My name's Dave, I'm one of the pastors here.
A warm welcome to you if you're new this morning.
If you're not new, a warm welcome to you too.
You're quite welcome as well.
Alright, why don't we pray as we come to God's Word.
Father, I pray that you would more clearly show each one of us
how beautiful you are in the face of Jesus
through your Word this morning.
And I pray that you would fill us who know you
with a deeper sense of privilege and calling
to bring honour and to show who Jesus is
in all of our life.
And I pray that your Word and your Spirit
might be working powerfully to open any eyes
that haven't seen the beauty of Jesus yet.
And I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Could I just ask Sam, would you mind turning this fan off?
I'm a bit worried.
Although it's lovely, my pages are going to go everywhere.
Okay.
Well, we all know glory when we see it.
Let me just get organised here.
One second.
Okay.
Alright.
Let's start again.
We all know glory when we see it.
We use that word even still.
Like even non-Christians will use that word.
Like what a glorious sunrise it was this morning.
Did you see the game last night?
That final play?
That was glorious.
Wow.
She's stunning.
People at a music concert,
just feeling like they're being lifted up,
that transcendence.
And it's just like feeling like they're sensing glory in that concert.
I think we all know glory when we see it.
And if you're struggling with that word glory,
just think beauty.
Awe-inspiring beauty.
We all know it when we see it.
Sometimes I think when we are enjoying a display of one type of glory,
like two great tennis players just battling it out,
sometimes a greater glory invades the moment and just surpasses it.
Like when one of the players sacrifices the point by being honest
that the opponent's ball actually landed in.
That's what makes the headlines the next day.
You think you're watching these great tennis players
and all of a sudden such a selfless act,
you just hit with a greater glory.
Or someone running in a race that they've been training for forever
give up the race to help an injured competitor.
You're just like, we all know glory when we see it
and sometimes we think we're watching glory
and a greater glory just invades the moment.
So where can people see the glory,
the awe-inspiring beauty of God?
Where can you see it?
Surely it's in the starry heavens, isn't it?
The heavens declare the glory of God.
Now, I've got a little video, if it works,
and I'm hoping I don't get in trouble for copyright
either from God or my dad.
You can see the aurora down the bottom.
Come on, surely that's where you see
the awe-inspiring beauty of God.
But then Genesis 1 tells us,
while the stars do declare God's glory,
it is most clearly designed to be seen in you.
In me.
Genesis 1, God made mankind as the pinnacle of creation,
the bridge between heaven and earth.
In 126, we get an insight into the eternal Godhead
making their plans.
Let us make man in our image after our likeness.
And just so we don't miss how special people are,
the word for create, that only God does this sort of creating,
not when you do an artwork or something.
The word for create in 1 verse 1 of Genesis,
when he makes everything out of nothing,
that special word is used again when animals are made.
So animals are obviously special as well.
But then three times when we're made, that word is used.
That's Hebrew way of going bold, italics, underline.
This is special.
And then in Genesis 2,
the Lord breathes breath of life into our nostrils
or into Adam's nostrils.
Somehow we're sharing in the spirit of the Lord.
We see Adam ruling over the animals,
which is what someone in authority does.
Only the parents get to name a child.
We're ruling over the animals.
But then the image is incomplete until Eve comes
and man and woman together
bearing the same image nature of God.
We see the covenant Lord walking with his people
and communicating directly with people, not to animals.
So contrary to what our society is saying at the moment,
we are not just advanced animals.
We are uniquely made to be like God,
to know God and to bring glory to God.
It is an incredible privilege to be a human being.
So what does it actually mean to be in the image
and likeness of God?
How are we different from animals?
And at this point,
you might have assumptions that you already know the answer,
but just take a moment to check those assumptions
because there's three traditional explanations
in Christian writing and thought.
What is clear from Scripture is that to be human
is to be in the image of God.
It's universal.
It's not to say that someone is greater in the image
or less in the image.
It's universal.
To be human is to be in the image of God.
To be in the image of God is to be human.
So that's got to be our reference point.
So the first explanation is we're in the image of God
because of some capacity within us as human beings.
So some point to our mind.
Yes, animals can think and be trained
like rats can be trained to find explosives in the ground.
That's pretty cool.
But you don't see rats composing music.
I haven't.
You don't see dogs playing poker.
I'm not advocating for poker, but anyway.
You don't see monkeys debating philosophical questions.
So some point to the mind.
