Man is crea\u00adted in the image of God. He reflects God. In this sta\u00adtus lies a tre\u00admen\u00addous respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, which is incum\u00adbent on man. But the image that human beings pre\u00adsent is crumbling and has migh\u00adty cracks. Man does not mana\u00adge to live up to his respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. But the\u00adre is hope. In Jesus Christ we find the per\u00adfect image of God \u2013 wit\u00adhout scrat\u00adches. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus may share in the per\u00adfect image of God through him. Through Jesus Christ they find their true desti\u00adny \u2013 to be God\u2019s images.<\/p>\n
In 2017, the Swiss Con\u00adfe\u00adde\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon did a sur\u00advey. The ques\u00adti\u00adon was how many peo\u00adp\u00adle expe\u00adri\u00adence loneli\u00adne\u00adss in their lives. The figu\u00adres that came out are stag\u00adge\u00adring. Of all the peo\u00adp\u00adle aged 15 and over who live in Switz\u00ader\u00adland, 38% feel lonely. This is an indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal fee\u00adling, but it is nevert\u00adhel\u00adess a stag\u00adge\u00adring figu\u00adre. More than a third of all peo\u00adp\u00adle in Switz\u00ader\u00adland feel lonely. Loneli\u00adne\u00adss is not wit\u00adhout pro\u00adblems and can mani\u00adfest its\u00adelf in various sym\u00adptoms. Typi\u00adcal sym\u00adptoms are ten\u00adsi\u00adon, ner\u00advous\u00adness, inse\u00adcu\u00adri\u00adty, rest\u00adless\u00adness, pal\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons, anxie\u00adty, diz\u00adziness or sleep dis\u00ador\u00adders. What is exci\u00adting here is the fact that older peo\u00adp\u00adle tend to feel less lonely. The per\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adon of loneli\u00adne\u00adss decrea\u00adses with age, but is still 32% among tho\u00adse over 65. Peo\u00adp\u00adle need a coun\u00adter\u00adpart. Peo\u00adp\u00adle need a social net\u00adwork and con\u00adnec\u00adtions to other peo\u00adp\u00adle. Human beings are crea\u00adted for rela\u00adti\u00adonship. Gene\u00adsis 1:26\u201327 tells the sto\u00adry of man\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abThen God said, \u00abLet us make man in our image, after our liken\u00adess. They shall have domi\u00adni\u00adon over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over all catt\u00adle, over wild ani\u00admals, and over every cree\u00adping thing. So God crea\u00adted human beings in his image, in the image of God he crea\u00adted them, male and fema\u00adle he crea\u00adted them\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:26\u201327, NLB<\/span>). \tWhat does it mean to you to be crea\u00adted in the image of God? Whe\u00adre do you find this dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to belie\u00adve? Why? Man is crea\u00adted in the image of God. He reflects God. In this sta\u00adtus lies a tre\u00admen\u00addous respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, which is incum\u00adbent on man. But the image that human beings pre\u00adsent is crumbling and has migh\u00adty cracks. Man does not mana\u00adge to live up to his respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. But the\u00adre is hope. In Jesus Christ we find the per\u00adfect image.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3839","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n1. man \u2013 image of God
\nMan is crea\u00adted in the image of God, as Ima\u00adgo Dei. Being in the image of God means that man has some\u00adthing divi\u00adne about him. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that this is the most important reason why human beings long for a coun\u00adter\u00adpart. This is alre\u00ada\u00addy evi\u00addent at the very begin\u00adning of God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon of human beings. God crea\u00adted human beings as man and woman. Only in this pola\u00adri\u00adty is the human being an image of God. A man or a woman con\u00adside\u00adred by its\u00adelf is imper\u00adfect and only a part of the image of God. When God crea\u00adted the earth, the expres\u00adsi\u00adon it was good or even it was very good appears again and again. But only at one point is the state\u00adment found that some\u00adthing was not good with the crea\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abThen the Lord God said, \u00abIt is not good for man to be alo\u00adne. I will make a crea\u00adtu\u00adre to fit him\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:18 NLB<\/span>). This refers to the absence of the fema\u00adle part. The human being is only ful\u00adly made in the image of a man and a woman and is depen\u00addent on rela\u00adti\u00adonships with other human beings.
