3. God’s Original Purpose for the World: It’s Not Good Without You (His true image)

Review of the last study:

Talked about how the world will end

Matthew 24:3

Matthew 24:4-5 – First thing that Jesus says in response to their questions - DON’T LET ANYONE DECEIVE YOU—DO NOT BE DECEIVED .

How will the world end according to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:6-8

DO NOT BE TROUBLED

While these events will be seen and will happen when the end comes—it's just the beginning.

IT’S NOT THE END!

Jesus wants us to place our focus elsewhere!

So then, the question is, how will the end of the world come?

Matthew 24:30, 31 (Read)

The end happens when Jesus returns

Jesus comes for the elect

1 Peter 2:9-10 (Read)

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (Read)

The elect are changed from corrupted/mortal to incorruption/immortality

Death is eradicated

When Jesus returns: Revelation 21:1-5 (Read) - All things are MADE NEW!

Is the end of the world a good thing or a bad thing?

Matthew 24:14 (Read)

Jesus said, “this” NOT “the” Gospel

There may be a lot of good news—feel good messages out there (Galatians 1)

BUT ONLY THIS GOSPEL will bring about the end of the world we’re LOOKING FOR!

What gospel is that?

Revelation 14:6-12 (Read)

This is known as the THREE ANGELS MESSAGE

Today we are going to start to look at the reasons why the world is in the state it is in now. Why is the world so messed up?

Many people struggle with ACCEPTING God or that there EVEN IS a God at all because of the condition of this world. (false image of God)

People ask:

How can there be a God of LOVE (false image) while all this pain and suffering exist?

Why won’t this supposed ALL POWERFUL BEING exercise His power to stop the bad stuff from happening?

How could a GOOD God create such a violent and destructive world?

These are legitimate and logical questions that deserve to be answered. Why?

Because these are QUESTIONS from beings (US) that are under the “supposed” care of an ALL KNOWING, ALL POWERFUL, AND ALL LOVING GOD.

If the Bible is a book inspired by Him as it claims, then these questions should be answered, yes?

If NOT then this book is of NO USE to you and me….Would you agree?

Good news, I believe THE BIBLE has ALL the answers to the questions that burden our hearts today! But don’t take my word for it… we need to check for ourselves!

Notice what is said in the First Angel’s Message: Revelation 14:6-7 (Read)

Remember, how many angels have a message(3)? What is the significance of these messages?

It's interesting that the messages that will bring about the end of the world starts with (First Angel)

A CALL TO WORSHIP the One who CREATED this world

Remember Revelation is a summary book of the Bible, if it brings our minds to other stories and events in the bible then it is probably something we are being directed to in order to learn something that we may not have seen before

So if Revelation 14:6-7 is stating to FEAR God who is CREATOR then…

CREATION is part of the GOOD NEWS - EVERLASTING GOSPEL that the world needs to hear before the end can come, CORRECT?

Is it safe to conclude that understanding God as Creator is a VERY IMPORTANT subject?

That would make sense, because similar to the questions posed earlier, WE must have answers to these questions:

Why does this world have to come to an end in the first place?

Did God make a mistake as the Creator of this world?

If this was a mistake, Why would I want to worship Him who made a mistake?

Because if He did, I HAVE been suffering—THE WORLD has been suffering—because of HIS mistake?

HERE’S THE POINT:

Creation is a part of the messages (3 Angels) the world needs to hear at the end, because many will have questions about WHY the world is the way it is!

UNLESS THERE ARE SUFFICIENT ANSWERS, MANY WILL NOT WORSHIP GOD WHO CREATED THIS WORLD

UNDERSTANDING CREATION ALSO HELPS UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THE WORLD ENDS

How will we find an answers to these questions about Creation?

Where do we have to look in the Bible? – Remember we look at the Bible as A WHOLE.

Genesis 1:1 (Read)

Who created this world? - GOD

BUT Notice, John 1:1-5, 14 (Read)

According to this, who is the One creating all things in Genesis 1?

This tells us two things:

Jesus is God—and has always existed

HE DOESN’T JUST SHOW UP IN THE GOSPELS

Jesus is the Creator of this world

Notice also, Colossians 1:15-17 (Read)

ALL things MADE through Him and for Him

God the Father took part in creation but through Jesus (God the Son)

The world was MADE for Jesus—He has special interest in this world

He is before ALL things

He is involved in everything that takes place in this world

HE HAS NOT DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THIS WORLD

In Him all things consists

He keeps everything together

WITHOUT HIM THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY

Let continue our study of Creation - Genesis 1:1-5 (Read)

First day of creation:

God creates LIGHT

Separates LIGHT and DARKNESS

Calls LIGHT: Day

Calls DARK: Night

Luke 6:43-44 (Read)

Therefore, what God does will reveal whether He is good or evil!

