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) God’s 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 you’re 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. She’s 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 "We’re 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, “You’re 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 you’re 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, "You’re 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