Identity Crisis
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
INTRO: If I asked you to introduce yourself to a group of people you never met, what would that look like?
You can tell a lot about someone’s perspective of life and purpose in this activity. For instance, some of you might introduce yourself by your profession or education. Others might introduce themselves by their relationship to family or friends. Still others might introduce themselves by their political affiliation or even their sexual orientation.
You see, people tend to identify with that which they find to be the most distinguishing. It’s what they want people to know about them or how they want people to see them.
Now, there is room for us to make connections in family, career, etc. Yet, I believe that there is a lot of confusion in our world about what is important.
This explains why, If I said, “Who are you? Why do you exist?”, many people have some uncertainty in their answer. After all, with the popular viewpoints of culture, we are just here… accidentally by most accounts. And if we are just here by accident, then the purpose and meaning of life is, well, pointless…
So today, we are going to explore God’s creation of mankind. And as we do this, I want to encourage you to think through your own identity; my hope is that we will walk away today with a deeper understanding and appreciation for God’s design in humanity. If you picked up a bulletin, you can follow along in the sermon guide. I’ve also provided some discussion questions for further reflection. Please take advantage of this.
Let’s look together at God’s answer for Mankind’s Identity Crisis.
God Created Mankind Intentionally (26, 2:7)
God Created Mankind Intentionally (26, 2:7)
This may seem obvious to you this morning, but to many in the world, this is a point of dispute. Throughout schools, books, and television, there is a somewhat assertive claim that mankind is simply the result of evolution- a theory posited by Charles Darwin. Without any scientific evidence, educators and secular-minded individuals teach that over billions of years, mankind turned from single-cell amoeba, to fish, to rodents, to monkeys, and finally into the specimen of humanity.
And, while there are many points to argue here, as Christians you and I can be encouraged by God’s word for we see explicitly that God intentionally created mankind in His image.
v1:26 shows us that there was forethought and determination on God’s part here. “Let us make man...” In other words, God CHOSE to make mankind… on purpose!!!
Now, without jumping into a rabbit hole here, I want to point out that the Triune God took special care in this act. The way you and I are designed, from our looks to our intellect, humor, and love is on purpose. Humanity is unique from all other creation.
We will talk about being made in God’s image in a minute, but for now, let us talk about being made on purpose and in His likeness.
We can drill down a bit more when we look over in chapter 2. Gen 2 is a bit of a ‘double-click’ on the overview account of creation noted in Gen 1. IN Gen 2:7, we see that God not only formed man, but, unlike any other created being, He breathed life into man.
Scholars have long debated what this entails. Some see this as God giving mankind a spirit/ soul. In fact, there is a whole list of characteristics that are unique to humanity. There are things we share in common with God to one extent or another- the ability to commune with God, the ability to create, moral consciousness, etc. Others see it as a way of showing God’s care in bringing about animated life, which is naturally shown through breathing. It’s more than this, but it’s certainly not less. Either way, we can take God’s purposed action here and draw a couple important conclusions:
Because we are intentionally created, we can be assured that human life is intrinsically valuable.
As Christians, we believe that human life is extremely valuable. In fact, because we are made in God’s image and likeness, we can see that humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation.
This value is reflected in the law given in Gen. 9:6 that says “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” The value of life is such that the consequences for taking life are just as costly.
It is because of the value placed on humanity by God that we stand firm against abortion, abuse, discrimination, etc.
It is because of this, that we should diligently consider the cost of wars and foreign policies. We must think carefully and consistently about our stand on education policies, law enforcement policies, and immigration.
As Christians, we must value life at all stages and in all conditions.
2. Because we are intentionally created, we are assured of God’s providence.
Now, we could go on a whole tangent here, but let us consider what this means. Providence is God’s protective care. This plays out in a number of ways.
For instance, it plays out in our physical well-being. Time and time again we see both in Scripture and in experience that God cares for us.
What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
It plays out in our emotional and spiritual health.
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
We could go on an on. For now, let us be assured that God thoughtfully and intentionally created mankind- you and I!! And because of this we can know that He is for us. And if God be for us, what can stand against?
Discuss: What does it mean that God created mankind intentionally? How does that impact your identity?
Not only did God create mankind intentionally,
God Created Mankind in His Image (26-27)
God Created Mankind in His Image (26-27)
Once again, we need to try to understand what all this means. We know that this is not to say that we look like God physically, for Scripture tells us that God is not flesh and blood, but rather God is Spirit (John 4:4 ). So, we are not made in His image in that sense.
As we mentioned earlier, some scholars have equated this phrase with the communicable characteristics of God. That is to say, the moral dispositions. The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that man was created sinless- let me read that real quick
“Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”
Of course, the writer also acknowledges the sinful choices that man made which robbed him of the ability to live forever and enjoy communion with God. Further, the NT helps us to see that it is Christ who came as the “image of the invisible God”- He is man ‘par excellence’ , the “New Adam” as Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:22. Christ came so that mankind could be restored to this image which he was originally created. Let me read for you a couple of these references:
and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
All this is to say that mankind was originally created “good” in the image of a good and perfect God.
Yet, there is more to see here.
To say that we are made in the image of God is to say that we are created to ‘image’ God or reflect God. John Piper likens this to holding a mirror. He says that we are meant to be reflections of God to others.
ILL: It will help us if we think about how kingdoms worked in the Ancient world. In any given Mesopotamian kingdom, the rulers would have statues of the king placed in the various cities and regions. These statues were intended to communicate that these areas were under the rule and reign of a particular king… We have a similar ideology regarding the American flag… or I think we used to.
So, what we can see then, is that God created man in His image to reflect His kingdom and authority- His glory and majesty to others. But look here- Adam and Eve were the only humans at the beginning, so who were they reflecting to?
I believe that Adam and Eve were reflecting God’s kingdom and glory to creation, including the angels and to Satan. Mankind was intended to show all of creation that God was the ruler. And when Satan had been cast down to earth, Mankind was a proclamation of Satan’s defeat.
Today, the church fulfills this role. Listen to how the Apostle Paul explains is
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
In other words, God’s purpose in creation, at least in part, was “to have a corporate man on earth reflecting His image and exercising dominion. Christ and the church are that new creation. The manifold wisdom of God is now to be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places in accordance with God’s eternal purpose.” (Bible.org- why God Created people pt.4)
Now, get this: The home- as a unit of the church- has a part in this purpose.
Marriage, Paul says, is an earthly picture of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22-33). Thus, as a husband and wife live together in unity in the context of their proper roles- that is male and female, equal yet distinct; equal yet in proper headship and submission- their home becomes an outpost of God’s rule and reign!
Church, there is more here to explore than we have time today, but you and I need to know that we were made on purpose and were made for a purpose.
Discuss: How do you see God’s Kingdom reign reflected through you and your home? Read Ephesians 6:10-18 and discuss how being made in the image of God enlightens this passage.
Perhaps this morning you are wondering if life is worth living. Maybe you are like the hundred of thousands who are experiencing depression and you struggle to see how your life has value and purpose.
Friends, you are not an accident. God knit you together in your mother’s womb and has set forth all your days for His purpose and to reflect His kingdom and victory!