by pastor Wilson
big idea:
God created us to reflect His reign and share His glory on earth
God's Reign over heaven & Earth
Gods Reign rejected by 3 Rebellions seen in Genesis 3, Genesis 6 and Genesis 11
Gods Reign foreshadowed through the formation of Israel as God's
representative to the nations
God's Reign inaugurated through the comming of Jesus - the Messiah King
God's Reign extended over the nations through the church - you and me
God's Reign completely restored through the establishment of the new heaven and new earth when king Jesus return
Understand God's intent and purpose for you
God bestow special staus of bearing the image of God. This image was not for any other creature on the ground but only Adam and Eve
The image of God is a special status
given by the Creator-King to humanity in representing Him on earth
It is God's desire for humanity to be His vice-regent over the earth because God wanted to share His glory, His rulership with humanity
As long as you are human you bear the image of God. That's why we do not belong to the ape or gorilla category because we have the image of God, they don't!
It is also this image bearing status that gives human life its sacred value calling all of us to cherish and to protect life
That's the reason the christian faith is against all form of murder, that violate the sacredness of human life made in the image of God
unborn child, special needs people, sick and frail elderly does not justifies us ending their life early because they bears the image of God
As caregivers over these people, you have given dignity to them, you are honouring the image of God status in them. Yes, the journey is tough but God has entrusted you with a sacred assignment that few others could carry. The Lord will reward you for your faithfulness over this assignment that requires you to love and to respect God's image in your loved ones
Even King David, writing thousand of years after creation reaffirmed humanity unique worth found in
Psalm 8:3-5
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; [4] What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? [5] Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
God's plan was disrupted when Adam and Eve rebelled against Him in Genesis 3
Garden of Eden was God's dwelling place where the creator King rule heaven and earth, Eden was also God's sacred space where His supernatural and His human family gather together
When Adam and Eve were banished from Eden, that situation posed a serious problem for humanity which is how humanity represent God properly when they no longer access to God although they bore God's image?
There is now a separation between God and man. This separation prevented humanity to know God's heart and mind, this led to people bearing Gods inage but did not represent Him well in their actions and behaviours
God was never afraid of the three rebellions found in Genesis 3, 6 and 11
The wicked schemes of the fallen, supernatural beings could never thwart God's plan to have His human family to rule and reign on earth. Yes the plan was delayed, yes the plan was disrupted but God had His ways to restore it
More importantly, God wanted to restore humanity ability
to image Him, to reflect Him, to represent
Him in a godly manner the way Adam did before the fall in Genesis 3. Only through Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:15-16
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Jesus is the image of God
He is the firstborn of all creation
"firstborn"
here refers to Jesus preeminence, where He holds the highest rank and supreme authority over all creation
How can I model Jesus even though i cannot see Him?
John 16:13-15
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. [14] He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. [15] All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
We have the Holy Spirit who will work through godly men and women around us to help us become more and more like him
1 Corinthians 11:1
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
God's image is still upon your enemies, God's image is still upon someone you don't like. We
must not take things into our own hands to hurt or kill because they bear God's image
1. God made humanity in His image to represent Him on earth
2. This is a special status not based in one's natural talents or merits
3. Even after the rebellion of Adam and Eve, humanity kept this special status, albeit as imperfect representatives of God
4. Jesus was the perfect image of God
when He lived on earth
5. God wants to restore all of us to the image of Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit in disciple making
Genesis 1:26-28
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.” [27] God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. [28] 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.”
The Dominion mandate was about humans being fruitful, multiplying themselves, overseeing the land, and stewarding its resources through responsible care of the earth, creation care
Eden was perfect but the rest of the earth outside Eden was not cultivated. God required the first couple to subdue it, the rest of the earth outside Eden to transform it to become like Eden
God placed them in the garden of Eden
to learn how to be the best gardener in earth
Genesis 2:8-15
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. [9] Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [10] Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. [11] The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. [12] The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. [13] The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. [14] The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. [15] Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
Garden of Eden was God's training ground for Adam and Eve to subdue the earth
Both of them were supposed to bring Eden to the rest of the earth where God's glory and presence could be seen through the first couple. And God wanted to share His glory with humanity, with His human family through their care and stewardship
of the earth
Prebelievers do not live their lives intentionally to bear the image of Jesus Christ and to reflect God's glory. They can be very well known, very successful in their careers, like many of our friends around us yet disconnected from the divine creator who has made them. For believers, we are to represent Jesus Christ in every sphere of society, carry His glory, fulfill His purpose in all that we do
Believers are representatives of King Jesus in our homes, schools, campuses, the marketplace. and in every sphere of influence we are placed
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