I. The purpose of GCF

Transcription

1 I. The purpose of GCF This morning I want to examine our Purpose Statement in light of God s overall purpose for our existence. We will look at this subject through the lens of a Christian worldview Creation, Fall, and Redemption. A. GOD CREATED US FOR HIS GLORY. God created us with a specific end in mind. In a passage that speaks of the New Covenant to come, Isaiah describes it to us. Pg 603, Isaiah 43:5 7 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. God created us for his glory. This means that Christianity is a radically Godcentered religion. It is God-centered because the biblical view of God is infinitely big. We want to take a few minutes this morning to explore this Theme. What is God s glory? What does it mean that he created us for his glory? What are the practical implications of this idea for contemporary church life? The story begins in Gen 1:26-28 (pg 1). There we are told that God created man and woman in his image and likeness. Then God commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth. Genesis 1: Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. This text describes God s purpose for the creation of Homo Sapiens. God created us to reflect his image and likeness. What is the image of God? It has several levels or dimensions. At the most basic level it is what sets us apart from the animals reason, language, creativity, conscience, abstract reasoning, etc. Because the Bible never defines the image and likeness there has been much controversy over what it is. The Reformers went to the NT to define the image and likeness. There the Apostle Paul repeatedly describes Jesus as the second Adam. He also describes him as image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15). In Christ the image and likeness was perfected. It includes those qualities that set him apart from the animals. However, most importantly, it went beyond that to Christ s holiness. To reflect the image and likeness is to be holy as God is holy. 1 of 8

2 In other words, the image and likeness is God s moral glory. As the only sinless, perfect, man Jesus perfected, in his person, the image and likeness that God created Adam to express. Jesus is the glory of God. He expressed the glory of God. Christ s love for God, his humility, his love for men, his compassion, his righteousness, his hatred of evil, his perfect faith, his hope, etc. were all aspects of God s glory. The glory of God are all of God s moral perfections in visible form. In the OT it was an intense light. In the NT it is Christ himself. Again, God s glory is summed up by God s holiness. Back to Adam and Eve. When God created Adam and Eve to be his image bearers, this was the idea. He created them to live out and perfect the moral beauty of God, to be holy as God is holy, then multiply and fill the earth with the Image. The unstated implication was that marriage and reproduction would exist only until the earth was completely populated, i.e. filled with God s glory. Since man was created immortal this would quickly occur. Then marriage and reproduction would cease. That is why Jesus told his disciples that there will be no marriage or giving in marriage in the world to come. After the New Creation and the resurrection the earth will be filled with billions of image bearers. It is possible that what restrains the end of the world are the redemption of sufficient numbers of image bearers to completely fill the earth. In summary, God created us for his glory which is his image and likeness. He created Adam and Eve to reproduce and fill the earth with his image or his glory. We see the image and likeness by looking at Jesus, the second Adam, who was the image of the invisible God. B. FALL Adam and Eve sinned. God judged them and their descendants with Original Sin is inward principle of moral corruption that cripples the image and likeness. Sin didn t destroy it. Instead, sin defaced and mutilated it. Although men and women still retained aspects of God s image (creativity, intelligence, communication, some capacity for good), they now looked more like the Devil s image and likeness than God s. Reformation theologians used the term total depravity to describe the effect of sin on the image and likeness. By that they did not mean that men and women were as bad as they could be. They did not mean that people were devoid of good. The Good News is that we are not. They meant that sin affects us totally. It affects every aspect of our personality. For example, we now use our higher reasoning powers to defend atheism and agnosticism, and to believe falsehoods such as Islam, etc. (Stephen Hawkings example A Brief History of Time, The Grand Design #15). 2 of 8

