Value

The Reality of Our Value

A little more specific is this…the reality of our value...

We’ve been discussing things like searching after God. Asking God questions. Looking for truth…maybe even chasing truth down…and then doing something with the truth that we find.

Today we’re going to jump into another aspect of this search for truth … and we’re going to look at human value.

So today we’re going to do two things to think about this idea of human value…1st we’re going to do just a quick though experiment…and then we’re going to look at Scripture to consider human value.

So first…we’re just going to think through some things that we see in the world…we’re going to see if they lead us to further questions or if they lead us to make some assumptions about people…about human life.

If you watch the news today you’ll find that many people are searching for the truth of human value. Many people are fighting for different aspects of human value. No matter what side of any of the current arguments you might be on…there is a search …and there are claims being made about the value of life…specifically human life. We have arguments being made concerning equality.

This past year we’ve seen protests and prayer vigils over the value of human life. Many of these have sprouted from horrible events. Some have spilled over into riots…destructive riots at that, but at the core there is an argument about the value of human life.

Also, this past year we’ve seen money and man-hours thrown at one specific problem…this virus. We’ve seen people using their political and scientific skills in trying to research this virus and in finding the best possible ways to fight it.

We’ve seen people doing incredible things to help those who suffered…are suffering…from it. We’ve seen people acting in certain ways that give us an idea of what they believe to be the value of human life.

And not matter what side of all the discussions you might be on…they all stem from the idea that humans have some sort of value in this world. There’s an importance assumed when we think about people.

There are other arguments going on today circling around identity, ethics, morality…and at their core…make claims based on the assumed importance of a person…a person’s value.

Now even personally, we all go after this in some way during our lives…the struggle for significance. Are we important? What do we possess…what is it about us…that is worth something? Do we have meaning?

Most all people have this sense that we’re a bit different than any animal. I mean there’s a reason that we feel compassion when we hear that someone is ill…and that we feel very little compassion for termites when we call the exterminator. In some shape or form…we view humanity different than the rest of the animal world.

The one question I don’t hear in most any of the arguments right now though is this....Why?

Why do we think there’s a value in humanity that is unique among all other living things? Why do we think and behave and make decisions that point to human value?

Does humanity search for cosmic truth? A truth that is bigger than us…outside of ourselves? Or are we too often stuck in the here and now…and that’s all we’re really worried about?

There’s a writer and thinker from the early 1900’s who wondered about this. He saw people in his time running after life but not looking at the big things of life. His name was G K Chesterton. If that name sounds familiar, you might have heard it through the Father Brown series, or that he had a significant influence on Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. He was a journalist, a philosopher, an apologist…and big deal in England at that time.

He loved humanity and people but was not afraid to ask people about their beliefs. He was good friends with atheists of the time…and debated them in public but would call them his friends as well. He valued humanity.

He wondered about this value thing once when writing a book called Heretics. He wondered why the day to day things in life mattered sooo much…like politics and and art and tram cars. He said, “He may turn over and explore a million objects, but he must not find that strange object, the universe; for if he does he will then have religion, and be lost. Everything matters - except everthing.” He saw that people had generally stopped asking the big questions that lead to eternal truth.

He said that humans often don’t consider the big things in life important enough to consider them…to think about them…to question them....when they come up. Here’s an example he wrote about, “At any innocent tea-table we may easily hear a man say, “Life is not worth living.” We regard it as we regard the statement that it is a fine day; nobody thinks that it can possibly have any serious effect on the man or on the world. And yet if that utterance were really believed as a philosophical and cosmic truth…the world would stand on its head. Murderers would be given medals for saving men from life; firemen would be denounced for keeping people from death; poisons would be used as medicines; doctors would be called in when people were healthy. “

But we don’t see that do we? But why do we value life…human life. Why do we see life as we do? Do we really ask the big question or questions of where that value in life comes from?

Now again..we’ve been looking at truth in a number of different ways. Much like how you might buy a car. You don’t just read a description, most find it valuable to research that specific model, look at the specific car that’s for sale from different angles. Maybe have a mechanic look into it. We check for rust…insurance cost. Kick the tires. It is healthy to look at truth like that too. From all sorts of angles.

Human Value …last week we looked at investing in each other. Giving of ourselves for other people…hoping to add value to their life. But when we do that we act with an assumption…that there is a value there.

A story is told of a man who loved old books. He met an acquaintance who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. "I couldn't read it," the friend explained. "Somebody named Guten-something had printed it." "Not Gutenberg!" the book lover exclaimed in horror. "That Bible was one of the first books ever printed. Why, a copy just sold for over two million dollars!" His friend was unimpressed. "Mine wouldn't have brought a dollar. Some fellow named Martin Luther had scribbled all over it in German."

Value…sometimes we don’t know where or why we have value. And sometimes we don’t know because we haven’t asked the big questions in life.

Value. Where do we get this value that we tend to live by? And …why should we look into it more? Ask bigger questions.

Now we need to ask a simple question here…and we’re going to make an assumption. Most everyone in this room…has a decent idea of where this message is going right? Whether you’re a long time believer or maybe a bit skeptical you can kind of tell where I’m going…and that’s ok.

But let’s ask this…if we’re searching for truths about God and how we relate to Him…do you think that the one who God says is our enemy…do you think this enemy will do what he can to stop you or distract you from searching for the big cosmic truths that might just change how you live day to day? Yes…absolutely…this enemy wants to keep you from getting close to God. Plain and simple.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 “...our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

So if we’re going to do well in this battle for truth…this search for truth…it will do us well to ask and pursue answers to the big questions.

