Sermon 9/21/25 (2)

Does God look like us only shinier?

Genesis 1:26–31 ESV

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.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 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.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

John 4:24 NIV

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Colossians 1:15 NIV

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Theme: Being in God’s image isn’t about physical appearance but about reflecting His character, creativity, and capacity for relationship.

Big Idea: God doesn’t look like us—He made us to live like Him.

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God doesn’t look like us—He made us to live like Him.

Have you ever noticed when people are comparing kids to their parents they never turn to the parent and say, “you look just like your daughter.” or “You act just like your son.”

No its always the other way around. Children look and act like their parents. This is the topic of today’s question, “If we are made in God’s image, does that mean that God looks like us just gold?” I’m sad Payson isn’t here this morning to hear her question but I have no fear that we will discuss out later when she gets home.

I love this question, first I love it because of the way she asked it. “If we are made in God’s image…” What an incredibly powerful that that as a 9year old she already knows that she and all of human kind is made in the Image of God.

Let that sink in for a minute. The creator of the universe didn’t just make us but made us in His image. Let’s look back at Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:26–27 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

I want to explore 3 big truths about being made in the Image of God this morning.

First, we are the only part of creation that required a consult. “Let US make mankind in OUR image, in OUR likeness.” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit got together to create us. That means we were made out of relationship and made for relationship. This may be the most forgotten part of who we are, not just as Christians but as people.

When I look back on the year 2020 and think about COVID the actual illness was only part of the devastation. Another and maybe larger issue was the isolation that it forced on us. People couldn’t be with their loved ones. Families were separated. We were trapped in our homes and divided. My heart breaks still today that we have traded the physical isolation for a political and social isolation. We put ourselves into camps, parties, political, and theological groups. We isolate ourselves and refuse to engage in meaningful ways with people that don’t think, believe, and act like us.

As human beings we were created to be in relationship with each other. Not in small circles but as a species. Everything God has done since the beginning has been done to sustain that creation and bring unity and relationship to mankind.

Secondly, we are the living earthly image of God’s authority over creation.

Genesis 1:26 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Being made in God’s image means we share in the responsibility to care for creation. To be responsible for the other parts of creation means we were created to be superior to other parts of creation. We were given the abilities from God to share in his intelligence, sensibilities, free will, consciousness, moral responsibility. Everything that separates us from the animals is what connects us back to the Image of God. Yet so many times we take these gifts for granted and neglect our duties to be caretakers of creation. Sustainers of the gifts that God has provided us with.

Genesis 1:28–30 NIV

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

We were created not for distruction but for life, because the character of God is life giving.

Lastly, we were created to be not just good, but very good.

Genesis 1:31 NIV

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.