The Image of God: A Likeness with Substantial Implications!

THE IMAGE OF GOD: A LIKENESS WITH SUBSTANTIAL IMPLICATIONS; Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8:3-9; MHAFB; 19 Jan 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: N/A / Topics: Image of God, Sanctity of Life, Civil Rights (Law & Justice), Martin Luther King (Baptist Minister), Rights, Love Before Service: Pray with leaders! Opening Verse: Psalm 139:13–18 (alternate: Psalm 8:3-9) Songs for Worship: Lord I Lift Your Name, Lord Prepare Me, More Like Jesus, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------SLIDE-Transition to Sermon Introduction Attention In 1971 after the My Lai incident, chaplains began to notice soldiers that soldiers were becoming very cynical & hurt at being labeled as ‘baby killers.’ 1. This began to manifest itself with very strong anti-Vietnam biases a. Most of the locals Vietnamese that soldier interacted with were also a very “rough breed.” 2. Recognizing that mere group sessions couldn’t counter this dehumanizing process for how soldiers were beginning to see the Vietnamese, chaplains of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade created a program whereby infantry companies were paired with young Vietnamese from an orphanage for a picnic on the beach and a swimming party. a. This encounter led to laughing, playing, & singing between the soldiers & the children b. Through this program soldiers began to see that the Vietnamese were individual human beings who had also suffered in a war—they were worthy of dignity & respect Big Picture 1. This is but one example w/in the military where chaplains helped provide a key moral compass to remember the dignity of all humanity. a. And while some did & may yet complain that such actions may place “soldiers in greater danger because they might be confronted with a situation where they might hesitate in combat because of a fear of hurting civilians. b. In reality,” Battalion Chaplain Donald W. Gover reflected, “an even greater ‘danger’ to our troops . . . the possibility of atrocities, and the long-term effects on individual soldiers of living with the memory of having committed such acts. i. We considered the risk a worthwhile one.” Source: “He was Always There: The U.S. Army Chaplain Ministry in the Vietnam Conflict” by Henry F. Ackermann (1989, Page 181-182) c. Who knows what possible atrocities on civilian comparable to the My Lai Massacre were blocked simply by soldiers beginning to recognize the true humanity and sanctity of life of their fellow man d. Although they may not have understood it as such—they began to recognize the Image of God, or Imago Dei, within each human 2. And it is this concept that we turn to today in our sermon... a. SLIDE-Title: The Image of God: A Likeness with Substantial Implications (Genesis 1:26-31, Psalm 8:3-9) 3. I chose this sermon in light of two observances that take place around this time: a. Tomorrow’s Martin Luther King Junior Day (Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983; in Idaho it is recognized as Idaho Human Rights Day) i. A day in which we remember the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and work to improve our own communities through standing up for human rights, justice, & equality issues ii. A day which is rightly paired with… b. Today’s Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (Designated by Ronald Reagan on 22 Jan 1984) i. A day that highlights God’s declaration concerning the true value of all human life c. As we consider these national observances, we recognize that they flow from the Christian worldview that shaped our nation, i. Especially from the unalienable rights that God has endowed upon us when He made us in His image. d. SLIDE-Thesis: And so, in today’s sermon I hope that you will see… i. Every human has been endowed by God with great value and is worthy of dignity and respect. ii. As our opening Psalm shared of mankind, “You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5) Passage 1. Context: And I invite you to put a bookmark in that opening Psalm 8 as much of our sermon relates to what we find there. a. Instead of re-reading that at this time, I invite you to stand with me as we read our other focal verses— Genesis 1:26-31 2. Verses-4 Slides: Please stand in honor of God & His Word as we read… Genesis 1:26–31 CSB Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. 3. May the Lord bless the reading of His Word! Transition Please be seated as we turn to first consider what it means to be… Main Point 1: Created in the Image of God Explain 1. Interestingly the Bible never stops to give an in-depth explanation of what it means to be made in the Image of God. a. Is it something about our spirit, soul, rationality, will, mind, personhood, immortality, a combination of these things, or something altogether different? b. Some have tried to distinguish being made in the “Image” of God with being made in God’s “likeness,“ i. But with how the scriptures so easily interchange these two words, they seem to reference the same thing as a form of Hebrew parallelism (e.g. Gen 1:26, 1:27, 5:1, 5:3, 9:6; James 3:9) c. While we do not have a clear definition of this concept, when God introduces it in Genesis we are given a very good idea on some of what being made in God’s image means i. For example, being made in God’s image means that… 2. MP1: We are set apart from creation (Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8:5-8) a. This is a consistent theme throughout our two key verses-i. MP1: We are lower than God, but higher than animals! b. Consider how the first chapters of the Bible show this: i. God: An eternal, all-powerful Being, beyond time & space, 1. Separate from & not dependent upon anything else chooses to create the know universe 2. Which is the second main category… ii. Creation: Those things that God makes on Days 1-6, 1. Something which, as Creator, He has complete authority over— 2. But something He has entrusted to this third big category… iii. Humans: While a part of creation, we are not merely rational or socially & intellectually evolved animals 1. As Psalm 8:9 points out, God made us a “little less than God” (or “angels,” see Hebrews 2:7-9) 2. God does something unique with us, a. He makes us ‘in His image & likeness” b. This gives us a status that separates us from all other creation! 