significance

God’s plan to partner with people Gen -Rev

Review

The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God slow to anger, abounding in love anfd faithfulness.

Genesis 1:27–28 NIV

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Main point: We were made to partner with God in seeing his kingdom come. Our part in seeing the goodness of God matters a lot. God loves using weak, marginal, “insignificant children” to shape the world.

You see it via, Abraham - God calls him and promises to make him a great nations - the heart of his purpose is seen in vs 3

Genesis 12:3 NIV

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

the nation of Israel Deuteronomy 4:6-8

Deuteronomy 4:6–8 NIV

Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Those who partner most with God are the ones, who get to know God the most. These are the ones who are called Friends of God, people like Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah.

Ultimately we see God’s desire to partner with humanity in Jesus. God is so committed to ruling through humans Hebrews 2:14-17

Hebrews 2:14–17 NIV

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

But it is not like Jesus did it all and we are now just passive spectators. Like football fans who just cheer on the team. Or who fall asleep in the lazy-boy.

In the new testament we see Jesus says to his disciples: John15:14-17

John 15:14–17 NIV

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

The heart of God for people is to partner with him. To confide in them his plans for the world and to partner with them is seeing those plans executed.

Ultimately Rev 22:3-5

Revelation 22:3–5 NIV

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

From beginning to end God wants to partner with his people to bring his purposes to pass on earth as it is in heaven. God wants to use us.

Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go...”

Fear and guilt…something else to do.

Ephesians 4:8–13 NIV

This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

God give gifts to his people, in order to build up his people, in order that they would be his full partners in unleashing the kingdom of God.

God’s purpose for church is to build us up to live as Christ in the world.

God wants you attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Christ is a royal reigning term, the anointed the powerful one. One way to think about the purpose of our gatherings is to equip us.

Story of my brother having a heart attack

We live in a world where people experience TRAMA all the time. Where people need to be ministered to and God want to administer grace through us to people around us.