"God's Special Conference"

GENESIS 1:26-27

“God’s Special Conference”

By: Rev. Kenneth Emerson Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church, Newport News, VA

Sitting in her car--on a dark road just outside of town a young high school girl looks at her life.

This is what she sees:

“I am overweight.”

“I have no friends.”

“My future holds no promise.”

She thinks: “It’s no use-there is no hope.”

A middle aged executive sits alone in a motel room--a day of meetings just completed.

“The kids are all gone.”

“My wife doesn’t seem to care for me or love me anymore.”

“My job is a dead-end.”

A housewife sits at home, alone. As she sits there, she looks at her life:

“My husband has his job.”

“The kids are all in school.”

“I am so alone.”

Then she pours herself another drink.

...And so it goes.

Everyday, we hear about it--people are checking out on life.

Children are running away from home.

Someone is comitting suicide.

There is alcholism, drug addiction, and depression.

And while all this is going on, we need to ask ourselves; Why?

Why are people checking out on life?

The answer to that question is as varied as the people themselves....

However, if we were to analyze the answers, there would be one thing that all these people would have in

common.

Most of these people have found that their lives, or at least an important aspect of their lives is

meaningless-- it is empty-- it is unfulfilling.

It’s as if there is a dark hole that they are living in, and they can’t get out.

And this is a feeling that many of us can relate to.

In fact, there may be somebody here this morning who feels this way.

They understand the idea of emptiness, meaninglessness, and being unfulfilled.

Now, it may not be your entire life, it could just be a very important area of your life.

Well, let me tell you something this morning....no don’t let me tell you....let the Word of God tell you

that there is hope.

Your life does have meaning.

Your life can be fulfilling....

Because you were created in the image of God!!!

In just a few weeks Walter, Jeanne and myself will be attending the Virginia Annual Conference of The

United Methodist Church in Roanoke.

Lots of decisions concerning the future of God’s Church will be prayerfully considered...

Lots of decisions that concern you and me.

And we find in our Old Testament Lesson that long, long ago God Himself held a very special conference,

a divine counsel which majorly concerns you and me.

Notice in verse 26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness....”

This is plural. He doesn’t say: “Let me create man in my image.”

He says, “Our image.”

And why is this?

To show the great dignity and honor that we all possess.

We have been given the great privilege of being created by the full Godhead.

Our creation was so special--we are the very crown and glory of creation--that God called a very special

conference to discuss the matter, a divine counsel that involved...

God the Father.

God the Son.

And God the Holy Spirit.

All three Persons of the Trinity consulted and became personally involved in our creation.

And if we meditate on this glorious truth, our hearts should throb with excitement!

But do they?

Human life is so very precious, and yet when we turn on the news or open the newspaper...

it becomes immediately apparent that many of us do not understand this or believe this.

In verse 27 we read: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and

female he created them.”

So what does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God?

And how does this relate to our value as persons?

There are painful realities in this world...

In this Fallen world that are aimed at crushing the ultimate truth about our unique value.

After suffering rejection from her peers at school and from her parents at home a young girl once wrote:

“This experience of rejection made me think that there was no God, because in moments of rejection I feel I am no

good. And if I am no good, how can there be any God?

Am I not made in the image and likeness of God?”

Thankfully, our value and dignity as human beings is not based on our actions or by the judgements others

make about us.

Our value or dignity is solely based on God’s love for us!

And that love is great....

That love is beyond measure!!!

As a matter of fact, that love is so great that even after the Fall of humankind---God--- completely out of