Be Fruitful and Multiply

DNA 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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"Be Fruitful and Multiply," explores the profound biblical theme of restoring God's image in humanity through Christ. It contrasts the life-giving image and likeness of God with the death brought through Adam’s disobedience. While Adam’s sin introduced death, Christ’s resurrection brings new life, restoring the image of God within us. The commission given to Adam, Noah, and now to the Church through Christ emphasizes the call to multiply and spread God’s image across the earth. As the Bride of Christ, the Church is empowered to carry out this mission, fulfilling what the first Adam failed to do by reproducing God’s likeness and love through Christ.

Notes
Transcript
Commissioning of Jason Kinsey (Kendall)
Children: Jasper and Eloise
Joined Reliant on June 11, 2017
Jason and Kendall both meet all the qualifications of 1 Tim 3.
Recap of DNA 2024
Who are We?
We produce Jesus followers of faith that expand God’s kingdom.
Bible Believers
Disciple Makers
God Pleasers
Community Engagers
Kingdom Builders
Relational Equity
Ministry runs on the rails of relationships
Relational equity coupled with discipleship produces generational transformation.
Love our City
Jeremiah 29:7 ESV
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
We represent God by loving our community the way Jesus did.
We earn the right to share the gospel through our acts of kindness.
Grow to Go
We equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
We are not hears of the Word but doers of the work.
Be Fruitful and Multiply
We carry out God’s original plan of filling the earth with his image and likeness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We glorify our Father as we bear fruit in His name.

Reproducing the Image and Likeness of God

God’s Image and Likeness: Life

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Adam’s Image and Likeness: Death

Genesis 5:1–3 ESV
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Romans 5:12 ESV
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Christ’s Image and Likeness: Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:47–49 ESV
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Multiplying the Sons of God

The Commission of Adam and Eve

Genesis 1:28 ESV
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The Commission of Noah and His Sons

Genesis 9:7–9 ESV
7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you,

The Commission of Christ and the Church

Matthew 28:18–19 ESV
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The Church is the Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5:25–27 ESV
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:29–32 ESV
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Christ has become one with his bride to multiply the image and likeness of God once again.

What the first man, Adam, failed to do, the second man, Christ, is accomplishing through us.
John 15:1–8 ESV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Bearing Fruit for the King

Fall inlove with Christ as much as he is in love with you.

John 15:9–10 ESV
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

The image and likeness of God is love.

1 John 4:7–8 ESV
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

We bear the image of like of God when we love others.

John 15:12 ESV
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

We learn to love others by understanding the love of Christ.

John 15:13 ESV
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
1 John 4:9–10 ESV
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We show love by sacrificing for others.

How do we bear the fruit of the love of Christ?
Receive the love Christ has for you.
Share God’s love with those around you.
Be selfless instead of selfish.
Express the love of Christ through your actions and words.
Call to Action
Communion
RGroup Questions
How can we reflect the image and likeness of God in our daily lives?
How can we fall in love with Christ and manifest His love through our actions?
What practical steps can we take to show love, sacrifice for others, and express the love of Christ in our daily interactions?
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