June 21, 2020 | Renaissance Church of Christ

for all my enemies and I know that Satan's in there somewhere sitting in the crowd so hear my prayer Lord hear my battle cry [Music] this intercession when when I'm your Airways No when [Music] Oh [Music] I stand in need of your help so when I bow down meet me there I'm not just praying for self my bread for this intercession with you yeah I feel like I've entered into hair when I wear your wigs I mean you praise God your prayers [Music] I [Music] this way and also [Music] [Music] we [Music] Oh I'm so thankful for this intercession with you I feel like gotta be returned into heaven when I'm in your presence [Music] Oh Lord I'm deadly don't I'm so unclean God and I'm so unworthy of your eating me Wow I'm just a sinner on the verge of dying tell me be righteous save me now I just need to touch your heel Jesus touch your head Jesus just touch your head I just need to touch her Jesus touch your head Jesus switch you're a man now be safe I'm reaching out to you my say I'm reaching out to you my Savior I'm reaching out to you my Savior I'm reaching out to you my Savior I just need to touch your Jesus your yes yes I just need to God [Music] I'm rich - you say [Music] rich energies and you my baby how much energy you we generate you do you say [Music] Oh [Music] yeah I'm reaching out to you [Music] [Music] [Music] don't but not for formal fashion but will never change the bag the goal is to be safe so by your amazing [Music] [Music] [Music] but open the floodgates are more please leave let it rain open all kind of like and we need your blessings our downs it shower shower your blessings upon me sir please dad we need to just open the floodgates opened your peace mercy every slave don't owners Oh [Music] please [Music] rain shower what's a shower your ballet sings down on please there please lady shower shower your blessings down on me please let it rain more please just let it said all open again he's sweet his sled oh oh oh oh I know there is joy William Albarn I know there is hope when you open the word is open the floodgates open please wear yeah please later daddy [Music] - let it rain let it rain [Music] good morning Renaissance livestream we want to say welcome we're so glad to have you with us we are so glad with it God has blessed us to be in this place and we're glad that you're in place wherever you might be this morning to hear another word from God we want to say thank you to all of you who continually tune in each Sunday live streaming with us and we greatly do appreciate it and we thank you so much for your support and of course we're your anticipation of another good message from dr. Orpheus J Heywood let's continue to pray for those who we know to be sick and shut-in amongst our congregation and as well as those who are experienced loss of loved ones and we want to continue to pray for this country in which we find ourselves living in we want to pray for harmony between the people of this country we want to pray for the leadership of this country as well as members of this church called the Renaissance we want to continue to encourage one another let's do what we can do reach out and touch and keep in contact one another before long we will be back in this place together let's continue to thank God for all that he's done as he blessed us in so many ways even in the midst of a pandemic and even in midst of trials and tribulations he's always had our back so we want to praise God this morning let us pray commercials our Father in Heaven we're truly thankful we've been blessed to be in this place we thank you for the blessings of life health and strength we thank you for your goodness and your grace in your mercy pray father you being our mist this morning as we come to worship you and spirited in truth we pray father did you bless the one who will come shortly breaking to us the bread of life we thank you for all that you've done continue to watch over us continue to bless this church called the Renaissance church that we might be the people of true people of a God that would be about our father's business we thank you again we ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord and Savior amen morning church family out there we're so glad to be in God's house no place better to be than God's house on this morning so if you will just worship with us at home and thank the Lord at this time thank you thank you [Music] [Music] [Music] are you they say my [Music] ooh yeah ah [Music] and started started on my way I stopped by to say thank you Jesus Lord whoa and thank you bow give me one more one more lord I thank you lord I thank you and I thank you I think you know yeah thank you Jesus oh thank you thank you lord oh yes lady I wanna thank you I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful show very deeply stay we don't see we get to ride no more but the master of the sea he heard by this very cried from the wall he lifted me now say and you know he loved lifting me my saviors love lives even oi [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I'm sorry love we're not be good help me nothing else could help his love know that it [Music] he means living below in this so sent forward whoa we are comfort can afford right ring Allah no to face temptation so ho tell me now where could I go but to the Lord whoa tell me now where could I go whoa where could I go when I'm seeking a refuge for my soul when I'm meeting a pretty Lord to save me and me whoa tell me now where could I go but to the law who neighbors our kind love him everyone don't you know that we get along with Drita with my soul who needs matter from a hotel be down where could I go to the local man tell me now where could I go where could I go when I'm seeking a refuge for my soul meeting a friend but to save me and begin or tell me now where could I go but to the Lord one more time will tell me where could I go could I go when I see King a refuge for my soul meeting a prince war to save me and begin Oh tell me now where could I go but to the low I need the old TV every I need be wobbly me now my Savior I - oh yeah [Music] oh I need me whoa bless me now my Savior I want me [Music] [Music] [Music] good morning Church good morning church we reached that portion of the worship service where we we now go to the Lord's table the scripture of reference is Matthew chapter 26 beginning at verse 26 and there's a lot of beauty in this scripture because there's many opportunities that Christ had to sit and have supper with the disciples but on this particular occasion he knew that this one had a special meaning and we gain that from reading starting at verse 26 he says now as they were eating Jesus took bread and after blessing it he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying drink of it all of you for this is my blood of the Covenant which is poured out for many for the giveness for the forgiveness of sins and I tell you that I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom he knew that this was a special moment and the beauty of this moment is that he also knew was what was to come and that he had the power to take on what they didn't yet but they yet not understood and we pray father that let's all go to our Heavenly Father at this time as we pray for the communion we thank you Father we can't thank you enough for