What We Believe - Humanity

Secular:

Do you remember the first time your child tried to make you breakfast… or the first time you made breakfast for your folks…

• I am sure I served my Mom doughy pancakes or undercooked eggs…
• It wasn’t because I was trying to intentionally poison her…
• Despite what I thought… I didn’t have what it took to put together a non-threatening meal…

It is sort of like that as human beings… before our God… Despite our best efforts… we are often serving doughy pancakes, burnt toast and raw eggs….

Biblical:

Section F - Man
We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God; that he sinned, becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity, thereby incurring physical and spiritual death.

Personal:

Ever found your friends disappointing…

Ever found your spouse disappointing…

Ever found your parents or kids disappointing?

… depending on how the disappoint you… sometimes it can cut you to the core… really hurt you… and depending on how strong your relationship is… you often extend forgiveness… and health that relationship…

Bridge:

This week we talk about the disappointment of humanity… how we, even though we are made in the image of God… have failed to meet God’s expectation…

Take comfort in knowing next week we talk about salavation…

Body:

In God’s Image…

NAU Genesis 1:26 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.

• What does it mean…  are we created as little gods…
• Fully having the attributes of god…
• That would be a clone… and would possess all of God’s holiness… God’s power etc…
• Incommunicable traits of God (Not what it means to be like God)…
• Omnipotence
• Omniscience
• Omnipresence
• Unchangeableness
• God’s Eternal Existence
• Independence
• Communicable traits of God
• Love
• Knowledge (Omnipotence… the lite version…)
• Jurisdiction (Omnipotence… the lite version)
• Mercy
• Justice

God bestowed on humankind… great gifts… being image bearers doesn’t guarantee that we will be “just like our Father”… but there a distinguishable family traits….

Respect for human life…

• Value in what Picasso creates… (he is the master painter…)
• Value in what our children create… (done with love…)
• Value in what our God creates… (he is the Master and it is done in love)
• Christianity holds life in high esteem…
• All are created by God
• All are valuable
• All are loved
• We need to value human life with the same reverence…
• Euthanasia
• Abortion
• And even Creation… separate God from the process… make it extended… makes it convenient…

We are Created in the image of God…

We have sinned…

NAU Genesis 3:1- 7 & 16-18 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings…. 16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." Unlike God… in the fact we chose not to do what is right….

We Sinned

• We had a choice… to be holy and righteous… and obedient…
• Or to go it our own way…
• We had an option in the garden to obey God… our to turn from God…
• In our arrogance we sometimes think.. I wouldn’t do anything like that…
• I often read the Old Testament account of the Exodus and wonder…
• Exodus 13:21 The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
• Exodus 16:14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.
• Exodus 32:31 Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves.
• What we inherited was a corrupt nature…
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• Even if we love God… even though the possibility of a sinless life is real… our capability… our corrupt nature… demonstrates that we fail and we fall…
• There is nothing within our human selves that makes us desirable to God… (that perfect holy and awesome God)…
• Comedy writers often has the well dressed character fall in the mud… person standing at a bus stop under the protection of a large umbrella… the bus wheels up hitting a pothole filled with water…. Strategically placed beside our smartly dressed business person…
• The humour appeals to our understanding that… clean and dirty are somewhat offensive when combined… (unless you are five or six and have your good shoes on and there is a particularly juicy puddle….)
• Adam sinned and Moses sinned and every person since Adam… has been born with a corrupt nature… the human propensity to sin… and apart from Jesus Christ we have all succumbed to sin… we have all given in…
• Talked about the daily struggle… even for the most disciplined and mature Christian… (Billy Graham)
• We need to recognize our corrupt nature… everyday… being prepare to battle…

We have all sinned…

Total Depravity… helplessness before God

NAU Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

• Total depravity doesn’t mean that humankind is as bad as it can be… but that we… by nature… are not holy in ourselves and are unable to please God.
• My temptation is to skip ahead and deal with next week’s topic… Salvation… but I’ll resist
• We have all fallen short in God’s eyes… we want our God to be holy and just… yet by our very nature we find the task impossible…
• So we are subject to the penalty of death…
• . The Bible describes this ruin in terms of "death": spiritual, physical and eternal death.
• Spiritual death involves corruption at the core of our being, so that human beings are by nature totally incapable of pleasing God.
• Physical death is the destiny of all humanity
• And ultimately Eternal death involves permanent separation from God as the destiny of all those who refuse to repent and respond to God's offer of grace.
• This is so contrary to a world that teaches… with the right desire and the will to do it we can achieve anything… and any faith claim to the contrary is intolerant…
• As incapable of pleasing God as we are…
• So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (to all of humanity)… through Jesus Christ…

Total Depravity… helplessness before God

Whom will you serve…

NAU Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

• We have a choice…
• Follow God in life…
• Or follow the lusts of the flesh… lusts of minds
• Unhealthy desires…
• Leave us a children of wrath…
• Leaving us children of death…
• God in his desire to offer us life and give us an opportunity gave us choice…
• Choose to live in this world… for this world… for ourselves…
• Choose to live for God… live for God in this world… putting God first… others next and ourselves last…
• It is against our nature and only by God’s grace that we have an opportunity at eternity…
• You choose whom you serve in every action and in every choice…
• Recognize the one true God… and live!

Whom will you serve…

Passion / Obedience

We are Created by God is his Image

• We need to value human life with the same reverence…
• Euthanasia
• Abortion
• Not evolved… no monkeys…

• We have all sinned
• No superiority
• Recognize the struggles you have
• Recognize the struggles others have
• Total Depravity… helplessness before God
• This isn’t like climbing a ladder
• You can’t earn your way to heaven
• It is about be broken… humble… before God…
• It is about the need of a Saviour

Whom will you serve…

• The tendency…
• To serve the Serpent…
• To serve self…
• By God’s Grace… we want to serve him
• We want to serve others…

Next week Salavation…

Despite our in ability to please God… by his Grace and through the sacrifice of his Son… Jesus Christ… this sinful creature… had the scales drop his eyes… to see the Glory of God… in creation, in His Word and in his promise of eternal hope….