WEBVTT 00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:06.179 And would you pray with me again just before we dig in further into this? 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:13.280 Lord, I'm conscious of the responsibility it is to come and to speak from your word. 00:00:14.120 --> 00:00:20.859 And I pray you set a guard over my mouth that nothing that comes out of it would do any harm. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:25.940 That you would use these words to build up and encourage these brothers and sisters. 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:32.039 Oh Lord, please would you have your way with us in this time. 00:00:32.740 --> 00:00:36.660 Would your spirit teach us, open our ears to hear what you would say. 00:00:37.400 --> 00:00:41.840 And give us hearts to respond rightly to the living God. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.120 I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:46.859 --> 00:00:55.799 Now today, these two sessions are going to be, there will be a little bit more content in them than tomorrow morning. 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:57.979 Tomorrow morning is a normal church service. 00:00:58.379 --> 00:01:04.719 So just to reassure Graham, who kind of looks a bit panicky at the thought of this. 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:09.159 But the great thing about today is obviously you can ask questions. 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:13.179 And so if there's something you're not getting straight away, don't worry about it. 00:01:13.479 --> 00:01:16.299 Maybe just make a note or write a question, send that in. 00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:20.719 So really let's use that Q&A time that we have immediately after lunch. 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:29.180 If there's something you don't get or there's something that strikes you or there's an implication of something that really you want to explore a little bit further. 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:37.680 These issues that we're going to be looking at today, we're going to start with this first session really on the image created. 00:01:38.299 --> 00:01:41.420 The creation account and the new creation account. 00:01:41.539 --> 00:01:45.379 And that's very important that we put Revelation in there as well. 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:47.259 And we'll see why in a minute or two. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:53.560 Then the second session this morning is going to be on what's gone wrong, the image marred. 00:01:54.199 --> 00:01:58.879 And then tomorrow, I'll decide sometime later today exactly how we'll do it. 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:00.539 But it'll be image restored. 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.799 And what is it that God's doing about that? 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:06.000 And what does that look like? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:12.560 One of the key issues of the day, it seems to me, is this question of identity. 00:02:13.819 --> 00:02:14.780 What is a person? 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:17.740 It seems to be being asked everywhere. 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:28.039 And the lack of a good answer to that, a robust answer to it, really does leave us struggling when we're trying to make decisions about what's right and what's wrong. 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:32.120 And how we should decide these kind of things. 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:46.120 So this question of what is a human person, how should a human flourish, what are the conditions that are conducive to human persons flourishing, doing well, doing what they're made to do. 00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:53.300 How we answer those questions are then going to affect how we make decisions on ethical issues of the day. 00:02:53.300 --> 00:03:02.180 Whether that's issues of assistive technology or IT or whatever. 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:04.400 You can think of multiple issues. 00:03:05.420 --> 00:03:11.060 But how we answer that question also has a bearing on things like how we think human society should be governed. 00:03:11.980 --> 00:03:14.740 How we should be led and what that might look like. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:15.800 What are the limits on it? 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:17.660 How we should educate children. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.380 What marriage and family should look like. 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:26.939 In fact, pretty much everything, the future of civilization, depends on how we answer these questions. 00:03:27.139 --> 00:03:30.659 There's a lot at stake in how we think about these issues. 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:38.560 I want to save just a little bit to frame this discussion, first of all, about this question of identity. 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:41.240 Because it's such a buzzword these days. 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:42.620 Everybody's using it. 00:03:42.659 --> 00:03:45.740 And I'm not sure that we all quite know what we mean by it. 00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:50.480 We keep using that word, but I'm not sure it means what we think it means. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.939 So what is this idea of identity? 00:03:55.200 --> 00:03:56.659 Is it something that we choose? 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:59.760 Or is it something that is given to us? 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:05.460 And obviously the Bible has some key responses to that kind of question. 00:04:05.939 --> 00:04:07.879 Is identity even a thing? 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:13.859 One of the things I'm going to suggest to us is that, in fact, the concept of identity, 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:18.199 we've made a mistake by making it a kind of thing that you have. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:27.319 Actually, I think it's probably more helpful to think about identity as a way of answering some of the key questions of life. 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.139 So questions like, who is God? 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:31.600 Who am I? 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:33.439 What am I for? 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:35.980 Where did I come from? 00:04:35.980 --> 00:04:37.620 Where am I going? 