3. We have a kinship with the earth, having been made from the dust, a. And so we shouldn’t find it strange that our body in it’s constitution & function has similarities to other earthly creatures, 4. But we also must recognize that there is something very different & special about us a. Something that is spelled out more in our next ideas… c. So, what else does it mean to be made in God’s image? It means that... 3. MP1: We are crowned with glory & honor (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 8:5) a. This is a phrase taken right out of Psalm 8:5, i. MP1: Taken together, these two terms “Glory & Honor” highlight a great God-given value, significance, & worth of mankind. ii. A unique splendor, dignity of being, beauty, & majesty that God endowed us with b. Throughout the OT Law you see God actually enacting laws to protect human life as a natural outworking of this i. Just after the story of Noah’s Ark, God establishes the death penalty for intentional murder, as a means to protecting human life, declaring… Genesis 9:6 CSB Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image. ii. Of course we may wonder, 1. “But doesn’t that mean two people made in God’s image die instead of just one?” 2. The answer to that is a resounding “Yes!” iii. With the first murder, 1. In recognition of the great value of human life, God actually didn’t allow the death penalty 2. He even specially protected “killer Cain” against it (Genesis 4:13–15) iv. However, after the great increase of evil during the flood (Genesis 6:5–7) 1. As an apparent means of holding back evil, a. (Think of mass-murderers, or cultures of death; those that give a nod & a wink to death) 2. God now allows capital punishment because that individual just murdered someone who is in the image of God! a. Someone with great God-given value, significance, & worth! c. In the NT, James 3:9 even highlights that we should not even curse a human because they are made in God’s image! d. Since we have been made in the image of God, i. We are a people crowned with glory & honor by our God e. But like being set apart from animals, this doesn’t get much into the qualities of this Image as much as it does the consequences of this image. i. So, what else does it mean to be made in God’s image? It means that... 4. MP1: We have the ability & authority to rule (Genesis 1:26, 28; Psalm 8:6-8) a. Naturally the rulership of the earth belongs to God—it’s Creator. i. However, did you catch what God ends up doing? ii. He entrusts this responsibility to mankind! b. The structure of Genesis 1:26-28 seems to clearly suggest that being made in God’s image was a prerequisite to this rulership. i. We are to “rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” ii. And Psalm 8:6-8 points out that this flows from us being “made [a] little less than God and crowned… with glory & honor.” c. To rule in this way means that we must be able to dominate & subdue the world, i. MP1: It is to creatively reign & have dominion over it. d. Consider the qualities are required to rightly rule something… i. Limited autonomy & free will, creativity, rationality, & more! e. Each human, not merely political powers, are given this responsibility i. We are each to represent the sovereign Lord of creation in ‘our own part of the world’ ii. Whether it be a bedroom, a backyard, a shop, or something else! f. Finally in this section we see that being made in the Image of God means that… 5. MP1: We can have a dynamic relationship with God a. Consider how Psalm 8:4 highlights this, Psalm 8:4 CSB what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? b. Or as He highlighted in His covenant with Israel, Leviticus 26:12 Leviticus 26:12 CSB I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. c. And there is the ever-famous John 3:16 John 3:16 CSB For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. d. And even the end picture in Revelation 21:3-4 Revelation 21:3–4 CSB Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. e. We are far more than a pet to God… i. You can have a relationship with a pet, ii. But a healthy relationship with another human will always be deeper & more intimate than that! iii. Animals are not made in our image, & so our relationship with them is a somewhat distant one f. Similarly for God & us, i. He did not merely want more animals— ii. He wanted a creation that was capable of having a unique & dynamic relationship with Himself-1. A creation with whom He could walk through the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) 2. MP1: A creation with whom He could have an eternal relationship of true & chosen love a. As we are not pets, so also we are not robots, programmed and forced to love God b. Rather we can choose such a relationship & play an active role in how it progresses! Expand And there you have it, a snap-shot of what it means to be made in the Image of God 1. Man & Women— a. We are a people made in the Image of God 2. Black & White, Asian & South American— a. We are a people made in the Image of God 3. From conception (see the law in Exodus 21:22–23; Samson in Judges 13:3–5; John