"In the Beginning", Part 3

0:18 You reach a point in life where you believe I should always be at the front of the line. I should always get on the plane first. I shouldn't have to wait. Waiting on the Lord is one of the most difficult things that we are called to do. But may you never believe you are so spiritually lifted that you can't wait on God. the old saints used to say you can't hurry God you just have to wait I wish I had an old school church you got to trust and give him time no matter how long it takes he's a God you can't hurry but he'll be there don't you worry I bet you know this one he may not come when you want him to but he's always he's always I wish I had about two more witnesses.

1:20 He's always on time. Thank you, VOT, for putting us in the center of worship on tonight. Now I ask you to speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

1:49 For these past two weekends, we have been sermonically studying and surveying what may arguably be the most read chapter in all the Bible, Genesis chapter 1. A lot has been shared over these last two weekends, and I dare not repeat and reiterate it when you can go on YouTube and watch.

2:12 But the one thing I do hope you take away is that Genesis 1, in context, was never written to give scientific detail about how the earth was formed. Genesis 1 was meant to provide people who live in exile existence like we do a theological declaration about a God who is able to hold your world together when evil feels like it's pulling it apart Tonight, as we come to the end of the series, I want to invite you to the end of God's creative movements. On that sixth moment and movement of creation found at the end of Genesis chapter 1. If you're able to physically stand, I want you to do so briefly and quickly as I read the 27th chapter of the first, 27th verse of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible.

3:08 Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 so God created humans in his image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them that's enough you may be seated in the presence of the Lord I want to talk to you about made in God's image.

3:39 Made in God's image. I think it's safe to say, Deacon Hebron, that everybody in here has been affected by and felt the pains of the failed policies and financial promises of this administration. 600 sisters unemployed by a vicious, vile, and racist attack against diversity, equity, and inclusion. Soaring gas prices started by a war that seems to have no end. and healthcare benefits held hostage in negotiations for a government shutdown. Escalating costs, threats to Social Security and Medicaid, unbridled inflation has affected both groceries and utilities.

4:43 if you think you're going to get $5,000 in November. I got a used bridge I'd like to sell you after church. Part of the financial pain we feel is a result of new tariff policies that have raised the tax burden on imported goods. The benefits and risks of tariffs are not new to the United States. As a matter of fact, in 1930, in the beginning of the Great Depression, in a time when American farmers and manufacturers were struggling, Senator Reed Smoot from Utah and Representative Willis Howley from Oregon sponsored a bill to raise tariffs on imported goods to protect farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition.

5:47 The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 was submitted to President Herbert Hoover, who, against the advice of 1,000 economists who told him to veto it, signed it into law and legislation. And as those economists predicted, the response was swift and devastating. Other countries raised their tariffs on American goods. It shut down foreign market and trade. American products dropped in value nearly 70 percent and that fertilized and ignited the Great Depression which would ever stain the economy of the United States. In response to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, in an attempt to boost the American economy and the sale of American goods and protect Americans from foreign fraud, the Federal Trade Commission, established in 1914, was given permission to monitor and to legalize and to prosecute the use of the phrase, made in the USA.

7:11 It initiated what we now call origin labeling. Can I teach history for a moment? Origin labeling is the process of taking a manufactured product and labeling its place of origin so when you hold it, you know who made it. And just about every product you have, from your clothing to your pens in your pocket to the coffee cups you drink out of, somewhere on there is an origin label. It may read made in the USA, but more than likely it reads made in China. Because the Federal Trade Commission understood that it was important for you to know where something came from. Beloved, I came by to tell you tonight that origin labeling did not start in 1930 with the Federal Trade Commission.

8:12 Trevor, origin labeling started on the sixth moment of creation, when God, who created the heavens and the earth, decided in God's own way and design that God was going to create humanity. And the Bible says that God decided that this male and this female that he would make were going to be made in his own image. I want to let you know that no matter how you feel about your life and no matter what someone has said about your life, There's a label somewhere in your spirit that says made in the image of God. That scholarly term in Latin is imago dei. Say it with me, imago dei. Imago dei means the image of God and scholars and those who have been to seminary will tell you that imago dei has been controversial for centuries causing much theological debate Because there's no biblical clarity or scholarly accuracy on what the Imago Dei is.

