Made in His Image
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
An image of God is kind of a heavy weight to carry. What does it mean to be made in his image? Many have looked deep into this question and have come up with some pretty convincing ideas. Early on, many thought this meant to have the brain capacity to think and do as an intelligent being would. But this doesn’t seem to fit the bill when we think of the mentally handicapped and their mutual task of being God image bearers. Others have said it is the physical form of human is indeed the image of God. But of course this can get us into a world of nightmares as we try and find the ideal human. We then ascribe our ideals on humanity, holding some up as ideal, and placing others down, as inferior. In fact, history has proven just how much evil can be perpetuated from such a thought.
Still others describe the image of God as being more of a vocation, an act, a job for his humanity.
You see, kings in these early biblical days, would place images of themselves at the edges of their kingdoms to mark the boundaries of where their reign extended. These images were to be sign posts for travelers so that they knew who’s kingdom they were crossing over into. This was to describe what the king was like: who he thought himself to be as well as what laws and rules his subjects were expected to follow.
God in a similar way is tasking us to be these image bearers to the world. We show though our actions, how we treat one another, how we treat the poor, how we treat the alien, how we treat those we love, those we hate, those we are indifferent to how God treats these same people. To be the image of God is to show to the world ‘this is how God acts and this is what God expects. This is how God rules.’
Jesus came preaching this Kingdom. He came bearing the ultimate image of God into the world. He showed us how God rules: love, self sacrifice, compassion, healing, welcoming the stranger, caring for the children, the widows, the foreigners. How does God show his dominion over and to the world? It looks like Jesus. We, likewise, become those renewed and redeemed image bearers when we take on the identity of Christ, surrender to his Lordship and then being molded into his character, reflect him into the word.
In Jesus, the image of God has been restored to humanity. We are invited to take part in this Kingdom and in sharing this image to the rest of the world. We do this by committing our life to Christ and then being transformed so that the world may see that in our lives (solitary and communal) ‘this is how God rules the world.’
In your daily life you pronounce to the world around you: ‘This is how God in Christ reigns in the world.’
Announcements:
Invite any youth to attend the 9:45 Youth Group on Sunday Mornings. Daniel and Emily Mendez are leading this.
We are working on creating an Advent Devotional Book written by our church for our church (as well as anyone else that would like to read it). If you are interested in writing a 1-2 page devotional for this advent season, please contact Pastor Steven. We would love to have as many people involved in this as possible.
Coming Soon! Children’ s Christmas Musical! More information will be provided as we get closer to the Christmas season.
Adult Sunday School Classes - 9:45
Youth/Children’s Sunday School Classes -9:45 (Up stairs)
Mitchell and Sarah Davidson are hosting a weekly Bible Study at their house on Thursdays (6-8)
Their address and number are listed below
Trail Life 2-3pm each Sunday
Ask Pastor Steven or Damon Hargraves for more information
Church Weekly Schedule
Sunday worship at 11am
Sunday School at 9:45am
I am teaching through the Gospel According to Matthew
Youth/Children’s Group! Daniel and Emily Mendez are heading up the Youth Group Bible Study at 9:45
Wednesday Prayer Posse 12pm
Thursday Bible Study with Mitchell and Sarah 6-8pm
Mitchell’s cell number: 907-942-0381
address: 1815 E Rezanof Dr.
Trail Life each Sunday from 2-3pm
Pastor Steven’s Office Hours 8-4 Mon-Thursday
I have an open sign (if it is on, I am here)
If I am not in the office at these times, I am meeting with someone
Call or text me 972-921-2516
Email steven@kodiakcbc.org
