In the Beginning, God – Pt 2
Genesis 1:26-28 ESV
26 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.”
1. Divine Identity – Humans are image-bearers of God.
– Elohim is relational.
– Elohim is creative.
– Elohim is good.
Psalm 100:1-5 NLT
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
2. Divine Purpose – Humans are given dominion over the earth.
Psalm 8:3-6 NLT
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place— 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? 5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—
3. Divine Responsibility – Humans are responsible to govern the earth for good.
Proverbs 29:2 NLT
2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
Romans 13:1-4 NLT
13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
Luke 4:5-8 ESV
5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
John 19:10-11 NLT
10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” 11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
Ephesians 2:1-5 NLT
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
2 Corinthians 4:1-7 NLT
1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Reflection: How does knowing you were created in God’s image shape the way you see your identity, purpose, and responsibility?
SMALL GROUP MEETING OUTLINE
Reconnect:
Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.
Explore:
Review the message notes.
Big Idea: As God’s image bearers, humans are given dominion to rule the earth for good.
Consider:
Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.
Read Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV).
▶ How does understanding our identity as image-bearers shape the way we view our role in creation and our responsibility toward the earth and each other?
Read Psalm 8:3-6.
▶ How does it impact you to know that God cares for you so deeply – creating you with purpose and crowning you with glory and honor?
▶ What are some ways sin or the world attempt to distract or hinder us from fully living out our responsibility to govern the earth for good?
Activate:
Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share with the Group.
Identify one specific area of your daily life (work, relationships, home, etc.) where you can be more intentional in reflecting God’s care and faithfully stewarding the responsibility He has entrusted to you over creation and others.
Prayer:
Thank God for the highs and lift up the lows.
Thank God for creating us in His image and entrusting us with responsibility. Pray for a deeper understanding of His love for us and our divine responsibility for all humankind.