9:24 What is the image of God? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How ought you live your life if you understood what it meant for humanity to be made in the image of God? allow me quickly to present three possibilities presented in scripture for your pondering tonight about what that image of God may be and what it may mean for you and for me can I give you three and I'll be on my way the image of God the image of God maybe the image of God is a reference to our power over creation there's some scholars will tell you that the image of God that God has given us comes from the fact that when God made humanity, God did something different with male and female than God did with any other thing that God created. In the creation of humanity, God granted humanity an assignment and an ability to do something. Nothing else in creation was given the assignment or the ability to do.

10:40 Humanity was given the assignment and the ability to have dominion over the earth. Cattle didn't get that. Fish didn't get that. Dogs didn't get that. But when God is sitting down to shape humanity, the Bible says in Genesis 1 and verse 26, the verse I read, that came before the verse I read, says that God was mapping out humanity and God said, you know what? I want to give them dominion over the earth. Verse 27, God forms male and female after his image. And then in verse 28, God then speaks to that which God had created and says, Now be fruitful, multiply, fill, and subdue the earth. Matter of fact, in that psalm that Dr. Judy read in our call to worship in Psalm 8, The psalmist declares that thou has given us dominion over all the works of your hand, and creation is put underneath the feet of humanity, suggesting once again that humanity was granted the assignment and the ability to have dominion over the earth.

11:51 And maybe the image of God is that we have dominion over the earth. Now, I need to be clear on this, and I know it's going to get quiet. dominion does not mean abuse. Dominion does not mean unrestrained consumption. Dominion does not mean do whatever you want to do. As a matter of fact, when you keep reading the next story of creation in Genesis chapter 2, God clarifies what dominion is when God speaks to Adam and says, I want you to tend and I want you to keep the garden. Those words tend and keep, they literally mean serve and guard. Now, if you're following me, that means that we were never given permission to abuse the earth, but we were given an assignment to protect and to guard the earth that God had put us on.

12:51 And maybe, just maybe, one of the greatest sins of humanity has been our failure to care for the earth that we were given the assignment to protect and to guard. Beloved, there is something sinful about generational polluting of our air and our water. There is something ungodly about greenhouse emissions and chemical runoff. There's something demonic about deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources. There's something unholy about the burning of fossilized fuels. There's something blasphemous about putting cancer-inducing data centers in the middle of urban environments. There is something displeasing to God when we don't care for the earth. And maybe, just maybe, being made in the image of God means you ought to recycle your plastic and your paper.

13:54 Maybe being made in the image of God means that you don't turn your shower on and leave it running for 30 minutes while you go do something else waiting for your water to heat up. Maybe being made in the image of God means you care about your carbon footprint on this planet. And maybe being made in the image of God means that you concern yourself with sustainability more than convenience. That to be in the image of God means that we care for the earth that God has put us on. And that's the message missing in so much black church. Oh, we shout about raising from the dead. We hoop and we holler, we sing and we praise, but we never talk enough about what our responsibility is to care for the creation that God has entrusted to us in God's divine design. Can I push it?

14:55 Push it. I'm going to anyway. Notice, we are given dominion over the earth, not one another. Say that again. Say that again. We are given dominion over the earth, but we are not given dominion over one another. Abuse of others is against the creative will of God for humanity. Hear me, beloved. No one was ever birthed by God to be a product for your pleasure. God did not shape anyone in their mother's womb to be a tool for you to use for your financial success. God did not breathe breath into anybody's body to be a slave to protect your privilege. God did not create anybody to be used by you.

15:54 Slavery was never part of God's will. I got in a debate with someone from another ethnicity about this. He tried to share with me, well, the Bible says slaves obey your master. And since we see it in scripture, it must be endorsed by God. Can I help you real quick? slaves obey your master that's what Paul said but God said let my people go and I'm challenged between which one I'm going to stand on will I stand on Paul or will I stand with God come here come here I'm going to help you because I know how some of y'all think about the Bible you need to know that Genesis 1 and 2 gives us God's original divine design for creation.

