LOGOS EXHORT (10/11/19)

Front we not all going to give undivided attention to Matthew is going to just give us the excitation this morning.

Good morning, everyone.

But if I don't get a bit of nostalgia before we start I'm sorry. It's being a quarter of a century that I will be able to give this is my last one is a man has invited me to still come through digit Lee. So I'm very excited about that beer. But that's far easier to just delete if you would you stop the stream, but we ought to be able to share a whole bunch of lessons about the word of God in my life. And that's what we really do on a Sunday morning. Is she what we learn from the word of God and what a place that lives in Tron and oil gained from its in our own Journey as you walk towards the kingdom. So this morning I want to talk about something that I've been thinking a lot about probably the last six months. That's really some theme some ideas that you are very aware of but hopefully I can share with you. I would say accurate but a different way of viewing these themes and precise way of understanding these themes what what are the foundations? I think you would agree with it in western civilization is the belief that all men and women are created equal and this this idea that we are all created equal. We almost just accept it in our everyday wine, which we deal with each other with respect one another we doesn't matter where the person comes from. What they background is deliberately said you guys should mortgage acacian disrespected. We give to everybody we interact with them that's spiced on the idea that all men are created equal and that everybody has an individual autonomy. And that the life is Sacred Reich just because I might have more money or I might be stronger or a particular religious belief. I don't believe I've got the right to take away. Someone's life. A life is sacred and I think a fairly decent Society delivered. Thank goodness. We have that view of everybody because if we didn't we would we would use those things that we have that perhaps make us more powerful to abuse are the people in the end that has happened on this day in history. And it's me the Hallmark of the western civilization the waist and coaches to say that the individual is equal and that he or she must be respected in human governments a sturdy and the 20th century from the entry have ever have inculcated these ideas into that very question. So at the center of most governments and this is even true and after at Africa and in the East is this idea of individual Sacredness this idea of the fact that human life is sacred. And so we have rules against abusing someone's laugh at hurting them raping them ultimately murdering them little countries that don't have rules at at Lourdes. And that is because it's founded on this idea of the sacredness of human life and Society itself on this idea for men and women are created equal. It's curious because if you look at the world from a purely material point of view a purely physical because infect nobody's equal whether you're looking at because of my V society and customer would you look at it? Naturally. In fact, we are all very much not equal. We refrigerate Leo very different tastes different levels of intelligence in this room. I'll have your not there's different size labels beautiful people that are not so beautiful physically. None of us is equal. And so it is it's kind of strange that given that we're not equal in almost any measure that you choose we've chosen to agree together that we should all be equal and I know that's difficult for you to show the prices because we've never had any other way of hearing it. But that's the way it works and it seems to work pretty well. So we did that idea come from wants to view the world purely from that which he or she can see the atheist because the ice has to explain why we as human beings would come up with the idea that all men and women are equal a reason for why we should come up with that idea. Of course the idea that it is at the foundation of most western societies comes from from the Constitutions of those Western Societies in probably the most famous that you being a duchess of of movies is the second paragraph of the US declaration of independence and it goes something like this. It says we hold these truths to be Self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness some of you and it starts over by saying we hold these truths to be self-evident. In other words. We don't even need it's just something we should just accept nobody should justify but they do give us a little bit of interesting information. They say that all men are created equal you see that before we were from the idea that there was a creation and somehow that makes us equal and of course it's from this document and many similar documents that we realized that one way that I can explain this idea that so much of a society is built on that is it is founded in the Bible. It's found the record of creation back in Genesis. So I want you to come with me if you want to Genesis chapter 1. It's worth going that route to read these words and look at them very closely because we want we want to understand. Where does this idea of equality of men and women come from? What is a Genesis 1 verse 27 well-known Passage? And this is what no doubt the American Constitution is drawing on because it brings in the wood created all men are created equal Genesis 1:27. So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them in the creation in Genesis. It brings this idea that all the things that God created they was something especially unique about human beings and that unique it cools the image of God man and woman were made in the image of God and that of course is not my that statement about any of the other creatures that God created or any of the other of the other living organisms of God's creation aren't human beings.

