Knowing Jesus: God’s Image

Intro: Can we really know anything for sure about God?

I. God’s image in us

A. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27

B. Image lost in the Fall

C. “You shall not make for yourself a carved/graven image.” – Exodus 20:4

II. God’s image in Christ

A. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4

B. Testimony of the Father

C. Testimony of Jesus

* Transfiguration* “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” – John 14:11

D. Jesus > us

III. God’s image in Christ for us

A. “Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created.” – Colossians 1:15–16

B. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” – Hebrews 1:3

C. Renewing God’s image in us (Rom 8:29; 2Co 3:18; Col 3:8–10)

D. Jesus prepares a place for you in the Father’s house

What are some ways people search for an image of God?

How does God’s image in Christ give you a clearer picture of who God is?

“The Sinless Son of God”

All three texts

Intro: “I’m doing fine without Jesus”

I. The Standard that None of Us Can Achieve

A. Sin and a Holy God

B. What is “sin” anyway?

C. Sinful from the time my mother conceived me

II. What We Needed Was a Sinless Human Being

A. Sinful from the first human being

B. Righteousness from another human being

C. The virgin birth

D. Obedience from day one

III. Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb

A. Forsaken and die

B. No tricks to endure it

C. You do it for those you love

D. Worthy to open the scroll

E. Understanding of suffering

Conc. No substitute for Jesus

“The Dangerous Spread of Sin”

Romans 5:12-19

Intro:  Containment of the Coronavirus

I.  What is sin?

         A.  A willful act?

         B.  A disease?

                  1.  Bacteria or virus

                  2.  Prion

                  3.  Damaged genetics

         C.  Sinful nature produces sinful thought, word and disease

         D.  How then are we guilty?

II.  The spread and consequence of the epidemic

         A.  Before the law, sin entered the world through one man

         B.  It’s symptoms

                  1.  The curse

                  2.  Murder

                  3.  Alienation from God

                  4.  Death

III.  The Cure

         A.  An unaffected donor

         B.  Jesus’ temptation

         C.  One man keeps the Law, one man pays the price

         D.  The healing process

         E.  Spreading righteousness, justification and eternal life

How do you manage symptoms of something like the flu?

How do you manage symptoms of sin?

“The Dangerous Spread of Sin”

Romans 5:12-19

Intro: Containment of the Coronavirus

I. What is sin?

A. A willful act?

B. A disease?

1. Bacteria or virus

2. Prion

3. Damaged genetics

C. Sinful nature produces sinful thought, word and disease

D. How then are we guilty?

II. The spread and consequence of the epidemic

A. Before the law, sin entered the world through one man

B. It’s symptoms

1. The curse

2. Murder

3. Alienation from God

4. Death

III. The Cure

A. An unaffected donor

B. Jesus’ temptation

C. One man keeps the Law, one man pays the price

D. The healing process

E. Spreading righteousness, justification and eternal life

How do you manage symptoms of something like the flu?

How do you manage symptoms of sin?

Intro: The Transfiguration – What’s the big deal anyway?

I. The Inner Circle

II. A glimpse of “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom”

III. Why Moses and Elijah?

A. The Law and the Prophets

B. Final words of OT

C. Joshua and Elisha complete the work

D. What were they talking about?

IV. Heaven on earth

V. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” – Matthew 17:5.

A. Same as baptism

B. Identity – Son of Man and Son of God

C. Fulfilling the work for which He was sent

D. The Incarnate Word, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life

VI. Terrified

VII. “Rise, and have no fear.” – Matthew 17:7

VIII. “No one but Jesus only”

IX. “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” – Matthew 17:9

What desires and/or fears can potentially (or do) prevent you from listening to the voice of Jesus?

What words from Jesus and His Word bring you encouragement and calm your fears?

Intro: What would it have been like if Adam and Eve not disobeyed God?

