Sunday School Review - God made people extra special

So many anti-Bible teachings (false teachings) in the world today.

they get repeated non-stop through media, social media, schools, entertainment

in addition, there is a lot of pressure to accept these teachings, or be seen as out of date, out of touch, un-intellectual.

A sign of an anti-Bible teachings is that the end result, what happens if you follow the principle all the way to its conclusion, is ridiculousness. . . and I will give some examples later

So this simple lesson, is a great lesson. It lays the foundation for a understanding human life . . . and thus this simple lesson speaks to so many contemporary issues

after making sun, moon, stars, plants, animals . . . . then God said

Genesis 1:26 NASB95

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

God made everything else, then made humans . . . we are the crown of creation

Our image - this part of creation will be more like me . . . this creation will be different from my other creations

they will also be the rulers of creation

people are different than nature and above nature

this can be seen in how we manipulate and use nature . . . sand into steel

we are not one with nature, we are above nature

yes, you can learn from nature, take care of nature, respect nature, admire nature

but we are different, we are higher . . . so definitely don’t worship nature

people are different from animals and above animals

and we can still see this: despite sin in the world, that’s why people still have some control of animals from dogs to tigers to elephants to killer sharks

you don’t see horses having a farm full of people, breeding them, racing them

people are more important than animals

doesn’t mean you should abuse animals

doesn’t mean that animals are not important

but don’t place their well being or lives on an equal plane with humans

the abuse/the killing of a person is significantly more important/than that of an animal. Sad/tragic to see animal abuse, but you shouldn’t go to prison longer for abusing an animal than you do abusing a person.

if an animal presents danger to a human life, if that animal can’t be moved . . . . put it down . . .it has to go

you can be vegan for health reasons, or you can feel sorry for animals, that’s fine

but ain’t nothing wrong with not being a vegan . . . don’t let anyone guilt you

we are the crown of creation, we are in charge of the rest of creation

we should treat that role with responsibility, but don’t be fall into the false teaching that that my life is equal to a tiger’s life

or me dying is the same as a tree dying . . . no, it’s not

Genesis 1:27 NASB95

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

male and female our created in God’s image: equal worth, different roles, but equal worth, equally created in God’s image.

God creates your gender . . . uh oh. . . you don’t pick it, you are what God made you,

God made male and female, not male or female . . . not a they

you can rebel against God’s design for creation . . . free will

this pick your gender thing is not some new enlightenment, it’s the latest rebellion against God . . . throw it in with all the other rebellions (lying, stealing, killing, adultery)

now let me share example of how untruth will lead to a ridiculous conclusion

some people don’t know how to define a man or woman anymore

“How do you know if a person is a female?”

we used to say, “a man has this and that, a woman has that and this”

with all of the science we have, we can tell a male or female apart anymore

another example of ending up in a ridiculous place

a male declares that he is a female and then starts dominating female competitions, and hardworking females lose out on chances to win, their records are broken, scholarships will soon be taken

what if they say, I really feel this way, I’ve always felt this way

you don know that people can get confused . . . you’re confused, need counseling

but if we can declare that however we feel is truth . . . then take it to its conclusion: a person can declare to be a bird, a stop sign, a truck

I’ve always felt like a rich man trapped in a middle class body

banks should have to give me the balance that I feel . . . and let me live my life

and when people have all of these procedures done on them, it’s like a kid in the hood with expensive shoes and an expensive phone . . . you have on some of the trappings of wealth, but you’re still a poor kid in the hood

Genesis 2:7 NASB95

7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

we are so special that God did more than just speak us into existence . . . he formed us and breathed into us.

importance, special, our lives mean something

we are the hand made creation of an Almighty God, not an accident from a big bang

ridiculousness: if creation is a random accident, if we exist only because of an arbitrary big bang . . . then life has no real meaning because we are accidents, arbitrary, unintentional, just random pieces of cosmic material

if that is the case, then mass shootings are just another accidents in a long line of accidents . . . . . cosmic material bumping into another piece of cosmic material

just wind blowing away a speck of dust

but human life does matter . . . we were created in God’s own image

that’s why the whole country stopped to consider the football player who stop breathing on the field . . . . because deep down we know that life matters

and it’s evil and psychotic to think that lives don’t matter . . . mass shooters

Psalm 139:14 NASB95

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

God has invested a lot in you! He is very interested in the outcome of your life!