Man, and woman is made has given them something that is divine. Something that is God. However, you wanted to find God something that is beyond human isn't every single human being and Genesis is cooling bet the image of God and an end as a result because each of us has this Devon sparking us this eternal part of us. We respect each other we treat each other as equals because that stuff the one thing the common denominator that we all share and it's beyond us. And I treat you with love and respect because I know that in some way you have a part of God in you. And you do the same for me and and and this is exactly the principle that the Bible then takes forward to to show why we should not go around killing one another in Genesis 9 verse 6. It says that whoever she is human blood by humans show their blood be shed for in the image of God has God made mankind. So the Bible say you won't go around killing somebody because if you take someone's life in some way which is a profound idea. You've taken away some of God. Because that person had I deposit an image of God put in them and when you shed the blood of that person you have yourself as a human being taken away some of God that's the idea. I think the Genesis non is teaching us. And so no wonder beside ear the sacred sacred this of human life. He's established in a western culture. Its basis is here from from Genesis chapter 1 and it's very difficult to come up with that idea without the explanation of creation as given in the Book of Genesis. When I want to think about in a bit more detail is it what makes us like God would have us in the room. If the reason I respect you as an equal and I must love you and I must treat you with that respect is because you have something of God in you what exactly is that? What exactly is it in you? That is that something of God. You might just be happy cuz I want to go to spark of God and me and that's that's great. That's that's the first Depot. Genesis says well understand it as the image of God. The question is what does it mean when the Bible says that we remind in God's image not if you think about that for a while I continue the did many commentators go down a certain route. You might have gone down the street and that is the idea that the sense in which we are in the image of God. Is that in some way we look like on where at in some way we take God's phone. So where is all the other animals have it with a little funny shapes and sauces. There's something about man in the way that God made man. That looks like all in God's image. And of course that idea is born out because when we read about God and he reveals himself a chance to review self with with human elements, he has a hand or Archie has Oz He talks about you and to the body parts and so we may get the feeling that that's what it means when it says that then we are created in the image of God. That's the god last part that we share. Cuz I wouldn't be giving you this talk about that was wrong with that was right because then that would be what you already thinking but I don't think that's exactly what it says that this word image is saying something a little more profound and to do that. We do need to do this every word image of God. Salem Tas elem take it straight from Strong's Concordance. This is what it says the word means an unused root meaning To shite a phantom a resemblance to hear that meaning the idea of there being a material relationship as a substance or foam relationship between us and God is not being born at by the Hebrew word. We might think of that when we think of the English word image, but the Hebrew word starts with passing a shade a phantom. An illusion a representative resemblance is used in a very very famous man's name and his name is Bissell deal. Give you remember Bizzle Leo. Basil EO and a hernia. What were they responsible for doing? They responsible boating the different elements of the Tabernacle Bayside Leo's name means Shadow Of God. She got your shade coming up the shadow of God the shadow of God. Well, it's what he did. His function was to create all the objects in the Tabernacle the Ark of the Covenant the altar of burnt offering the altar of incense holder there is elements of the Tabernacle and they themselves were Shadows of the various things that God wanted to teach but I want you to think about that idea. So when we think about a shadow, What what what what is a shadow tell us where you can see my shadow over there behind me is I'm moving or what is known as such something which is a good representation of me. But if it was a shed or does very well as it copies me with me. That's one of the things that follows my movements. And so what some Hebrew Scholars have pointed at 2 is this idea of Salem has more to do with being someone who can Who can copy the function of the originator? So as a shadow of God not looking like are physically physically in terms of the features that you could recognize me from my shadow, but it moves with me or answer this idea of selim has more to do with function or I let me reach you what one Hebrew scholar says

