Bearing the Image - Kenley Miller

Good morning, extend Christian greetings to each of you in

the name of our risen Lord, ascended, Lord captain who's

led us and leads us through conflict and peace, and

our Prince of peace keeping our hearts. I been blessed

as well to be here in your presence this morning,

and want to just commit the rest of the time

to the work of God and his word. I've been

studying in a series of just short talks for home

there down the line of the laws of sowing and reaping,

and so this is. It provides a springboard for the

discussion this morning, for the time that we'll spend together here.

Enjoyed driving here and looking at the natural dimension of

soin and reaping. You know, God said Genesis one and

verse eleven. He said, these are his words. Let the

earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the

fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is

in itself upon the earth. And it was so sowing

and reaping. Well, one of the laws of soin and

reaping is just the fact that we reap in kind

to what we sow. Right, everything that springs forth comes

from an order that is of the same genetics we

reap in kind to what we sew. I considered another

principle from soin and reaping that's true in the natural realm,

and that is is that generally speaking, when we reap,

we're reaping in proportion to what we sew in proportion.

And that isn't necessarily consistent as we look at the

spiritual dimension of our lives, and yet it is to

some degree. And so there's a couple of the principles

of soin and reaping, just a little connectivity to the

natural realm. Tomatoes yield somewhere, and these are very wide figures,

but tomatoes per tomato you might find between one hundred

to three hundred seeds, and in a cucumber for somewhere

in the realm of one hundred to four hundred seeds,

peace in their pods have about five to ten and

beings around six corn yields much higher per cob Reaping

in proportion to what we sow, and reaping is a

is a law that is true regardless of who we are,

where we are, And in many ways nature leads us

into truths.

In the spiritual realm.

And so I'll be weaving somewhat between the natural and

the spiritual and looking at bearing the image. That would

be the title of my thoughts this morning, Burying the

image tewod Corinthians ninety six, Paul says to the church

at corinth and this was in the context of natural

physical giving sharing, whether it's my money, whether it's my time,

whether it's my resources, something being shared. He says that,

but this, I say, he which soeth sparingly shall reap

also sparingly, and he which soeth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

And it seems as though he's saying, it's self evident

that this is a principle that happens.

There's a pattern.

To so sparingly is to reap so as well, to

so bountifully is to reap in kind or in proportion.

In that same chapter, I'm going to read a couple

of verses Verse Corinthians nine versus ten and eleven. He

further says, ten and eleven. I'm sorry, I think it's

Second Corinthians in the wrong book. Second Corinthians nine, ten

and eleven. He says, now he that Ministereth, I think

the he here is God. Now he the Ministereth seed

to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and

multiply your seed sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

being enriched in everything to all bountifulness which causeth through

us thanksgiving to God. It's quite a mouthful, They're quite

a complex thought and idea.

But to simply be channels of God's grace through us,

He will minister seed to the sower, and as we impart,

he in turn responds back.

We look a little bit at the reward, and it's

a it's a it's an interesting thought to consider God

supplying our need. We understand it's in the context of

trust that we don't do it on a works basis,

But God's supply naturally, spiritually so much so much more so,

God is the giver and distributor of these laws. And

maybe in that vein, I'll take us to the book

of Joel in the Old Testament for just a bit,

because I think this this portrays for us a truth

that we find in the spiritual realm in relation to

proportionately reaping. Joel Old Testament minor Prophet. His book seems

to revolve around an event that had laid the land desolate,

and in verse three of Chapter one, Joel says, tell

your children of it, and tell, and let your children

tell their children and their children another generation. That which

the palmer worm hath left, hath the locus eaten. And

that which the locust hath left, hath the canker worm eaten.

And that which the kinker worm hath left hath the

caterpillar eaten. These are pest influences. These aren't The seeds

aren't necessarily in focus in that verse. These are more

influences to the harvest outside of the seed. But this

was a result of actions the Israelites had drifted from

God dramatically. Now listen to some of these descriptions of

what the land was like verse seven, he hath laid

my vine waste and barked my fig tree. He hath

made it clean bear and cast it away. The branches

thereof are made white. Jump over to verse twelve. The

vine is dried up, the fig tree languisheth, the pomegranate tree,

the palm tree also, and the apple tree.

Even all the trees in.

