Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Hallelujah. Luke chapter 3. Luke chapter
3. Thank you, Jesus. So we are continuing our
message. We started long ago. And last Wednesday,
we saw that in Luke, Dr. Luke was somehow to
rewriting Genesis chapter 5. And we know that
that Genesis chapter 5 is also linked to Genesis
chapter 1, verse 26 to 27. In fact, verse 1 and
2 is also of Genesis chapter 5 is right in Genesis
1. Are we together? Verse 26 and 27. Amen? And
we also noted that That Jesus, as Luke presented,
traced Jesus back, not just to Adam, but also
to God. But he said at the last part, and I want
us to read that please. He said, the son of Adam,
the son of God. Hallelujah. Are we in Luke chapter
3? Look at verse 23. Luke chapter 3, verse 23.
Now Jesus himself. began his ministry at about
30 years of age, being, as was supposed, the
son of Joseph, the son of Heli. And then when
you go and we saw all the son of this, the son
of that, and traces Jesus back to Adam. Look
at verse 38. It said, the son of Enos, the son
of Seth, the son of Adam, the son. of God. The
son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
And remember we said go back to Genesis chapter
5. Genesis chapter 5. Look at verse 1. He said,
this is a book of the genealogy of Adam. In the
day that God created man, he made him in the
likeness of God. Verse 2, he created them male
and female and blessed them and called them mankind.
In the day we are created. We said this also
was rewritten, just when we read Genesis 1, 26
and 27, you will see that. Now in verse 3 of
that chapter 5, it says, And Adam lived one hundred
and thirty years, and begot a son in his own
likeness after his own image, and named him Seth.
And name him Seth. And then we talked and noted
that that word image is relational. Or we said
that word image, we can say it means son. It
means son. Or we can say family or kingship.
It means that what unites you with the other.
And so when we go back. and look at what Luke
is saying, and say the son of Seth, which means
Seth in the image, sorry, the son of Seth, yes,
the son of Adam, that means Seth is a son of
Adam, which means Seth in the image of Adam.
Are we together? And Adam in the image of who?
God, because he said the son of God, which means
the image of God. Are we together? So which means
that Jesus, the image of God, or Jesus, the son
of God, Jesus, the image of God. Are we together?
Hallelujah. Go back to Matthew 19. And what we
just last concluded on Wednesday, we said, so
why is Jesus called the image of God? We said
Jesus is called the image of God because he became
a man. Hallelujah. Matthew 19. Matthew 19. Look
at verse 4. He said, and he answered and said
to them. Of course, this is in response. This
is Jesus' response to the Pharisee questioning
verse 3. The Pharisee, verse 3, also came to
him, testing him. And saying to him, Is it lawful
for a man to divorce his wife for just any other
reason? And verse 4, And he answered and said
to them, Have you not read that he who made them
at the beginning made them male and female? Made
them. Male and female. Of course, Jesus pointing
them back to Genesis 1, verse 27. Also Genesis
5, verse 1 and 2. Hallelujah. Now, in his response,
Jesus did not own exclusively the phrase, the
image of God. He made them at the beginning male
and female. So Jesus was pointing the issue that
male and female are made in the image of God.
Now I want you to note something here. Again,
how Jesus responded to the Pharisee. When they
asked him, is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for just any other reason? In verse
3. He did not say, well, it depends whether she's
born again or not. That's not what Jesus said.
Hallelujah. Remember, they were Pharisees. They
were not born again because he made them to understand
that even the issue of divorce, of putting away,
it was not so in the beginning. Are we together?
And they were asking because that was what they
were doing. In fact, they wanted to claim, they
said, Moses even asked us, they said, we should
give a certificate of divorce. What we are trying
to say is that this is already, we have a certification
in this process. You see? There's something we
are standing on. We are not just speaking. We
have a source from the Bible. You see? And some
of us say, It is written now. It is written now.
It's in the Bible. It's in the Bible. We want
to defend our... It's in the Bible. Hallelujah.
So, what are we trying to say? So, Jesus responded.
He didn't say, well, you can divorce your wife
if she's not born again. You can put her away.
