WEBVTT 00:00:03.032 --> 00:00:03.700 Thank you Isaac. 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.932 Good morning everyone. 00:00:05.932 --> 00:00:07.033 It's great to be with you today. 00:00:07.033 --> 00:00:11.233 We're continuing our series on Knowing God is Loving God. 00:00:11.233 --> 00:00:23.233 And the more we know him as we sing this morning, the more we know him, the more we love him, and the more we love him, the more we love others, the more we spread his kingdom to the world. 00:00:23.233 --> 00:00:31.300 Now part of knowing him is also understanding who we are because of what he says about us. 00:00:32.232 --> 00:00:35.232 There's a story of a woman 60 years old. 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:43.600 All her life she had been cared for by everyone around her because her hands didn't really work right. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:51.332 She couldn't use them in a normal, functioning way, and so everyone around her had to care for every need of hers. 00:00:51.566 --> 00:01:00.466 They would feed her for her, dress her, even all the way up till she was 60 years old, caring for every personal need, if you know what I mean. 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:04.099 But then those family members passed away. 00:01:04.099 --> 00:01:05.632 There was no one left to care for her. 00:01:05.632 --> 00:01:09.933 She ends up in the hospital and the doctor's examining her, and he says, I don't see any. 00:01:09.933 --> 00:01:14.132 I don't see any medical reason why her hands shouldn't work. 00:01:14.132 --> 00:01:16.332 This is really strange. 00:01:16.332 --> 00:01:20.165 And so he talked the nurses into, we're going to try a little experiment. 00:01:20.165 --> 00:01:29.200 Here's what I want you to do every time you come in to feed her because she can't feed herself, because her hands don't work, I want you to set the food just out of reach of her. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:30.700 Now. Don't start feeding her right away. 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:31.599 Wait a little bit. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:32.799 Tend to some other things. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.933 Act like you kind of forgot about the fact that she's hungry and needs food. 00:01:37.299 --> 00:01:41.299 And so they did this for a number of weeks, finally getting around to feeding her over time. 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:52.332 Eventually there was a day where she got tired of waiting, and she reached out, grab some food for herself, a little bit of food, and then from there, it didn't take long to help her see. 00:01:52.332 --> 00:01:54.132 No, your hands actually do work. 00:01:54.132 --> 00:01:59.033 In fact, she had convinced herself because others were taking care of her. 00:01:59.033 --> 00:02:06.933 She had told herself, my hands must not work, and became convinced of that all the way up till she was 60 years old. 00:02:06.933 --> 00:02:07.900 My hands don't work. 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:10.099 I can't use them. 00:02:10.099 --> 00:02:14.500 Now. Here's the important truth here we want to draw from that. 00:02:14.566 --> 00:02:23.500 The stories you tell yourself about yourself do have a big influence on the way you live, whether they're true or not. 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:26.332 By the way, that's true positively. 00:02:26.332 --> 00:02:27.300 That's true negatively. 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:30.300 In her case, it was very negative. 00:02:30.633 --> 00:02:43.032 And the most important thing that you need to realize today is that you at your very best, the thing that is most true of you is what God says about you more than anything else. 00:02:43.032 --> 00:02:43.665 You know, in your notes. 00:02:43.665 --> 00:02:48.800 I have a quote that Colby shared with us a couple of weeks ago from A.W. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:49.900 Tozer. 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:55.800 And he says, most important thing about you is what you think about when you think about God. 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:02.332 What comes to mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you. 00:03:02.566 --> 00:03:12.366 Well, a follow up to that then, and what we're going to talk about today is probably the second most important thing about you is what you think God thinks about you. 00:03:14.032 --> 00:03:22.432 When you think about yourself, do you think about yourself because of what a teacher said was true of you, good or bad? 00:03:22.432 --> 00:03:26.832 What a peer, what a friend or an enemy said about you? 00:03:26.832 --> 00:03:31.366 Is that what comes to mind first, or what you think about you? 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:37.599 Or is it what God's Word said is true of you? 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:46.866 If you know Christ, there are things that are true of you, and those are the most things, most important things, the most true things about you. 00:03:46.866 --> 00:03:56.165 So we're going to meditate today and explore who does the Bible say we are, because that's the most important thing about who we are, what God says about who we are. 00:03:56.165 --> 00:04:00.032 So we're going to look at a few of those truths today and give you a few application points. 00:04:00.032 --> 00:04:03.500 Turn in your Bibles actually don't need to turn there yet. 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:07.633 We're going to spend time in Genesis chapter one this morning, which is pretty easy to find. 00:04:07.633 --> 00:04:10.566 I don't think we need a page number for that. That's page one. 00:04:10.566 --> 00:04:19.100 Roughly after the introduction, but I think the first reality, the first thing to be aware of when it comes to who am I? 