In His Image
In The Beginning... • Sermon • Submitted
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So far, we have learned of the importance of a good foundation, and what it looks like when a family is built upon godlessness. How God in is power and knowledge created the world in 6 days. How He formed man and helped him to understand his need for a help meet and then God provided Eve to be his wife. We have discussed the Fall and how Sin came into the world and for the first time, His creation knew Shame, Guilt, Fear… The we looked at the fruits of sin as Cain slew his brother Abel, and upon that foundation Cains family was built. They focused on wordiness rather than turning to God in repentance, which of course culminated in Lamech’s murder of another, and pridefully comparing himself to Cain. Than we get a glimpse of hope. We read at the end of Chapter 4 that God have another Son to Adam and Eve and his name would be called Seth. Seth would have a son called Enos and “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord”.
This evening we come to Chapter 5. This is the genealogy of Adam through His son Seth. This Genealogy stands in contrast to the pervious one in Chapter 4. Where Cain’s Line seamed to drift further and further away from God, As Chapter 5 show us Seth’s line maintained a relationship with God.
Before I begin tonight, I would like to answer a question that I have been asked in the past.
Why study genealogies?
Many times when we come to them in our bible reading we kind of skim past them to get to the good stuff. Really, what does it matter to know who begat whom?
In genealogies we find a thread of Grace and Redemption leading to Christ.
As we read the genealogy here in chapter 5, we are confronted with a man who walked with God and another who would be called to preserve life in the midst of Judgement. Then as time marches on, we are led to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as God begins to prepare a people that He would use as a witness for Him in the world. Jacobs name is changed to Israel and his sons provide the foundation of the 12 tribes that would make up God’s Chosen People. Then on to David, a man after God’s own heart whose throne would be established and then on to Jesus Christ himself who would be the culmination of God’s Grace and redemption as He dies on the cross for our sin, taking our penalty upon himself, then 3 days later raises from the dead, that you and I can know that we serve a risen savior and know that He was and Is victorious over Sin Death and the Grave.
Genealogies builds upon a foundation of faith.
Another reason, is that these genealogies builds upon a foundation of faith. To be able to trace the Line of Christ back to Adam helps us to realize God’s plan throughout the ages. It helps us to answer questions from a searching world about the continuity of Scripture. Have you have been asked…If all but Noah and his small family died in the flood, who does anyone know what happened in the those first 2000 years After all, Noah himself was born over 1000 years after Adam so how would Noah have known for sure. They teach that these “stories” were passed down over generations, and surely they were embellished and full of folk-lore. Of course the Holy Spirit led Moses to write the Genesis account of creation so that he would know exactly what happened (Read ). But also remember that we are called to be a witness to a lost world that does not know the Spirit and many of them discount His very existence.
Show Graph.
These Genealogies help us to see and timeline of the people who preceded Noah and we find that Noah was born only 126 years after Adam Died. And Noah’s Father, Lamech was 56 years old when Adam died. So for 56 years, Lamech would hear Adam’s first hand account of all that happened in the Garden of Eden. He would hear stories of How Adam used to walk in the Garden in the Cool of the Day with God. Of how God made Eve described their life together in the Garden before the Fall. And then the account of the Serpent, and falling into temptation and how far the human race had come over the years.
But genealogies are much more than just academic. Let’s take the remaining time together tonight and begin to look at and how a Godly foundation can influence others for Generations to come.
Seth - Hope Restored
Seth - Hope Restored
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
Genesis 5:1-
Look at the similarities between verse 1 and verse 3. In Verse 1, Adam is created after the likess of God. In , we learn that God greated man in His Image. In Verse 3, Seth is begotten in the likeness and image of Adam. Both of these worlds describe a something different.
To be in the likeness of someone means to be a physical representation.
In other words, according to this verse Adam “Looked” like God and Seth “looked” like Adam. To this day, the very second that a baby is born, everyone begins to start saying what similarities they have to the mom and the dad. He has Mom’s Eyes, He has Dad’s nose. Honestly, I don’t think you can know any of that until the features of the baby begin to grow and mature. But soon the child begins to manifest the similarities between themselves and their parents, and sometimes it is very apparent that they look like one or the other. That is what it means to be in the “likeness” of someone.
