Shaped from Dust
Joshua LeBorious
You Asked For It • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 19:02
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· 10 viewsWe are reminded that God graciously bridges who we are to who we should be. We are encouraged to lean into what God is shaping us into.
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Reduced to What?
Reduced to What?
What do y’all see here? *Gesture to Bible* Come on, it’s definitely a trick question, but someone has to play along for us to move along. A Bible, yeah sure. But how else might you see them used? Maybe even in your house, is a copy of this book used solely as the Word of God given to us for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness? Or is it sometimes used as a paper weight? Maybe a dust collector? Maybe you have a nice copy that really adds to the decoration of a room? Maybe it’s great at holding up other books on a bookshelf? Maybe it’s something you cherry-pick verses from to try and win arguments? I’ve never seen it, but theoretically it could be used as a doorstop or to level a table or as an expensive pack of napkins. It could certainly serve each of those functions, but it shouldn’t. The Word of God that hopefully has a place in each of our homes isn’t just there as a heavy object or a decorative piece, it has a higher purpose. Using it for anything less seems disrespectful, it seems wrong.
What about the people in your life? The family and friends sitting around you? The neighbors, friends, co-workers, and others that aren’t here this morning? They’re beloved children of God that Jesus died for, yeah sure. But how else might you see them? Maybe they’re viewed as an obstacle or an enemy? Maybe a tool to get the promotion or advancement or connection you want? Maybe they’re there just to make you feel better about yourself or to give you someone to spend time with when you’re bored? Those people could certainly serve in those roles, but we shouldn’t look at them that way. Reducing them to that seems disrespectful, it seems wrong.
What about you? You are a beloved child of God that Jesus died for, yeah sure. But how else do you see yourself? When you look in the mirror, do you see your achievements and everything you’ve accomplished in life? Do you see the potential and the ability to do what you want to do? Or do you see someone who will never be good enough, someone who will never measure up, someone who will always be too weak, too small, too slow, too awkward? Do you see your own goals, your own failures, your own hopes, your own fears? There might be truth to some of those things, although we tend to be really bad at seeing ourselves honestly, but we shouldn’t look at ourselves like that. Reducing ourselves to that seems disrespectful, it seems wrong.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Rejected
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Rejected
I say that only looking at others as obstacles, enemies, or tools for our own goals, I say that looking at ourselves only as a sum of our achievements, potential, ability, shortcomings, or failures - both reduce us from what we should be. It seems wrong and disrespectful because it is. The Psalmist praised God for knitting him together in his mother’s womb, remarking how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Even before we were conceived, God had a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. He carefully shaped us - ever aspect of who we are. And what’s truly amazing is that He cares enough to do it all by hand. For the rest of creation, He simply spoke and it came into being but with Adam and Eve, God spent time in the dust on the ground to shape Him. It’s the difference between sending someone an e-gift card for their birthday and surprising them with a handmade gift that is absolutely perfect for them. We are made in the image of God, and while our sin distorts that image - sometimes beyond all recognition - that fact remains.
So when we look at the people around us, when we look at ourselves and fail to recognize that, we are disrespecting all of the care and effort that God has put into shaping each and every one of us. And beyond that, when we sin, when we do, say, or even think anything that goes against the will of God, we reduce that careful shape God has given to us and to our lives to nothing but dust and ashes. God creates us, gives us life, and when we sin against Him and against each other, we choose death and dust instead.
In God’s Image
In God’s Image
We deal with that reality every day of our lives, but Adam and Eve didn’t - not at first. All those years ago, God created the heavens and the earth. He expressed His will and the light, the oceans, the land, the plants, the animals, the fish, and the birds all sprang into being. He simply spoke, and the world began. That isn’t some allegory or parable or fable, that is the historical reality of how the world began.
And when it came time to create mankind, God didn’t speak. Instead, the God of all creation stepped into the world He had made. He found a patch of earth that was just right for what He intended to do. He knelt down and pulled up handfuls of dirt, one at a time, shaping them into arms and legs, eyes and a mouth, brain and heart - with more intricacy and care than we can possibly image. He stepped back, examining His perfect creation, this thing made in His image, before stepping forward and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. Adam was created, and soon after, God put Adam into a deep sleep and painlessly removed on of his ribs. From that rib, God made Eve as a helper and companion for Adam. They were perfect, so much so that it’s hard to imagine what their lives in the garden would’ve looked like. How different were they than us? Were they radiant and glowing from being in the presence of God so regularly? Did their bodies look different when they were untouched by any sin and brokenness? Were they the only humans ever to not have a belly button since they didn’t have human parents?
I don’t know, I mean, all of those things track logically, but I can’t tell you for sure. What I can tell you is that they were the example of what we were supposed to be, until they chose to violate God’s instruction, becoming the example for what we are - hopeless, broken, sinful people with no hope on our own.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap
I don’t know if you all noticed this, but a while back we started using two chalices up here for communion and one of them had a chip in the bottom. It wasn’t what it was originally supposed to be any more, instead it had an uneven, sharp, ugly crack on the bottom. Not too different from what we are when left on our own. But a few weeks ago, Gary took the chalice home and now you can see that it has been restored to what it should be.
In a similar way, when we look at others or ourselves as less than what God has shaped us to be, when we ignore the shaping the Holy Spirit tries to do in our lives and shape our thoughts, words, and actions - we are broken, we aren’t what God originally intended for us to be. But miraculously, God sent Jesus Christ to minister among us. He sent Jesus to suffer and die for our sins. And with Jesus’ resurrection, we are restored to what we should be. Jesus bridges the gap between what we are and what we should be.
How is God Shaping
How is God Shaping
A few weeks ago, I asked you to practice asking yourselves the question “what would Jesus have me do?” Some of you still have that as a background on your phones and that makes me really glad to see - I hope it helps. And today, I want to challenge you to make a similar question part of how you look at other people, how you look at yourself, and how you look back at things happening in your life.
When you look at others, ask “how do I see God still shaping them?” And I encourage you to share that with them, as it’s appropriate in the context of that relationship, share how you see the Holy Spirit working in and through their lives.
When you look at yourself, ask “how do I see God still shaping me?” And when you look back at the different things happening in your life, look for the different ways the Holy Spirit is working in and through your life.
Because the Holy Spirit is working. God took the care to shape us before we were even conceived, He has made us with a purpose, and He won’t leave our spiritual shape alone until we are what we need to be. Amen.