You understand? That's not what he's talking
about. The issue of the image is not an issue.
exclusive to those who are born again. Are we
together? We've already talked and said image
is identity. It's a collective identity. You
understand? Rather Jesus pointed them that in
the beginning it was not so. And therefore what
God joined together because he mentioned that
He said, let no man put asunder. What God has
joined together is not marriage ceremony. He's
talking about joined in creation. Are we together?
He's talking about in creation. So, because these
people are unbelievers, they are hard -hearted
people. They disrupted the plan of God. And today
we still have that identity crisis. Hallelujah.
The world is full of identity crisis. All kinds.
So the first thing you will be able to help yourself
is that your understanding of a woman and of
a man be shaped by Scripture. Your understanding
of a man and a woman be shaped by Scripture.
Colossians chapter 15. Let's go there. I'll still
press a little bit on the issue of why Jesus
is called the image of God. We have already established
earlier that the reason why he's called the image
of God is because he became a man. Colossians
chapter 1. Verse 15. Colossians 1, 15. It says,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
over all creation. Over all creation. And I want
you to know the word, who is the... image of
the invisible God. The image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature. Hallelujah.
Now, if you look at it, maybe just glance, it
will look as if Paul is saying that Jesus is
the only image of the invisible God here. Jesus
is the only image of the invisible God. If you
just look at it, just By face value. I mean just
glance through it. But no. Look at the word.
By using the firstborn of every creature. Because
it didn't stop there. It said the firstborn.
So the image of the invisible God. Is not exclusive.
It said the firstborn of what? Of. Over every
creation. Now that word every creation is talking
about. is man or refers to man. Firstborn of
every creation. That is man in the image of God.
So Jesus, because he's man, is the image of the
invisible God. The first, you understand, born
over all what? Creation. So it means he is the
first, you understand, over all creation. So
image is a collective identity. The first bond
is the word prototokos, P -R -O -T -O -K -O -S,
prototokos in Greek. It means the model of how
other sons will look like, meaning that it is
not the... Only, but means that there are others.
Are we together? How others, he is the model
of how others will look like. So, and that is
talking about, and I want us to note, look at
verse 18 of that same Colossians. Look at verse
18. He said, and he is the head of the body.
Are we together? Amen. He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn,
from what? From the dead. I want us to come together.
I mean, just follow me. From the dead, that in
all things he might have the preeminence. Acts
chapter... 13 verse 33. Acts 13, 33. Acts 13,
33. He said, God has fulfilled this for us, their
children, in that he has raised up Jesus. As
it is also written in the second Psalm. You are
my son. Today have I done what? Begotten you.
So of course he's talking about the resurrection
of the body. So our hope of the resurrection.
Is because he was risen. Is because he was risen.
And of course I want to just read. A text in,
remember, Prototokos showing us a model of what
we will be, all of us. Men, not angels. Hallelujah.
What we would be, men, we, men, will be, you
understand, not angels. Glory to Jesus. 1 Corinthians
15. Let me read some few things there. Look at
what's starting. But if there is no resurrection
of the dead, then Christ Christ is not risen.
Verse 20. But now Christ is risen from the dead
and has become the what? The first fruit of those
who have fallen out as what? As sleep. Of those.
The first fruit of who? Those. So when he said
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
over all creation, he's not trying to say that
Jesus exclusively is called the image of the
invisible God. Are we together? It's an inclusive
word. It's a collective term. Image. Image is
a collective term. And when you look at verse
23, it says, but each one in his own order. Christ,
the what? The first fruit. Afterward, those who
are Christ at his what? At his coming. So you
see, there will always be those. Are we together?
There will always be what? Those. Every creation.
All over all creatures. Listen. Of course, he's
not talking about the plants, the animals, everything.
Listen. He's talking about men. Those. Those.
In fact, Romans 28 says brethren. Are we together?
Romans 8. Look at 29. He clearly says brethren.
He didn't say those even. He said brethren. 29.
He said for whom he foreknew, he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his son that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Firstborn. among many brethren. So image is inclusive.