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:23.800 Who does God say I am is just understanding. 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:27.565 And this is number one in your outline that God created you. 00:04:28.033 --> 00:04:29.733 You are created by God. 00:04:29.733 --> 00:04:45.665 He created every person who has ever existed, which means and even says in Psalm 139, 15 through 17 or 13 through 15, I knitted you together in your mother's womb before you even existed. 00:04:45.665 --> 00:04:46.899 I knew who you were. 00:04:46.899 --> 00:04:48.632 I was a part of creating you. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:54.132 Also in verse seven, it talks about the fact that where can anyone flee from God? 00:04:54.132 --> 00:04:56.300 Where can you go away from his presence? 00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:59.132 Not only did he create you, he knows where you are. 00:04:59.132 --> 00:05:00.333 He still knows who you are. 00:05:00.333 --> 00:05:02.699 He didn't just create you and forget about you. 00:05:02.699 --> 00:05:03.966 He knows who you are. 00:05:03.966 --> 00:05:09.033 He still cares about every single person ever created. 00:05:09.033 --> 00:05:11.000 So we're all created by God. 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.800 Now here's the second part and we're going to spend more time on this. 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:16.233 Yes, we are created by him. 00:05:16.233 --> 00:05:17.533 And what does that mean? 00:05:17.533 --> 00:05:20.533 Everyone is created in the image of God. 00:05:21.733 --> 00:05:24.733 We're made in the image of God. 00:05:25.365 --> 00:05:26.665 Now what does that mean? 00:05:26.665 --> 00:05:31.665 Because you're thinking, I know some folks who don't seem to have anything to do with the image of God. 00:05:31.665 --> 00:05:36.565 I don't look anything like what I think God should look like, and sometimes I might act that way as well. 00:05:36.565 --> 00:05:37.033 Right? 00:05:37.033 --> 00:05:40.000 Well, so what does it mean that we carry the image of God? 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:45.100 There's been a lot of debate about that over the centuries, over the millennia. 00:05:45.100 --> 00:05:54.100 So what today we're going to look at, though, I think is just three ways this won't cover it all, but we're going to see right in the text the first mention of this phrase, the image of God in Genesis chapter one. 00:05:54.100 --> 00:06:01.699 I think we're going to see three ways that we bear the image of God, three ways we express the image of God that everyone does. 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:01.966 All right. 00:06:01.966 --> 00:06:06.632 So turn with me to Genesis chapter one, and we're going to read verses 26 through 28. 00:06:07.865 --> 00:06:12.333 And there we’ll unpack three ways were made in the image of God. 00:06:13.165 --> 00:06:29.466 Verse 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, over the birds of the heavens, over the livestock, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 00:06:29.466 --> 00:06:33.300 So God created man in his own image. 00:06:33.966 --> 00:06:42.432 In the image of God, he created him, male and female He created them and God blessed them. 00:06:42.432 --> 00:06:48.600 And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it. 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:55.300 Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over every living thing that moves on the earth. 00:06:55.300 --> 00:07:02.033 So here we have God creating mankind and saying, as he's creating mankind, I'm going to make you in my image. 00:07:02.033 --> 00:07:03.000 Now what does that mean? 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:06.533 I think there's three specific things here in this passage. 00:07:06.533 --> 00:07:09.733 We can point out about what it means to be created in God's image. 00:07:09.733 --> 00:07:14.065 The first is that he has given us dominion over the earth. 00:07:14.333 --> 00:07:24.865 Part of putting his image into mankind is that we are really the pinnacle of creation, and we are to be over caring for creation. 00:07:24.865 --> 00:07:39.699 15 that he put Adam and Eve in the garden to tend it and care for it, and there's something about being made in his image, where we reflect his character in the way that he brings, takes chaos and makes order out of it. 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:50.399 You know, at the very beginning in verse one and two, it says, the spirit was moving over the water, spirit was hovering over the waters, over the chaos, over the disorder. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.966 But God from disorder, he brought order. 00:07:53.966 --> 00:07:57.800 And he said to Adam and Eve, go in the garden and take the disorder there. 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.800 And create something from it. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:07.733 And so that is part when we take chaos and disorder and we bring order and care to it. 00:08:07.733 --> 00:08:12.699 And by the way, make the world better for everyone, make life better for everyone around us. 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:16.565 When we do that, we are reflecting the image of God. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:28.100 And of course, there are times where we are the ones bringing the chaos and bringing the disorder, and we are doing the opposite of reflecting the image of God. 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:31.432 That of course that happens. 00:08:31.432 --> 00:08:46.899 But when we are honoring him and following his plan for us and following his Word, part of reflecting his image is bringing order, bringing life to everyone around you, making the world a better place, making life better for everyone. 