We don't look like it but we behave like it. This isn't keeping with the Hebrew mind when viewing a word such as Slim when we read and God created man in his own image into picture of what we look like and then attribute this to picture God himself in the Hebrew Monde. It is not the appearance of something that they concentrate on but its function the passage is not implying a picture of a man o God but their function through the Hebrew words of the steaks. We see that God had placed within man a shadow or representation of his own function goal purpose. I think that gets to it doesn't it so Nations when we read that we were created in the image of God what God created us. Is that function something about him that would allow us to be like him something in each of us that would allow us to achieve the very same function and purpose that he strives to achieve idea and I think it's true in keeping with the wood that we see the Hebrew word and what we going to see unravel as we look a bit more deeply into the rest of the word of God when we try to image God if you want to use that idea Imaging of God is Not Imaging white looks like from any physical perspective Imaging the way in which he functions his purpose the way he behaves Triplets tree and we want to work out. What is it that makes us in the image of God this unique thing that's been given dresses humans. Is that what you're supposed to function lock God then we still want to ask. Another question is what is it that we have that allows us to function lock God deeper question question to ask is well how to spell function What is it the central point of the essence of how God functions? You know, what is it that is Central to the function of God as he has revealed himself to us. Well, I think it was a scam to get bigger of this s*** might be lost yet. We often think about the function of God will we go to the character of God, we think of this mercifulness and graciousness and long-suffering fun and loving kindness and truth. But those are very true. Those are the characteristics of God, but we first meet God in function in in in in Behavior as a Creator. That's where we meet God. And again, this is sometimes lost. We just know these verses Sowell Genesis one says in the beginning God created. So the first function that we have and I would I would I would emphasize be primary function of God as revealed to us is God the Creator. He created the Heaven and the Earth. So here we have a picture of God the Creator Virginia census. This is how we doesn't it opens up how God creates because what is the Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the Earth in the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said let there be light and there was light again stop for a moment, you know, the record of Genesis could have started in a hundred. Otherwise, we could have been been given a picture of the Angels busy manipulating molecules to create lot. Sing a picture of activity creating lot, but it doesn't with and God said. Let there be light. So now what are we not we know that God's function is that he's a Creator. We know that you create using words. He uses this thing called word. God said let there be light and there was a lot so we have a creator. This thing this idea code word. Thinking thoughts verbal language woods and he acts those words upon in the sky sander that is without form and void another which a mess of potential you might say and he brings his word and do that and create something good. In the sky slot and you know that that in the in the reference of Genesis you remember every time he's would X upon the potentials and God saw the lot and that it was good. We had this beautiful kind of picture of the function of God. He is a Creator. He uses words to bring good out of potential. How do you think about that's exactly what a Creator is a create your someone who uses wood and I want to talk about weird and Alignment good to take some sort of potential and create a result that hopefully is good. And this is the very function. This is the very essence of who God is in Genesis 1 infect the phrase. God said God spoke God's words a ps10 tops repeated over and over again. So I missed the emphasis of this idea. And and this is the point that really has struck me over the Lost 12-18 months when you come to John chapter 1 And John watching the the spiritual gospel, you might say and he starts off by saying in the beginning was the word. I seen that you see he has been back in Genesis 1 and he has seen oh, yes that unique that unique function that unique process of my creative was the word in the beginning was the word. He's telling us I see and God said He speaks the word the world into existence and that's what he notices. He says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Absolutely this uniquely creative power. They cause good into existence from potential is what John Sang the very essence of what makes God God. That is what separates him from everything else is the key is the would-be the following so long, you'll see that that makes all the sense in the world. And of course was John is able to in a white illuminite for us is how he opens up about understanding of what we mean to see in this idea of wood and that is by the use of the Greek word in John chapter 1 Lobos in English language that we're going for a long time actually, ironically whilst it has become more scientific and more abstracted has become a fall weekend language to express complicated ideas. I love that makes saying so what we've done an English teacher graded word and we divided up into 20 different other words so that we can be very accurate about the words we using but in doing that we've lost the integrated idea, so when you hear me talk about You're probably either thinking about a written word only or spoken word or in the oil at Best Buy for them, but it's way more than that the word that means you'll know that it means a word it being something you speak. It means an idea. It means a thought. It means your imagination. It means your rational thinking. Order those things together. All of those have something to do with that unique mind that is able to come up with thoughts and ideas with a Russian Leo using imagination and it's able to put them on some form of a purple communication with its peak them write them down. And if you think about it for all of you, if you don't have that ability you would be able to create nothing. Everything that we see around us here in this hole that people have been involved with in creating in in my King come out of potential rather be the screen that we looking at Weatherby the hole that we sitting in the weather be the change that you are sitting on they have all come yet because at some stage people had ideas and they were able to think about those ideas Russian tea and then they were able to communicate them to one another and therefore to be able to act upon them and therefore to be able to bring them into existence. That's the word. That's the logos we get the English word logic from it, but it's way more than that and this is what we talked about. This is his idea that John sang. This is God. If you want to know who God is this is this the first point if you read the word of God and every time you come across the word would and you think that it's referring to is the 66 books of the Bible completely. Of course the 66 books of the Bible one form of God's word a very important form of God's will that we can measure many other potential you see God's mind. He's thinking his thoughts displayed is God's word. And I think this is the the big idea that's being shared with us in this particular passage. So come back to Genesis 1 come back to the creation of Adam and Eve Adam is created in the image of God that the ability to have the same function that same ability to 244 things as God fulfills them. What is it that God gave in to Adam and Eve to allow them to be in His image, but of course it was the word. It was the gift of the word. This is the thing that would differentiate Adam and Eve from all the rest of creation. And it's very should I say the true form? It's manifested in the gift of speech is way more than we give to speech. It's way more than the fact that you can hear what I'm saying right now. It's the idea of thinking it's the ideas of thoughts that we can have the biker self-conscious about ourselves in a better future. This is uniquely Hugh And this I believe is it the very criminal of the image of God that was given to Adam and even speaks and that he has has the ability to to join in the creation of God brought you to my attention Genesis 2 verse 20 and Adam gave names to all the first time. We actually meet Adam doing anything. He's speaking. He's using the word and he's joining in God. He's the only part of the creation that can be the shut up. They can join in God in the creative infant to bring good out of a world of potential to bring lock to World of darkness and he has this unique ability. He has the logos the word the language the speak the power to think to rationalize to plan and it is your Nikki given to him and Adam and Eva Kor to co-create with God and logos or the word is the gift by which the able to fully manifest the image of God within. Resume that God gave us this word capacity this capacity that each of you are using right now to actually sit in your chairs. And even though you're not speaking you sharing would you taking us to what you doing a bit of rationalization with them you either parking them somewhere else because you're half asleep or you're working on them and trying to make them yours or not. This capacity that you are using is the colonel of the image of God given to you. The question is are you using it in the way that he taught us to use it which is to act upon potential and to call good into existence. Let there be light and when God saw the light he saw that it was good. And it's that same capacity that was given to us and it's way more than I'm morality that same capacity that was given to us that of course man and woman have not used to become independent to become not co-creators, but creates his own their own using the skill of the word that was given to them. But one thing you can notice if you stop focusing on this word image in this word word, when you come up to the Ten Commandments and God Saves in the secret of the Ten Commandments that you should give him. I can't image of God. And again, we think just immediately of the fact that well they shouldn't have these physical representations of God and they were a bad thing. I guess there's some truth to that but the problem is that like the wrong God would allow them to make physical things. I can the Tabernacle. So there's nothing wrong with that as such you see I think what if you're looking for an image of God look no further.