To be in the image of someone means to have the nature of that person.
To be in the image of someone goes a little deeper. This is more than just physical likeness, but goes down the inward person. The attitude or nature of a person is included in this. We here it today in phrases like “You act just like your mom” or “He gets that from his father”. While our likeness to someone comes about automatically, sometimes when we would be “in the image” of someone it is through “imitation”. We imitate those who we spend a-lot of time with. We imitate someone who possesses an attribute that we like and want in our lives.
So we could say, Adam looked and acted like God! Then when Seth comes along, Seth looked and acted like Adam.
When Adam and Eve named their new son Seth they chose a name that would explain the restoration that God had given them.
Seth’s name means Appointed and Compensation
They had seen the heart break and pain that came from sin and here in Seth they saw a way forward.
Through him the Lord would grow a line of believers who would be an example to all who followed. As Seth grew and became more like the God of his Father he would provide a framework of faith.
In Seth Hope was Restored in the Promises of God
You see Seth’s Birth restored the Hope that Adam and Eve had in God’s Promises. In him was revival. God would provide a savior, Adam and Eve would see redemption through the line of Seth. God is faithful, he keeps his Word. He “Payed out HIs promise of a redeemer by appointing them another Child”
Application: While there is nothing we can do (short of surgery) to alter our physical likeness to someone. We should live a life that practices the imitation of Christ so that we can be more in His image.
19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Just as Adam was made in the image of God, and Seth was begotten in the image of Adam, we are to strive to be in the Image of Christ.
Read
The Term Christians was originally a derogatory remark. They were making fun of those who followed the christian faith by calling them “Little Christs”. What did they see that led them to be described this way?
The Term Christians was originally a derogatory remark. They were making fun of those who followed the christian faith by calling them “Little Christs”. What did they see that led them to be described this way?
They gave followers of Christ the nickname of Christian (Little Christs) because...
They Heard God’s Word vs. 19-20
notice that there were some that preached to the Jews, but then some when further to Cyprus and Cyrene and began to preach the word to the Greek gentiles.
Charles Spurgeon, who, in speaking to his students about expository preaching, told them to preach the text as the text and, as soon as possible, you make a beeline to the cross and show its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Just as in Seth the Faith of Adam and Eve were restored and Hope lived, It is in the Preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Death Burial and Resurrection that we can see this Hope realized!
They saw God’s Hand. vs 21
They saw God’s Hand. vs 21
They witnessed God’s work in His people. They saw how God’s people depended on them. They saw these people going against the grain and the culture of their day and instead of looking to the world for their satisfaction, They looked to Christ knowing that in him would they find fulfillment.
If you just get the big things straightened out, you will have what you need in the little things. What everyone in the world is obsessed with, God makes a distant second. He’ll give you what you need to live on if you need Him in order to live.
David Powlison
In our original Text in Genesis, God’s Hand had provided for them. As I said, we study genealogies because in them we find that thread of grace that moved through the ages from Adam to Seth to Noah to Abraham....on and on until it reaches the end and provider of the Hope and Grace that is within us. Jesus.
They saw God’s Grace . vs 23
They saw a group of people who were recipients of the Grace of God. Grace manifests itself in our lives as we trust him regardless of the circumstances.
Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
And Here we find what we all so desperate need, but none of us deserve. Adam and Eve did not deserve a replacement for Abel, a source where God would keep his promises, but He is faithful! All through scripture we read of recipients of God’s Grace, when they deserved Judgment. And when God began to transform men and women in the town called Antioch, His grace was evident.
Declaring the Word, Depending on the Father, Living out the Grace and Love of God: Aren’t these all aspects of The life of Christ? They were called “Christians” because the people had heard about what Christ had done and how he had lived during his earthly ministry, and they looked at these people and saw the same things. They were imitating Christ - So they called them “Little Christs” which though at first it as to ridicule them, but soon became a badge of honor. Honestly, one of the best compliments you could ever receive is for someone (especially someone who is lost) to compare you to Jesus!
Just as Adam and Eve looked forward to Hope in God’s Promise through Seth, we can look to the culmination to that hope in Christ and find the Grace of God!
Enoch - The Faithful
Name Means Dedicated
Noah - The Follower
Name Means to be in Motion