Sermon Tone Analysis

Lesson 1 part 3

Last week we discussed:

*Responsible Dominion

Genesis 1:28 “28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.””

- Ultimately we discussed how God has ultimate authority.

- He gave authority to us to name animals.

(Gen.

2:19 “19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky.

He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” )

We can trust Him.

Good teachers use their authority responsibly.

bad teachers abuse their authority.

Now, this morning, we are going to continue this though by talking about 2 more things from Responsible Dominion, then conclude this part of our study talking about marriage and the family.

I. RESPONSIBLE DOMINION CONTINUED.

3. How we Experience God.

As we’ve already discussed this morning, Adam learned about God by seeing how God interacted with the world and by listening to the Words of God.

For example, God told him which fruit was safe to eat and what was not (the words of God)

God told him and showed him.

Adam needed to experience God’s creation and HEAR God’s word before he could understand.

This is true then and it’s still true today.

Psalms 19:1 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

We see God in all of creation.

We see the work of his hands.

2 weeks ago if you were like me, you saw the foreign object in the sky.

The “chinese spy balloon” as it was called.

Now I’m not about the theorize what in the world all that was about this morning, but let me just say, when I saw it, you knew it was something in the sky that wasn’t God’s creation.

It was man made.

Yet all around that balloon was God’s creation!

At night the sky is filled with stars.

During the day, it’s filled with sunlight and a blue sky.

God makes himself known through His creation.

This is called General Revelation.

But God also has made Himself known through his Word.

God’s Word, the Bible is called Special Revelation.

The last part of Responsible Dominion I want to discuss this morning is about God’s work.

God called us to work!

This was not something that was part of the fall.

4. God’s call on us

A good life isn’t just entertainment 24/7

It’s not playing all the time or doing what you want to do.

God started earth by working!

And then by calling it good.

There is a sense of joy, satisfaction, and pride that comes when good work is accomplished.

God wanted us to know that was a good thing.

Proverbs 18:9 “9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 “11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 “11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive.

They are not busy; they are busybodies.

12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.”

We all know the truth here.

There are people who work too much and there are people who are lazy.

The truth is in the middle.

Work is more than just what you do to make money.

Work is also far less than sacrificing family and other things so that you can chase your ambitions in your career.

The point is we were designed to be productive.

We were not designed to be stagnant.

You may work a blue collar job one day, amen!

Do it for GOd’s glory.

You may work a desk job one day, Amen, do it for God’s glory.

You may be a stay at home mom one day, Amen, that’s a tough job!

Do it for God’s glory.

The point is that in whatever we do, do it for God’s glory.

We have an opportunity right where we are every day to point others to Christ.

One of the best ways we can do that is by working hard with the gifts and talents God has given us.

Always giving credit to our creator.

As we credit our creator, we remember that God is the ultimate authority, and any authority we have is given from Him.

We should use it wisely as we trust Him.

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II.

The next institution we see God establish in Genesis 1 and 2 is that of Marriage.

Imagine for a minute that you are Adam.

You’ve been naming all these animals and enjoying creation.

But as you look around, you notice you are alone.

Nothing else is like you.

God says in Gen. 2:18 “18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper suitable for him.””

Genesis 2:20 “20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”

Why would Adam need a helper?

Remember God’s call

Genesis 1:28 “28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.””

The authority God gave to Adam was bigger than one man.

It was not mean’t to be a lonely job.

To fulfill his primary job, multiplying and filling the earth, Adam also could not do that alone.

Thirdly, God wanted to show Adam that men and women complement one another and are not opposed to one another.

This is an important part we will discuss for a moment.

Vs. 18 says, “I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Other versions of the Bible say, “A helper who is just right for him.”

The helper that was “just right” for Adam was not a best friend.

How are Women and Men just right for one another?

maternal instincts women have men don’t.

protecting and providing instincts men have.

What happens when you put a left shoe on your right foot or a right shoe on your left foot?

You might still walk from place to place, but you know something isn’t right.

You can’t run in those shoes or do anything remotely active without hurting yourself or ruining the shoes.

Why?

Because your using the shoes differently from how they were designed.

This is a good illustration for men and women.

God designed them to work as a team.