Talks about image is relational. Image is family.
Are we together? Family is a plan of God that
we are together. Understand? Remember the last
time we discussed It's not the plan of God to
stay in isolation. You understand? To stay in
isolation. You cannot achieve God's purpose alone.
You cannot achieve God's purpose in isolation.
This freelancer kind of a believing life is not
God's will. You understand? You are a freelancer.
You move from your online. Today is Sunday. You
attend 20 services. You move from this one to
that one. And you are not in any. God wants us
to be together. Hallelujah. Amen. So, Jesus.
Patuk from our nature. Man. Man. So, when we
talk about Jesus, the image of God, he points
us to what he has come to do. Are we together?
Amen. Look at this text. Let me read because
I think it's good to read the whole of it. Hebrews
chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Let me read from
verse 9. Hebrews chapter 2, I will read from
verse 9. Verse 11. And those who have been sanctified
are all of one. For which reason he is not ashamed
to call them brethren. Saying, I will declare
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the
assembly, I will sing praise to you. Again. Look
at verse 13. And again. I will put my trust in
him. And again, here am I and the children whom
God has given to me or given me. Look at verse
14. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken
of flesh and blood, he himself, he himself likewise
share in the same. Verse 16. Verse 16. But he
does give aid to the seed of Abraham. He gives
aid to the seed of Abraham. He said, those who
belong to Christ are the seed of Abraham. Hallelujah.
Say, I have help. I have help of God. He said,
therefore, in all things. He had to be made like
his brethren. Oh, are you together with me? Are
you together with me? He had to be made like
his what? Like his brethren. He became a man.
That he might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in the things pertaining God to make propitiation
for the sins of the people. Hallelujah. Amen?
Are we together? So Jesus, being the image of
God, or we say the image of the invisible God,
is not exclusive to him. Rather, it shows the
inclusive nature of what he came to do. Of what
he came to do. That's why you saw. Verse 17 will
say. Therefore. In. In all things. He had to
be made. Like his brethren. He had to be made.
Like brethren. Go back a little bit to. Hebrews
chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1. God who at various
times and in various ways spoke in time past
to the fathers by the prophet has in these last
days spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed
heirs of all things through whom also he made
the worlds. Verse 3. who being the brightness
of his glory and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power.
That word image is a great word character. C
-H -A -R -A -K. T -E -R, character. Now, this
word is different from the one we read. You understand?
A little bit in what I mean different. I mean,
they're not the same spelling. You understand?
In Colossians 1 .15, which we said the invisible
God, also the image. of his son, that the image
that is in Romans chapter 8 verse 29. Of course,
we have many other places in scripture that talks
about the image. For example, 2 Corinthians 4,
4 talks about also the image. You understand?
Character is, this is the only place we have
this word character. You understand? In Hebrews
chapter 1 verse 3. Character refers to representation.
You understand? It talks about the person, representation
also. Now, the word, image, which I said we read
in Colossians 1 .15, Romans 8 .28, and so forth
and so on, I mean, and so many of those other
places, is icon. E -I -K -O -N, icon in Greek,
icon. It also refers to representation, status
or representative figure or likeness. You understand?
In fact, this word icon is the one used most
in the New Testament Greek. You will see it appears,
for example, in the King James Bible more than
23 times. Or about 23. Let's say 23. So you can
see that. And this word icon. The Hebrew word
is Salem. You know what we study? So icon. The
Hebrew word is Salem. Which we have already studied.
Which is image. Now if you look at it. You will
see that. Character. and a corn are synonymous.
They are synonymous. All of them refers to likeness
or representative or representative figure or
representation. Therefore, the theology that
Jesus Is the image of God is correct. But it
does not show. That the description image of
God. Is exclusive to him alone. Are we together?
It's correct to say Jesus the image of God. But
that description. Is not. Exclusive to him. In
fact as we have noted. That he's called the image
of God because he became a man. So, God who became
a man is called the image of God. You've heard
him called also the son of man a lot. Are we
together? Hallelujah. Yes. He is a son of man.
He is a son of God because he is a son of man.
