Full transcript
0:00All right, y'all. Let's get into the
0:01word of God, okay?
0:04Genesis 1:26-31.
0:08This is the creation of man, okay?
0:10Entrusted, written by God, okay? And God
0:12said, "Let us make man in our image,
0:14after our likeness.
0:16And let them have dominion over the fish
0:18of the sea and over the fowl of the air
0:20and over the cattle and over all the
0:22earth and over every creeping thing that
0:24creepeth upon the earth. So, God created
0:26man in his own image, in the image of
0:29God he created he man. I'm sorry. In the
0:31image of God created he man. Male and
0:33female created he them.
0:36And God blessed them and God said unto
0:38them, "Be fruitful and multiply and
0:40replenish the earth and subdue it. And
0:43have dominion over the fish of the sea
0:45and over the fowl of the air and over
0:47every living thing that moveth upon the
0:49earth. And God said, "Behold, I have
0:52given you every herb bearing seed which
0:54is upon the face of all the earth and
0:56every tree in which is the fruit of a
0:58tree yielding seed. To you it should be
1:01for me.
1:02And to every beast of the earth and to
1:04every fowl of the air and to everything
1:06that creepeth upon the earth wherein
1:08there is life, I have given every green
1:11herb for meat and it was so." And God
1:13saw everything that he had made and
1:15behold, it was very
1:18good.
1:20And the evening and the morning were the
1:22sixth day. That's King James. Let me go
1:24to NLT.
1:26Let me go to NLT for a second, okay?
1:29Cuz that was King James. So, let me go
1:31to NLT, okay? Then God said, "Let us
1:33make human beings in our image to be
1:36like us.
1:39They will reign over they will reign,
1:41okay? Over the fish in the sea and the
1:43birds in the sky, the livestock, all of
1:45the wild animals on the earth and the
1:47small animals that scurry along the
1:49ground. So, God created human beings in
1:51his own image. In the image of God he
1:54created them. Male and female he created
1:57them. Then God blessed them and said,
1:59"Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the
2:01earth and govern it. Reign over the fish
2:03in the sea, the birds in the sky and all
2:05the animals that scurry along the
2:06ground." Then God said, "Look, I have
2:09given you every seed-bearing plant
2:11throughout the earth and all the fruit
2:13trees for your food. And I have given
2:15every green plant as food for all the
2:17wild animals, the birds in the sky and
2:19the small animals that scurry along the
2:21ground, everything that has life." And
2:24that is what happened. Then God looked
2:26over all he had made and he saw that it
2:29was very good.
2:31And evening passed and morning came,
2:33marking the sixth day. Now, let's talk
2:35for a minute before we even get into
2:37that, did y'all notice something
2:38different?
2:41Did y'all Did y'all notice something
2:43different?
2:46So, we're going to get to the us in the
2:49next study. In the next two studies.
2:50We're not going to talk about the us
2:51today cuz we've got something else, but
2:53we're going to get to that us cuz we're
2:54going to start talking about the
2:55Trinity. We've got some cross references
2:57with that.
2:58Exactly. There's something that he said.
3:00He said very good.
3:03God said, "Let Let me put some emphasis
3:06on this." He said, "Very
3:08good." He didn't say, "And it was good."
3:10He said that everywhere else in Genesis
3:14when he made the hydrological system,
3:16when he made the ecosystem, the animal
3:18kingdom, all of that, he said, "And it
3:21was good."
3:23When he made humans,
3:26he said he looked when he made humans to
3:29have dominion and authority and
3:32responsibility to govern
3:34his creation,
3:36he looked and said, "When I made humans,
3:39image bearers in my own image,
3:44when I put my capacities,
3:47my nature,
3:49my reasoning, not the exact,
3:53not the exact, okay? Not the exact,
3:55okay? Let me make sure I say that.
3:57But I put capacities in humans to bear,
4:01to carry,
4:03and I looked and said,
4:05"Out of all my creation, I created
4:08everything everything before the humans,
4:13and I trusted them with my creation.
4:17And I looked and I said,
4:20"This is very good."
4:22That's what God said. This is before sin
4:25entered.
4:26But he said, "This is very good." So,
4:28let's get ready to start highlighting
4:30and and things like that, but
4:32our point today, what we're going to be
4:33talking about,
4:35is how
4:37God reveals that
4:40humanity was created in God's likeness
4:45with the capacity and the authority to
4:47steward creation,
4:49to steward creation responsibly.
4:54God put certain capacities within the
4:56humans and he gave them dominion,
4:59authority,
5:00to steward creation not irresponsibly,
5:03but responsibly.
5:06He gave capacities for us to do things
5:08responsibly.
5:10God created everything before humans,
5:15and he did so with order, right? We saw
5:17that we've already acknowledged that God
5:18is a God of order. And what God did is
5:20he filled the earth with order first.
5:24Excuse me.
5:26With life and goodness,
5:28then he brought upon the humans, right?
5:31Okay, so, key terms that I want you all
5:33to write down first before we start
5:34highlighting and things like that.
5:36Key terms. Likeness
5:40is one of our terms.
5:42Likeness.
5:45Dominion.
5:47So, we have likeness is one term.
5:49Dominion.
5:51Mhm.
5:52Replenish. I know some of y'all are
5:54writing, so I'm going to say it slow,
5:55okay? Replenish.
5:59Subdue.
6:01Capacity.
6:04Those are going to be our key terms,
6:06okay?
6:08So, let's get into our scripture so we
6:10can get to highlight. Okay, so, verse 26
6:13first.
6:14Verse 26. My God, I love the Lord. Verse
6:1726. And he said, "Let us." I want you
6:21all to highlight us.
6:24We're going to come back to us, but I
6:25want y'all to highlight it now.
6:28To highlight us.
6:30And God said, "Let us make man
6:35in our image, after our likeness." I
6:37want y'all to highlight or underline in
6:40our image, after our likeness. I want
6:44y'all to just highlight that. That's so
6:45important. In our image, after our
6:49likeness.
6:51Highlight that.
6:53The verse continues, "And let them have
6:55dominion." I want y'all to highlight or
6:57underline or circle dominion.
7:00And let them have dominion over the fish
7:02of the sea and over the fowl of the air
7:05and over the cattle and over all the
7:07earth
7:08and over every creeping thing that
7:10creepeth upon the earth.
7:13And I want y'all to highlight over every
7:15creeping thing that creepeth upon the
7:17earth. And whatever your translation is,
7:19I'm sure you all can follow.
7:21Okay?
7:22Okay, keep going. Verse 27 says, "So,
7:25God created man in his own image."
7:28Highlight that.
7:30So, God created man in his own image.
7:32Let's keep reading. In the image of God
7:34created he him. Male and female created
7:37he them. I'm reading King James version.
7:40Verse 28 says, "And God blessed them."
7:43And God said unto them, "Be fruitful and
7:46multiply and replenish the earth." I
7:48want y'all to highlight replenish. We're
7:50really going to break that one down.
7:51And replenish the earth. I want y'all to
7:53highlight replenish.
7:55And subdue it. I want y'all to highlight
7:57subdue.
8:00And have dominion over the fish of the
8:01sea and over the fowl of the air and
8:03over every living thing that moveth upon
8:07the earth.
8:08Go down to verse 31.
8:11Go down to verse 31. Yes, these are
8:13recorded.
8:15And God saw everything that he made and
8:18behold, it was very
8:21good. I want you all to highlight and
8:24God saw everything that he made.
8:28And God saw everything that he had made
8:30and behold, it was very good. Highlight
8:32that. And underline very good.
8:36Y'all have that? So, replenish needs to
8:38be highlighted in verse 28.
8:41Subdue needs to be highlighted in verse
8:4428.
8:46God created man in his own image in
8:48verse 27.
8:50Highlight that.
8:52In verse 26,
8:54us, let us make man, us needs to be
8:56highlighted cuz that's going to be
8:57extremely important when we come back to
8:59it.
9:00In our image, after our likeness needs
9:02to be highlighted.
9:04Dominion needs to be highlighted or
9:06underlined, whatever you choose.
9:08Over every creeping thing that creepeth
9:10upon the earth, which is the last part
9:12of verse 26, okay?
9:15Let's talk about that first.
9:17Let's start off in verse 26. Y'all
9:19following me? We here?
9:20Hello to everybody that just joined in
9:22and I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge those
9:24who are new. I didn't acknowledge my
9:26OGs, but y'all know I love you. So, if
9:27you're new, welcome, welcome, welcome.
9:29If you're OG, welcome back, babies,
9:31okay? I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge
9:32that. So, likeness, let's talk about
9:33that.
9:35Likeness, all right? Likeness means
9:37resemblance,
9:40pattern,
9:42model,
9:43or similarity
9:45in nature
9:47or function.
9:48Not saying that they physically look
9:50like God or the angels or Jesus or
9:53That's not what it's saying.
9:56Modeling or similarity in nature
9:59function, okay? So, likeness is speaking
10:03to qualities, shared qualities, okay?
10:08Not equality of being.
10:11Okay? We're not God. Okay? So, what we
10:14do in humanity is we reflect God in our
10:17awareness. That's the first thing.
10:20We reflect God in our awareness.
10:23Our awareness of what is morally right
10:26versus what is wrong, which is why God
10:28holds us accountable. He holds us
10:30accountable because there is one thing
10:32that we reflect when it comes to God,
10:34and that is moral reasoning, to know
10:36what is right versus what is wrong.
