Sermon Tone Analysis

In His Image

Illustrations

The Mirror and the Mask: A handheld mirror.

“Who is that person in the mirror?

Do you know who they are?

Maybe you should wear a mask and pretend you are someone you are not.”

Trapped in Halloween: Little Johnnie struggled with his identity.

One Halloween he asked his mother, “What should I be?” His mother said, “Whatever you want to be Johnnie!”

He replied, “I want to be an alien!”

So, she bought him an alien costume.

Throughout the night and around the neighborhood Johnnie got lots of compliments and candy as an alien.

When he got home, his mother said, “Ok, let’s take off the costume and get ready for bed.” “No” replied Johnnie, “You said I could be whatever I wanted to be, and I want to be an alien.

Being an alien makes me feel special.”

His mother decided to let it go for the night.

The next morning Johnnie came to the breakfast table dressed like an alien.

His mother said, “Johnnie, you have to go to school.

You can’t wear your costume.”

Johnnie replied, “I am not Johnnie anymore.

I am an alien.”

The mother took him to school and dropped him off.

The teacher said, “Johnnie, Halloween is over.

You can’t wear your costume to school.”

Johnnie replied, “This is not a costume.

I am an alien.

From now on my name is ‘ET’.”

When the teacher consulted Johnnie’s parents, they said they were relieved that their son had finally discovered his real identity.

They had agreed to change his name and place of origin on his birth certificate, build him a spaceship in the back yard, and help him “phone home.”

Many people seem to be trapped in Halloween.

They are treating one another as if their costume identities are real.

When pretending takes the place of reality, things get really “scary”!

We are created in the Image of God (Imago Dei)

We are created, not evolved.

We are created by God the Creator.

We are created in the image and likeness of God.

God determined our gender at conception.

God decides.

Biology testifies.

We are created by God to be His “Image Bearers”.

God’s Image LOST

The dysfunction of SIN

Sin entered our world in the Garden of Eden.

Sin brings confusion, shame, and dysfunction.

The distortion of IDOLATRY

Idolatry is the worship of an image other than the image of God.

Idolatry exchanges the image of God with another image.

Idolatry rejects God as Creator.

Idolatry distorts God’s design

Idolatry debases the human soul (human psychology)

Idolatry encourages rebellion against what is good and right

Idolatry conforms us to its image.

The deception of this WORLD

We cannot discover our identity through experimentation with and conformity to this world.

We cannot discover our identity through feelings, pleasure, peer pressure, the desire to be accepted, the desire for attention, the fear of being hurt, the hope of finding genuine love, and the quest to find significance apart from God.

In time, seeking our identity in this world will leave us lonely, disillusioned, angry, and afraid.

We often defend a false identity because it is better than no identity at all or better than the one sin has distorted.

The Image of God RESTORED

Repent of false identities rooted in idolatry, rebellion, sin, and dysfunction.

Return to your Creator.

He made you and designed you.

He made you in His image and likeness.

He knows the meaning and purpose for your life.

Ask God to reveal and restore His image and likeness in your life.

The I AM can tell me who I AM

I AM who the I AM says I AM

The I AM can tell me who I AM in Christ

Turn to Jesus Christ

The Witness of Christmas.

The image of God became flesh in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is God’s ultimate Image Bearer.

Jesus came to reveal and restore the image of God in fallen human beings.

Jesus died to remove the penalty of sin and to break the distortion of sin.

Put your faith in Jesus Christ as your only hope of eternal salvation and deliverance.

Conform your life to the image of Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament.

Study the New Testament to find out who you are in Christ and who He is in you.

Seek to become one of God’s Image Bearers in this world of confusion.