The Story of Identity [Scott Lehr]

·56 min·5 clips

Imagine being entrusted like a child in a will—God the Father gave you to Jesus before creation.

This sermon by Pastor Scott Lehr of Southbridge Fellowship is the second part of a series examining John chapter 17, focusing specifically on the concept of Christian identity. Pastor Lehr opens by humorously recounting his repeated, unsuccessful attempts to obtain a Real ID from the DMV, using this as an analogy for the difference between appearing legitimate and being truly verified. He transitions to the core scriptural text, John 17:6-10, where Jesus prays for his followers shortly before his crucifixion. The central argument is that a believer's identity in Christ is not earned through performance but is a gift received from God. Lehr explains that in this passage, Jesus states the Father gave believers to the Son out of the world, and they have obeyed God's word. The sermon highlights the theological tension between God's sovereignty in choosing believers and human responsibility to believe, citing supporting verses from Ephesians 1 and John 1. A key illustration compares believers to children entrusted to a guardian, emphasizing they were God's possession before being given to Jesus. Lehr stresses that this assigned identity means belonging to God precedes any behavioral expectations, a principle he finds repeated in scriptures like Psalm 100:3 and 1 Peter 2:9-10. One profound insight is the reversal of the common Christmas narrative: while Jesus is given as a gift to humanity, believers are also described as a gift from the Father to the Son. The message firmly asserts that identity is anchored in God's word and relationship, not in careers, achievements, or social labels. Lehr critiques the cultural idea of "finding yourself," arguing that a secure identity is received through adoption into God's family, not achieved through self-discovery or performance. He connects this to freedom from fear and anxiety, rooted in the spirit of adoption described in Romans 8:15. The tone is conversational, humorous, and pastoral, blending personal anecdotes with direct biblical teaching and application. Listeners who enjoy practical, story-driven sermons that connect everyday struggles to theological concepts will appreciate this episode. Those seeking a highly academic, doctrinal deep-dive or who are not interested in Christian teaching may find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A direct John 17 sermon that links identity, drift, and belonging to everyday life.

Southbridge Fellowship's John 17 sermon keeps coming back to identity, and it does that with a steady, plainspoken pressure. It starts with the Real ID joke, moves through retail returns and belonging to the Father and the Son, and asks whose identity is actually being claimed.

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Need a sermon that makes identity feel personal, not abstract?

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