Image of God sermon outline

Image of God sermon outline

Bible texts: Genesis 1 and 1 John 4:7-21

What is man? What makes him special?

Two common answers:

1) 

We are a bunch of chemicals that have evolved to produce human life

Illustrations of this:

Ø  BBC’s The Human Body which highlighted the various elements found in the body

Ø  Richard Dawkins’ writings

Ø  Bloodhound Gang’s controversial Bad Touch

§  Consequences: programmes like Terry Pratchett’s Choosing to Die which commended Euthanasia for if we are mere mammals then there’s no inconsistency in treating us as you would a pet – putting us down at the end of our days

v All told a horrible answer which basically says we’re not special at all

2) We’re special because of the mind: “I think therefore I am”

Illustration of this:

a.      Our labelling as Homo Sapiens in school lessons, TV programmes, museum exhibitions

Ø Consequences: the prioritisation of education, education, education + the West’s hopes that information/training will solve our problems

v  This answer is obviously an improvement on the first BUT it is still unsatisfactory. What about those who can’t use their minds properly e.g. those in a coma or the unborn or even little babies? Are they less human because they can’t affirm the “I think therefore I am” mantra?

What does the Bible/Our Creator say? What according to God makes us special?

From Genesis 1:26-31 three things to highlight:

1.      Made on the last day of Creation. In other words, very much like we sometimes do with a good meal, God leaves the best til last. Note in this regard, that the description “very good” is only uttered, after the creation of mankind – we are the “special ones” contra the BBC, Richard Dawkins etc

2.      The amount of space given to the creation of humans, in comparison to the rest of the created order. Note for example how the creation of the stars is mentioned in only 5 words: he made the stars also (verse 16) whilst the creation of humanity takes up 4 whole verses!

3.      The repeated mention that we are made in the image of God which is simply saying that as human beings, we reflect and display something of God.

Illustration of this

Think about the times when you’re introduced to someone who knows your parents very well but who has never met you. As soon as they work out whose child you are, they say something like: “ah yes, I can see the similarity – you look like them”. So too with us something similar is going on. As we get to know the one true God of Scripture so too, we should say as we look at each other “ah yes, I can see the similarity”

This raises a question – what exactly does the image of God relate to? ANSWER: I think it relates to The Trinity given the plurals in verse 26: “let us”, “our image”, “our likeness” rather than God saying “let me”, “my image”, “my likeness”. In simple words our God (unlike all the other gods) is a God who has always been in relationship – the fellowship of the three.

Therefore if our God has always been in relationship, it’s no surprise that we too are designed/cannot escape relationship

v Notice how being in relationship, is a much more satisfying answer than saying it is our abilities or mind which makes us special. Both those qualities demonstrate something of our  uniqueness but because they don’t include everyone (e.g. they the very young, unborn, those who are mentally ill, in a coma etc) it alerts us to the fact that the image of God is not  properly seen in the mind but in our relationships

Ø  The image of God is therefore reflected in our relationships with others...

And interestingly, this is what verse 27 suggests – that the image is not limited to a single individual/particular sex but is to be observed in the context of male and female relating to one another: So God created man in His own image [...] male and female He created them. (verse 27)

Put differently, the God of the Bible would not be properly imaged at Wembley – with a group of blokes running around OR at a crocheting class with a group of girlies learning how to knit

Notice therefore that by creating us like this – male and female – we mirror God by being equal and different...         SO, just as we have 3 persons in the Trinity who are equal in status yet different from each other, so too in humanity we have 2 sexes which are equal (in status) but different in role/how we relate with each other

Ø  Biblically, this last point is significant e.g. in the context of marriage where the Bible gives different expectations/commands for the husband/wife.

§ Consider for example Ephesians 5 which everyone knows, commands wives to submit! What usually gets overlooked however in the submission brouhaha is that Paul commands husbands to love their wives three times (Ephesians 5:25, 28, 33) and this in the space of 12 verses. The point is this: men need to be exhorted to love their wives while women need to be exhorted to submit/respect/honour their husbands.

Illustration:

Wedding joke

David and Sue Fletcher...

IN SUM: The commands to the male/female are different: men to love their wives and wives to respect/submit to their husbands – such differences between the sexes together display the image of God in humanity...

Application

There is no god like our God – He has always been in relationship and He is the source/origin of all relationship and thus when Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love God and neighbour, he is not asking us to do something alien to him – he knows what it is to love – he’s been at it in all eternity

SO...

Ø  For the Christian – delight in our God and cherish/work on your relationship according to the particular role God has given you e.g. husbands love, wives submit – in doing this we testify to the Gospel

Ø  For the non-Christian – what is your basis for relationship? Why are relationships important? The world has no answers to these questions – come to Christ who loves before we love him