You Are Somebody In Christ 2
(1) Last time we saw the history of Man, The Origin of Sin and
the Consequence of Sin.
1. God created the world. It had a purpose. It was to be the dwelling
place, domain of mankind.
1. GEN 1:26-28. Created man and gave him dignity and worth by
setting man over the works of His hands.
(A) Everything man was and everything man had, came from God's
gracious provision.
(1) Adam, not the animal world was created in God's image.
(2) Adam had dominion over everything. He was master over the
brute beasts.
(B) Animals do not make Intellectual, or moral choices. They are
not morally responsibility.
(b) Only man is created in God's image, likeness. The superior
being on earth.
(c) Given intelligence and reasoning power to make moral choices
(d) Responsible for those choices. Suffer consequences of those
choices.
b. Created in God's image and likeness. Lives by God's standard
of righteousness.
(A) Responsible, accountable to God for His standard of right
living.
(B) Gods likeness and God's standards are what give man
his dignity and worth.
2. Take that away and what do you have? Paul describes it in ROM
1:21-22, 29. What is that saying? Without God man degenerates
into nothing but another animal.
a. Do you understand the reason for the chaos, mayhem, murder,
violence, disregard for all
human life.
(2) No respect for anything. Self rules. Take what you want, kill
anyone who hinders you.
(B) Make yourself believe anything in order to justify your actions.
World of sociopaths.
(1) Not wrong for me to take what I want. I have Just as
much right to it as you do."
(2) No fear of punishment. Moral system becomes Non-excitant.
Float the armada of
your ambitions on a sea of human blood.
(3) Commit crime with Impunity. Live a better life in prison than
on the streets.
(a) No work. Watch TV, recreation, free meals, get everything
they want.
(b) And why not? Why shouldn't life be that way? If is no God.
b. If you are an animal, you have no reason to believe in the
dignity, worth of human life.
c. If man begins to think humanity should have dignity, he doesn't
know why. No reason.
(A) Remove God. Not only lose reason for being great. Lose all
reason for being.
(B) With out God youre just another animal. Ok to be loveless,
vicious, moral cannibal.
(1) Without God this world is all you get. Enjoy while you can.
There is nothing better.
(2) No one or no thing has worth. Satisfy your Lust.
d. Forget treating women with respect. Shes just another
animal with no dignity or worth.
(A) Use her, abuse her, fulfill your selfish desire on her. If
it feels good do it.
(B) That's the world of man with out God. World of Saddam, Daumer,
Manson, Ted Bundy.
B. World filled with souls lost physically, psychologically, morally,
emotionally and spiritually.
1. Man searching for identity. Tries to explain himself. Where
does it get him? More lost.
a. Ever see dog have a nervous break-down trying to explain self,
asking "Who HO AM I?"
b. Goes on pilgrimage to find out "Who am I?" Darwin
says, "You evolved from an Ape."
(A) Freud says, Blame it on how you were treated as baby."
(B) New Agers, say "Were all Gods, make up your own
rules to live by.
2. But you are not the end result of evolutionary binge of some
mindless tree climbing anthropoid.
a. You are created in image, likeness of God. Created to live
by His standards of right.
b. You are a responsible being, accountable to God for every choice,
act you commit.
(A) But remember. To the world you are of no real worth. Just
an impersonal number.
(B) To the Government, a Social Security number. Bank a magnetic
number on a check.
Business man a Credit card number.
(1) Phone Company gives you a number. A human tool with number.
(2) That's the result of civilization ruled by human wisdom and
human reason.
(C) ROM. 1:22, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools."
(1) The wiser man gets, the bigger fool he makes of himself.
(2) "I'm wise, I came from an Ape. Pinnacle of wisdom
is, Youre not responsible.
3. Restless, Frantic man seeks to find out who he is. Prove to
himself he has worth, and that
he is somebody.
a. Where do most seek their sense of worth? Out there. From the
world.
(A) Seems important that they tell me I'm Important. Begin to
value their opinions.
(B) Jump through their hoops to please them. They tell you that
youre good, lovable and that you have worth if you meet
their standards.
b. Looking in wrong place. Paul had that experience. Claimed the
world's ladder to fame.
(A) Said, "Youre looking in the wrong place" PHIL
3:3-8,.
(B) Paul says, "I played their game, I didn't just keep up
with the Jones, I was the Jones.
(1) I reached the top and could say, "Look how great I am."
I had praise, honor..
(2) My accomplishments and the world's praise it brought was worthless.
(3) The only thing that counts is the worth found in Christ Jesus
my Lord!
c. Never rely on the worth others give you. You don't need it.
(A) God has already given you more worth than all the world combined.
(B) You are somebody in Jesus. PHIL 4:13.
(1) You don't need them. You only need Him. In Him you are already
somebody.
(2) In Him you are sanctified, sealed with the Holy Spirit, are
a child of God, and only
in Him will you be glorified.
(3) Listen to I PET 1:9.
(a) In Jesus you are nobility, royalty, somebody. If you are not
in Him, you are lost.
(b) If you are lost I have good news for you. God is still searching
for you.
(c) You are of great worth. He proved that worth by dying for
you on the cross.
(1) Acts 20:32.
Spur 8/26/2001 am
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