Do I Know You?

Text- Matthew 7:15-23
(A brief note – much of the idea for this sermon came from M Robert
Mulholland Jr's book Invitation to a Journey: A Roadmap for Spiritual
Formation.)

Rene Descartes famously said, "I think, therefore I am." Popeye said, "I
yam whats I yam, and that's all thats I yam." In reply to Moses'
question of who should he tell the Israelites who sent him, God replied
"I am has sent you." Descartes acknowledged his existence, Popeye his
status, and God His identity. All used the verb of being – is. In the
Latin, Descartes' famous statement is "Cogito, ergo sum." One word, a
verb, makes the statement of existence due to act of thinking. Popeye
the sailor-man uses the verb to say that what he does is who he is, and
that's all he'll be. God however, uses the verb to be, as His name. "I
AM has sent you." In that statement God expresses who He is, what He is,
and that He is, without question. There is no doubt as to the nature of
the being addressing Moses. God is certain of who He is, and who Moses
is. Over that time they develop such a relationship that Moses alone can
meet with God on behalf of God's chosen people.
Identity is a huge thing throughout the Bible, and it is just as big
today. Throughout scripture we see all the lists of genealogy – so and
so the son of such and such; this person was king of this kingdom; that
person was of this peoples. People are always looking to find out who
they are, and they seek it in so many different ways – I'm a republican,
I'm a democrat, I'm a teenager, I'm banker, I'm a mom and the ever
popular, "I'm still trying to find myself." What is it that provides our
identity? It is what we do, who we listen to, who we follow? How do we
know who we are? Christ gives us an answer in scripture, so let's look
there and to Him for direction.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves. By your fruit you will recognize them. Do
people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. (Matt 7:15-19)

We know what an apple tree is. We know it's an apple tree because it
produces apples. Trees are great for explaining the source of identity
because there is no changing with trees. There is only one reason an
apple tree produces apples – because that's what it is. It does what it
does because that's what it is. Identity comes not from what something
does; it is the opposite - Whatever something does comes from what it
is. That's why Christ said "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize
them." (Matt 7:20) Now, Christ was not talking about apple trees, but
about false prophets, but the saying still applies because it's true. We
know what all sorts of things are because of what they produce. We
identify living things by what they do and how they look.
Because we know certain characteristics that have been decided on and
are now named such. Ants are ants because they are small insects that
have a certain shape and size. Lions are lions because they're mammals
that are cats that fit a certain description that has been agreed by us
to be called Lions. Apple trees are called apple trees because God,
through Adam determined that they would be call apples, and so
everything that matches the description is called an apple. Something
interesting to note about all these things – do any of them have control
over what they are? Can a lion say it is no longer a lion? Can an ant
change its identity to be anything other than an ant? Can an apple tree
exercise control over itself and produce oranges or pears? The answer to
these questions is no. The control over the identity of flora and fauna
is not found in themselves, the control is totally external.
We might call things works of art, but do we know what they are
identified individually as? Do we know what the purpose behind each of
these things was? Not unless we talk to object's creator. How many
parents have had a child come home from school with an art project and
asked "What is that?" I once brought home a piece of woodwork from
school and my parents looked at and said "Nice whale…what's it for?" I
proudly informed them that it was key rack – they still use it as such
today. But they didn't know what it was for until I told them. They had
to seek the knowledge of the purpose from the one who made it. Then they
could know its identity – a key rack. With things that are created, when
they don't produce things readily or consistently, we often have to ask
what the thing is so that we can know what it does. Not only that, but
they also, like plants and animals exercise no control over what they are.
We are in that same situation. We have been created – we look to
scripture for confirmation of that. Each of us is made special, and
uniquely by the creator of all. In Jeremiah God refers to himself as the
potter. In John, Christ calls the Father the Gardener. In Psalms, David
praises God who "knit him in his mother's womb." We are that piece of
artwork or pottery that someone looks at and says "What is it?" I look
in the mirror sometimes and ask myself "What is it?" And there is only
one place to go for that answer – the maker.
I think that this might be the point that Christ was getting to in the
second portion of the scripture we're looking at. First He tells us that
we will know false teachers by their fruit. But we don't know what kind
of fruit we are to produce, unless we seek the Gardner. He knows us – He
knows us because He made us, and because of that He knows us even better
than we know ourselves. He knows what fruit we are to produce as well.
We can do all sort of good things because when God created man, He did
make mankind good. However, in the fall poison entered into the root of
mankind and now bad fruit comes forth from us so easily. To get back to
the good fruit – the true fruit, we have to go back to the Maker, the
Gardener for healing.
For us, healing comes through relationship. We have to get to know the
Creator – the Maker or Gardener. We can do all sorts of things that are
good – that's what the people who come to the Lord saying, "Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and
in your name perform many miracles?" All of these things are well and
good, but Jesus replies, "I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers." All this good done, and yet Christ says, away from me? Again
it points to the fact that we must know Him to be able to do His
father's will for us. We have to be healed by knowing him, and in the
process He, who knows us already, knows us more.
The hard part about the relationship and healing and growth, is that
most of it is not in our control. That is something we like – control.
We like to have the power that is associated with control, but we have
no idea how to truly handle it. Only one does, and that is the One that
Created all for His Glory and enjoyment. Unless we enter into
relationship with him, and do what little we can to grow and nurture
that relationship, we don't know His will – we don't know who we are,
and in turn, He cannot know us. God, who is all powerful, ever present,
and knows everything, cannot know us – be in relationship with us –
unless we ask Him, and relinquish ourselves to His control.
So it comes to this point. Does He know you? Remember, our identity –
who we are is the fountain from which all we do flows. So many today
have it all mixed up. They create their identity from their acts, naming
themselves based on their actions. That is backwards. Our doing comes
because of our being and there is only one way to know what your being
is, and that is to be in relationship and know the one who made your
being, who crafted your identity. If you wish to know who you are, come
into relationship with the one who knows your name, and who knew it
before your grandparents came to be. If you have entered into
relationship with him already, recognize that your process of healing
will come only by allowing Him to work, will you let him? Do not be the
one who comes to the gates of Heaven and is asked by Christ, "Do I know
you?"

Blessings,