3 We now use our ability to communicate, an aspect of the image and likeness, to slander, gossip, complain, speak blasphemy, criticize others, etc. We now use our creative ability, another aspect of the image and likeness, to produce pornography, to create modern art, R rated movies, raunch music, Lady Gaga, immoral literature, etc. We do everything in our power to silence conscience, another aspect of the image and likeness. Most importantly, God s moral goodness his holiness, his glory, his image and likeness has been mostly lost. We have little love for God or man, diminished fragments of joy, little peace with God or man, etc. C. REDEMPTION. God is not about to let sin obstruct his purpose for creation and redemption. 1. The Prophets predicted a Day of fulfillment Numbers 14:21 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD Isaiah 6:3 3 And one [seraphim] called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! Isaiah 11:9 9 For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. I take these texts to mean two things. First, the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, i.e. God will be present 24x7 to his people in manifest glory. Second, because of this, God s people will perfectly reflect God s glory for God s joy and satisfaction. In addition, seeing the glory of God will also be the infinite joy and satisfaction of God s people. 2. Jesus came to restore the Image and Likeness. Jesus came to show us what the image and likeness (his moral glory) looks like. He died to reconcile us to God, to undo the effects of sin. In the process displayed the image (glory of God) for us to behold and admire. Then Jesus rose from the Dead and ascended into Heaven. On Pentecost he sent the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is now shaping the Father s image and likeness in all true believers. The Spirit does this by revealing the Son of God to us. 3. The Restoration of God s Image is Already but not 3 of 8

4 yet a) IT IS ALREADY. IT HAS BEGUN If you are a Christian, if the HS lives in you, you have already begun to reflect the image and likeness, or the glory of God. However, although the process of restoration has begun, it is a long way from perfection. How does the restoration take place? God forms his moral glory in us by revealing Christ to us. The process begins at conversion (pg 965) 2 Corinthians 4:4,6 The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God For God, who said, Let 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. The image continues to grow and change as we behold the glory of God in Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Developing Polaroid film example. Dever: Your life, you see, is like one of those old Polaroid snapshots. It is slowly but surely developing into a picture of the God you worship. Before your very eyes you see in yourself the image of your god, the picture of the person or the thing you worship, coming into focus as its character is replicated in your life. 1 b) NOT YET. THE FULLNESS IS YET TO COME. (pg 1022) 1 John 3:2 2 Beloved, we are God s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Rev 21 tells us that the New Heavens and Earth will be God s temple. God s glory will be immediately present everywhere. We will see him his image and likeness, his glory as he is. This vision will change us instantly and permanently. We will be holy as God is holy, without possibility of fall or change. God s original purpose in creation will be fulfilled. The whole earth will be filled with his image and likeness, i.e. his glory. 1 Dever, Mark, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, pg 103 (Wheaton, Crossways, 2000) 4 of 8

5 II. Application: A. FULFILLMENT OF THIS VISION IS CORPORATE Bringing to pass this greater purpose is a job for the church. It is not a job for individuals acting in isolation. It is a corporate mission. We will only fulfill this greater purpose as a people, not as individuals acting autonomously. GCF has a very high view of both the universal church and the local church. Both are necessary. Both are indispensible. The Bible assumes the priority of the local church on almost every page. For example, to the church at Ephesus Paul wrote, Let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another (Eph 4:25). To the church at Rome he wrote, We are one body in Christ and individually members of one another (Rom. 12:5). And to the church at Corinth, Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Cor 12:27). This has profound ramifications. If you are a Christian you are no longer your own. You belong to Christ and to a local church. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). Lone Ranger Christians are not equipped to bring this vision to pass. That is why Churches that have a high view of God s ultimate purpose have a high view of the local church. Those with a high view of the local church seek definition. They practice membership. In other words, Christianity is a team sport. Our mission is a corporate mission. B. OUR PURPOSE STATEMENT. Our purpose statement describes a church pursuing God s ultimate purpose, glory for himself through the church. It recognizes that this is only achievable by God s people working together. Historically, theologians have summed up the ministry of a healthy local church with three general headings: Worship, Discipleship, and Evangelism. The local church is like a three legged stool. Take any leg out and the stool falls down. To the degree that a local church engages in worship, discipleship, and evangelism it cooperates with God s ultimate ends. Transparency up! GCF exists to glorify God by forming Christ in a growing church. Our mission statement includes these functions. First, Grace Christian Fellowship exists to Glorify God. This is the Worship dimension. It means we have plugged into God s ultimate purpose. It means our mission is God-ward, not man-ward. It means that we understand that God created us for his glory. It is not about us. It is about the glory of God. However, God s pursuit of his 5 of 8