the sacrifice that you've given us and for your willingness to die on the cross that we may have an opportunity to live father we thank you Father for this bread we thank you for this cup and we pray father that you'll bless us at this time that we'll focus on you and that will allow your word to come in and help us through this trying times we thank you and we ask it all that you name Amen your name is strain is baby's strong Tao was strong town makes me say makes me [Music] how is your day baby straight name is my name is a strong town makes me say [Music] nobody like you nobody like you nobody like you Lord you're the one true king my everything said all's there oh there's nobody like you nobody there's nobody like ya when I think about what I deserve it makes me say all that you will love somebody like me there's nobody like you there's nobody there's nobody like you lord [Music] I need you Lord said I really need you I really need times are hard we need your help we can't do it by ourselves it oh oh I need you I need you [Music] Michelle I really need your help said oh oh yeah oh I really love your Lord said I really blesses you teach me how you provide for me said all nobody knows what you did for me but I say I really love you I really love you lord I really oh there's nobody like you Lord Lord there's nobody there's nobody like you are see it again said nobody like you said oh there is no nobody there is nobody one more time lift up your voice and say oh oh yeah there is nobody there is nobody there is nobody like your Lord nor there's nobody find you long and Amen nobody like you Lord all right Church it's time to give if we were here at worship services we'll be standing up we'd be cheering we clapping because we know how much God has given us and just as the song just said there's nobody like you Lord you think about all the things that we may be thinking that's going on in the world right now that's tough and difficult he sustained us you ate this week you got up this morning you got good health some of y'all will even blessed enough to order some stuff from - wheat but this is an opportunity for us to be able to give back to the Lord as you can see on the screen you have various ways that you can give but we want to go to the Bible at this time it reads the 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verses 1 and 2 and it reads now concerning the collection for the Saints as I've directed the churches of Galatia so also do you on the first day of the week each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosperous so that there will be no gatherings when I come and at this time you have an opportunity cube as our brothers come back and sing praises to the Lord well sign me up [Music] my name my new husband Chase is the Lord has lifted me I wanna be ready when Jesus Oh sign me up sign me where for the Christian Jubilee well write my name Lord write my name on the roll well I've been changed so safe since the Lord has eluded me where I wanna be ready when she is [Music] when Jesus comes where the trumpet will sound loud when Jesus come well the dead in Christ shall arise I want to be standing standing there with a ticket in my head I wanna be wanna be ready for the Christian Christian Jubilee will the riding my name Lord write my name all the roads the Lord lift me and I wanna be ready when Jesus comes where trouble in my way I had to cry sometimes trouble in my way you have to cry sometimes I lay awake at night but that's alright yeah Jesus will fix it easily we'll fix it after why we're in trouble in history [Music] sometimes Jesus will be well for the Christian Jubilee well write my name right write my name the Lord and I wanna be I'm gonna be ready with Jesus hey man let's give thanks for the offering for the guy in heaven whistle thankful to you during this time where there's truly trouble in these streets father God we know that you are lord over the streets Lord of our lives and lord over everything and we just want to thank you in advance father for having it all in your hands and in your own way all under control all screw and your big picture of fixing things so that the world can line itself up and meet you when that time comes we thank you Father for this amazing place that you've given us to worship for all who've joins us this morning we thank you again for allowing us to give in Jesus name we pray amen amen we want to say good morning to everybody before we get started this morning as has continued to be the case for what I believe now is 12 13 14 weeks you have joined us Sunday after Sunday from various cities we continue to gather and even now as protests happen from city to city and as we gather from city to city and as people are emotional from state to state and our hearts are immersed from state to state I just want to remind y'all that our God is from state to state from city to city from heart to heart and as we've gathered this morning we just thank God in advance for that amazing word that he's already put in the mind and in the heart of our preacher we hope and pray that whatever emotion that you're going through right now because I know that I am I know that others are doing the same and you probably have been for some time we just pray that your emotions and your heart and your feelings meet God's Word this morning and make this marriage over give you peace and guys do time let's get ourselves ready for one more song before our mazing preacher number 45 to come the takeover is on the way Amy [Music] worship God [Music] I love you I love you I love you I came this morning to bring glory God [Music] we bring food we bring glory to God we will worship or yeah and we send words apart forever Lord we we are we we are we will worship our [Music] yeah we bring glory [Music] [Music] glory [Music] we get yes glory God we're going to God Oh Laurie and I [Music] you love [Music] you ever [Music] we're grateful to have each and every one of you this morning and thankful that you are online we're grateful that you have taken this time to be with us for our worship service and we recognize that today much like the biblical hot day in scripture this day has a double significance and the double significance of today is that it is the first day of the week it is the day where we celebrate that our Lord and Savior got up from the grave but it is also Father's Day and we recognize that on this morning we should be celebrating fathers in a very significant way for we recognize that our God made the father a part of the family dynamic into that in in as much as we celebrate the work of mothers we additionally on this day put emphasis in celebrating the work of our fathers and we're grateful for those who have taken the time to magnify God in functioning as effective fathers we're not talking about those who simply have participated in the creation of a baby but we are talking about those who have taken the time to father their children and to that end we are thanking God for every father on this morning now of course we recognize that had this not been the time of pandemic we know that every line would be short and we know that every line would every restaurant would have plenty of room on today as a matter of fact I guess Father's Day would feel much like the pandemic no traffic it would it would this I guess this is the