Handout...
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RECAP:
We become like what we worship (Psalm 115:8)
The trouble is, our minds are endless factories of idols (John Calvin)
Understanding the living God is the very stuff of life (John 17:3; 2 Peter 1:2-3)
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Everyone has a god – we all look to sources of meaning / protection / satisfaction
The question is not: Do you believe in God? The question is: "Which God do you believe in?"
It’s a god eat god world out there and it’s every god for himself!
So which God do we believe in? That’s our topic for tonight...
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THOUGHT EXPERIMENT:
When you imagine God what do you picture?
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When you imagine Jesus, what do you picture?
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When God imagines you, what does He picture?
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Colossians 1:15-23
When you imagine God what do you picture?
Verse 15 – He’s invisible.
Verse 21 – We’ve been alienated
But He does have an Image!
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We think “God” is obvious, we’re uncertain of Jesus.
In the Bible it’s the other way around: God is unknown unless Jesus reveals Him.
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Tom Torrance: The biggest question soldiers asked: “Is God really like Jesus?”
Lord Byron: “If God isn’t like Jesus, He ought to be.”
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When you imagine Jesus, what do you picture?
Verses 15-20 – the Cosmic Christ!
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Sometimes people think of Christ alone as narrow, is it narrow?
It’s only as narrow as Christ is. And He is vast!
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When God imagines you, what does He picture?
We imagine a dimmer switch. Actually it’s on or off...
OFF: v21 – alienated, enemy, evil
ON: v22 – holy, without blemish, free from accusation.
Verse 23: Keep returning to verse 22!!
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SUMMARY: Jesus is God-sized. God is Jesus-shaped. Every day we need to re-imagine God according to His true Image: Jesus! When we see who He is, then we understand our true position, loved by God, clothed in Christ, filled by His Spirit.
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