10:40That's why we're held accountable.
10:42We're going to see that as we continue
10:43to read Genesis, okay? So, that's one
10:45thing that we reflect.
10:47We reflect the reason.
10:49We reflect capacity as far as relational
10:51capacity because we are in a
10:53relationship with God. Not that type of
10:55relationship. We have a relationship. He
10:57is our father. That means that we have a
10:59relationship with God, and there is a
11:01capacity with any relationship that we
11:04have, right?
11:05There's a capacity with any
11:06relationship. So, that is one thing that
11:08we reflect as well. We're talking about
11:10likeness, okay?
11:13In our creativity,
11:14in our ability to choose,
11:17in our ability to govern,
11:20in our ability to rule,
11:22in our ability to steward.
11:25We are designed
11:27in the likeness of God. That means that
11:29we are designed to represent God.
11:34To be made in God's likeness means we
11:37were created to think,
11:39to choose,
11:41to love,
11:43and to rule
11:45in alignment with his character.
11:49This is the reason why
11:51God is so I don't want to say strict,
11:55but this is the reason why
11:57he's particular when it comes to us.
12:01God didn't say that he made whales in
12:04the likeness of him.
12:05He didn't say that I made cattle in the
12:07likeness of me. He didn't say that I
12:09made the fowl in the air in the likeness
12:11of me. He didn't say I made sea
12:13creatures in the likeness of me. He said
12:15I made man. I made human.
12:18Male and female.
12:22I He said I didn't I didn't give
12:23dominion to the animals on the earth.
12:26Humans.
12:29That's the reason why God don't play. He
12:30said I didn't put my likeness into the
12:32whales and stuff like that. Uh-uh.
12:34I gave them reproduction and and stuff
12:37like that. I gave them that.
12:39But the ability to think, choose, love,
12:42and rule is aligned with his character.
12:45In our own image, after our likeness.
12:49Okay? We're going to keep going. We'll
12:51come back to that. Dominion
12:53is the next term that we wrote down.
12:55Dominion means to rule,
12:58to govern, to exercise authority,
13:00or to steward under authority. Y'all
13:02make sure y'all follow me cuz we're
13:03going to get deep, okay? We are
13:05entrusted I I like to say I like to call
13:08us managers. I know that some people use
13:11like agents and stuff like that, but I
13:12like to call us managers because God
13:14trusted us to manage his creation.
13:18As we read in the text, as we read in
13:19Genesis, we see what did God create
13:21before us? Come on, y'all. Work with me.
13:23I want to make sure y'all woke right up.
13:25I know it's early in the morning on a
13:26Saturday. We're going to get through it.
13:27But look at all of the things that God
13:29created before he created us.
13:31And he said that you will have dominion
13:33over my creation.
13:36He said that I'm trusting you. I have
13:38entrusted humans as managers over what I
13:42gave you permission to exercise
13:44authority over.
13:46Cuz he gave us permission to do
13:47something.
13:48He's still the creator. Oops. He's still
13:51the creator. God is still the creator.
13:54I don't care if you have children and
13:55all that. He's still the creator. He's
13:57still the creator. He's still the owner
13:59of all things, but he said, "I gave
14:01humans dominion.
14:03I have entrusted my creation to humans.
14:07So, when people look and say, 'Well, why
14:08did he do that to Adam and Eve?' He
14:10entrusted his creation to humans.
14:14He made them in the likeness. It was sin
14:16that separated.
14:18So, yes, of course God was grieved by
14:21that. Of course he was. God said, "I
14:23spent days. I took my time. I looked at
14:27everything, and I said everything is
14:29working as a system, and it's working
14:30together, and it's good. I'm pleased
14:33with this.
14:34It's functioning properly.
14:37I was God was so delicate with
14:40how he made everything, the lights,
14:43and the systems, and the water, and the
14:46flow, that everything was going to be
14:48dependent on something. It was all going
14:49to work together. It was an
14:50interdependent system that God made.
14:54God gave us dominion over animals,
14:57the earth, the systems that he created
15:01as well. Dominion is responsibility.
15:05He didn't say I I He didn't say I don't
15:06want you to dominate. This is not
15:08domination. He said I gave you dominion.
15:11I gave you governing authority.
15:15And if you govern something, you have to
15:17do so responsibly. This is the reason
15:18why we be frustrated with the government
15:20cuz they're irresponsible. God said that
15:22I made you in the likeness
15:25of me, which means that I gave you the
15:27capacity to be responsible with the
15:29things that I'm giving you. Are y'all
15:31following me?
15:33Are y'all following me?
15:35So, he said dominion is responsibility.
15:38Likeness was basically the capacity. I
15:40gave you capacities to be responsible
15:43for my creation.
15:47Y'all understand that?
15:48So, dominion reflects God's rule.
15:51And we know that God's rule is orderly
15:53cuz we've seen God as a God of order.
15:56It's orderly.
15:58His rule is just.
16:00Everything that God gives is life-giving
16:02and is protective. He said over every
16:04creeping thing that creepeth upon the
16:06earth. God said I'm giving you dominion
16:08over everything.
16:10I'm trusting you with my creation.
16:14I'm trusting you with the responsibility
16:16that I gave you.
16:18Okay, let me make this practical.
16:20Have anyone
16:21ever realized that God gave you
16:23something to take care of?
16:26The job he blessed you with, the car he
16:28blessed you with, the family he blessed
16:31you with, the friends he blessed you
16:32with, the child he blessed you with. He
16:34gave you something to govern.
16:38Not to dominate, to govern. He gave you
16:41something to be responsible of, and he
16:43made us in his likeness, which means
16:45that I gave you capacities. I gave you
16:48emotional capacity. I gave you
16:49intellectual capacity. I gave you
16:51spiritual capacity to be responsible for
16:55the things that I have created and
16:57blessed you with.
16:59Everything. This is the reason why we
17:00take stewardship so important. This is
17:02the reason why every single thing that
17:05we do, whatever our hand finds to do, we
17:08do it well. That is the word of God.
17:10Whatever our hand finds to do, whatever
17:12God puts in your hand, whatever
17:14responsibility he blesses you with, I
17:16don't care if it is a small
17:18responsibility, do it well.
17:21Everything, do it well because he gave
17:23you the capacity to do so.
17:27You don't have to look back thousands
17:29and thousands and thousands of years.
17:30Look at it now. Whatever God has blessed
17:33you with, do it well because he gave you
17:35the capacity, the intellect. That is the
17:37reason why when you look and you cry and
17:40say I finally got what it is that I
17:41prayed for, God had to take you through
17:44that season to make sure that you can
17:46steward the responsibility that he gave
17:48you.
17:49God had to create order and systems and
17:52an environment before he placed you in
17:54it because he had to make sure that when
17:55I give you governing authority over it,
17:59over something that I give you, over a
18:00responsibility, I'm going to break down
18:02capacity. I promise you I am, Candace. I
18:04promise you that's going to be a full
18:05breakdown. Work with me. I'm getting
18:06there, okay? I just wanted to make it
18:08practical, okay?
18:11I just wanted to make it practical. All
18:12right? Now, go down to to Sorry, to
18:15chapter to verse 28. Go down to verse
18:1728. I promise y'all I'm going to break
18:19this all the way down. I'm going to
18:20break down capacity good, okay?
18:23And God blessed them and said unto them,
18:24"Be fruitful and multiply."
18:27Now, we saw previously he said be
18:29fruitful and multiply.
18:31This time he said, "And replenish the
18:34earth
18:35and subdue it."
18:37Now, we know God is strategic with his
18:39wording.
18:40And God blessed them, and God said to
18:42them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and
18:44replenish the earth, and subdue it, and
18:47have dominion over the fish of the sea,
18:49and over the fowl of the air, and over
18:50every living thing that moveth upon the
18:52earth." Let's break this down.
18:53Replenish. Most times when people think
18:56of replenishing, they think of a
18:57Gatorade commercial or something like
18:59that, electrolytes are imbalanced that
19:01has to be replenished because there is a
19:03loss. That is not what the text mean
19:04right here.
19:06That is not what the text mean.
19:08The text does not mean that there was a
19:10loss that had to be replenished in that
19:12capacity. We are not talking about
19:13Gatorade. Replenish in the text means to
19:16fill, to be full, to complete, or to
19:19occupy fully.
19:21This is important in Hebrew. Let me
19:23break that down again. Replenish does
19:25not mean refill what was lost.
19:28We've already seen abundance. Wasn't
19:29nothing lost yet.
19:32We'll talk about what was lost when we
19:33get to Jesus cuz then we have to talk
19:34about redemption. We'll talk about that
19:36later. In Hebrew, replenish does not
19:39mean refill what was lost, but to fill
19:42to fullness.
19:43To fullness. But to fill to fullness.
19:46So, replenish in the text, right here in
19:49Genesis Genesis, is about expansion. Is
19:52about expanding
19:54with a purpose.
19:56It's not about recovering from a loss.
19:58Okay? So, God intended to fill his
20:02creation with his reflection. It's to be
20:06filled to fullness. God intended to fill
20:08creation with his reflection.
20:11His value Let's just talk reflection.
20:13His value,
20:15his care,
20:16his love,
20:17his order, his nurtures That was his
20:20intent.
20:22So, God commands humanity in Genesis
20:26to fill the earth with life.
20:28To expand his image throughout creation.
