Reflecting the Trinity: God's Design for Family

Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the profound theology of the body, focusing on the family as a reflection of the Trinity. We began by revisiting the creation narrative in Genesis, emphasizing that God created humans for relationship—both with Him and with each other. This relational design is evident in the creation of Adam and Eve, who were made to be in communion with God and one another, reflecting the unity and community found within the Trinity.

We explored how sin disrupted this divine design, introducing shame, fear, and a self-oriented way of living that stands in stark contrast to God's original plan. This shift from a God-oriented life to an autonomous, self-focused existence has had devastating effects on relationships and family structures throughout history.

We also discussed the cultural implications of this shift, using a contemporary example to illustrate how the pursuit of personal truth and autonomy can lead to the breakdown of familial and covenantal commitments. This self-authenticating quest often comes at the expense of others, highlighting the need for a return to God's design for family and relationships.

In contrast to the cultural narrative, God's story calls us to lay down our lives for Him and others, reflecting His self-giving nature. We examined the goods of marriage as identified by St. Augustine—offspring and fruitfulness, fidelity, and the unbreakable bond—emphasizing their importance in reflecting God's image and design.

Finally, we were encouraged to take practical steps to align our lives with this divine design, such as praying for our families, engaging in intentional Bible study, and demonstrating love and commitment to our spouses and children. By doing so, we can better reflect the Trinity in our family lives and move away from the self-oriented living that sin has introduced.

### Key Takeaways

1. God's Relational Design: God created humans for relationship, both with Him and with each other. This design is evident in the creation of Adam and Eve, who were made to be in communion with God and one another, reflecting the unity and community found within the Trinity. This relational aspect is foundational to understanding our purpose and identity. [42:09]

2. Impact of Sin: Sin introduced shame, fear, and a self-oriented way of living that disrupted God's original design. This shift from a God-oriented life to an autonomous, self-focused existence has had devastating effects on relationships and family structures throughout history. Understanding this helps us recognize the importance of returning to God's design. [53:41]

3. Cultural Implications: The pursuit of personal truth and autonomy often leads to the breakdown of familial and covenantal commitments. This self-authenticating quest comes at the expense of others, highlighting the need for a return to God's design for family and relationships. Our culture's focus on individualism contrasts sharply with the self-giving nature of God's design. [01:00:06]

4. Goods of Marriage: St. Augustine identified three goods of marriage—offspring and fruitfulness, fidelity, and the unbreakable bond. These elements are crucial in reflecting God's image and design. Embracing these goods helps us align our lives with God's purpose and strengthens our familial relationships. [01:09:24]

5. Practical Steps: To align our lives with God's design, we must take practical steps such as praying for our families, engaging in intentional Bible study, and demonstrating love and commitment to our spouses and children. These actions help us move away from self-oriented living and better reflect the Trinity in our family lives. [01:18:40]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[11:53] - Introduction and Announcements
[12:15] - Encouragement to Use Church Center App
[12:40] - Financial Support and Ministry Updates
[13:08] - Upcoming Events and Yard Sale
[14:00] - 40-Day Prayer Devotional
[14:47] - Third Service Survey
[15:14] - Church Growth and Building Campaign
[16:06] - Volunteer Needs for Third Service
[17:25] - Call for More Volunteers
[18:14] - Importance of Filling Out the Survey
[19:14] - Transition Back to Worship
[19:35] - Psalm 91 Reading
[39:23] - Series on Theology of the Body
[40:44] - Recap of Previous Weeks
[42:09] - Family as a Reflection of the Trinity
[53:41] - Impact of Sin on Relationships
[01:00:06] - Cultural Implications of Self-Orientation
[01:09:24] - Goods of Marriage
[01:18:40] - Practical Steps for Aligning with God's Design
[01:29:38] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 2:18-25 - The creation of Adam and Eve and the establishment of their relationship.
2. Genesis 3:1-13 - The fall of man and the introduction of sin.
3. Genesis 4:1-2 - The birth of Cain and Abel, showing the continuation of God's design for family.

