The Soul of Humanity
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Genesis 2:7
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Exciting creation narrative…
Two creations stories…
1st culminates with man’s creation…
2nd commences with man’s creation…
1st - mankind is the apex of the creative event…
2nd - mankind is the first entity created
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
The Creator gave his creation life
He breathed into man, into the creation and made him a living creature!
KJV - soul
Then 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 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.
Gen 2:7 shows u that God did just that…
He distinguished the human from the rest of creation by giving humans attributes of the divine!
God put himself into his creation…
Divinity deposited itself into humanity…
That deposit made humans special, unique, precious…
That divine deposit set humans apart… made them different than all the rest of creation…
Human beings possess something that distinguishes us from all the rest of God’s creation.
Human beings have a soul.
Nefesh - נֶ֫פֶשׁ
soul, person, an individual with personality, imagination, creativity…
A soul is that intangible, invisible part of mankind In which the very essence or spirit of God abides.
The soul is that part of a person that connects her, binds him to God.
It is because of the soul that a person can perceive God and God’s godness.
The soul enables humanity to relate to and recognize divinity.
It is because of the soul that we are precious in the sight of God, because God has put himself in us.
Two creation accounts…
And in both creation accounts… because of mankind’s unique position, because of his preciousness to God, because God’s high view of humanity, because God had put himself into his creation….
In both creation accounts - all of the rest of creation is created with human beings in mind… light/darkness… water/land… grass, bushes, flowers, trees… livestock… birds… fish… all are created with humanity in mind…
God provides for human beings… a place of habitation… a place of enjoyment… a place of rest and refreshment…
Jesus said it this way in Luke 12:32
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God created human beings, placed himself inside us, then just two short chapters later we find the first murder in scripture…
Gen 4:8-10
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
The blood cries out - not your brother… but his blood… is crying out…
The blood - where life is… cries out…
The blood - the part wherein the soul lies - is crying out…
This death - this loss of life caused pain to the creator!
147 mass shootings since January 1…
45 in the last month…
Multiple homicides in our local community over the last couple months...
It’s as if many have forgotten that life wasn’t ours to give, and it’s not ours to take!
Pt - “I’m fine. Just existing. Only thing I’m good for at this point is death. But my life isn’t mine to take, so I’ll just have to wait until the Lord gets ready!”
Like Job - “the Lord gives and takes away”… Through it all he maintained a healthy respect for the sanctity of life, even after suffering such extravagant losses.
There is, in America, a rampant disregard for the sanctity, the preciousness of life…
We see repeated reports of murders and violence because of people who refuse to see their victims as human beings created by God, bearing the image of God. They view them as soulless, as beings not worthy of life, people who don’t deserve to live.
interesting thing about God - God has been described as a gentleman, as one who doesn’t force himself where he’s not welcomed, nor does he stay where he is not wanted. These heinous acts are usually carried out by such people who have rejected God, banished God from their lives, made it clear that God is not welcome. And so they act out of a soullessness… and absence of God in their lives.
And it’s not just murder, or violence - but we see people being treated with disrespect, dishonor, mishandled, abused… all indications that we have lost sight of the sanctity and preciousness of human life and a disconnect between God and the soul of man.
Everyone deserves to be treated with honor and respect, with decency and dignity. It matters not if rich or poor, young or old, employed or employed, black or white, male or female, gay or straight. In the sight of God, we are all equal and we are all precious. That’s why God never stops pursuing those who have wandered away from him. He never gives up, even on the one who has rejected him!
And because God sees us as such - we ought to see and treat others as such.
We must treat one another
not based on the label that society has placed on them because of their location, or lot in life…
Not based on their successes or failures...
not based on what they’ve done or where they’ve come from -
not even based on how they treated us…
but based on the simple fact that they are children of the most high!
This is the appeal Jesus made as he ministered - That we are to treat one another as we wish to be treated. Showing honor, kindness, mercy, love…
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
This is the call of the Christian - to be just, showing compassion, acting with mercy, demonstrating love. This is why Jesus instructs his disciples to live counter culturally - to live as lights in darkness, as those who trust and honor God with their lives!
There are those who fight to protect and preserve life in the womb, but won’t fight equally as hard for that same life when it is out of the womb!
We can’t say we are pro-life and fight to protect the unborn child, yet turn a blind eye and show disregard for the life that is gunned down in the street!
The preservation of life doesn’t just happen as a response to a threat, we must also be proactive in preparing for the threat.
We have to teach a healthy respect for human life… we must model this healthy respect for human life…
How we treat one another, talk to one another… show kindness, compassion and respect to each other.