20:32To expand his image. I want y'all to
20:34hear that. To expand his image because
20:37we are image bearers. I saw someone say
20:39that just a while ago. So, it is our
20:41responsibility. He has commanded us as
20:43humans to fill the earth with life. To
20:47expand his image throughout creation. We
20:49are image bearers. Wherever we go,
20:52people should should see God in us.
20:55Wherever we go, we have to remember as
20:57stewards of Christ that we are
20:59reflection of the Most High. They need
21:02to be able to see it by the way that we
21:04love people because that is what Jesus
21:05commanded us to do. Love thy neighbor.
21:07Y'all follow me? Did he not command us
21:09to do that? We are image bearers. They
21:12need to see God in us. They need to see
21:14value in us. They need to see order in
21:16us. This is the reason why whenever we
21:18live in chaos,
21:20people judge us by that. Because God is
21:23a God of order.
21:25He is a God of care and love
21:28and stewardship. So, wherever we go,
21:31people need to be able to see that we
21:33are expansions when it comes to the
21:35image of God.
21:37We are to extend his order.
21:41We are to steward everything everywhere.
21:46That's the reason why. We are
21:49to occupy things fullness. We are to
21:51fill to fullness, to replenish, to fill
21:55to fullness. Everything that we do has a
21:57purpose.
21:58Exactly. Not simply popping babies.
22:00Thank you for saying that, Ms. Wilson.
22:02Because that is the most important
22:04thing. When people read this text and it
22:06says to multiply, to be fruitful and
22:09multiply, they're thinking that God is
22:11only talking about babies.
22:14They're thinking God is only talking
22:16about babies. This is much more than
22:18babies.
22:20And I hope y'all understand it. Exactly.
22:22We bear God's image. So, when God says
22:25be fruitful and multiply, remember there
22:27is a seed in us and there is
22:29fruitfulness in us as well. And we are
22:31to multiply. So, if that means value, if
22:34that means love, if that means care, if
22:36that means patience, if that means
22:38discernment, multiply it.
22:41God said to replenish. That means to
22:42fill to fullness.
22:44If he means to fill to fullness, that
22:46means it's already there to begin with.
22:48It ain't lost. It's already there.
22:50You're adding to it.
22:52You're completing it. Y'all Are y'all
22:53following me? Are y'all Are y'all Are we
22:56We with each other?
22:57Y'all here? We good? We following each
23:00other? Okay, let's talk about subdue. I
23:02want to make sure we here cuz we doing
23:03Bible study today, y'all. I We doing
23:06Bible study today. We going to
23:08understand this word of God.
23:10We going to get out there and
23:11evangelize. We going to get out there
23:13and talk. We going to get out there and
23:15show that we are image bearers. We going
23:17to get out there and start working on
23:18ourselves. We're going to prioritize.
23:20We're going to repent for the things
23:22that we have done. We're going to be
23:23okay with God consecrating us and
23:25sanctifying us because we realize that
23:27we carry the image of God. That God has
23:29given us certain capacities. And
23:31everything that we do, we steward it
23:33well.
23:35I don't care what it is. So, when you go
23:37to work, stop complaining.
23:40When you have to show up for your
23:42friends, stop complaining.
23:45When you got to go help your brother,
23:46your sister, your neighbor, your mama,
23:48stop complaining.
23:50If God tells you to give your last $5 to
23:52somebody, stop complaining.
23:54Because God said I need you to
23:56replenish. I've called you to replenish,
23:59to complete it.
24:01We never know where God has placed us to
24:05complete something, to fill it to
24:06fullness. Okay, y'all. I'mma keep going.
24:08I'm sorry. Subdue. I'm sorry. Subdue.
24:10Let's talk. Kabash in Hebrew. Subdue
24:13kabash. To bring under control.
24:16I'm sorry. Subdue means to bring under
24:19control.
24:20To harness, to cultivate, to bring into
24:23order. Right?
24:25To bring Let me Let me go back to the
24:26text.
24:27He said, "And God blessed them. And God
24:31said unto them, be fruitful
24:33and multiply and replenish the earth and
24:36subdue it.
24:38And subdue it.
24:40Bring it into order.
24:43And subdue it. Bring it into order.
24:46Now, let's talk
24:49Let's talk for a minute cuz I I know
24:51where some people's minds may be going.
24:54Subdue does not mean
24:57to abuse the authority that God gives
24:59you.
25:00Subdue does not mean to exploit
25:03or to abuse the authority that God
25:05gives.
25:08What God did with humans,
25:11he brought humans in
25:14to tame an untamed creation.
25:16Cuz these were beasts and creatures that
25:20had no order.
25:22So, when the word says subdue, it means
25:25things such as bringing untamed creation
25:28into order.
25:29Productive order.
25:31Order, okay?
25:33You look at the creation and you see its
25:36potential and I want you to manage it.
25:39God said, "I'm bringing humans
25:42to turn the raw resources into usable
25:46goods. Okay?"
25:50It's just about cultivation. That's it.
25:52God called us
25:55to work with what he created.
25:58God called us to work with what he
26:00created.
26:02We are
26:04to shape his creation responsibly
26:08so life can flourish. So,
26:10therefore, whatever God gives us,
26:14that's the reason why he wants us to be
26:16responsible with it because we have to
26:18shape things as well.
26:20In order for us to shape things, we have
26:21to know God's nature. We have to know
26:23God's order, which is the reason why
26:24it's important for us to understand
26:26Genesis. So, whenever God places a
26:28responsibility in our hand and he says,
26:29"I need you to shape it and and tame it
26:32and put it together. Whatever it is I
26:33need you to do, heal or anything, you
26:35have to know my nature to be able to do
26:37so.
26:38You have to know how to be patient, how
26:41to have wisdom, how to discern. You You
26:43got to know those things.
26:45Because I'm I'm putting this
26:46responsibility
26:48into your hand.
26:50Okay?
26:51Now,
26:52now let's go talk about capacity. I'mma
26:54pull us back up and then we'll get all
26:55We'll get all the way back down, okay?
26:57Let's go talk about capacity for a
27:00minute before we get to very good. Let's
27:02talk capacity. Are y'all still with me?
27:05Cuz now I want to break some things
27:06down. So, we see likeness means that we
27:09reflect God's nature.
27:11We see likeness
27:13mean we reflect God's nature.
27:15We see dominion, governing authority
27:18means that we steward
27:20God's creation. I want to make sure
27:22y'all are following me. Likeness means
27:24we reflect God's nature. We're made in
27:27his likeness. Y'all follow me? That
27:28means that we reflect God's nature.
27:32Dominion means that we steward
27:35God's creation. We steward the
27:38responsibility. We steward the
27:40assignment. Okay? Replenish. It doesn't
27:44mean it's lost. This means that we bring
27:45it to its fullness, complete it. That
27:47means that we expand God's order
27:50when we replenish.
27:52Subdue means that we cultivate things
27:55responsibly. All of these things If
27:57y'all realize, it is only five verses
27:58that we read. Were there five?
28:01Yes, it was only
28:02five or six? One, two, three, four,
28:04five. Six. Six. That's one, two, three.
28:06Yeah, there we go. Okay, sorry, y'all.
28:08It's morning time. Just ignore it, okay?
28:10Everything work together. God's wording,
28:13he's so precise.
28:16And he's so strategic with his wording.
28:18God used likeness, dominion, replenish,
28:22subdue
28:23in a short period of time. And people
28:26read it and think that God is just
28:27telling them to have babies.
28:29And and just to go tame the the horses,
28:33the wild horses.
28:34And just to tame the animals
28:38and cut some grass.
28:40And plant some seeds. And it's so much
28:42more than that. The when people read it,
28:45which is why we don't speed through the
28:46Bible.
28:48This is the reason why we don't speed. I
28:49don't care what the challenge is. I
28:50don't care that people talk about I read
28:52the Bible the Bible in 365 days. Did you
28:54read it or did you study it?
28:57Cuz if you read it, there's a lot of
28:58things you're going to miss. Okay, Lord.
28:59I'm sorry. I'mma get back on track.
29:00Okay.
29:02Subdue means we cultivate responsibly.
29:04So, what does capacity mean? When God
29:06said in his likeness, when we realize
29:08that we are made in God's image, that
29:10means that he has given us certain
29:12capacities. Which means that we are
29:14equipped
29:16to do everything that God has called us
29:18to do.
29:19We have the ability to
29:22or the power to do things. Capacity.
29:25Right here, you will not see the word
29:27capacity in the text, but there's a
29:28theological concept that we're going to
29:30talk about. Okay?
29:33Y'all get back in just a minute. There's
29:35a theological concept and conclusion
29:37that we can draw from just reading this
29:40text right here. We can just read it
29:41from this passage.
29:42God created humanity
29:46with the ability carry responsibly.
29:52God created humanity
29:55with the ability to carry.
29:58Capacity carry, not capacity container,
30:01capacity carry. God created humans, man
30:05and woman with the ability to carry
30:08whatever he has given us responsibility
30:10over.
30:11We were designed for specific reasons.
30:14So, the capacity that we have, let me go
30:16back. And God said, let us make man in
30:19our image after our likeness.
30:22We were designed with moral,
30:25intellectual,
30:27relational,
30:29and spiritual capacity.
30:33That's what we were designed with.
30:37If we didn't have the capacity to carry,
30:41God would never assign us the
30:42responsibility.
30:44Can I say that one more time?
30:47If we did not have the capacity to
30:49carry,
30:52God would never assign us the response
30:54Let me say that again.
