IMAGO DEI

amen All right, so we are walking to the Book of Genesis. And in these first three chapters were really trying to let the Bible speak to us and frame for us a world view every single one of us has a worldview. It's just our understanding of of reality how the world Works where it came from where it's going our place in it are rolling it not not all of us have a critical worldview other words. We don't often think about what our worldview is. It's it's been shaped informed by our parents our peers our culture. What we want to do in this series is allow the word of God to shape and reframe reshape our worldview so that we see reality not through an American lens not through an ethnic lens not through an economic lens not through a political and but we want to see reality through the lens of God. The scripture has been written. Fit to reveal God to us and in Genesis 1 2 3 God reveals a lot walking through this has to answer at least four basic question. The first is where where are we environment? What is this world about is it real is a tangible? Is it is there a point? Where did it come from?

Secondly is like the question of essence. Who are we what does it mean to be a human is their point is their purpose are we distinct and different from the rest of creation? And if so in what way what does it mean to be a man or a woman? What does it mean to be a human? What is our identity? We're going to continue Drilling in on that together this morning, then we've got to go and we got to deal with the question of evil. What's what's wrong very clear that the world is not as it could be. I think that every single one of us intuitively know that the world is not as good as it should be. Why is that what's the problem and then lastly is a question of eschatology future things. Is there a point is there a purpose what's going to fix that which is broken. What's the point of living? And if there is a point of living what kind of life should we live? Every human being on the planet answers those questions in some way shape or form I want to and I hope you want to answer those questions from a Biblical perspective from God's perspective. So let's let's let's begin to again the question of essence. Are we? The question of how do we fit into creation? One of the things that we saw in Genesis 1 is that Creation The Creation story in Genesis 1 the creation poem Song really? Is a functional creation God made all that is with an intention and a purpose and a function. I think it's a very natural question to ask then. All right, he made us he placed us within that creation. What is our function? What's the functional reality of of being a man or a woman a human being in this world? What what is our identity because identity flows out of out of the fence in an understanding of purpose. What is it that that gives us value? What is it? That gives us meaning? What is It ultimately that can give us a focus and a Direction. So that we don't live our lives in vain.

Who are we?

Scripture starts out by my saying this we are made in the Imago Dei we are made in the image. Of God, that's what I want us to think about together this morning in the scriptures. What does it mean? That we are made in the image of God. You got your Bibles. Let's go back to Genesis chapter 1

is on day 6 verse 26 then God said let us make man in our image after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the season 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. right there opening chapter creation narrative Where does mankind come from comes from God? How and why was mankind created we were created by God for God for a purpose for a reason is a reason more than our own self-fulfillment is a reason bigger than any one of us as individuals. God created mankind. God created Humanity.

in His image Which leads us to the Natural question then? What is the Imago Dei? What is the image of God? If were made in the image of God, I mean, it's a great thing to say I made in the image of God. What's it mean? What's it mean to be made in the image of God? We can look at the word root word for image that comes from a word that can mean shadow. Please think about your Shadow. I guess I got one right now hear from these light. You can't have a Shadow Without something to cast The Shadow. What object does the shadow does it's a reflection of it's an image of?

The thing that is casting it in this sense, it could be an icon. Often in the in the rest of the Jewish scriptures when we talk about idolatry when people make images of God right there. That's what an idol is. It's a representation.

So right away we say okay we are made in the image of God were made of God's Shadow were made to represent him. How do we represent him in what way? What does that look? Like? How does that work? What does it mean to be made in the image of God the Imago Dei? What if you open up Bible commentaries or or if you thought or hurt sermons about this? There's there's a lot of things over the centuries that have been proposed as what it means to be made in the image of them intelligence. We have intelligence that some would say Superior to everything else. sometimes I wonder somewhat a reason or rationality our ability to think logically to understand cause and effect. I'm going to say that the other day it's really our emotional capacity the capacity to love the capacity of sacrifice. Someone would make it a spiritual component or ability to have communion with God is what the Imago Dei is. Others other see it as a sentence other seeing his communication the ability to communicate. God said and we get to say

still others think it's a conscience a sense of right and wrong that that that interior. voice LED interior compass that tells us we're going in the right way or not others say it's free. Will RR buildings choose. Is is what it means to be made in the image of God.

