Image Bearing

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Image Bearing

• Art
• Music
• Literature
• Sports
• Technology
• Culture
• Community Church and Family

2
Kingdom Living

• Unity and Guidance in Decision-Making

3
1 Peter 29-12

• 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal
  priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to
  God, that you may declare the praises of him who
  called you out of darkness into his wonderful
  light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now
  you are the people of God once you had not
  received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

4
1 Peter 29-12

• 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and
  strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful
  desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live
  such good lives among the pagans that, though
  they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your
  good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits
  us.

5
John 1723b

• May they be brought to complete unity to let the
  world know that you sent me and have loved them
  even as you have loved me. NIV

6
Colossians 118

• And he is the head of the body, the church he is
  the beginning and the firstborn from among the
  dead, so that in everything he might have the
  supremacy.
• NIV

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Decision Making in the Body

• Christ is our head.
• His will is very important. Our preferences and
  desires are not so important.
• Gods glory is very important. Seeking our own
  glory is sin.

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Ephesians 41-3

• 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to
  live a life worthy of the calling you have
  received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle be
  patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make
  every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
  through the bond of peace. NIV

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Premises for Making Decisions

• A people intended to bring God glory
• Intentional Unity
• A body
• Christ is the head of the body

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Because Christ is our King

• Decisions are not based on
• Human wisdom or ambition
• Compromise
• Exercising power (not even by voting)
• Politics of any kind
• Winning and losing

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Decision Making in the Body

• Build and Maintain Unity (in Christ)
• Love and Humility We lay down our good for
  the greater good of Christ and others.
• Scripture is authoritative
• Gods purpose under Christs leadership should
  prevail
• Glory to God is the result of good decisions

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Ingredients to Unity in Christ

• Community / Fellowship (Romans 124-5)
• Sacrifice / Renewed Mind (Romans 121-2)
• Prayer (John 155)
• Listening / Guidance (Proverbs 35-6, Psalm
  7323-24)
• Discernment and Wisdom (Romans 121-2)
• Act for Gods Glory (1 Peter 29-12)
• Love / Humility / Encouragement (John 1334-35,
  Philippians 23-4)

13
Romans 121-2

• Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods
  mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
  holy and pleasing to Godthis is your spiritual
  act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the
  pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
  renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
  test and approve what Gods will ishis good,
  pleasing and perfect will. NIV

14
Romans 124-5

• Just as each of us has one body with many
  members, and these members do not all have the
  same function, so in Christ we who are many form
  one body, and each member belongs to all the
  others.
• NIV

15
John 155

• I am the vine you are the branches. If a man
  remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
  fruit apart from me you can do nothing.
• NIV

16
Proverbs 35-6

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart
• and lean not on your own understanding
• in all your ways acknowledge him,
• and he will make your paths straight.
• NIV

17
Psalm 7323-24

• 23 Yet I am always with you
• you hold me by my right hand.
• 24 You guide me with your counsel,
• and afterward you will take me into glory.
• NIV

18
John 1334-35

• A new command I give you Love one another. As I
  have loved you, so you must love one another. By
  this all men will know that you are my disciples,
  if you love one another.
• NIV

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Philippians 23-4

• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
  conceit, but in humility consider others better
  than yourselves. Each of you should look not only
  to your own interests, but also to the interests
  of others.
• NIV

20
Philippians 25-11

• 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of
  Christ Jesus
• 6 Who, being in very nature?? God, did not
  consider equality with God something to be
  grasped,
• 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very
  nature?? of a servant, being made in human
  likeness.

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Philippians 25-11

• 8 And being found in appearance as a man,
• he humbled himself
• and became obedient to death
• even death on a cross!

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Philippians 25-11

• 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
• and gave him the name that is above every name,
• 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should
  bow,
• in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
• 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
• Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
• NIV