Amen. If you would please remain standing. Y'all are learning. That's good.
We're going to remain standing as we read God's Word together this morning.
Our sermon text is from Psalm chapter 8.
So if you would, go ahead and flip there in your Bibles as we read Psalm chapter 8 together.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes.
To still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place.
What is man that you are mindful of him?
And the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings.
And crowned him with glory and honor.
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 beast of the field.
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea.
Whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
This is the Word of God.
If you would please be seated.
Father, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
We pray now that you would open up our eyes to see your greatness.
Lord, and to be in awe of you and your incredible wisdom and power and glory and all that you've made.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
What is our mission as a church family?
It's hard to believe that about six months ago now,
CW Bay Baptist Church launched out as an autonomous church family.
And part of that process, as you know, was to clarify and to communicate what is our mission?
What is this church going to be about?
What are we doing?
What are we seeking to accomplish here?
And the answer, I'm hoping you can say it along with me,
is that CW Bay exists to magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We've got some work to do.
All right.
We exist to magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We exist for the glory of God.
But I hope that you know, and I want to be clear,
that that process of identifying our mission was not an attempt to be creative.
It was not an attempt to be original.
We want to align our mission with the mission of God.
We want to align our purpose with God's purpose.
And we want to align what we care about with what God cares about.
And you can be sure that God cares about nothing more than the magnification of his glory.
I hope that you can see, I think it's evident, that this is the theme of Psalm chapter 8.
I love when the Bible makes that clear to us, don't you?
David, he says in the first verse and in the last verse, he bookends this psalm with this one phrase,
Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
How majestic is your name.
This is the first psalm of praise in the book of Psalms.
You may have felt this over the past several weeks,
that we've been walking through some pain and some suffering in Psalms 3 through 7.
It's been hard on poor David over the past several weeks.
I was joking with somebody this week earlier that we should have named this sermon series
the summer of suffering this year.
But now you notice the tone changes.
And now David is no longer looking internally at his own circumstances.
He's no longer focusing on his own trials.
Now the praise has shifted up towards the Lord.
And we have no indication here of any suffering.
He's mindful of the praise and the glory of God.
You know, that's the trajectory of the Christian life.
What an encouragement it is for us to know that
no matter what trials we endure here,
no matter what suffering we endure now,
it will give way to glory in the end.
David here, inspired by the Holy Spirit,
he looks out around him at all the incredible works of God
and in it he sees the glory of God.
He knows and he rejoices in this simple and profound truth.
I think that this is the main idea of this psalm,
that God magnifies his glory in all of creation,
especially mankind.
Especially mankind.
So what we're going to see here this morning from Psalm chapter 8
is two ways that God magnifies his glory.
If you're taking notes, this will be our outline together this morning.
Two ways God magnifies his glory.
God magnifies his glory through the works of his hand
and through the purpose of man.
First, we see God magnifies his glory through the works of his hand.
Look there with me to verse 1.
David says,
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
You have set your glory above the heavens.
See, the earth, the creation, is a theater for the glory of God.
It's an arena where we see God's majesty on display.
And that's by design.
God made creation.
He made the earth.
He made all things as an indicator, as a pointer towards his glory.
So that if any part of creation is beautiful to us,
we're meant to ask,
well, how much more beautiful is the creator?
If any part of creation is awe-inspiring for us,
we're meant to ask,
how much more awe-inspiring is the one who made all of this?
If any part of creation is worthy of our attention,
worthy of our devotion,
worthy of our admiration,
we're meant to then notice that
and in turn ask,
how much more worthy of our attention
and devotion and admiration is the creator?
Now, I wonder if you've ever been awestruck
by any part of creation.
Of course you have.
You know how spoiled we are where we live?
We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Anytime we want,
we can pick a morning,
pick a sunrise,
pick a beach,
pick an island,
pick an ocean,
go walk out and sit on the beach
and see God's glory on full display.
We see it all the time,
but are we attentive to it?
Are we listening to the message of creation?
David was.
He says,
how majestic,
oh Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth?
You may remember it stormed last Sunday.
We were out spending some time with some other church members
and it stormed
and we could hardly see the road coming back.
I don't know if you were out in the middle of that storm.
We could hardly see where we were going
as we drove back home.
It was just pouring down rain,
this display of the power of God and creation.
And when we got home,
I don't know if you could see this where you were,
but the rain stopped
and the sky out here behind the church,
above the trees,
was this bright pink and purple.