00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:52.133 This is why we know it's clear that file cabinets are from the Lord. 00:08:52.133 --> 00:08:56.133 They help us to organize life, to bring order out of chaos. 00:08:56.133 --> 00:08:57.399 We've already done that sermon. 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:01.799 I won't repeat it, but you see, that's one way we image God. 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:03.365 We reflect his image to the world. 00:09:03.365 --> 00:09:07.166 I think a second way we see here in the text look at verse 27. 00:09:08.365 --> 00:09:12.865 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him. 00:09:12.865 --> 00:09:18.700 And then he says, this male and female, he created them. 00:09:19.066 --> 00:09:24.799 Part of the ways we reflect the image of God is the fact that we are male and female. 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:35.200 There's something about this that God said, when I create humans, I'm going to create the male and female, and that will tell the world something about who I am. 00:09:36.732 --> 00:09:39.399 I think there's three ways we can look at that. 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:40.666 I've outlined in your notes. 00:09:40.666 --> 00:09:44.466 There are three ways that this reflects the image of God. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:50.765 One is first, this tells us that both male and female are valued. 00:09:51.533 --> 00:09:57.100 And this seems obvious to us in our modern Christian era. 00:09:57.765 --> 00:10:06.265 But before Christ came into the world, before Christianity spread throughout the world, this wasn't always necessarily true. 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:12.466 There were many cultures, and usually it was men who more value was placed on them. 00:10:12.466 --> 00:10:16.200 They were considered more important, more worthy, more valuable. 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:17.799 And you know what, though? 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:19.633 You still see this at play today. 00:10:19.633 --> 00:10:23.200 There's plenty of other non-Christian cultures today where this happens. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.899 Just think of the one child policy in China. 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:34.100 And because men were seem to be more valued for a family, oftentimes the girls intentionally are aborted. 00:10:37.066 --> 00:10:47.732 You see, this may be in some heavily run Muslim governed countries where the the way men are treated is very different than the way women are treated. 00:10:47.732 --> 00:10:50.566 And of course, in every culture there are inequalities. 00:10:50.566 --> 00:10:57.399 But by God's design, men and women were both valued before him equally. 00:10:57.700 --> 00:11:00.666 God didn't create men and women and say, and you know what? 00:11:00.666 --> 00:11:03.932 One is a little more important than the other. 00:11:03.932 --> 00:11:09.932 No, we're both to be deeply valued and appreciated. 00:11:09.932 --> 00:11:12.533 So that's one way, a second way. 00:11:12.533 --> 00:11:20.100 I think that this is important that we are male and female, is that this reflects or gives us a picture of the Trinity. 00:11:20.466 --> 00:11:21.500 Just a hint. 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.432 And of course male female is two, not three. 00:11:23.432 --> 00:11:25.033 I know that I took math in college. 00:11:25.033 --> 00:11:40.633 I took a lot of math in college, but it just gives us a picture of the fact that there is a love relationship that occurs between a man and a woman in marriage in particular, that, when done right, reflects just a picture of what God's love is like within the Trinity. 00:11:40.633 --> 00:11:53.365 The fact that you have father, son, Holy Spirit who eternally love each other perfectly, even though they play out different roles among humanity, even though they act differently, perfect love in between them. 00:11:53.365 --> 00:12:00.666 And so when man and woman perfectly loving honoring one another, you just get a glimpse of that reality, of that truth. 00:12:02.566 --> 00:12:08.133 And of course, when we don't do that well, we distort that truth. 00:12:08.133 --> 00:12:16.100 We distort the love that God intends for us to experience at its at its fullest. 00:12:16.133 --> 00:12:23.299 And then, number three, I think it's important for us to emphasize, to stand for the truth, that there are only two sexes. 00:12:26.332 --> 00:12:31.899 And this is a difficult one, because we live in a world where there's a lot of confusion around that right now. 00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:46.600 I don't think that's any accident or coincidence that the enemy of of Christ would attack the first few verses of the Bible, the very foundation of creation. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.100 He made them male and female. 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:50.932 Well, let's question that. 00:12:50.932 --> 00:12:52.399 Let's try to reverse that. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:56.332 Let's ourselves try to define what sex and gender is. 00:12:56.332 --> 00:12:58.600 We should be God, really, not him. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.600 We should determine what that is. 00:13:02.033 --> 00:13:05.033 And and by the way, look up. 00:13:05.865 --> 00:13:10.799 I want to be kind and careful towards those who are struggling with what this means for them. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:16.832 Maybe you feel like drawn one more way different than how you were created up. 00:13:16.899 --> 00:13:25.732 We're not here to hate on you or heap guilt on you, but when there is confusion, what you need is not coddling. 00:13:25.732 --> 00:13:26.832 When you're confused. 00:13:26.832 --> 00:13:29.399 When I'm confused, I don't need coddling. 