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.480 Is there any purpose to my life? 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:41.340 Do I matter? 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:44.319 And can I be loved? 00:04:44.520 --> 00:04:45.319 And am I loved? 00:04:46.020 --> 00:04:50.879 Now these seems to me are the kind of core questions, the key questions of life. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:51.939 Who am I? 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.480 What am I for? 00:04:53.900 --> 00:04:54.939 Where am I going? 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:56.319 And do I matter? 00:04:57.220 --> 00:04:58.480 Does any of this matter? 00:04:59.379 --> 00:05:04.759 And how we answer those questions is going to then affect how we live. 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:17.259 People in this cultural moment are being told that this question of identity is defined by some sort of internal felt sense. 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:29.740 Now, that is problematic in all kinds of ways, not least because our internal felt sense is something that is malleable and changes through time. 00:05:30.539 --> 00:05:33.959 And actually can also be quite easily deceived. 00:05:34.219 --> 00:05:35.420 We can get it wrong. 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:42.340 I might feel that I'm like an international rugby player, but I've not been chosen for Scotland. 00:05:42.699 --> 00:05:45.699 So somebody else disagrees with my felt sense of identity. 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:58.780 I'm sure some of you have wasted time watching bad X Factor auditions where you have somebody who thinks they're a fantastic singer until they get up and sing and everybody else begs to differ with their judgment. 00:05:58.779 --> 00:06:05.959 It's a kind of obvious thing to say, isn't it, that how we feel internally really doesn't define reality. 00:06:07.099 --> 00:06:12.979 But identity is something that's being talked about as though that were the case in our particular moment. 00:06:14.179 --> 00:06:19.719 Answering this list of identity questions, though, I think is a much more helpful way of going about things. 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:20.979 Who's God? 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:21.639 Who am I? 00:06:21.739 --> 00:06:22.599 What am I for? 00:06:22.919 --> 00:06:23.859 Am I even for anything? 00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:25.740 Where am I going? 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:27.980 And am I, can I be loved? 00:06:29.340 --> 00:06:37.800 One of the key things then to say about this question of identity is that if our internal felt sense of things, 00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:42.100 and I'm packing a lot in here in a very condensed manner, 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:52.220 if my internal felt sense of who I am is not necessarily a reliable guide to the reality of who I am, 00:06:52.220 --> 00:06:55.640 then how on earth can I know who I am? 00:06:55.700 --> 00:06:57.840 How on earth can I answer these kind of questions? 00:06:58.820 --> 00:07:02.760 And the answer to that really is that I can only know if I am known. 00:07:04.280 --> 00:07:08.240 That identity actually is something that's a relational concept. 00:07:08.460 --> 00:07:14.860 I can actually only know myself as I am known by others and as they feed back to me as I relate to them. 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:23.080 And one of the key things then, and this is preparing the way for us talking about creation and fall and so on, 00:07:23.379 --> 00:07:29.960 is that there is one, and this is good news that Christian faith brings to this question. 00:07:30.420 --> 00:07:33.120 There is one who knows us and knows us perfectly. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.240 There is nothing about us that he doesn't know. 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:44.960 The God of the universe who created in the first place knows everything about every single one of us. 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:47.680 That means that there are no surprises for him. 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:52.960 He's not going to discover something about you or me tomorrow that's going to make him go, 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.560 ugh, didn't know he was like that. 00:07:57.019 --> 00:08:05.379 The one who knows us perfectly and loves us perfectly in that knowledge of who we really are. 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:08.560 It's beginning to sound like good news. 00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:15.240 But the key thing is that this one who knows us perfectly and loves us perfectly 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:22.480 also speaks and speaks truth into our lives so that we can relate to him and others rightly 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.500 and live rightly in his world. 00:08:25.579 --> 00:08:32.620 So that's where this question of identity requires the answers from somebody who knows 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:36.000 and who knows better than we can know ourselves. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.399 That's all by way of framing where we're going to go. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:45.240 Who's the one who knows us then, we might say? 00:08:45.700 --> 00:08:46.639 What's he like? 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:48.159 What does he want from us? 00:08:48.779 --> 00:08:50.100 And does he need us? 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:52.940 I want to say a little bit about that. 00:08:53.060 --> 00:08:57.580 The passage that we've just read, and I think I've got a slide slightly out of order. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:08:59.879 Yeah, it is out of order. 00:09:00.060 --> 00:09:00.480 Never mind. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:03.159 In the beginning, God. 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:07.720 It's tempting just to rush past that. 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:10.379 In the beginning, God. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:17.720 The Bible teaches this idea of creation out of nothing. 00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:21.080 That God didn't take stuff that was already there. 00:09:22.259 --> 00:09:24.980 He created out of nothing. 