Power and Purpose

• Today is Ash Wednesday, which is a reminder: From

you came and to

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you will return. But it hasn’t always been this way.
• What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
• As image bearers of God, we should be looking to leverage

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to serve the least of these.
• Today, we want to look at power from the perspective of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.

Creation

• As image-bearers of the God who is Lord of all creation, we have been made to

His dominion, authority, and governance of all creation. We do not have the same scope of dominion individually, but collectively as we obey the command to be fruitful and multiply over all the earth, God has created us to wield power.
• The power God gives has been given for us to

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, cultivate, and create using the raw materials of His creation.

Fall

• Instead of reflecting the goodness and glory of God, we pursue advancing

. Our dominion over the earth turns into a quest to grow our strength, our reputation, our place on the earth.
• Genesis 11:1-9 >> Humans were hungry for their own

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.
• Lord Acton >> Absolute power corrupts absolutely
• The bloody history of

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proves that endless power, dominion, and glory is the pursuit of unrestrained, sinful human beings. From Genghis Khan to Alexander the Great to the Roman Empire to the extremely current example of Vladmir Putin – whose main goal in invading Ukraine is to establish his legacy by restoring the former glory of the USSR.
• When powerful people are in power they put

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in place to preserve that power.
• Is this really what God meant when He said “fill the earth and subdue it”?

Redemption/Restoration

• But when we consider the image of God redeemed and restored in Jesus Christ, we see the

of a human being wielding strength.
• Mark 10:42-45 | And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Philippians 2:3-8 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
ª From Gods perspective, this informs how we live and use our strength, authority, and gifts. It should not be for self-advancement, but

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for the least of these
• Matthew 5:5 | “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Meekness is strength harnessed for a purpose)
• James 2:1-4 | 1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

What does this mean for us?

• Putting others first
• Drawing near to those who are weak
• Tithing/Using your resources to bless others
• Pursuing justice
• Discovering your gifts and putting them to work to advance the Kingdom of God