Drawing from Genesis 1, this sermon explores how God created humanity in His image and likeness, and immediately blessed them with a divine mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion. The pastor emphasizes that the blessing of God is not rooted in selfishness but in stewardship, and that Jesus took the curse upon Himself at the cross so that believers could walk in the fullness of God’s blessing. Using the metaphor of a garden, the sermon calls believers to tend the various areas of their lives, bringing them into a balance of life and order so that fruitfulness can emerge. The message challenges the congregation to move from a mindset of lack or selfishness into one of Spirit-empowered stewardship, understanding that God’s blessing is the fuel needed to fulfill each person’s divine assignment on earth.
Key Points:
- God created humanity in His image and likeness, placing His blessing on all people regardless of whether they are walking in faith
- The first words God spoke to humanity were a mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion, which the pastor calls the dominion mandate
- Jesus became a curse on the cross so that believers could receive the blessing of God, symbolized even in the crown of thorns He wore
- The blessing of God is not about selfishness but about stewardship, equipping believers to fulfill their divine assignments
- A garden requires a balance of life and order to produce fruitfulness, and believers must tend the gardens of their personal lives, marriages, and families
- Grace is described not merely as unmerited favor but as a supernatural divine enablement to do what only God can do in a person’s life
- Dominion is the destination, but it is reached progressively through blessing, then fruitfulness, then multiplication
- Deuteronomy 28 is offered as a practical starting point for understanding the blessings and curses, and recognizing that the curse has no rightful claim on a believer’s life
- Believers are encouraged to pursue discipleship and grow in understanding of spiritual authority so they can exercise what Jesus has already provided
Scripture Reference:
- Genesis 1:26-28, in which God declares His intention to make mankind in His image and likeness, and then blesses them with the mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion over the earth
- Deuteronomy 28, which outlines the blessings and curses under the covenant, used to illustrate what Jesus secured and what He removed from believers
- Romans 12:2, which speaks of transformation through the renewing of the mind rather than conformity to the world
- Colossians 3, referenced in connection with believers being seated in heavenly places
- 2 Corinthians 8-9, referenced in connection with the generosity and provision available to believers
- Genesis 3, referenced regarding the curse of thorns and thistles following the fall, and the promise that the serpent’s head would be crushed