Because the mind enables us to know God in a way that animals don't,
to speak and sing to God and hear him and understand him.
So some point to our mind.
Others point to our morality.
We've got a moral nature.
We are moral agents as we enter our world.
We might try and suppress our conscience, but try as we might,
we can't but relate to people and things and everything
in a sense of right and wrong.
Everyone has a deep desire for justice.
And this capacity helps us know God's moral purity.
He is holy.
And it helps us to have real choice, eternally significant choices,
where we can choose to obey God or disobey God.
So some look at our moral and spiritual capacity.
But to narrow the definition of image of God to our mind or our morality,
something within us, there's problems with that.
What becomes of a person's worth and purpose as a human being if they can show no capacity
as an unborn baby in the womb or because they're mentally disabled?
Whereas scripture says to be human is to be in the image of God.
So there's problems with that view.
Then you've got the second and the third definitions,
and they're trying to move away from an internal capacity that we have.
The second view is that we are relational beings.
As we relate to God and as we relate to one another,
that's how you see God.
Relationships in action.
And this has some backing from scripture, doesn't it?
Like the two greatest commandments,
love the Lord your God with all that you are
and love your neighbours as yourself.
You see God when you're relating.
But then this one has a few problems as well.
How can it be said of us before we knew the Lord,
of unbelievers who don't want anything to do with the Lord
or who worship a God of their own imagining and not the real Lord,
how do they have a relationship with God?
Wouldn't that mean they're not in the image of God
if they're not relating to him?
The other problem with this view is
they try not to describe anything within human nature
that says why can man have this relationship and not animals?
So it just seems incomplete at least.
The third view, if you're still with me,
is that we image God as we rule over creation.
Again, this has support from Genesis 1.
The very next verse of being made in the image of God
is God saying let them have dominion over the earth.
But then what becomes of our image bearing in our old age
when we can barely rule our own bodies,
let alone contribute?
And we need to be served.
What happens then?
Or I think another one I've heard is that
Christians identify ruling the world,
especially when we're being creative like the creator,
when we're doing an artwork or we're solving some problem.
But the problem with that is,
does that mean you start being an image of God
when you're doing something creative?
What about the rest of the time?
Have you stopped being the image of God?
So let's just recap.
There's three main views.
One is some internal capacity,
especially our mind and morality.
The second view is relationships with God and one another.
Third view is as we rule over the world in a meaningful way.
I think the problem with all three of these,
not that they're wrong in and of themselves,
but they're just too narrow a definition.
They're too incomplete.
I think we're helped in Genesis 5, verses 1 to 3,
where again Adam and Eve are said to be in the image
and likeness of God.
And then straight after that,
we hear that Adam fathered a son in his own likeness
after his image and named him Seth.
In what way was Seth like his father Adam?
Well, in every way that he was like his father
and yet a distinct person.
How do you define that?
In what way are we like God?
Well, in every way that we are like God,
all his attributes that he has shared with us,
we are like God.
So how are we in the image of God?
In every way that we are like God.
And some of you are like, oh, thanks for that.
That's such a broad definition.
Is that really helpful?
I think it is helpful because it's liberating,
because it means you will continually be learning
what it means to be in the image of God
as you get to know God.
It will take all of scripture and all of eternity
to be learning what that means.
I think it's liberating.
And I think this father-child picture with Adam and Seth
also helps us distinguish us from animals and angels.
Yes, animals display something of the glory of God,
but it's probably as different as a father loving a son
compared to loving his pet dog.
And there is a great difference.
There is a world of difference.
Or angels.
Angels, Hebrews teaches us, are servants.
They're very happy being servants.
That's what they are.
They're servants, whereas people are meant to be sons and daughters.
So I think it helps in that regard too.
So let's beware of identifying the value and purpose of human life
to one narrow primary aspect.
It is our moral and mental capacity.
It is our relating.
It is our ruling over the world.
And it's in every other way that we are like the creator.
To be in God's image is in every way we are like God.
But before we get ahead of ourselves,
we need to understand the purpose of an image.
So yes, we are like God, but what's the purpose of an image?
And this is where Gareth's kids talk has already probably said it better than I can.
In ancient Israelite times, kings were spoken of as the image of the gods.
They represented the authority and rule of the gods.
They were the gods on the earth,
which just tells us how radical this teaching was even in Moses' day.
Not just kings, but the poor, uneducated, powerless nobody
represents the king of kings.
