Identity in an Unidentifiable World.

Opening:

Introduction of the Concept: Where is your Identity Found?

Who Am I? Where did I come from? What am I doing here? Where am I going when I die?

Post modernism. If nothing is true anything can be true. This is why people embrace it. We want anything to be true. It makes us our own gods.

Men don’t have to be men. Women don’t have to be women. We can be like God.

Reading of the Text:

Genesis 1:26-27. 26 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.”

27  So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God made man in His own image. What does this mean? It means that there is something separate about mankind. We reflect God in a unique way. We are not animals. This flies in face of Darwinian evolution. This is why you can’t mix the two. We are made in God’s image. We are not just animals. There is something unique about how made us. It gives us what is known as intrinsic value. And notice that both male and female have this value.

But what of sin? Some people try to say that falling into sin has destroyed the image of God in mankind. This is not true. Genesis 9:6 says this, “

6  “Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

This is long after the fall. God still says He has made man in His image. Mankind retains the image of God, though it has been tarnished. All through the Bible it refers to mankind being image bearers of God. We still have intrinsic value. This is why the Bible condemns murder. We reflect God’s image and that should not be destroyed. Some of God’s hardest judgments are reserved for murder or destruction of fellow image bearers of God.

This is why Christians are so strongly apposed to abortion. Not only are unborn children image bearers of God, they are innocent image bearers of God. Children are to be protected and nurtured. Biblically, those who destroy children are fully deserving of the death penalty. The Bible has strong language against the destruction of image bearers. There is no getting around it. This is why the church has historically been extremely active in the preservation of life, especially the life of the innocent and the children.

Illustration:

In the early years of the church, Christians became known as cannibals. They were known for this because of two reasons. First, they were known as cannibals by the Romans because of the practice of communion. We eat the body and drink the blood of Christ. Romans thought us cannibals because of this language. Secondly, they thought the church was a bunch of cannibals because of the church’s response to a horrifically evil practice the Romans engaged in. The Romans at this time did not value baby girls. If they had a baby girl, they would throw the living baby out with the trash to be disposed of in horrific ways I will not tell you. They would throw them away. Christians began to roam the streets at night. They would prowl and dig through the trash, looking for these dis-guarded babies. The Christians would save these children and raise them as their own. The Romans thought the Christians were eating the babies. The Christians were staying up all night digging through trash just to save babies.

Transition:

Christians have always been extremely pro life. We have always saved babies. Christians see the value in the image of God.

Christians see the value in the Image of God.

Christians have always values human life. We fight for fair treatment. We fight for what is right. But today Christians are being labeled as hateful bigots. Why? Because everyone wants to do what is right in their own eyes. Everyone wants to be their own god but we serve the one true God. Perhaps the greatest attack on this is in the LGBT movement. Remember, God made humans as male and female. God designated this. Adam did not say, “Gee, Eve, Ya know, I kinda sort of feel like a.... a.... hmmm what should I call it?… a man! Yeah that’s it!” And Eve did not respond with, “Wow Adam! That is so cool! Live your truth! I feel like I am a woman.” And certainly the next thing that happened was not both of them agreeing that they are so happy that they figured that out and are self identified.

No. What happened is God made Adam a man for a reason and purpose. God made Eve a woman for a reason and purpose. What is something you need to know that you won’t hear anywhere else? Boys, you are made male for a reason. As men, you reflect the image of God in a special way. Your masculinity has value and purpose. There is something unique about how God made you men. You are made as men to glorify God and you are to use your masculinity to honor God and serve mankind, specifically your future wives and children.

Girls, you are made female for a reason. As women you reflect the image of God in a special way. Your femininity has value and purpose. There is something unique about how God made you women. You are made as women to glorify God and you are to use your femininity to honor God and serve mankind, specifically your future husbands and children.

Men, God has given you unique roles. These roles are in no way better or worse than the roles given to women. You are to be men. You are to be strong and courageous. You are to lead. You are to protect those weaker than yourselves. You are to be brave and bold. God has made you to be the warriors. Now, you must recognize that as warriors, you are to lay your lives down in service of something. What is that? You are to lay your lives down in service of God, your family, and these women here. You are the guards protecting what is more valuable and beautiful. This means you watch out for them. You do not boss them around as if you are better than them. You are to be good guardians. If someone were to try to harm them, you are to put yourself in between the danger and these women here. You also have the responsibility of leadership. You are to lead well. You are to learn and be well educated. You are to be wise. You are most of all to fear God. This means you are kind and meek. You are often quiet and respectful. But when the situation demands it, you roar like a lion and lead the way with strength and masculinity.

