Creation

Introduction

The gospel in a nutshell is “the Good news that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that he came to earth and died for our sins. That he was buried and rose again.”

On our 6 part gospel outline from last week, that’s the 5th thing. Why do we need all these other sections?

News demands context

The good news only makes sense in the context of the bad news.

GOD, THE GOOD RULER AND CREATOR

Revelation 4:11 “11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.””

Summary

God is the ruler of the world.

He made the world.

He made us to rule his good world, giving thanks and honor to him.

The Story of Us

Read Genesis 1:26-31. What do we learn about humanity and its role in creation from this passage?

Read Psalm 33:1-9. What past and present actions of God do you see in this passage? What is the proper response of humanity God’s work as creator and sustainer?

Read Revelation 4:9-11. What do you think the elders mean when they say that the Lord is “worthy”?

Key Concepts

God the Maker and Ruler

There is nothing that exists apart from God’s creative work

John 1:3 “3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

God’s creation is good

Genesis 1:31 “31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”

God’s creation ought to praise and glorify him

Revelation 4:11 “11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.””

God continues to be engaged with his creation

Psalm 145:15 “15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.”

God continues to rule over his creation

Proverbs 16:33 “33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

Humanity as Creatures and Rulers

We were created to rule over God’s creation from within God’s creation as image bearers of God

Genesis 1:26–28 “26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 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.””

God’s creative work provides sufficient knowledge to make us accountable to worship him

Romans 1:18–24 “18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.”

What difference would it make to how we thought about the world and ourselves if there was no creator?

Alternatives

Materialism – matter is all there is

Mysticism – the physical world is bad and opposed to the good spiritual world

Deism – God exists but is not active within his creation

Paganism – God exists as part of his creation

Which of these alternatives do you see in the world today? Which are you most likely to believe or be challenged by?

Next Week

OUR REBELLION AGAINST GOD

Isaiah 53:6a “6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;

Summary

We all reject God as our ruler by running our own lives our own way.

By rebelling against God’s way, we damage ourselves, each other, and the world.