I've heard and thought about all of these affect I might have preached on some of these being the image of God in the past. I'm absolutely convinced this morning that none of those. Are what is meant by the image of God for some very important reasons? Let me say this way if the image cannot be an ability or property because they are not unique to humanity.

In Genesis chapter 1 the thing that stands out about the creation of mankind. That's that's different. Is it God creating all of these things in the crate in there good and a good in a good but when he when he gets to humanity. The only place that God Reveals His counsel in his heart. We saw several Leaf bag that God's talking to his spiritual family. His Divine Council when he said let us make man in our image. There's something unique about Humanity. There's something that sets us apart from the rest of creation. If we want to say that what sets us apart is intelligence or free will or communication or any one of those things that our abilities or properties that we have we we we we run into trouble. Because quite frankly they're not unique to humanity. Animals have intelligence area of Silent science on on animal cognition and development right you seen the age that learns sign language in her able to communicate have intelligence their tot weird, but then they can form their own sentences. There's a great study done comparing the intelligence of chickens to human toddlers. Guess what the chickens one.

the chickens one

Do you fart if we want to build a case and send v a mother day is our intelligence or rationality or a reason then we've got to be able to demonstrate that is unique to us in creation and quite frankly when you look at creation what you see that is not unique.

In it in the interests of Creation in the in the animal world. They demonstrate intelligence. They demonstrate communication. They demonstrate emotion. They make choices. It's not just pure instinct. Recto in here if that's what it is. Then we're not very unique. It doesn't make sense out of the texts. And there's also I think probably for most of us in the room this morning. I'm very practical reasons why we do not want to say that any of those things are what it means to be made in the image of God.

Comes down the sanctity of life. An issue that's been challenging and dividing our country for several decades now. The church in general has taken a set of Sansa says life is sacred. And the reason that life is sacred is because of Genesis one that we are made in the image of God in the Imago Dei. Okay, so we think about how we want to make this this argument that we want to be pro-life. I want to stand for the sanctity of Life. They will I want to stand for the sanctity of life because all people are made in the image of God. Oh, what's the image of God communication rationality intelligence emotions. Hey fetuses don't have that.

listen This is crazy ironic to me, but the vast majority of Christian arguments that are pro-life. Based on this kind of understanding of Imago Dei are actually building the pro-choice case. because the fetus whatever stage of development you want it would go back to the very beginning of those ziger. Doesn't have intelligence doesn't have communication doesn't have emotionality doesn't have reason doesn't have. Those types of things free will have them all that has its potential. That's the essence of the pro-choice arguments. Those aren't people. They're just potential people. And if we build the argument for life for the sanctity of life based on the Imago Dei and we say a mother day is intelligence or or or emotions or or any of those things that I just listed. We're actually building the pro-choice case.

There's got to be something unique. There's got to be something different about the Imago Dei.

It's not dependent upon an ability or a property because what if that is doing your property is lost. Does a person that that goes into a vegetative state and loses intelligence? Lose the Imago Dei is the Imago Dei Progressive cuz the text doesn't say that guy just says I make you in the Imago Dei you don't start with a little bit and grow into it. Is that something that can be gained or that can be lost the Imago Dei is how we are created.

If we make the Imago Dei an ability or a property that can be lost or that can be imitated in some other part of creation it no longer is unique.

We needed a different way of thinking about it.

