RECOGNIZE VETERANS DAY

BREAK FROM MARK

Listening to a book and it poses that Genesis 1:26a is the most radical/life-changing sentence in all of human history.

I have not been able to get away from that thought, and as I often do, instead of just preaching what’s next on my “preaching calendar,” I want to share my heart with you.

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 1:26 NLT

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

SERMON TITLE

You Matter

PRAY

SETUP

Genesis 1:1 NLT

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We have no idea how much time passes from Genesis 1.1 to Genesis 1.2...

But even science agrees, there was nothing one moment, and then the next, there was something.

“Matter” is formed in this moment as the Big Bang (God spoke it and ‘bang’ it happened) made all that there is.

Time itself as we understand it begins to tick.

Yet, God in all of His greatness and glory stands apart from everything created.

This is what we mean when we say “God is HOLY”

In Genesis 1.3 God begins His 7 day creation spree

Day 1 - Light

Day 2 - Sky

Day 3 - Dry ground & plants

Day 4 - Sun, moon, and stars

Before there were heavenly bodies that produced light, He was light…

John 1:4–5 NLT

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Day 5 - Birds & sea animals

Day 6 - Land animals & humans

Day 7 - Sabbath = rest.

The first job of humanity was to rest in what God had done…

SUBSTANCE

You Are Different

Instead of “God said, let there be.” God said, “let us make…”

"Its own kind” vs. “In the image of God”

You and I are set apart in creation...

God gave humanity dominion over everything He had created

Delegated authority to extend the reign of God throughout the creation

You Matter

But to first understand how significant you are, you first have to understand how insignificant you are…

Hear King David’s ponderings from the Psalms...

Psalm 8:3–4 NLT

3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?

In other words...

You Don’t Matter

Pastor Drew, make up your mind here!

Consider your life...

You are 1 person in this room.

You are 1 person in Oak Ridge, TN of about 30,000

You are 1 person of 330 million in the USA.

1 out of 7.8 billion on planet earth

You take up about an average of 5 square feet of space out of five quadrillion, five hundred two trillion, five hundred thirty-two billion, one hundred twenty-seven million on earth!

You live on 1 out of 8 planets in our solar system - 9 if you include Pluto

You live in 1 of the at least 100 million known solar systems

You live in 1 galaxy (Milky Way) of at least 100 billion known galaxies!

And Then There’s God…

How big, how grand, how powerful must He be?

Psalm 147:5 NLT

5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!

Isaiah 55:8–9 NLT

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Everything you know or understand about God is only because He chose to reveal it to you, not because you figured it out.

Colossians 1:16–17 NLT

16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Maybe you’ve been feeling a little uneasy due to the state of our world = take comfort in remembering that God is still on the throne!

God has always been and will always be

He created time and exists apart from time

God created all...

Genesis = Create = BARA - To make something from nothing.

God sustains it all...

You see...

To truly understand your worth, you first have to understand your insignificance

You don’t matter because of anything you bring to the table…

How silly of us to ever believe God needs anything from us…

You matter because God says you matter.

Pawn Stars… “Let me call in an expert”

Value is determined by someone who has intimate knowledge of the item in question.

Psalm 139:13–16 NLT

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

And what appraisal did your Heavenly Father give you

John 3:16 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

So why did God “pay Jesus” for you and for me?

Let’s end this where we started…

Genesis 1:26a NLT

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

Because you are His…

What you are is infinitely less important than whose you are.

And you are His! You matter! You are significant! You are a world changer.

You are Loved. You are Highly Valued.

SHUTDOWN

PRAY

“Aren’t you worried that people will become arrogant if you tell them how ‘great’ they are?

NO - arrogance is rooted in compensating for low-self-worth.

Do you need to be reminded of your value by your Heavenly Father today?

Do you need to ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the value in others?

Matthew 6:25–30 NLT

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?