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January 27,
2012We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel any pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.
FAMILY
NEWS
THE SPEAKER SYSTEM. We have individual audio units that a person can wear if they need something special to hear clearly what is said. See Karl Marcussen for your unit if you have any trouble hearing.
BUG QUESTION. We are trying to plan what to do for our fair booth next summer. Getting people into the booth is the challenge. We had the idea of allowing people to "eat what John the Baptist ate" (locust and honey) but everyone who has commented on that idea has felt it was too expensive to justify doing it. We need other ideas. Our next potluck is February 5. Please have some suggestions to make on the fair booth.
PRAYER SHEET. We have an up-to-date listing of those who need our prayers. Be sure to get one and use it! Send cards and notes, make phone calls. Pray for those on the list.
LITERATURE. The tract rack and table in the lobby have all kinds of Christian literature. Take some home and read it. Leave it out for your guests and family to hear a positive message.
TODAY'S LESSON
Genesis
1:26--"Let us make man in our image."
WHAT ARE YOU?
Our lesson this morning deals with the evidence that you have a soul. This is a vital subject, and one that is getting increasing attention in the media and in the academic community. Atheists and naturalists will tell us that man is just an animal like every other animal, and that what distinguishes us is our brain. Animals are equal to humans in the view of naturalists, and the morality that governs all of us is "survival of the fittest." Organizations that campaign for animal rights continue to move toward the view that we have no right to enslave or eat animals because they are no different than we are--just wired differently in their brain. President Obama got in trouble with P.E.T.A. (June 2009) for killing a fly that was buzzing around his head.
The Bible tells us that man is not just an animal (Genesis 1:26-27) Genesis tells us that man's body was formed of the "dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word translated formed in that verse is "Yatshir" and is usually used in reference to something a potter would do with clay. Our bodies are very similar to all other animals on earth, and some animals like chimps have a DNA sequence that is more than 95% the same as ours. The fact is that chimps do not do 95% of the things man does as an expression of his soul.
The statement in Genesis 1 :27 that "God created man in his own image, . . . male and female he created them" uses the word "bara" to describe the process. Bara is a word always used only in reference to God and something God does. It is never used in reference to something man can do. Modern attempts to explain away man's unique characteristics by a genetic, brain, or evolutionary process have been monumentally unsuccessful. Man is different, and it is his soul--that part of him created in the image of God, that allows that special make up.
This has enormous importance. If I am just an animal, and the only morality that I serve is "survival of the fittest," then I have no obligation to serve or care for those who are not fit. Killing the very young who are not fit or not wanted, killing the elderly as they become less fit, destroying those cultures or religions that I deem undesirable is all justified. Our society's acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and the persecution of those who stand up for human rights is all rooted in what we understand a human being to be.
HOW
DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A SOUL?
All of
Christianity hangs on this statement.
Matthew 28:19
Matthew 10:28--What to really fear.
WE ARE NOT IN GOD'S PHYSICAL IMAGE. Matthew 28:19
Matthew 10:28--What to really fear.
God is
outside of time--2 Peter 3:8; Psalm
74:16; 90:4; 102:27; Daniel 2:21; Luke
20:36; Acts 1:7.
God is not a man (or a woman).
We leave the physical world when we die.
WE ARE LIKE GOD IN OUR INTELLECT.God
created time.
God is outside of space--Jeremiah
23:23; Psalm 139; Acts 17:22-30;
Numbers 23:19; 1 Corinthians 15:42God
created space.
If we were in God's physical image, we
would all look alike physically. God is not a man (or a woman).
We leave the physical world when we die.
Our
capacity to create art
Our capacity to worship God--not dependent on our intelligence,not dependent on our environment.
WE ARE LIKE GOD IN OUR PERSONALITY.There
is no such thing as primitive art.
Animals do not create art, but meaningless lines.
Anthropomorphic--created in man's image--Micky Mouse, Porky Pig, Monkey revolt films.
Our capacity to create music--bird
songs carry territorial warning.Animals do not create art, but meaningless lines.
Anthropomorphic--created in man's image--Micky Mouse, Porky Pig, Monkey revolt films.
Our capacity to worship God--not dependent on our intelligence,not dependent on our environment.
We can
feel guilt.
We can feel compassion.
Romans 8:16
OUR SOUL IS WHAT IS IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.Humans
can act like animals.
Animal compassion linked to survival.
We can be sympathetic. Animal compassion linked to survival.
We can feel compassion.
Romans 8:16
Matthew
16:26
Your
soul is the key to eternal life. Your
soul is real.
Matthew 11:28-29
What is the condition of your soul right now?
Matthew 11:28-29
What is the condition of your soul right now?
At
rest? Distraught? Safe? Lost?
WHAT ARE YOU?
Our lesson this morning deals with the evidence that you have a soul. This is a vital subject, and one that is getting increasing attention in the media and in the academic community. Atheists and naturalists will tell us that man is just an animal like every other animal, and that what distinguishes us is our brain. Animals are equal to humans in the view of naturalists, and the morality that governs all of us is "survival of the fittest." Organizations that campaign for animal rights continue to move toward the view that we have no right to enslave or eat animals because they are no different than we are--just wired differently in their brain. President Obama got in trouble with P.E.T.A. (June 2009) for killing a fly that was buzzing around his head.
The Bible tells us that man is not just an animal (Genesis 1:26-27) Genesis tells us that man's body was formed of the "dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word translated formed in that verse is "Yatshir" and is usually used in reference to something a potter would do with clay. Our bodies are very similar to all other animals on earth, and some animals like chimps have a DNA sequence that is more than 95% the same as ours. The fact is that chimps do not do 95% of the things man does as an expression of his soul.
The statement in Genesis 1 :27 that "God created man in his own image, . . . male and female he created them" uses the word "bara" to describe the process. Bara is a word always used only in reference to God and something God does. It is never used in reference to something man can do. Modern attempts to explain away man's unique characteristics by a genetic, brain, or evolutionary process have been monumentally unsuccessful. Man is different, and it is his soul--that part of him created in the image of God, that allows that special make up.
This has enormous importance. If I am just an animal, and the only morality that I serve is "survival of the fittest," then I have no obligation to serve or care for those who are not fit. Killing the very young who are not fit or not wanted, killing the elderly as they become less fit, destroying those cultures or religions that I deem undesirable is all justified. Our society's acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and the persecution of those who stand up for human rights is all rooted in what we understand a human being to be.