forget_yourself

Forget everything you know about yourself for oakbrook student ministry

We all have a multiple personality disorder. We have this public version of ourselves---that's the version of us that we take to school, to dances, to parties, to osm, to wherever our friends are hanging out; sometimes even around our own house.

Then there's the person we are when we're alone in our room, when the music's turned off, it's dark & it's just the private version of me before I go to sleep.

And our two personalities are very different (expand...)

The public version of us starts in the closet in the morning. We put on our camouflage gear. We're picking out the right shirt, the right pants. That means we're pickin out the clothes that help our body look as small or as big as we can get them to, given our body's "challenges."

But we don't just choose clothes because of our physical bodieswe also pick stuff out of our closet to clothe our IMAGE.

"I'm gonna choose this shirt from Abercrombie or Aeropostale, NOT because it fitsbut because it helps me fit in with the people I hang out with."

"These pants are cool because they hide the extra pounds that I don't want you to see." (they're not working!)

Don't get me started on my face---eyes too close together, smile's crooked, teeth aren't white enough, I've got one too many chins

And so every morning, the private us goes to the closet to get into our public uniformto hide our physical stuff we don't like so much and to put on stuff that will help people think we're cool. We go to our closet naked (neked!) and come out clothed physically and emotionally.

Dateline Garden of Eden, 3,000 years B.C.: Serpent tricks Eve & Adam into eating forbidden fruit.

It says in Genesis (nlt) 3:7, "At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves."

And ever since then, people like you and me have been going to the closet.

Ever since then, people like you and me have been self conscious about our bodies, about our who we are---just like Adam & Eve, there's usually something about us that we're embarrassed ofthat we don't want people to see.

And so when we get dressed for school or the ball game or wherever we're going, we put on more than just clothes.

We put on a layer of protection to keep people from seeing the real me. In our room by ourselves, we're safe. But when we go out, we're on our guard and we're clothed in what we want people to see.

We put on a layer of "my parents make more than your parents"

It's a layer of "I'm not gonna let you see that my parents make less than your parents."

I put on a layer of protection because, "Deep down, I am not all together and I have a lot of questions, but I'm not gonna let you see it because I'm gonna put up this tough girl wall."

I put on a layer because, "Even though I look like a cool athlete, and I'm popular, I don't want you to see that deep down I don't believe that I have what it takesif you saw the real me you'd see that I'm scared"

All of us put on a layer because we all have feelings like, "I know I don't have it all together, but I sure as Hades don't want you or them to know it."

ALL OF US DO THIS. With clothes and attitudes we all put on a layer of protection.

Coming here to talk to YOU GUYS, 7th-12th graders, I'M A GEEZER. I've got a layer of, "Better not let them see that you're nervous." (I get nervous EVERY time I speak at church.)...

God doesn't get hung up about your body. And He's doesn't focus on our insecurities. God thinks that who you are inside and out rocks!

Psalm 139:14 tells us inside and out, regardless of what YOU think about yourself, God says YOU ROCK.

And God sees through our layer of cool or whatever our layer of protection is. There is no clothing or attitude we can put on that can hide anything from God.

Tonight is about forgetting everything you know about yourself.

So I want you forget about whatever you think your physical or emotional deals are.

And I want you to embrace the fact that God says in Psalm 139:14 that you are "fearfully and wonderfully madeyou are God's masterpiece."

And tomorrow when you go to get dressed and the voice of insecurity starts telling you you're too this or too that You say out loud in your safe little closet, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." {talk about dating?}

Worship is about bringing the real me, to God. (say it)

When we come to osm, and we're trying to guard the real mewhen we're trying to be cool, when we're worried about somebody hearing us sing---

all we're doing is keeping the real me from really worshiping.

Because when we worry about how people see us or how we sound when we're singing, our focus isn't up here (God), instead it's over here (left & rightbody language).

Back in the Garden, when Adam & Eve put on some leaves, they were hiding from God.

They were trying to be cool. They were trying to put on a protective layer. What they were doing was trying to keep God at a distance.

If you want to experience God. If you want to try to tap into this mysterious invisible God who totally loves you just the way you are---

You have to grab the courage to open your mouth & sing to Him

And it ain't about our voice (I can't sing!!)---it's about giving God what He wants from usour worshipHe wants the real me.

And as soon as the person next to you realizes that youyou're singing(crap! He's singing?!)), then they'll find the courage to open their mouth too.

My hope--my prayer for you and this ministry is that it will be a place where teenagers let their guards down and become REAL.

A place where students walk in the truth that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.

And because of that truth it's safe and normal to be open & real with God and open & real with each other.

I want this to be a place where you struggle to find the words to tell your friends about it:

"It's not like other places--kids are different here---they're more honest---they're less full of themselves---they're crazy worshipers..."