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:31.832 I need something that's concrete, right? 00:13:31.832 --> 00:13:39.432 I need something truthful to stand on when someone comes to me and they're struggling with any sin, by the way, that it doesn't have to be that. 00:13:39.432 --> 00:13:40.865 I mean, it could be anything. 00:13:42.066 --> 00:13:43.100 I don't go, you know what? 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:44.566 That's okay. 00:13:44.566 --> 00:13:45.000 It's really. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:46.899 It's okay. Just keep. 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:48.299 That's who you are. 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:49.100 That's what you feel. 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:50.200 Just live it out. 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:50.666 It's okay. 00:13:50.666 --> 00:13:53.100 God will bless that. 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:54.466 No. 00:13:54.466 --> 00:13:56.432 And of course, that's even what I want to tell myself. 00:13:56.432 --> 00:13:58.000 When I have a pet sin, I want to pursue. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.200 We all want to do that. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:00.399 But that's not what we need. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:02.732 We don't need to be coddled when we're confused. 00:14:02.732 --> 00:14:04.700 We need truth. 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:12.600 And the most loving thing I can say, hopefully said in love to someone who is wrestling in that area, is to go back to God's design. 00:14:12.865 --> 00:14:14.466 He created as male and female. 00:14:14.466 --> 00:14:15.966 He knows what is best for us. 00:14:15.966 --> 00:14:18.432 He knows what is better for you than even you know. 00:14:20.865 --> 00:14:22.765 And walk in that truth. 00:14:22.765 --> 00:14:25.633 And it may take a while to figure out what that fully means. 00:14:25.633 --> 00:14:29.700 And of course, our world confuses what is man and woman. 00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:33.265 In fact, here's here's the maddening part of our world. 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:40.799 It's crazy to me how our culture tries to make women, men and men women to try to make them better. 00:14:40.899 --> 00:14:42.899 We can't celebrate the fact that we're different. 00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:45.799 We got to make each other the same to like one another. 00:14:45.799 --> 00:14:47.232 I mean, there's nothing. 00:14:47.232 --> 00:14:55.399 There's nothing our world would love better than for a woman to be at the pinnacle of NFL football, to be the best NFL football player. 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:56.765 That's nothing they would love better. 00:14:56.765 --> 00:14:59.066 And by the way, I don't care if that happens. I really don't care. 00:14:59.066 --> 00:14:59.600 Doesn't matter. 00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:03.700 But that doesn't make women more valuable. 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.633 If that happens, I'm not waiting for that to happen. 00:15:06.633 --> 00:15:16.100 For women to become more valuable, more worthy, more womanly, that's I, because God says I made them male and female, and they're both already valuable and worthy as they are. 00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:19.899 We can celebrate the differences now and enjoy that and delight in that. 00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:25.166 And delight in God's design, and stop trying to make each other the same to be worthy. 00:15:25.166 --> 00:15:26.799 Amen. 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:28.600 So a little bit of a rant on there for a minute. 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:31.033 I know some of you are really love that. 00:15:31.033 --> 00:15:32.299 Here we go. Keep going, he said. 00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:33.899 Now that's enough for now. 00:15:33.899 --> 00:15:35.432 We got other stuff to talk about. 00:15:35.432 --> 00:15:38.332 The way we're made in God's image. 00:15:38.332 --> 00:15:39.899 But he made us male and female. 00:15:41.166 --> 00:15:43.832 That's his design. 00:15:43.832 --> 00:15:49.066 And so we want to value that and delight in that. 00:15:49.732 --> 00:15:51.966 Now, third way, he made us in his image. 00:15:51.966 --> 00:15:56.166 Look at verse 28, and God bless them. 00:15:56.166 --> 00:16:00.299 And he said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 00:16:00.899 --> 00:16:10.432 And then he repeats from earlier, subdue, have dominion over the fish of the sea, birds of the heavens, over every living thing that moves on the earth. 00:16:10.432 --> 00:16:22.899 Of course, this command is clearly referring to the fact that a husband and wife, if they are physically able, should multiply, should bear fruit, should have children. 00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:26.232 Of course, this is specifically referring to that. 00:16:26.232 --> 00:16:32.133 But I also think the broader idea here is pointing to a mindset. 00:16:33.332 --> 00:16:44.666 If you read back in the day Rick Warren's very famous book, The Purpose Driven Life, the very opening chapter says, one of the most important things for you to realize is life is not only about you, it's not all about you. 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:48.332 And that's when I threw the book away right then. 00:16:48.332 --> 00:16:51.332 But I don't need to read this. 00:16:51.566 --> 00:16:54.566 It goes against my truth right there. 00:16:55.365 --> 00:17:03.966 Life is not only about us, and so we're to have as a Christian or to have an outward mentality, an outward focused mentality. 