the Baptist in Luke 1:15) to final breath— a. We are a people made in the Image of God 4. Whether mentally ill or physically disabled— a. We are a people made in the Image of God 5. Whether a foreigner or radical Muslim— a. We are a people made in the Image of God Transition 1. And so let us consider & think of one another in such a way! 2. And as we near our close, let us also consider how, a. Though sin marred the Image of God within us, it did not destroy it. b. And though it is marred, through Christ we find ourselves to be… Main Point 2: Re-Created in the Image of God Explain 1. MP2: Since sin distorted & disfigured the Image of God upon us, a. When people look at one another we do not see God as we ought to 2. MP2: While, by God’s grace, sin did not diminish our worth (Genesis 5:3, 9:6; James 3:9), a. It certainly left much to be wanting for the Image to be seen in it’s truest sense 3. MP2: And the New Testament reveals that restoration of God’s image from sin is found in Jesus a. MP2: Who is described as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15; see also 2 Corinthians 4:4) b. MP2: And as Hebrews 1:3 shares, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature…” (see also John 14:6-11) 4. MP2: As Christians, we are being conformed into the Jesus’ image (Romans 8:29, 13:14; Galatians 3:27) a. MP2: We receive communion with God through union with Christ b. And thus we are being renewed into the Image of our Creator (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10) c. When we are saved, through Jesus we are re-created in the likeness of God— i. His glory, righteousness, purity of truth, & godly knowledge! d. And in the end, our final glorification will come— i. The culmination of our salvation will be met— ii. And we will rightly & fully bear the image of of God through Jesus (Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21) 5. This is the one of the great wonders of being a Christian-a. As we behold the glory of the Lord we "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18) b. This is why the journey of discipleship should be a very intentional journey for us! i. You are becoming more accurately an image-bearer of the God of all creation ii. Knowing & loving Him ever more & ever-more displaying and magnifying Him to those around you! Transition 1. Let’s begin to wrap this up… Conclusion-1: Conclusion Reiterate Every human has been endowed by God with great value and is worthy of dignity and respect. 1. We have been created in the Image of God 2. And when we come to God through Jesus, this image is being re-created & restored upon us Apply So, how should we respond? 1. Con: View yourself rightly a. You are a person of great value & worth! b. This value is not found in what you do or what you earn i. It is intrinsically a part of your very being— ii. You are a beautiful man, women, boy, or girl, created in the Image of God c. Con: Learn to know & rest in your great value & worth i. Let it define your self-image, direct your self-talk & guide your emotions 2. Con: Tenaciously pursue discipleship a. While we are each made in the image of God, this image has been marred b. Con: It is upon us to be ‘remade’ in the image of Jesus i. Con: Learn to live in His holiness & righteousness ii. To reflect His own heart toward ourselves & others c. Con: And as we do this, wisely care for what He has entrusted to us-i. Remember, God has endowed each human with the gift & responsibility of dominion. 1. Do you exercise this well? 2. Whether it is care of a pet, your backpack, your backyard, or the back-shop— a. Your friendships, your position at work, your family, your wealth— 3. God has given things within your sphere of influence that you are to rightly exercise your “Image of God” rule over. a. Learn how to rightly do this as a disciple of Jesus. 3. Con: Rightly love & value all others (see Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43-48, 7:12, 22:37–40; Romans 13:8–10; Galatians 5:13–15) a. If all are made in God’s image, this is a natural consequence for us i. Whether it is a friend or foe— ii. Through right discipleship of Jesus, let us learn to rightly love & value them! b. Within Jesus’ Christianity… i. This is no room for impartiality, prejudice, & discrimination against your fellow man... 1. Based upon one’s sex, age, race, ethnic group, religion, or sinful lifestyles ii. This is no room for hatred of immigrants & foreigners, annoying coworkers, or contentious relatives iii. This is no room for murder of the unborn, mentally ill, physically handicapped, or aged, iv. Or any other such voices c. On the contrary, we must be those who, sharing God’s heart of love & value all as He relates in Psalm 146:6-10 Psalm 146:6–10 CSB the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The L ORD frees prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD raises up those who are oppressed. The LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The LORD reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah! d. So may we love & care for others! e. Con: And may we each actively help the world to do the same! i. From it’s political structures to our homes— ii. In whatever sphere of influence God has blessed us with— iii. Let us pursue the dignity & respect of all mankind. iv. Con: Sharing the truth in love & standing up for life & justice! Appeal 1. Brothers & Sisters, a. This is what Jesus ha called us to b. This is how Jesus has enabled us to live as we draw near to Him c. As we seek to be remade in His image! 2. And so let us be such people 3. Let us transform our world through a. Rightly living as those made in the image of God, b. Rightly viewing all others in the same way Conclude 1. Sanctity of Life: Pray with me...