	< back Forget everything you know about yourself for oakbrook student ministry morgan young 10.22.06 We all have a multiple personality disorder. We have this public version of ourselves---that's the version of us that we take to school, to dances, to parties, to osm, to wherever our friends are hanging out; sometimes even around our own house. Then there's the person we are when we're alone in our room, when the music's turned off, it's dark & it's just the private version of me before I go to sleep. And our two personalities are very different (expand...) The public version of us starts in the closet in the morning. We put on our camouflage gear. We're picking out the right shirt, the right pants. That means we're pickin out the clothes that help our body look as small or as big as we can get them to, given our body's "challenges." But we don't just choose clothes because of our physical bodieswe also pick stuff out of our closet to clothe our IMAGE. "I'm gonna choose this shirt from Abercrombie or Aeropostale, NOT because it fitsbut because it helps me fit in with the people I hang out with." "These pants are cool because they hide the extra pounds that I don't want you to see." (they're not working!) For the record, all of us are too SOMETHING: We're too big. We're too small. We're too under-developed. We're a bit too over-developed. My top half doesn't match by bottom half. Don't get me started on my face---eyes too close together, smile's crooked, teeth aren't white enough, I've got one too many chins And so every morning, the private us goes to the closet to get into our public uniformto hide our physical stuff we don't like so much and to put on stuff that will help people think we're cool. We go to our closet naked (neked!) and come out clothed physically and emotionally. And let's get all freaked out because I said "naked." Naked goes way backwaaaay back. Dateline Garden of Eden, 3,000 years B.C.: Serpent tricks Eve & Adam into eating forbidden fruit. It says in Genesis (nlt) 3:7, "At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves." And ever since then, people like you and me have been going to the closet. Ever since then, people like you and me have been self conscious about our bodies, about our who we are---just like Adam & Eve, there's usually something about us that we're embarrassed ofthat we don't want people to see. And so when we get dressed for school or the ball game or wherever we're going, we put on more than just clothes. We put on a layer of protection to keep people from seeing the real me. In our room by ourselves, we're safe. But when we go out, we're on our guard and we're clothed in what we want people to see. We put on a layer of "cool" We put on a layer of "my parents make more than your parents" It's a layer of "I'm not gonna let you see that my parents make less than your parents." I put on a layer of protection because, "Deep down, I am not all together and I have a lot of questions, but I'm not gonna let you see it because I'm gonna put up this tough girl wall." I put on a layer because, "Even though I look like a cool athlete, and I'm popular, I don't want you to see that deep down I don't believe that I have what it takesif you saw the real me you'd see that I'm scared" All of us put on a layer because we all have feelings like, "I know I don't have it all together, but I sure as Hades don't want you or them to know it." ALL OF US DO THIS. With clothes and attitudes we all put on a layer of protection. Coming here to talk to YOU GUYS, 7th-12th graders, I'M A GEEZER. I've got a layer of, "Better not let them see that you're nervous." (I get nervous EVERY time I speak at church.)... Here's the deal: God doesn't get hung up about your body. And He's doesn't focus on our insecurities. God thinks that who you are inside and out rocks! Psalm 139:14 says that inside and out you are "God's marvelous workmanship." "Wonderfully complex." (not a "mess of complexity") "Fearfully and wonderfully made." (expand, "yeah, but I feel"...) Psalm 139:14 tells us inside and out, regardless of what YOU think about yourself, God says YOU ROCK. And God sees through our layer of cool or whatever our layer of protection is. There is no clothing or attitude we can put on that can hide anything from God. Tonight is about forgetting everything you know about yourself. So I want you forget about whatever you think your physical or emotional deals are. And I want you to embrace the fact that God says in Psalm 139:14 that you are "fearfully and wonderfully madeyou are God's masterpiece." That's the REAL YOU, the REAL ME. (Say: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made.") And tomorrow when you go to get dressed and the voice of insecurity starts telling you you're too this or too that You say out loud in your safe little closet, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." {talk about dating?} Let's talk about worship a minute. Worship is about bringing the real me, to God. (say it) When we come to osm, and we're trying to guard the real mewhen we're trying to be cool, when we're worried about somebody hearing us sing--- all we're doing is keeping the real me from really worshiping. Because when we worry about how people see us or how we sound when we're singing, our focus isn't up here (God), instead it's over here (left & rightbody language). Back in the Garden, when Adam & Eve put on some leaves, they were hiding from God. They were trying to be cool. They were trying to put on a protective layer. What they were doing was trying to keep God at a distance. If you want to experience God. If you want to try to tap into this mysterious invisible God who totally loves you just the way you are--- you've got to drop the cool You have to stop thinking what others will think-- You have to grab the courage to open your mouth & sing to Him And it ain't about our voice (I can't sing!!)---it's about giving God what He wants from usour worshipHe wants the real me. And as soon as the person next to you realizes that youyou're singing(crap! He's singing?!)), then they'll find the courage to open their mouth too. My hope--my prayer for you and this ministry is that it will be a place where teenagers let their guards down and become REAL. A place where students walk in the truth that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. And because of that truth it's safe and normal to be open & real with God and open & real with each other. I want this to be a place where you struggle to find the words to tell your friends about it: "It's not like other places--kids are different here---they're more honest---they're less full of themselves---they're crazy worshipers..." (call them to do it) (have them pray this out loud) Holy Father thank you for loving me. Thank You that I am fearfully & wonderfully made. God, help me be real with you and with others. Help me learn the art of losing myself & finding You. Help me lose myself and worship You. Father, help me to love You from my insides out. Father, help me learn to worship You. Amen. back to top