17:01 And most of what we read outside of Genesis 1 and 2, stay with me, is God dealing with the sinful consequence of stuff that was never part of God's divine design. Let me say that again. Genesis 1 and 2 is how God wanted it to be Everything else is how we messed it up And everything else you see in Bible is contrary to what God's divine design is Genesis 1 and 2 shows us his divine design The rest of the Bible shows us our sinful perversion of what God created And how God is always trying to fix what we messed up Thank you. Slavery was never part of God's will. Dominion over others was never part of God's will.

17:57 Abuse of other people was never part of God's will. That's why slavery is wrong. That's why oppressing queer is wrong. That's why racism is wrong. That's why misogyny is wrong. That's why classism is wrong. That's why xenophobia is wrong. because it was never part of the divine design of God. Can I push it? I'm going to anyway. And if you're ultra-conservative, now is the time to leave. because you are not going to like what I'm about to say. The Bible says in verse 27 that God created them in his image. And to be clear, 27 says them is male and female.

18:56 God created them in his image. Them is male and female. And in verse 28, the Bible says, and God told them, subdue the earth. I'm going to try it again. I knew you'd catch it not the first time. God created them. Them is male and female. God told them, subdue the earth. One more again. God created them. Them is male and female. And then God told them, male and female, to subdue the earth. which means that the assignment to have dominion was not just given to the male, it was also given to the female. And if the man was given the assignment that came with the authority, if the woman received the same assignment, it just stands to reason she was also given the same authority because the authority in the assignment was not just for men, it was for women.

20:00 Come here, come here, come here, come here, come here, come here, come here. You ain't going to like this. So I'm challenged when you tell me women shouldn't have authority in church when they have authority over the earth. I don't understand how you think a woman shouldn't control her womb when God gave her control over the garden. How can a woman not be trusted to preach the word when she was given this same authority and the same assignment that the man was given to subdue the earth? That's why women can preach in this pulpit. That's why women can be pastors in the kingdom of God. That's why a black woman ought to sit in 1600 and rule over this nation. Because she's received the same authority and assignment.

21:09 I'm going to get in trouble. Maybe, maybe the image of God is our power over creation. Or Paul Hippolyte, it may be our place in creation.

21:36 Some scholars will tell you that the image of God is a reference to where we fall in the hierarchy of the things God created. Y'all, I need you to know something. We are not like the rest of creation. In God's eyes, we're more valuable than the sun. In God's eyes, fish don't come close to us. In God's eyes, we are higher than anything else created. We are the crown jewel of God's creation, which is why Psalm 8 also says that you've made him a little lower than the angels, but you crowned him with glory and with honor that when God created humanity, God put a crown of glory and God put a title of honor on that which God made because you and I are God at God's best.

22:28 In a real sense, creation says this, God saved the best for last. And that's why we're made in the image. That word image in Hebrew is this word selim, S-E-L-E-M. And you know what selim means? It literally comes from the same root as shadow. You know what the image is? It's your shadow. Now, once you think about that, the shadow is not you. but it's got the form of you. the shadow's not you it's lower than you but it's got your form when you move it moves what you do it does your shadow never disobeys you uh uh uh here it is and those who heard this term image it meant something to them because i've been teaching y'all these are people in exile these are folk in babylonian exile And Alphalips, what they knew is that the Babylonian exile was so large, watch this, that Nebuchadnezzar could not be everywhere all the time.

23:49 So this is what the Babylonians did. They created statues in the image of Nebuchadnezzar and placed them around the empire so that whenever someone saw the statue, they knew there was an emperor somewhere. He may not have been right there, but that image reminded you that there's somebody reigning and ruling over this place. Now, if I ain't lost you, that means that humanity was created with the capacity to be a reflection and a representative of God. Oh, I feel like preaching right here. you and I were made with the capacity to reflect and represent our God. Now, if you got that, then maybe, just maybe, one of the greatest sins of humanity has been our failure to acknowledge and honor that that image of God exists within all humanity.