This is radical stuff.
Or think of a statue of ancient idols, of gods.
The physical statue represents the gods.
Whereas scripture is saying God is represented at the moment in this earth
with over 8 billion living, breathing statues walking around.
The point of an image, you're probably not going to like this either,
is the image.
The point of an image is to reflect.
Like a mirror reflecting the light of the sun into the world.
People are to represent, to display, to reflect God to others and into the world.
Not display his physical appearance because God is spirit,
but display his character, display his purposes for life.
His character should be our character.
His purpose for life should be my purpose for life,
our purpose in life.
As we encounter another human being,
we should see in them a beauty, a light,
that isn't their own.
It is God-like.
And if people are representing the Lord,
then how you treat people is an extension of how you treat the Lord.
You can't separate the two.
If you consider the parable of the sheep and the goats that Jesus told,
how are we going to be judged at the end of time?
Whether you close those who are deprived,
whether you visit those who are sick and in prison,
what you did or did not do to people,
that's what you did to me, says the Lord,
or didn't do for me.
Because we all represent God,
you can't separate relationship with God with how you treat people.
The point of an image is to image, to reflect, to represent.
So we are like God in every way that we are like him
in order to display God to others
so that people see God through us
and rejoice in him and glorify him.
And I think this is true as an individual,
but I think Scripture talks about it's even more true.
I don't know if more true.
It's equally true as community.
Israel was meant to be a light to the nations.
The church is meant to be stars in this dark generation
as we love one another, Philippians 2 says.
So to be in the image of God is to be like God
in every way that we are,
like a child to a father,
so that we reflect God and represent God to one another
and into the world,
so that others might see God through us
and rejoice and give glory to God.
So where do you see the glory of God?
Well, because of sin,
it's no longer in people.
Has sin totally destroyed the image?
Surprisingly, the answer is no.
In Genesis 9,
after the flood,
sin is in the world.
Sin is in the world still to the point
where murder can occur
and God institutes a punishment for murder.
And the basis of the punishment
is that people are in the image of God.
Murder is going on
and yet
that kind of sinful person
still bears the image of God.
And then in James 3,
we see
you should not curse people,
you should not tear down people
with your words,
with your lips.
Why?
Because they're in the image of God.
So sin hasn't eradicated the image.
All people,
Christian,
non-Christian,
are in the image of God still.
Like a mirror that's been dropped,
it's been shattered,
it is fragmented at best.
I picture something like
an abstract artwork
of a portrait of a face
where you're looking at it
and you're just like,
I think it's human.
I'm not quite sure
what the person looked like originally.
This sinful condition
is spoken of in Romans 1.
The cause of our distortion of the image
is because we've done a swap.
We've done an exchange.
Instead of the glory of the immortal God,
we're going to worship
and serve created things.
We've done a swap.
And the result is
that all of our humanity
is tainted,
is disfigured.
Our thinking is corrupted
by falsehood.
Our speech now projects
gossip and slander
and full of pride.
And our relationships
are marked by selfish ambition
rather than self-sacrificial love.
Our ruling of the world
exploits rather than cultivates.
I picture just what we might call
an ordinary fight
between two people,
a verbal fight.
Think of those arrows
that we shoot at each other.
Just an ordinary fight
that we all do.
Even in an everyday spat,
you see something of the image
because we can formulate ideas
in our minds
and project words to one another.
There's something of an image there
but then it's not light.
It's characterised by darkness.
It's not life-giving.
It's trying to take life away.
So something of the image
is still there
even as we try
and tear each other down.
And yet it's so disfigured.
I think this sinful condition
we've inherited from Adam and Eve
is that we desire glory
for ourselves,
for our own sake,
rather than loving the fact
that we're reflecting God's glory.
I think it's like as a statue,
as a monument
to the greatness of self
rather than as a mirror
that reflects the greatness
of another.
I think we try to be a statue
to our own greatness.
We want to be the picture
of physical beauty.
My value, my purpose
is because I'm beautiful.
Isn't he intelligent?
We want people to think.
She is a great mother.
I'm so above my classmates.
It's not funny.
Isn't he powerful?
People respect that.
And it can take religious forms.
Isn't he a wonderful preacher?
Doesn't she pray well?
Isn't he so compassionate
and sacrificial?
I think we share
in Adam and Eve's desire
to be a statue
of our own greatness
rather than reflecting
the greatness of another.