I can’t have a healthy respect for my sister and call her out of her name…
I can’t simultaneously love my brother and constantly gossip about him, and berate him with my speech…
It’s not healthy, its not love when in her face you’re laughing, smiling and speaking well of her, but behind her back, your words are filled with dishonor, hatred and loathing!
Yes, we must develop a healthy regard for the sanctity of human life, as those who have been created in the image of God and after God’s likeness!
Our hearts go out to the family of brother KJ Taylor, and to all of his friends who are grief stricken, to the community which is still somewhat shocked. KJ’s death revealed a deep soul hurt in our community!
I’m glad things like that don’t happen that often here, at least not as often as in many other metropolitan areas. But if we are to keep it that way, to keep it from getting out of control in our community - there must a shift!
There must a shift! - a change, a movement, transformation… Something’s gotta give - something has to happen!
We can’t continue as we have been, and expect that things won’t soon spiral out of control!
I told us last week - we must be intentional about this - we must be intentional about how we raise our children, how we speak into our children… we must fix our infrastructure, and really begin to model this to our young children before they hit the adolescent and teenage years.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
We must be intentional about how we come together as a community, as a village… we must be intentional in how we support and help one another… this is critical to saving the soul of our community!
There’s got to be a soul shift…
Attitudes, Beliefs, Culture, Direction
Attitudes - sense that we are better then others… pride… must practice humility… meeting others where they are and being willing to love them as they are… and to help them get wherever they are trying to go!
That’s what Jesus did - aren’t you glad he met you where you were, loved you as you were, didn’t let you stay as you had been, but instead helped you become what you didn’t even imagine you could be!
He saw in you something worth redeeming, saving, building on, strengthening…
That’s how we have to be - we must look for and see redemptive qualities in others, just as the Lord saw redemptive qualities in us!
Don’t write them off just because they have a past, just because they’ve done wrong, just because they don’t live up to the standard to which you think they ought to live!
No, live out the gospel, even towards them!
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
There’s got to be a soul shift…
Attitudes, Beliefs, Culture, Direction
Beliefs - they way we have treated others is an indication that deep down we don’t believe they are worthy of the same love, kindness and compassion that we believe we are worthy of.
Have to examine what we believe about God’s creation…
If I believe she is a child of God as I am a child of God - I won’t speak to her just any way… I won’t mishandle her… or abuse her…
If I believe that he is made in the image of God, and bears the likeness of God… then I’m going to treat him accordingly… with respect for the God that is in him!
Culture - must develop a culture of compassion, where there is a cooperative community that refuses to drag another down, and refuses to let others drag us down… a culture where in we protect one another and help one another, and build one another up…
A culture where we strive for excellence… working hard every day to better than we were the day before!
A culture that is theocentric - that means God centered - we must work to get God back to the center of our world… so that everything we do flows out of who God is and what God has done for us!
A God-centered, theocentric people trust God with their lives, regardless of what’s going on around them!
They seek God for direction, submit themselves to God’s correction and depend on God for preservation!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
There’s got to be a soul shift…
Attitudes, Beliefs, Culture, Direction
Direction - we must change the way we are going… we must examine the Lord’s road map… and if we do we’ll see that we haven’t been heading in the right direction… we’ve been traveling in the wrong direction… doing the wrong things, hanging with the wrong crowds, but thanks be to God - tis’ not too late to shift course and change direction…
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Don’t be a fool - change direction - new destination…. New destiny…
When we get on the path that God intends -
We’ll find new hope, because we have his help! All our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
We’ll have his favor - he resists the proud but gives grace to the humble!
We’ll have his peace - he keeps in perfect peace, all whose mind is stayed on him! Peace that surpasses all understanding, it will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!
We’ll have his joy - hin his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand pleasures, ever more!
We’ll have his provision - The Lord is my shepherd… My God shall supply all our need...
We’ll have his protection - No weapon formed against us shall prosper! When the enemy comes in like a flood...
Anybody here making up your mind - to head in a new direction?
Individually… in your families… in the church… in the community…
What all this means - is when we make up our minds to return to God… to go God’s way… when we put God back in the center of our lives…
Things are going to get better…
Because anytime God is at the center…
We’ll find -
A lighthouse that helps us see where we’re going…
An anchor for our souls!
Help through our struggles!
Hope in times of despair!
Strength when we’re feeling weak…
Joy even in the midst of sorrow!
Burden bearer and heavy load sharer...
Bridge… shelter…
Healing and Salvation
Deliverance and liberty
We may fall down - but we get back up!
We may go astray, we may get off the path, but we always know how to find our way back home!
May I challenge to day - make sure God is at the center of your life - home - family… so he can once again become the center of our community!