Alpha and Omega, Part 5
God’s reasoning for creating mankind
Genesis 1:26
Introduction
- We’ve begun the year with “one purpose”: Knowing there is a God!
-- Just as a building requires a builder, a creation must have a Creator
- Continuing our series, “Alpha and Omega”; looking at the beginning to the end
-- Studying two critical questions: How did we get here? How does it end?
- Last week’s big ideas (v20-25):
1. God desired to create living, conscious life
-- EX “conscious” life: An animal runs when it’s in danger … compared to a tree?
-- We have a God that has planned everything we see in advance; but consider this:
-- God, did not create everything we see for us … but to reflect His worthiness
2. Reproduction of life is God directed and blessed
-- God ordained things to reproduce “according to its own kind” (scientific FACT!)
-- All animals, trees, fish, organisms of all makes solely reproduce their own kind
-- There is no mystery here: Type A, plus Type A, equals Type A!
3. The birds, animals, and the fish were created to demonstrate God’s glory
-- This is why it’s critical for us to see that our worship begins at Genesis Ch 1
-- The worship we must have for God is because He has done these things
- How does this apply to us?
-- Before we can truly know Jesus, we must BELIEVE in the work of His Father
-- His work should motivate us to worship because of His work
- Let’s look at our passage for today … Read Genesis 1:26 / Pray
- TR: Level set: As we begin to unpack humanity, we need to see …
Point 1 – God’s sovereignty is displayed through humanity’s creation
- Note the continuous “theme” through of Ch 1
-- “God said” … Hebrew: amar, to speak or say (it is directive; requires response)
- 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
-- Hebrew: b?·?al·mê·nu, in our image (specifically: tselem, “image”)
- Backstory:
-- The Earth, the heavens, the heavenly bodies, animals, & fish were created:
-- To reveal God’s majesty in His craftsmanship … actually …
-- All of creation can be summed up, through God’s eyes, in one verse:
-- Psalm 115:3, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.”
- To be blunt, humans spend more time trying to avoid seeing what God has done
-- How come? Natural rebellion to any authority that challenges our own desires
- However, God continues to be consistent, to show us His glory, to draw us in
-- Hebrews 1:3, “The Son (the very image of God) radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”
- So now … when we examine our makeup we must marvel at God’s handiwork
-- To honestly believe that we are accidental formations is just nonsense
-- Even science supports that we are individually made … DNA is unique!
-- Side note: unique DNA can convict criminal, but cannot support creation???
- Consider for a moment what you are made of:
• 206 bones in skeletal system
• 700 muscles in muscular system
• cardiovascular system
• digestive system
• endocrine system
• nervous system
• respiratory system
• immune and lymphatic system
• urinary system
• reproductive system, and,
• the integumentary system (outer skin)
• Encompassing 37.2 trillion cells in the human body
- IMP: And all of this happened by the spoken word of God … WOW!!!!!!
- Now, look at how scripture describes all of this:
-- Genesis 1:26a, “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image …”
-- Jeremiah 1:5a, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…”
- TR: So this morning I want us to see the heart of God at work
-- Fact: God created man (v26), but I’d like us to dive deeper and …
Point 2 – Explore God’s purpose for creating mankind
- When man was created, God was already at work to provide redemption to us
-- Notice the word use (asah; to do) : “let US create” … who is God talking to?
-- We know that the Holy Spirit is already there (v2 – Spirit hovering …)
- BIG: Even in our rebellion, God still provides a way for us to know Him
-- He knew we would be sin and He knew His Son would be the redemption
-- There was never a time when our sin caught God off-guard; or un-prepared
-- Deeper: We cannot sin today and think God has not already planned for it
- To fully see this we must look ahead … Turn to John 1
-- In John 1:1-3, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”
- Don’t miss this: The “Word” is pivotal character to know in creation
-- Key: Reveals all things were made by him (for him / through him / in him)
- Also see a wonderful truth in John 1:14, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
- Question: Who is the “Word?” Answer: God, the One who always has been
-- And in this, John gives us a glimpse of God’s full nature …
- The Word is: The Spirit of God, the Son of God, and God the Father
-- This is the “us” of Genesis 1:26 (and we must always remember this)
-- APP: Our creation was discussed by God with those closest to Him
-- We see the why in a few minutes, but we must confess & commit to this first
- We know that the word “Trinity” does not appear in scripture
-- However, the core aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented in God’s Word
-- Their function, their action, & their purpose are outlined in who they are
-- Even though some of the applications may not as understandable (it’s ok)
-- The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God
-- But there is only one God – THAT is the biblical creed of the Trinity
- v26, God (the Father) is speaking of His intent (or His purpose) to create
-- BIG: He feels so strongly about our creation that he verbalizes it in Heaven
-- At no other point does He say “let us”; rather, He just does it
-- But here His desire to create is so strong He expresses it verbally
… this is what gets me every time …
- God knows our SIN will destroy our relationship with Him
-- Yet, in His mercy, God had already decided that we would be reconciled
- TR: So, this brings up an obvious question:
-- Question: “Pastor, why would God create knowing what we would do?”
