Creation Series, Part 7a
Genesis 1:26
Introduction
- This morning, we begin the conclusion of our series on Creation
- Let me ask … has this series helped you understand God’s miraculous work?
-- If your answer is yes, I want to encourage you to be bold enough to share it
-- Remember that these messages are not only available online, but on CD as well
- What’s important to keep VERY close at hand is the things we have discussed
- 1) We have a Creator, He is God, and He has given us a clear account of His story
- 2) What we find ourselves in is a situation that separates all of us: Do we believe?
-- If you do not believe this account, you fall into one of these two categories:
- Theistic Evolutionist: Believes that God is real, yet He used evolution to evolve all things in this world to include the creation of mankind
- Naturalistic Evolutionist (which most non-believers are): Believes that everything evolved by accident, and that there is no God nor Creator
-- Evolution uses the formula: “Nobody times Nothing equals Everything!”
- Before we can even see the Redeemer, who is Jesus, we must see the Creator
-- We must see the Glory of a Creator who specifically put each thing into place
- APP: If we cannot see the work of the Creator; can we see the work of a Messiah?
- IMP: There is NOTHING in scripture that supports something evolved from anything
- This morning, I want to remind you of the 10 year Anniversary of September 11
- 10 years ago our world changed forever; much as it did following Pearl Harbor
- We awoke the following day to a new set of rules and precautions and changes
- But, what didn’t change is that God is still in control and He was NOT surprised
- Many in America are still trying to figure out why these things happened
- I’ll admit I don’t have all the answers; but I think we can discover some together
- If we would take the time to read God’s Word, we can learn about God’s “whys?”
- What we have seen to date is that God has created:
1. The Earth
2. The skies above (including the atmosphere)
3. The land and the seas
4. The vegetation that we see around us
5. The lights in the sky (to include the sun and the stars)
6. The fish in the sea and the birds in the sky
7. Last Sunday night we saw the creation of the animals which inhabit this
- This morning, it is my prayer that we would see the will of the Lord -- FIRST
- And through that understand the reason for our creation to fulfill His plan
- Stand and read Genesis 1:26
- Pray
Point 1 – God’s Sovereignty (26)
- One thing that we see which becomes VERY evident; is throughout we have:
-- GOD SAID … there is no discussion, when He speaks there is instant action
-- This action causes creation to begin instantly; no delay; no pause; no meetings
-- APP: From this, we can def. agree that when God speaks – action is demanded
- This morning, I’d like us to take this apart and really grasp God’s commands
-- This evening, we are going to get into all the details of this section so come back
- Throughout this series we have seen where God commands, and the Earth obeys
- But here, at the crowning of God’s creation … something amazing happens
- God creates what He deems “in His own image”; unlike anything else on Earth today
- The land was ordered into place for God’s purpose for creation to live on
- The seas were ordered into place for God to create life in them in swarms
- The sky (heaven) was put into place for the purpose of protecting the Earth
- The Earth was created to reveal how majestic God is in His craftsmanship
- The sun and stars and even the moon (celestials) were put into place for light
- But all of this comes down to one purpose: God created these for His purpose
- And now, we have the crown of His creation and it really is where we must tune in
- To be honest, most spend more time trying to avoid what God says in their lives
- It is our rebellion to any authority that drives our current placement in life
- On a larger scale, this nation is in complete rebellion to God and He is sovereign
- Could we have changed Sept 11; no, not personally … we are not in charge of that
- But could we affect God’s response to how He looks at you and me and our lives?
- Absolutely!! We cannot make Him love us more (or less); but He can draw us closer
-- What do I mean? Ask yourself, “Is God happy with the way I live my life?”
- God created us in His image so that we would rule over His creation, right? (v26)
-- APP: Often what we do is rule over God and tell His creation to bend to our will
- This is the exact attitude that gets us into trouble; and something we’ve got to learn
-- APP: WHEN we SEE ourselves in comparison to God’s Word, it causes change
-- Creation brings us into realization of who we are compared to the glory of God
- When God created us in His image; He meant that it would bring Him glory
- And only Him glory; and we must examine our stance and our faithfulness to Him
- APP: As believers, this is not a matter of our salvation (unless we are not saved …)
- But, it IS a reflection of how devoted are we to a God that created us!
-- APP: We must see ourselves in this behavior and be willing to do whatever it takes
- Are we serious about God? Are we serious about growth? Quick way to find out:
- Have a discipleship class on a Friday night and see who shows up
-- Or, just have Bible Study on a Wednesday night and see who comes to grow
- Or, what if as a church we offered a Hispanic worship service and see who objects
-- Great Commission tells us to do whatever it takes to reach people; whatever it takes!
- The basic application of this comes when we start to realize who we are in God’s view
-- Isaiah 45:12 says, “It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it.”
- We look to God to rescue us when we are in trouble and bring us salvation
- But when it suits us: We do what we want; talk about who we want; and go on living
- If we stop to wonder why tragedies like 9/11 happen it is actually simple:
-- We were created, we took charge of His creation, and then we dismissed God!
- Now, it’s not all bad news … One might even ask, “Pastor, how do we fix it?”
- We need to be committed as a creation … God calls us to total submission
-- Not part time convenience and its time this was said more often from pulpits
- It is not a matter of personal convenience; it never was; nor will it ever be
- The cross was NOT convenient to Jesus; and yet He was obedient to the Father
- Submission to Christ is not convenient to us; and yet He saves us if obey and follow
- Even though we rightly deserve a punishment that far outweighs our imagination
Conclusion
- God’s Grace is without strings; if we will come to the realization how much it cost
- In our nation, the only thing that you and I need is God’s Grace; and we need it now
- We don’t need stuff; we don’t need grief; we don’t need strife – we need Christ
- In the shadow of Sept 11th and in the face of the cross; we are you in this truth?
- We are given complete dominion in v26 of the entire creation; and how do we act?
- Christ shows us total submission to God by going to the cross; and our response is?
- Before we can even partake in the Lord’s Supper we must be sure we are right
- Would you stand with me?
- Pray
-- Salvation
-- Repentance
Lord’s Supper
