Created for Communion: Living Together in God's Image

The universe itself, think about this, at its core, it carries meaning. It carries a sense of beauty and purpose because it originates from the life of God himself. Throughout this passage, Genesis one, there's there's a phrase that repeats over and over again. You should read the whole passage. And and what the passage says over and over again is, God said. God said. And then God said. God creates through his word. And what happens? Light comes and water separate and and life emerges and creation flourishes because words shape worlds. His words shape worlds. They establish trust. They cultivate peace. Our words, on the other hand, leave wounds that last for years. [00:08:16] (59 seconds)  #WordsShapeWorlds

Everything in Genesis one builds toward this moment, this moment. You know, the stars display their glory, the oceans that display their power, the the mountains that are majestic, humanity alone bears the image of God. That's people. And here's what the scripture says. The scripture says, male and female, he created them. From the very beginning, the bible presents men and women together beneath the blessing of God. Men and women equal in dignity. Men and women equal in worth. Men and women equal in image bearing glory. Men and women. And and every human being possesses like a sacred dignity because every human being reflects something of the creator. [00:14:02] (68 seconds)  #MadeInGodsImage

So your human worth does not rise and fall with your achievement, with your wealth, with your appearance, with your status, with your influence. No. The image of listen. The image of God. The image of God establishes the value of your life in every human life. And Genesis presents humanity as image bearers within relationship, men and women. The image comes through relationship. Okay? Communion with God, communion with one another. Do you see this? And it's a shared life that is rooted in truth and love and presence. [00:15:10] (50 seconds)  #ImageDefinesWorth

Every person wrestling with identity, you know, questions that need to be answered with love and dignity and honor because humanity bears the image of God. An identity begins with being known by him. God knows us and loves us more deeply than we ourselves, and he loves us more fully than we could ever ever imagine. We don't create our own meaning from nothing. It comes from him. It's derived from God. And so we receive life. We receive identity. We receive embodiment. We receive purpose. Where? From from the creator, the one who lovingly has formed us. [00:18:48] (60 seconds)  #IdentityInGod

observed Ascension Day. I heard someone say this week that it's a day that's that's way overlooked within the church, and I would agree with that. Forty days after Jesus' resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, and he took his place at the father's right hand, and he reigns now over heaven and earth. Hallelujah. We celebrate this. Jesus is alive, and he is the king, and he reigns, and Christ descended. But yet, his people were never abandoned. We are not abandoned. By the Holy Spirit, what does Jesus do? He begins this work of forming a people who would bear his presence in the world, who would learn to live together under his glorious reign and his kingdom. [00:00:07] (44 seconds)  #AscendedAndPresent

It's also why isolation, when you feel isolated, when you feel alone, it's why it cuts so deeply to your soul because you weren't created to be isolated. In fact, you will flourish. People flourish where there's communion, where there's fellowship, where there's trust, where there's honesty, where there's a sense of presence, where there's love, where these things are cultivated together, you actually will flourish. But so many people so many people in the world today carry profound, you know, relational exhaustion, brokenness. And so what happens? You know, people curate an image, and we know how to appear connected, but but we're actually way hidden, deeply hidden. [00:10:44] (56 seconds)  #FlourishInCommunity

And it's not uncommon to live surrounded by by by a sense of, you know, communication, but actually starving for something real, some real communion. You're yearning for this. Our modern lives give us, you know, unlimited ways, it seems, to to present ourselves. But it gives us very few ways to truly be known. You live in the age of social media. Very few ways, very few opportunities to actually really be known. And I think there are a lot of people who who wonder today if people truly knew me, if they really knew me, if they knew what's going on in my heart and my mind, would they still love me? [00:11:40] (51 seconds)  #TrulyKnown

God himself, which means again that every person carries a profound sense of dignity. That's the the lonely, the unborn, the struggling, the person who's wounded you. All are carrying a a deep sense of dignity. Every human being carries the imprint of divine glory. This is what Genesis one teaches us, and it confronts every form, every form of, you know, dehumanization, whether it's contempt or racism or abuse or exploitation or honor, you know, or or or or indifference, hatred. The image of God care calls us forward and towards humility and compassion and honor and love. [00:20:46] (58 seconds)  #HumanityDignity