Like I've never seen it before.
It was unbelievable.
The deep color in the back of the field
over the trees in the sky.
And Amanda noticed it first.
She saw it through the blinds
and she said,
guys,
you got to come over here and see this.
She called us over.
We looked out
and we just admired the beauty of the creation.
I went back and I sat down.
I was going back to my book.
She and the boys were staying there,
admiring it.
And I overheard her say to one of the boys,
look at what God has made.
And I thought,
that's exactly right.
And that's the point.
That's what God is doing.
The heavens declare the glory of God.
Psalm 19 tells us
the heavens declare the glory of God
and the skies above proclaim his handiwork.
And the stunning truth
is that everyone sees it.
Everyone hears it.
Everyone who is a part of creation
hears the witness of creation.
Psalm 19,
it tells us,
it goes on,
it says,
day to day pours out speech.
Not just a little bit,
it pours it out.
Day after day,
won't stop talking about the glory of God.
Night to night reveals knowledge.
If you don't know that there is a God,
it's not because God hasn't told you.
If you live in God's creation,
you have heard the testimony of creation.
One night is enough to know.
One day in creation is enough to know
that there is a God
and he is glorious.
We have heard.
Verse 3,
there is no speech.
There are no words whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth.
Their words go to the end of the world.
Do you realize this is incredibly common knowledge?
All of the earth,
every single person
in every single place
in every single corner of the world
knows that there is a God.
How?
Creation has told them.
This is why Paul tells us in Romans chapter 1
that we are without excuse.
Excuse.
If we withhold honor from the living God,
it's not because he hasn't told us he's there.
It's that we have refused to give him the honor
that he's due.
The witness is there.
The name of the Lord is majestic in all the earth.
The question is,
are we listening?
The heavens proclaim his glory,
but not only this,
I love the contrast that we have here
between verse 1 and 2.
It's not only the big things
that describe the glory of God.
I love the contrast here.
God's glory is proclaimed
in the highest heights of heaven
and in the mouths of babies
and infants.
In the smallest and weakest
and most helpless creatures,
he says,
out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength
because of your foes
to steal the enemy
and the avenger.
Now,
what could this mean?
How does God magnify his name
in the mouth of babies?
I have a guess.
But first,
doesn't this just show you
how God works?
Now,
I wonder if you were facing
an enemy,
if you were up against
a powerful enemy,
if you had all the resources
of the entire world
at your disposal,
I wonder how you would choose
to display your strength.
What would you choose
to steal your enemy?
What would you choose
to go to war for you?
What would you choose?
God says,
I know what I'll do.
I'll silence
the mouth of the enemy
with the mouths of babies
and children.
And we say,
God,
are you sure?
I mean,
look around.
Surely you could find
something better than that,
something stronger,
something more formidable
than that.
But that's just how God works.
God is pleased
to make his glory known
through the weakest
among us.
He wouldn't have it
any other way.
He chooses
the foolish
in the world
to shame
the wise.
He chooses
the weak
in the world
to shame
the strong.
And I'll be honest
with you,
I don't know exactly
how this fits in
and applies
to David's life.
We saw last week
from chapter 7
that others
were speaking evil
of him.
Others were coming
to kill him.
He claimed innocence
from what they were claiming
and saying about him.
It could be,
here's one option,
that despite
what the enemy
said about David,
even children
knew
that he was still
the anointed king.
Despite what others
said about him,
children knew
that he was still
God's anointed king.
That's one possibility.
Now Jesus quotes
this text,
you may recall,
at the triumphal entry
into his city,
into the city
of Jerusalem
in Matthew 21.
He comes in
to the cheers
and the praises
of Hosanna.
Hosanna.
He went in
and he cleared out
the temple
and the children
were there
in the temple,
crying out
in the temple,
Hosanna to the
son of David.
And do you remember
how the chief priests
and the rulers
responded to them?
Make them be quiet.
Silence them.
Do you hear
what they're saying?
Make these children
be quiet.
Stop them
from praising you
as the Messiah.
You are not the king.
Doesn't that sound
a bit like what's going
on here with David?
And how does Jesus
respond?
He says,
haven't you read?
Out of the mouth
of infants
and nursing babies
you have prepared
praise for me,
the true king
of God's people.
God uses the weak
to shame the strong,
but I think
that there's another
layer to this.
So follow with me
just for a moment here.