So, our view about man, about, when I say man,
I mean male and female, believers or not, should
be that of The representatives of God. In the
plan of God that he created all of us to represent
him. Are we together? To be as his image. You
know, I told you that word in the image. You
know, probably that's what we use. So I want
to use that word as his image because it means
to represent him. And what that means is that
it's not just man or him alone in terms of male.
It's male and female. And remember we said in
the plan of God, They are not to walk in isolation.
It's a collective term. It shows us that God
desire to build a family. That in God's plan
is to build a family. So he made them male and
female in the image of God. In the image. of
God. Remember, one of the problems which I will
come to it is that our view have to be adjusted
because even though, yes, somehow we know that
men in this church that men are not born sinners.
Did you get what I'm trying to say? Are we together?
But you see, sometimes there's some debris that
makes you to think that you are of a higher value
to God than those who are unbelievers. In fact,
there's a way we sometimes say sometimes this,
you understand? I am the apple of God's eye.
There is a jealousy of God over my life. You
are a dead man if you say anything against me.
So we conjure scripture and we grab here, grab
here. And we are happy. When others are suffering.
It's only when you hear that they are killing
believers. Then you say. Lord save them. Lord.
What is this? But once you hear. Especially those
who have been against you. Once. You have heard.
You say. That's the judgment of God. They are
joking with the God's anointed. You see, your
theology is tempered. Something is wrong. It
makes it look as if the love of God has high
and low. There is some certain situation, certain
condition. When you received him, his love is
higher towards you. When you have not received
him, his love towards you is low. and his dispositions
toward those who are against him, he killed them.
Our worldview ought to be shaped by the word
of God. That in the plan of God, male and female,
you understand, in the image of God. You have
to fight your village. Because so many of us
have been walking with our villages, even though
we have left it far away. But he's still following
us. There's nothing wrong to go to a village,
but let it not continue to be in your head. When
you see a woman, what is your disposition towards
her? What is your first instinct? And even our
women, our ladies, each time you come among people,
I've seen it in class. We say, who represent
us? The man who you know is the dumbest in the
class, you come out. The smart ladies, you see
them. He said, you, can't you? No, he can't do
it. Because consistently we have been taught
or society have made it to look like you are
inferior. And your value is only in marriage.
And many of us unconsciously You are sitting
now. Even though you are doing well in school,
your main goal, your ultimate desire, your apex,
your zenith, you understand, in life, is to get
married. You feel something, as people told you,
that... If you didn't see men crowding around
you, something is wrong with you. Did you see
that your village is still following you? You
must understand that there is an inherent value,
an essence and a significance that God has made
you. In his own image, just like the man. We
might differ because of, in terms of reproduction
and things. Are we together? But there are not
two kinds of men, God admit. There are not two
kinds of images. Did you understand what I'm
trying to say? It's one. It's one. Look at what
James said. Look at James. Chapter 3. Let me
read from verse 6. James chapter 3 verse 6. He
was talking about the tongue. He said the tongue
is a fire. A wall of iniquity. The tongue is
so set among our members. That is the fire. Verse
8. Verse 8. Full of deadly poison. Look at verse
9 where I'm going. Oh, let's read together. One,
two, go. With it, we bless our God and Father.
And with it, we curse men who have been made
in the world. Oh, talk to me again. Hallelujah.
That word, similitut. That word, similitut. He
didn't say believers who. He said man. All man.
Made in the similitude of God. That was similitude.
It's homoesis. H -M. H. Did I say H -M? H -O.
H -O. Don't worry. Maybe I want to return to
Hebrew. You know, in the earlier Hebrew, there
was no vowels. H -O -M -O -I -O -S -I -S. H -O
-M -O -I -O -S -I -S. It means likeness. Interestingly,
this word in Hebrew is the moot. Remember? Image
and likeness, which we have studied before. Are
we together? Which was used also for Seth. He
was born after the likeness and the image of
God. And we noted that the word likeness, you
understand, is the same like image, which is
Salem. Are we together? So, this word similitude
also means... Or it means, you can say, it's
the same thing with image. It's a man made in
the image of God. So this means all of us, male
and female, male and female, have been made in
the image of God. Did you see that, what I'm
saying? He said, who have been made, not who
will be. Are you with me? He did not say who
will be. Did you understand what I'm saying?
