Embracing Our Calling: Living as New Humanity in Christ

 

Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor discussing the two realms in the story of the Bible: the earth and the heavens. He explains that humans, while not spiritual beings like angels and cherubim, are called to become something more. God elevates humans to live and rule in Eden, a place where heaven and earth are one. Eating from the tree of life symbolizes receiving God's eternal life, transforming both the body and imagination to inhabit both heaven and earth simultaneously. However, humanity is deceived by a spiritual rebel, leading to their exile from the garden and the emergence of evil and death in the world.

The pastor then introduces Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise to defeat evil and death and restore humanity to its lost calling. Jesus, both fully human and divine, rejects the deceptive lies of the spiritual powers and is victorious over evil. He announces the arrival of God's heavenly rule on earth and confronts the power of death through healing and exorcisms. Jesus challenges the corrupt spiritual powers that enslave communities with their lies, teaching that every human is an image of God and that true power and peace come through sacrifice, generosity, and self-giving love.

The pastor emphasizes that Jesus not only taught these ideals but lived them out, bringing God's heavenly kingdom to Jerusalem and ultimately giving his life to defeat the spiritual powers that enslave humanity. Through his resurrection, Jesus becomes a new kind of human, one that can live and rule with God forever.

The pastor concludes by stating that Jesus is the new humanity that believers are called to become. Believers are called to experience eternal life through knowing and loving God, with the assurance that even in death, God's love will transform their bodies and raise them up into the new creation. This sermon is a call to believers to embrace the transformative power of God's love and to live out the teachings of Jesus in their daily lives.

Key Takeaways:

- Humans are called to become more than just earthly beings; they are called to inhabit both heaven and earth simultaneously, symbolized by eating from the tree of life. This transformation is possible through receiving God's eternal life into oneself ([12:45]).

- Jesus, both fully human and divine, is the fulfillment of God's promise to defeat evil and death and restore humanity to its lost calling. He rejects the deceptive lies of the spiritual powers and is victorious over evil ([22:30]).

- Jesus challenges the corrupt spiritual powers that enslave communities with their lies, teaching that every human is an image of God and that true power and peace come through sacrifice, generosity, and self-giving love ([32:15]).

- Through his resurrection, Jesus becomes a new kind of human, one that can live and rule with God forever. He is the new humanity that believers are called to become ([42:00]).

- Believers are called to experience eternal life through knowing and loving God, with the assurance that even in death, God's love will transform their bodies and raise them up into the new creation ([52:30]).

Study Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 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."
2. Matthew 4:1-11: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'... Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."
3. John 17:3: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Observation Questions:
1. In Genesis 1:26-27, what does it mean for mankind to be made in God's image and likeness?
2. In Matthew 4:1-11, how does Jesus respond to the temptations of the devil?
3. What does John 17:3 define as eternal life?

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does being made in God's image and likeness relate to our calling to rule over creation as described in Genesis 1:26-27?
2. How does Jesus' response to the devil's temptations in Matthew 4:1-11 demonstrate his divine and human nature?
3. How does knowing and loving God, as described in John 17:3, relate to the concept of eternal life?

Application Questions:
1. In what ways can you reflect God's image in your daily interactions with others and the world around you?
2. Can you recall a time when you were tempted like Jesus in the wilderness? How did you respond and what can you learn from Jesus' example?
3. How can you deepen your knowledge and love of God this week to experience a taste of eternal life as described in John 17:3?
4. What is one specific action you can take this week to challenge the lies of spiritual powers in your community, following Jesus' example?
5. How can you demonstrate sacrifice, generosity, and self-giving love in a specific situation you anticipate facing this week?

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Heavenly Calling
We are not merely earthly beings, but are called to inhabit both heaven and earth simultaneously. This transformation is possible through receiving God's eternal life into ourselves, symbolized by eating from the tree of life. This is a call to transcend our earthly limitations and embrace our divine potential. [12:45]

Genesis 2:9 - "And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
Reflection: What does it mean to you to inhabit both heaven and earth simultaneously? How can you embrace this divine potential in your daily life?

Day 2: Recognizing Jesus' Victory Over Evil
Jesus, both fully human and divine, is the fulfillment of God's promise to defeat evil and death and restore humanity to its lost calling. He rejects the deceptive lies of the spiritual powers and is victorious over evil. This victory is not just for Him, but for all of us who believe in Him. [22:30]

Colossians 2:15 - "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Reflection: How does Jesus' victory over evil impact your life? What fears or doubts can you surrender to Him today?

Day 3: Embodying the Image of God
Jesus challenges the corrupt spiritual powers that enslave communities with their lies, teaching that every human is an image of God and that true power and peace come through sacrifice, generosity, and self-giving love. We are called to reflect this image in our lives. [32:15]

1 John 3:16 - "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."
Reflection: How can you embody the image of God in your interactions with others today? What sacrifices can you make to show God's love?

Day 4: Becoming a New Creation in Christ
Through his resurrection, Jesus becomes a new kind of human, one that can live and rule with God forever. He is the new humanity that believers are called to become. This is a call to transformation and renewal. [42:00]

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: What does it mean to you to be a new creation in Christ? What old habits or attitudes do you need to let go of to embrace this new life?

Day 5: Experiencing Eternal Life Through Love
Believers are called to experience eternal life through knowing and loving God, with the assurance that even in death, God's love will transform their bodies and raise them up into the new creation. This is a call to a life of love and intimacy with God. [52:30]

1 John 4:16 - "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
Reflection: How can you deepen your relationship with God today? How can you express His love to those around you?

Quotes

1. "Well, somehow, sharing in God's life transforms our bodies so that we can inhabit heaven and earth at the same time."

2. "Jesus is the new humanity that we are called to become."

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Transcript
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