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:32.779 And there's lots to say then about who this God is as we're thinking about him as the creator. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:47.240 The God who is in the beginning, is self-existent, is full and eternally satisfied before creation, outside of creation. 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:50.980 That's got huge implications for the way we think about it. 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:56.919 One of the ways we're tempted to think about the creation account is God, if you like, kind of sitting there thinking, 00:09:57.080 --> 00:09:58.519 it's a bit lonely around here. 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:00.259 It'd be nice to have some kids around the joint. 00:10:00.259 --> 00:10:06.299 That's not at all how the Bible presents God creating. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.960 God doesn't need anything. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:14.220 Let's just stop and think about this for a second. 00:10:14.379 --> 00:10:16.900 That the God who creates doesn't need to create. 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:21.800 He doesn't become more fully God by creating. 00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:25.700 He doesn't gain anything he doesn't have. 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:28.940 It doesn't complete him in any sort of way. 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:32.100 It doesn't give him relationships that he doesn't already have. 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:43.060 The eternally full, eternally satisfied God, eternally rich in fellowship as the triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit, 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:48.860 creates out of pure, lavish, overflowing generosity and love. 00:10:51.060 --> 00:10:59.860 Now, just to go from what is mind-blowing theology to practical pastoral concerns for a second, 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:06.860 just think about the implications of that for the way that you relate to God moment by moment, day by day this coming week. 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:12.680 You relate to the God who didn't create you to do something for him as though he needed it. 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:20.879 You don't relate to a God who lacks something, who is deficient in some kind of way and needs you. 00:11:22.620 --> 00:11:27.080 You relate to the God who is eternally full and satisfied 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:32.800 and pours out of that fullness in lavish generosity towards his creatures. 00:11:34.800 --> 00:11:38.980 In other words, God is not like us, but a bit bigger. 00:11:40.180 --> 00:11:46.540 It's not like that father who's critical of you when you don't pull through for him 00:11:46.540 --> 00:11:52.140 or the boss who's ready to shout at you when you don't do things exactly right. 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:56.279 In fact, it's not like any human relationship that we know. 00:11:57.220 --> 00:12:02.779 The one who needs nothing gives lavishly everything to us. 00:12:03.220 --> 00:12:06.179 And pastely, boy, that makes every difference in the world. 00:12:06.539 --> 00:12:10.279 In fact, you could say that almost all of the pastoral issues, 00:12:10.419 --> 00:12:14.699 all the relational issues that we encounter day by day 00:12:14.700 --> 00:12:20.300 are because somehow we haven't grasped the enormity of this God 00:12:20.300 --> 00:12:26.180 in all of his lavish fullness pouring out grace towards us. 00:12:27.940 --> 00:12:34.400 And somehow we relate to a God who we think kind of we're doing him a bit of a favor 00:12:34.400 --> 00:12:38.080 or we're getting something from him by the way that we behave. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:42.980 So we're starting with this doctrine of God 00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:46.100 because it's an incredibly important place to start. 00:12:46.340 --> 00:12:49.220 There's some scriptures, and I'm going to skip through some of these rather quickly. 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.780 And by the way, I'm looking at you, Keita. 00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:55.840 What time do you want me to stop? 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.480 Because if you don't tell me to stop, I'll just rattle on quite happily. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:05.580 Right. Okay. Half past. Roughly? 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:06.040 Yeah. 00:13:06.280 --> 00:13:07.400 Half past. Right. Okay. 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:13.559 So, Graeme, you're now responsible for stopping me sometime soon. 00:13:14.579 --> 00:13:16.579 Okay. Genesis 1-1 we've seen already. 00:13:17.079 --> 00:13:20.179 These are other scriptures that would begin to address the same thing. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:21.519 I'll put some of these on the screen. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.419 But the idea of being created is absolutely crucial. 00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:29.659 There's the Hebrew there just for a bit of fun. 00:13:29.779 --> 00:13:34.980 Bereshit bara Elohim et ha-shamayin v'et ha-arets. 00:13:34.980 --> 00:13:40.120 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 00:13:43.139 --> 00:13:48.800 God is not part of creation, not completed by it, does not need it. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:55.799 It is entirely dependent upon him and his lavish, overflowing goodness. 00:13:55.799 --> 00:14:03.039 I've just put up there, and I won't take time to read it, but Isaiah 6, just to develop this theme further. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:12.620 Isaiah 6 is the famous passage where we have the throne room vision where Isaiah encounters God in the throne room. 00:14:12.620 --> 00:14:16.980 And we have all these living creatures that are flying around. 00:14:17.100 --> 00:14:21.279 And we see this echoed further on in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:30.839 But the point about this is that when Isaiah encounters God, his response to meeting with God is, 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:34.100 Woe is me, I am unmade, literally. 00:14:35.059 --> 00:14:40.319 Not just I'm undone, I am unraveled, I'm unmade because I've just encountered God. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:47.320 It sometimes makes me wonder when we come together to worship and to praise like this. 00:14:47.520 --> 00:14:51.280 And sometimes rather lightly we pray, Lord, would your presence be with us? 00:14:51.980 --> 00:14:54.680 And we forget these kinds of visions. 