normal field praise God but we are recognizing that God is a mighty good God and we know that you are celebrating fathers along with us and we're grateful to God for the reality that God made us a part of the family unit more than ever we want to take time to not only celebrate fathers generically but we would like to take the time to celebrate black fathers more than ever we want to thank God for african-american men who have taken the time to fulfill their god-given responsibility to raise their children and we are taking that time because we realized right now in the climate of this country it has become evident that in some sectors the black man is not valued and in some cases it has been so that a black father's life has been lost at the hands of police brutality or the abuse of authority and we take the time right now to say we're thanking God for every african-american father and what you mean to the family unit and I hope and pray that those of you who are in our online chat right now will will bid a Happy Father's Day not just to all men we celebrate that but I want you to bid a Happy Father's Day to black men even right now and put in our online chat happy Father's Day to our african-american men and we celebrate you we celebrate all that you go through we recognize that you endure through the process and we're celebrating how you have endured difficulty and we're taking the time to say thank God for the african-american man that don't mind going to work that doesn't mind providing for his family that has taken the time to protect his daughter and be an example for his son and who has taken the time to be a husband to his wife we're just thanking God for all of the african-american fathers on today and you ought to be congratulated you ought to be celebrated not so much just for being a father but being a father under these conditions it has been most arduous and so we thank God you on this morning I want you to turn with heed to the book of Genesis the chapter is one the book of Genesis and the chapter is one and I'm going to commence my reading in verse number 26 that is Genesis chapter 1 I'm going to invite you to a familiar passage here commencing at verse 26 and culminating this reading around verse number 28 and from here we will extrapolate from this context from the sacred Hebraic text and ensure that we give you a divine message on this morning that is Genesis chapter 1 beginning in verse number 26 and culminating that reading in verse number 28 and from here we will extrapolate for a few moments as we set the theological and proverbial table for this sermonic presentation Genesis chapter 1 beginning in verse number 26 then God said let us make man I want you to highlight this phrase in our image and I want you to highlight this next phrase according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth God created man in his own image and in the image of God he created him male and female he created them god blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth I want to live for a subject for a few moments take your rightful place take your rightful place I want you on this Father's Day give a word of encouragement to those who are living in this particular climate and what I mean by climate is not the temperature but I mean in the current climate of our country for the last few weeks we as a people we as a church have been standing against social injustice as it relates to the african-american the african-american constituency we have been doing our best to show our outrage and to manifest our anger without engaging in sin we have done the very best we can to express our disagreement and to express our heartfelt discouragement as it relates to the treatment of African Americans we've done our best to ensure that our voice is heard some of us have protested some of us have engaged in social social obedience and social disobedience and some of us have shown outrage in a variety of ways but I want to give a word of encouragement because if you're not careful you will allow Society and you will allow what is happening in this country to seep into your psyche as a definition of your value and I want to make sure that every african-american man and every african-american woman and every african-american father and every african-american son understands that your value and definition of self must come from God your definition of who you are your definition of self your definition of your value or your estimation of your value has to come from God himself in other words if you're not careful when you look at everything that's going on in the news and you look at everything that's going on in our society if you're not careful the longer you look at television and the more you look at the way we are treated and the more you look at how some define and describe the african-american if you're not careful you will allow yourself to be Mis defined and you will allow yourself to be falsely assessed in regards to your value I want you to know that your value and your definition of self has to come from Almighty God I cannot allow myself to be impacted in my psyche too somehow someway embrace the notion that I am less than a human being or to embrace the notion that I am less than any other race and if you are not careful and if you allow all of this to get in your heart you will find yourself living in despondency in discouragement and having a false sense of self because of what you're seeing go on in this country I'm worried about my young black males that as they watch this on television and as they watch this on social media some may be outraged while others might start to feel a sense of discouragement others might start to feel a sense of being devalued and I want you to know that regardless what we see and regardless of what's going on in this country your sense of value and your definition of self has to come from Almighty God and I need you to understand that's where we're going on this morning Who am I and how has God created me and I want you to know that your creation who you are has nothing to do with your skin color who you are has nothing to do with your ethnicity I need you to know your lineage and who you are goes back to the God of creation and I need you to know who you are as God made you and not as someone else assesses you and so if you're not careful as I'm looking at young man and young woman all across this country react in different ways I need to remind the child of God and I need to remind those who lived it who are not even children of God who may not be Christians I'm trying to help you understand that as a black man that mounts this pulpit I need you to know that like every other human being on this earth you were made in the image of Almighty God and I want to help you understand the significance of that so I want to study that phrase the image of God so when you're reading the book of Genesis the book of Genesis being the first book of the Bible could be understood as being the book of beginnings for the word Genesis itself means to begin it takes its name right from the first phrase of the biblical text and it says in the beginning God created Genesis so when we're reading the book of Genesis we are reading the unfolding of not just creation but the unfolding of God's scheme of redemption I have said many times