08/10/2025
A View from the Pew-August 10, 2025
See yourself through our Lord's eyes
He knew you before birth,
You're His highly treasured prize
God's child of untold worth!
I love Sunday at our Calvary AOG. To walk through those doors is like a warm embrace. The noise and distractions of the world fall away and you feel strengthened by the joy of the Lord and the love of your church family! That is a gift that never ceases to amaze and humble me. I am so grateful. The Worship Team did what only they can do, lifting our praise to the Lord in a stream of pure, sweet adoration for Jesus. You all are so gifted and wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Pastor Mike started by saying we are on Part 5 of this series titled Who Am I in Christ. He wants everyone to understand that he's not in this just to preach it, we're living it-all of us. There are always times of growth and discovering who we are in the Lord. If we take the time to look back, we can see the growth He's brought in us.
Pastor did a quick recap of where we've been so far. For the first couple of weeks, we talked about how Moses, Jeremiah and Isaiah felt unworthy for the Lord to use them. Moses was afraid to answer God's call to bring Israel out of Egypt, he didn't feel qualified. How many of us would feel that way? That's a pretty daunting task! Jeremiah felt unable because he was so young. Isaiah was unclean. God showed them He was with them, that's where their victory was.
Then we looked at two men who had confidence in who they were, David and Paul. David knew God was with him. Some thought he was cocky or prideful. But no; facing that giant, David knew God would be with him. He trusted and believed that God would deliver Goliath into his hands. We can be confident as well that the Lord will be with us in every situation we face. He gives us that authority. God has called all of us to be giant slayers, God is there for us and in it with us.
For today, Pastor Mike started with two questions. Have you ever felt like a failure in life? Have you ever felt insecurity? Some people feel insecure because of their appearance, personality, or just their life in general. Some feel worthless; unattractive, don't fit in, can't do what others can. We need to learn that God is with us, in us, and that with Him, all things are possible. If any of that is you, we are going to get rid of insecurity and all of that. There is authority in the name of Jesus. We need to understand and believe that completely.
Today's message was titled, You Are Somebody Special To God. Some people never have victory in their lives because of low self-esteem. If you can't like yourself, you can't like or love those around you. The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself. You have to know you’re a child of God with Christ inside you. You are special to God, every one of us are.
We need to get rid of insecurity. You may ask, “How do we do that?” What does the Bible say about that? It says you are crowned with glory and honor. Psalm 8:3-5 tells us, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” The Psalmist is overwhelmed by the love of God. We are special in the eyes of God. We need to start believing we are something special in the eyes of God.
We sometimes ask the question, why did God create us. He created us to worship Him and to have fellowship with Him. Ever since Adam's sin, God wanted that relationship back. Yes, God had to curse man and curse the land because of that sin, but He had a plan to restore us. He's a relational God. The Bible clearly represents God as a Father figure. He's a loving God, and that includes discipline. God says you are more valuable than the moon and the stars. We are God's prized possessions.
This was important enough for Paul to reassure us in Hebrews 12:6-8, “because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.”
We hear some say we're all just sinners. Yes, prior to Jesus' forgiveness and sanctification bought on the Cross, we were all sinners. Before Jesus, we were meant for death. He's a righteous God. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, no matter where you're at, you belong to Him.
There are a lot of false Christians who haven't received Jesus. Maybe someone prayed with them, prayed for them; that's good but that's not enough. You have to ask Jesus into your heart and surrender your life to Him. The gift of salvation transforms our life. It's the sanctification process. If there's no conversion, there is no new life in Christ. When Jesus saves you, you change from sinner to saint and from death to life! Come on!
We can choose to walk away from God, God won't take your salvation away. That's a choice we make. God still waits with open arms. He will receive us back if we repent and return. Jesus came because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Because of the blood of Jesus, we are saved. We are sanctified and covered under the blood of Jesus.
Pastor Mike has a brother that sent him a reel; it was a rap song on sanctification. Pastor’s not a fan of rap, but God has been working in his little brother. He's not saved, but God is still chasing his little brother. God is always chasing after us. Keep praying and believing. We are covered with glory and honor, we are a royal family.
Pastor loves hymns. He mentioned one early in this series though, that he's not fond of. It's called At The Cross and has the line, “For such a worm as I". Pastor declared quite emphatically, “I'm not a worm”. He chooses to quote Isaiah 40:31 which says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Eagles eat worms…be an eagle not a worm.
We need to be serious about our salvation. We need to make sure we have surrendered completely. Jesus said in John 12:26, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” Honor is a word scribed time and again in scripture. If you serve the Lord, He will honor you. The definition of honor is this, “to regard someone with high respect and esteem”. That's what God thinks of you. You are His prized possession. We are all His prized possessions. We can't be prideful or high-handed about this, it's through Jesus. We are nothing without Jesus, we are everything with Him.
We are objects of God's affection. Isaiah 54:17 states, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.” The Lord tells Isaiah you are the object of my affection. It's not talking about discipline. It's about protection from the fiery darts of the enemy, against all that we face.
The last scripture we looked at was Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That deserves a big AMEN! (And a Come On!) Be so grateful that nothing can separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus.
If you get knocked down, you get back up again. Sometimes you need help back up, that's one of the reasons your Brothers and Sisters in Christ are here for. You can't stay down; if you get knocked down, get back up. It's a spiritual battle, a tug-of-war. God pulls one way, the devil pulls the other. God wins. 1 John 4:4 gives us that assurance, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Be so persuaded how beautiful and loved completely you are by God. You are God's masterpiece, somebody special to God. Stop tearing yourself down and realize how loved and favored you are by God.
Thank you, Pastor Mike! Knowing how loved we are by the Lord is so important. When we grasp that, we can love ourselves because of that knowledge. Loving ourselves is vital. “Love your neighbors as yourself" is impossible to fulfill without loving the beautiful masterpiece God created. Jesus loved you enough to die for you. God loves you enough to raise Jesus back to life so that you could live with Him forever. That's a pretty strong declaration of your value, so believe it and receive it!
Get excited about how valued you are, how strong you are in Jesus, and living for Him! One thing that helps to raise that excitement for Him, is to surrender completely to Jesus each morning He gives you before doing anything else! Then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and listen for His voice to guide you; both on your path and in the Word. Let the love of Jesus shine so bright in you, it is crystal clear and evident that you are a valued and beautiful Child of God!
Hugs and blessings for all,
Steve Densmore
