God's Image

The Image of God

Last week we spoke of Luther’s 4 questions posed in his 95 thesis. Those questions were:

How is man saved?

Under what authority?

What is the church?

What is christian living?

I believe our topic today coincides with these questions. We may be able to answer the questions theologically, or to the satisfaction of our curious mind, but what does it take to change our behavior, to take on the actions, to implement what the scripture, Luther had in mind? What would it take for you and i to look like Christ?

What does Christ look like? Are we talking about the physical, Jewish, olive skin appearance? No. How about the image of Christ, as it was in Adam in the Garden of Eden?

What comes to mind when we hear the question, what is the image of God, the Imago Dei? What comes to your mind when i say, i want you to look like Christ. I want you to be Christ?

Genesis 1:26-27

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.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Imagine the garden. Imagine a typical day. There is Adam and there is Eve, and there is God. They commune as friend to friend. It’s hard to imagine. Its hard to picture God communing, face to face. We don’t see God in this light do we. We have an image of God certainly. That image is tainted by our past and present experiences. If you grew up in the church you may have one image, if out of the church another. If you had a strict male figure in your life yet another way. It is hard for us to set aside our prejudices and imagine God in His perfect Holiness with us in His presence. It’s hard to see that picture from the Old Testament.

1. In the Image of God

In the Image of God we see

The Law

Verses 3-7

No other gods

No graven image

Prescribed rituals

He isn’t worried about facebook posts, being tagged

He isn’t self conscience

He has an image, and He desires that the image He has is righteous, pure and holy.

You are his image bearer. You are the portrait of Christ to the world. You are the ambassador, the representative. Are you walking in the light as he is in the light, are you salt, are you bearing a positive image of God, of Christianity, of Christ?

Shall not take the Lord’s name in vain

Common phrase, common place today

Not for the ancient Jewish community. They would have never hit their finger with a hammer (motion this) and yelled out Yhwh, Yhwh, Yhwh!

We are His name bearer. We are His image bearer, we are His name bearer. Do you understand the weight of the commandments. Not Old Testament don’t, don’t, don’t, shall not, shall not, shall not. But do love, do possess patience, do show kindness, do forgive,

Be His name dearer, be His image bearer

Prescribed rituals

Judgment quickly break the covenant and God sends Moses down lest He, God, consume them; Exodus 32:10

Separation - only the High Priest with a prescribed ritual can go into the tabernacle and atone for the sins of the people

God shines forth in Holiness

No man shall see Him and live

2. We have a problem here folks

a. We went from made in His image and likeness in the garden to being consumed by His wrath because of disobedience

b. How will we reconcile this separation

c. What can we do

3. I think the answer is found in a passage I shared with the men in Bible study last week

a.

i. Here is a start. God doesn’t hate us and isn’t trying to consume us

b. How do we get to where Moses is?

i. We wait on the Lord

c. Have you ever seen a child throw a temper tantrum?

i. I won’t sleep and I wont cry…Harper Tate Robinson

ii. Moses isn’t throwing a temper tantrum. What Moses is doing s what i believe God longs for. What does God long for? Our decision to wait on Him, to go with Him, to choose Him!

iii. Moses looks full in God’s face and says to Him with a pure heart, i am made in your image, and i know the angel will suffice, but you are better. I choose you, i want you, i’ll wait on you. I’ll just stay right here and do as you command, but i’m not moving, i’m not gonna cry, i’m just waiting on you. You see we are not God but we were made in his likeness and in His likeness in His image we should abide, stay, remain, until He comes.

iv. You will be no earthly good until you are heaven bound. You will only be heaven bound when you understand the covenant God is trying to make with you. You will only understand the covenant when you stop rushing through church with your hair on fire because you want to need to be promised to be somewhere else.

Have you taken time here, to pause, look up, and just wait on God?

4. What is the covenant?

a. The covenant is this: God says, I want to be your God, leader, master, friend

b. I created you and we are similar. You are not God, but you are a shadow, a reflection of me.

c. I want you to love me with all your heart soul and mind. In return, I will go with you. My presence will abide with you.

d. In the thoughts of Moses, ok then, let’s go together.

I think we must stain, wait, remain, abide in His presence until the Spirit of God says to our spirit, yes i will go with you, and then and only then are we really prepared to take on the task before us.

5. Go Back to

No graven image

He doesn’t have an image problem

He isn’t worried about facebook posts, being tagged

He isn’t self conscience

He has an image, and He desires that the image He has is righteous, pure and holy.

You are his image bearer. You are the portrait of Christ to the world. You are the ambassador, the representative. Are you walking in the light as he is in the light, are you salt, are you bearing a positive image of God, of Christianity, of Christ?

Shall not take the Lord’s name in vain

Common phrase, common place today

Not for the ancient Jewish community. They would have never hit their finger with a hammer (motion this) and yelled out Yhwh, Yhwh, Yhwh!

We are His name bearer. We are His image bearer, we are His name bearer. Do you understand the weight of the commandments. Not Old Testament don’t, don’t, don’t, shall not, shall not, shall not. But do love, do possess patience, do show kindness, do forgive,

Be His name dearer, be His image bearer

When was the last time you waited on God? Really waited on Him?

Are you hurting and broken within? Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling Have you come to the end of yourself Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling

O come to the altar The Father's arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes Come today there’s no reason to wait Jesus is calling Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy From the ashes a new life is born Jesus is calling

O come to the altar The Father's arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ

O come to the altar The Father's arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Oh what a savior Isn't He wonderful? Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen Bow down before Him For He is Lord of all Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen

Oh what a savior Isn't He wonderful? Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen Bow down before Him For He is Lord of all Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen

O come to the altar The Father's arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ

O come to the altar The Father's arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Bear your cross as you wait for the crown Tell the world of the treasure you found