The Image Within You

Scripture Passage

Colossians 1:15–28 (NLT)

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. 24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. 28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.

Focus Statement

Being Christian means living out the Image of God Within Us.

Point of Relation

Growing up can be both beautiful and rough.

As a kid, I had a solid home with the greatest parents a boy could ever ask for...

I had a rockin’ sister who, though we would fight from time to time, has stuck with me through thick and thin!

I had my bird Casey, Petey too (don’t get me started on her…yeah…long story)

My dogs Cookie and Candy.

They were my solid rock growing up...

But we live in a broken world and not even a near-perfect household can shield kids from the horrors and pain of life in this world.

And so it was the case for me.

At home and at church, I was told that God loved me just the way I am...

That God created me in his image and that God had a special purposed for me.

In the world, I got called fat when I was thin, told I was a loser, that I was gay, and a whole host of other things...

And the sad part is, no matter how much those lies were countered with the truth from my family and my church...

Over time, I started to believe them

I started to see myself as fat, as a loser, as a nobody...

I knew I was not gay…but how would I ever have a girlfriend if that was my reputation.

NOT TO MENTION…who cares if I am gay or not…why is that something to be made fun of.

So, as such, I was actually driven further from living into God’s image within me...

Because I was listening to all of the lies and allowing my fears to guide me.

Things to Consider

We all can find ourselves afraid to truly living out the IMAGE of GOD within us.

Why? Because we are imperfect human beings in a fallen and broken world.

We often fail to witness to our faith, preferring to keep our faith silent and PRIVATE...

We do not tend to see GOD’S IMAGE WITHIN US...

As much as we tend to see GOD apart from us.

What Scripture Says

So, Let me ask you this: what is God’s image? What does that mean?

Pause…allow for some answers...

This is a theological question that has very little straight answers, because it is left open-ended in the BIble.

And so there have been vast theological and philosophical debates over what is exactly meant by that Judea-Christian turn of phrase.

If we take a good look at God’s creation in Genesis 1, where this particular turn of phrase exists,

We will notice that it is surrounded by the following context:

God is creative and discerning.

God created the world and everything in it, giving each creation its own order and purpose.

God is caring, nurturing, compassionate and merciful.

God doesn’t jut create, but engages with creation and builds a relationship with it.

God saw Creation as being ULTIMATELY good.

God is all encompassing and HOLDS CREATION TOGETHER...

Meaning that Creation exists because it gives God pleasure and therefore God is FULLY invested in Creation.

And of course, we know that God is Love, as it says in 1 John 4:8

Love is the essence of God’s character.

So, in essence, being created in God’s image means that we are LIKE God…

keyword: we are like God…that is not the same as saying we are GOD.

Meaning that we were created with the ability to be creative, discerning, caring, nurturing,

compassionate, merciful, all encompassing and/or inclusive,

fully-invested in relationships with love as the essence of our character.

Of course, though God calls us to, we all know that we do not live fully into the character of God.

We often fail to be as creative, discerning, caring nurturing, compassionate, merciful,

all encompassing and/or inclusive, fully invested in relationships...

and certainly love often is not essence of our character.

Sure we love…but not perfectly.

But, as Paul testifies too, CHRIST…who is the VISIBLE IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD...

HOLDS US…along with all creation…together.

God, despite our sin, LOVED US to the point of death...

and through his death and resurrection...

SAVED US.

In response to our salvation...

God calls us proclaim God’s entire message to others.

A message others in the past were not privileged to hear, but we have had the message revealed to us by God.

The message that though we cannot save ourselves…GOD HAS ALREADY SAVED US...

We just need to put our faith in GOD though Jesus Christ.

Why does God call us to proclaim this?

Because, as Paul says, God wants us to know “that the riches and glory of Christ are for” ALL of God’s people…not just a select group...

And God has invited us into that understanding and the mission to spread the GOOD NEWS.

Paul then moves on to tell us THE BIG SECRET:

Now, listen in, because this is a really big secret:

CHRIST RESIDES or LIVES WITHIN US,

That’s right…the perfect IMAGE OF GOD is WITHIN US.

While we were sinners, imperfect at every level,

Christ was born and lived a sinless life...

Lived as a human being was truly created to be.

This SECRET Knowledge not only gives us the ASSURANCE of SHARING IN GOD’S GLORY...

But IT IS NOT SECRET AT ALL...

It is out in the open for anyone to take, accept and apply!

Hence why Paul paradoxically says that with this knowledge we have,

“we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.”

MEANING the SECRET IS NO SECRET AT ALL...

Rather…it is a REVELATION!

What This Means for You

Have you ever considered the FACT that as a Christian, Christ is ACTUALLY residing within you through the Holy Spirit.

Pause

How does this REVELATION change the way you look at your relationship with God?

Pause

In what ways does this cause you to reflect on your witness as a Christian?

Pause

How has Christ been calling you to grow deeper in your faith and as a witness to the IMAGE WITHIN YOU?

Pause

What This Means for Us

As a congregation, how have we witnessed to the IMAGE WITHIN US as the body of Christ?

Think of the various ways we have witnessed since I have been pastor here:

Through our talented musicians and our music ministry...

Such things as our Worship and our Worship-Centered Unity Choir Concerts, Coffee House, and Open-Mics.

Through 70+ year charter…probably nearing 80…of the Boy Scouts of America.

and other Youth oriented programs and ministries.

Through our Treasures of Hope Ministry and our support of the Weekend Bag Program, Sussex County Food Pantry,

through our participation in and hosting the No More Whispers Mental Health Awareness Campaign

Through our presence in the community during vigils,

protests for peace and justice,

and even as the Hogwarts Choir of Singing Frogs on Spring Street during WizardCon.

In what ways have we struggled to witness to the IMAGE WITHIN US?

Pause

How have we been selective in what we participate in, or entitled, or less than willing to serve when we find ourselves doing so.

There are plenty of ways in which we can, and should, reflect on our weaknesses...

Not to wallow in them...

But as a way of growing in our faith and in our witness.

Friends, the truth is that we are all in this together and...

Together we can continue to grow in both our faith, and in our witness the IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD WITHIN US!

Amen? Amen.