Highest Valued of all Creation – Us!

Introduction Who we are in Christ Knowing who the Father is God is love The love of the Father Man Education Even though we are of highest value to God of all his creation we do not value God highest as you are Earth Possessions

A. Highest Value of all Creation (Gen 1:26-31) 1. Let us make man in our image according to our likeness 2. Let man have dominion over all the earth (v. 26) Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

3. Man- Adam, the proper name is used 20 times in O.T. and the use for mankind is five hundred times. a. Adam in its general sense has nothing to do with humanness (Num 31:35 Adam refers exclusively for women A. Highest Value of all Creation (Gen 1:26-31)

4. God created man (Adam) in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. A. Highest Value of all Creation (Gen 1:26-31)

B. How much more valuable are you then? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a. Jesus was encouraging his disciples to not worry about those who can kill the body only, but the One who has the power to cast into Hell (fear Hell!!) (Luke12:4,5)

(Luke12:4,5) 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

b. Jesus reminds the disciples that God remembers everything, even the sparrows and then emphasizes we are of more value than sparrows (Luke 12: 6,7) 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

B. How much more valuable are you then? Being rich toward God; Our Highest Value!! a. Be careful of covetousness, your life does not consist of things that you possess (Luke 12:15) Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

2. Being rich toward God; Our Highest Value!! b. Be careful with your soul and the things you think will gratify your life (Luke 12:19,20) 1 9 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 1) Soul - GK psuche: soul, life, mind, heart in this context; life a living being

2. Being rich toward God; Our Highest Value!! c. Be careful to be rich towards God (Luke 12:21) “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

C. Therefore don’t worry about your life, you are more valuable than Consider the ravens; Jesus chooses an example of an unclean bird and a bird of prey, to express His care for the lesser and emphasize how much more He cares for the greater, Us, His prized possession! (Luke 12:24) Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

C. Therefore don’t worry about your life, you are more valuable than Worrying can’t add one second to our lives or provide food or clothes (Luke 12:25,26) 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

a) how much-GK – posos: how much; how extensive b) more- GK – mallon: more; to a greater degree; by far; even more c) value- GK- diaphero: be better; be of more value; be worth more than; be superior; be excellent 3. How much more valuable are you?

c) value 1) to be of considerable value 2) to be valuable 3) to have worth

D. Seek the Kingdom and all these things shall be added to you (Jesus reaches the climax of His arguments with two clear alternatives) 1. A life of worry and sustenance - seeking 2. A life of kingdom – seeking and the peace that it brings 3. It is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom

a. The kingdom of God... 1) The only thing that brings true satisfaction to our lives 2) The only thing that cannot be taken away from us 3) The only place our investment is guaranteed from theft or decay and God’s promises will never fail

E. Life Application - What I want us to know, value, and do 1. Know- How valuable we are to God and to know how much God values us more than anything else in all his creation 2. Value- How special we are, being created in the very image of God in his likeness 3. Do- Seek first the Kingdom of God, commit ourselves to Jesus’ leadership and his word and value others as highly as God does