24:57 Let me say that again. Maybe our greatest failure has been that we refuse to accept, acknowledge, and honor that everybody you meet, whether you like them or not, whether they look like you or not, whether they vote like you or not, whether they love like you or not, whether they worship like you or not, whether they went where you went, been where you been, going where you going, All of humanity is inherently built with the capacity to reflect and represent God. All of humanity. Not just white. Not just wealthy. Not just American. Not just male. Not just cisgendered. Not just heterosexual. Not just Republican. Not just English speaking. Not just passport carrying.

25:49 Not just degree having. everybody you meet is made in the image of God. And you ought to be careful how you treat folk. Can I tell you something? The biggest test of your faith is not how many weekends you come to church. The biggest test of your faith is not how many scriptures you can quote at the drop of a dime. The greatest testimony of your faith is not how much offering you give and how many choirs you're involved in. The greatest test of your faith is how you treat folk who you've never met before, whose names you don't know, whose faces you've never seen. Can you see God in them? And you ought to be careful how you treat folk when you know who they are.

26:47 Okay, all right. Joseph Reeves, I was in the airport just the other day flying, and I realized that the flight had gotten delayed and my connection was short. I'm in row five, but I get on the app and I see that there's an empty seat on row one. Now I want to move up because my connection's tight. And if I can get off the plane first, I can run. I hate waiting. on slow folk getting off the plane when I gotta run. So, so, before the flight takes off, I go up to the counteragent. There's a lady there working. I don't know her name. She doesn't have a name tag on. I know it's a violation of uniform code. I don't know her name, but we gonna call her Karen. So, I go up to Karen, and Karen is doing something on the computer, and I don't say much, I just stand there because I know she can feel my presence, and I'm going to be kind because it's early in the morning, I'm waiting for her to look up and say something.

28:04 Karen doesn't look up, she keeps typing, I know she knows I'm there. whoo-wee hallelujah amen i'm just trying to be nice trying to be nice and karen done look up i say excuse me ma'am i need your help karen was obviously having a bad day early in the morning because her response is what do you want now i need y'all pray for me because the two things the lord has delivered me from number one i am petty as hell i'm willing to die I...

28:38 I'm just being honest with y'all. I'm petty. I'm real petty. And Gerald, Gerald, I match energy real good. I mean, I mean, if you want 10, I got 10. You want to keep it at one, I give you one. But if you, I match energy real well. So she's got to preach that night. I'm praying, Lord, hold my tongue.

29:05 I said, ma'am, I want to know if I can switch my seats. She says, I can't help you. I said, ma'am, listen, I'm not causing any problem. I just want to know, because I see on the app that there's an open seat in row one. I'm in row five. She said, well, just use the app. I said, ma'am, I'm just asking you if you can print me a boarding pass to move up to number one. She said, I cannot help you. and she went back down to typing. And I'm just standing there trying to keep my cool out because, you know, I don't know who sees me. I'm trying to, you know.

29:35 So Karen's typing, and then there's a brother who comes over. He works for the airline, and he motions for her to come over, and they have a little conversation. She comes back. I'm still standing there. She keeps on typing. Then she hands me a boarding pass, bumping me up to row one. She said, here's your seat. So I go and sit down. I'm just thankful to God. The brother who talked to her comes over and he says to me, I just want to say good morning to my pastor. I said, well, good morning.

30:11 Watch this. I said, listen, what did you say to her? Because she was giving me some bad energy, and I was about to give it back, but she came back after talking to you. He said, oh, I just told her who you were. Because once she figured out who you were, she treated you differently. And I came by from heaven on divine assignment to tell you, You ought to be careful how you treat folk because every now and then God's going to whisper made in God's image and you ought to treat them differently. I came by to tell you that single mother on welfare made in God's image. That transgender woman made in God's image. That brother that's on parole made in God's image. Them folk wearing MAGA hats. And I just believe That when you know who they are You ought to treat them differently When you see and identify The image of God in people It will make you treat them differently Can I push it?

