I loved this mornings service at church that I decided I had to share all of the contents of it. We just started a new series called "Wired" speaking about how we are made for relationships. I think that typing up my notes may be the best way to share the message.
"The Image of the Relational God"
Pastor Chris shared a story of the games he used to play in summer when he was younger with his neighborhood friends. Talked about building a fort, hiding from girls(to avoid cooties of course, or else you needed the cooties shot), and playing superman. What this came down to was him asking us to think about a story we would tell about our childhood summers. What games did we play? Who were we with? He explained that, as we were thinking about these stories, there were others involved. It would not be very likely that people would tell a story of their childhood and speak of how much fun they had playing by themselves, alone, without others.
Why? Because we are WIRED FOR RELATIONSHIP.
Genesis sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. Relationships are in the beginning of the Bible, change throughout and are restored again at the end.
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
God did not create human beings because He was lonely. God in and of Himself is a relationship: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. IF WE ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE WE ARE MADE TO BE RELATIONAL BEINGS.
Pastor Chris then spoke of an analog. A battery with a circuit. A battery was not created to be by itself, but to be connected to something else. Only once it is connected can its potential be realized. God is like electricity(not just the battery, He is MUCH MORE POWERFUL)
Pastor Chris also took a little bit of a side note because he wanted to address the actual meaning of the passage. The passage talks about the special standing that we as human beings have. We are set apart from the rest of what God created. We are to rule over the birds, fish, cattle, etc. We should be SO thankful for the standing we were given.
Matthew 22:34-40 was read and spoke of the Great Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
In John 13:31-35 another commandment, a new commandment is set forth: "Love one another as I have loved you." We are to follow in this relational state that is God.
All in all, because we were created by God, who is the essence of relationships, we were creating to be relational beings.
BY NO MEANS are relationships easy. We need to look to God for help in all of our relationships. We need to truly desire to seek the work John 13:34, loving each other as Jesus loved his disciples.
I challenge you to think about the relationships you have. Are they healthy? Are they seeking the glory of God? Are they in God's image? Trust me, I have a long ways to go. Praying that God will guide me in His will and His image.
