WM Day 2013 - Sermon Outline Celebrate Amazing Women Scripture: Esther 4: 14 Holly Gerth says, You are already amazing! Really! You don t have to do more, be more, or have more. You are a daughter of the Most High, a holy princess, a woman created with strengths you ve yet to fully grasp and a story that s still being written by the divine Author himself. And if you really take hold of who you are and what you are called to do, there is no stopping you. God has bigger plans for your life than you ve even imagined and He thinks it s time you really knew that you are not only amazing, but you re enough, you re beautiful, you re wanted, you re chosen, and you re called. You ve got what it takes to change the world! So, go ahead, step out on the red carpet and see how truly amazing you really are! I. Who Am I, Really? I Corinthians 12: 12-21 It s a question we ask throughout our lives. And until we can answer that question, it s impossible to believe we re amazing. I believe the desire to know who we really are has been placed within us by the heart of heaven itself. God wants us to understand who he created us to be so that we can fulfill the purpose he has for our lives. Paul told early Christians that we are a body. Someone is a hand. Another person is a foot. There s no competition only complementing and completion. Part of the beauty of that is how different we are from each other. Jennifer Leep says, God creates each of us to be uniquely who we are just like each part of the body is unique. Each part of the body has a purpose that only it can fulfill. It s important that we know where we fit in the body as well as our strengths and weaknesses.
II. Why Is It So Hard to Believe I m Amazing? Genesis 3:1 God created the world in seven glorious days. Adam and Eve lived in paradise. And then the devil showed up with a single question: Did God really say? Insecurity makes its debut. From the moment we each take our first breath as a beautiful baby girl, the enemy wants to suffocate our soul with the question, Did God really say? As the stories of our lives unfold, all of us experience the lies that come from that question in many different ways. We all have lies we carry around inside of us. Usually they re so familiar we don t see them as lies from the enemy. Here are 5 lies women commonly struggle with. Let s replace them with truth instead. Lie # 1: I Have to be Perfect: Truth By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebrews 10:14) Lie # 2: I Need to be More Like Her: Truth Your story and strengths belong to you. God doesn t compare them to anyone else, and you don t have to either. Lie # 3: I Don t Have Anything to Offer: Truth The Bible says we have at least one gift. Find out what it is and use it to the best of our ability. Lie # 4: Being Confident Will Make Me Prideful and Selfish: Truth John 13:3-5 reveals Jesus sharing the last meal with his disciples. He knows he s headed to the cross, but first he washes the disciple s feet. Jesus was secure in who he was and whose he was, and that enabled him to freely serve. Lie # 5: I Am Who Others Say I Am: Truth We don t have to accept what others say about us unless it aligns with what the word of God says. The word tells me, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God created our brains in amazing ways. When you think in certain ways, your mind makes literal, physical pathways. Think of it as building a road. As you grow up and new situations present themselves, your brain naturally goes the way of least resistance. It returns to those well-worn patterns. When you decide to replace lies with the truth, you re really creating new pathways in your brain. Think of it as con-
structing another road and letting grass grow over the original one. It takes time and perseverance, but it is possible. The hard work that it requires means holding on to the truth no matter what your mind may try to tell you instead. So go for it! Step out into the unknown and dare to make a difference! Take that step and follow that dream. God will be with you and love will see you through. III. Where Do I Go From Here? Joshua 3: 1-4 Thinking we are one place in life when we re actually somewhere entirely different can derail us from being the amazing women we were created to be and doing what we are called to do. In thinking about the journey of our lives, the first thing that comes to mind is when God took the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Israelites had been in slavery for hundreds of years. God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people go. Through a series of miracles, the Israelites were finally free and began their journey through the desert to the wonderful land God had for them. I m sure the Israelites wondered what the Promised Land looked like. At the time they were to enter it, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who had actually been there. The rest of the nation had to move forward on a promise, wondering what a land flowing with milk and honey could possibly be. They had no photographs or videos to entice them. They had to trust in the Lord. Moving forward is more than just finding a place. The Lord brought His people to the land of their inheritance, but they had to make the decision to cross over to the other side. Crossing over into our land of promise involves obedience when we cannot see what lies ahead. Yet, as we submit to God s leading, He helps us continue the steps toward our inheritance. God has a journey for your life! It looks different than anyone else s. The road he s carved out for you is yours alone. It s always the road less traveled because you re the only one who is ever going to walk it.
IV. Hidden In Christ Psalms 91 As you move into your land of promise, it becomes increasingly important to remain properly positioned in His divine presence. This is a position of staying hidden in Christ. In What the Bible is All About, Dr. Henrietta C. Mears states, Esther is like Joseph and David. God had each one hidden away for His purpose. When the day came, He brought them to the front to work out His plan. God hid Joseph away in a dungeon in Egypt, but when He was ready, He placed him in the position of prime minister of that country. God always has someone in reserve to fulfill His purposes. Sometimes it is a man like Joseph, or Moses. Sometimes it is a woman like Hannah, Esther or Mary, or maybe it s an amazing woman like yourself. In the New Covenant, everything should emerge from a sense of knowing who we are in Christ. In Colossians 3:3 it states, For we are dead, but our life is hidden with Christ in God. The key aspect of this verse is that we are hidden. The word hidden is the Greek work krupto and is a verb meaning to conceal, hide or keep secret by covering. This means that when we are covered by the blood, we are hidden in Him. There are several significant benefits for us in this place. Safety The devil cannot locate us when we remain hidden in Christ. Empowerment Being hidden in Christ assures us of power, authority and dominion. Intimacy To be hidden means that in our special, tucked away place that is both private and intimate, He covers us with His wings and hides us in Himself. Blessing As we seek Him in this intimate place, God reveals His secret plans and gives us His heavenly strategies to overcome the enemy.
Conclusion As daughters of the King, we must remain hidden under His wings. In that hiddenness, we are divinely protected from our enemies and given counsel for godly living. You ve begun to move forward and recognize the incredible woman you are and become more of who God created you to be. And the enemy would love nothing more than to convince you it s too much, you can t do it, there s not enough time. The list is endless, but it s not true. Because God wants you to know, you are His amazing daughter and you ve come to the kingdom for such a time as this!