The field are withered, because joy is withered away from

the sons of men. Now drop down to verse seventeen.

The seed is.

Rotten under their clods. The garners are lad a desolate,

the barns are broken down, for the corn is withered.

Sowing and reaping.

There was a there was a.

Condition happening here where the children of Israel were reaping

for what.

They had sown.

Okay, chapter two and verse twelve we begin refocusing, and

verse thirteen mentions repentance, not that word, but describes it.

And so now we have God's conditional promise back to

Israel in a returning mode. So verses twelve and following

we have that.

Healing of the land.

And so, if you will, if you're in the book

of Joel, let's read verses twenty four and twenty five.

But maybe before we do, I'm going to point out

that in verse twenty eight we have the familiar phrase

that God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh,

upon sons and daughters, and they would prophesy the giving

of God's spirit. But just priyor to that promise, now

we have verses twenty four and twenty five. And the

floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall

overflow with wine and oil, and I will restore.

And I will restore to you the.

Years that the locust hath eaten, the kinker worm, and

the caterpillar and the palmer worm my great army which

I sent among you.

Often in the.

Spiritual realm, I don't reap as much as I should

when it comes.

To my.

Bad, wrong choices, and so in proportion to what we sew,

there is results. There is consequences, But often it God's

mercy overlays my life and saves us from the fullness

of the punishment. Seems like to me there are The

description of two seeds in our mind describes pretty clearly

the way it is. I'm not sure if that's theologically

correct to say that we have two seeds in our mind,

but it seems like it paints a picture fairly clearly

of how it is for us that there are two

potential plants that want to spring forth and grow naturally.

We come into this world with the carnal seed. The

spiritual seed must be planted. And I'd like to take

us to First John chapter three and look at a

few verses here that he.

He wrote.

That helped me understand spiritual implantation and growth development, sustaining

spiritual life. First John three, starting at Verse one, Behold

what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the sons and daughters, I'll

say of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not because

it knew him, not beloved. Now are we the sons

of God? And it doth not yet appear what we

shall be. But we know that when he shall appear,

we shall be like him, For we shall see him

as he is.

We will bear his image. Do you believe that?

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth

himself even as.

He is pure. Verse four.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is

the transgression of the law. And ye know that He

was manifested to take away our sins, And in him

is no sin, And so bearing his image will be

looking like him.

Verse six.

Whosoever bideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not

seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man

deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as

he is righteous, a condition of bearing his image. He

that committeth sin is of the devil, For the devil

sinneth From the beginning.

For this purpose. The Son of God was manifested that.

He might destroy, destroy, ren powerless the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for

his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin.

Because he is born of God.

I think I'll stop there, but I'd like to look

at this phrase for a little bit. His seed remaineth

in him. We can look at that a couple different ways,

and one would naturally be that we are God's seed

this morning, and so his seed or God's children abide

in him, remain with him. We could look at it

from that perspective, which wouldn't be necessarily wrong. But the

preferred rendering would be that God's life remains in you

and I. That God's life remains.

In you and I.

It doesn't need to be padlocked in our life, for

fear will lose it. No, it's established it will remain

so long as I feed it. There is no fear

of loss. It cannot become extinct or removed unless.

I were to reject it.

It represents my relationship with Christ. It is my right

standing with God that that seed remains alive. God's seed

remains in him now I'd.

Like to.

Think about, continue thinking about. I guess the cultivation of

that seed in our minds. Further, some attitudes that I

believe cultivate growth of the seed and finally fruit, rendering

as the goal.

God seed that is planted.

And in first Peter, I believe it says where it's

implanted in our mind, where it has that beginning, that

initial germination process. Jesus said that unless a grain of

wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.

But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit unless

it falls into the ground.

And so this idea of two.

Opposing forces in our minds, there must be death that

precedes life. And furthermore, not only does death precede life,

but life for the one will mean death for the other.

Cultivating growth in the one will mean choking of the

other Galatians five, verses sixteen and seventeen. I'll read it

from our King James first, and then I'd like to

read it from another uh from a paraphrase Bible. But

in this, in this competition process for growth and development

on Corinthings five, sixteen and seventeen says this, I say,

then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill.

The lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit

against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to

the other, so that ye cannot do the things that

ye would. Now from the paraphrase, I advise you to

obey only the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you

where to go and what to do, and then you

won't always be doing the wrong things your evil nature

wants you too, For we naturally love to do evil

things that are just the opposite from the things that

the Holy Spirit tells us to do. And the good

things we want to do when the Spirit has his

way with us, are just the opposite of our natural desires.

These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other

to win control of us, and our wishes are never

free from their pressures, And in this life we find

that to be true. Their pressures are never we're never

free from their pressures. Glatian sixt eight says he that

soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,

but he that soweth to the Spirit, to the Spirit

shall reap life everlasting. Four attitudes that I think of

that cultivate I believe a life giving, spiritual, eternal growth

process in our hearts, and I believe that there are

more than four. These are but four of them. Romans eight,

verse seven. I'll read it for us here. You don't

need to turn here Romans eight, verse seven. Because the

carnal mind is enmity against God, for it's not subject

to the law of God. Neither indeed can be so.

Then either in the flesh cannot please God. But ye

are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If so,

there be the Spirit.

Of God dwell in you. Now.

If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he

is none of his. Again, just another passage illustrating this tension,

this conflict between us. The first attitude that I would

like to consider is the attitude of being of me

being sincere versus unreal or maybe we would say fake

or having a facade. I believe sincerity cultivate a healthy

environment of growth. For most of you, you don't see

me day by day, and so I show up Sunday

morning and and leave, and you don't have a very

close connect activity to my Monday through Saturday process.

But I'd like to assure you that.

There are some things this morning that you don't know

about me, and I'm kind of glad you don't.

I I shared.

This this last week, and there I shared it with

a group of people that knew me much better, that

understood me much better. And I don't find it easy

to expose my shortcomings.

I really would like to.

Hide those behind a cover that isn't the real me.

So I like to let people see what I want

him to see, and then yeah, there is some other things.

But as long as I can cover it, then really,

who am I? Who am I fooling? Who am I

trying to fool? And I guess as I have journeyed

along in life, read this in a book and originates

with John Kblance and I want to just make note

of that, but it has made a lot of sense

to me often. I think we consider honesty to be

a very black and white issue, and it.

Is truth versus arrow error.

We think about it about it as being a very

clear cut right or wrong, and it is. I think

there's another dimension to honesty in which, as we journey

with God, God reveals to us in fuller and deeper

way how to be honest with ourselves and how to

be honest with him and how to be honest with others.

It doesn't mean we haven't been in the past.

It just means that He reveals how to become more

and more we might say transparent. Sometimes that desire to

hide is fueled by the fact that I don't I'm

not really satisfied with who I am. But you know

this morning, God is He's perfectly satisfied with who he

made you, who you made me. Honesty is not necessarily

just a static condition, but it.

Can be developed.

We become more and more accurate in our reflection of ourselves.

I think that that's an environment that cultivates spiritual growth

and further maturing.

But if we walk in the light Johnson, as he

is in the light, what do we have one? We

have fellowship one with.

Another, and we have cleansing through Jesus sacrificial death.

So I'm fifteen one and two.

Says Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, who shall

dwell in thy holy hill, that walketh upright, uprightly, and

worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart. The

second attitude to cultivate, like to consider is wholesomeness in

my thoughts versus lust in my thoughts, lust being that

which I long for but I should not have or.

Is not mine.

We often think about in a moral sense, but it

goes far beyond that moral dimension. But it is definitely

there in the climate of our society and entering into summertime. Intentionality,

I believe must be part of our mental process of

staying whole in my thought, intentionally making choices wherein I

will not sin against God. As Joseph said there with

Potiphar's wife, how can I I have been somewhat amazed

by the standard of society. Few experiences I've had recently,

we've had its family, just the deterioration of society and

particularly in regards to shame wholesome versus unwholesome thoughts creating

an environment of growth.

I think we're going to have to be intentional as

families in navigating.

Through the world and which we're placed. I think we're

going to have to be very intentional. And society is

not a place that's safe for me. If I find

gratification to my flesh something that I feed, it is

not a safe place. I think we'll have to be intentional.

But further than that, I believe the mind that is

cultivating spiritual growth is much more protected in our world

than the carnal mind that is protected or is in

a protected environment. There's far more protection to us as

individuals through the power and salvation of God in an

unregenerate society. If our godly seed is growing, then there

is for the person who's in a protected environment, but

feeding his flesh, God grants protection. I believe that that

attitude will foster the wholesome attitude will foster a cultivated

spiritual growth. Thirdly, an attitude of regard for God perspective

of recognizing God in my daily life versus being self absorbed,

being absorbed in myself and what I'm feeling and experiencing.