30:56I hear you, Father. If we did not have
30:59the capacity
31:01to carry,
31:04God would never assign us the
31:07responsibility. Stop complaining of the
31:10responsibility that God has placed in
31:13you.
31:16I'mma talk about the us. I promise
31:18y'all, come to the next two Bible
31:19studies. I promise y'all I'mma talk
31:20about what that us means. I'm not going
31:22to skip it. God won't allow me to skip
31:24it. I promise y'all I am.
31:26Cuz we're leading to Christ.
31:28I promise you I am.
31:30I'm a faithful steward.
31:32Okay? So, when you look and you say, I
31:35don't have the capacity to carry this
31:38load, God, remember who you're talking
31:41to. God is going to look at you and say,
31:43I gave you the capacity that carry the
31:45responsibility that I gave you. I gave
31:47it to you.
31:49I designed you. That whole test, that
31:51preparation that you went through, that
31:53pruning season where you felt so
31:55stretched, where you didn't understand,
31:56God, why am I going through this right
31:58now? You were designed for it.
32:02God said, I gave you a moral Are y'all
32:04following me?
32:07Are y'all following me? Let me make sure
32:08y'all follow me.
32:09We're brothers and sisters in Christ.
32:11We're growing. I want to make sure y'all
32:12follow me. God said, I gave you a moral
32:15capacity
32:17to know what's right or wrong. You know
32:19the difference from what's right versus
32:21wrong.
32:23I gave you a moral capacity. I gave you
32:25intellectual capacity. I made you in my
32:28likeness. You have wisdom.
32:31You have intellect.
32:36I gave you a relational capacity. I gave
32:39you an emotional capacity. I gave you a
32:40spiritual capacity to be able to carry
32:43the responsibility that I gave you.
32:46That's why you went through the pruning
32:48season.
32:49That's why you were stretched. Cuz you
32:52didn't have patience, you didn't have
32:53discernment, you didn't have wisdom. So,
32:55I took you through something that was
32:56going to give you wisdom. That was going
32:58to grow your wisdom. I took you through
32:59something that was going to strengthen
33:01you. I orchestrated everything. Whatever
33:03it is that the devil thought he was
33:04using, I used it instead for good, for
33:07my glory. I used it. Whatever the devil
33:10thought he had his hand on, I used it.
33:14For you.
33:16So, when you felt stretched, why am I
33:18going through these emotional things?
33:20Cuz I'm about to put you into a space
33:22where you're going to steward a
33:23friendship, you're going to steward a
33:25business partnership, you're going to
33:27steward a marriage, you're going to
33:28steward a relationship. I gave you the
33:30spiritual capacity because the devil
33:32tried to break you, but I kept you near
33:34to me and I strengthened your spirit. I
33:37gave you the ump that you needed. You
33:39have the capacity.
33:41I built your prayer life for a reason. I
33:43took you through this hard season and
33:44you learned how to pray.
33:47I took you through that hard season
33:48where you learned how to give me your
33:49burdens.
33:51I took you through that hard season
33:52where you learned to be anxious for
33:53nothing. I taught you what it meant to
33:55be divided in mind and I also showed you
33:57I'm the God that joins all things back
33:59together. You have the spiritual
34:01capacity. So, when you think that things
34:02are falling apart, I gave you the
34:04spiritual capacity to know that it comes
34:06back together. I gave you spiritual
34:09capacity to carry the responsibility
34:11that I gave you. So, when I gave you
34:13that relationship, when I gave you that
34:14job, when I gave you that apartment,
34:16when I gave you that home, when I gave
34:17you that opportunity, where I put you in
34:19conferences, when I gave you that
34:20friendship, when I gave you that car, I
34:23made sure that you had the capacity to
34:25carry the responsibility Okay.
34:28I just want to make sure I put that out
34:29there. Y'all follow me?
34:32So, now let's go back to the text
34:34because God said he gave us dominion,
34:36right?
34:37Dominion requires capacity.
34:41Dominion requires capacity. He said that
34:44I will make you after our likeness. I
34:46made humans after our likeness. Likeness
34:48requires capacity. I promise I'm about
34:50to break it down. Fruitfulness. Be
34:52fruitful and multiply.
34:54Fruitfulness requires capacity.
34:57It requires you to be to be equipped.
35:03We are equipped to carry things that
35:05require capacity. We are equipped to
35:08carry things that require capacity.
35:11Capacity reveals that God trusts us.
35:15Capacity reveals God's trust in us. Read
35:19it before we even get to Adam and Eve.
35:22Before we even talk about that.
35:24Before we even get to that.
35:28Capacity reveals God's trust in us. We
35:33bear the image and the likeness of God,
35:35which makes us image bearers.
35:39When sin came in is when capacity was
35:42damaged.
35:45That's the reason why Jesus had to come
35:47in and redeem us.
35:49That's the reason why we started to see
35:51redemption in Exodus. That's the reason
35:53why I made sure, cuz God told me to, I
35:56made sure we went to Exodus first so
35:57y'all can understand redemption.
36:00I made sure of that. God made sure that
36:03I was going to do that. God gave me the
36:05exact plan of how this Bible study was
36:07going to go for the next year.
36:10For these past however many months. I
36:12don't even know when I started this
36:13Bible study. But God made it clear. They
36:15need to understand the concept of
36:17redemption.
36:19They need to see that it was sin that
36:21broke capacity, that sin It was sin that
36:23damaged the capacity, but they have to
36:24understand what capacity is to begin
36:26with.
36:27Sin didn't remove the image of God.
36:29Remember, we're image bearers.
36:32And when sin came in is when capacity
36:34was damaged. But the sin didn't remove
36:37the image of God. It just distorted it,
36:39which is why we had to have a redeemer
36:41come in.
36:43Cuz redemption is what restored
36:44capacity. And this is the reason why we
36:46all have to go through redemption. This
36:47is why so many of us have a redemption
36:48story. Does anybody have a redemption
36:50story?
36:51Excuse me. Does anybody have a
36:53redemption story? This is the reason why
36:54we Most of us, I think all of us, if
36:56you're in this Bible study, if you met
36:57Jesus, if you have a testimony, more
36:59than likely you have a redemption story.
37:01Redemption is what restores capacity.
37:03Because it is a It's a restoration of
37:05function.
37:08So, when all of us were broken in our
37:10sin and doing whatever it is that we
37:11wanted to do in the world, that is what
37:13damaged the capacity that God gave us,
37:16which is the reason why he had to redeem
37:17us. Because redemption is is the
37:20capacity that's being restored. It's the
37:21restoration of function. So, when all of
37:24us are redeemed, that's the reason why
37:26we start functioning according to how
37:27God wants us to function. Let me get
37:29back to Genesis. We're going to talk
37:30about that later, okay?
37:32We're going to talk about why Jesus came
37:34later, okay?
37:35Cuz he had to restore the function of
37:37humanity back to the likeness of God.
37:39We're going to talk about that later.
37:41No, I got to say that again.
37:43Jesus had to restore
37:45the function of humanity
37:48back to the likeness of God, which is
37:50why, once again, I am against people
37:52starting off in the New Testament.
37:55Get bold enough to go to the Old
37:56Testament and read it so you can
37:58understand why Jesus had to come in as a
38:00redeemer to begin with. Because he had
38:03to restore our function
38:05of humanity back to the likeness, the
38:08nature of God.
38:11It is through Christ that our identity
38:13is restored.
38:14It is through Christ that our authority
38:16is redeemed. It is through Christ that
38:18our fruitfulness is possible. So, when
38:20people say,
38:22Jesus is just a prophet, play with
38:24somebody else. I heard you, Father. When
38:26When they say that Jesus is just a
38:27prophet, just a messenger, play with
38:29somebody else.
38:31Because God was specific. Well, why did
38:33Why did he Why did he kill his son? Why
38:36did he sacrifice his son? You won't
38:37understand it, carnal mind, cuz you're
38:39not spiritually mature enough to
38:41understand it. You have to go back to
38:42Genesis to understand the likeness of
38:45God, to understand his nature, to be
38:47able to understand why he had to do it
38:49as as well. It was a restoration.
38:53That's the story of redemption.
38:55Dominion is reordered and restored under
38:59Christ.
39:02It was redemption that repaired what sin
39:05damaged.
39:08So, humanity, so us, so we can once
39:10again carry what God intended for us to
39:12carry. Let me go into that one more
39:15time. Let's go deep, okay? I'm going to
39:16re- re- iterate some things.
39:19God never assigns responsibility
39:23without first making sure you can carry
39:27it. Carry capacity. Carry capacity. I
39:29want y'all to use those interchangeably.
39:32God never assigns responsibility
39:36without first providing capacity. Y'all
39:40ever heard someone say, I don't have the
39:42capacity for this today?
39:44I don't have the capacity for this
39:46relationship. I don't have the capacity
39:47to be able to carry this. I don't have
39:49the capacity to be able to nurture this.
39:51I don't have the emotional capacity.
39:53Y'all ever heard someone say that? I
39:55know y'all I don't have the ability to
39:57carry.
39:59Capacity.
40:03So, God gave us certain capacities. He
40:06gave us moral reasoning that is a
40:07capacity. He gave us patience. It's
40:10still a capacity. It still falls under
40:12capacity. God gave us the ability to
40:16carry. He put certain capacities, moral
40:19reasoning, wisdom, discernment,
40:22patience. He put those capacities, those
40:26those
40:27Mhm.