### Observation Questions
1. What does Genesis 2:18-25 reveal about God's design for human relationships?
2. How did sin disrupt the relationship between Adam and Eve as described in Genesis 3:1-13?
3. What is the significance of the birth of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-2 in the context of God's design for family?
4. According to the sermon, how does the family reflect the unity and community found within the Trinity? ([42:09])

### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the creation narrative in Genesis 2:18-25 help us understand our purpose and identity in relationships?
2. In what ways did the fall of man (Genesis 3:1-13) introduce shame, fear, and a self-oriented way of living? ([53:41])
3. How does the cultural pursuit of personal truth and autonomy contrast with God's design for family and relationships? ([01:00:06])
4. What are the three goods of marriage identified by St. Augustine, and how do they reflect God's image and design? ([01:09:24])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own family relationships. How can you better align them with God's relational design as described in Genesis 2:18-25? ([42:09])
2. Identify a specific area in your life where sin has introduced shame or fear. How can you take steps to address this and return to God's design? ([53:41])
3. In what ways have you pursued personal truth and autonomy at the expense of your familial or covenantal commitments? How can you shift your focus to align with God's design? ([01:00:06])
4. How can you embrace the goods of marriage—offspring and fruitfulness, fidelity, and the unbreakable bond—in your own marriage or future marriage? ([01:09:24])
5. What practical steps can you take this week to pray for your family, engage in intentional Bible study, and demonstrate love and commitment to your spouse and children? ([01:18:40])
6. Think of a recent conflict or challenge in your family. How can you approach it with a self-giving nature rather than a self-oriented perspective? ([01:16:10])
7. How can you create opportunities for your family to reflect the Trinity's unity and community in your daily interactions and routines? ([42:09])

Devotional

Day 1: God's Relational Design
God created humans for relationship, both with Him and with each other. This design is evident in the creation of Adam and Eve, who were made to be in communion with God and one another, reflecting the unity and community found within the Trinity. This relational aspect is foundational to understanding our purpose and identity. When we recognize that our relationships are meant to mirror the divine relationship within the Trinity, we can better appreciate the depth and significance of our connections with others. This understanding calls us to foster relationships that are rooted in love, unity, and mutual respect, reflecting the divine community.

Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV): "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Reflection: Think of a relationship in your life that needs nurturing. How can you reflect God's relational design in this relationship today? [42:09]

Day 2: Impact of Sin
Sin introduced shame, fear, and a self-oriented way of living that disrupted God's original design. This shift from a God-oriented life to an autonomous, self-focused existence has had devastating effects on relationships and family structures throughout history. Understanding this helps us recognize the importance of returning to God's design. When we acknowledge the impact of sin, we can see how it distorts our relationships and leads us away from the unity and community that God intended. This awareness should drive us to seek reconciliation and restoration in our relationships, striving to align our lives with God's original plan.

Romans 5:12 (ESV): "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where sin has disrupted a relationship. What steps can you take to seek reconciliation and restore that relationship? [53:41]

Day 3: Cultural Implications
The pursuit of personal truth and autonomy often leads to the breakdown of familial and covenantal commitments. This self-authenticating quest comes at the expense of others, highlighting the need for a return to God's design for family and relationships. Our culture's focus on individualism contrasts sharply with the self-giving nature of God's design. By understanding the cultural implications of self-orientation, we can better appreciate the importance of selflessness and commitment in our relationships. This understanding calls us to counteract the cultural narrative by embracing God's design for family and relationships, which prioritizes love, unity, and mutual support.

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made that was influenced by cultural values. How can you realign that decision with God's design for relationships and family? [01:00:06]

Day 4: Goods of Marriage
St. Augustine identified three goods of marriage—offspring and fruitfulness, fidelity, and the unbreakable bond. These elements are crucial in reflecting God's image and design. Embracing these goods helps us align our lives with God's purpose and strengthens our familial relationships. By understanding and valuing these aspects of marriage, we can better appreciate the divine intention behind this sacred union. This understanding calls us to honor and uphold the sanctity of marriage, recognizing it as a reflection of God's covenantal love and commitment.

Ephesians 5:31-32 (ESV): "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church."

Reflection: Consider how you can better embody the goods of marriage in your own relationship or support others in doing so. What practical steps can you take today to honor these aspects of marriage? [01:09:24]

Day 5: Practical Steps
To align our lives with God's design, we must take practical steps such as praying for our families, engaging in intentional Bible study, and demonstrating love and commitment to our spouses and children. These actions help us move away from self-oriented living and better reflect the Trinity in our family lives. By incorporating these practices into our daily routines, we can foster relationships that are rooted in love, unity, and mutual support. This intentionality in our spiritual practices and relationships helps us to live out God's design more fully, reflecting His self-giving nature in our interactions with others.

Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to align your family life with God's design? How can you incorporate this step into your daily routine? [01:18:40]

Quotes

1. "My prayer has been, and it continues to be, that we will develop more confidence as we navigate some of the challenges that we are facing and, and as we come to better understand a concept and confidence of the body design that we are interacting with that God has made us as we interact within a culture of confusion around us." [39:23] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The design of God for humanity is that we were made for a unique, and suitable relationship with one another, with another humanity, which is a direct reflection of himself and who he is in the form and shape of the Trinity. The gift that God gives us in creation is an invitation, and it's twofold. It's an invitation to his image bearers to have full communion with him, right? If you don't understand what I mean by that, I'm talking about unhindered, uncomplicated, undistracted communion with God." [47:37] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The result of this moment in Genesis chapter three, the fall of man is a push into what we call autonomous solitude. That is the choosing to be alone or to be independent of the rules that define us and the freedom to govern ourselves, to be able to choose to do what I want to do, to choose to do what is right for me and for myself. This increasingly destroys the design, this, this ordered, designed of creation in communion by heaping shame on us and our bodies. And it is a disordered priority according to the design that God put in place." [50:37] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Our cultural vision today in many ways is still very much rooted inward on what is the best possible outcome for me, right? We are focused so much of our culture, so much of the world that we are living in this confusion today, so much of it is focused on the simple fact that I'm looking out for me. I'm looking out to help me and protect me. And at first, it may not even seem innocent or noble and even righteous, but in the long term, more often than not, it's a trajectory that has proven to be destructive and devastating." [56:54] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "God's story proclaims that your life that your body belongs ultimately to God and he calls us to lay down our life for him to find what we truly seek and long for right the very difference here is very clear on a cultural perspective it's all about what i want and what i feel and what makes me feel like i'm living the life that i'm supposed to live god's ordered design that has its root in the creative order is a design that recognizes that even our bodies are gifts they are created works by our creator and we are not even in control of our own but we are responsible to our lord god in the way that we use and manage our bodies" [01:02:18] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The fruitfulness that comes through childbearing, I believe, ultimately is central to God's Trinitarian identity and creative plan. As God's Imago Dei people, we should be valuing and honoring the procreative work that we have been tasked with. Fruitfulness and reproducibility are clear design markers of God in his Imago Dei design, which ultimately makes it impossible to reflect in same-sex arrangements." [01:06:24] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "The challenge of prioritizing fruitfulness is across the board a challenge for all of us that we need to be navigating today. And I'll say that this way, because this challenge is persisting in heterosexual relationships as much as it is in same-sex relationships, as we are now seeing a growing trend with millennials. And don't, if you're a millennial, don't get all hot with me, right? I'm only calling you out because you're in that childbearing age, right? Generally speaking, right? But we're seeing in that age group a moving away from marital fruitfulness. It's common to hear young couples say today that they're going to wait to have children until it better fits their lifestyle, if they're even going to have children at all." [01:07:55] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "The bottom line is that marriage is the kind of commitment that we make that has a value and priority that we should be protecting and defending at all costs. And yet culturally, we sometimes find ourselves running fast away from it. Finally, the good of the unbreakable bond. That the marriage by design brings two people together into one flesh relationship, and it brings them together in an unbreakable bond. A bond that serves as a reflection, and witness of God's bond with us." [01:10:43] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "If any of this is ever going to change, we as Imago Dei disciples need to be intentional and purposeful to step away from the autonomous solitude and selfish way of thinking and move toward a self-giving impulse. A giving impulse that gives freely of ourselves, not for ourselves, but for the sake of others. This self-giving impulse is at the heart of the design of the body, the biblical understanding of the body that God has given us." [01:16:10] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Parents, I invite you to have a conversation with your children about what an image bearer of God looks and acts like. Help them at a young age to begin to develop that understanding of the design that God's created in them. For those of you who are married, I want to applaud you. I've heard many of you went on date night this week, at least in some variation. I think everybody that came to me said, hey, pastor, we did date night. It looked like this, or it was kind of, we fit it in here. I'm like, look, I didn't tell you how to do it. I just had to do it. Kudos. Good job. But let's not stop there. Let's keep pressing in. So now this week, I want to challenge you. I want you to do something unexpected for your spouse. Something unexpected, that demonstrates your love and your commitment to them." [01:18:40] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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