To recognize that God's presence, God's presence goes with.

Me wherever I go, he is with me.

He's no more with me in my devotional closet than

He is with.

Me on the job, or in town or wherever.

And I think when I foster an attitude of the

presence of God with me every minute of the day,

every minute of the night, his life develops inside. He

has a way of touching me in the specific self

absorbed traits that I have he breaks those facades, they

disappear in his presence, and he brings.

My will to align with his.

I think a regard for God will also be acknowledging

him working through a thankful spirit, through an acceptance of

what he brings into my life, reaching out to Him

for not only the big items, but also the little

items that are concerning to me. Cultivating an attitude of

regard for God. Fourthly, cultivating a trusting spirit versus a

spirit that grasps for control.

M hmm.

I like to see the end before I get started

on the beginning. And I'm sure you're not all like that.

We're different in this way as in a number of

other ways. But I find it hard to embark on

a new dimension of life without being able to see where.

It's going to lead me.

And so I have naturally found this one to be

very practical in my life. Does God show us the

end when He brings us to the beginning? When God

opens the door? Does he show us where the exit

or the end will be? He doesn't. Often, you know,

we can. We can take a project at home, and

so recently I replumbed some water lines so that we

would have some faucets on the outside of our house,

and I had an idea. I knew what I wanted

to do, but until I actually commit myself and get

into it, I wasn't sure how it was all.

Going to pan out.

And before I start that, I'd like to know what

all pieces I need to put the lines together.

I like to know how.

I access the cavities so that I can in my

mind visualize where these lines run and how I'm going

to get them to where I'm going to end up.

All these things that you have to kind of picture

in your mind if you're going to try to picture them,

because they're hidden, and for me, sometimes I don't even

start because I can't see the end and I'm grasping

for control.

To be able to just let go and.

Start first grade, Just step one, just step out, and

do I think that cultivates a healthy growth inside.

Now, you could take that to an extreme, for sure.

I'm sure that there's another side to that, But a

trusting spirit versus grasping for control. Someone gave the prayer

grant me the grace to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can't, and the

wisdom to know the difference. God always gives the best

to those who leave the choice to him. Grew up

with a plaque saying that God always gives the best

to those who leave the choice to him, considering fruit

as the end result. John fifteen to eight. Jesus, there

parable of the vine. Herein is my Father glorified that

ye bear much fruit, So shall ye be my disciples.

It's interesting that flowers are the seed producing elements of

the plant. Flowers produce the seeds. We just came through

a beautiful time of the year. It seemed like the

flowering element of nature was prolific this year. Many varieties

did well, and.

We notice that.

Flowering, that process of tree cycles, is triggered by numerous factors.

But I understand that the primary trigger to flowering has

to do with timing of light versus darkness. Some flowering

varieties they're triggered to flower when the day gets long enough.

Some I'm not so familiar with other varieties. But other

varieties are triggered to flower when the darkness gets long enough.

And so these plants are registering timing of light and

dark And somewhere I read that there they can be

as accurate as to within the minutes of light span

versus dark span of the day. So it's just interesting

that God has developed the the the plants of our

horticultural world to be triggered to flour based on.

Influences outside of themselves.

And so while flowers produce the seeds through the pollination

fertilization processes where pollen and bees and all that goes

with that happen. Fruit, if it's a fruit bearing plant,

fruit is the seed containing part of the plant. It's

what contains the seed apples, oranges, pears, and and so forth.

Fruit is the seed containing element of the plant.

I find that.

Interesting as a think about the spiritual dimension of sowing

and reaping. I'm not sure you can take that and

study that a little further. When God sees fruit on

our branches, are there seeds there that He's going to perpetuate? Perhaps,

But I guess the natural conclusion to a discussion like

this would be in Glatians five, verses twenty two to

twenty six.

But the fruit of the spirit, I'd.

Like to take each of these and consider, in a

small way, a practical outworking of them, And I've chosen

verses one verse for each of these, and I've tried

to link verses that would draw our attention to the

divine nature of God, imparting his image to us in

some way, so very succinctly, just move through these. Are

we supporting the maturing of fruit on our branches.