00:17:03.966 --> 00:17:10.732 And you all know the darkest place, the most miserable place you've been as a person is when you're only inward and focused on you. 00:17:10.732 --> 00:17:13.032 That is the worst place to be. 00:17:13.032 --> 00:17:16.932 And of course, there's times where you do have to tend to yourself more than others. 00:17:16.932 --> 00:17:20.232 I get that you you can only give from a place of strength, right? 00:17:20.232 --> 00:17:28.299 But you know the difference between the totally self-absorbed person and the giving, outward focused person. 00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.799 And who do you like to be around? 00:17:31.266 --> 00:17:34.000 I know which one I like to be around. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.500 I want to be around the giving, the outward focus. 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:38.532 And the same is true of churches, by the way. 00:17:38.532 --> 00:17:41.532 We're called to be giving outward focus. 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:44.700 This is at the very core of our mission. 00:17:45.932 --> 00:17:51.165 In fact, Wednesday night I was speaking to the Awana kids. 00:17:51.165 --> 00:17:56.133 They meet on Wednesday night and go through various Scripture memory verses. 00:17:56.133 --> 00:17:59.432 They've been working on that Awana stands for Approved Workman are Not 00:17:59.432 --> 00:18:03.299 15, rightly dividing the word of truth. 00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:07.133 And while I was there, I was there to share with him our missionary experience. 00:18:07.133 --> 00:18:12.000 And so I brought this to show them because we spent time in the South Pacific. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:15.133 This is a war club from Fiji. 00:18:15.965 --> 00:18:20.965 They, this wasn't, you know, actively used this was a replica. 00:18:20.965 --> 00:18:24.333 It's all carved up and pretty, you know, they sell these things everywhere there. 00:18:24.333 --> 00:18:27.266 Any time you've gone to a foreign country, you know what I'm talking about. 00:18:27.266 --> 00:18:29.766 They have things from their culture, from their tribes. 00:18:29.766 --> 00:18:31.865 They sell for you, to take with you, to remember by. 00:18:31.865 --> 00:18:34.865 But here's the thing about this. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:40.532 For years they were a warring country and by country. 00:18:40.532 --> 00:18:42.400 It's made up of some 300 islands. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:49.299 So they were small island groups of tribes, probably large extended families that were constantly fighting with one another. 00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:51.266 That's what they did. 00:18:51.266 --> 00:18:52.066 That's how they lived. 00:18:52.066 --> 00:18:56.133 They fought and they didn't have, you know, swords and guns. 00:18:56.133 --> 00:18:58.500 So they cut up trees and turned them in. 00:18:58.500 --> 00:19:01.865 I mean, this is a very heavy wood club, and they fashioned very creative. 00:19:01.865 --> 00:19:03.133 This isn't the most creative one. 00:19:03.133 --> 00:19:04.133 I could have got. 00:19:06.266 --> 00:19:08.932 Even cannibalistic. 00:19:08.932 --> 00:19:09.165 Right? 00:19:09.165 --> 00:19:18.732 They were cannibal culture until the gospel came to them and the gospel changed them. 00:19:18.732 --> 00:19:19.365 They. 00:19:19.365 --> 00:19:25.000 I didn't go there wondering if somebody might think I look kind of tasty for dinner. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.633 Didn't worry about that at all. 00:19:27.633 --> 00:19:32.200 In fact, there's some of the most joy filled people I've ever spent time around. 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:37.633 I mean, they would just laugh and cut up in a good hearted, good natured way all the time. 00:19:37.633 --> 00:19:40.633 They're always looking to laugh. 00:19:41.365 --> 00:19:45.200 Only the gospel brings about that kind of change, by the way. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:49.133 I mean, they still sell these as a remembrance of a day gone by. 00:19:49.133 --> 00:20:03.266 And you know what needed to happen for that to change someone 200 years ago had to say, I know that I'm very comfortable here in my home in the U.S or England or wherever it was. 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:05.865 But I also know that Matthew 00:20:05.865 --> 00:20:21.333 18 through 20 says, go, go therefore into all the world, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you, and I will be with you always. 00:20:21.333 --> 00:20:34.700 We are called to go, and so people who life is going great, who are perfectly comfortable said, I don't know why, but I need to go to someone I've never met 200 miles away, who would like to eat me and tell them about Christ. 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.133 Multiply. 00:20:38.133 --> 00:20:40.200 Fill the earth. 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:43.200 That's part of that command is to go. 00:20:43.266 --> 00:20:59.365 You know, I want to ask you to pray specifically, and I'm not going to give you her name, but there's a lady right now who is in a bunker, probably in and out of a bunker in Israel because of what's happening there between Israel and Iran. 00:20:59.365 --> 00:21:01.000 Of course, we're involved with that. 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.900 Two years ago, she went to Israel to be a missionary. 00:21:06.032 --> 00:21:07.965 She goes to a place where they don't want her. 00:21:07.965 --> 00:21:13.099 They don't want Christian missionaries working in Israel full time. 00:21:13.099 --> 00:21:15.932 But she came as some other occupation. 00:21:15.932 --> 00:21:23.432 But she knows my calling is to tell people about Jesus and of course, what seems to us something to be horrendous, to be awful. 