Let's just say it out loud. Marriage is one of the greatest gifts that God can give a man. And one of the most consistent places where we can feel unsure of what we're doing. Even the strongest marriages have moments where you look at your wife and you think, you know what? I love you. I'm so committed to you. But right now I have no idea what I should do next. And that's why we launched something new inside the lion within us community. It's our very first support group. And it's for husbands. And we're calling it committed and occasionally confused. This isn't just a place for men in crisis. Though if you're there, hey, you're welcome. This is for any man who refuses to coast and wants to take his marriage from good to great. So inside, you'll find an active chat and a feed honest conversations and brotherhood that says, you're not alone. We've been there. Let's bring this to God and grow. And we're also doing a monthly couples night where your wife is invited because we're not letting the world set the agenda for our homes. Now, if you want access to this support group, it's very simple. Go to thelionwithin.us and join the Lions Den. Okay, that's thelionwithin.us. Start your 30-day free trial of the Lions Den community, and boom, you have instant access to the committed and occasionally confused support group. We'll see you inside the den.