I think we have
a glimpse here
of how God
plans to magnify
his glory
not only in creation
but also in redemption.
Track with me here
for a minute.
It's interesting to me.
It's interesting,
isn't it,
that David faced
many foes.
He faced many enemies.
He faced Saul.
He faced Absalom.
All the armies
with them.
Verse 2 says
that God has
established strength
because of his foes,
plural,
multiple foes.
But then something
interesting happens
at the end of verse 2.
Do you see it?
It switches
to the singular.
One enemy.
Do you see that?
You have established
strength because
of your foes,
plural,
to steal the enemy
and the avenger.
So follow with me here.
This is my guess.
One great enemy
is silenced
and overcome
by children
giving praise
to the Lord.
What does that
sound like to you?
To me,
that sounds like
God's plan
of redemption.
I think that David
is looking back
to the first chapters
of the book of Genesis.
You remember
what happens
in Genesis?
Chapters 1 through 3.
In the beginning
of the Bible,
God creates
all things.
He sets his glory
in the heavens.
His majestic name
fills all the earth.
And then the enemy
appears.
The serpent
appears.
The great enemy,
Satan,
comes and deceives
Adam,
deceives Eve.
They eat,
they disobey,
they fall,
their union
with the Lord
is broken.
God pronounces
his judgment.
And do you remember
what he said
to the serpent
in Genesis chapter 3?
I will put enmity
between you
and the woman,
between your offspring
and her offspring.
The Bible,
from this point forward,
is the unfolding
of this war
between the seed
of the serpent
and the seed
of the woman.
But in the end,
one child will come,
one seed of the woman
will come,
he shall bruise your head
and you shall bruise
his heels.
See, the Bible
is a story of God
magnifying his glory.
And how does he
choose to do it?
He triumphs
over the enemy
and all who belong
to him
through a promised
child.
And David
remembers
that God
has promised
a child
will come
who will put
an end
to the enemy
and an end
to his attempted
robbery
of the glory
of God.
A child
will come,
the child
will be bruised
and yet he will
crush the head
of the serpent.
And we know,
don't we,
who this child
is?
Child,
the promised
child
is Christ
Jesus.
We know
that through
this child
many children
will come
to the Father.
That through
this promised
offspring
many will be
born again,
delivered from
belonging to the
kingdom of darkness
and now adopted
into the family
of God.
And it is
their praises
that will be
the unraveling
of all
the enemy's
schemes.
That's my guess.
God magnifies
his glory
through the works
of his hands
in creation
and in
redemption.
Which leads
David to ask
out of all
the works
of creation,
Lord,
what am I
that you're
mindful of me?
What is man
that you're
mindful of him?
Verse 3,
he says,
when I look
at your heavens,
the work
of your fingers,
the moon,
the stars
which you
have set
in place,
what is man
that you're
mindful of him?
The son
of man
that you
care for him.
Who are
we
that we
should receive
any attention
from the
Lord of all
creation?
Do you see
David's
perplexity
here?
Do you
ever feel
that perplexity?
What am I,
God,
that you should
listen to me?
Bring it
all the way
back down
to us.
Get that
image of a
zooming camera
shot in your
mind,
all the way
from the
highest reaches
of outer
space,
as high up
as it goes,
zooming in
through the
planets,
zooming in
through the
sky,
zooming in
over the
earth,
into the
state of
South Carolina,
over the
forest,
over the
waters of
Awe and
Awe,
right here
to Seawee Bay
Baptist
Church.
What are
we?
God is
mindful of
us.
who are
we that
God should
care about
us?
Do you
ever think
about how
incredible
that is?
That our
little songs
blasted out
here Sunday
morning,
30,
40,
50 of us
in the
room,
when we
sing praise
to the
Lord,
the Almighty,
the King
of creation,
that God
hears our
songs and
is pleased
by our
worship.
Does it
ever
astound
you that
our prayers,
when we
pray, I
think we've
prayed maybe
four, five,
six times
together in
service this
morning already,
do our
prayers ever
feel small
to you?
Doesn't it
feel like
God, with
all that he
has going
on in the
world, that
maybe he
just kind
of let
some of
those prayers
from that
little church
and all
slide this
week,
and yet he
bids us,
invites us,
compels us
to come
and ask
him to
move
mountains
and to
ask him
for our
daily bread,
because the
Lord of all
creation is
mindful of
you.
Why?
Because by
his sheer
grace, he
has chosen
to give us
incredible
dignity and
purpose.