And personally, I think that this idea of value…of importance…of each individual…points us to something…I think it points us to the existence of God …the creator.

Well… if there is a creator who values His creation of humanity…you’d expect Him to act in certain ways right?

Now let’s move to a different angle. I think if we were to start in the New Testament to investigate this…why you have value in this world…why you might have value to God…I think we would do ourselves a disservice.

So that was our thought experiment....we see and behave…and fight for ....and argue for the value of each person. There’s a general sense that people have value…we can see that. We know that not all of these arguments will lead to truth…but they all start from an idea that people are important…we’re different than other living things…we have value.

What does God say about this…what does God’s Word say about this thing called value.

So we know what the first part of Genesis states…that God created humans..and God even says that this is very good…different than any other part of creation. We know that’s what it says. And then we know that humanity sinned against their creator. And so right away what do we see…what do we read? We have the “very good” response His creation. Now, His creation, in their free will…chose to disobey…turn to their pride…walk away from Him…think about themselves first.

Here’s a really neat little passage. This is just after Adam and Eve had sinned. They were feeling afraid and shameful..guilty. They were hiding in the garden…God’s throne room on this planet… and in Genesis 3 we see God doing and saying something. Genesis 3:8 ....”Where are you?”

He’s searching for His creation. He doesn’t disregard humanity. He doesn’t stay away pouting because they didn’t do what they were told to do. He doesn’t come out yelling. He searches for them in interest. Where are you?

Now we know …if he’s all knowing …he knows…but asking the question relays a piece of His heart. He wants them to know He knows that there is something wrong…and He cares. He values humanity. He values his friends, his creation.

God then describes to Satan that history will record satan’s attempts to fully take mankind away…and that God will eventually defeat Satan …and this all for one purpose. So He could be close to you again.

And all through scripture we see God parenting his creation. Laying out ground rules for life (10 commandments)…that show value in both himself and his humanity. We’re shown how to relate to each other…and each thing either points to commitment towards love or to think more highly of others than yourself. And yes, there were consequences....but those are to help both us and others to learn. All of them show how we should value God…and how we should value each other. Pride is the ultimate downfall. When we think too highly of ourself we rob God of value and we rob each other of value.

It seems like this is all set up on humanity…you and I having value to God.

All through scripture then we have instances of people wondering about this idea of being valuable to God.

Job…through all of his struggle and suffering wonders about something.

Job 7:17

What is a human being that you make him great

and that you fix your mind on him?

Psalm 8:3-4

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Psalm 144:3

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 144

3 O Yahweh, what is humankind that you take knowledge of him,

or the son of man that you take thought of him?

In many other spots you have people wondering why God cares. Why does God care for humanity if we’ve walked away from Him? But all through the Bible we see God pursuing His creation.

Why? If we seem to have this value…a certain type of importance…why? Where does it come from…even if we’ve sinned and stepped away…why does this value seem to hold?

Jesus goes a step further for us…He knows that people are questioning their importance…their value.

When sending people out to share the Good News about Him, Jesus reminds these newer disciples not to worry about what people will say to them or do to them. Matthew records Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Jesus is trying to give us a sense that God has placed value in humanity. It is there…and we all sense it....but it is there because God placed it there. You are valued. Every person is valued. Every person is important to God. Does every person make the step towards God? No…not everyone will. Not everyone will ask that big question and search for God…for their purpose in Him…their need for Him.

Which brings us to another thought…another question.

Does our value come from what we do for God? Does it come from how good we are? How much we follow or obey or love Him in return? Does our value increase or decrease based on how we live each day?

Isn’t that an interesting question? Like God values us less today because we had a bad day. You know…you said those three words back to back to back when angry and losing your temper and it was directed at someone whom you made feel really bad. And now you lost 10 percentage points on God’s value meter.

Does it work like that? I’m pretty sure not. God might be a bit upset that you did that…but He still values you the same.

Paul wrote about this struggle. You know…the Apostle Paul…the one who said I always do what I don’t want to do and don’t do what I want to…But then Paul wrote this....

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Kristin Lewis, about 8 years old, mentioned that her mother's birthday was soon approaching. Her aunt asked her if she was going to make a birthday card on her father's computer. She said, "No. If you make one on the computer they don't keep it on the refrigerator as long as when you make one yourself."

There’s more value in the creation isn’t there?

You each recieved a penny today. Each of these pennies have value. They’re one cent. Now, some of us could argue the real buying value and whether or not there’s real copper in this thing but in reality…it is one cent. The reason it is one cent is because of the authority of the name printed on it. Those in authority have deemed that that particular penny you are holding is valued at 1 cent. They have even gone to lengths to imprint the name, The United States of America, on it…so everyone knows who had to authority to place value on that coin. Sometimes we take that name…The United States of America for granted don’t we. That name is imprinted on each and every coin the government mint makes…because it is our country’s government that authorizes a coin’s value.

There’s a wee little passage of scripture…and it happens to be in the very first chapter of our Bible that says…God created man in his own image…in the image of God He created them…male and female …He created them. Genesis 1:27

Where does your value come from? The one who place His image in you. Yes, your sin separates the two of you now. It isn’t like the original intent. But even in your own sin, God values you enough to have His son die for you…so that…the sin can be paid for. God values you …He stamped His image in you. He calls out...”Where are you?”

David, Job, Paul…all wrestled with this…why would a perfect God be mindful…care for…search for us? Because you were meant to be with Him. Make the choice daily to answer Him when he calls out...”Where are you?”

Let’s pray....

Why?