Love?

Maybe we think about this fruit being love and all

the other's characteristics of that fruit, and that's fine. Maybe

we think of each one as a separate fruit. That's

fine as well.

But love, we start with love.

Romans twelve nine says, let love be without dissimulation. Let

love be genuine and sincere. Dissimulation is the idea of

acting out pretending play acting, you know, or we have

maybe have a play and somebody has their part to play,

and in the right sequence they come forth and they

share a piece. Maybe it's a response to another piece,

but it's pre memorized and it just it was at

the right time. But it's not really them, but they

play the part. Love in my life should be more

than just going through the motions. And love, as Jesus showed,

is an expression of divine life. He loved us, No

we how does that go? We love him because he

first loved us even when I was unlovely joy John fifteen,

verse eleven. These things have I spoken unto you, that

my joy might remain in you, and that your joy

might be full joy, joy directly from the heart of God,

my joy. I have given you these things. I've given

you that you would have joy remaining and be full

the fruit of joy freed of long suffering. On Timothy one,

verse sixteen says, howbeit for this cause I obtain mercy,

And Paul is talking here, howbeit for this cause I

obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show

forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which

should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. That in

me first Jesus Christ might show forth his long suffering

to be willing this morning to be an exhibit of

God's long suffering, so that the pattern would be set

for others.

To grasp His love and eat eternal life for them.

Spiritual fruit.

Expressions being expressions of God's long suffering gentleness.

For Timothy three four.

Says, but after that the kindness or gentleness and love

of God our Savior toward man appeared. But after that,

so I'm using it in a context I should read

the next verse or verses.

Not by works of righteousness, which we have done.

But according to his mercy, He saved us by the

washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy ghost, which

he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ.

Our savior.

Gentleness. Gentleness would have the Vines Word study book says

that gentleness would have the characteristic and quality of the

gentler qualities of goodness, that which comes forth from my life,

that has a gentle nature, and others would feel that

gentle hand expression. Goodness, on the other hand, has the

more sterner qualities of goodness. That's kind of an interesting

thought that both of these words are included in the

fruit of.

The spirit, Goodness, sterner.

Qualities, things that don't always feel gentle, but nonetheless are

good goodness coming forth from us. Romans fifteen, verse fourteen says,

and I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren,

that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all

knowledge able also to admonish one another.

Full of goodness all right faith.

Philippians one twenty seven. Only let your conversation be as

it becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come

and see you, or else be absent, I may hear

of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit,

with one mind, striving together.

For the faith of the Gospel.

Striving together for the faith of the Gospel. The fruit

of faith, the expression of God's life, often is striving together.

Is it not to stand fast in one spirit to

attain to the faith of the Gospel. Meekness the characteristic

of God's expression through us. Meekness is shown in the

face of opposition. It's a condition of the mind that

is neither elated nor cast down because it's simply not

consumed with me at all. Meekness is a condition of

the mind first and foremost to God, acceptance and at

peace with His lot for me, whatever that is tewod

Corinthians ten, Verse one says, now I pall myself beseech

you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in

presence and base among you. But being absent and bold

towards you, I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness

of Christ, an expression of God's character quality through us. Finally, temperance.

Second Peter one and verse six says that we well,

maybe I'll turn there, because this one has a direct

link to eternal life. Second Peter, Chapter one. According as

his divine power, hath given unto us all things that

pertain unto life and godliness. That's verse three, now verse six.

For our word and to knowledge, add temperance, and to temperance,

add patience, and to patience add godliness. That's in a

list of additions, and we're not necessarily going to look

at all of them. But this character quality of temperance

is linked to God's expression working out in our hearts.

Add to our knowledge, to what we know to be right.

Add to that self discipline or temperance.

Add to that patience, and then godliness and brotherly kindness,

and so on well, expressions of God's character flowing through us.

It says that there is no law of restriction upon these.

Against such, there is no law life in Christ as

expressions of Him. I think I'll leave you with these

words from a hymn writer who says, O life in

whom is life, indeed through whom our best desires are freed.

Stir thou that life in us. We plead we come

to thee.

If the Lord bless you in your experience of fruitfulness,

working and serving, serving with his divine nature working out

in you.

Lord, bless you

What, for example,