6 glory is in our best interest. God is not selfish. Rather, h e is infinitely unselfish. God has tied up all of our happiness in knowing, cherishing, and seeing his glory we are most happy when God is most glorified. Therefore, God is most loving toward us when he most perfectly glorifies himself. Ultimately, worship is not singing or praying. It is obedience. Rom 12:1-2 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Obedience is the worship that God seeks above all others. That takes us to our second function, discipleship. Second, our purpose statement reads, By forming Christ in a growing church. This is the discipleship dimension. As we have seen, we glorify God to the degree that the Holy Spirit forms Christ s image and likeness in us. This means that our mission is moral and ethical. Character counts. Growth in godliness matters greatly. As we saw a few weeks ago, servanthood is not optional. Holiness is of the essence of our mission. By contrast, cheap grace distracts us from God s ultimate purpose. Biblically, the church is where this discipleship takes place. Those pursuing the glory of God are in deadly earnest about godliness. It is a dangerous thing to hear the Word and not obey it. James 1:22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself. James 2:17 Faith without works is dead. Luke 8:21 My brothers and sisters, Jesus said, are those who hear the word of God and do it. That is why coming to church and hearing a sermon is not enough. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Church is not entertainment. Christians are not passive. Going to church is not like going to a movie and then returning home with no commitments. We don t control our Christianity. If we are truly Christian the Word of God controls and dominates us. We want to be able to say at the final judgment. Lord, I listened to your word and put my whole heart and soul into obedience. This is why we have HomeGroups. We want to be those who hear and obey. From day one, we have made small groups the backbone of this church. Why? HomeGroups exist to hold us accountable, and help us hold others accountable. They are not primarily Bible Study s. They are forums to apply the word. In other words, HomeGroups exist to help us increasingly put on the image and likeness of Christ. They are the place where the rubber of God s Word meets the road of daily life. In addition to HomeGroups, GCF is purposefully cross centered. We have seen that true conversion and growth in sanctification take place by beholding God s moral beauty. We have said that this process will only be completed when we see Christ face to face. At the cross God the Father has displayed all of his moral beauty and perfections. That is why we are cross-centered. Cross centered (gospel centered) 6 of 8

7 Christians are most apt to have God s image and likeness formed in them. In other words, they are most apt to live lives that glorify God the Father. Third, Grace Christian fellowship exists to glorify God by forming Christ in a Growing Church. This is the Evangelism function of a healthy church. Remember, God commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth. Since there was no sin, for them that did not mean evangelism. It meant having reproduction bearing children. But, for those who live in a fallen world, it means child-bearing and attempts to convert those who do not believe. Passion for God s glory and love for sinners should motivate this. God glorifies his mercy and grace at the conversion of every sinner. Evangelism, like discipleship, is fundamentally corporate. It is a mission for the people of God. Christ gave the Great Commission to the church to reach the world by planting churches. The next step in our Evangelistic purposes is to make room for all the new people coming. Multiple Services begin next week. See your bulletin. When the time is ripe we will give ourselves to church planting. It might be a plant in Spokane, a plant in Coeur D Alene, a plant in Missoula, Boise, Tri-Cities, or it might by helping SGM with a plant in the Seattle area. When the fruit is ripe, church planting will take place and it will take place regularly. In summary, if you are not a member, explore Church membership. Church membership says, I want to join GCF in this mission. To all of you who are already members I want to thank you for serving the church with your time, your gifts, and your assets. I also offer a humble word of thanksgiving for your servanthood and your eager willingness to join us in this mission. We will be forever grateful. Ultimately, its all about the glory of God. Grace Christian Fellowship exists to glorify God by forming Christ in a growing church. III. HomeGroup Study Questions Read Isa 43:5-7, Gen 1:26-28 What do these texts tell us about God s ultimate purpose? Read Num 14:21, Isa 11:9, Hab 2:14. What do these texts tell us about the prophets expectations for the new Heavens and Earth? 7 of 8

8 Read Col 1:15, Heb 1:3, 2 Cor 4:4. These texts tell us that Jesus is/was the image of God. If this is the case, then what is the nature of the image of God? Is it physical or spiritual and moral? Our purpose statement reads. Grace Christian Fellowship exists to glorify God by forming Christ in a growing church. A healthy church has three functions. Can you indentify them in this purpose statement? This sermon stated that this mission is corporate not individual. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? Go around the room and describe where you are now serving GCF. If you are not serving, where do you feel God calling you to serve? Bonus: Read 2 Cor 3:18, 4:6, Rom 8: How do these texts connect the image of God to the glory of God? According to these texts what do healthy Christians do to grow in the image of God? r 8 of 8