Women, God has given you unique roles. These roles are in no way less honorable or wonderful than the roles God gave the men. In fact, in my candid opinion, your roles are of greater value than the roles of men. We as men are to be guards at the door. A guard only stands guard over what is more beautiful and valuable. Your role is to be a support, a helper, a lovely breath of fresh air. You are to be beautiful and strong. You are like fine china that is beyond value. You are to love deeply and feel strongly. You are to have strong emotional connections and values. You are the nurturers. When men are wounded in the battles of this life, no one can heal better than a loving woman. Mothers and wives prove this. You are the glory of men. We honor you and value you. But perhaps the most beautiful and wonderful and world changing task in history is that of motherhood. You have been given the greatest battlefield in human history. You have the ability and responsibility to bear and raise eternal souls. You have the gift of giving life. This is the single most incredible thing in the human experience. In motherhood, the woman is elevated to highest place in human society.

Women, this is why you must never allow anyone to let you feel inferior. You are not lesser. God has given both genders specific roles and forbidden specific roles from them. Women, this does not mean you are lesser. You are equal. Wicked and twisted men will attempt to make you feel lesser, a godly man will attempt to help you see your value. A godly man will stand in the doorway to try to guard you, a wicked man will try to sneak in the door to manipulate you.

Women, do not believe the lie that you can do anything a man can do. Men, do not believe the lie that you can do anything a woman can do. You are different. You are each unique. God has assigned some things to the men and some things to the women. We are not to defy this, we are to submit to God and be who He made us to be. There is honor and beauty in this. God is glorified in this. God is most glorified however, in the family. When one man and one woman come together and before God and witnesses commit to one another. They commit to stand together and honor how He has made the universe. They then come together and have children. They, under the blessing of God, produce eternal souls to raise and nourish in the fear of the Lord. This is not just beautiful, it is powerful. This is like a nuclear reaction.

Comparison:

Compare this with the logic of the world. The logic of the world is that no one is really anyone, nothing is really anything, anyone can be anything, and anything can be anyone. Confusing right? They say that Man can be man or woman or dog or fictional construct. They say woman can be woman or woman or dog or anything. There is no limit put on anything and in doing so they attempt to destroy the image of God. They hate God so much they attempt to mar His image in themselves beyond recognition. The image of God is reflected in a man. Therefore they attempt to emasculate men. They claim that a man being a man is toxic. The image of God is reflected in a woman. Therefore they attempt to destroy women. The feminist movement hates women. They attempt to destroy women. They put them harms way. They demonize the role of motherhood. The modern culture attempts to make men women and women men.

It is no small wonder that their next step was to try to confuse the line on gender. Men became so wickedly confused that they became women. Women became so wickedly confused that they became men. Now there are infinite genders with no limit on what anyone can be. It is a depressive downward spiral on a waterside to the county water treatment plant.. To put it eloquently, our culture is spinning down the toilette bowl. But what does one expect when everyone believes nothing is true therefore everything can be true.

The Truth:

However, the one and only truth is found in God’s Word. This means that men are still men and women are still women. This means that we are to abide by God’s revealed plan and obey it. Men, I command you under the revealed authority of God to be men! Do not be bullies but be God-fearing men. Grow up, honor God, find a godly woman to marry, have lots of kids, and be the spiritual leader of that household. Protect them, honor them, lead them. Be men in your community. Stand tall. Act like men. Be good husbands who love their wives just like Jesus loves the church.

Women, I command you under the revealed authority of God to be women. Don’t be passive floozies. Grow up, honor God, find a godly man to marry, have lots of kids, and be the spiritual nurturer in your household. Submit to your husband, honor him, love your children, teach them, care for them. Be women in your community. Be lovely. Act like women. Be good wives who honor and submit to their husbands as the the Lord.

Hear this before we leave. Men, it’s good to be men. The culture might say it isn’t, but God says it is. Be men. That is a godly thing. Women, it is good to be a woman. The culture might say it isn’t but God says it is. Be women, that is a godly thing.

Honor God and make more Christians, through witnessing and through childbirth. Amen!