\nBut what is the divi\u00adne in the exis\u00adtence of man? Is it the upright walk? His abili\u00adty to think, or his intellect? The pro\u00adblem with all the\u00adse approa\u00adches is that one can always find an exam\u00adp\u00adle that con\u00adtra\u00addicts them. For me, the best expl\u00adana\u00adti\u00adon of man\u2019s being in the image of God is found in man\u2019s abili\u00adty to rela\u00adte. This abili\u00adty to rela\u00adte is not only in the inter\u00adper\u00adso\u00adnal sphe\u00adre, but much more in rela\u00adti\u00adon to the divi\u00adne. This is what distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhes man, he can wor\u00adship. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, he can also be crea\u00adtively acti\u00adve. Man\u2019s abili\u00adty to rela\u00adte is shown by the fact that he is invol\u00adved in various rela\u00adti\u00adonships. First\u00adly, the\u00adse are the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons, second\u00adly, the con\u00adnec\u00adtion to other crea\u00adtures. Ani\u00admals can very well live wit\u00adhout humans, but humans can\u00adnot live wit\u00adhout them. Third\u00adly, this invol\u00advement is shown in the rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween man and woman.
\nMany peo\u00adp\u00adle today find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to belie\u00adve in a six-day crea\u00adti\u00adon. The time peri\u00adods seem too short. What exci\u00adtes me per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly about the idea of six-day crea\u00adti\u00adon is that God has a posi\u00adti\u00adve rela\u00adti\u00adonship to ever\u00ady\u00adthing he says. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing that exists is wil\u00adled. This includes plants, enti\u00adre land\u00adscapes, rivers, oce\u00adans, ani\u00admals and humans. Abo\u00adve all this is a yes. A yes that lies out\u00adside of the\u00adse things them\u00adsel\u00adves. This yes has its anchor point in the crea\u00adti\u00adve love of God. Wit\u00adhout this love of God, no life can come into being and con\u00adti\u00adnue to exist. This yes is also abo\u00adve your life. No mat\u00adter what your cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances may be. God\u2019s yes is abo\u00adve you. This yes of God does not mean that he also has a yes to ever\u00ady\u00adthing that hap\u00adpens. But it is abo\u00adve the exis\u00adtence of every sin\u00adgle crea\u00adtu\u00adre. Yes, you are wan\u00adted, not a coin\u00adci\u00addence or an acci\u00addent, but lovin\u00adg\u00adly crea\u00adted by God.
\nFor the theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan Micha\u00adel Herbst, it is cru\u00adcial for us humans to know that we were crea\u00adted as images of God. \u00abKnow\u00adledge wit\u00adhout cer\u00adtain\u00adty is of no use to us. We need cer\u00adtain\u00adty about whe\u00adre we come from, what we are here for, what we are allo\u00adwed to do and what we are war\u00adned against, and whe\u00adre we are going when the life we can weigh, mea\u00adsu\u00adre and count comes to an end. (\u2026) The ans\u00adwer of faith is: cer\u00adtain\u00adty comes from encoun\u00adter. Encoun\u00adter with the one who says and it hap\u00adpens. He who says: Let the\u00adre be light, and his word crea\u00adtes what it says\u00bb (Micha\u00adel Herbst). Through cer\u00adtain\u00adty, the yes over one\u2019s own life is strengthened.
\nBy being simi\u00adlar to God, man is also given a respon\u00adsi\u00adble task in God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon. Man is to rule over the world. But this rule is not to be unders\u00adtood in such a way that ever\u00ady\u00adthing has to ser\u00adve man. Rather, God\u2019s inten\u00added rule of human beings over the world is loving. It is ori\u00aden\u00adted towards the wel\u00adfa\u00adre of fel\u00adlow human beings and the world as a who\u00adle. Peo\u00adp\u00adle need the earth, but they do not abu\u00adse it. They want the best for God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon and are not inte\u00adres\u00adted in their own advantages.
\n2. the pic\u00adtu\u00adre is crumbling and has cracks!