There's our
second point
this morning,
the second
way God
magnifies his
name is God
magnifies his
glory in the
purpose of
man.
I want you to
notice David's
posture here.
First, just
listen to what
he doesn't say.
He doesn't say,
look how
wonderful you
are.
Look how
incredible you
are.
Of course God
wants to pay
attention to you.
You're special.
You're full of
potential.
You are wonderful.
Of course God
wants to think
about you.
You're worthy of
God's attention.
Is that what he
says?
No, he says
we are
nothing.
What is man
that God would
be mindful of
us?
We're a speck of
dust compared to
the rest of
creation.
You made the
heavens with
your fingers.
Do you realize
how simple he
makes that
sound?
You set the
moon in its
place.
You set the
stars in their
place.
What are we
that you're
mindful of us?
We are
nothing.
And yet,
verse 5,
yet you have
made him a
little lower
than heavenly
beings and
crowned him
with glory and
honor.
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 beast of the
field, the birds
of the heavens and
the fish of the
sea, whatever
passes along the
paths of the
seas.
You know,
when we read
this text,
we shouldn't
be puffed up
with how great
we are.
That's not the
point.
We should be
in awe, like
David, at the
undeserved blessing
and attention
and honor given
to us by God.
Any glory, any
honor, any
goodness that you
and I have is
not from us and
it's not for us.
It ought to,
again, point away
from us back to
the one who has
crowned us with
glory and honor.
What does it
say about God?
That the God who
made the heavens
cares about you.
What does it
say about God?
That the God who
is transcendent has
chosen also to be
imminent, to be
near, to be near
to his people.
He has chosen to
make his name known
to us and through
us.
What a privilege
that is.
How does he do
that?
How does he do
that?
Two ways here.
God has given
mankind, all
mankind, two
gifts.
Really two
responsibilities here.
He has given
all mankind
dignity and
dominion.
Just look at the
dignity that he
gives to all
mankind.
Verse 5.
He says he has
crowned us out of
all creation.
He has crowned us
with glory and
honor.
How?
Because we alone
are made, we
talked about it
this morning, in
his what?
In his image.
What other part of
creation can we say
this about?
Mankind alone is
made in the image
of God.
No other part of
creation has this
distinguished honor.
We bear the image
of God.
You know, we were
made to be little
representations of God
walking around on
the earth.
We talked this
morning in the
grow class about
some of the ways
that we can share
and some of the
attributes of God.
Do you realize we
were made to
reflect God's
holiness?
We were made to
reflect God's
goodness.
We were made to
reflect God's
mercy, his love,
his wisdom, his
creativity, his
intelligence, even
his beauty.
Out of all
creation, mankind
especially, was
made to walk
around as
reflections of the
glory of God.
I have a niece
that we saw
last week at the
beach who looks
exactly like my
dad.
It is unbelievable.
There's a picture of
the two of them
sitting on the couch
together and except
for the size
difference and the
hair difference,
you almost can't
tell them apart.
It is unreal.
And if you knew my
dad, if you knew
what he looked like
and then lined my
niece up with about
20 other little
girls, you would be
able to look at her
and say, that is a
chancy.
And there's no doubt
about it.
The family resemblance
is strong.
She bears his image.
That is how it's
supposed to be with
us, isn't it?
We are made to bear
the image of God so
that others look at
us and say, that's
God's child.
He looks just like
the Lord.
She looks just like
the Lord.
And not just
Christians bear the
image of God.
We need to realize
this.
All people bear the
image of God.
This is what gives
all mankind
dignity and honor.
God has crowned
all people with glory
and honor by making
all people in his
image.
I talked to Treg this
week, Monday morning,
we opened up this
passage and talked
through it and he
said, man, the
implications of this
are enormous.
And they are.
The applications that
we could draw from
that simple fact are
almost endless.
But we'll try a few
here.
For one, the fact
that we are all made
in the image of God
is what makes racism
evil in the sight of
God.
If we treat anybody
differently because
they look different
than us, could it be
that we value our
image more than we
value God's image?
If we give a higher
honor to those who
are wealthy or
beautiful or have
use to us
personally, could it
be that we have a
different honor system
than God?
God has crowned all
people with dignity
and honor.
Shouldn't that
impact the way
that we treat
each other?
The way that we
talk to and about
one another.
How we love one
another.
You know, that person
that drives you crazy.
I know you're
thinking about them
in your mind right
now.
