Restoring Dominion: The Journey of Redemption

 

Summary

Redemption is the profound process of restoring us to God's original intention for humanity, which is to live creatively and righteously under His power. This journey of redemption begins with God's intervention in history, most notably through the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are central to this redemptive narrative. By entering human history, living as a man, and ultimately sacrificing Himself on the cross, Jesus provided a path for us to experience resurrection life through a relationship with Him. This is the essence of redemption: a return to the life God intended for us, free from the bondage of sin.

The story of redemption is deeply intertwined with the story of creation. The Bible begins not with the fall of man but with God's decision to create human beings in His image, as described in Genesis 1:26. This foundational act of creation sets the stage for understanding redemption. Humans were given dominion over the earth, a responsibility to govern and care for creation under God's authority. However, the mistrust of God led to the fall, where individuals sought to establish their own kingdoms, separate from God's rule.

Dominion, or governance, is an inherent part of being human. Each person has a "kingdom," a realm of influence and responsibility. The challenge arises when individuals prioritize their own kingdoms over God's, leading to the suffering and chaos we witness in the world. Wars, broken homes, and societal injustices are manifestations of human dominion exercised apart from God. True dominion is only possible when it is aligned with God's will, where our kingdoms are subjected to His supreme authority.

Key Takeaways:

- Redemption is about restoring us to God's original purpose, which involves living creatively and righteously under His power. This process is made possible through Jesus Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection, which allow us to experience a new life in Him. [00:24]

- The story of redemption is rooted in creation, as God made humans in His image with the responsibility to govern the earth. Understanding this connection helps us grasp the full scope of redemption, which is a return to God's intended order. [02:26]

- Dominion is an inherent aspect of humanity, representing our responsibility to govern under God's authority. When we attempt to establish our own kingdoms apart from God, it leads to chaos and suffering. [04:20]

- The fall of man was a result of mistrust in God, leading individuals to prioritize their own desires over God's will. This separation from God is the source of the world's suffering and brokenness. [04:03]

- True dominion is achieved when we align our kingdoms with God's kingdom, allowing His authority to guide our actions and decisions. This alignment brings peace and order, reflecting God's original design for creation. [05:21]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:24] - Understanding Redemption
[01:06] - The Incarnation of Jesus
[01:46] - Death and Resurrection
[02:26] - Creation and Redemption
[03:11] - Human Responsibility
[03:48] - Living Under God
[04:03] - The Fall and Mistrust
[04:20] - Dominion and Governance
[04:38] - The Threat of Personal Kingdoms
[05:06] - Consequences of Misaligned Dominion
[05:21] - Aligning with God's Kingdom
[05:52] - Conclusion and Reflection

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 1:26 - "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.'"
2. 1 Corinthians 15:17 - "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Genesis 1:26, what responsibilities were given to humans at creation?
2. How does 1 Corinthians 15:17 emphasize the importance of Jesus' resurrection in the process of redemption? [01:46]
3. What role does mistrust in God play in the story of the fall, as discussed in the sermon? [04:03]
4. How does the sermon describe the concept of "dominion" and its implications for human governance? [04:20]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the connection between creation and redemption help us understand God's original intention for humanity? [02:26]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that personal kingdoms can threaten God's kingdom in our lives? [04:38]
3. How does aligning our dominion with God's authority bring peace and order, according to the sermon? [05:21]
4. What does the sermon imply about the consequences of exercising dominion apart from God? [05:38]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own "kingdom" or realm of influence. How can you ensure that it aligns with God's kingdom this week? [04:20]
2. Consider a situation where you have prioritized your desires over God's will. What steps can you take to realign with God's authority? [04:03]
3. Identify an area in your life where mistrust in God might be affecting your decisions. How can you work on building trust in that area? [04:03]
4. Think about a recent decision you made. How did it reflect your responsibility to govern under God's authority? What might you do differently next time? [03:48]
5. How can you creatively live out your faith in a way that reflects God's original purpose for humanity? [00:38]
6. In what ways can you experience "resurrection life" through your relationship with Jesus this week? [02:15]
7. Consider the societal injustices you are aware of. How can you contribute to addressing these issues by aligning your actions with God's will? [05:38]

Devotional

Day 1: Redemption as Restoration to God's Intent
Redemption is the process of restoring humanity to God's original purpose, which involves living creatively and righteously under His power. This restoration is made possible through Jesus Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection, which allow us to experience a new life in Him. By entering human history, Jesus provided a path for us to return to the life God intended, free from the bondage of sin. This journey of redemption is not just about personal salvation but about aligning our lives with God's creative and righteous intentions. [00:24]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What creative and righteous actions can you take today to align your life more closely with God's original purpose for you?