We exchange the glory
of the immortal God
for created things.
We try and reach
to the heavens ourselves,
but all it does
is make us more animal-like.
So,
with sin,
the image hasn't been
totally lost,
but it is
unrecognisable.
It is so distorted.
We reflect darkness
more than light.
So if we don't see
God's glory
in people anymore,
where do we find it?
Well,
let's go to 2 Corinthians
and we're going to stay there
for the rest of the sermon.
Here,
Paul compares
the glory
that Moses
saw.
Now,
Moses got to speak
to God
directly
up on the mountain.
and the glory
that Moses
saw
as God
revealed himself
partially
in the law,
comparing that
to the glory
that the apostles
saw
and that we can see
in the face
of Jesus Christ.
It's
hardly
worth comparing.
So Exodus 34
tells us
of when Moses
was out on
Mount Sinai
and he asked God,
show me your glory
and if you remember
the story,
God hides him
in the rock
and he passes by
while declaring
his name
and Moses
only sees
the back
of God,
only sees
his back
and he is
awe-inspiring
and Moses
didn't realise,
he comes down
from the mountain,
he didn't realise
that the reflected
glory in his face
was like blinding
and people
were afraid
of him.
He didn't even realise
his face
was shining
he was glowing
and so because
people were afraid
of him
he put a cover
he put a veil
over his face.
So the reflected
glory that
Moses had
is nothing
compared to
what you and I
can have today
is Paul's point,
nothing.
It houses
so much
greater.
It is a
greater light
it is more
permanent.
So without
going into all
the detail
Paul is saying
that having
the spirit
of God
dwelling in us
to show us
Jesus
is so much
better
than having
the law
because the law
can only tell
me how far
short
I've fallen
from the glory
of God.
In the message
about who
Christ is
and what
he's done
we don't see
God's back
we see his face.
verse 4
verse 6
For God
who said
that light
shine out
of darkness
has shone
in our hearts
to give
the light
of the
knowledge
of the
glory of
God
in the
face
of Jesus
Christ.
If you want
to see the
beauty of
the Lord
you must
look at
his son
Jesus
Christ.
He is
what it
means
to be
like God
to be
in the
image of
God.
But can
he really
be that
beautiful
if so
many people
in our
world
don't see
Jesus as
glorious?
Can he
really be
that good?
Perhaps
you've heard
the story
of Jesus
many times
yourself
and you
still
maybe you're
listening now
and you're
like
yeah
I can't
wait till
church is
over
I want
to get
on with
life
maybe you
still haven't
seen how
appealing he
is yet
well verse
four
explains that
and it's a
warning to
you
the God
of this
world
talking about
Satan
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
I like
how John
Calvin
puts it
the sun
is no
less bright
because blind
men do not
perceive its
light
it's no
less bright
the God
who made
the sun
to shine
has to
also give
physical eyes
to see it
so too
spiritually
the sun
of God
is shining
bright
but if
you're not
seeing it
that's not
his problem
that's my
problem
that's your
problem
you need
spiritual
eyes
you think
money
and looks
and intelligence
and power
is more
beautiful than
him
you are
blind
and the
religious
types of
Jesus day
they saw
him forgiving
sinners
the glory
of God's
grace
and they
hated it
and they
wanted the
statue of
their self
righteousness
to remain
the thing
that people
worshipped
and they
were blind
to their
own need
of forgiveness
we all
start in
this condition
of being
blind
to who
Jesus
is
that he
would lay
down his
life for
us
and if
you can
if you
are a
believer
here this
morning
if you
can see
something
of the
glory
of Jesus
there's
only one
reason
for that
the God
at creation
who out of
darkness
said let
there be
light
and there
was light
in your
heart
let there
be light
and the
gospel
broke
through
gave you
eyes to
see
that's the
only reason
you're a
Christian
all praise
to him
that's how
we were
saved
whether it
was in a
moment or
over years
took as
creative an
act at the
beginning as
in our
salvation
let there
be light
and gave us
eyes to
finally see
well where
do you see
the glory
of God
you see in
the face
of the
crucified
and risen
son of
God
and now
by seeing
Christ
we who
have had
our eyes
opened
we are
being
increasingly
transformed
into his
image
verse
318
and we
all with
unveiled
face
the
blindness
has been
removed
beholding the