Some of you may be saying that the what about the what about the soul or the spirit? Isn't that what makes us unique? Like we got born to Adam and chapter 2 we breathe into him. That mankind has a has a soul or spirit and that's what makes it unique True Confession time. That's what I was taught growing up. On my life. That's what I heard mankind has a soul man kind of a spirit that animals don't I've been driving my mom crazy for years. I mean, I like dogs, but the dogs so I call her my phone's dog all the time. Soulless Beast.

I've been doing this for years. How's the soulless Beast doing?

Kids come up what happens to our pets after they die at season of the Soul. How we actually look at the text?

I told her to look at the text. Genesis 2:7 the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the Man became a living creature Hebrew nephesh. Camus. Became It's a living creature the image of God cannot be sold because they are not again unique Humanity. How do I know? Thank you for asking Genesis. 1:20. God said let the waters swarm with swarms. Living creatures you want to guess what that word is in the Hebrew? the Fest same word

the birds fly above the Earth the expensive episode the fish and the birds got it going to verse 30 and to every beast of the earth and every bird the heavens and everything that creeps on the earth everything that has me as the breath of life. I've given every green plant for food and it was so

Say what? What is the Imago Dei?

It's not intelligence about rationality if it's not stolen Spirit, what is it? That makes us unique. Word doesn't tell us much.

fortunately grammar comes to the rescue some of the English people in here just like so excited grammar the rest of your like

but words matter grammar matter punctuation matter The sentence let's eat grandma.

One, it's bad real quick.

Grammar matter in this instant trying to figure out what is meant by the Imago Dei grammar makes all the difference. It all hinges on that preposition in what does the preposition in mean?

I will abstain from Bill Clinton jokes at this point. Oh, I guess I didn't.

What is what is in mean?

Made in the image of God and is a preposition. preposition in Can have many different? types of meaning Just think about it with me here. It's up. If I say the mirror is in the bathroom. What kind of preposition is in functioning as its function of location? It tells us where it is. It's in the bathroom. Now I can use the same word and say the mirror is broken in a million pieces.

It's not location anymore. Now. It's it's a result of an action. How about this one? I work in mirror repair.

I work in this weed is in a lot. I work in water filtration. I work in education. I work in banking. What kind of preposition is that? It's a it's a preposition of function.

It reveals the function. I don't think it should be a surprise if we if we really look at Genesis 1 and you see it. I think it's what it is as a functional narrative. It should be no surprise right that when when God talks about the creation of mankind and he says were created in the Imago Dei in the image of God that this is a functional statements.

How do you say I work in mirror repair? I work in education. What are you saying? I work as a mere repairman. I worked as a teacher. I worked as an administrator. It is it's actually moving it to think of it as a verb. We are created as God's image. When we're not supposed to think of it as a an attribute or or or something that we possess. We are just think of it as an activity or an action that we are to embody. This is a functional statement. Nothing else in all creation was created by God to be his shadow. Nothing else in all of creation was created by God to be representative of him. This is a functional declaration to be made in the image of God is to be given a job description is to be given purpose is to be given Direction when God makes us when God forms us when God creates us. He does stuff with intentionality and purpose. You're not an accident. You're not a mistake. You are a glorious creation of God with a Divine Destiny and purpose.

And that Destiny and purpose is to represent God.

I think my case for this functional understanding of the image of God is just

it strengthened and clarified right in the text itself in the very next verse. It says this and God blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the earth over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the Earth. This is a functional statement. This is why God made mankind. In the same way that God is Creator now. He says to mankind now you go and recreate yourself you go and multiply in the same way that God hovered over the seas of chaos and spoke order and regulation into creation Now mankind is to go into creation and bring order. That's what having Dominion is that what ruling is weed a walk in the chaos of this Earth not in our strength not representing ourselves, but we're to walk into the chaos of Creation with and with him bring order to chaos.

That's what it means to be made in the Imago Dei to be a part of the work of God in creation. We were made by God to join him in that work. I'm turning chaos in the cosmo.

