- We are Authentic Who We Are – Week 4 Primary Text: Exodus 39
- Exodus 39 details the skilled construction of the priestly garments, including the ephod, breastplate, robe, tunics, and headpiece, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. The chapter emphasizes that every detail was completed with precision and obedience, preparing the priests to minister in holiness before the Lord.
- late 1980s, two charismatic performers—Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan exploded onto the American pop scene they rocketed to global fame, selling over 30 million records, winning a Grammy, and generating more than $100 million in revenue. The entire façade unraveled in 1990 when it was revealed that none of the voices on the records belonged to them. The name of the act? Milli Vanilli.
- Exodus 39 reveals authenticity through meticulous, obedient craftsmanship—showing that true holiness isn’t performative but flows from faithfully following God’s exact design, inside and out.
- Authenticity is not about appearance it’s about alignment.
- At Faith and Victory, we don’t perform holiness; we pursue it from the inside out.
- We are not a church of polish. We are a church of presence.
- The opposite of authentic is fake, false, phony, or counterfeit—anything that is pretending, deceptive, or not what it claims to be.
- In a biblical context, its described as hypocritical, superficial, or man-pleasing.
- I don’t want fake or phony. I don’t want relationships that are phony and I don’t want a church that’s phony. I’m not the guy who tries to pretend things aren’t the way they are.
- Growing up with divorced parents, there was this consistent fabrication of events and feelings
- Going back between parents you are forced to pretend, act, withhold etc. Its exhausting
- So In my relationships, and in my church I’m not going to allow it or be that way.
- It’s not for everyone. Many people reject it and leave quickly. They love their lies. Nope.
- Point 1: Authenticity Begins with Obedience, Not Appearance
- Exodus 39 repeats the phrase “as the Lord had commanded Moses” ten times. This shows that authenticity begins with doing what is right, not just looking the part.
- Authenticity is rooted in the idea of right and wrong. It means something is genuine, consistent, and true to its design. Real things are authentic. Fake things are not.
Genuine leather is authentic because it comes from a real animal. Imitation leather might look the same, but it’s not real. Society: this is an absolute (obedience) Liars: This is (disobey) - to be truly authentic, it must align with a standard. not appearance or emotion, but truth.
- It is right to love your spouse and children. When you do, you are obedient to that truth.
When you fake it, when you go through the motions without heart, it becomes inauthentic. - The appearance of love isn’t love. The obedience of love is love. Looking loving and being loving are not the same. (Why trans isn’t obedience- inauthentic. Disobedient- wrong)
- 1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
You can exercise without effort, spend time begrudgingly, or act the part outwardly. But that doesn’t make it real. - Authenticity requires a right version and a wrong version. Just like the priestly garments in Exodus 39 were made exactly as God commanded, authenticity only exists when it follows the original design. Otherwise, it’s a performance. It’s Milli Vanilli. Pretending and lying to others
- Here’s what I’ve seen over the years of being a pastor. I counsel people about marriage
- And some people’s marriage are frankly in the toilet. Very very disfunctional
- Often, in the midst of their turmoil they do a ‘look at me and my great marriage’ fb post.
- a smiling family photo on social media right after fighting with spouse and kids all am
- to your friends, you look like the picture of love and unity.
- But it’s a lie. Marriage suffering, kids sad bc of you, you’re just keeping up appearances.
- The appearance says “everything’s fine.” The obedience would be humbling yourself, repenting, and loving your family behind closed doors. Actually living the truth.
- Luke 11:39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.”
- God isn’t impressed with curated images. He’s looking for surrendered hearts.
- The outside of your life, marriage, kids, heart and looking obedient isn’t authentic.
- authenticity is moral at its core. It implies that there is a standard we’re accountable to.
- This exodus scripture wasn’t costume religion it was confession through obedience.
- They didn’t dress up to look holy they dressed up because God had called them to be holy.
- At FVC, we don’t trust the external to make us holy we obey from the heart.
- Attending church, worshipping, giving, serving, dressing up, acting ‘christian’ aint it.
- We have authentic hearts that cry out to God- WE LOVE YOU WE WANT TO SERVE YOU
- Matthew 15:8 These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
- We don’t do that here. We have hearts that love the Lord. We worship him from our guts
- I’ve seen performances of choirs on TV that were AMAZING but its just singers not worshippers
- Do you know why people are inauthentic? This is research based data driven truth
- Fear of Rejection Studies show people often hide their true thoughts, feelings, or struggles for fear of being judged or excluded. “If people knew the real me, they wouldn’t accept me.”
people trade authenticity for acceptance. They perform in order to belong.
- Desire to Impress behave how they believe others want to see- more in SM culture
- Shame and Insecurity believing that we’re not enough or that something inside us is broken.
Adam and Eve’s first instinct after sin wasn’t repentance it was covering up and hiding.
- Social Conditioning From childhood, people are taught to be polite, agreeable, or “put together,” even when it’s fake. End up prioritize comfort and image over honesty and growth.
We become experts at managing appearances but strangers to desires of our own souls
- Lack of Identity when you don’t know who you are, you imitate others. Having no anchor
Leads to mimicry- trying on different versions of yourself to be valuable or seen.
- If you don’t know you’re a child of God, you’ll spend your life acting like someone else.
- The answer? Be real. Be obedient. Put on the garments because you want to be holy, not act it
- Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
- John 4:23–24 says to Worship in spirit and in truth.