40:28What do I want to use?
40:32Those functions in us.
40:35He put those in us. So, capacity
40:40is the God-given. Let me make sure I put
40:43that on there. Let Let's Let's add
40:44something. Not just the ability.
40:46Capacity is the God-given ability to
40:49carry.
40:51Capacity
40:53is the God-given ability to sustain.
40:57Capacity
40:59is the God-given ability to steward.
41:02Capacity
41:04is the God-given ability to reproduce
41:08what he entrusts.
41:12So, for example, dominion cuz I said
41:14dominion requires capacity. Y'all heard
41:16me say that just a while ago, right?
41:18Dominion is responsible governance
41:24or the action or manner
41:26of governing.
41:29To rule
41:30or to govern well,
41:32we must have In order for us to govern
41:34things well, we have to have
41:35discernment, right?
41:37We have to have wisdom.
41:39We have to have self-control.
41:42We have to have proper moral reasoning.
41:46To be clear when it comes to a morality.
41:49And we have to have accountability to
41:51God to have dominion.
41:54This is the reason why God gave dominion
41:57after
41:58creating man in his own image. Can you
42:00imagine if God gave dominion to someone
42:03he did not create in his own image and
42:05likeness?
42:07Can you imagine that?
42:09If God gave dominion after creating man
42:13as what we said in the text. Can you
42:13imagine if he did it without giving man
42:16or without creating man in his own image
42:18and likeness?
42:20Imagine what authority would look like
42:25or be
42:28without capacity or the abilities
42:30reflecting God's image. Imagine what
42:32Y'all seen it as a matter of fact.
42:34People who've got away from God.
42:37What is authority without rationality?
42:43What is
42:46What does governing look like without
42:49consciousness?
42:55What is authority without morality?
43:01Chaos.
43:03If you don't have a conscience,
43:05if you don't have a moral compass,
43:09more than likely you'll become abusive.
43:14So, God gave humans dominion after he
43:17made them in his likeness.
43:20After he made them image bearers.
43:23I'm making you
43:25like me. You don't You don't look like
43:27me, but you have capacities.
43:30You have characteristics. You have
43:32attributes. You You have things about
43:34you that are like me. That are like the
43:36Trinity. You You have things that are
43:39like me.
43:41So, I made sure that whenever you
43:44created
43:45or whenever you govern or whatever you
43:48stewarded,
43:49you did it well because
43:51you have capacity because of me, cuz
43:52God.
43:54So, we are God's representatives.
43:58Now, can I ask y'all has anybody ever
44:00had to go out somewhere and represent
44:02their company?
44:04Anybody And anybody ever have to go out
44:06and represent someone like you represent
44:07your mama? You represent the person who
44:09raised you.
44:10You You know what I'm saying? You
44:11represent the company.
44:14And I I bet you represent well, right?
44:16You don't go out there acting a fool.
44:18You ain't finna get wasted and drunk in
44:20front of business partners and stuff
44:21like that. No, you're not going to do
44:23that.
44:25If If you manage anything, if you manage
44:28a job, you're going to go out there if
44:29you got to talk to a customer or a
44:30client or a potential customer, you're
44:31going to manage it well, right?
44:36We're God's representatives.
44:38We represent him because we carry his
44:42image.
44:43So, we're his representatives to manage
44:45and care for his creation. Anything that
44:48God created. So, being made in God's
44:51likeness means we were designed to
44:53reflect God's character.
44:58Don't y'all think we should be doing
44:59that well?
45:01I I failed in that tremendously before I
45:04was saved.
45:05I failed in that tremendously.
45:08I didn't I can be honest with you. I
45:10didn't fully understand the extent
45:12beforehand of what it meant to be a
45:14image bearer.
45:16Until God told me you were going to
45:18study the word of God.
45:23I have called you into ministry and this
45:24is what you're going to do. You're going
45:26to fully study. I'll be sitting here
45:27sometime reading books and I'll be like,
45:29"Lord, I'm still reading this same
45:30book." You're studying it.
45:34I didn't understand the fullness. I've
45:35heard that my whole life. What does that
45:37mean to bear God's image? What What are
45:39we doing? I used to listen and be like,
45:42"Okay, to bear his image.
45:44All right, cool.
45:46Yeah, I heard it. I grew up in the
45:48church.
45:49Okay, yeah. To bear God's image.
45:51Absolutely. Okay, got it."
45:53And I was just supposed to figure it
45:54out. Until I took a deep study to fully
45:57understand the importance of
45:58representation of God because once you
46:01learn God's nature and you understand
46:03that you are made in his likeness,
46:06once you understand that, to say, "Oh, I
46:09see why God holds us accountable."
46:11Because he gave us the morality for a
46:14reason. That's a capacity that we have.
46:16So, we represent and we manage
46:19and we care for what God has created.
46:22So, being made in his likeness
46:24means we were designed to reflect God's
46:26character.
46:27And we were also designed to represent
46:29his values.
46:31And then, cuz I know y'all have seen
46:34this scripture before. I'm sure y'all
46:36have seen it. I should have pulled it
46:38up. I should have added it. But y'all
46:39probably seen it before. It will We'll
46:40talk about I figured out where it's at.
46:42Uh I know it's in the New Testament.
46:44I know y'all seen where it said Jesus is
46:46the visible
46:47image
46:49of an invisible God. And I'm I'm That's
46:51in a a plain translation. It's not a
46:53King James version.
46:55That's a plain very plain translation.
46:56But y'all seen it. That's the same thing
47:00that we have to act as. We have to act
47:02as visible expressions of an invisible
47:04God.
47:05Just like Jesus.
47:08Just like Jesus.
47:10And we'll look and be like, "Oh."
47:13Maybe I Okay. You'll look and be like,
47:16"All right. You know what? You're
47:17right."
47:19So, when God said
47:21that we were made in his likeness, that
47:23means that we have to act
47:27as visible We're almost done. As visible
47:29expressions
47:31of an invisible God just like Jesus.
47:33We're That's exactly We're followers of
47:35Christ.
47:37This is serious. It's Colossians. Okay,
47:40good. Okay.
47:42Good.
47:43Colossians. Okay, cool.
47:46Thank you for putting that cuz I was
47:47like, "I know where it's Jesus. I know
47:49it's the New Testament." Yes.
47:52This And you know what that requires?
47:56Capacity.
47:58It requires the ability for moral
48:01reasoning because we look at Jesus and
48:04he is our moral compass.
48:08In order for us to be visible
48:11expressions of an invisible God,
48:14it requires the ability for moral
48:16reasoning. It requires relationship. It
48:18requires love. It requires choice. Is
48:22that not the story of Jesus?
48:25Is that not?
48:29Is it not?
48:34Likeness
48:35requires the capacity to respond to God.
48:40Not just to exist for God. It's not just
48:43about us existing for God. It's also us
48:46responding to God.
48:49We have to have the capacity to respond
48:52to God and we have the ability to
48:54respond to God.
48:56Not just existing. We have that ability.
49:00So, when God talks to us, y'all remember
49:02we have the ability. Thank you, Christ
49:04Jesus. We have
49:06the ability to respond to God.
49:12Representation, likeness,
49:14representation, likeness. We are
49:16representatives of God. Representation
49:19in the word of God required the ability
49:21to respond to God and his commands.
49:23Humans responded to God.
49:27Fruitfulness
49:29or the healthy reproduction.
49:32Fruitfulness. For us to be fruitful
49:35requires stability.
49:37It requires patience,
49:39endurance for sure. All of us have an
49:41endurance story. Sustainability, the
49:43list can go on. God commanded us to be
49:46fruitful and multiply because he already
49:49built the reproductive capacity within
49:52us. He He already built
49:55the capacity to to reproduce and to
49:58endure
50:00and to sustain in us.
50:04God would never ever ever demand fruit
50:07from something that couldn't sustain the
50:09growth. He would never do that.
50:14All of this is proof. Thank you for the
50:17word of God. Thank you for the word of
50:19God. Thank God
50:21for the word of God because all proof
50:24shows that God entrusted us.
50:28That's why when they ate from the tree,
50:33that is the reason why when they were
50:34deceived by the serpent,
50:37that is the reason why God was grieved.
50:39That is the reason why when the angels
50:42came there and her sleeping with the
50:43women on the earth and taking all of
50:45these women cuz they said they look
50:47good. When all of these men were lustful
50:49and stuff in the word of God, that's in
50:51Genesis. We going to get to it. This is
50:52the reason why God was like, "I'm tired.
50:54I'm about to wipe it out."
50:57Because when he created man, he created
51:00man in his likeness
51:02with his moral reasoning, with the
51:03spiritual capacity, with knowing right
51:05from wrong. They knew not to eat from
51:07the tree. They knew not to take all of
51:09these women because they look good. They
51:11knew not to kill. They knew not to
51:12fornicate. They knew not to do all of
51:14these crazy things. All of this is proof
51:17that in the word of God when God created
51:19humans, I'm about to get to why he said
51:20very good. We almost done. When God
51:22created humans, this is the reason why
51:24he was grieved when they turned their
51:26backs on him.
51:28Because this is proof that God entrusted
51:30humans. He entrusted humanity.
51:33This is the reason why.
51:36God trusts us today. We can bring you
51:38and make it more practical. God trusts
51:41us today because he gave us capacity
51:44and he know the responsibilities we can
51:46carry. Trust.
51:49Trust is always proportional to
51:52capacity.