as I teach the Bible whether in academic settings on whether I teach it at church I teach people that the Bible primarily is a redemptive book that means when I'm reading it I'm not just reading the book as it is a scientific book or a history book but I'm reading it as God unfolding his scheme of redemption within history and is important to approach the Bible from that perspective from the perspective of being a book that is unfolding God's divine plan interestingly enough when you read the book of Genesis you are reading God began with the first man Adam to develop into the Hebrew family that will eventually develop into the children of Israel and so as you're reading through the book of Genesis you begin to trace from the beginning of the book into the end of the book God forming a people now what the book of Genesis would have done for the Jew is he would read the book of Genesis as the early aspect of his history and how God developed the people from one man Adam into the next dominant patriarch Abraham Abraham being the dominant patriarch but which would be given the seed promise in your seed sell all nations of the earth be blessed and Abraham would have children such as Isaac and Jacob Jacob would have twelve sons one of them being named Judah and from Judah we would find from his lineage would come Boaz and from Boaz would come the trial obeyed him from Obed Jesse from Jesse David and you begin to see the outlining of what we call the seed promise and the seed promise is unfolded from the book of Genesis into the New Testament fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ now from Judah you will find that God will develop from the twelve sons one of them being Judah he will develop the twelve tribes of Israel and you would remember that as you go through the book of Genesis we find God giving historical perspectives on how he was working out his scheme of redemption as he was formulating the Hebrew family now that being the case um when you read the book of Genesis chapter one we are reading what is called the creation I'm not going to take the time to go through the several different perspectives of the creation order there are those who come up with various views about creation I take the more traditional conservative view in regards to the created order in which I believe God created the heavens and the earth in six days that is my position I believe some people believe the word day can refer to a period of time and they extend the creation order in two periods of time as opposed to leaving it within the context of how the Hebrew family would have understood time I don't want to make this sermon about that except to say that Genesis chapter one is the creation order now by the time you get to chapter two he then focuses in on the creation of man now when you read Genesis chapter one we get a provocative statement on the sixth day where God creates man he says let us make man in our own image and according to our likeness it is a powerful passage that I think every man needs to hear and as much as when God created humanity and in specificity man he makes him in His image now there's a lot of descriptions of God's people God's people are described as his children God's people are described as his house God's people are described as his temple God's people are described as his church but God's people but not only God's people Humanity is described in Genesis chapter 1 as being the image of God what does that mean and how shall we understand it because I'm about to show you in a few minutes that as an african-american man you like any other man must understand that you are the image of God that is Who I am by definition now whether or not a person accepts me to be that is not my issue and not my problem whether a person treats me that way is another discussion but I need you to know who are you who am i when it comes to God's definition of me Who am I when it comes to how God defines and describes me and the one thing you must never do never give anybody the power to define you because whoever defines you controls you so I refuse to give anybody the right to give me a definition of me other than God because if you define me I give you control over me if I accept your definition so Who am I I am on earth the image of God that's why well what does that mean the image of God let us make man in our image great teaching here in regards to the plurality of God that us make man in our image not I want to turn this into a discussion about the plural pronoun us many people many theologians debate whether or not the US here refers to angels or whether the US is talking about the heavenly host or whether the US is God speaking or giving us a preview of the Trinitarian theology I would venture to say when God says let us make man that is God speaking to himself now how the US plays out we find out when we get to New Testament revelation that the US that was involved with the creation of and is not the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit one God spoke to himself manifested in three personalities when one plates under consideration the entire canonicity of Scripture but that's not my sermon that US God speaking to himself make man now now we already made creeping things of the earth we've already made the Sun and the stars we have already made the lesser light and the dominant like we've we've already made the sea creatures we've we've already made the land creatures but but the crowning creation us I don't want to do something unique here we're gonna make him in our image now many people have debated what is the image of God and I'm speaking of all mankind right now but I'm really trying to encourage the black man that at the end of the day even if you to know what that meant it must mean something pretty special if the only aspects of God's creation man is called the image of God even angels are not called the image of God no of the creation is called the image of God only man is called the image of God that means when I walked this earth I walked the earth God's image when I walk in the Kruger I walk in the image of God walked in that place wherever I go wherever humanity goes wherever you go you walk in as the image of God now I don't care who does not like you I don't care who calls you out of your name I don't care who attempts to mistreat you I need you to understand who you are Who am I I am the image of God what is that now in my early days of studying Scripture when I would walk down the context of the Hebrew Scripture and try to understand the image of God many people have come to a variety of definitions some people say well the image of God is that we look like some people believe it's a physical description that I am made in the image of God and in some way form or fashion we are made in a way that resembles God's physicality my objection to that is I don't know what God looks like and I do know Jesus said God is spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit in truth and whenever God takes form he's taking on a form to manifest his presence so I'm not too sure that the image here has anything to do with physicality so I I personally do not take that posture well some people say the image of God has to do with the human beings ability to be rational that we have mental faculties we can think we can feel and