00:14:54.900 --> 00:15:02.240 If we were to encounter God in unmediated fashion, we would be undone as Isaiah was. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:14.639 We think about this God then, who elicits a woe to me, I am undone, I have unclean lips, I live amongst the people with unclean lips. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:22.879 And of course what happens then is that the living creature takes coal from the altar, cleanses Isaiah's lips, 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:31.019 and then sends him out on a mission to declare who this God is to his people and to call him to repentance. 00:15:31.019 --> 00:15:38.480 Interesting that Jesus takes the words that Isaiah is given and says to his disciples, 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:46.299 This is why I teach in parables, but interesting that it's Jesus saying, I am the one who fulfills that. 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.500 Here's another couple of texts from Isaiah 45. 00:15:50.319 --> 00:15:52.000 This is what the Lord says, 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:57.860 He who created the heavens, he's God, he fashioned and made the earth, founded it. 00:15:57.860 --> 00:16:01.600 He didn't create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:04.759 He also says, 00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:07.800 Turn to me and be saved, you ends of the earth. 00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:08.899 I am God, there's no other. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.539 By myself I've sworn, my mouth is uttered. 00:16:12.560 --> 00:16:15.539 Before me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear. 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:19.560 It's fascinating, that passage, by the way, in Isaiah 45, 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:26.359 is the one that Paul takes in Philippians 2 and applies to Jesus. 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:36.599 And applies to Jesus, who is the one who became incarnate and lived as a human person and as a servant 00:16:36.599 --> 00:16:39.879 and suffered all the way to death on the cross. 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:42.419 And Paul says, 00:16:42.620 --> 00:16:46.860 Therefore God gives him the name above every name and applies Isaiah 45 to him. 00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:51.919 In other words, Jesus is the demonstration of this God. 00:16:52.439 --> 00:17:00.919 And Jesus' humility, servanthood and death are the supreme demonstration of the giving nature of this God. 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:05.700 The God who needs nothing and pours everything out toward others. 00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:15.500 We might add Colossians 1, where Paul talks about Christ as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn. 00:17:16.380 --> 00:17:18.940 In him all things were created. 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:23.880 It's legitimate to go back and then reread Genesis 1. 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:27.240 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:30.500 And think about Paul's reflection in Christ. 00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:38.720 All things were created and see the Son and the Spirit and the Father together in that action of creation. 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:40.619 It's a beautiful picture. 00:17:42.460 --> 00:17:47.720 There's some key ideas just there that God is not like us, but bigger. 00:17:48.059 --> 00:17:51.099 We need to be really careful about how we think about God. 00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:58.720 His eternality, his fullness, his self-sufficiency mean that he doesn't need anything from us. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:06.180 He creates then out of lavish generosity, which is great good news for how we then relate to him. 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:13.200 There's nothing that we can give to God or deprive him of in his fullness. 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:18.740 And that is pastorally great news for how we relate to him. 00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:23.220 And he creates us and knows us fully as his creatures. 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:27.100 And furthermore, he's utterly good and trustworthy. 00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:33.919 Now, these are all framing comments before we get into this biblical big story. 00:18:35.639 --> 00:18:42.119 I'm just going to quickly outline that as a framework for thinking, as a framework for thinking. 00:18:42.659 --> 00:18:44.619 That's us thinking about the God who creates. 00:18:45.159 --> 00:18:50.759 Some of the implications of that we're beginning to touch on for the way we think about who we are, 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:54.099 what we're for, where we're going, why that matters. 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:58.819 The Bible can be considered as a big picture. 00:18:58.939 --> 00:19:03.319 Not everything in the scripture fits into this particular framework, 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:06.919 but it's a helpful way of thinking about creation. 00:19:07.639 --> 00:19:11.379 And then something goes wrong with that good creation that God makes. 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.299 God is in the business of redeeming that. 00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:19.559 And as we read already, this story is going somewhere towards a destination. 00:19:20.399 --> 00:19:24.919 I have just a little diagram I use, which I find helpful. 00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:26.299 And if you don't, that's fine. 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:34.039 But creation, fall, new creation, and God's in the business of redeeming the stuff that he made. 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.119 We'll see much more about fall in this second session later. 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:43.899 So creation, let's dig in a little bit more to the Genesis account. 00:19:45.719 --> 00:19:51.939 Genesis 1 to 3 is foundational to any view of reality that is biblical. 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:58.199 It's really important that we engage with what was read there, that we read these texts, 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:00.519 listen to what they're saying. 