HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF MY WORLD
After watching the movie Cinderella, five-year-old Sarah started using her pinwheel as a magic wand, pretending she was a fairy godmother. "Make three wishes," she told her mother, "and I’ll grant them."
Her mom first asked for world peace. Sarah swung her wand and proclaimed the request fulfilled.
Next, her mother requested a cure for all ill children. Again, with a sweep of the pinwheel, Sarah obliged.
The mother, with a glance down at her rather ample curves, made her third wish: "I wish to have a trim figure again."
The miniature fairy godmother started waving her wand madly.
"I’ll need more power for this!" she exclaimed.
When God made the world we live in, I’m glad he did not have to say I’ll need more power. He just said let there be…
A. Who is God in relation to my world?
1. He alone is creator (1:1). There are no other competing gods. Assumes God’s existence as fact! Written as polemic or an argument against the polytheism of the ancient near east. In other words, Genesis 1 begins with God or Heb. “Elohim” – noun is plural but the verb is singular. Very clever use Hebrew word for the plural suggest intensification, and yet that same word conveys the greatness and power of the One God, it’s been called the plural of majesty (used by royalty). Reveals a personal universe governed by a personal God! That’s why this world has meaning! Not due to chance!
2. He brings order from chaos (1:2-31) Note the common elements of the creation day a) introduction “and God said” b) the creative word “let there be” c) the fulfillment of the word “and it was so” d) a name giving/blessing “God called” e) the divine commendation “and it was good” f) the concluding formula “and there was evening and there was morning – the _______ day. Notice that the 7th day omitted something. The omission of the evening and the morning formula is deliberate. Henri Blocher commented “There can be no doubt about it in a text that has been composed with such exact calculation.” Significance: the 7th day is a day that did not end. The world is in order and so the rest of God continues… It speaks of a God who is an artist, designing the world, leaving his Signature by crowning His creation with something that reflects a creature made in His image, man and woman! Speaks of the Greatest opening ceremony ever!
3. He invites us to rest just as he did on the 7th day (Gen.2:2-3, Ex.20:8-11). To join in the rest. Genesis is a call to faith in God who made this world for me (The fact is God did not stopped working John 5:17). To rest, in His love, He provides all good things, cease to work for your own sense of “I have arrived” or “I made it” or accomplishment. Rather our work is to believe he made it, he has arrived and conquered the darkness, emptiness and filled my world with life. The greatest work/accomplishment of God is you, NOT what you can do for Him, made in His image, invited to rule the world as He rules the universe. And God’s divine favor is on creation- as He pronounces blessing upon blessing on what he has done and finally can say, all is perfect, very good! God invented the holiday. Thank God! Holiday or holy day reminds us who is in charge of my world! The Sabbath is the institution of God that differentiated the Israelites from the other nations of the ANE. What a neat idea, or else if left to us Chinese folks we will work 24/7.
Think with me, what a deal that was for the former slaves of Egypt. Paul Johnson writes in his book A History of the Jews (1987,p,37)“The day of rest is one of the great Jewish contributions to comfort and joy of mankind.” Yeah!
Theologians call man the crown of creation, but the goal of creation is the Sabbath rest! Picture of complete perfection, nothing let undone!
B. What can I do in response?
1. Meditate on God’s creation: Who is God in relation to the world? Genesis 1-2:3 announce God’s completion of creation. Beautiful, perfect, nothing left that is empty, formless or dark. Not debating about evolution vs. intelligent design, not in the mind of writer. Ps. 8, 19. Walk with God in prayer – go out to nature, sing with me how great is our God! God’s purpose for the earth is to be filled with life.