the human existence has a sense of rationale and we have thinking capacity on a level that other creatures don't have it well if that's the image of God I'm not sure that's enough because on some level even animals have a rationality what I mean by rationality is thinking capacity and certainly not on the level of a human being but that that would not be enough to suggest image of God or some people say well the image of God is rationality well I would suggest that there are people won't have mental deficiencies medically but that does not mean they're not the image of God so what I am suggesting is the image of God must be more than that it needs to be better defined I'm not too sure about this physicality position this rationality position or they are having mental capacity or mental faculty I think those things can be attributed to other aspects of creation if that's the case then I would say an angel is the image of God because even an angel has thinking capacity and has nationality yet we don't find scripture where an angel is the image of God so if an angel has rationality and thinking capacity but yet he's never described in Scripture as being the image of God then the image of God must be more than just having rationality because an angel is not that what I believe is that the word image means to be in the resemblance of or in the likeness of to be in the image of God is to resemble God in some way and then it is qualified by the B Clause of that pet where says in our own likeness now the Hebrew preposition in our likeness the word in in the Hebrew preposition has a variety of semantic ranges it could be translated as our likeness so we are made in the image of God or does as and we will make man in our image as the likeness as our likeness well what does that mean brother Heywood so far I'm still not clear the image of God anytime you find a phrase in scripture that doesn't exactly seem to have definitive definition in the phrase itself you then have to define the phrase in light of the rest of the context so context has to help me get definition right so well what's the image of God then the next phrase or within the contest he says and let them have dominion now I'm starting to understand in what way I resemble God though the way in which I resemble God has something to do with how I function on the earth oh come here let me talk to you when people make idol gods the idol God is a physical representation of what they think is an invisible God so they make an idol to represent what they can't see God said do not have no idols that you think resemble me have no idols before me right okay God said you don't need an idol or to make something that resembles me well I'm God all by myself however just like folk make an idol to represent what they believe to be in a invisible God God made us to be his representative that manifests everything God is on earth here's what I want you to understand we are God's representative watch it now that functions like God on earth how do you know because he says let man have dominion in other words man-wolf function like I function in heaven on earth I want you to get that in your spirit that when God made me and when God made you he made us to rule to be imposters of leadership to have dominion and to subdue the earth and that is his funky so the image of God is not a title the image of God is a description of how I should function because God made me made you make humanity to have dominion now I need you to get this in your spirit when you want the image of God God expects anybody that bears his image to be treated in such a way where their life is valued if you have God's image your life matters now when God made man he made man in His image and you better respect God's image now I'm going somewhere with this that when you see me and you ask me to step out of my car and my life has as much value as your life it has nothing to do with my skin now watch this I want y'all to turn your Bibles to Genesis 9 turn to Genesis 9 I want you to turn to Genesis 9 turn to Genesis chapter 9 turn to Genesis chapter 9 I want you to watch this turn to Genesis chapter 9 oh God turn to Genesis 9 and let me show you something I believe we're pulling it up on the screen Genesis chapter 9 and I need verse number well i'ma read Genesis 9 I want verse 5 and 6 is what I mean in Genesis chapter 9 verse 5 and 6 is what I want alright everybody turn your Bible turn your Bible they're getting ready for this I just said if I'm the image of God if I am the image of God then my life has value if I'm the image of God then my life has value y'all got it alright now watch this and God blessed Noah and said and said to his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth the fear of you and the turbo of you will be on every beasts and on every excuse me on earth and on every bird of the sky with everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish and the sea into them into your hand they are given every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you I give all to you and I gave the green plant only you shall not eat flesh it's life that is its blood solely I will require your lifeblood from every beast I will require it and from every man from every man's brother our cry the life whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be said for in the image of God he made man now look at what I just read whoever sheds man's blood by man that's the consequence his blood shall be said for in the image of God he made man what does that mean if you kill me unjustly and you take my life frivolously that God wants you to know in Scripture any man that bears my image his life matters so be careful about how you treat me be careful about judging me on the basis of my skin because when you shed man's blood whether that's a black man or any other kind of man I need you to know God said that man is my image and so my life has value and God said when you shut a man's blood then by man your life shall be taken and he says because he is the image of God so what I'm trying to tell focus it's all right to be outraged when a man's life is taken so right to be outraged when a person is found treating another person as if their life does not matter well brother Hayworth why are you upset because that man is the image of God so regardless of what you think about my ethnic background and regardless of you think about my lineage and regardless of what you think about my my ethnicity or my blackness or for that matter phosphorus whatever you feel about a Hispanic whatever you feel about a Caucasian whatever you feel about those who may be of Indian descent whatever you feel about those who are a Palestinian descent no matter what you what you think that person is the image of God and their life matters and certainly in this context in this historical framework the life of a black man matters well why you making a big deal out of that why should those who have a relationship with God make a big issue about that we ought to make an issue about it because every man is God's image that's why that's why we make an issue of it this is why I tell people all the time you know when you start speaking to me my paradigm is the Bible my paradigm description I'm not gonna argue with you from a carnal perspective I'm gonna argue with you from a divine perspective