That's what it means to be made in the image of God. That's you guys. This is so important. We really need to Grass this in the church.

because if you if you got the courage to watch the news. And doesn't take courage most days.

to look squarely at the Brokenness of our world The incredible division that is taking place not just in the world, but in our country. in our states in our family

I heard three stories last week of divided families over politics

Suns that weren't talking to parents parents that were talking to children because they watched Fox News or they watch CNN

The level of division that the categorizing the way that we see one another the way that we're defining one another through identity politics. Is anathema to the Imago Dei? and sadly tragically Heretic lie. I don't use that word lightly. The church has followed in step with the culture. We go ride along with the vision. with segregation with with naming with fearing Which painting?

Not surprised and I'm not all that heartbroken when people who don't follow Jesus hate others. fear of others

but when we who claim to follow Jesus when we who have been made new in Jesus fear and hate others. There's something wrong. In this world we divide in this world we say, oh you're this type of person you're that type of person and we we do that to make ourselves feel better. We do that to make ourselves. We do that to make sense of the world.

the Bible says everyone's made in the Imago Dei.

Everyone is made in the Imago Dei. is matter if your black or white slightly tangerine

Does it matter if you're Republican or Democrat? Matter if you're rich or poor.

the Muslim extremist terrorists made in the Imago Dei the transgender activist made in the Imago Dei

the person that you fear or hate the most was made by God for God and has the Imago Dei that may not be living that they may not acknowledge it they may be denied, but they were made by God to represent. When we keep walking through Genesis, we're going to see the Imago Dei gets passed on through Adam and his Descendants the Imago Dei is not something that's unique to the first the first humans leave the mother day something that separates it is for all of us and then we get to the to the beginning of Genesis chapter 9. I believe it is what it says if a man sheds another man's blood. His blood shall be taken for he was made in the image of God. Here's the logic of this. if you take the life of an innocent life if you take that life, and that person was made in the Imago Dei the image of God and they were The logic is this if you killed them, you are an Essence killing God in effigy.

Extrapolate that when you paint another human being when you fear another human being when you done a grape when you despise when you look down upon when you manipulate when you use when you simply don't care about another human being if you're not just doing that to another human being is because that human being was made in the image of God. You're doing that at some level against God himself.

So when the world hates when the world fears when the world divides yeah, that's exactly what sin does but when the church doesn't. Lord have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy on us and forgive us.

Because that's not the way God looks upon Humanity.

And it's certainly not the way that we should look upon it.

We are made.

To represent God to show God's glory. represent represent representative represent. Well. Is there some way The people are supposed to be able to look at how we're living Our Lives. And say oh that's that's what God's like. That's what that's like the way they love. That's what guys like the way they forgive. That's what God's like. The way they spend their money the way they invest the way they use their free time. The way they treat the marginalized. The way they looked at retirement. The way that they do lie.

Is what it's supposed to show guy. We've turned it in the church into just something we believe I believe I got my fee logical ducks in a row I walk the aisle. I prayed the prayer.

People want to know what God's like they should just ask me. I'll tell them.

But you've been telling them every day. Every moment of every day what God is like by how you choose to live your life.

Cuz that's how were made were made as Imager. And that image has been broken if you really grasping this there should almost be expensive.

Frustration and anxiety. Oh my goodness. That's what I'm made for and I don't live that way. Anybody else there with me I get it. Okay, I get it. That's what we're made for. I'm terrible at.

And that's why we get Jesus. Because Jesus is the ultimate imager of God.

God doesn't have a plan B. I said this last week we're talking about Sacred Space. This is God's plan to use Humanity asked his imagers and to bring the chaos of creation into the order of God's kingdom. That's his plan that Adam Blewett Abraham Isaac Jacob in the womb.

David Blewett Go through the list. The problem was that the solution had the problem with in it. So instead of bringing solution for the problem. They just created 2nd and 3rd and 4th order problems.