That person that you
just cannot stand to
be around.
That person that,
if you're honest,
maybe you hate
is made in the
image of God.
Who are we to
hate?
Those whom God
himself has
honored and
crowned with
dignity and
glory.
We have been
given incredible
dignity, but not
only that, second,
we have been given
dominion.
Mankind was made
to reflect the
image of God and
also to rule as
extensions of the
authority of God.
In Genesis chapter
1, 28, God gave
Adam and Eve a
command.
He said, be fruitful
and multiply, fill
the earth and
subdue it.
Have dominion over
the fish of the
sea, over the
birds of the air,
over every living
thing that moves.
David is looking
back on this
truth.
He's reflecting
back on the
incredible dominion
and authority that
God has given man
in Genesis 1.
And he works
backwards from the
list.
You notice that?
You have given
him dominion over
the works of your
hands, he says.
You put all things
under his feet, all
sheep and oxen, the
beasts of the
field, the birds of
the heavens, the
fish of the sea,
whatever passes along
the paths of the
seas.
We were made with
a purpose to
exercise dominion over
all of God's
creation as
extensions of his
good authority.
You know, that's
what gives purpose
to our work.
Do you know how
empty it is to
try to labor to
build your own
kingdom and to
try to labor to
accumulate riches
and wealth or
respect and honor
that will eventually
fade away?
Maybe the reason
that feels empty
to us is because
we were made for
something much
greater than that.
We were made so
that all of our
labors, all of our
efforts, all of our
work, all of our
endeavors are meant
to be extensions of
God's work, God's
labors.
God's effort, God's
endeavors.
We were made to
labor for his
kingdom, not for
ours.
Whatever you do, do
all for the glory of
God.
That's the purpose of
your nine to five.
We are made to fill
the earth with the
glory of God and to
labor to usher in
his kingdom.
What a privilege that
is that he's given
to us.
David says we're to
exercise dominion,
even, David points
out for us, even
over the animals.
Some of us, I
know, are animal
people.
My apologies in
advance to PETA and
to all the animal
people in the room,
animal lovers
everywhere.
I am an animal
lover, okay, for the
record.
I love animals, but
animals are not our
equals.
animals.
Mankind is made
superior to the
animals.
Animals exist for man,
not the other way
around, and it seems
sometimes like our
society has lost its
mind.
Some of you may know
that we live right
across the street from
the Seaweed Visitor
Center over here.
They are protecting the
red wolf population.
You can go and have a
tour of the red wolves
there.
I think that that's
great.
They are protected.
If you kill a red
wolf, you get a
$100,000 fine and
possibly spend some
time in prison.
But we've made it
perfectly acceptable
to kill a child in
the womb of their
mother in the first
trimester with no
consequence.
It's insane.
Do you realize how
insane it is to live
in a world where
animals have greater
protection than
children who are made
in the image of
God?
We have everything
twisted up.
I don't know about
you, but when I
look around and I
see the wickedness
in the world around
us, when I look in
the mirror and I see
the wickedness in the
mirror as I look at
myself, I have a
hard time seeing
glory and honor.
Don't you?
This psalm, as with
many of the psalms,
they give us a
picture of the
ideal.
This is the ideal man
represented here.
This is who Adam was
meant to be.
This is who you and I
were meant to be.
So what happened?
What happened was sin.
You know, when we read
this text, something
ought to be happening
within us.
The alarms of our
heart.
When we read this text,
it says, you were made
to reflect the glory
of God.
You were made to
magnify his glory.
You were made to be
his representatives here
on earth.
God made you for him
and his glory.
The alarms of your
heart ought to be going
off and saying, that is
true.
I know I was made for
that.
That is why I'm here.
That's what I was made
for.
That's the purpose of my
life.
And yet, I have fallen
so short.
That's sin.
All have sinned and
fallen short of the
glory of God.
Everything was distorted
and twisted and warped
and messed up by Adam's
sin.
We still bear the image
of God, but that image
is so hard to tell because
it's been dragged through
the mud of our own
sinfulness.
We still have the
authority, the
responsibility to exercise
dominion, to rule, to
work, to labor, but we
want to rule, to work, to
labor for our kingdom, for
our glory, not for his.
We have inherited Adam's
failure, and with it, we've
inherited all of the curse
of sin.
But, but,
we praise God that he did
not leave us in our sin.
We praise God that he has
mercifully and graciously
provided a way of escape, a
way of renewal, a way of
restoration that magnifies
his glorious name.
