GOD'S PLAN FOR MEN AND GOD'S CHALLENGES TO MEN

District Convention Workshop

June 17, 2010

Rev. Don E. Peavy, Sr.

Devotion

• Scripture

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt. 5: 14-16 (NKJV)

Devotion Contd.

• Prayer.• Kirk Franklin and Family: “Lean on Me”

Objectives

• Explore God's Plan for Men• Understand and accept God's Challenges to Men• Commit ourselves individually and collectively to

submit to God's plan for our lives and our world.

What is God's Plan for Men?

• Before we can answer that question, we must first come to an understanding of who God is.

What Is Your View/Concept What Is Your View/Concept of God?of God?PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR IMAGE, IDEA, CONCEPT OF GOD -- THAT IS, WHO DO YOU SAY GOD IS? IS YOUR GOD LIKE SANTA CLAUS?

Who is God?

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Matthew Henry's Commentary

• Jehovah• Self-existent• Eternal, unchanging, the same yesterday,

today, and forever – the eternal now• Incomprehensible• Faithful; true to His promises• http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/

commentaries/Matthew-Henry/Exod/Name-Jehovah

God is Love

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

He said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.”

2 Chronicles 6:14 (NIV)

God is Merciful

As for God’s mercy, there can be no doubt about the mercy of God. As 1 John 3:1 states, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” And as Paul declares, “But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

God is Forgiving

No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)

God is Forgiving

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 1 John 2:12

God is Spirit

23 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24 (NIV)

POP QUIZ!!!

Name the eight attributes of God which help us to understand who God is.

You do not need to write them in the same order we discussed them.

SUMMARY

God is:• Self-existent• Eternal• Incomprehensible• Faithful• Love• Merciful

God is – Contd.

• Forgiving• Spirit

GOD'S PLAN FOR MEN

Imagio Dei

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (NKJV)

TWO QUESTIONS?

1. Why did God create the universe and humans?

2. What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God?

3. Question two will have to wait for another time and place because we cannot answer it without considering several theological constructs.

GROUP ACTIVITY

Courtesy:

Mission PolyvalenteWhy did God create?

Why Did God Create?

1. Because “God is love” love exists in relation to an object of affection – that is, love is not just a quality, it is a state of being. Love demands something or someone to love – like a magnet.

2. Because God is creator, God creates as an artist is an artist only in relation to the art created.

God's Plan for Man

Notice the three blessings:

1. Be fruitful

2. Multiply

3. Have dominion over the earth

Be Fruitful

To be fruitful means to be mature – to grow in stature, spirit, and moral development.

The beginning of this maturity is the foundation of marriage. Psalm 1:3

“You, therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt. 5:48

And Jess increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

Be Fruitful = Maturity

“A mature personality comes from the unity of mind and body centering on God.”

“A mature person manifests God's love.”

A mature person is perfect in heart and love and his/her heart, soul, and mind are focused on God.

Such a man manifests the image of God.

Multiply = Marriage

Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. Gen. 2:24

Duties for wives and husbands set forth in Eph. 5:22-25

To multiply means to have children who are also centered on God and who manifest the image of God.

Have Dominion

To rule over

But caution is needed here.

According to biblical experts, the Hebrew word used actually means to care for as a steward or trustee rather than as a ruler as we understand that term today.

“The earth is the Lord's and the fullnes thereof.” Ps. 24:1

The Three Blessings Were God's Original & Perfect PlanHowever the Fall caused a serious and deep

rupture in the relationship between God and humans, between humans and each other, and between humans and the earth.

Genesis 3: 14-19

Notice that the relationships are re-ordered and humans lose the blessing of having dominion over the earth.

Reference

Some of the information on the Three Blessings, Maturity, and Multiply is excerpted from the presentation by Bishop Jesse Edwards entitled, “Biblical Principles Revealed: The Hidden Truths and New Wine within the SCRIPTURES.”

Genesis 9: 1-3

1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

Altered States

Notice that this time the blessings are not given to the women but only Noah and his sons.

Notice also that the blessing to have dominion over the earth is not given.

Man may rule over his own household and wife but not the earth.

Natural Disasters Argue Against Man in Control

Summary

God's original plan for man was to be fruitful and to multiply and to have dominion over the earth.

As a result of the fall, man lost dominion over the earth.

God also had a plan for man to raise up a Godly family centered on God which would multiply a Godly offspring. Lost!

God's Challenges to Man

God has not given up on humans nor on man specificially.

God has set in motion a plan to redeem humanity and the earth as we see in Revelation.

Meanwhile, God challenges man to do certain things and to become certain things.

First Set of Challenges

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul …

Deuteronomy 10: 12 (NIV)

Second Set of Challenges

So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

Joel 2:13 (NKJV)

Third Set of Challenges

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6: 8 (NKJV)

Fourth Set of Challenges

“This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matt. 22: 38-40 (NKJV)

Fifth Set of Challenges

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” John 4: 5-6 (NIV)

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4: 23-24

Sixth Set of Challenges

“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt. 6: 32-34 NIV

Seventh Set of Challenges

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NIV)

Summary

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. Ecc. 12: 13-14

Reclaiming the Image & Likeness of GodEternal – 6th & 7th Sets of Challenges

Faithful – 1st Set

Love – 1st & 4th Sets

Merciful – 3d Set

Forgiving – 3d Set

Spirit – 5th Set

Children of God

“I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'

But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."

Psalms 82: 5-7 (NIV)

And What Happens If We Meet These Challenges?The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Wrap-Up

We have explored God's perfect plan for man and God's revised plan.

We have also looked at who God is and why God created the universe and humanity.

We have noted the challenges God has given to men.

Tomorrow, we will consider men's role in the church and what it means to stand for God.