glory of
the Lord
are being
transformed
into the
same image
for one
degree of
glory to
another
for this
comes from
the Lord
who is
the Spirit
the Spirit's
role
we're told
in John
16
is to
guide us
into all
truth
he wants
the spotlight
to be on
Jesus
he wants
the scriptures
that the
Spirit wrote
about
Jesus
for us
to understand
them
so that we
see him
in the
scriptures
and our
hope is
that while
yes we
are by
degree
growing in
our knowledge
of Jesus
through the
scriptures
1 Corinthians
talks about
that's still
just a dim
reflection of
Jesus
as good as
the word of
God is
we're looking
forward to
when we see
him face to
face
directly
it says
now I know
in part
then I
shall know
fully
even as I
have been
fully known
when we see
him we will
be totally
like him
but until
then
we should
trust
that we
are being
changed
degree by
degree
into the
likeness of
Jesus
as we
behold him
as we
look to
him
there's no
shortcut
spiritual
maturity
you can't
shortcut it
you can't
just get
the
supernatural
gifts of
the spirit
and suddenly
you're a
mature
Christian
no
spiritual
maturity
comes from
growing in
your knowledge
of who
Jesus is
it's bit
by bit
what's the
point of
the image
to image
for others
to see the
glory of
God through
us
what a
privilege
what a
purpose
young or
old
we are to
display
in every
conversation
whatever
hardship
we're facing
at all
times
we have
the privilege
of displaying
the beauty
of God
so that
others
see him
that's an
amazing
purpose
even in
our
weak
attempts
at trying
to tell
other people
isn't
Jesus
great
the
sovereign
lord
can use
those
weak
words
to go
let there
be light
he can
use
us
as we
try and
make
clear
truths
about
Jesus
to
others
before
verse 7
we have
this
treasure
in jars
of clay
to show
that the
surpassing
power belongs
to God
and not
to us
I don't
know about
you but
I think we
can fall
into the
trap of
thinking
if I'm
really
advancing
in Christ's
glory as
an individual
or as a
church
then it's
going to
feel like
strength
it's going
to feel
like success
and victory
that I'm
going to
have persuasive
words that
come easily
and just
win my
family member
over to
know Christ
then and
there
that I'm
going to
totally get
rid of
the sin
the private
sins I'm
struggling
with totally
so that I'm
strong to do
great things
for God
that if
I remain
faithful to
Jesus people
will respect
that
but
that's not
the path
that Christ
walked
it's not
the path
the apostles
walked
it's not
the path
to glory
that we
walk
the path
is weakness
it is
rejection
it is
suffering
it is
struggling
why
well when
the world
what the
world counts
as glorious
is stripped
away
and yet
we have
a peace
and a hope
and a joy
and a love
for others
that still
remains
even though
other things
are gone
death is at
work in us
so that
the light
of Jesus
is more
clear
what a
wonderful
what a
wonderful
purpose
there's
not one
drop
of suffering
is wasted
the Lord
can use
that
for others
to see
the life
of Jesus
in us
for those
he plans
to open
eyes
so how
how will
people in
your family
in
your social
circles
how will
they see
the glory
of God
through you
as we
point to
Jesus
hear me
right
it's not
us we
proclaim
we proclaim
him as
Lord
how will
people in
this church
family see
the glory
of Christ
through you
as we
learn who
Jesus is
through the
scriptures
and through
how you
model him
but we'll
only do
this if we
keep our
eyes on
him
and learn
to love
him more
and more
and I
think it
will depend
on whose
glory we
want people
to see
whether we
want to be
a statue
to our
own glory
or whether
we want
people to
see through
us
to the
glory of
Jesus
let me
pray
so
sovereign
Lord
I want
to praise
you for
your mercy
to each
one of
us
that
you
have
given
us
eyes
to see
your
son
while we
were
chasing
after
our
own
glory
and
created
things
you
broke
in
and
showed
us
who
you
are
and
I
thank
you
for
that
and
I
thank
you
for
such
a
privileged
calling
that
you
want
us
to
individually
and
together
display
to the
world
the
death
of
your
son
and
the
life
that
is
found
in
the
death
of
your
son
we
thank
you
Lord
that
you
are
risen
that
you
have
all
authority
that
you
can
turn
the
most
hardened
sinner
to
yourself
and
we
thank
you
that
you
will
return
and
that
we
will
see
you
face
to
face
and
finally
we
will
be
in
awe
of
you
totally
and
permanently
as
you
deserve
and
for
our
joy
in
Jesus
name
Amen