The God didn't have a plan B. This is how God is going to do it. He's going to do it through Humanity.

So he has to come. himself

Word became flesh. Dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.

Jesus is the ultimate imager of God listen to this and Colossians 1. He is the image of the invisible God the firstborn. of all creation for by him all things were created things in heaven and on Earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or dominions are rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him to the uniqueness of Jesus. The Creator becomes one of the created the one who spoke all creation into existence has now taking on flesh as a little human.

Don't know why I made not just the material visible world, but the one who made the spiritual invisible world. It was all made by him and I was made for him. Jesus is a really big deal. in God's creation

He is before all things and in him hold together.

He is the head of the body church is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in everything. He might be pre-eminent for in him. All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Imaging he is the Imager. Jesus is the ultimate of the only ones that was faithful to our calling. Is the only one that was true to our vocation. He's the only one that did everything God asked him to do and said everything got told him to say. A list of God was pleased to dwell within him and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether on Earth or in the heavens Making Peace by the blood of his cross.

and you Who were once alienated and hostile in mind doing evil Deeds? Is not reconciled in his body of Flesh by his death. In order for resent you holy and blameless and above reproach. before him What he did? Has unbelievable effect on us. And what is it that he wants to do? Reshape us. Rework us fix that which has been broken by sin within us. to restore to us the Imago Dei to put us in His image

did if you continue in the faith stable and steadfast not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I Paul became a minister Jesus is the ultimate Imager.

Jesus is the Fulfillment of God's creation plan. And she invites us back into God's creation plant.

The cup holder in Chestnut versus it just caught my heart as I was thinking about that. This this week verses that talk about the image of God. First is the 2nd Corinthians 4:4 it says in their case the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God?

The great challenge for us today as as followers of Christ who have been called by Christ to proclaim the good news to announce. Jesus to point people towards Jesus is that there are powers at work in the world that are trying to blind people. from seeing what the image of God in Christ How do they see the image of God in Christ what they're supposed to see the image of God in Christ in?

think about Matthew 28 the Great Commission

Are marching orders by Jesus before he ascends into the heavens? Jesus came and said to them all authority in the heavens and on earth have been given to me.

Go therefore. Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you behold. I Am With You Always to the end of the age.

When you hear that? In the context of what we've been discussing. Does it remind you of Genesis 1:28 at all?

Going to be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth to do it have dominion rule over the Earth. Jesus came is the Fulfillment of the Imago Dei the perfect image of God then turns to his followers. He turns to us and he says listen I've done it. I've been granted all authority not just here but in the heavens as well as all belongs to me, so in my authority I'm sending you out. We're now images of the Imager. Is this as you go? This is what I want you to do proclaim the gospel to everyone to All Nations the gospels not supposed to be held back the gospel supposed to be sure we're supposed to be making disciples is the equivalent of being fruitful and multiply teaching them to observe is the equivalent of ruling the Earth and subdue doing it bringing order to chaos our mission as the church is simply a reformulation of Genesis chapter 1. The creation mandate has been fulfilled in Jesus God is absolutely committed to his planet does not have a plan B.

That means that are like we've got to look at our life. We got to view ourselves. We got to see ourselves and understand our Essence and what is what we've been designed by and what we've been designed for here for a purpose and a reason and my purpose and reason is to image the brain God's presence to Bear upon this will enter into the Brokenness and the messiness and the pain in the heart of this world and bring the love and peace and hope and life of Jesus why we're here We're not here to build bigger and bigger houses that have more and more luxury. We're not cheer for our comfort and our convenience. We are here powered by the spirit rescued and Redeemed by Jesus. The ultimate image of God's that we might fulfill our creation mandate to join God in his work. I'm bringing a righteous and holy order to tell. And we do that the way Jesus did it not by force. Not by might not by Conquest night not by arms. We do it by joining him in the path. sacrificial for giving love because at the end of the day love will Triumph. a man