- The robes weren’t a performance. They were a proclamation: we belong to God.
- What you see here is genuine. It’s unbelievable to the fake- last week: WE WONT BOW DOWN
Point 2: Authenticity Is Being Real, Not Religious
- You don’t have to fake joy, fake healing, or fake holiness to belong here.
- We’re not anti-excellence- we’re anti-pretending. We want to do things well, just not pretend
- Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
- People still show up here even when they’re mad at their spouse, still wounded, or still fighting their sin.
- People show up after being upset w spouse. I’ve smelled weed and alcohol on people more than I can count. Job loss, cancer diagnosis, death, fear, whatever it is.
- And we show up pissed off, angry, frustrated, sad, failing, worrying, unsure, pain riddled.
- Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Purity of heart doesn’t mean perfection of heart. There’s a big difference. An honest heart is a pure heart. There’s no guile. There’s no angle. It’s hands raised up sayin “take me as I am”
- Psalm 32:2 NLT Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
- That’s authenticity: not perfection, but persistence. It’s being honest about where you’re at and where you’re not at.
- The priestly garments didn’t cover up sin—they symbolized a life being offered to God.
- Do you think that these priests lived perfect lives 100% of the time? Have any of us?
- It’s almost impossible. You could put me on a desert island away from the flesh
- And I would still have my flesh with me and I’d have to fight the desires of my wicked heart.
- Isa 29:13 as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me..their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
- How can we adequately fear God and serve him if we’re just playing around and asking people to act like they have it all together? It’s unsustainable! It’s a fake world I don’t want to be in
- I’ve been fake. You’ve been fake. We all do it. It never feels right, and if you’re saved- rebuked
- Here’s what I’ve seen- Marriages that ended in divorce because they acted like it was all ok, houses and cars repoed bc acted like finances ok, adultery, abuse, addiction, jail time etc.
- All because the person was unwilling to just be honest about where they are at and get help
- Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but deny Him by their works.
- Years ago I preached a mens retreat, met a guy who was a whiskey distiller- thought it was a bit odd- ‘how do you reconcile that with being a christian’ – he wasn’t a Christian. Just liked church.
- We’re not a church that rewards performance we’re a church that honors progress.
- We’re not expecting any one of us to be perfect we just expect authenticity.
- That has been and will continue to be the culture of our church.
- Ro 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith Ro15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak Col 3:12–13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another… Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
- You have time to grow here! Just be honest about where you’re at. Saved but trending.
- We don’t put on garments to impress we clean up because we’ve been called.
- I’m not covering my sin with my jacket. I’m giving my best despite my brokenness.
Point 3: Authenticity Builds a Dwelling Place for God
- The priestly garments weren’t about impressing each other they were about preparing for God to dwell among them.
- God had demanded and commanded them to create a place to worship him and he showed up
- When the people got real, got obedient, and got unified the glory came. Powerful move of God
- Exodus 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
- FVC doesn’t build around polish, fog, or perfect optics we build around presence.
- What Good is all of the religious accoutrements if we don’t actually experience God?
- years ago toured a church that had spent in excess of 50k to ‘revamp’ (in 2010$)
- Gorgeous. Disney artistry. Lights. Themed. Stages. Video game systems. Absolutely perfect.
- As a pastor- I’m low key jealous. Back then we didn’t even have a building. ‘if we had this’
- Jump ahead 2025. That church doesn’t exist anymore. Last week 25 kids raised in our CM-evangelizing on the streets of auburn. Disney artists and video Games don’t do that
- THE PRESENCE OF GOD DOES THAT. A church that is authentic ushers in the REAL presence
- Its not fabricated. Its not fake. Its not coerced or pushed. It is authentic.
- As a kid, watching WWF on TV- zoomed in on wrong moment- ‘reverse’ ruined me.
- But many churches can’t move past it. They think the Spirit of God needs help.
- Preaching w other minister- Old church- small congregation “half the church responded”
- Why lie? Why not let the word of God be true and every many a liar?
- People don’t get saved here every week. We baptize people we never see again. We marry people who got divorced. We’ve had people who had affairs in this church. People drunk on the worship team on a Sunday and a Wednesday. People who stole money from the church.
- We’re not perfect! We’ve failed as a church many times! I’ve argued with every elder
- I’ve had shouting matches with people who are in this room. But here’s what I’ve seen at our church: Authenticity is what God honors. Honesty is what He responds to. This is who we are
- Pr 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.
- I believe we are his delight because we are truthful. He honors it and shows up when we gather
- We’re not going to outgrow this. As we grow, we will only get more real, more raw, and more rooted in the gospel.
- We’re not the same church as we were in the School house in 2003.
- We had a family one time that showed up in their bathing suits to church. Like the mom had on a one piece and a pair of shorts. Kids were in bathing suits as well.
- “you said come to church before anything else, we’re going to wild waves after church”
- I’m not saying, and please don’t wear your bathing suit to church, but the heart was right!
- You can get a lot farther in your walk with God with honesty than you ever will with performance.
- When I pray I’m brutally honest with God- as deep and embarrassing as I can be
- We’re not sewing gold thread into robes we’re stitching truth into our hearts.
- At Faith and Victory, we will not trade authenticity for aesthetics. As we grow, we’re not going to get fancier we’re going to get freer. Come as you are but don’t stay there.
- Let God make the inside real and the outside will follow.
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