\nAs well con\u00adcei\u00adved as man\u2019s respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty for this world is, the image of man as ste\u00adward has migh\u00adty cracks and is crumbling bad\u00adly. Ins\u00adtead of pre\u00adser\u00adving the world, huma\u00adni\u00adty is exploi\u00adting the earth. The irre\u00adspon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of human beings leads to God\u2019s won\u00adderful crea\u00adti\u00adon being abu\u00adsed for their own needs. Ani\u00admals are bred to pro\u00addu\u00adce enough or to ser\u00adve as enter\u00adtain\u00adment for peo\u00adp\u00adle. Forests are cle\u00adared so that the\u00adre is enough ara\u00adble land for the fod\u00adder indus\u00adtry. Moun\u00adta\u00adins are com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly cle\u00adared away to get coal or other metals. Was\u00adte is dischar\u00adged direct\u00adly into the rivers whe\u00adre it final\u00adly ends up in the sea and beco\u00admes the doom of many ani\u00admals. But humans do not only exploit the earth, they also exploit their fel\u00adlow human beings. The\u00adre are mil\u00adli\u00adons of so-cal\u00adled cheap workers in poor count\u00adries, whe\u00adre they work in the fields for a pit\u00adtance, sew clo\u00adthes in stuffy fac\u00adto\u00adries or mine rare metals. But the\u00adre are also many working poor in indus\u00adtria\u00adli\u00adsed count\u00adries, child\u00adren who have to con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte to the family\u2019s liveli\u00adhood. Women who are forced into prostitution.
\nIn short, man does not live up to his respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, it is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to belie\u00adve that man was crea\u00adted in the image of God. So it is hard\u00adly sur\u00adpri\u00adsing that many peo\u00adp\u00adle find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to belie\u00adve in such a state\u00adment. How can man be made in God\u2019s image and yet act in this way? Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in other human beings, who are also images of God? A par\u00adti\u00adal ans\u00adwer lies in the fact that man\u2019s image of God con\u00adsists of con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty and rup\u00adtu\u00adre. On the one hand, human beings are images of God in terms of their abili\u00adty to rela\u00adte. On the other hand, the rup\u00adtu\u00adre con\u00adsists in the fact that man has cut off his rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God of his own accord. Alt\u00adhough man is only crea\u00adted in the image of God, he often beha\u00adves as if he were God hims\u00adelf. He hims\u00adelf has cut off the rela\u00adti\u00adonship level upwards. As a human being wit\u00adhout refe\u00adrence to the divi\u00adne, he also lacks the refe\u00adrence to what it means to be the image of God. In the fact that man is the image of God, the\u00adre is also gre\u00adat digni\u00adty, entit\u00adle\u00adment and respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. But we humans tend to want to do ever\u00ady\u00adthing our\u00adsel\u00adves. In doing so, we often miss the goal that God had for us. This miss\u00ading of the goal is cal\u00adled sin in the Bible. Man can crea\u00adte things anew and be crea\u00adti\u00adve. But he also has the ten\u00adden\u00adcy to seek his own good and work towards it.
\nThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, it can be said that the con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty of being in the image of God is in the yes of God over man. The rup\u00adtu\u00adre, in turn, shows its\u00adelf in man\u2019s ten\u00adden\u00adcy to pur\u00adsue his own goals. This ten\u00adsi\u00adon is also found in man\u2019s dealings with the world. On the one hand he has to pre\u00adser\u00adve it for his own sake, on the other hand he uses it to sur\u00advi\u00adve. In doing so, it can some\u00adti\u00admes swing to one side, but also to the other.
\n3. the int\u00adact, living image!
\nThis immense respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, which weighs on man but which he does not live up to, can lead to des\u00adpair. But the\u00adre is hope for the who\u00adle of crea\u00adti\u00adon. The hope lies in Jesus Christ. He hims\u00adelf is the int\u00adact, living image of God and through him we can share in it.
\nMan\u2019s con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon, this con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty and rup\u00adtu\u00adre can also be descri\u00adbed as fol\u00adlows: \u00abCrea\u00adted by God for God, image of his Crea\u00adtor and yet deep\u00adly mark\u00aded, dis\u00adfi\u00adgu\u00adred and now sepa\u00adra\u00adted from God, the source of life, right into his phy\u00adsi\u00adcal life by sin, which so quick\u00adly cor\u00adrupt\u00aded God\u2019s good work\u00bb (Hel\u00admut Egel\u00adkraut). Sin is the pro\u00adblem. It ali\u00aden\u00adates man from God. But God cares deep\u00adly about his crea\u00adtures. It tears at his heart that his images do not live in their desti\u00adny. But God has a solu\u00adti\u00adon for the rup\u00adtu\u00adre \u2013 Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, came into the world to res\u00adto\u00adre the image. He did this by going to the cross. On the cross he died for all the fail\u00adures of human pur\u00adpo\u00adse, for all the sel\u00adfi\u00adsh\u00adness and rebel\u00adli\u00adon of human beings. Jesus Christ saw some\u00adthing in us human beings that he saw as lova\u00adble. He saw this while we were still living in the fail\u00adure of pur\u00adpo\u00adse. \u00abInde\u00aded, Christ came at a time when we were still hel\u00adp\u00adless against sin, and he died for us who were living wit\u00adhout God\u00bb (Romans 5:6 NLB<\/span>). Peo\u00adp\u00adle who accept for them\u00adsel\u00adves that Jesus Christ died for their fail\u00adures and belie\u00adve in him are rene\u00adwed by God in such a way that all peo\u00adp\u00adle reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that they are like the image of their Crea\u00adtor (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 3:10). This is espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly evi\u00addent in the fact that they have re-ente\u00adred into a rela\u00adti\u00adonship with the divine.