00:21:23.432 --> 00:21:30.932 And I'm not getting into the political and whether it's right or wrong or not, but we would all say, if you're in a country where war is going on, that's bad. 00:21:30.932 --> 00:21:32.865 I don't want I don't want that here. 00:21:32.865 --> 00:21:42.066 I wouldn't want that there something that would seem awful in the midst of being in that bunker, she's able to tell others about Jesus. 00:21:42.066 --> 00:21:46.599 She's had multiple opportunities to tell others about Jesus. 00:21:47.465 --> 00:21:48.633 So be praying for her. 00:21:48.633 --> 00:21:49.633 I'm going to leave her unnamed. 00:21:49.633 --> 00:21:57.165 Just be praying for this woman in Israel who gave up her comfortable life here to go be a missionary somewhere where they didn't want her. 00:21:59.833 --> 00:22:09.000 Part of being made in the image of God is that we turn our focus outward, and we're seeking to see God's kingdom spread to the world. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:15.333 Now, here's a big challenge with this, okay? 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.200 Yes, we are made in the image of God. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:21.532 In fact, everyone is made in the image of God. 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:31.099 But we only we're looking at chapter one of Genesis and we know what happens just a chapter later. 00:22:31.099 --> 00:22:46.200 Chapter three sin enters the world and distorts, you could say corrupts the image of God in us defiles the image of God, clouds the image of God. 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:50.532 Sin enters the world and listed a couple of verses there in your notes, Romans chapter five. 00:22:50.532 --> 00:22:58.532 It says sin came through one man, and so sin spread, and so death came into the world, and so death and sin spread to all men. 00:22:59.766 --> 00:23:05.965 All of mankind now has been infected by sin, not only humans, but creation. 00:23:05.965 --> 00:23:06.432 In Romans 00:23:06.432 --> 00:23:13.365 22 talks about how creation groans, awaiting a day where God will restore. 00:23:15.165 --> 00:23:16.900 So we've been infected by sin. 00:23:16.900 --> 00:23:19.365 Sin has corrupted us. 00:23:19.365 --> 00:23:28.732 And the way to see this image of God, restored rightly into our life is to be renewed, redeemed, set right by Christ. 00:23:29.266 --> 00:23:38.700 And I'm not going to spend a ton of time on what that means today, because in future weeks, we're going to spend a whole week on Christ, who he is, what he's done. 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:44.266 We're going to spend a whole week on sin, what it is, what it means, how it infects us, how we move through it. 00:23:44.266 --> 00:23:52.833 I'm just going to give you four ways today, four ways that we can live a redeemed image of God out in our lives. 00:23:53.465 --> 00:23:56.299 How do we rightly view ourselves as God views us? 00:23:56.299 --> 00:24:00.266 That's the most important thing about how you think about yourself is what he thinks about you. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.566 So we're going to look at four ways we can do that. 00:24:03.566 --> 00:24:06.200 How we can we experience the redeemed image of God. 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:08.932 Look at the first one here. 00:24:08.932 --> 00:24:17.299 First, know that your identity is first received, not achieved. 00:24:17.766 --> 00:24:20.799 Know that your identity is first received, not achieved. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:23.566 This phraseology isn't original to me. 00:24:23.566 --> 00:24:24.432 It's not unique to me. 00:24:24.432 --> 00:24:31.200 If you're following along with the series, you know, when we started this series, we said, if you want, you can get a copy of that book. 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:33.665 You are a theologian and you can read along. 00:24:33.665 --> 00:24:40.299 I'm following the chapters of that book and I'm covering some of the content in there, but bringing in my own, and that was their wording. 00:24:40.299 --> 00:24:42.066 I really appreciated that way of saying it. 00:24:42.066 --> 00:24:46.000 Your identity is first received, not achieved. Now, the problem with that. 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:56.299 Is that modern Americans, this is really hard for us to comprehend, because most of us have to go find our own identity. 00:24:56.299 --> 00:24:58.833 It's not just given to us through our family. 00:24:58.833 --> 00:25:03.400 For example, we're a nation of self-made men and women. 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:06.333 You know, you got to go out and figure out, what am I supposed to do? 00:25:06.333 --> 00:25:08.165 What is my job supposed to be? 00:25:08.165 --> 00:25:13.766 When people meet you, usually one of the first questions they ask is, so tell me, what do you do? 00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:18.932 Because that identifies so much of who you are to them. 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:20.965 You know what's funny about Louisville? 00:25:20.965 --> 00:25:23.833 Someone mentioned this to me earlier, someone who moved here recently. 00:25:23.833 --> 00:25:29.833 They said, this is the only city I've ever lived in where people almost always ask me, where did you go to school? 00:25:29.833 --> 00:25:31.865 And they always mean high school, not college. 00:25:32.932 --> 00:25:33.500 I thought, you know what? 00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:35.165 That's right. I do that too. 00:25:35.165 --> 00:25:36.232 I do that all the time. 00:25:36.232 --> 00:25:41.932 Because for whatever reason in Louisville, when you know where someone went to school, you know a lot more about them. 00:25:41.932 --> 00:25:46.732 You start to put them in a little a little lane or a box and you okay, you went there. All right. 00:25:46.732 --> 00:25:49.400 I know who you are. Right? 