cuz I need you to understand why I believe all lives matter why I believe that a black man's life matters what what is my posture my posture comes from God he is the image of God George Floyd was the image of God that's what I believe I believe Breanna was the image of God that's what I believe I believe that when you see our Barry that's the image of God I don't care what you think about him and one of the things I can't stand is when people start making excuses about whose life well they start implying whether or not a life with it was okay to take a life or not by reaching back into some criminal activity or finding something in their plans or finding mistakes before that somehow gives the impression and implication that something was not valuable about their life I am taking the position that no matter what was in their past no matter what mistakes they made no matter if they're in the process of struggling with their life I am saying that man is the image of God that's a Bible posture to argue with me on that is but to argue with God and so I believe that God when he made man he made man in His image and he made him to function in rulership now let me say a word about that that means now I believe in the generic sense of humanity bears God's image but I believe there was there are scriptures where he gets a specific to remind men that they are the image of God and I just want to help a man out today I want to make sure I'm helping the fathers out I'm hoping men out generically that you God gets real specific about you being the image of God and the woman being the glory of the man she shares in the image but in a different way he he gets really specific in in certain context about the man being the image of God can I say that look at first Corinthians 11 first Corinthians 11 first Corinthians 11 I'm tracing theologically right now this raised the image of God first Corinthians chapter 11 and this is where there was a controversy within the Corinthian church about a woman whose head was not covered but I want you to see how he really argues for hierarchy and subjection but he reminds the man that he is the image of God I want to look at first Corinthians 11 and I'll begin my reading in verse 1 we won't deal with all of us in this context because I want to show you a provocative truth a declarative truth that we are the image of God and every man needs to remember that be imitators of me just as I also am of Christ now I praise you because you remember me and everything and hold firmly to the traditions just as I delivered them to you but I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man and the man is the head of a woman and God is the head of Christ every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head but every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head for she is one and the same as the woman whose head insane I wish I had time to deal with this custom that Paul gives within this context but don't have time for woman does not cover her head let her also have her hair cut off but if but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off her head shaving let her cover her head and it's worse for a man or not to have his head covered since he is the image and glory of God but the woman is the glory of men I went to this context not to get into the Corinthian controversy but to grab from this passage a declarative statement that the man is the image and the glory of God but the woman is the glory of the man I was setting up here this respectful hierarchy that I won't have time to deal with as he deals with the custom of the woman said being covered and the man's head being uncovered I don't have time to deal with all that I know as I read that some people like I wish he'd going to that part of it man that ain't what my sermon is about so I'm not going into that part of it but I did want to get from this context that a man is the image and the glory of God men and women generically are God's image but in specificity God demonstrates that's the way we find this is a man is God's image and a woman is the glory of the man and she comes from the man and they share in the universal image of God but man is specifically identified in this context as being the image of God what are you saying every man I'm saying know who you are I'm saying be clear about who you are that the minute you see the phrase image of God what needs to come to your mind as God made me to have dominion he made me to rule he made me to lead he made me to be productive do you know as soon as God made man and his whole image language he says none of these have did he say have Dominion but then he says multiply he says be fruitful and multiply now I understand that is a physical but God does not make a man in His image and not commissioned him to be productive man is made in the image of God and is to have dominion and to be productive now watch this oh I don't have time watch this if man is the image of God and he is and he is the function in Dominion to know he is made to lead then I need you to be mindful that I ought not exist or function beneath what God has made me to be God made me to be a ruler God made me to be a person who was productive and I need every man to understand no matter who tries to define you another way I need you to always be mindful you are the image of God and you've been made to have dominion I've been made to rule I've been made to be productive God never put me in a position for me to be unsuccessful whenever God puts me in the context God wants me to exercise my image he wants me to exercise my function as his image I am God's representative and I need every man to start taking pride in that I need our young men to understand this and I need you to get it clear in your mind you are the image of God but everybody's not going to treat you like that so I need you to be mindful that as the image of God I need you to have a mindset of excellence that while I'm on this earth I'm a function as a man of excellence then I'm gonna develop in excellence because I am in God's image I'm God's representative I need every young man to understand that I need every young man to understand why I believe in freedom of of expression I need you to know you are living in a world and in a cultural context where you better exercise excellence because there are folks who are looking for a reason to take your life there are folks looking for a reason to try to treat you as if you are less than what you really are and you need to make sure in whatever context you're in be excellent at who you are why should I be excellent dr. Heywood I should be because I am the image of God and if I am the image of God I walked in excellence because God does not put me anywhere where I should exercise Dominion but I am somebody God made me to lead God made me to be somebody and I refused to operate beneath what God has made me to me so you put me in a school system i'ma dominated put me in a classroom i'ma dominated put me in a context where I'm in a trade school imma dominated put me in a context where I'm in an athletic realm i'ma dominated you put me somewhere i'ma dominate why because I am the image of God I need young men to pick up their plans and learn how to operate in a culture that tries to hurt you here you got freedom of expression but you don't have