This sermon introduction begins a new series called Cadence, exploring the intentional rhythm and order God has built into creation, as seen in Genesis 1-2 and Psalm 8, and how recognizing and appreciating this can lead to a fulfilling life.
Welcome! Today we begin a new 4-week series called Cadence. Now, how many of you have an idea of what the word cadence means? I only ask because the general definition of cadence is an interesting one that helps set the tone for the next 4 weeks.
Defined: a modulation in reading aloud as implied by the structure and ordering of words and phrases in written text.
Most often, the word cadence is used to describe someone’s voice when speaking or reading… As a side note, I hope you don’t spend the rest of the sermon thinking about the cadence of my voice… And specifically, when reading a book out loud for instance, a good narrator understands that keeping a healthy rhythm is incredibly important. There are sections that need to be read louder, some softer, sometimes long pauses are necessary and sometimes you need to speed through a section to match the heightened drama of the story. I think we can all agree that listening to a book with a horrible narrator is just really awful.
And for those of you in the room who aren’t really into audio books, the same principle is true in music. Just for a moment, think about a song you recently listened to and how the rhythm either adds to or takes away from the overall feel.
You see, whether our rhythm is orderly, or chaotic, there’s still a rhythm. And just like music, reading, or public speaking; there’s a right rhythm, as well as a wrong one. In other words, there’s a healthy cadence and an unhealthy one. One of the first places we see Godly cadence is in the rhythm of creation. When God created the cosmos He was clearly in “the groove,” to steal a phrase from the musicians in the room, and all that He created He said was....good.
And if it was good enough for God then it’s good enough for us. Let’s begin our series by opening together to the book of Genesis, the very beginning.
Defined: a modulation in reading aloud as implied by the structure and ordering of words and phrases in written text.
I’m sure that many of you have already heard these verses, or even memorized some of them in Bible studies or Sunday school. But for those of you who’ve never heard this before, the Bible begins like this; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) As God proceeded to create, He entered into a beautiful cadence of creation and rest.
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:3-5)
It’s interesting that at the beginning of creation, God created a day by taking the light and separating it from the darkness. By creating the light and constructing a day, God was able to enter into His groove of creation; “And there was evening, and there was morning…”
He gave us the sunrise and sunset - two of the most beautiful events in all of creation - and it’s right where God started. In the rhythm and cadence of a day.
Admittedly there’s a lot that can happen in a single 24 hour period. In fact, if you’ve ever watched the popular TV show 24 you know just how much can be crammed into a single day. Some days seem to zoom past us and some seem to drag on and on. Every one of them are different, even if we work diligently to have the same “routine,” there are alway going to be events that remain outside of our control.
But, I bet there are few of us in the room that think too much about the cadence of a day… The rhythms, grooves, and habits that we so easily step into and out of throughout the course of a day. And to be fair, it’s often difficult when you’re in the middle of something to be able to step back and see the bigger picture. For many of us it takes some kind of interruption or disturbance to get us to stop and reconsider the cadence of our lives.
So, what if we could see things from a different perspective? What if we could see things from a God’s eye view? What can we learn from the creation account in Genesis about how God stays in rhythm? ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
Sermon Central