00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:50.500 For whatever reason. 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:51.965 Okay. We do that. We're summing up. 00:25:51.965 --> 00:25:59.665 We're trying to get people's identities that one of the interesting things about living in Fiji, one of the first things they wanted to know is where you're from. 00:26:00.566 --> 00:26:03.333 And they didn't mean what country you were from. 00:26:03.333 --> 00:26:05.965 Of course they meant that with me, but with each other. 00:26:05.965 --> 00:26:09.932 They wanted to know what island you were from, even if you'd never been there. 00:26:11.432 --> 00:26:17.133 One guy, one of our neighbors, told me he was from an island called Gao, and it was 300 miles away from us, and he had never been there. 00:26:17.133 --> 00:26:19.365 Probably would never go there in his life. 00:26:19.365 --> 00:26:20.665 There's no flight there. 00:26:20.665 --> 00:26:21.965 That's a really long boat ride. 00:26:21.965 --> 00:26:26.200 And there's no I mean, you're going to have to find the boat to get there. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:29.099 And I said, what do you mean you're from there? 00:26:29.099 --> 00:26:30.599 He's like, no, no, no, that's my tribe. 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:31.299 That's my people. 00:26:31.299 --> 00:26:33.266 That determines who I am. 00:26:33.266 --> 00:26:35.766 My identity comes from who I am. 00:26:35.766 --> 00:26:38.599 My my tribe, my island, my people. 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:42.066 And it also determines the way I relate to people from this other island. 00:26:42.066 --> 00:26:47.500 You know, because we used to watch each other back then, and now they laugh about it, but it still determines who goes first in line. 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:53.799 Like all these little things about their life and the way they interact was received. 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:59.865 He didn't do anything to be from Gal that was received, not achieved. 00:26:59.865 --> 00:27:06.766 And later on we'd get to what you do, but it almost didn't matter for your identity. 00:27:06.766 --> 00:27:14.333 Who you are is first and foremost received, not achieved. 00:27:14.333 --> 00:27:16.232 I am who you say I am. 00:27:16.232 --> 00:27:18.465 We sang so many songs about this this morning. 00:27:18.465 --> 00:27:20.266 I'm no longer a slave to fear. 00:27:20.266 --> 00:27:25.032 Who you say I am is more important than who I think I am. 00:27:25.532 --> 00:27:37.532 Okay, so that's why I put in your notes Ephesians chapter one, and I want you at some point this week to spend time just meditating on those verses, Ephesians chapter one, verses one through 14. 00:27:37.532 --> 00:27:42.266 In fact, I'd encourage you to either if you like writing in your Bible to mark it up in your Bible. 00:27:42.266 --> 00:28:11.500 If you don't go copy it off the internet, print it out, and just mark every time you see the phrase in him or in Christ over and over, something like 11, 12 times in those 14 verses, in him, in Christ, in him, in him, and over and over again you'll hear who's if you're a Christian, here's who I am, here's who I really am, chosen in him before the foundation of the world. 00:28:11.500 --> 00:28:14.266 You'll get one truth after another. 00:28:14.266 --> 00:28:15.500 Circle that every time. 00:28:15.500 --> 00:28:17.165 And then make observations. 00:28:17.165 --> 00:28:18.799 Just make a list. Here's what's true. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:23.165 Here's who I truly am in him. 00:28:23.165 --> 00:28:29.432 Because what's most important about you is what you think about what God thinks about you. 00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:34.833 So that's the first way your identity is received, not achieved. 00:28:34.833 --> 00:28:40.532 Second, spend time dwelling on your restored allegiance. 00:28:42.365 --> 00:28:45.365 Sin makes us enemies of God. 00:28:46.266 --> 00:28:49.266 Christ restores our allegiance to him. 00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:52.599 I've listed a couple of verses Romans eight one. 00:28:54.432 --> 00:28:59.932 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:29:00.032 --> 00:29:08.799 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 00:29:08.833 --> 00:29:12.633 There's no condemnation anymore for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:29:12.633 --> 00:29:15.099 You've been set free from the law of sin and death. 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:21.400 In fact, that next verse, Romans six six, you're no longer a slave to sin. 00:29:22.432 --> 00:29:25.000 You no longer have to walk in sin. 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:28.000 You're no longer controlled by sin. 00:29:30.365 --> 00:29:35.833 Now, of course, part of the challenge with that is okay, John, why do I still sin sometimes? 00:29:35.833 --> 00:29:40.900 In theory, if you do, I'm sure there are people out there that this might happen to. 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:41.900 Well, we're going to talk about that. 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:42.932 Don't worry. We'll get through that. 00:29:42.932 --> 00:29:46.633 But first dwell on your restored allegiance. 00:29:46.900 --> 00:29:50.400 This is more true of you than anything else about you. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:53.665 If you know Christ, you're no longer a slave to sin. 00:29:55.400 --> 00:30:02.266 Now, this quote from Sinclair Ferguson I put in your notes helps shed some light on why we might still struggle with sin. 00:30:02.266 --> 00:30:04.032 Look at this quote in chapter six. 00:30:04.032 --> 00:30:09.865 Paul has argued that the believer is freed from the dominion of sin. 00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:11.200 I've been freed from that. 