51:53Trust is always proportional to
51:55capacity. Always.
51:59And then God said, "It was very good."
52:01right?
52:05Let
52:05Before verse 31,
52:08we said this earlier.
52:10God repeatedly said about his creations,
52:14he said, "This is good." He saw it. He
52:17said it is good.
52:18That's what he said. He said, "That's
52:20good. It's working like it's supposed
52:21to."
52:24But then after after humanity is created
52:29in God's image, after he created image
52:31bearers,
52:36after humanity is created in God's image
52:40and his likeness,
52:42having dominion and capacity as he
52:45intended, God stepped back and he looked
52:48and he said, "Yeah."
52:50On the sixth day, before God rested on
52:52the seventh, he he looked back and said,
52:58he looked at the humans and said to
53:00replenish. He said, "This is complete."
53:05He looked at everything working together
53:08and said, "This is very good."
53:11Very good. That means that God looked
53:13and said, "This is
53:15very good. There's no flaws." We do the
53:17same thing. Hello perfectionists. We
53:19look at something that we put together
53:22and we look to make sure what? No no
53:23mistakes, no flaws, no nothing and we
53:25look and we say, "Yeah, that's it."
53:27That's it right there.
53:29That's it. And that's what God He
53:31stepped back and looked and said,
53:33"That's it."
53:35He said, "There's no flaws. There's no
53:37defects.
53:39There's no unfinished work.
53:41There's no gaps in what I designed."
53:44God looked and said, "This is the
53:46culmination of things."
53:48God said, "I I created humanity
53:53in my image,
53:55in my likeness."
53:57God said, "I brought stewardship
53:59and meaning to my creation."
54:03That means that God took the time and
54:05delighted in his work, did he not?
54:11God delights in his work.
54:15God delights in us.
54:17Especially as image bearers. This is
54:19I like that, Laquisha. God popped his
54:22collar.
54:24Said,
54:26God delights in his That is too funny.
54:28I'm going to think about that now.
54:30God delights in his work.
54:35See, you're an image bearer. You're over
54:36there goofy like God, just humorous. Cuz
54:38God got humor. But God delights in his
54:40work.
54:42God delights in us. This is the reason
54:44why It was funny because
54:48I was talking to Tamela David Mann and
54:49and Tamela was telling me that on a
54:51podcast that I was on, she said you
54:54spoke about delighting in your spouse.
54:57And she said, "I've never heard that."
54:58She said, "And the way you put it." And
55:00it was beautiful because
55:02one thing I know is God delights in his
55:04works. So, if God delights in his work
55:06and we're image bearers, should we not
55:08delight in his work as well?
55:10We're image bearers, right? If God
55:13delights in his work, then the the
55:14things that he's given us capacity to
55:16carry, should we shouldn't we delight in
55:18those things as well?
55:20I delight in this study
55:22because he entrusted this. He He trusts
55:24me with this study. I delight in it.
55:26Which is the reason why I sit and spend
55:28hours and hours studying cuz I delight
55:30in it.
55:32I delight in my spouse. I delight in my
55:34children. I delight in my home. Whatever
55:36God places, whatever he gives me the
55:38capacity to carry, I delight in it. I'm
55:41an image bearer. You are an image
55:42bearer. Should we not delight in God's
55:44work? Should we not delight in the
55:46things that God gives us? Cuz God sat
55:48back like he should just sit and popped
55:50his collar and said, "This is very
55:52good."
55:54Uh uh we going to close it, y'all. We
55:55going We going to get to closing.
55:57God handed over the earth, y'all. I want
56:01Let's Let's remember Genesis, right?
56:03Let's remember Genesis.
56:05Cuz we about to get into chapter two and
56:07I'm excited.
56:08Not today, but next next study. But God
56:11handed over I want y'all to know how
56:13important this was, okay? Just listen to
56:15how big this is. God handed over the
56:18earth.
56:19All of his creation, like everything.
56:22The living systems that God created,
56:27the authority to rule, to have dominion,
56:30and to steward to humanity.
56:36This tells us that God only entrusts
56:40what we have the capacity to carry and
56:43he's given us capacity because we are in
56:45his likeness and in his image.
56:47And the reason why I said trust is
56:49proportional
56:51to capacity
56:54is because God doesn't give us full
56:56responsibility
56:58when we're not fully mature.
57:00He ain't finna God is not about to sit
57:03here and hand you something that is so
57:05important to him and you ain't matured.
57:08That's why we got to go through so many
57:09walks, so many seasons.
57:12So, trust is proportional to capacity. A
57:15child, we know for a fact A child is not
57:17going to be given adult authority. I'm
57:18not going to tell a child to to become a
57:20police officer right now at the age of
57:21five and go walk these streets.
57:24No.
57:26I'm not about to tell a five-year-old to
57:28make adult decisions.
57:30They haven't had enough life
57:31experiences. So, a child isn't given
57:34adult authority.
57:35An apprentice
57:37isn't the one who gets to make the final
57:39decisions. Ain't no CEO going to give an
57:41apprentice
57:42the opportunity to make a full decision
57:44until they show that they have matured.
57:47Just the same thing as new believers
57:49when it comes to Christ.
57:53That may be hurtful to somebody's ears,
57:54but the same thing as new believers.
57:56Hey,
57:57God ain't going to give you burdens that
57:59you can't sustain or responsibilities
58:01that you can't. Not yet. You got to
58:03mature.
58:06That's the reason why
58:07Oh, I can't wait to do this study. It's
58:09going to be a off study. But that is the
58:10reason why when Paul wrote to Ephesus,
58:14that's why he was saying that. To all of
58:16those women who was just over there
58:18worshipping Artemis
58:20and y'all newly converted over to
58:21Christ,
58:23to Christianity, y'all shouldn't be over
58:25here preaching. Y'all still carry on
58:27some of the wrong teachings and y'all
58:29y'all not mature enough to be teaching
58:31the word of God. Not right now.
58:33You can share your testimony, but you're
58:35not in a position right now
58:37to do that.
58:39Reason why he told them to be quiet and
58:41sit down. Y'all not ready yet.
58:44I'm going to get into that another time
58:46cuz I don't feel like I don't feel like
58:47ruffling no feathers this morning. I I
58:49ain't going to ruffle no feathers this
58:50morning. We going to do that on another
58:51study. Just one of these random studies
58:52I'll do.
58:55All of that is important.
58:57So, if anything
58:59hasn't been entrusted in you yet,
59:03you're probably growing.
59:10You're probably growing.
59:15God protects us by growing us first.
59:19So, to make it plain,
59:22like we say, healthy relationships
59:24require emotional capacity.
59:29If If look at a relationship a
59:31friendship, or
59:33history friendships or intimate
59:35relationship,
59:37excuse me. If a relationship keeps
59:41breaking under pressure, under weight,
59:44the issue may be the capacity or the
59:46ability to carry. The issue may be that
59:48you may not be able to carry it.
59:50So, when you keep looking like, why does
59:51this keep breaking under pressure? Why
59:53do I keep breaking under pressure? Why
59:54does this keep failing? It
59:57You may not have that ability to carry
59:58it.
1:00:00So, anyway, before God gave humanity
1:00:02anything, he revealed who who humanity
1:00:05was.
1:00:06And that's what Genesis tells us.
1:00:08Genesis tells us about humanity.
1:00:10Five more minutes and then we're out,
1:00:11y'all. Genesis tells us that
1:00:15humanity wasn't created as an
1:00:17afterthought.
1:00:21Humanity also wasn't created as an
1:00:24as an experiment.
1:00:27We were entrusted.
1:00:30Mhm.
1:00:32When God created humanity, we were
1:00:34entrusted.
1:00:35God placed his own image
1:00:38upon us
1:00:39and handed over his creation to us.
1:00:43He made us with capacities. He made us
1:00:45in the likeness of him, and he gave us
1:00:48responsibility
1:00:50over his creation.
1:00:54That alone tells us something extremely
1:00:56important that we need to carry from
1:00:57today's Bible study.
1:01:00God trusted humanity from the very
1:01:02beginning. Doesn't it hurt y'all when
1:01:04y'all trust somebody?
1:01:06Doesn't it hurt y'all when y'all
1:01:08when you've shown somebody
1:01:12how to love you, how to care for you,
1:01:15how to nurture you,
1:01:17how to take care of certain things.
1:01:20Doesn't it it hurt you when
1:01:23you've shown them and you've helped them
1:01:24and
1:01:26you've shown them and and taught them
1:01:28how to carry.
1:01:31Your relationship with them,
1:01:33intimate relationship, your friendship
1:01:34with them,
1:01:36and then you realize you can't trust
1:01:37them.
1:01:39Doesn't it Doesn't it hurt?
1:01:43Uh that that's a painful That's painful.
1:01:46It hurts. I'm living it now, so it
1:01:47hurts. I know.
1:01:50Can y'all imagine how painful it was to
1:01:53God knowing that he trusted humanity
1:01:55with his full creation
1:01:58from the very beginning,
1:02:02and they dropped the ball.
1:02:05I know that one, so I just wanted to
1:02:07make sure that y'all could feel that.
1:02:09So, God didn't release his creation into
1:02:11just reckless people.
1:02:15He didn't.
1:02:16He placed his creation
1:02:19under image bearers.
1:02:21God placed responsibility under image
1:02:25bearers. Hello to all my fellow image
1:02:26bearers.