Who have been made. That's why we said the word
image is not something that is even exclusive
to believers. Every man and every woman. Look
at Acts. Look at what Paul said. Jesus. Acts
17. Acts 17. I want you to see what is the view
of the Bible in this regard. I want you to see
how these apostles... How the prophet of old
wrote and what they meant by the image of God.
And what the apostles, when they came, also what
was their view? What was their understanding
and revelation concerning this? Look at verse
17. Well, let me read from verse 16. Acts 17.
Verse 16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens,
his spirit was provoked within him when he saw
that the city was given over to idols. Therefore
he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and
with Gentiles, worshipers, and in the marketplace
daily with those who happened to be there. Then
certain Epicureans and Stoic philosophers encountered
him. And some said, what does this babbler want
to say? Others said, he seems to be a proclaimer
of foreign gods because he preached to them Jesus
and the resurrection. Verse 19. And they took
him and brought him to the Areopagus saying,
may we know what this new doctrine is of which
you speak. For you are bringing some strange
things to our ears. Therefore, we want to know
what these things mean. These are not believers.
For all the Athenians and the foreigners who
were there spent their time in nothing else.
but either to tell or to hear some new things.
Then Paul, verse 22, stood in the midst of Areopagus
and said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in all
the things you are very religious. For as I was
passing through and considering the... objects
of your worship. I even found an altar with this
inscription to the unknown gods. Therefore, the
one whom you worship without knowing, him I proclaim
to you. Look at verse 24. God who makes the world
and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven
and earth, does not dwell in temples made with
what? Made with hands. Verse 25. No, is he worshipped
with men's hands as though he needed anything
since he gives to all life breath and all things.
Verse 26. And he made. Please note verse 26.
What did he do? And he made from one blood every
nation of men to dwell on all the face of the
earth and has determined their pre -appointed
times and boundaries of their dwellings. Verse
27. So that they should seek the Lord in the
hope that they might grow for him and find him.
Though he is not far from each of us. For in
him we live, we move and have our being. As also
some of your poets have said. also is offspring.
Therefore, since we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divine nature
is like gold or silver or stones or something
shaped by art and man's devising. I want you
to know that Paul, first and foremost, was not
speaking in church. He was not speaking to believers.
So he was not speaking to Christians. He was
speaking to these philosophers. Are we together?
Look at verse 26. He said, and he makes from
one blood every nation of men. Every. Every.
One blood from one blood. This means that every
human being has the same identity. Did you understand
what I'm trying to say? Every human being has
the same identity which came from God. Remember
what James said. You understand? Men who have
been made, how? In the similitude of God. Paul
is again reaffirming that every man, every human
being, you understand, have the same identity.
That same identity is what Jesus partook. You
understand? Are we together? And the word became
flesh. And he dwell among us. The word became
flesh. And he dwell among us. So Paul. In this
text. Is pointing. To Moses view. In Genesis
chapter 1 and 2. About man. James pointed us
to that one also. Remember we have said that
these people were not writing from a thin air.
Did you understand what I'm saying? The apostles,
when they were writing and teaching, they were
not writing from a thin air. It was the materials
of Moses and the prophet they were using. So
every view that we are holding, we ought to see
it across scripture. Because what they were holding
were actually what was taught and revealed. So
Paul agrees with even the poet. You know, you
don't need, it's all necessary. You know, I see
many believers when something happens and then
they ask, and maybe something very spectacular
and it happens and they ask, who is he? Is he
a believer? I know that thing is from the pit
of hell. Did you hear what I'm trying to say?
We have not seen that kind of pattern. Please,
Jesus did not save you to enter into bitterness
with those people who are not saved. Are we together?
