What Am I Too Make Of This World Series

Intro: Children¡¦s ¡§letters to God¡¨ ¡K esp. those that relate to creation .

Creation offers so many questions as well as insights for life. I want to begin by asking us as adults¡K adult children¡KHOW DO WE RELATE TO THE CREATED WORLD AROUND US?

ƒç As LUCKY ¡K because we see its immediate and exploitable value?

- it offers profit or pleasure

ƒç As LOST ¡K because we see only its vastness?

- stars at night¡K I¡¦m so small & insignificant¡K ant¡K amoeba¡K

not enjoying this anymore

ƒç As LOVED ¡K because we see our value amidst its vastness?

What are we to make of this world? That¡¦s the question I invite us to consider as we continue our series on living in response to God¡¦s love. For Jesus told us to call God our Father¡K to relate to God as our Father. This was central to the very life of Jesus.

č The knowledge of this fatherly love guided His life over any other influence

ƒç If we¡¦re to become more in love with Jesus¡K more passionate for His life to be at work in us¡K it comes from knowing this same quality of relationship

č We want to look at how we can relate to God as our Father

ƒç Last week we looked at the very nature of our existence ¡K today: IS GOD A FATHER IN REGARDS TO THE ENVIRONMENT HE PROVIDES?

The truth we hold regarding human parenting is that A PARENT¡¦S VALUE OF THEIR CHILDREN IS EXPRESSED IN THEIR PROCESS OF PROVIDING FOR THEM ¡K given whatever resources are available, every good parent desires to provide a good environment for their children.

„X Memories of parent¡¦s working on their first home¡K my father leaving for work early every day¡K

„X Most noticeable of all is often the baby¡¦s room¡K the right colours¡K lighting¡K animals, books, mobiles, crib

ƒ¶ All our knowledge has led us to value providing the proper food, lighting, animals, schedule ¡V sound familiar? What does the description of God creating our physical world say?...¡¦On the first day¡K light¡K animals¡K food¡K all before the arrival of those in His image.

I believe CREATION STILL PROCLAIMS GOD¡¦S NATURE IN THIS WAY:

For since the creation of the world God¡¦s invisible qualities ¡V His eternal power and divine nature ¡V have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Even though scripture declares that creation has been subjected to the fall and groans to be redeemed, God is still communicating through His living provisions. We can ask:

č What kind of God do you talk to when you pray?

č What does this world, despite its fallen nature, tell you about God?

č Can your creator rightly be called your father?

Consider what God¡¦s provision includes by looking at 6 areas most associated with the loving concern of a parent providing for a child.

1. God¡¦s provision includes¡K FOOD & NOURISHMENT

Can become a bit removed from this most basic element of creation¡K many of us have come to believe that food originates in Styrofoam containers and frozen food boxes. At the very least, we being to associate supermarkets as our sources and money as our means.

ƒç Bart Simpson¡K prayed¡K there may a little bit of Bart¡¦s perceptions in all of us

č Our modern shopping packages the miracle of food so that it appears almost man-made

ƒç It¡¦s interesting that the modern city is often associated with more hindered in their relationship to God and that those in the heartland of any country are know for a more natural gratitude as they work the miracle of the land and animals

č As the Psalmist reminds us all:

He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate ¡V bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. Psalms 104:14-15

ƒç As we walk down our salad bars, we might ask ¡§What does this say about my God¡¦s care for me?¡¨

¡K enjoy our multigrain breads & cereals¡K sip our fruit beverages¡K what kind of God is my God?

2. God¡¦s provision includes¡K MEANS OF PROTECTION & SAFETY

ƒç Certainly we¡¦re not protected in an absolute manner.

č To try to imagine a life apart from the possibility of harm is to cease to imagine any real life where freedom is involved.

ƒç This is true of a parent¡¦s love¡K to provide for safety is considered loving, to guarantee it would lea to measures we¡¦d call cruelty

ƒ¶ So in creation we are provided for in a loving way¡K materials soft enough for clothing and others solid enough to build shelter

ƒ¶ We must ask ourselves, ¡§What kind of God¡K?¡¨