1:02:30We're supposed to reflect his heart just
1:02:32as he wanted them to do so in the word
1:02:34of God. When he made them image bearer,
1:02:36he wanted them to reflect his heart. So,
1:02:38being made in God's likeness means that
1:02:40we're designed to represent him
1:02:43in how we rule, in how we relate to
1:02:45people, in how we respond to situations,
1:02:48we respond to people. We're made to
1:02:51mirror God's character. We're made to
1:02:53bring order.
1:02:55We're made to cultivate and to cultivate
1:02:58life and to protect what God made.
1:03:03Even with the way we treat people.
1:03:09God did some empowering things in the
1:03:11word of God. God blessed humanity
1:03:14before they even had to even do work.
1:03:17Before they even had to get on the
1:03:18ground, he had already blessed them
1:03:22by making them image bearers. We're
1:03:24We're blessed to be image bearers.
1:03:26And it was the sin that fractured that
1:03:27trust.
1:03:28And we're going to learn about that as
1:03:29we continue going in the word of God.
1:03:32So, I'm encouraging you all, believers.
1:03:39If you are to uh if you're going to
1:03:41baptize a child, um I think it's
1:03:44important that you fully sit down and
1:03:46understand and help them understand the
1:03:47baptism. A lot of people go and just
1:03:50baptize children and say, you know, you
1:03:52dip them water and children are like,
1:03:54okay, we dipped in water. I don't know.
1:03:55I thought I went for a 3-second swim.
1:03:57And you have to break things all the way
1:03:59all the way all the way all the way all
1:04:00the way all the way down to a child. And
1:04:03sometimes you have to make it a kind of
1:04:05like a fantastical story, kind of like a
1:04:06storytelling type of thing to help them
1:04:08understand, but baptism is still
1:04:10important, but it's extremely important
1:04:12to help them understand what it is.
1:04:15Um
1:04:17I think uh certain people certain
1:04:20children, like I said, with children you
1:04:22have to break things all the way down.
1:04:25All
1:04:26the way down.
1:04:28So,
1:04:30uh if you
1:04:33Okay, so
1:04:34think about um
1:04:37if you were to go get a ball that was
1:04:40outside that had mud and everything on
1:04:41it, mud and leaves and all of that
1:04:43stuff,
1:04:44and and ask him, is the ball clean or
1:04:46dirty?
1:04:47And then if they say dirty, ask them why
1:04:49the ball is dirty. They'll probably tell
1:04:51you it has leaves here and it has leaves
1:04:53there and da da da da. And then you
1:04:54break down, what does that mean to be
1:04:56unclean as a human? What does that What
1:04:58does that look like?
1:05:00And then you go and put it in water and
1:05:02you go and rinse it off and then ask
1:05:03them, is it clean?
1:05:05And then you talk to them about what
1:05:06baptism means in the spirit.
1:05:09What does that mean? Is this
1:05:11That's just like simple breakdowns for
1:05:13children. Okay? Um but I have my own
1:05:16thoughts when it comes to baptizing
1:05:17children. I have a certain age that I
1:05:19prefer, but that's me. So, you know, but
1:05:21let me just say this so we can close
1:05:23out.
1:05:23Your life is not an accident. I'm going
1:05:26to speak to you all right now cuz I know
1:05:28a lot of times we get into these hard
1:05:29seasons that we feel like that we're a
1:05:31mistake. Some of us have felt like we
1:05:32were accidents, you know. Your life is
1:05:35not an accident. It's not.
1:05:38God didn't
1:05:40just randomly one day say, I'mma give
1:05:42you this responsibility. He knew.
1:05:44And he wants you to know that. And we
1:05:46were That's why I said entrusted for the
1:05:48title, entrusted written by God, because
1:05:51our purpose was written by God.
1:05:54And it was entrusted to us.
1:05:57Your purpose was written by God, and it
1:05:58was entrusted to you.
1:06:00Because he believes that you can carry
1:06:02it. You can carry that. Whatever he
1:06:04entrusted you with, you can carry it so
1:06:06long as you're in him. I want to make
1:06:08sure that I pour that on y'all hearts. I
1:06:10want y'all to understand that. God
1:06:12entrusted you because he believes you
1:06:13can carry.
1:06:16So, remember that. So, ask yourself, you
1:06:19know,
1:06:21what has God already entrusted to me?
1:06:25For instance,
1:06:27Bible study,
1:06:29online presence,
1:06:31entrusted to me, but I had to go through
1:06:32some real rough things, some pruning,
1:06:35some separation, all of that to do so.
1:06:37What has God already entrusted in you?
1:06:41And if God entrusted it to you, are you
1:06:43stewarding it well?
1:06:47What's the dominion? What's your
1:06:48governing look like?
1:06:52And then also look at the things in your
1:06:54life that's collapsing right now under
1:06:56pressure. What's collapsing under
1:06:57pressure? What's collapsing under the
1:06:58weight?
1:07:02Is there something that you're going
1:07:03through right now that God may be trying
1:07:05to strengthen before he increases
1:07:08trust in you?
1:07:12I can tell y'all one thing.
1:07:14Whatever my hand finds to do, I'mma do
1:07:16it well.
1:07:17Cuz I know that God has entrusted things
1:07:20to me.
1:07:21And so,
1:07:23if I'm an image bearer and I am a
1:07:25representative of God, and wherever I
1:07:27go, I reflect his nature and his
1:07:29character and his values,
1:07:31and I know that he's given me a capacity
1:07:33for things, I'm going to do it well.
1:07:35Cuz I haven't in the past.
1:07:38I am now.
1:07:40Did y'all learn something from today's
1:07:42study?
1:07:44Did y'all learn something from today's
1:07:46study?
1:07:49Some of y'all been on me for 2 hours. We
1:07:50had a worship session. I wanted to
1:07:51listen listen to Richard Smallwood.
1:07:58Did y'all learn something today? We're
1:07:59going to get out of here. I know some of
1:08:00y'all like, "Ooh, I'm ready to go back
1:08:01to sleep." But look, we started off the
1:08:03day with the word of God. We did.
1:08:06I am happy.
1:08:08Um I'm happy for all of you as well.
1:08:12I am. Thank y'all for the plugging it
1:08:14out with me.
1:08:17And we are going to keep this rolling.
1:08:20Uh like I said, welcome to all the
1:08:21people who are new. I hope you get to
1:08:22return. Y'all, we're going back to
1:08:24Tuesdays.
1:08:26Not this Tuesday.
1:08:30When's the next Tuesday? Cuz y'all will
1:08:31be coming in, "Where you at, Kitty?" Not
1:08:34this Not this coming up Tuesday.
1:08:36When's the next one? Cuz y'all going to
1:08:38be like And I'mma put it on the thing. I
1:08:39haven't posted it yet, but I'mma go
1:08:40ahead and put it.
1:08:42Uh
1:08:4313th. Cuz y'all going to be coming in on
1:08:45the the sick like, "Kitty, where you
1:08:47at?" Like I I need a little time to
1:08:49study.
1:08:52The 13th, y'all, and I'mma go ahead and
1:08:54post it. I'mma go ahead and start
1:08:55posting next year's calendar.
1:08:57So, y'all can go ahead and get in. If
1:09:00uh
1:09:01it's too late,
1:09:04do y'all want me to
1:09:08Y'all want me to do a Tuesday and
1:09:10Saturday?
1:09:17Y'all don't be liking to go just watch
1:09:18the repeat?
1:09:23Oh God.
1:09:29I'm going to sit down and talk to God
1:09:30about what I can do.
1:09:31My God.
1:09:37Let me write this down. My Lord Jesus on
1:09:40the day.
1:09:41Tuesday.
1:09:46Tuesday.
1:09:50Saturday.
1:10:05I'll pray on that and I'm going to give
1:10:06you all my answer to that, okay?
1:10:09I got to pray on that one. My God.
1:10:12I'm going to pray on that, okay?
1:10:15Lower Jesus.
1:10:19My God, okay?
1:10:22When am I starting my sessions back? I
1:10:23go back into the office in February.
1:10:26So, I'm going to open up my calendar. My
1:10:27My calendar actually opens up on the
1:10:286th. So, I'm going to go back, open up
1:10:30my calendar on the 6th and my sessions
1:10:32come back in February. Yeah, I had to
1:10:35get some down time. So, yeah, I'm going
1:10:37to sit down. Y'all see that? I'm going
1:10:39to pray on that cuz I'm seriously going
1:10:41to pray on that. Yeah.
1:10:44It's a lot.
1:10:45But, right now we'll be back on
1:10:46Tuesdays. We come back on the 13th.
1:10:49Okay? We come back on the 13th.
1:10:52Um
1:10:54cuz this Saturday I know for a fact on
1:10:55the 10th I can't do anything. I have my
1:10:57son's birthday
1:10:59and then my mom's birthday. Two of my
1:11:01sons' birthdays are in the same week.
1:11:03All of their birthdays are the same week
1:11:04and so we got to do everything that
1:11:05weekend before I start traveling again.
1:11:07So, yes, okay?
1:11:10I'm going to bring the group me back.
1:11:12I'm going to bring it back. No, I I
1:11:14promised you I was going to bring it
1:11:15back. I am.
1:11:16Mhm. I just have to figure out like how
1:11:18I can do that cuz I know y'all want me
1:11:19to talk in there
1:11:21and hey Tiana, I'm sorry. Y'all wanted
1:11:23me to talk in there and I I didn't have
1:11:26the time to really be in there writing
1:11:29and talking as much, but I have the time
1:11:31now. So, I'm only going to do one day a
1:11:33week with my clients. So, I have the
1:11:35time now, okay?