00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:07.059 That framework I've just given gives us a framework for evaluating the whole of life and culture. 00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:12.379 There's nothing that lies outside of God's creative activity. 00:20:13.019 --> 00:20:15.339 Nothing that isn't his stuff. 00:20:19.579 --> 00:20:24.279 Genesis 1.26 is the pinnacle of that passage. 00:20:24.399 --> 00:20:27.519 If you read through it, I was reading back through it again this morning. 00:20:29.500 --> 00:20:33.000 And it's just so striking, that creation account. 00:20:33.639 --> 00:20:35.839 The different aspects of creation. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:43.079 And God's pronouncement at the end of each day, God looked or God watched, He saw, and it was good. 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:44.919 It was good. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.539 It was good. 00:20:47.199 --> 00:20:54.599 And then in the sixth day, let us make man an image in our likeness. 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:58.240 And God makes man. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:08.199 And the way that the whole text works, the way it's structured, this is the high point in this literary text. 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:15.099 And it's intended to say something to us, that mankind then is the pinnacle of God's creation. 00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:23.779 The only thing in the whole of creation that's described as being an image, likeness of God Himself. 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:31.160 The living creatures are described as being living souls, the nefesh chayah. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:36.799 But only mankind is an image and likeness. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:43.940 And it's after that sixth day, all of that creative activity, that God looks at it and says, 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:45.859 it is exceedingly good. 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:48.159 It's very, very good. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:56.900 And it's worth just pausing a second. 00:21:57.300 --> 00:22:05.759 Obviously, I'm sure many of you are familiar with a lot of the debate and discussion that has centered on Genesis chapter 1. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:10.580 It's a text that's been massively under attack in all kinds of ways. 00:22:10.579 --> 00:22:16.980 And I don't want to go too far into that, except just to say this. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:22.980 Clearly, Genesis 1 is telling us some things that are true. 00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:28.299 Now, the details of it, how it happened, when it happened, how long it took, 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:34.539 there are endless books and discussions out there that you can go and look at. 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:40.199 I have a view on that, but I'm not sure that that's the point of the passage. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.919 The point of the passage is primarily this. 00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:45.480 God made it. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:47.299 It's His stuff. 00:22:47.899 --> 00:22:48.939 It's good. 00:22:49.379 --> 00:22:51.039 And it's accountable to Him. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:53.980 He made it with a purpose. 00:22:54.579 --> 00:22:56.259 He made it out of His goodness. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:58.259 And He made it out of nothing. 00:22:58.899 --> 00:23:01.259 And therefore, He's the one who's in charge of it all. 00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:02.659 And it is His. 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:04.439 It belongs to Him. 00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:11.559 That's the key thing that Genesis 1 is giving us. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:14.019 There's more to it, though. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:17.559 This idea of being made, then, an image and likeness. 00:23:17.600 --> 00:23:19.559 And this is us beginning to focus in. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:23.559 What does image, likeness mean? 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:27.700 It's a really interesting phrase. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:32.159 And there's been, again, as you could imagine, lots of discussion about it. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:41.779 It's interesting to take this image and likeness and to relate it to New Testament passages that speak about imitating God. 00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:47.379 Because clearly, if we're made in image and likeness, well, what does that mean? 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:50.440 Does it mean that we are creators like He is? 00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:52.579 That we do the stuff He does? 00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:55.339 Well, it doesn't seem so. 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:58.879 Sub-creators, we are creative, clearly. 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:04.519 We are relational as He is. 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:08.480 One commentator said it like this. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:18.619 Man is an expression or transcription of the eternal incorporeal creator in terms of temporal, bodily, creaturely existence. 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:27.419 I don't know how helpful that is, but God has made us in resemblance, representation, relationship. 00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:40.839 What's fascinating when we look at the imitation passages in the New Testament is that that imitation is imitation of the pattern of the way that Christ, as the one who supremely images God, 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.239 it's the imitation of the pattern of self-giving love. 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:55.200 That's how the New Testament really focuses in on what it is to be image bearers and then to be restored image bearers. 00:24:56.680 --> 00:25:04.019 But when God creates an image in likeness to Him, He also gives tasks to do. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:05.779 He gives a commission. 00:25:06.620 --> 00:25:09.500 Some people have called this the cultural mandate. 