Big Idea

God created the church to image himself in the world.

Scripture

Genesis 1:26-28, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Opening Questions

1. How have you been able to B.L.E.S.S. someone recently?
2. Who looks the most like you in your family? Or, who do you know that totally “gets” you? Explain.

Throughout this series, we’re using the following definition of Church: A community of people on mission together where Jesus is King. Today we’ll discuss how God wants the Church to reflect his image in the world around us. Let’s look at our passages for today.

Bible Discussion

3. Read Genesis 1:26-28. The text says God made human beings in his image. In the ancient world, an image of a god was thought to carry the essence of the god and accomplish that god’s work. So in Genesis, we read that God made humans to accomplish his work in the world. Old Testament scholar John Goldingay puts it this way: “Human beings are the kind of entity God would be if God were earthly. God could hardly have become a horse; horses were not made in God’s image. Human beings were made God-like, so it was not so unnatural for God to become a human being.” What do you think about the idea of humans being created to accomplish the work of God?
4. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann helps with the idea of being created in the image of God by saying, “The human creature attests to the “Godness” of God by exercising freedom with and authority over all the other creatures entrusted to its care. The image of God in the human person is a mandate of power and responsibility.” In light of this statement, what are the ways humans exercise power, responsibility, and authority over all creation?
5. Brueggemann points out an essential element in the text that “…humankind is a community, male and female. And none is the full image of God alone. Only in the community of humankind is God reflected. According to this bold affirmation, God is not mirrored as an individual but as a community.” How is this point relevant to the central question in this series, “Why Church?

Life Application

6. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-21, 27. Each of us has a part to play in the body of Christ. As you reflect on your skills, gifts, and experiences, what do you have to offer the body of Christ? You might take this assessment and talk about your results: https://giftstest.com/
7. What difference would it make in the life of the church and the world if we all played a role in the body of Christ?
8. How satisfied are you with how you engage with others and the world with your gifts and experiences?
9. How might you grow or develop in the way you serve others?