\nWhat does this look like in con\u00adcre\u00adte terms? How does this res\u00adto\u00adred rela\u00adtio\u00adnal capa\u00adci\u00adty of the human being show its\u00adelf? I am deep\u00adly con\u00advin\u00adced that this shows its\u00adelf in a lon\u00adging for God. A per\u00adson who is open to the divi\u00adne again longs to know more of him. He sear\u00adches God\u2019s Word for the Being who says you are my image. He wor\u00adships God, having rea\u00adli\u00adsed that God is still so much grea\u00adter than can be ima\u00adgi\u00adned, and at the same time he says to each one: You are my bel\u00adoved daugh\u00adter, my bel\u00adoved son.
\nJesus Christ lived a hop\u00adeful exam\u00adp\u00adle for us of what respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty as the image of God can look like. In his earth\u00adly life, Jesus Christ lovin\u00adg\u00adly cared for all peo\u00adp\u00adle. He stood by the out\u00adcasts, cared for widows and took care of the sick. He hea\u00adled many peo\u00adp\u00adle and taught his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers how to tre\u00adat each other. Jesus\u00bb actions and words were cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by the deep assump\u00adti\u00adon that every human being is an image of God. In doing so, Jesus did ever\u00ady\u00adthing pos\u00adsi\u00adble to res\u00adto\u00adre the image of God in peo\u00adp\u00adle. At the same time, howe\u00adver, he did not refrain from poin\u00adting out to peo\u00adp\u00adle the errors of their ways and encou\u00adra\u00adging them to let go of them.
\nPeo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ are con\u00adstant\u00adly chal\u00adlen\u00adged to ask what good I can do for my neigh\u00adbour, who is also the image of God. In doing so, they are often in dan\u00adger of ben\u00adding God\u2019s words and what He wants from them to fit the image of peo\u00adp\u00adle. But this is a serious mista\u00adke. For God was not crea\u00adted in the image of human beings, but the other way round. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus must always ask what they can do to beco\u00adme more like the image of God. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, it is wort\u00adhwhile to spend a lot of time with God. Becau\u00adse the more we look to God, the more simi\u00adlar we beco\u00adme to Him.
\nMan is crea\u00adted in the image of God. He reflects God. In this sta\u00adtus lies a tre\u00admen\u00addous respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, which is incum\u00adbent on man. Howe\u00adver, the image that peo\u00adp\u00adle pre\u00adsent is crumbling and has migh\u00adty cracks. Man does not mana\u00adge to live up to his respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. But the\u00adre is hope. In Jesus Christ we find the per\u00adfect image of God \u2013 wit\u00adhout scrat\u00adches. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus may share in the per\u00adfect image of God through him. Through Jesus Christ they find their true desti\u00adny \u2013 to be God\u2019s images.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRea\u00adding the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 1:26\u201327<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat are your rela\u00adti\u00adonships like? What is your rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God? How do you get in touch with him?
\n\tWhat do you see as man\u2019s grea\u00adtest respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty? To what ext\u00adent does he live up to it?
\n\tWhat do you see in your life as con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty and rup\u00adtu\u00adre in the image of God?
\n\tIn what way did Jesus Christ over\u00adco\u00adme the rift? What effect does this have on your per\u00adso\u00adnal life?
\n\tWhat form does being a fol\u00adlower take? Is it along the lines of \u00abI shape God in my image and ther\u00adeby gain respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty\u00bb or rather \u00abI am the image of God and ther\u00adeby take responsibility\u00bb?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"