Legacy Baptist Church

Jamen Wikler

The newest sermons from Legacy Baptist Church on SermonAudio.

  1. Jul 12

    Identity Crisis

    In this message, Missionary Eli unpacks the biblical concept of identity and its critical role in both the Christian life and global missions. He traces identity from the ancient world—where ethnicity, religion, culture, and state were fused into one collective identity—through the New Covenant transformation brought by Christ, where identity became internal, spiritual, and rooted in union with Christ rather than external markers. He then demonstrates how the Constantinian compromise reunited church and state, producing false converts who identify as Christians apart from the new birth. Drawing from over 12 years of ministry in Japan, Missionary Eli explains how Japanese culture operates on the ancient identity model: knowing the gospel is true yet refusing Christ because conversion means losing family, community, and cultural standing. He identifies three core Japanese beliefs that directly oppose Christianity—no ultimate God, no ultimate truth text, and no concept of covenants/contracts—as the primary obstacles to the gospel taking root. Missionary Eli closes by challenging every believer to examine their own primary identity. Whether it's a career, a sports team, a national flag, or a cultural movement, anything outside of Christ is a misplaced identity that limits spiritual effectiveness. The message is a sobering reminder that our ability to serve God—whether at home or on the mission field—flows directly from a correct understanding of who we are in Christ. "This world is not my home. Our true identity is found in Christ."

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The newest sermons from Legacy Baptist Church on SermonAudio.