-- Asked another way …
Point 3 – Why would God want to create a sinful creature?
- God created us so that we would be in charge of (rule over) His creation (v26)
-- CH: What we do (sadly) is try to rule over God & do it our own way
-- This is the attitude that gets us into trouble; and something we’ve got to change
-- APP: If we want to start to worship at Gen 1 we have to admit this
- Creation shows us who we are compared to the authority of God
-- Our reaction to this, however, is either rebellion or submission
- When God created us in His image; it was to bring Him glory
-- APP: Created to show His majesty to all who would know Him
- But how we react is a reflection to our devotion to the one Who created us!
-- IMP: We must see ourselves in this and be willing to respond accordingly
- Yes, we look to God for redemption and to rescue us when we are in trouble
-- But don’t we act and talk how we want and continue to live sinfully?
-- Want to know why we do what do?
-- Because we are sinful and rebellious, yet God gives us a choice to grow
- Are we serious about God? Quick way to find out:
-- Have a discipleship class on a Tuesday night and see who wants to mature
-- Or, have Bible study on a Wednesday night and see who wants to dive in
-- Not an indictment of anyone … but an encouragement to multiply and grow
-- We know about reproduction (next week), but what about reproducing our faith?
- The application of this comes when we start to realize who we are in God’s view
-- Isaiah 45:12 tells of God’s response to humanity – He says, “I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.”
-- Our response is then where we get to choose on how God affects us
- Now, it’s not all bad news …
-- Here is God’s commission to us: Gen 1:26, “They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
-- Hebrew: radah; to have dominion, rule, dominate
-- Get this: it’s NOT a part-time command
- Responding is never a personal convenience; He never was, nor will He ever be
-- Reacting to God is a personal, internal, choice that we all get to make
-- APP: Leaving the splendor of Heaven for this world was not convenient to Jesus
-- Going to the cross was NOT convenient to Jesus, but He was still obedient
- Obedience to God cannot waiver because the rewards of Heaven outweigh it
-- Even though we rightly deserve a punishment that far outweighs our imagination
-- Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- When God created man, He did so much more than mold some dust together
-- He created the very ones He would entrust His creation to - to take care of it
- TR: So, how do we see creation through the eyes of our Redeemer?
-- HUGE: He created the very being that His Son would have to die for
Big Ideas know this ... in Creation:
1. God’s sovereignty is always on display
-- He creates in His own image (for His glory); so we can see Him in everything
-- This is the ultimate act of reflecting God, knowing our role as His creation
2. God had a clear purpose for creating mankind (to reign & worship)
-- Even though He knew we would sin … He still chose to create us
-- And (big) even in our rebellion, He still provided a way for us to know Him
3. God’s creation of mankind was deliberate
-- He desired that we would know Him, working & praising & worshiping
-- Critical: He is worthy of our praise because of what He has done
-- Our response is what demonstrates who He is in our life (action & words)
- If we cannot celebrate the wonderful creation through the eyes of God
-- I submit that we are lost and without hope – it’s more than taking care of Earth
-- We were created to know & reflect Him, because of who He is!
-- We were created to draw into Him, to choose to be with Him – are you?
- Pray for:
• Salvation, it all begins with knowing Jesus (purpose of rescuing man)
• Let us see and experience the joy that He brings (freedom)
• Even if we know Jesus, repentance of sin is critical (need this)
-- Repentance is what brings freedom & stimulates growing closer to Him