The fact that you acknowledge The good things
of God in man doesn't mean that you subscribe
to their ideology. Did you understand what I'm
saying? Paul agreed with their poet. This philosopher,
he agreed with them. Remember, we have it in
our... I think it's here, right? In him we do
what? This is not a quotation from Bible. It's
not from any Old Testament. This is Paul's extraction
from the philosophers. Did you understand what
I'm saying? From these poets. Please don't deny
good things. Don't deny good things. You know,
I know brothers do that. If you see good things,
acknowledge it. Acknowledge it. It's always seen.
It means you are healthy. Acknowledge it. You
know, in those days, anything you see, an invention
in the world or anything that is good, you say,
we know who is giving them those ideas. They
are getting it from the pit of hell. It's from
the marine world. How did you know? Were you
there? There are truths, and we taught this during
the time we were talking about the communicity
of Scripture, I think during one of our cataclysms,
right? There are many texts, many biblical writers
that actually quote from materials from unbelievers.
But the fact that you quote a piece does not
mean that you say everything they are writing
and everything is okay. No, that's not what they're
saying. In fact, if you check here, in that same
place, Paul disputed some of the things also
they are saying. Did you understand what I'm
trying to say? So it's not that blanketly. Oh,
let me see that place. Verse 29. Therefore, since
we are of the hospital of God, we ought not to
think that the divine nature is like gold. Did
you see that? That means they are taking that
the divine nature is like what? He said, no,
no, no, no, that's wrong, that's wrong, that's
wrong. So the fact that Paul quoted from them
and said this is right does not mean that he
subscribes to everything they are saying. Are
we together? So please acknowledge this. If you
see a lady beautifully dressed, you say, oh,
you are beautifully dressed. You know, sir? Don't
you say, bless you, sister. And then when you
go in your heart, say, this lady is endowed.
Hallelujah. You are human. Live it. Humanity
is not sinfulness. Do you understand what I'm
saying? Do you get what I'm trying to say? I
see some people do look as if you are a believer.
You make Christianity look as if it's about you
frowning your face. When people are laughing,
you don't want to laugh. What is that? When we
are fellowshipping and everybody is speaking
and eating some this thing. You don't want to
eat before bread. What is the meaning of that?
You say, what do you call it? Ministerious ethics.
Where did you learn that? From your Jesus? Hallelujah.
Now, as I close for today, the question is, is
that identity, the human identity, is that image,
that identity, sin of sin? No. We have already
noted that that has never been the teaching of
Moses. Moses never taught that. That we are born
sinners. Never. Are we together? Moses never
taught that. The apostles never taught that.
Never. They never taught that. Many people misinterpret
Romans chapter 3. We have taught it in this place.
Romans chapter 3 verse 23. You understand? All
have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
You understand? Or Romans 5. Verse 12. No. That's
not what Paul is saying. He didn't say that everybody
on earth have sinned. It's not true. You know,
son, when we come next, we will ask the question,
is our physical body part of the image of God?
Is our physical body part of the image of God?
Because we need to address a lot of things. And
so that you see it clearly. That, you know, there
are some teachings of a mixture of different
things. Whereby you think is by destroying your
body and killing your body is the body of sin.
Is the body of sin. We have to kill it and we
die daily. Okay, from what? Of course, I die
daily. See my gray hairs. But that's not what
Paul is saying. Are we together? But as you are
moving, know that there is an inherent value.
The same value like that of a man. God has no
different value for a woman different from that
of a man. Are we together? You have an inherent
value. And it's not because you have done anything.
James told us that he has made. Meaning that
it's an identity not by doing, but by being.
Are we together? By being. You do nothing to
receive such inherent value. It's an act of God.
It's the doing of God. It's the work of God.
And we have seen it. And we tell the Lord for
it. Can you just thank the Lord for that? And
say, Lord, let my view concerning my sister change.
Concerning who I am change. To the one that is
yours. That you have value in her. Just like
you have value in me as a man. That we are both
in the image of God. That you never desire that
we... Stay in isolation. That together. That
together. That it is your plan we stay together.
That it is your plan. You are planning. You are
planning right from the beginning. You wanted
a family. A family that is connected. Male and
female. You wanted a church. Male and female.
Glory to Jesus. Oh, thank you, Lord.