time to waste and you don't have time to live beneath who you want I need you to be and whatever content you in be a person who dominates don't you think for one minute then I'm less intelligent than the person sitting next to me don't you think for one minute I can't succeed or Excel and whatever context I mean I refuse to let you look down on me I am more than what you see I'm God's image I need young men to take that seriously I need young men to walk in that excellence I need young men to know that there are some people who are already determined in their mind that you are destined to fail there are some people that have in their mind that you are less there are some people that have in their mind you ain't going nowhere because they have already characterized our ethnicity to be a group of people that are not productive I need you to understand that beyond your skin color you are the image of God and if you dad put me to the test I'm gonna succeed at this time because I am the image of God I need somebody to have that mindset and I know me you ain't go no no no you but you don't know who I am when you go for that job and you go for that occupation or you a just or you're trying to excel in a career I need you to walk in that room like you own that room because when you walked in God's representative walked in you better know who you are and understand your is goes back further then to the continent of Africa is more than just my skin color in my ethnicity my lineage goes back to the God who sits in heaven and when God made me he said I looked at him and that's my image and that's how I need you to see yourself that's all I need you to function and that's I need you to be so confident not arrogant I'm confident and I'm the image of God when you speak to me you're gonna speak to somebody that has intelligence because I'm gonna try to be excellent at whatever I do see here's what I'm saying so nobody's confused I want nobody be confused I'm saying be the best you you can be motivated by the fact that you are God's image that be the best you you can be motivated by the fact that I am God's image I will say that again be the best you you can be motivated by the fact that I am God's image and I'm not going to tolerate anyone treating me any less than God's image and that needs to be your mind as well let me do one more thing here and then we'll close this out I don't know how long I've been preaching but it's good however long that's been what I need you to know right now is Adam was made in the image of God Adam and Eve made he them and they would have function as representatives of God but sin came into their lives and for a moment in time they stood their feet can I can I cannot do a theological thing real quickie God never wanted anything to be well let me word it this way God designed you to have everything under your feet everything God wants everything under your feet but that means there's God made you to dominate God made you to have dominion God made you to rule and he wants everything under your feet but when man sinned then there was something that was no longer under his feet and tell you what was not under his feet death the moment Oh Haywood the moment you step out of God's funky and do something not consistent with the function God gave you you'll be surprised what's no longer under your feet you will let stuff control you and impact you that should be under your feet but the minute you step out of line with your function as God's image and you allow something to take place in your life that's outside of your image bearing self then you'll be surprised what no longer is under your feet when man sinned death was introduced and death became that thing that was now outside of man's control and now he's in God's image but not fully functioning in God's image because now there's something not under his feet it's called death now how do you know I want everybody 20 Hebrews 2 and I'm done Hebrews 2 and I want you to get me verse 5 Hebrews 2 verse 5 sometime this preaching gets so good it just gets so good so good I want you to look at Hebrews 2 and I'm gonna look look look at verse 5 watch this watch this watch this watch this hmm for he did not subject to the Angels the world to come the world to come here is the New Testament age concerning which we are speaking for one has testified somewhere saying he's gonna quote Psalms 8 what is man that you remember him or the Son of man that you are concerned about him watch this you have made him for a little while lower than the Angels he's quoting psalm zing you have crowned him with glory and in honor when God made man he crowned him with glory and with honor y'all got that so when God made man in the garden you know what he gave him glory and honor why because he functions as one who dominates he has dominion and you crowned with glory and honor next verse next verse and have appointed him over the works of your hands next verse you have put all things in subjection under his justice you put all things in subjection under his feet when God made man in the garden God made him with honor glory he function in God's image he had dominion everything was under his feet that's verse Russia he bridle for subjecting all things to him that's verse he left nothing that is not subject to him but now we do not yet see all things subjected to him wait a minute when God made me we don't see everything under his feet right now well what don't we see under his feet dad what's this but now we do not see all things subjected to him that's verse but we do see him him as Jesus who was made for a little while lower than the Angels namely Jesus because of the suffering of death Brown with glory and honor what's this so that by grace he might flip for by the grace of God he might taste death for every man breathe or rather next verse for it was fitting for him for whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory wait a minute God made man for everything to be under his feet he brought I said but you don't see everything on his feet what's not under speed damn so what did Jesus do Jesus came down and became lower than the Angels another way of saying that is he became me watch this he did it for the suffering of death he was crowned with glory and honor and what did Jesus do he tasted death for every man what you're doing Jesus I'm trying to get death under your feet because when you left your image function some stuff got out of your control listen now I'm gonna make this real practical for you men fathers operating your image function as God would function on earth because if you ever leave your image you'll be surprised what will no longer be under your feet function as God's representatives on earth and wherever context God places you if you are a father be a father that bears God's image be a protector of your family be a provider of your family be an erisa of your family and right now every woman on the face of this planet that has watched a father be that image-bearer you ought to thank God for that man you ought to thank God that he's walked in the image of God in that family that he's been a provider that he's that he's been an image-bearer of God a representative of God on earth thank God for that man who protected his daughter thank God for that man who was an example to his son thank God for that man