31:23 I'm going to anyway And I just believe that when you know about the image of God, not only will it make you treat people differently, it'll make people treat you differently. I don't know who I came to preach to, but something happens when you realize you are made in the image of God. Something happens when you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Something happens when you realize that your body is the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells within you. When you realize who you are, you will have boundaries that Negroes can't cross. When you realize who you are, you won't let folk put their hands on you. When you realize who you are, you won't lay down with anybody and run with everybody. I know who I am. You can't talk to me any old way because I'm made in the image of God.

32:18 You can't call me the N-word because I'm made in the image of God. You can't disrespect me and just walk away because I'm made in God's image. I got to go. I'm so sorry to keep you all this late. Maybe it is our power over creation. Maybe it's our place in creation. Or maybe, just maybe, the image of God is our purpose for creation.

32:53 I've got a disturbing question to ask you. And I want you to think about it for just a moment before you shout the answer out. Why didn't God stop when he made the animals on day six? Why didn't God stop with the fish in the sea and the birds in the air?

33:14 Why press on and create male and female? As raggedy as we can be. as unrighteous as we tend to be, as disobedient as we are, as unfaithful as we can be, as selfish as we live, let me know what I call yours. Why would God stop to create us? Well, I'll tell you what I thought the answer is. It's that God wanted something that the rest of creation couldn't give.

33:59 God said, I want something, but the moon can't give it to me. I want something, but the fish, as beautiful as they are, can't give it to me. I want something that the flowers cannot offer me. You know what God wanted? The same thing you want when you've gotten dressed up and look your best. God wanted a mirror to look back at himself and see his glory reflected back to him. I need something that gives me glory. I need something that worships me in spirit and in truth. I need something that makes a decision to praise my holy name. So God decided I need to make something that I can put my glory on so it'll give my glory back to me.

35:00 And so God decided to make male and female. And in order for that creation to give God glory back. When you read the Bible, you'll find out that God did three things with humanity that God didn't do with anything else in creation. Number one, God talked to them. God never talked to the animals. God never talked to the flowers. But God talked to humanity and said, here's what I want you to do. Here's my will. Not only did God talk to them, but God blessed them. the Bible says that he looked at them and put a blessing on them and not only did God talk to them and not only did God bless them but the Bible says that God breathed into them that God gave them life with his breath so God talked to them, God blessed them and God gave them life can I tell you how you know you are made in the image of God when you realize you serve a God who talks to you.

36:10 A God who guides you. A God who directs you. A God who when you come to church, you hear a word from the preacher that was exactly what you needed to hear. You're made in God's image. When you open up the Bible and the Holy Spirit begins to convict you, you are made in God's image. When you bow down in prayer and ask God for a little something and you hear God answer your prayer and you walk up in the morning and say, and he walks with me and he talks with me. You're made in God's image. But not only when he talks to you, but when he blesses you, when you know God made a way out of no way, when you know he gave you more than you asked for, when you know he did what you didn't deserve when you see God bless you every time you turn around you're made in the image of God and when God kept your life when you walked away from that accident when you survived the chemotherapy when you made it through the layoff when you walked through the valley of the shadow of death you knew god had walked with you talked with you blessed you and kept your life goodbye alpha street may the lord bless you real good maybe our greatest sin is that we haven't taken care of the earth maybe our greatest sin is that we don't honor the image of God and other people and maybe just maybe our greatest sin is to walk in the church fold your arms cross your legs and sit for an entire service from the call

38:17 to worship to the benediction and never give God the glory that God deserves goodbye church May the Lord bless you real good. But when I think of the blessings he's given, when I remember all the ways he made, when I realize that if it had not been for the Lord on my side, when I walk into church, forgive me, please. but I will bless the Lord at all times. I will give him the glory that is due his name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me.

39:19 Bless his name. Bless his name. Bless his name. I need some folk that know you've been made in God's image and God's given you the ability to lift your hands and open your mouth I need you to praise him for just a few seconds like you know he's worthy of your praise he's worthy of the glory. He's worthy. Hey, hey. Hey, hey. Hey, hey.

40:15 Hallelujah! God, you deserve the glory.

40:47 And you deserve the honor. because you talked to me. You didn't leave me in that stuff, but you gave me a word, Lord. And you blessed me above what I know I deserve. And God, you've kept my life through dangers seen and unseen.

41:15 And I know that I'm made Thank you.