I. What we would have been versus what we are

A. Not selfish even from the womb

B. No human conflict at either personal or national levels

C. Jesus would not have come to die

II. What we will be

A. A heavenly body with no sin or curse

B. A resurrected earthly body with no sin or curse

C. The beauty of human relationships

III. Cutting through what we are for now

A. Jesus with the tax collectors and sinners

B. “Those who are well have no need of a physician”

C. The fellowship of the sin sick

D. Can you imagine them with their sinful nature contained?

E. Can you imagine them as they can be through Christ?

F. Focusing on the positives

Should you avoid certain “sinners”? When and why?

Intro: Bitterness held over from high school

I. Joseph and his Brothers

A. Competition and Comparison

1. The poison it can bring to a relationship

2. How God can use bad situations for good

B. What they got over

1. Their jealousy

2. The pain of serious abuse

3. How they got over it

C. What does bitterness or being easily offended do to you?

II. Our obligation to forgive

A. God’s perspective

B. How do you judge genuine repentance?

C. What if no one is repenting?

D. Forgive as the Lord forgave you

III. The capacity to really do this

A. Sharing the divine nature

B. “Put on …”

1. Is it a front or a goal?

2. Obsessing about a past wrong

3. Visualizing reconciliation

C. The emergence of the qualities of God

Do you have any past mistreatment about which you are bitter?

How is becoming a better person superior to revenge?

Luke 15 Intro: Think about somebody you really don’t like to be around. What is it about them?

I. The Differences that Put Us Off

A. Our eccentricities

B. Diversity made by their Creator

C. Diversity made by sin or the curse

D. Within the family – The Lost Son

II. Isn’t It Easier to Write Them Off?

A. The older brother has no use for the younger

B. The Father emphasizes the value of family

1. The differences in your family (Malachi)

2. Diversity in the body of Christ

3. Our behavior toward each other and grace (James)

C. When all hope is exhausted

III. Acceptance Versus Approval

A. People are who they are for the moment

B. Love the person hate the sin

C. Clarity about your love

D. Acknowledging your differences

E. Focusing on what is good

F. Love just is

G. Love looks forward

Do you have a family member with whom you are conflicted? What could you do to move toward reconciliation?

Are you especially intolerant of certain kinds of behavior? How does this need to change to be more like God?

“Self-Understanding and Love”

All three readings

Intro: What do you see in the mirror?

I. Why Are We This Way?

A. The mix of good and bad that each of us sees in the mirror

B. The unrighteous mess

1. A product of flawed heredity

a. Sinful nature

b. An explanation to Cain

c. Other changes

2. The influence of many generations

3. The outcome of our decisions, both good and bad

4. Self-love and mental health

C. The creation and re-creation of God

1. Not a temporary creature

2. A being of stunning potential

3. Still loved by God

II. The Love of God and Loving Yourself

A. God’s love despite ourselves

B. Can we love ourselves?

C. Living with our current self and longing for what we will be

D. Extending the same love to others

What do you dislike about yourself? What do you think others might dislike?

“Confession and Forgiveness”

1 John 1-2

Intro: The bravery it takes to confess

I. Being unforgiven or unforgiving

A. The internal sense of right and wrong

B. Deep buried shame

1. Guilt when appropriate

2. Satan’s handle on you

3. Self-punishment

4. Depression or disassociation

5. When the victim feels guilty

C. Hardened bitterness

1. Confronting the wrong or not

2. Releasing the debt or not

3. The descent into mental illness

II. God’s plan for the guilt of the world

A. The depth of human sin

1. War

2. Abuse in the home

3. Wrongs that can’t be fixed

4. Perversion of God’s created order

5. Sinful nature

B. None of it escapes

1. Judgment and Judgment Day

2. The death of Jesus Christ

C. Putting things right

1. We don’t go back

2. We go forward

3. Explaining and categorizing a wrong

To whom would you trust to confess as deep, shameful sin?

In general, do you think you make too little of your sins or too much?