“The Cultural Mandate”

CULTURAL VIEW

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created  them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increased in number; fill the earth and said to over fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. 29 Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for fruit. 30 And to all the beast of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground- everything that has the breath of life in it. I give every green plant for food. And it was so

REPRODUCTION  

a.     We are to be fruitful and to multiply.  This is the natural fruit of Covenant keepers - Apostolic people.

b.     This involves both natural and spiritual reproduction. It involves populating the earth with a people who would know and serve God the Creator as a covenant (contract) bound people.

c.      Producing generational, covenant-keeping movements is the natural effect of a people blessed with a sense of destiny and historical significance. Not just planting a church, but being the church. Reaching the lost - discipling them - forming them into churches. Churches that reach the lost, make disciples and plant churches. Creating generational movements!

REACHING OUT

a. The mandate to fill the earth is given. The culture (or way of life) of the garden was to be carried beyond the garden into the whole earth.

b.  The Garden of Eden was a specific geographical location from which paradise would be extended. In the New Testament, Jerusalem was to be the starting point. We must always think globally while acting locally.

c.  Gen 2:10-14 The river flowed OUT of the garden! The blessing is to flow OUT of the church! 

Pison - disperse and spread; 

Gihon - breakforth; 

Hiddekel - active, rapid. 

Euphrates was the fourth. 

Along the Euphrates the earliest civilizations formed. Languages and culture spread. Distribution to the ends of the earth was God’s thought with the four rivers.

•  Jesus spoke of a river that would be in the believer. John 7:37-39.
•  FRUIT every month! In the Bible’s final chapter there is literally a river flowing OUT to the nations from Genesis to Revelation

d. British Theologian Ellison comments, “The obvious deduction is that Adam was to carry out his work in the garden in such a way that he and his family would gradually extend it until it would embrace the whole world.”

e.  Eden was formed as a debtor to the whole earth. Apostle Paul called himself a debtor to all peoples.  Rom 1:14 (above)

RULING

a.     It is an extensive rule (all inclusive -dominion over all works)Psa 8:3-9 

b.     Adam was to be a king under God in ruling the earth.

•  Adam = Man or human being in Hebrew, people or mankind.
•  Man was to be a limited (not eternal) beautiful copy of his               Creator and out of that relationship he would find meaning and purpose as His co-heir and steward over creation on earth. 
• Dominion (Gen 1:28) Rada - to tread down, subdue and break down.  Though His dominion is initially given to Adam, it is for all of mankind.

c. Those that bear His image are called to extend His image everywhere.

d.  Relationship and Ruling go hand in hand. God created us to be in relationship with Him and out of that relationship we are given a garden to tend. These form the basic ingredients of our destiny and historical significance. No followers were created! Only leaders!

e. If Adam gave up his responsibilities to cultivate (tend) and keep (be watchman of) the garden, that Satan would be given an opportunity to move in. We must destroy any neutral thinking in our world view. When we step out of government, education, health, etc, Satan’s system or man’s system takes over!!!

f. Before Adam could reach out to the world, he had to first take care of the garden and his wife. Ruling has a progression from self, to family, to broader scopes.

g. Adam was the governor and steward, but not the owner. God never gave ownership to Adam, only authority to oversee it.  That’s why the issue is

AUTHORITY

.

(1) God’s authority is over man. Man’s authority is over creation. He mediates between God and the earth. Our primary role as an intercessor which cannot be escaped!

(2) Adam surrendered his responsibility by listening to the wrong voice and bowing down to the wrong authority.

(3) After the fall, the rest of the story is how God re-establishes man’s role as God’s delegated authority in the earth.

(4)  Jesus breaks the headship of Satan (Gen 3:15) and establishes the Church as the delegated authority to carry out the Great Commission.

Ps. Jithro Alesna

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