Creation will reveal if God was good or evil at the very beginning!

But notice the next verse: Luke 6:45 (Read)

Not ONLY the DOING reveals a person

SPEAKING also reveals a person

WHAT WE SPEAK REVEALS OUR HEART—MOTIVES, OUR DESIRE!

POINT TO REMEMBER: ACTIONS AND WORDS REVEAL WHETHER SOMEONE IS GOOD OR EVIL – WE WILL MAKE A JUDGMENT BASED ON WORDS AND ACTIONS

How did God create this world?

What does that tell us about CREATION?

CREATION = REVEALS THE HEART OF GOD TO US!

Are you ready to see what the HEART OF GOD is like?

Pay attention to the ORDER in which God created this world

Genesis 1:1-4

1st Day: God creates light

What is light?

Psalms 119:105, 130 - Light = His Word

Proverbs 6:23 - Light = His commandments or Law

1 John 1:5 - God IS LIGHT

John 1:4 - Light = Life

Genesis 1:6-8 (Read)

2nd Day: God creates and identifies empty VERTICAL spaces (the sky—atmosphere—and outer space)

The Firmament - Psalms 19:1 - Absorbs all the light and reveals God’s glory

Genesis 1:9-10 (Read)

First part of the 3rd Day: God creates and identifies HORIZONTAL spaces (the land and sea)

What do we have so far? – EMPTY SPACES

Now notice what happens on the rest of the 3rd day and the rest of the days of creation:

Genesis 1:11-13 (Read) - God FILLS the land (HORIZONTAL SPACE) with plants

Genesis 1:14-19 (Read) - God FILLS outer space (VERTICAL SPACE) with the Sun, Moon, and Stars.

Genesis 1:20-23 (Read) - God FILLS both the ocean (HORIZONTAL SPACE) with creatures. The sky (VERTICAL SPACE) with birds

Genesis 1:24-25 (Read) - God FILLS the land (HORIZONTAL SPACE) with animals and creatures

What did the order of creation reveal?

THE ORDER REVEALED GOD MADE ALL THINGS FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE

NOTHING IN THIS WORLD WAS WITHOUT PURPOSE

ORDER REVEALED:

The reason for the sky: its for the beautiful birds to fill

The reason for the birds: is to fill the sky with its beauty in return

The reason for outer space: is to hold the sun, moon, and stars

The reason for the sun, moon, and stars: is to fill the heavens and give light to the world so it would not remain in darkness

The reason for dry land: is to hold beautiful plants and be home for beautiful land animals

The reason for the plants and animals: is to fill the dry land with their beauty return

The reason for the sea: is to hold the beautiful sea creatures

The reason for the sea creatures: is to fill the sea with their splendor return

ALL THINGS—FROM THE TINIEST/MINUTE TO LARGEST/GRAND SPECTACLE

ALL WERE CREATED TO FULFILL A PURPOSE

ALL THINGS CREATED WERE NEEDED SO THE OTHER COULD EXIST

QUESTION: If God SPOKE these things into existence, could He not have just SPOKE them into existence all at once? But, He didn’t, why?

God wanted to REVEAL ORDER:

Because He is a God of ORDER (1 Corinthians 14:33)

ORDER REVEALS BOTH INDIVIDUALITY AND PURPOSE

HAD GOD CREATED ALL THINGS AT ONCE

NOTHING IN THIS WORLD WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALLY

NOTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FULFILLING A SPECIAL PURPOSE (ILL – Sports Draft)

This also tells us why God didn’t create everything in ONE day…

He wanted to identify that each DAY HAS PURPOSE TO FULFILL…

ALL SEVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE

THERE IS MEANING FOUND IN EACH DAY

How does that impact the way you see each day you wake up to?

The HEART OF GOD reveals: INDIVIDUALITY AND SPECIAL PURPOSE

THERE’S MORE! Notice the diet all the animals had: Genesis 1:30 (Read)

NOTHING THAT HAD BREATH HAD TO DIE TO SUSTAIN LIFE

Why, because GOD’S ORIGINAL PURPOSE FOR THIS WORLD WAS LIFE AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANT

DEATH WAS NEVER A PART OF GOD’S ORIGINAL PURPOSE

The HEART OF GOD reveals: HE DESIRES LIFE FOR ALL HE HAS CREATED

THERE’S MORE! What was God’s PURPOSE for making BEAUTIFUL world? - Genesis 1:26-27 (Read)

THE WORLD WAS CREATED FOR US!

THIS WORLD WAS A GIFT FROM GOD!

Why such a big gift?

Because we meant the WORLD to Him so He GAVE it to us!