00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:15.619 Because what He says is essentially go and do good things with the stuff I've made. 00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:22.680 Go and take this stuff and build pews with it. 00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:29.180 Go and write books and develop your written language. 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:35.440 Go and make computers eventually. 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:37.940 Go and do stuff. 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:42.779 This mandate as representatives of God to His creation. 00:25:42.940 --> 00:25:48.200 And that's probably one of the key things that we are told to have dominion. 00:25:48.320 --> 00:25:53.340 A word that many of us will struggle with because it sounds too much like domination. 00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:00.480 And the idea of domination and power and its use, there's lots of things to say about that. 00:26:01.320 --> 00:26:06.200 But dominion is a much different concept to that. 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:10.620 It's the idea of the right use of power. 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:20.880 A use of power that reflects the nature of the God who needs nothing but pours out everything for His creation. 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:25.180 So the dominion is to look after. 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:34.780 It's to take charge of this creation and to treat it well on behalf of the God who made it and says it's very good. 00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:39.920 It's not to exploit and destroy for selfish ends. 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:45.840 That would be a violation of God's character, a misrepresentation of His character to His creation. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:50.980 It's to represent the good God to the rest of His creation. 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:54.199 Dominion is a wonderful concept. 00:26:54.939 --> 00:27:00.299 I think about this with regard to our stupid Doug, Theo. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:02.339 He's a wee rescue colleague. 00:27:02.339 --> 00:27:08.299 And if he was here right now, he'd be going around wanting attention from everybody because he loves people. 00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:14.519 But I've also had to train him so that he doesn't go chasing after cyclists and runners. 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:16.539 And I can train him. 00:27:16.539 --> 00:27:21.839 And when I click my fingers, he'll come around and he comes and he walks beside me. 00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:25.839 He's desperate to get after that cyclist still, but he'll come around and he'll walk beside me. 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:32.960 And I was just thinking, isn't that just a lovely thing that this little stupid dog loves people 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:39.259 and actually flourishes best when a human person tells him what he can and can't do? 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.740 I've got to tell him not to eat horse poo. 00:27:42.859 --> 00:27:45.240 I mean, what sort of stupid animal is that? 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:46.559 But he has to be told that. 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:51.120 And I'm exercising dominion at that point over this animal. 00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:54.339 And of course, that's true of the way we treat all animals. 00:27:55.640 --> 00:28:01.660 This idea of being made in the image is then to represent the character of this God to creation. 00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:04.019 That's a pretty serious matter. 00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:14.039 It's one of the reasons that the misuse of power in exploitative ways is such an affront to God 00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:19.159 because it misrepresents him, not just to other human persons, but to the whole of his creation. 00:28:19.879 --> 00:28:22.519 And we can see all the damage that that has done to creation. 00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:23.599 That is an affront. 00:28:24.159 --> 00:28:26.379 It's a blasphemy, if you like. 00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:34.400 This cultural mandate then involves the stewardship of creation, looking after it well. 00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:39.080 Dominion over that creation. 00:28:40.040 --> 00:28:47.520 Ruling it and stewarding it and representing God's good character to it. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:52.079 There's a number of texts that we could go into in more depth. 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:53.819 We'll run out of time. 00:28:53.879 --> 00:28:56.339 I'll just give you them so you can look at them yourself. 00:28:56.460 --> 00:28:57.420 But that's Psalm 8. 00:28:58.099 --> 00:28:58.900 What's man? 00:28:59.639 --> 00:29:00.680 You're mindful of him. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:01.359 Son of man. 00:29:01.460 --> 00:29:02.299 You care for him. 00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:04.400 You've made him little lower than the heavenly beings. 00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:05.539 Trowned him with glory and honor. 00:29:05.900 --> 00:29:08.359 Given him dominion over the works of your hands. 00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:16.279 So that when we go out from here to our work or to our family life or to our gardens, 00:29:16.899 --> 00:29:19.539 we're exercising dominion. 00:29:19.699 --> 00:29:24.879 We're representing the character of God in all of these places, in all that we do. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:31.199 I hope you can begin to see how that dignifies every endeavor that we engage in. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:38.360 The way that we do our work, the way that we cook our food, the way we set a table or look after a garden. 00:29:39.120 --> 00:29:47.740 These are all expressions of this mandate to look after the things that God made on his behalf. 00:29:49.380 --> 00:29:51.039 Nothing, in other words, doesn't matter. 00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:59.799 Everything matters to the God who made it all with such lavish generosity and such lavish diversity. 00:29:59.799 --> 00:30:02.500 Any of you ever been scuba diving? 00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:06.539 Scuba diving is brilliant. 