Day 2: Creation and Redemption Intertwined
The story of redemption is deeply rooted in the story of creation. God created humans in His image, giving them the responsibility to govern the earth. This foundational act of creation sets the stage for understanding redemption as a return to God's intended order. Redemption is not just about correcting the fall but about restoring the original relationship and responsibility humans had with creation. Understanding this connection helps us grasp the full scope of redemption, which is a return to God's intended order. [02:26]

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV): "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Reflection: How can you better fulfill your responsibility to care for creation in your daily life, reflecting God's original design?


Day 3: Dominion and Human Responsibility
Dominion is an inherent aspect of humanity, representing our responsibility to govern under God's authority. Each person has a "kingdom," a realm of influence and responsibility. The challenge arises when individuals prioritize their own kingdoms over God's, leading to chaos and suffering. True dominion is only possible when it is aligned with God's will, where our kingdoms are subjected to His supreme authority. This alignment brings peace and order, reflecting God's original design for creation. [04:20]

Psalm 8:6-8 (ESV): "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you exercising dominion apart from God's authority, and how can you realign these areas with His will?


Day 4: The Fall and Mistrust
The fall of man was a result of mistrust in God, leading individuals to prioritize their own desires over God's will. This separation from God is the source of the world's suffering and brokenness. When we attempt to establish our own kingdoms apart from God, it leads to chaos and suffering. Understanding the fall helps us recognize the importance of trust and reliance on God in our daily lives. [04:03]

Jeremiah 17:5-6 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.'"

Reflection: What areas of your life are marked by mistrust in God, and how can you begin to trust Him more fully today?


Day 5: Aligning with God's Kingdom
True dominion is achieved when we align our kingdoms with God's kingdom, allowing His authority to guide our actions and decisions. This alignment brings peace and order, reflecting God's original design for creation. When we submit our personal kingdoms to God's supreme authority, we experience the fullness of life He intended for us. This involves a daily commitment to seek His will and align our actions with His purposes. [05:21]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to align your personal kingdom with God's kingdom, allowing His authority to guide your decisions?

Quotes

"Redemption means to buy us back from the position we have fallen to in rejecting the supremacy of God in our lives, and so the total process is one of restoring us to God's intention for us in creation, and that basically is that under Him, we should live as people who are creative all good under Him by His power actually." [00:00:12]

"The way that redemption takes place is through God coming to us in history, and above all of course in the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. So, the full story of redemption is the story of incarnation, and in the process of incarnation there are many things that Jesus does." [00:00:56]

"One is He establishes His place in ordinary human history by being born and raised and living as a businessman or an independent contractor if you wish and then as a rabbi, a teacher, and finally by His death on the cross and His resurrection beyond death all of that goes into redemption." [00:01:26]

"The Bible doesn't begin in Genesis 3. The fall of man is not the beginning of history. It begins with the story of God, to speak generally, God deciding to make human beings and that's Genesis 1:26, and of course He's done a great deal before that, so you have to start with creation if you're going to make sense of redemption." [00:02:26]

"Dominion primarily means governance it means to have, in other words, a kingdom, and every human person has a kingdom, and to be responsible to it they have to live under God, and the great temptation is to step out of that and have a kingdom of your own." [00:04:07]

"The great threat to God's kingdom in my life is my kingdom, and of course everyone else has one of theirs, and that's where the terrible story of human life steps forward all of the suffering and failure, the horrible things that you can hardly stand to think of that go on all the time around the world." [00:04:35]

"It's because of individuals hoping to get what they want and putting that as supreme instead of subjecting their kingdoms to God's kingdom, but dominion is built into the human being, it is it can't be eradicated and it's not bad except when it is not under God." [00:05:03]

"When it's not under God it's an insolvable problem, and the issue of who will have dominion becomes deadly breaks out in wars, international relations, politically enforced famines, broken homes, children with no one to take care of them all these terrible things come out of human dominion apart from God." [00:05:21]

"We have to understand that as responsibility for good under God, and then we've got dominion right." [00:05:50]

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Transcript
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