Now notice Jesus’ proclamation AFTER we come into the picture: Genesis 1:31 (Read)

All things were indeed VERY GOOD.

ONLY WHEN WE CAME INTO EXISTENCE DID GOD SAY EVERYTHING WAS “VERY GOOD!”

Prior to man’s existence the world was JUST beautiful and good…

BUT WITH US… ALL THINGS ARE INDEED “VERY GOOD!”

Even with the existence of man nothing was do die: Genesis 1:29 (Read)

Did God’s PLAN FOR ABUNDANT LIFE CHANGE?

NOTHING THAT HAD BREATH HAD TO DIE TO SUSTAIN LIFE

The beasts of the field did not depend on the death of another to sustain its life

Nor did man have to depend on the death of animal to sustain its life

ALL that had breath God provisions made for it in this world

AND IT DID NOT INVOLVE DEATH

THERE’S MORE! ARE YOU READY?

We learned God’s Original Purpose for the World

But, what is OUR purpose in this world?

You ever wondered about that?

Genesis 2:7 (Read)

Unlike everything else Jesus created, only humanity was formed with His own hands!

This verse shows the importance of the intimate relationship that He wanted with us. He held us and breathed life into us.

Which means, God TREATED US like NOTHING ELSE in this world..why?

Genesis 1:26 (Read)

ONLY MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD!

THEREFORE, We were TREATED like NOTHING ELSE in this world because

There is NOTHING LIKE US IN THIS WORLD!

But was everything about creation PERFECT?

Did you know that there was something NOT GOOD at creation?

Genesis 2:18 (Read) - What wasn’t good?

Tells us something:

Man and woman wasn’t CREATED at the SAME TIME, correct?

So then, if it WASN’T GOOD for man to be created by himself, did God make a MISTAKE?

Why didn’t He create BOTH of them at the SAME TIME?

Does this question sound familiar?

Why didn’t God create EVERYTHING in this world at the SAME TIME?

POINT: THE ORDER GOD CREATED MAN AND WOMAN WILL REVEAL OUR PURPOSE

First, was Adam really alone? - Genesis 2:19-20 (Read)

Adam wasn’t physically alone.

But what made him alone?

HE DIDN’T HAVE SOMEONE LIKE HIM!

IN OTHER WORDS WITHOUT SOMEONE LIKE HIM HE COULDN’T BE COMPLETE OR WHOLE.

Notice what God does now: Genesis 2:21-23 (Read)

Jesus takes a part of Adam, and made a WOMAN.

She was MADE in Adam’s LIKENESS

When Adam sees the woman how does he react? THERE IS SOMEONE LIKE HIM!

As a result the Bible says: Genesis 2:24 (Read)

MAN + WOMAN = COMPLETENESS > ONE FLESH

The woman COMPLETED the man

Without her he could NOT be TRULY happy

In a BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT world

Only SOMEONE MADE IN HIS LIKENESS COULD MAKE HIM COMPLETELY HAPPY

What was being revealed about our purpose? Genesis 1:26-27 (Read)

Humanity was MADE in the LIKENESS of God

WHY would He make us in HIS LIKENESS?

He made a beautiful and perfect world

But only YOU AND I were MADE and FORMED in HIS LIKENESS

WHY DID HE MAKE and FORM US THAT WAY? - BECAUSE THE WORLD AND ALL THAT GOD HAS CREATED AND MADE

IT IS NOT “VERY GOOD” WITHOUT YOU!! - YOU WERE MADE TO MAKE GOD COMPLETELY HAPPY!

ACCORDING TO GOD - YOUR PURPOSE! IT’S NOT GOOD WITHOUT YOU

So Why are we no longer in the Garden now? Where did death and all this suffering come from?

Genesis 2:16-17 (Read)

The tree is called “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”

Of the two (good and evil), what was only one man had knowledge of?

What then would be the only knowledge gained if they ate from the tree God said not to?

If the knowledge of evil is gained, the result is what…death!

Here’s the point we’re leaving with:

This tells us EVIL existed BEFORE this WORLD was created

If NOT man COULD NEVER GAIN A KNOWLEDGE OF IT!

IT MUST FIRST EXIST TO GAIN IT

LASTLY, IT TELLS US DEATH ONLY EXISTS BECAUSE EVIL ENTERED THIS WORLD

So now, what questions naturally arise out of this information?

Where did evil come from and how did it enter this world?

Do you wanna know? DON’T MISS THE NEXT STUDY

APPEAL:

What learned about creation and God’s original purpose for this world and you…

Did it give you clearer picture of God?

Could you love and worship a God who loves you so much He would literally give the world?

Could you love and worship a God who made you to love and be loved by Him?

Could you love and worship a God who’s purpose for you is to be COMPLETELY HAPPY?