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:12.059 It's the most fun thing that you can do, I think, in the whole world. 00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:18.859 Now, I've been scuba diving and I realized I'm down there looking at this abundant life. 00:30:19.819 --> 00:30:21.039 Incredible color. 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:23.740 All this stuff that God created. 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:30.660 That, up until maybe a century ago, no human eye ever saw. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:33.180 It's an astonishing thought. 00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:41.099 All this stuff that the lavish God made that is, in a sense, redundant and beautiful. 00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:48.240 And that represents the character of our God and we are to do the same to his creation. 00:30:48.719 --> 00:30:53.899 The second passage on the right-hand side of this slide, it's a wee bit small to see, is Hebrews 2, 00:30:54.899 --> 00:30:58.839 which speaks then of Jesus as the one who fulfills it. 00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:02.639 He is the one who is in charge now. 00:31:03.159 --> 00:31:05.740 Everything is under his feet. 00:31:05.740 --> 00:31:13.440 And then those who are in Christ share in his restored dominion over the whole of creation. 00:31:16.019 --> 00:31:18.259 Now, this is all very well, isn't it? 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:22.000 If this is the way things began, if this is what God did in the beginning, 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:25.359 well, in one sense you could say, so what? 00:31:25.660 --> 00:31:26.839 Is this just nostalgia? 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:29.599 We look back and we say, well, once it was nice, 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:35.459 but now you walk out in the street there and it's full of rubbish and you don't have to go too far, 00:31:35.899 --> 00:31:40.339 open your newspapers or log on to the news website or whatever it is, 00:31:40.679 --> 00:31:42.779 and you realize that something's gone wrong. 00:31:43.459 --> 00:31:50.019 Is this story, this account of creation just to fuel nostalgia? 00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:52.500 I wish it were still like this. 00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:56.259 Well, that's why I had us read Revelation 21 as well. 00:31:57.099 --> 00:32:03.579 Because the biblical big picture isn't just about a creation that's kind of long lost, 00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:08.119 that we feel the loss of because things are now not the way they're supposed to be. 00:32:08.500 --> 00:32:13.039 But it's actually about a destination of this story, where it's finally going towards. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:20.460 And the crucial thing to notice in that account in the new creation is it's a new heaven and a new earth. 00:32:20.460 --> 00:32:25.620 Not new as in everything is trashed and got rid of, 00:32:25.860 --> 00:32:29.480 but new as in renewed and restored. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:32.180 The pattern is resurrection. 00:32:33.079 --> 00:32:38.079 Just like Jesus' resurrection body is recognizably Jesus. 00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:42.460 In Revelation chapters 4 and 5, we see the lamb who was slain. 00:32:42.920 --> 00:32:44.860 The scars are still there. 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:46.340 He is still incarnate. 00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:48.860 One who is incarnate is ruling the universe right now. 00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:55.259 There's a continuity with the old creation, if you like. 00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:59.900 He's recognizable, but importantly, there's a difference as well. 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:05.600 The Revelation passage teaches us that in important ways, 00:33:05.700 --> 00:33:08.640 there is continuity between now and what is to come. 00:33:09.660 --> 00:33:11.579 There's important discontinuity. 00:33:11.700 --> 00:33:16.019 There's no more death or dying or sorrow or tears or pain. 00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:20.799 It's a restoration of things to the way that they're supposed to be. 00:33:21.420 --> 00:33:23.160 It's wonderful good news. 00:33:24.339 --> 00:33:30.279 And insofar as we've just said that everything we do because God's created it is important and matters. 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:33.279 Because there's continuity. 00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:33.819 Because there's continuity. 00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:42.879 And if we read on through Revelation 21, we'd see the kings of the nations bringing their glories into this new Jerusalem. 00:33:44.139 --> 00:33:46.680 Quite what that looks like, I don't know. 00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:52.920 But imagine that somehow nothing good is wasted or lost. 00:33:54.759 --> 00:34:00.460 So not only because of creation does everything we do matter. 00:34:01.120 --> 00:34:07.220 But because of the new creation, everything we do matters and has eternal significance. 00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:14.340 So we're beginning to be able to answer the questions, who am I and what am I for? 00:34:14.820 --> 00:34:21.320 Jesus' incarnation and resurrection, of course, are a further endorsement of this key point. 00:34:22.099 --> 00:34:23.679 That creation is good. 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:26.920 Physicality is good. 00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:30.039 Creatureliness is good. 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:36.720 Do we think of our bodies as being good? 00:34:37.219 --> 00:34:49.799 Because if we think of salvation as being somehow being an escape from our bodies, an escape from physicality, that's a Gnostic idea. 00:34:49.919 --> 00:34:51.119 That's not a Christian idea. 00:34:51.219 --> 00:34:53.079 That's not a biblical spirituality. 00:34:54.359 --> 00:34:56.980 It's quite, quite wrong. 00:34:57.919 --> 00:35:01.739 We look forward to a restoration of this stuff. 00:35:03.059 --> 00:35:04.599 And that's great good news. 00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:12.199 My son, Sandy, suffers terribly from back pain from failed back surgery when he's in his teens. 00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:17.920 And I was having a particularly bad day at one point and was probably letting it get on top of me. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:21.860 And my perspective perhaps wasn't quite right. 00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:25.619 And he said to me, but Dad, it'll be so much better when you're dead. 00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:30.900 To which you have to say, well, for whom? 00:35:32.579 --> 00:35:37.119 But he lives with pain that makes him long for that restoration. 00:35:38.019 --> 00:35:42.259 And he was kind of rebuking me and saying, Dad, come on, get a perspective. 00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:44.319 This is where it's going. 00:35:44.819 --> 00:35:46.519 And that's wonderful good news. 00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:51.079 I'll finish this with a couple of questions. 00:35:51.320 --> 00:35:51.800 So what? 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:58.280 When we understand that God has created us in the way he has created us, 00:35:58.440 --> 00:36:03.739 that's the basis for thinking about every human person as having inherent dignity. 00:36:04.500 --> 00:36:06.699 Regardless of what they can do for you, 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:12.400 every human person created as image bearers has dignity. 00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:17.180 That's why murder is such a serious, serious sin. 00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:20.960 The taking of life is a very, very serious thing. 00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:28.200 Looking after and protecting people becomes hugely important because we're made in the image. 00:36:28.660 --> 00:36:32.880 And actually, this is the basis for Western cultures, up till now at least, 00:36:33.180 --> 00:36:37.420 general acceptance of the fact that human beings are important and worthwhile 00:36:37.420 --> 00:36:39.400 and not just expendable resources. 00:36:39.400 --> 00:36:42.940 We're made with a purpose. 00:36:44.160 --> 00:36:48.619 We're actually created with purpose as image bearers 00:36:48.619 --> 00:36:51.139 to reflect the character of God to his creation 00:36:51.139 --> 00:36:53.300 according to the ways that he's made us 00:36:53.300 --> 00:36:57.320 with our different gifts and personalities and backgrounds and opportunities. 00:36:57.840 --> 00:37:01.139 But everybody made for a purpose. 00:37:02.099 --> 00:37:03.579 We'll see more about that, I think, tomorrow. 00:37:03.579 --> 00:37:09.319 We have a unique place and task and relationship in this creation. 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:14.079 And this means there is no divide between the things that matter to God 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:15.739 and the things that don't matter to God. 00:37:16.420 --> 00:37:17.699 It's all his. 00:37:18.299 --> 00:37:20.519 And we reflect his character to all of it. 00:37:22.759 --> 00:37:24.199 This is where we'll finish then. 00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:26.739 Kind of almost on time. 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:27.579 That's... 00:37:28.299 --> 00:37:28.860 Ish. 00:37:29.059 --> 00:37:29.500 Not bad. 00:37:30.500 --> 00:37:31.619 Complete the sentence then. 00:37:31.619 --> 00:37:35.099 Filmed not far from here, up in Arthur's seat, 00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:36.659 was that scene from Charnet to Fire. 00:37:36.759 --> 00:37:38.359 I'm sure you're familiar with it, are you? 00:37:38.819 --> 00:37:44.359 Where we see the fictional Eric Little in this particular scene saying, 00:37:45.279 --> 00:37:48.739 God made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure. 00:37:51.259 --> 00:37:53.900 What is it God created you? 00:37:54.199 --> 00:37:57.799 How is it he made you that when you are doing that, you feel his pleasure? 00:37:57.799 --> 00:37:59.759 I once asked this of a very dear friend of mine. 00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:03.160 And he thought about it for a second soon. 00:38:03.220 --> 00:38:08.660 He said, you know, God made me pedantic and when I'm critical, I feel his pleasure, he said. 00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:11.400 Which is about right for him. 00:38:12.100 --> 00:38:13.560 But complete the sentence. 00:38:13.820 --> 00:38:15.780 If God created you, 00:38:16.320 --> 00:38:21.060 in his image, likeness, and for a purpose, 00:38:21.420 --> 00:38:22.380 then what? 00:38:23.180 --> 00:38:25.820 And not just you individually, but us corporately. 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:30.480 Think about some of the things that follow from that as you're reflecting. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:35.539 If God created me, then he has a purpose. 00:38:35.940 --> 00:38:37.820 If God created me, I'm not an accident. 00:38:37.960 --> 00:38:40.220 I'm not a blot on his creation. 00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:43.220 I might actually matter. 00:38:44.120 --> 00:38:46.559 He might want something to do with me because he created me. 00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:52.820 There's a whole bunch of ways you can complete that particular question. 00:38:52.820 --> 00:38:58.120 And we'll stop there. 00:39:00.240 --> 00:39:01.080 And I'll pray. 00:39:01.580 --> 00:39:04.539 And then, is it top up with coffee time? 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:05.260 Yes. 00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:06.680 Lord, thank you. 00:39:11.120 --> 00:39:14.680 Lord, if there's words there that are from you that honor you, 00:39:14.780 --> 00:39:16.180 let them impact hearts 00:39:16.179 --> 00:39:19.179 and show us how to apply this. 00:39:20.179 --> 00:39:23.379 Thank you that every endeavor matters. 00:39:25.279 --> 00:39:27.319 And Lord, thank you that you have 00:39:27.319 --> 00:39:31.099 appointed us over your creation as your representatives. 00:39:32.199 --> 00:39:33.919 Please enable each one of us 00:39:33.919 --> 00:39:36.179 to represent your goodness, 00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:38.559 your beauty, your holiness, 00:39:38.799 --> 00:39:40.039 your love, your generosity 00:39:40.039 --> 00:39:41.339 to each other 00:39:41.339 --> 00:39:43.599 during this coffee time together. 00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:45.239 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:39:46.179 --> 00:39:47.179 Amen. 00:39:47.379 --> 00:40:03.539 Amen. 00:40:03.779 --> 00:40:05.179 Amen. 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:06.000 Amen. 00:40:06.059 --> 00:40:07.579 Amen. 00:40:07.619 --> 00:40:09.539 Amen. 00:40:09.579 --> 00:40:10.179 Amen.