Genesis 1:1–2 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:26–27 KJV 1900

26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Made in Whose Image?

The bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1 vs. 1 that God created the heavens and the earth…and then it continues in vs. 2 to tell us that the earth was without form and it was void and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

the Jemeison, Fausset and Brown commentary on the Bible says it this way…there was confusion and emptiness.

And then beginning with the “moving of God upon the face of the deep”, we begin to see the creative power of God at work. And the remaining chapters of Genesis chapter 1 and into chapter 2 declare the powerful work of God creating.

God steps into a climate of chaos, confusion and uncertainty…an environment where nothing is clear…a time of lawlessness and the absence of boundaries…And God, the bible says…began to create!

God began speaking and light appeared out of darkness. God started speaking and water began flowing. God said “let there be” and dry ground formed into continent. God started talking and trees began growing and flowers started budding. God opened his mouth and the fish of the sea and the fowls of the air were formed. God began creating.

And we come all the way to the crowning jewel of all of creation in Genesis chapter 1 vs. 26…when God made man…The bible says that when God made man in his image, after his likeness. I was made in HIS image! I was made in HIS likeness! it goes on and says that when God made man in his likeness and his image, with that he gave to man dominion! Power and authority! I was made in HIS image!

When i started to think about the prevailing circumstances described in Genesis chapter 1 vs. 2....uncertainty, chaos, ambiguity, confusion…I thought of the time that we are presently navigating.

A time when the entire world seems to have slipped off of its axis. The laws that used to govern and bring order to our world are no longer in place. What used to be the uncertainty of the months and years in the distance has now become the uncertainty of tomorrow and today. The confusion and the chaos that prevails is palpable and leaves us searching for answers and wondering what is really going on?

And, the experts are telling us that we must ADAPT to the uncertainty…that we must ADJUST to the confusion and chaos. They have provided us with new words and terms that will help us to conform to the virus that has wreaked havoc upon nations and societies. Terms like social distancing, tracking, tracing, shelter-in-place and “the new normal”. these terms are being introduced as the answer for this epidemic. We are just going to have to adjust to these the changing times.

And I know this isn’t a new revelation to anyone here today…Im sure that you have heard it before…but the word Corona is originally a latin word that means “crown”. It is the symbol of a kings power and authority…

Corona has become king. Corona moved in with its chaos and confusion and the entire world began adjusting. Corona swept in with its uncertainty , its chaos and void and INSTANTLY we began adapting:

Governments have adjusted. Economies have adapted. We have adjusted the way that we do church…how we work…where we eat…who we eat with…Because King Corona has stepped into the building.

Just one problem…Genesis chapters 1 and 2 are not the account of God adapting to the “without form and void” of vs. 2. These are not the account of a God that looked at confusion and adopted a new vocabulary and adjusted his sovereignty and his authority to survive the changing times. No…God did not adapt…God created!

And the war that is taking place is the war that will determine whose image you are crated in. Corona says adapt…but let me remind you that the King of Kins…yes even you Corona…He is your king…Our king has never adapted! He has never adjusted…He has always created!

Not one millisecond in heaven has the Almighty God in heaven been found ringing his hands together, anxiously wondering how he will adjust to the latest pandemic, the latest problem…He has always been in control.

See, some folks are missguided…the think Jesus was an adjustment. That God taking on the form of humanity and coming to walk the earth was God adapting to the most deadly pandemic to ever have touched humanity…sin! However…let me assure you that Jesus was not an adjustment...

John 1:1–3 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Revelation 13:8 tells us that he was the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world...

My God is not an adapting God…He isn’t an adjusting God…He is a creating God! And I was made in the image and the likeness of God!

And the God whose image I was created in did not adapt to chaos and uncertainty…he created in chaos and uncertainty!!

The greatest ability in the midst of chaos is not the ability to adapt, but the call to create!!!

Now…I know right now some of you are getting really nervous....This reckless banter doesn’t mesh well with the paranoia you are being fed by the talking heads on your favorite news network…But hear me out before you leave this morning...

From Genesis chapter 1 vs.2 through the very end of the account of creation in Genesis chapter 2, there were 2 distinct creative actions of this Almighty in whose image I was created in.

Read Genesis chapter 1. vs. 2 with emphasis on the last sentence

Genesis 1:2 KJV 1900

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God moved

Tell you neighbor… “Dont just sit there”

King Corona says, you better shelter in place…don’t move, don’t breath, don’t sneeze, I’ve read in some counties across our nation they are letting church assemble, with the stipulation that they can’t sing…King Corona…adapt and adjust...

But God moved!

Now…if this sermon is broken down into sound bytes and taken out of context…I’ll probably be in jail before the sun goes down…but hear me out before you call the authorities.

God moved…and he moved in wisdom…he moved with purpose…he moved in a way that would create and sustain life…He didn’t come in like a hurricane…one translation says that the spirit of God hovered....

We create by moving forward! We create by moving in wisdom! We are going to open the church back up next Sunday…and we are going to do it with wisdom. We are going to abide by the guidelines that have been set in place. We will have service at less than 50% of capacity. We have sought consultation from a professional consultant that specializes in sanitizing and disinfecting. We have invested in EPA-approved disinfectants and cleaning supplies in keeping with CDC recommendations.

