Pastor Keith Smith teaches that what makes us unique among all creation is what we share with our Creator. Presented on January 21/22, 2012. The podcast that this presentation accompanied is available here: http://ow.ly/8LGz5

1. Why What You Do With
MATTERS
Your Life So Much

2. Plants, animals, human beings...
all created from similar matter
“the LORD God formed the man om the dust of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
- Genesis 2:7

3. Plants, animals, human beings...
all created from similar matter
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food
until you return to the ground, since om it you
were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will
return.” - Genesis 3:19

4. Plants, animals, human beings...
all created from similar matter
“ en God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in
our likeness, and let them rule over the sh of the
sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over
all the earth, and over all the creatures that move
along the ground.’ So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them.” - Genesis 1:26-27

5. What makes human beings
most unique?
✗ Differences in DNA
☐
✗ At the top of the food chain
☐
✗ the largest brain capacity
☐
✗ superior power of reasoning
☐
✗ best use of tools to do work
☐
✔made in the “image” and “likeness” of God
☐

7. What does it mean to be in
the “image” and the “likeness” of God?

8. Spirituality
Creation
“by him all things were created:
...visible and invisible” - Colossians 1:16
We have the capacity to know
✔ the Invisible God

9. Spirituality
We have the capacity to know
✔ the Invisible God
• “altars”
“prayer” “call on the Lord”
• Nicodemus – both natural and spiritual birth
• Woman at the Well –
both natural and spiritual water

10. Spirituality
We have the capacity to know
✔ the Invisible God
“no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’
except by the Holy Spirit” - 1 Corinthians 12:3b

11. Morality
“I AM IN AWE OF T WO THINGS , THE HEAVENS
ABOVE AND THE MOR AL L AW WITHIN .”
- E MMANUEL K ANT

12. Morality
God revealed in Creation
“since what may be known about God is plain to
them, because God has made it plain to them. For
since the creation of the world God’s invisible
qualities his eternal power and divine nature
have been clearly seen...” - Romans 1:19-20a

13. Morality
God revealed in conscience

14. “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law,
do by nature things required by the law, they are a
law for themselves, even though they do not have
the law, since they show that the requirements of
the law are wri en on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness, and their
thoughts now accusing, now even defending
them.” - Romans 2:14-15

15. Morality
We have the responsibility
✔ to represent God

16. Creativity
“ e LORD God took the man and put him
in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it. ” - Genesis 2:15
✔ We have the ability to re-create
Music / Art / Science / Technology / Making meals or
buildings / Expressing ourselves / Revealing beauty

17. What did our rejection of God
do to the image of God?
☐ Spirituality
☐ Morality
☐ Creativity

18. What did God do to restore
His image in us?
“Flesh gives birth to esh, but the Spirit
gives birth to spirit.” - John 3:6

19. What did God do to restore
His image in us?
“ erefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation...”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17a

20. What did God do to restore
His image in us?
“ e man without the Spirit does not accept
the things that come om the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians 2:14

21. What do new creations
do to restore God’s image?
1. I rediscover my spiritual capacity
for the Invisible God
“Our Father in Heaven...
your Kingdom come on earth
as it is in heaven...”

22. What do new creations
do to restore God’s image?
2. I reveal how valuable
each human being is to God.
_______________ others as
Christ did for you

23. What do new creations
do to restore God’s image?
3. I recreate on earth and in heaven
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love him...” - 1 Corinthians 2:9