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:14.400 Sin no longer reigns over me and controls me. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:19.900 However, we're not yet freed from the presence of sin. 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:23.799 Okay, so I am no longer mastered by sin. 00:30:23.799 --> 00:30:26.000 I no longer have to submit to sin. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:32.566 But however, for whatever reason, God still allowed sin to exist in the world and it can still influence us. 00:30:32.566 --> 00:30:37.865 And sometimes we might choose to move toward sin. 00:30:37.865 --> 00:30:40.633 But you don't have to do. 00:30:40.633 --> 00:30:42.700 You don't have to be a slave to sin. 00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:44.865 Number three and here's how we battle that. 00:30:44.865 --> 00:30:48.599 Look at number three actively feed the spirit, not the flesh. 00:30:50.099 --> 00:30:52.599 Actively feed the spirit, not the flesh. 00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:53.766 Look at Romans chapter eight. 00:30:53.766 --> 00:30:54.400 Flip over there. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:57.133 We're just going to read a couple of verses in Romans chapter eight. 00:30:57.133 --> 00:31:04.400 This is a great section to meditate on about how you feed the spirit and not the flesh. 00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:18.799 Romans chapter eight verse five says, for those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:20.865 For to set the mind on the flesh is death. 00:31:20.865 --> 00:31:23.700 But to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace. 00:31:23.700 --> 00:31:28.000 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:29.665 It does not submit to God's law. 00:31:29.665 --> 00:31:30.965 Indeed, it cannot. 00:31:32.465 --> 00:31:34.066 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 00:31:34.066 --> 00:31:39.633 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. 00:31:39.633 --> 00:31:48.865 And if in fact, in fact, we could translate this, if indeed, since the Spirit of God dwells in you, anyone? 00:31:50.232 --> 00:31:51.799 I got lost as I was reading. 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:53.032 The Spirit of God dwells in you. 00:31:53.032 --> 00:31:55.766 Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 00:31:55.766 --> 00:32:02.566 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead, the spirit is life because of righteousness. 00:32:02.566 --> 00:32:04.365 You have a choice every day. 00:32:04.365 --> 00:32:11.400 Am I going to set my mind on things of the spirit, or am I going to set my mind on things of the flesh and where you set your mind? 00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:14.799 What you feed your heart is what will consume you. 00:32:17.365 --> 00:32:22.432 This is why today, for those who signed up, we're going to do a luncheon right after the service to talk about this. 00:32:22.432 --> 00:32:32.365 Because the reality is, every day you are attacked by an onslaught of the trivial that is seeking to completely decay your soul. 00:32:33.566 --> 00:32:41.200 And we give ourselves over to that so easily, and it just numbs our spiritual sensitivities. 00:32:42.099 --> 00:32:44.799 And all of us struggle with this. 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:47.700 All of us battle this. 00:32:47.700 --> 00:32:50.133 Some, well, some not. 00:32:50.133 --> 00:32:55.165 We're going to really address that and talk in depth about it in this luncheon. 00:32:55.165 --> 00:32:57.665 If you didn't sign up, you can still come. 00:32:57.665 --> 00:33:00.532 We're going to meet in here after the service. You can still come. 00:33:00.532 --> 00:33:03.000 Probably won't be enough food for you. 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:05.865 So you might have to skip lunch, but you can come in here. The content. 00:33:07.465 --> 00:33:10.900 But we've got to go on the offensive. 00:33:11.133 --> 00:33:19.299 You've got to push away the things of the flesh and move towards the things of the spirit. 00:33:19.532 --> 00:33:23.700 And then lastly, number four. 00:33:23.732 --> 00:33:25.633 Remember, you're made to worship. 00:33:25.633 --> 00:33:28.500 Yeah. 00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:30.799 All month long in the month of March. 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.099 Last week, I challenged you. 00:33:32.099 --> 00:33:34.900 If you were here, I challenge you to stand up and say I will. 00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:36.165 Every day in the month of March. 00:33:36.165 --> 00:33:38.633 Spend time in God's Word. 00:33:38.633 --> 00:33:42.299 And if you weren't here last week, we'll just have you stand individually right now. 00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:43.000 No. I'm kidding. 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:46.000 I won't put you put you on the spot. 00:33:46.266 --> 00:33:47.700 We put you on the spot last week. 00:33:47.700 --> 00:33:50.700 That was enough. 00:33:51.066 --> 00:34:02.566 If you want your heart to be set on the right thing, start by worshiping Colossians three two in your notes to set your mind on things that are above, not in things that are on earth. 00:34:02.566 --> 00:34:05.766 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 00:34:05.766 --> 00:34:09.032 And when he appears, your life will also appear with him in glory. 00:34:09.032 --> 00:34:12.032 Set your mind on him. 00:34:12.166 --> 00:34:16.599 And it takes an intentionality, but it's so worth it when you set your mind on him. 00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:20.632 When you worship him, that's when you see him start to work in your life. 00:34:20.632 --> 00:34:23.632 In fresh, new ways. 00:34:23.766 --> 00:34:30.365 Because what's most true of you is what God says is true of you.