1:11:36So,
1:11:38uh I'll go ahead and put the calendar
1:11:39up. We'll be back 13th and then I'll
1:11:41give you all the answer on a Saturday.
1:11:43It may be like a every other Saturday
1:11:45just based on my schedule cuz I do
1:11:46travel a lot on Saturdays. So, it makes
1:11:48it a little difficult, but I know I have
1:11:49international people and I want to serve
1:11:51you all too live. So, I'll be sure I'll
1:11:54be sure I'll be sure to do that. What
1:11:56time is it for everybody now and then
1:11:58we're going to get into our close out
1:11:59prayer and we're going to go out. What
1:12:01time is it for everybody now?
1:12:08Got a lot of Eastern standards.
1:12:14Think I saw 15. I'm I'm assuming that's
1:12:16military time. 3:00 p.m. for somebody?
1:12:211:45.
1:12:26Oh, so it's the afternoon for some of
1:12:29you all.
1:12:30Oh, that's beautiful.
1:12:33Okay, 13:41. So, it's 1:41.
1:12:38Okay, some of y'all it's really really
1:12:40early. Some of y'all it's actually the
1:12:42evening time and some well, afternoon
1:12:44time.
1:12:45Okay.
1:12:46Okay.
1:12:48I get it now. And some of y'all it's
1:12:50late night. Oh my Lord. Oh Jesus. Oh, I
1:12:53got to figure this out for y'all, okay?
1:12:55Okay.
1:12:57I'm going to figure it out, okay? I
1:12:58promised y'all I am. What are y'all
1:13:00going to take from today's Bible study?
1:13:01What are we taking from today's Bible
1:13:03study?
1:13:05What are we taking from today's Bible
1:13:07study?
1:13:14[Music]
1:13:28Capacity. What else?
1:13:32What else?
1:13:42The recording will be on YouTube. God
1:13:44has groomed me for an assignment.
1:13:46Beautiful. Image bearers. We're going to
1:13:48take it serious, right?
1:14:01Good. I love it.
1:14:05I love it.
1:14:07Okay.
1:14:09Let's see.
1:14:14Mhm.
1:14:17I think
1:14:23Let's see.
1:14:30Okay.
1:14:31So, y'all what I'm going to do is
1:14:34um
1:14:36what I'm going to do is usually we'll do
1:14:38a close out, you know, prayer like we do
1:14:40a coming in prayer.
1:14:41Today I we're just going to meditate on
1:14:43scripture really quickly.
1:14:45Um
1:14:46and it can be something that you all can
1:14:48take some time to meditate on as well.
1:14:50Uh we're just going to meditate on
1:14:52scripture. Something that you all can
1:14:54take with as well.
1:14:56Uh sometimes that's all you have to do
1:14:58if you feel like you're too weak to
1:14:59pray. Sometimes you can just sit and
1:15:00meditate on scripture. I have a couple
1:15:02of scriptures that I have written out
1:15:04that I tend to meditate on a lot.
1:15:07And so sometimes all you have to do is
1:15:09say just a couple of verses and meditate
1:15:11on that. So, I'm going to give you all
1:15:12something that you can meditate on that
1:15:13just keeps your heart grateful. Um and
1:15:16keeps you with God. It's not something
1:15:18heavy. It's just something that keeps
1:15:19you all uplifted. Um but it it's the
1:15:22heart of gratitude. Yes, for the the
1:15:24same. Three scriptures for years. Yeah.
1:15:27So, uh we're just going to in Psalm 106.
1:15:29If you all want want to go to Psalm 106,
1:15:31we're just going to meditate on verses 1
1:15:34through 5. Just if you all want to
1:15:36flip over to Psalm 106 and we'll
1:15:38meditate on verses 1 through 5. So,
1:15:41we'll read that three times together.
1:15:43We'll read it three times together,
1:15:44okay? We'll read it three times
1:15:46together. You all can read it out loud.
1:15:47Psalm 106 verses 1 through 6. If y'all
1:15:50have it, say amen. This is how we're
1:15:53going to pray ourself out. We're still
1:15:54communing with God. We're still talking
1:15:56to God. So, this still is considered
1:15:58prayer as well. I know a lot of times,
1:15:59you know, it's like, "Oh, we need to
1:16:01cover our head and our faces and be on
1:16:02our knees and stuff." But, sometimes you
1:16:04simply can just meditate on the word of
1:16:06God and you're still inviting the spirit
1:16:07to dwell in your heart. So, Psalm 106.
1:16:11We're going to read verses 1 through 5
1:16:14together. That's how we're going to pray
1:16:15out today. We're just going to meditate
1:16:16on this word of God. Keep us with a
1:16:18heart of gratitude as we go into this
1:16:20year of crowning. So, Psalm 106. Thank
1:16:22you so much. Thank you Jenicia. I think
1:16:26that's how you say it. It's beautiful.
1:16:27Whatever your name is, that is beautiful
1:16:28name. Thank you for putting that in the
1:16:30chat. Absolutely. So, say amen. I'm
1:16:33going to read from NLT. Sorry, I'm going
1:16:34to read from NLT right now. I'm going to
1:16:36read it from NLT. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm
1:16:39going to read that from NLT. Sorry about
1:16:40that, sugar love.
1:16:43You're welcome, baby. All right. So,
1:16:45we'll we're going to read this together,
1:16:47y'all.
1:16:48I'm going to read it slow cuz y'all know
1:16:50I'm a fast talker and a fast reader,
1:16:52okay? So,
1:16:54once we have it, let's go ahead and go
1:16:56into the word of God. Let's meditate on
1:16:57the scripture. We're going to read this
1:16:58three times. It's a couple of verses and
1:17:01then we're going to close out, okay?
1:17:04Praise the Lord.
1:17:06Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
1:17:09His faithful love endures forever.
1:17:11Who can list the glorious miracles of
1:17:13the Lord? Who can ever praise him
1:17:15enough?
1:17:16There is joy for those who deal justly
1:17:18with others and always do what is right.
1:17:21Remember me, Lord, when you show favor
1:17:23to your people. Come near and rescue me.
1:17:26Let me share in the prosperity of your
1:17:28chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy
1:17:31of your people. Let me praise you with
1:17:33those who are your heritage.
1:17:36Let's read that one more time. Psalm 106
1:17:38verses 1 through 5.
1:17:41Praise the Lord.
1:17:43Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
1:17:46His faithful love endures forever. Who
1:17:49can list the glorious miracles of the
1:17:51Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?
1:17:54There is joy for those who deal justly
1:17:56with others and always do what is right.
1:17:58Remember me, Lord, when you show favor
1:18:00to your people. Come near and rescue me.
1:18:03Let me share in the prosperity of your
1:18:05chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy
1:18:07of your people. Let me praise you with
1:18:10those who are your heritage. One more
1:18:12time, you all, okay?
1:18:14Praise the Lord.
1:18:16Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
1:18:19His faithful love endures forever.
1:18:22Who can list the glorious miracles of
1:18:24the Lord? Who can ever praise him
1:18:26enough? There is joy for those who deal
1:18:28justly with others and always do what is
1:18:31right. Remember me, Lord, when you show
1:18:33favor to your people. Come near and
1:18:36rescue me. Let me share in the
1:18:38prosperity of your chosen ones. Let me
1:18:40rejoice in the joy of your people. Let
1:18:42me praise you with those who are in your
1:18:44heritage. Amen.
1:18:47Keep a heart of gratitude. Ask God.
1:18:50Let's rejoice.
1:18:52Let's be prosperous.
1:18:54Let's give praises.
1:18:55And let's stay with a heart of
1:18:57gratitude. All right? That's how we're
1:18:59going to close out today. Meditate on
1:19:01the scripture, all right? Keep that
1:19:02heart of gratitude, all right? All
1:19:04right? You all have a blessed Saturday.
1:19:06I will see you all in 10 days on the
1:19:0813th. Go love somebody. Remember we are
1:19:11image bearers. Remember we are image
1:19:13bearers and we have the capacity
1:19:16entrusted written by God, okay?
1:19:19Good day, y'all.
1:19:21That's the next Bible study is on the
1:19:2213th and I'm going to post it so y'all
1:19:24give me until tomorrow, come back and
1:19:26look and then I'm going to have that
1:19:28posted with the schedule out, okay?
1:19:31All right, so that way y'all can sign up
1:19:32cuz I know some of y'all want to come to
1:19:33worship. We do worship 30 minutes
1:19:35before, okay?
1:19:38All right.
1:19:41Awesome. Y'all, if y'all follow Belve,
1:19:44if y'all follow Belve, if y'all follow
1:19:46her on YouTube, you follow her on
1:19:47Instagram, anything like that, go pour
1:19:49into her, go pour some love into her,
1:19:51continue to support Belve on her
1:19:54journey, okay? Please do.
1:19:57Okay? I think her YouTube is at is at
1:20:00Belve Times or maybe that's her
1:20:01Instagram.
1:20:03Belve Times.
1:20:07I'll post it. I'mma post it in the in
1:20:08the description box, okay?
1:20:10All right.
1:20:12Yes, it'll be reposted. This will
1:20:14already be posted on YouTube for y'all
1:20:15to come back to, okay?
1:20:17All right, y'all. See y'all in chapter
1:20:18two of Genesis. You all have a beautiful