Guarding Self-Respect – Part 2: I Am God’s Child (continued…)
Too often in our presentation of the Gospel we start with point two, that humanity has fallen, that we’ve sinned. But our hearers will fail to comprehend how great a fall that was if we don’t establish upfront that man and woman were first wonderful, that they were made by God with tremendous potential for good.
I’m not saying that we can earn our salvation. Our own righteousness falls hopelessly short of the payment necessary to cover the cost of our sin. But my point is that I am wonderful and you are wonderful, because we bear this stamp: “MADE BY GOD IN HIS IMAGE.” In Psalm 139:14, David says, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
How sad that in spite of such a marvelous beginning, I sinned. Like you, I fell from this high position of privilege. But the good news is that through Christ we can be restored. Not only can we be forgiven, we can once again be filled with the Spirit of God. As the Lord breathed His spirit into Adam when He formed him from the dust, so He can make our bodies places where He Himself dwells by His Holy Spirit.
Originally we were wonderful. Yes, we fell because of sin. But, praise the Lord, we can be restored to the original design.
How foolish it would be to fight for a creationist viewpoint that had significance only in the battle against evolution. The doctrine of Creation is also vitally important because of what it does for us personally. Because of God’s Creation, and the work of Christ to restore us to what was intended all along, men and women have immense worth.
Later in Genesis, where we read about the creation of Adam and Eve, we encounter another interesting character. Recently a musical was made about him called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This is one of those situations where I’ll stick with the book because it’s better than the play!
It’s Genesis 37, and Joseph is loved more by his father than are any of his eleven brothers. At the time Joseph is seventeen and the oldest son of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, who’s now dead. Blessed with good looks, Joseph is honored by his father with a richly ornamented robe that soon will get him into trouble.
You know the story. His jealous older brothers attack him, strip him of this hated symbol of favoritism, and then leave him in a cistern. Though he screams to be freed, their hearts are calloused, and they sit down to eat their lunch. When a caravan of lshmaelites comes along, an idea is hatched. “Let’s sell Joseph and that way we won’t have to kill him.” So a purchase price is agreed on—twenty shekels of silver.
For this young man that’s quite a tumble from a position of privilege, isn’t it? From favorite son of a rich father, to shackled prisoner being marched into Egypt, you’re on your way to be sold at the slave auction, Joseph. Better repeat after me, not out loud, but say the words to yourself: I may be a prisoner. I may be a prisoner. I may be naked. I may be naked. I may be sold as a slave—Say it! No. Say it: I may be sold as a slave. But I am… But I am…Somebody. Somebody. I am… I am… God’s child. God’s child.
Joseph is bought by a man named Potiphar, who is one of Pharaoh’s officials. Before long, because of the good job Joseph does, he is put in charge of everything Potiphar owns. In Genesis 39, we read, “Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused… And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her” (vv. 6-8, 10).
Young Joseph pays a price for being righteous. The rejected woman fabricates a story. She tells her husband that Joseph tried to take advantage of her sexually. Once again Joseph’s world wobbles as he’s jailed with the king’s prisoners.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
