Creation: PURPOSE

Weeks theme: creation.

Every lesson we will use a key word to think about a different aspect of God’s act of creating.

Review:

Lesson 1: FAITH- who’s word will you trust?

Lesson 2: GLORY- Creation is telling you something about God. God exists and He is GLORIOUS

Lesson 3: PURPOSE

Why did God create? Specifically why did God create you? For what purpose did God make you?

Do you think God created you for a purpose? What do you think that purpose is?

If God made you, and if God created you for a purpose do you think we should probably know what that purpose is?

What is the only way we can know for sure what our purpose is? God has to tell us in His Word.

Colossians 1:16 ESV

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

For by Him all things were created? By means of Him, all things were made by God, by means of his will and according to his good plan.

All things were created through Him? God is the source of all things. He spoke them into existence. They were made through His power.

All things were created for Him? What does that mean?

Illustration: Baseball bat-

Made by me? by means of my will and according to my plan.

Made through me? by my own resources and abilities.

Made for me? Designed to fulfill a specific purpose and function. To do what? Hit a baseball. What if my baseball bat doesn’t want to hit a ball, what if it wants to be an umbrella? Who gets to decide its purpose of function? Does the bat? Or do I get to decide since I am the bats creator?

Who made you? God made you. He made you according to his plan and by means of his will. You were made through Him- though his power and through his resources.

What were you made for? What is your purpose? You were made FOR God. Who gets to decide your purpose? You or your creator?

If God is the one who gets to decide our purpose then what is it? Why did God make you? What is your purpose?

God created us to Honor Him

Revelation 4:11 ESV

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

God is worthy. What does that mean? God deserves something.

What does God deserve?

He deserves to receive honor, and glory, and power.

God deserves our worship, praise, adoration, respect, admiration.

Why? For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

God created you, and his will in creating you was so that he might receive from you honor, praise, worship, adoration, respect, admiration.

God created us to serve Him

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

God created us to serve Him and bring him glory. Every part of our lives were designed by God to bring Him glory. Even when we eat or drink (most ordinary daily tasks) or whatever you do (and all the other tasks in life) do all to the glory of God.

Do you think about your life that way? Do you realize God created you for a purpose? God created you to bring Him glory in every part of your life? Do you think you live up to that purpose?

God created us to fellowship with Him

Psalm 16:11 ESV

11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Did you know that is one of the purposes for why God made you? God made you so you could have fellowship with him.

What is fellowship? friendship, relationship, spending time in His presence.

God’s purpose in creating you is to honor, serve, and fellowship with Him.

We see all three of these back in the original creation account of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Both man and woman were created in the image and likeness of God. We were created to image God to the rest of creation. We were made like little mirrors to reflect God’s glory. We were created to rule over the world and reflect God’s glory. And in imaging God in all that we do we were designed to bring Him honor and glory.

We were created to Honor God.

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

God created Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden and gave Adam a command to obey. Adam was given the task of serving God. This was his purpose.

We were created to serve God.

Genesis 3:8 ESV

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

God used to walk in the garden with the Adam and Eve. He used to fellowship with them. That is one of the purposes for why they were created. God delights when we find fullness and joy in His presence.

We were created to fellowship with God.

This is why God made you- He made you for this purpose: to honor, serve, and fellowship with Him.

Do we live up to this purpose?

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If God’s purpose for us is to honor, serve, and fellowship with Him, then what happened that destroyed this perfect relationship?

Take away: Since God made you, you are accountable to Him. One day you will have to stand before God and explain why you did not live up to His purpose. What will you tell God?