who sleep long hours to make sure that the house was provided for somebody or to thank God for him his bearing man that was not afraid to walk it is God giving responsibility and I want to tell children if you're a daughter right now if your son right now you ought to hug your father you ought to thank God for what he's done you ought to thank God for what he's meant to you you ought to thank God for how he's provided and how he's nourished and how he has walked in the image of Almighty God thank God for that man and for who he is and praise the mighty name of God I'm praying that when my daughter looks at me she sees the image of God a representative of God on earth that he has been a God man black man don't let nobody define you differently you are the image of God just like every other man on the face of this earth I need you to be that father for all the father's right now I want you to know thank God for you thinking God to you because when my daughter sees me when your son sees you when your daughter sees you they ought to see that person we can run to that person that will be a shield in a shelter interesting ly enough as I was preparing for this sermon just a few moments ago I was back in the audio room with Wesley Allen and his wife Medea and I was playing with their don't it is interesting every time I come came near her daughter and I would say hey I would say something like hey what you doing she doesn't respond to me because I'm a stranger but the first reaction that she has was to look for her father and without words she starts inching away from me looking to hide behind her father's leg then I fear another time and I said hey what you doing she don't say nothing she just walks win but she don't just walk away she walks in a direction you know what she doing looking for her daddy and then when she finds her daddy then she looks at me as if to say what she gonna do now because in her daddy she found a protector and her daddy she found a provider so whenever somebody looks like they might be a friend she looks for her daddy I wish I had two or three folks that could shout Oh live stream right now and say I thank God for a daddy that I could run to who was a provider who was a protector who was an example I thank God for the father that the daughter can run to the son can exemplify I'm glad for an image bearing daddy that little girl's name is Jojo and may the Lord bless her cuz I think for the rest of her life she will always look for her daddy's leg and that's how it ought to be when you fulfill your god-given responsibility if you're here this morning and you want to be a child of God I ask you to do it by repenting of your sins confessing Christ and being baptized if you believe that he died was buried and resurrected then you're ready to be saved and I want you to make that known because will baptize you right now today if you make that known we'll make the arrangements and we'll be sure that we baptize you as soon as possible to make sure that you can have a union with Christ Jesus but I want to pray for every man I want to pray for every father but then I want to specifically pray for the african-american father because I believe we're living in a time for whatever reason well we are beginning to realize and see in vivid color the devaluing of the black life we've seen it throughout history and as someone said racism is not new it's just being filmed in other words everybody and their mothers got a smartphone and now what has been going on for some time is now being captured so I say to you god bless you and I want you to pray with me right now I want you to pray first this first prayer it's gonna be a prayer for every father every father every father Heavenly Father we thank you even right now we thank you for being a great God and we thank you for all that you do we thank you for all that you are we ask your God to bless every father who has decided the functions of responsibility we celebrate all of them today but O God we also thank you for the african-american father we're living in a time God where it seems to be necessary to remind the african-american male that he too was made in your image that he must recognize that regardless of who tries to devalue him you made him with value because he bears her image and God we asked you to help this country heal father help us not to be guilty of giving racism back to those who are racist toward us help us to find healing and find common ground where unity and reconciliation can be experienced father help us with those who have a disposition who may be those in the struggle with seeing people as they are depicted in media may help us to see that we are somebody beyond the color of our skin and we ask you Father to put a hedge of protection moving forward father around the black man help us to get out of this predicament and help us O God that as we move forward we will keep our trust in you for ultimately we know that you have a plan these and all blessings we ask in the Manchus name of Jesus amen we say god bless you and we say may God keep you we thank you for joining us this morning do not forget to make sure that you give this morning make sure that you hit the giving button so that it can lead you to the proper mechanism so that you can invest in the kingdom of God your investment is helping us to remain stable here at the Renaissance church is aiding us to be able to do ministry it's helping us to help other churches even right now we have begun a fun that's designed to help other churches they may have need and we're trying to develop that and so we're trying to help people who may have need this pandemic has impacted us on a variety of levels so thank you for your investment thank you for helping us to be stable and thank you for helping us help others because that's what Kingdom business is all about and so we thank you so make sure that you invest in the kingdom hit that button in the chat it should be located at the top or somewhere in that chat box or go to Renaissance COC comm and you will be led to give and to give in a way that is going to be plenteous for the kingdom of God so please we ask you to be a kingdom investor continue to be a kingdom investor and we were certainly appreciated I'm going to ask dr. Wilson to close us in prayer and we thank all of you for tuning in on today we are bow kind merciful Father in Heaven we're truly thankful for the gift of your word that was preached pray father that we might be the living examples of the image in which you have created us in pray father that you continue to watch over us bless us and keep us this we do a sin crisis tell me be righteous say me now I just need to touch your healing Jesus touch your Jesus just touch your head I just need to touch Jesus Jesus Church your hem now be safe I'm reaching out to you say I'm reaching out to you my Savior I'm reaching out to you my Savior I'm reaching out to you my Savior I just need to touch your Jesus your yes yes I just need Jesus I'm reaching up to you say [Music] original Tizen you may how its energy you we generate you know to you say [Music] Hey [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Official Renaissance Church of Christ

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Length: 108min 49sec (6529 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 21 2020