He sent a child to silence
the enemy.
He sent Christ, the true
and better Adam.
As Hebrews 2, we just
read it this morning,
reminds us, God made him
a little while lower than
the angels and crowned him
with glory and honor,
putting everything in
subjection to his feet.
We see him who for a
little while was made
lower than the angels.
Who?
Namely, Jesus.
Crowned with glory and
honor because of the
suffering of death, so
that by the grace of God
he might taste death
for everyone.
The first Adam
failed, and with his
failure brought sin and
death.
But the second Adam,
Christ Jesus, the very
image of the invisible God,
crowned with glory and
honor, came to restore
all that was lost in the
fall.
That's the gospel, church.
The kids have been talking
in children's ministry.
Miss Regina has them deep
in the weeds of theology.
I love it.
Apparently, they came
across the topic in their
curriculum that made them
think about this question.
How is Adam like Christ?
How is Adam like Jesus?
Adam, the first man, God's
first human being, and Jesus
Christ, the God man, how are
they alike?
And so in Miss Regina's
wisdom, she did as every
good parent or teacher does,
and she bribed them.
She said, go ask one of your
pastors that question, and if
you do, and if they come back
with a response, if you bring
back the answer to the rest of
the class, I will give you a
prize, a Chick-fil-A gift card,
which to my kids is worth a
thousand dollars, at least.
Amanda, she filled me in on
this scheme, so I expected
them to come, and I waited,
but one week went by, nobody
asked me, and to be honest, I
was a little relieved, because
I was trying in my own mind to
think through, how can I explain
this to a child?
I think I understand it myself.
I think I can point them to
scripture where it says it, but
how do I make it simple enough,
not only for them to understand,
but for them to understand and
then go articulate it to other
people, bring it back to their
teacher.
The next week went by, two
weeks to come up with an
answer, and one of them asked,
how is Adam like Jesus?
And so I said something like
this, I said, well, Adam was
made in the image of God.
He was the first man, and he was
given a job to represent God and
to exercise dominion over all
creation, but Adam failed and
Jesus is the new Adam.
He's the second Adam.
He's the true Adam.
He's the better Adam.
He succeeds where the first Adam
failed.
He said, how are they alike?
I didn't answer the question
satisfactorily.
So I tried again.
I said, they are alike because
they both represent us.
They're representers, meaning we
get what they earn.
By nature, we get what Adam has
earned, his sin and death with it,
the consequence of the fall.
But by new nature given through
faith, we get what Christ has
earned.
We get his righteousness and life
and restored relationship with God.
Christ, he lived in our place.
He died in our place.
He rose in our place so that through
faith in him, we might be restored
and be truly human again.
And he said, what do I tell Miss
Regina?
So I said, okay.
Again, Adam is like Christ because
they both represent us.
everyone in the world, everyone in
this room is represented by one or
the other.
You are either in Adam or you are in
Christ.
But that's about where the similarities
end.
And I came up with this little rhyme to
help it stick.
All in Adam bear his sin, but all in
Christ are new again.
All in Adam bear his sin.
That's everyone.
That's everyone by natural birth.
Everyone bears his sin, this distorted
image of God, this selfish inward
labor, inward purpose, inward building
of our own kingdom.
Does that sound like you?
But all who are in Christ, who by the
grace of God have been redeemed, who
trust in the perfect son of man, all
who are in Christ are new again.
We are remade into the image of God.
We are repurposed for his glory.
And so now by his grace, we labor to
usher forth his kingdom, not ours.
Now we, by his grace, live as children
of God for the glory of God.
And in Christ, we are crowned
undeservedly with glory and honor.
If you are in Christ, church, that is
your purpose.
That is your dignity.
That is what we were made for.
We exist to magnify the glory of God in
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christ.
Oh Lord, how majestic is your name in all
the earth.
Would you pray with me?
Lord, we see so clearly what you have
made us for.
It's not for ourselves.
It's not for our glory.
It's not for our kingdom.
It's not for our honor.
Lord, it is for you and about you.
And it's from you, God, that we are made
back into your holy image.
Lord, we pray if there are any here,
Father, who remain in Adam,
we pray that you would give them
faith in Christ.
And Lord, if there are any here who are
struggling with their purpose,
with their identity, Lord, would you remind
them of who you have made them to be in him.
We love you, Lord, and we pray all this
in Christ's name.
Amen.