Thesis
Identity is one of the most pressing questions every human being faces, and Scripture answers it definitively: those who put their faith and trust in Jesus are chosen, royal priests, a holy nation, and God's very own possession. Drawing on the Hebrew word shem — meaning reputation, authority, and identity, not merely a title — Pastor Pat traces a thread from Abraham's starlit covenant through David's eternal kingdom, Daniel's vision of the Son of Man, and Paul's mystery in Ephesians to Peter's declaration in 1 Peter 2:9-10. The sermon argues that knowing whose you are — belonging to God through Jesus — is the only foundation solid enough to answer who you are.
Key points
- 1
Moses' identity crisis ('Who am I?') is answered by God's own name ('I AM'), showing that God wants His people to know who they are.
- 2
Peter declares four identity markers — chosen people, royal priests, holy nation, God's very own possession — to believers who are suffering persecution.
- 3
The Hebrew word shem means far more than a title; it carries the full weight of a person's reputation, authority, and identity, transforming how we read every biblical reference to God's 'name.'
- 4
When God changed names — Abram to Abraham, Simon to Peter — He was changing their reputation, authority, and identity, not merely their title.
- 5
Jesus' self-designation 'Son of Man' connected Him directly to Daniel's vision of the one who receives eternal worship and an everlasting kingdom, linking every believer to that same royal story.
- 6
Paul's 'mystery' in Ephesians is that Gentile believers share equally in every spiritual blessing — they are fully grafted into the covenant promises made to Abraham and David.
- 7
Knowing your identity in Christ — child of the King, part of an eternal kingdom — has a profound impact on how you see yourself, how you see others, and how you see God.
Outline
The Central Question: Who Are You?
Pastor Pat introduces the sermon's driving question — 'Who am I?' — through a story about two questions heard on an answering machine, and establishes that understanding your identity shapes how you see yourself, others, and God.
Moses and the Identity Crisis
Through the story of Moses in Exodus 3, Pastor Pat shows that Moses' repeated cry 'Who am I?' is juxtaposed with God's self-declaration 'I AM,' revealing that God wants His people free from identity confusion.
Peter's Declaration of Identity
Turning to 1 Peter 2:9-10, Pastor Pat unpacks four identity statements — chosen, royal priests, holy nation, God's possession — as Peter's deliberate reminder to persecuted believers of who they truly are in Christ.
Language Study: The Depth of Shem
A study of the Hebrew word shem reveals that 'name' in Scripture carries the meaning of reputation, authority, and identity, showing that every biblical reference to God's name is an invitation to walk in His full character and power.
Tracing the Identity Thread Through Scripture
Pastor Pat traces a 4,500-year story arc — from Abraham's covenant of stars, to David's eternal throne, to Daniel's vision of the Son of Man, to Jesus claiming that title, to Paul's mystery in Ephesians — showing that every believer's identity is woven into this grand redemptive story.
Personal Testimony and Application
Through two personal stories — Pastor Pat's own middle-of-the-night identity reckoning and a former exotic dancer who discovered her worth in Christ — the sermon calls every listener to internalize their new identity as children of the King.
Invitation, Challenge, and Communion
Pastor Pat extends an invitation to put faith and trust in Jesus, issues a weekly challenge to recall one's true identity when asked their name, and closes with communion as a remembrance that Jesus' sacrifice is the sole foundation of our new identity.
Memorable moments
If you don't know whose you are, you don't know who you are
Moses has an identity crisis. God has no identity crisis
The reputation of the Lord is the strong tower. The authority of the Lord is the strong tower. The identity of our God is the strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe
I am Patrick of the family of Abraham, of the family of David, of the family of Yeshua Jesus, that I am part of a kingdom that will never end, that I am a child of the king, that I am a son, I am a prince. That's who I am. I
she looks down and she goes, Is this all I'm worth? Is this all I'm worth
I'm Patrick from the family of Abraham, from the family of David, from the family of Yeshua Jesus, and I'm part of a kingdom that will last forever. I'm a son or daughter of the king. I'm a prince or a princess. That's who I am
Application
Pastor Pat's challenge is both immediate and deeply personal. This week, when someone asks your name, shake their hand, say your name — and then quietly remind yourself of the truth the whole sermon has been building toward: you are from the family of Abraham, from the family of David, from the family of Yeshua Jesus, and you are part of a kingdom that will never end. You are chosen. You have access to God. You are royalty — a son or daughter of the King. Let that truth reshape how you see yourself when you look in the mirror, how you treat the people around you, and how you draw near to God. If you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus, today is the moment to do that — and to let your shem, your identity, be made completely new.