That's where the image of God is and how do you know that because they felt the word and so when you read about autos and images in the Bible, you will notice almost every time when God is having a go at the idols of the other nations. He says this he says you worship these idols and they are dumb they cannot speak they have no woods and I think this one are they can speak at night but words because I've given the potential to be my image, but these Idols like that counts speak button have the gift that could even make them an image of the Divine. So that's something just with looking for the number of passengers said comes to bed. But of course, we we come into Jesus you understood these ideas. No. When when he was confronted by that that Christian that I thought they would check them in where they came with the equation of do you pay taxes to Caesar? And you remember how he he drew on this idea of the image? And he said can you can you show me a coin that you need to use to pay the Texas and of course they they came up with the the Denarius and he said whose image and superscription use images on this coin this lock this date coin. And I sit seiza he says where you can be an image of seas. If you want render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and otherwise this coined that cannot speak that does not have the Google you can give that to Caesar. But render to God the things that are God's in other words the image that you Reveal Your image, you are the image of God and you are to render yourself to God. Hebrews 1 it says God who at sundry times and a diverse man is spoke in Tom post under the fathers by the prophets have in these last days just look at the emphasis of the words spoken logos unto us by his son has a pointed Arrow things by who or so he made the world being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person upheld all things. How by the power of His word. Jesus becomes the express image of God, he lives up to that potential because he understands there is this word this word whose how it comes from above and if he can tap into that then indeed he will become the express image of God. So how do we use that Divine part that has been given to each and everyone of us how we use our would I thinking process a communication I play how will we merge that with the word of his power?

Jesus sitting Jordan 14 believe that I am in the father and the father is in me the words I speak unto you I speak out of myself with a father who dwells in me. He doeth the works. So Jesus was saying the words that I have taken into me, but the word itself that I am now manifesting. I've kept in a connected into the one who gave me the power would in the beginning of my true that connection is in place and that's how I'm speaking to you and that's why I am the express image of the Living God. But the same logos can be disconnected from its Micah. It can lose the power source of the Devon and of course that leads to what happened to Adam and Eve when they took from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil the fruit into fond at evil and good for themselves. And so this creative capacity no longer had boundaries it became a word without boundaries. I would delinked from the power of God. We are too cool and to use that word that potential to go good in to reality and it will only happen if we ask God to empower us through his word. Jesus said in John 17 that famous pray. I have manifested your name into the man what you gave me out of the world than they were and you gave them to me and I have kept your would you see this is a bigger idea than just they kept the Ten Commandments or the Bible. They kept your word was given unto them the woods what you gave me and I have received them and have no insurance that I came out from them and I have believed that you did send me sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth. That makes sense because every time God said word in Genesis, it was true. Let there be light. There was truth that could not be separated from God's word. Neither pray. I for these to learn but for them also What Shall Believe on me through they would but we all with open face beholding as an across the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord and that's what we've come to do this morning. We come here this morning actually to just said wow, there is something that is Devon and all of us, but it may have lost its connection. We need to make sure that it's connected to the all powerful word. The originating logos of Genesis chapter 1 and we come here to do that this morning through our Lord Jesus Christ, who was the word made flesh. We come to eat the bread and to drink of wine and the theme of word continues to occur because as we eat this bread and that's why we drink this one. We're in for taking that way back into us into our very Souls. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that comes from the mouth of my father, that's what this is as we partake of it is the word of the father taken into us.

So this is where the true image of God is revealed. God's true would also known as a truth must overwhelm our wood. That's what we're asking for this morning. And this is how the true image of God is revealed in each of us. We are Made In His Image do we become a corrupt image with the word that we were gifted is disconnected from the original or do we become the express image where the word reveals the true wood that is the light and life of the world.