“For this what the LORD says – he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create in to be empty but formed it to be inhabited.” Is. 45:18
2. Appropriate God’s Wow: I got to remember I was made for a world that God’s Word declares is “very good” (v.31). Completion of creation was the final answer to the chaos when the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep. I gotta get thru my thick skull that creation is made for life to thrive. This is supported by the scientific principle called in the world of secular science and philosophy “the Anthropic Principle” - Which simply states when we look at the world it would seem, at first blush, that the universe was somehow designed to support and nourish human life. It matters to God that I live and breathe. God cares that I live and breathe. God takes it personally His world is invaded by when I overwhelmed darkness and emptiness that I can hardly function and when the very good stuff of God is distorted. God made me in His image. We can say - God did not make no junk!
3. Decelerate from making work my God: Think about protecting myself from overwork, instead of going fast to my grave. Stop killing myself. There is distortion in our world with regards to work. It makes work the goal and purpose in life in order to buy the things we don’t need to impress the people we don’t like. Sad! Well, the Bible tells me total absorption in work is not God’s way. Your worth is realized when you raise our eyes away from your work, in the blessedness of relating/communing with God (2:2-3).
4. Celebrate God with gusto: Treasure in your heart intimacy care love by glorifying in God made who this world for you to enjoy Him. In other words, worship – respond to God’s revelation in the Word. Seek first His kingdom and let not other worries crowd out God’s place in your heart. Remember He made this world just right for you to live so that you can know Him. Remember God calls us to a Holy day- holiday – fun! Set apart – be holy, set apart a day for God to refresh you! So put some fun back, rejoice in the Lord always says the apostle Paul, and again I say rejoice! God loved this world I live in, a world for His praise (Ps.148). Not suppose to be a day of dread or fear! Need to evaluate my existence in relation to a God who says WOW when he made me. Live according to the image of the Creator – He rested one day in a week. Accordingly, that gives me dignity whether female or male (v.26-27). Image came to while watching my son play basketball. Somebody who looks like me, my image in him, how proud I am! He works hard at it, practice, not easy, the sweat pours, don’t smell nice, I notice his hard work, to make the game of basketball beautiful to watch. In a game, he uses a killer crossover, shoots the 3 pointer, swoosh he scores! Touchdown, wrong sport! I wanna celebrate with him. But game not over yet. But I wanna shout. That’s my son! He’ll never lose his last name! He’s a Chan! Truth is, even if he did not make a basket, my son is my son, and I love him. That is how it is with God. He said wow, very good, yat lau!
4. Participate in God’s purpose: Rest, not abuse the world, call others to not work so hard that all the fun is sucked out, to believe in a God whose grace is greater than all our sin, who rejoiced over a sinner who comes to repentance (v.28), God’s call is to believe in Him who made the world to be filled with life and abundance and blessing! Acts 17:26,27
From one man he made very nation of men, that they shout inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
5. Anticipate total rest: The chaos will end (Heb.4:9).
6. Evaluate yourself as an image-bearer: A woman goes to the doctor for her yearly physical. The nurse starts with certain basic items. "How much do you weigh?" she asks.
"120," the woman says. The nurse puts her on the scale. It turns out her weight is 150.
The nurse asks, "Your height?"
"5 feet, 8 inches," she says. The nurse checks and sees that she measures only 5 feet, 5 inches.
She then takes her blood pressure and tells the woman it is very high.
"Of course it’s high!" she screams. "When I came in here, I was tall and slender, and now I’m short and fat!"
Received from Doug Burton
C. When will I rest completely?
Bible says “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Heb.4:4). Divine appointment – today, not tomorrow, today, right now is the time to grasp hold of divine grace. Today is your chance to trust God in the chaos, to trust God in the darkness, to trust God who can destroy the darkness and let light reign.
God is here, if you will seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him. His heart goes out to you, precious one made in His image. Do you hear?
Conclusion: Will you rest completely? Will I trust He will take control even if I let up for one day? Will you remember the Sabbath is a reminder that God will conquer the darkness and emptiness and formlessness of our time? He will bring order our chaos. Will you take see how valued, how treasured and how cherished you are, singled out as made in the image of God? courage Will you encourage another whose faith is flagging?