We are going to move forward in wisdom…but we are going to move forward.

There is a difference between moving forward in wisdom and hiding in fear!!

Well…Pastor…how do I know if I am moving in wisdom or operating in fear?

Here is a good test…turn your TV off…stay off of Facebook…get off of ABDEFG.com and spend this week intaking no news…instead, pray and fast, and at the end of the week, if you still feel the same…you are moving in wisdom...

Some of you all wouldn’t even consider that...

The same trap the devil got Eve with…she was about to walk away from the tree when the devil said the fruit will give you knowledge…if you don’t eat the eat fruit you might miss out on breaking news…and it was her hunger and desire to not miss out on anything that led her to partake of the fruit...

and that will be the demise of many in this last day…too many voices in your ear!!

Our God is a God of wisdom

Proverbs 4:5–7 KJV 1900

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: Forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: Love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.

James 1:5 KJV 1900

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Let me give you some practical wisdom:

I am asking our elderly and those that have health issues that would place you at risk…stay home and watch the online broadcast…We are going to continue to consider ways that we can help to minister to those.

If you just don’t feel safe…USE wisdom! enjoy the online service!

Wisdom is, if you have a fever, or you aren’t feeling well, stay home and worship with us on the online feed!

I promise you that we will not do anything that would condemn you.

that is wisdom!

But fear is allowing the enemy to capitalize on your anxiety to separate you from the body of Christ!

Wisdom will protect you, fear will prevent you!

Wisdom will keep you from destruction; fear will keep you from progress!

Wisdom is an attribute from God, fear is an attribute straight from the pits of hell!

be careful of making adjustments to the uncertainty and the chose, that are motivated by fear. yes, move in wisdom…but move!!

Here is what everyone one of us must realize…Fear is a spirit! And you can’t compartmentalize a spirit. When you allow a spirit access into one area of your life, you have given it access into every area of your life.

Well, I like this whole shelter in place…the government is passing out free money…i’ll just sit here in my home and collect checks…I’ll just sit here and let the government bail me out...

That is adapting and adjusting to the chaos…You will never be bailed into a blessing…you have to move into a blessing!

When God created, God moved…and I am made in the image and the likeness of God.

the children of Israel had to step over far and move into the land of promise

Joseph had to move out of the prison and into the palace

Esther had to walk into the Kings coutroom

David had to step out onto the battlefield to defeat his giant.

I feel the witness of 4 lepers facing the chaotic uncertainty of disease and famine…when one looked at the others and said “why sit we here till we die”.

Come on somebody…its not time to adjust…Its time to create!

Its not time to adapt....its time to make something happen!

It’s not time to adopt a new vocabulary king corona gave you…its time to open your mouth and speak the word of God!!!

Which leads me to the next creative act of God in the book of beginnings when God stepped into the uncertainty and confusions.

We find this act of God declared 7 times in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1:3 And God SAID, let there be light

Genesis 1:6 and God SAID, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters

Genesis 1:9 And God SAID, let the waters under the heaven be gathered to one place

Genesis 1:11 And God SAID, let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind

Genesis 1:14 and God SAID, let there be lights in the heaves,

Genesis 1:20 and God SAID, let the waters bring forth abundantly

Genesis 1:24 And God SAID, let the earth bring forth the living creature

And God said

and God said

And God said!

Whose image were you made in?

the very words that you speak declare whose image you are being created in!

You can adapt your vocabulary to the language of king corona if you want to...

All the buzz words of this new kingdom of fear and paranoia...

Shelter in place, social distancing, New normal

Or you can remember that you were made in the image and the likeness of God…and God didn’t show up and adapt his vocabulary to the chose and the confusion…he started speaking life!

Proverbs 18:21 KJV 1900

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

2 Corinthians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Let me hover on this passage for just a moment and explain to you what Paul is saying here in 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

We having having the same spirit of faith…according as it is written, believed and therefore have I spoken;

Paul is referencing Psalms chapter 116 vs 10

Psalm 116:10 KJV 1900

10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

If you read Psalms 116, you will find that David was in the midst of death…death all around him…death upon him…in fact the caption of Psalms 116 is “Thanksgiving for deliverance from death”. David is saying I was surrounded by death…but I believed that God would protect and deliver me…I believed, therefore I spoke”

And Paul…who in his own words had been beaten with whips more time than he could count, spent more time in prison than any other minister, faced death again and again, 5 times he had received from Jews the 39 lashes, three times beaten with rods, once pelted with stones, three times shipwrecked, spent a night and a day adrift at sea, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger in he city, in danger from the Jews, in danger from the gentiles…And yet Paul said....because I have the same faith that David had…that God will protect me…I have believed, therefore I have spoken!

I have believed, therefore I have spoken!

God is going to keep me! God is going to protect me!

Whose image are you made in?

Open your mouth and speak faith!

Don’t repeat the lies of the devil!

I have believed therefore I have spoken!

you can talk about shelter in place....i’m going to shelter in the secret place

you can speak social distancing if you want to…i’m speaking revival in every nation and every tongue

You can go ahead and embrace the “new normal” complete with gloves, masks and astronaut suits…I’m just going to start talking move about the new Jerusalem that John saw coming down from heaven!

Revelation 21:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Whose Image are you made in?