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?¡¨
3. God¡¦s provision includes¡K ORDER
č Every parent tries to offer order that can help their child copes with all the activity of life. Yet we quickly realize that all our order is only a reflection of the order bestowed in the provision that surrounds us:
The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. Psalms 104:19-23
ƒç The working nighshifts hadn¡¦t been discovered yet!
ƒ¶ What does the placement of the sun and moon tell us? ¡K What does the nature of sunrise and new days tell us? ¡K Of evenings and rest at night? ¡K Lunar calendar that offers a new year, just when we¡¦re ready for a transition, tell us about¡K?
4. God¡¦s provision includes¡K AESTHETIC PLEASURE
ƒç Parent¡¦s putting up wallpaper¡K decorating the room wasn¡¦t a first. As noted, Genesis 2:9 describes the garden as ¡§pleasing to the eyes¡¨
č The same pleasure could describe all the vast colours, smells, tastes that fill the earth
ƒç What does a field of flowers say? ¡K Stars at night? ¡K Moonlight? ¡K Fragrance of a rose?
5. God¡¦s provision includes¡K A STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT
ƒç Part of a parent¡¦s desire¡K from mobiles placed above the crib, to trips to the zoo, to a desire for good education¡K a stimulating environment is part of loving provision.
č This speaks to so many qualities provided in creation:
a) VARIETY
-- Diversity of personalities¡K ethnic backgrounds¡K gifts
-- Look around you¡K What does this say about God?
b) EXPANSE
-- In all of human history, we¡¦ve never explored but a tiny portion of our oceans¡K
never explored but a fraction of the universe around us
-- What do these vast depths and heights tell us about¡K
c) CHALLENGES FOR OUR MENTAL CREATIVITY
-- We¡¦re in constant research to understand each facet of creation¡K what it¡¦s made
of, how it functions, how to work with it¡K
-- What kind of God prepared for such endeavoring?
6. Finally, God¡¦s provision includes¡K COMPANIONSHIP
č Parent
ƒç Companionship¡K the ultimate fulfillment of the human soul¡K someone to share our experience of life with
Ħ What does this wonderful ability to communicate and form friendships say about how God cares for us?
WHAT IS THE GREAT MESSAGE OF CREATION?
č That God is indeed our father and that you are of great value in His heart
č That God is all powerful and all caring
ƒç While creation¡¦s grandness appears designed to fill our souls with awe, creation¡¦s goodness is designed to fill our souls with assurance.
č Our response to the created world can be that of being LOVED, because we can see our value amidst its vastness
Perhaps you¡¦ve experienced this a bit¡K sat at the edge of the ocean¡K. or in the midst of great mountains¡K such as Yosemite¡K and felt a new perspective trying to speak into your soul.
ƒ¶ So James writes that in facing trials and temptations, we must not be deceived¡K God tempts no one, rather¡K ¡§Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.¡¨ (James 1:17)
Ħ For Jesus, this truth was essential to all He proclaimed. It reflects the trust he has called us to in coming children of God
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will given him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ¡¥What shall we eat?¡¦ or ¡¥What shall we drink?¡¦ or ¡¥What shall we wear?¡¦ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25-33
So come walk in this created world as a child, recognize the all-powerful and all-caring nature of its provision for you.
INVITE PRAYER TEAMS & WORSHIP TEAM
PRAY ¡V Talk to God in your heart¡K (silence)
Series: Living In Response to God¡¦s Love ¡V Part 2
WHAT AM I TO MAKE OF THIS WORLD?
July 30, 1995 ¡V Brad Bailey
How do we related to the created world around us?
ƒç As lucky ¡K because we see its immediate and exploitable value?
ƒç As lost ¡K because we see only its vastness?
ƒç As loved ¡K because we see our value amidst its vastness?
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
„« What kind of God do you talk to when you pray?
„« What does this world, despite its now fallen nature, tell you about God, yourself and His care for you?
„« Can your creator rightly be called your Father?
GOD¡¦S PROVISION INCLUDES¡K
1. Food & Nourishment
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
2. Means of Protection & Safety
3. Order
The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. Psalms 104:19-23
4. Aesthetic Pleasure (Genesis 2:9)
5. A Stimulating Environment
6. Companionship
The Great Message of Creation¡K GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL AND ALL-CARING. Creation¡¦s grandness fills our souls with awe, while creation¡¦s goodness fills our souls with assurance.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows. James 1:17
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will given him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ¡¥What shall we eat?¡¦ or ¡¥What shall we drink?¡¦ or ¡¥What shall we wear?¡¦ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25-33
