CREATION

[ 000 ] This morning, we are changing gears a bit, stepping away from our series in the book of Acts for a couple of weeks, during this part of the year that is called Advent. If you’re not familiar with Advent, or you didn’t grow up in a church that did anything with Advent, the word simply means “coming” or “arrival.” You may have grown up in a church that would base their Sunday gatherings on something called the church calendar, which marks the major moments of Jesus’ life every year – his birth, his baptism, his transfiguration, his death and resurrection, his ascension, and then Pentecost.

You don’t have to attend River City very long to notice that we don’t pay much attention to the rest of the church calendar, but sometimes Advent is a great place to jump out of our regular sermon series and into something else for a couple of weeks that helps us remember why Jesus came to earth in the first place, and reminds us that he is coming again. And this year, we’re wanting to do a high level flyby of the Story of God in all of human history. A couple years back, we did a whole sermon series from September through May on this, so you can go to our website and listen to sermons that are a lot more specific and dialed in.

But for this time through, since we only have 5 sermons to cover the whole story, we’re going to have to be very selective in the parts of the story we tell. And it’s tough to know how to narrow it all down. So, I have seven stops today. Seven days of creation, seven points. Sounds good to me.

The first words of scripture are Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [ 002 ] So the first question here really is, what do we mean by “God”? If you’re picking up a Bible for the first time, and reading through line by line, word for word, chapter by chapter, it’s just like watching a movie where you’ll have to get to know him scene by scene, line by line. There’s not really one sentence or paragraph that puts him all together for you, especially not right here. But if you start with Genesis chapter 1, here’s what we can learn:

[ 003 ] 1. God exists outside of his creation.

As you read through Genesis 1, you see that God speaks, and things happen. I want to read a few more verses that Tom didn’t read already, so would you again please stand with me as I read this next part of the text. See how easy that was? That required no effort from me. No struggle. No sweat. No striving on my part, just “please stand with me” and you all obeyed without fuss, you submitted to my command. It didn’t take you an hour or a year to obey. You just did it.

That’s what’s happening here in Creation, except it’s not just “stand up”. Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Let there be trees. Let there by sky. Let there be animals. Let there be heavenly creatures. There was no struggle. No effort. Just words, and creation obeyed. You may be seated. There – it just happened again. [ 004 ] Psalm 33:6 “The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.”

All things - physical, spiritual, intellectual, visible, invisible, etc were made by him speaking, and yet none of what he created was a place for him. The sky – not a home for him, but a home for birds and planets and stars. The water – not a home for him, but a home for whales and walruses and bluegill. The land – not a home for him, but a home for humans. This Creation is not for God, in the sense that he needs it. It’s an expression of his will. He does it because he wants to. Fast forward all the way to the last book of the Bible, and you read in [ 005 ] Revelation 4:11 “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.”

[ 006 ] Maybe you’ve read the books or watched the movies called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Those books were written by an author named CS Lewis, who imagined and designed each and every character, every scene, every bit of dialogue – yet, lives very much outside of the story, right? At the end of a day of writing, he would close up his notebook, turn out the lights and eat supper in England, drive his car in England, go to church, spend time with his family, etc. He existed outside of Narnia – and yet Narnia fully depends on CS Lewis. It doesn’t exist without his will, his hand, his imagination, his affections or his worldview. So it is with God. He exists outside of the universe.

That’s important because it means God isn’t dependant on anything in creation for his existence. If God created the universe because he needed someone to love, then we would be the ones giving him life, instead of the other way around (Reeves, 26). He is everything he is whether the world exists or it doesn’t. On the other hand, the entire universe depends on him, and Hebrews 1:3 says he upholds it by the word of his power. Speaking of his word, that’s #2. [ 007 ]

2. God made the world using only his words.

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” Created by the word of God. All through Genesis 1, God speaks, and creation obeys. “God has chosen to relate to all things by his word. All of creation bows to his word” (Goldsworthy, 91). Why does that matter? As Wayne Grudem puts it, it means a couple of things:

Since God created everything by his word and he made everything out of nothing, that means obviously nothing existed alongside of God for all of eternity past. There was no physical matter, and no evil that co-existed with God for all of eternity. Only the Triune God existed for all of eternity. This world is not a struggle between good and evil, where equal eternal powers are duking things out on earth and in heaven. God has no rivals. No equals. No one who can stand against him. He created all things out of his own will and imagination.

If it’s true that God created all things, then God has the right to rule over and use any and all of creation for his glory. Psalm 95 says “The Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods (that is above the entire spiritual realm). The depths of the earth are in his hand, and the mountain peaks are his. The sea is his; (why? because) he made it. His hands formed the dry land.” It’s all his, specifically because he made it. That’s point #2.

The Psalm continues: “Come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” That’s point #3: Nothing can be worshiped but him, because he is the author of all things. Proverbs 8 speaks about how God didn’t just throw things together chaotically, but that wisdom was on full display in what and how and why he created things. Proverbs 8 says wisdom was like a skilled carpenter next to God, when he laid out the foundation of the earth. God delighted in wisdom, and wisdom rejoiced at what God was making.

God relates to all things by his word – from the moment of creation to the Word become flesh in the person of Jesus, to all scripture being God-breathed and useful for correction, rebuke, encouragement, and training us in righteousness. That’s important because it gives us a rock solid foundation for truth.

[ 008 ] 3. God created all things

Back to Revelation 4:11 “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” By his will, He created all things. Not only the entire physical world that we inhabit, but a spiritual realm as well. In the ancient world, the stars were viewed as gods. Those were not just white spots in a dark sky, but represented divine beings. Some scriptures about creation imply that God must have created that spiritual realm before he created the earth. Job 38:6–7, “What supports [the earth’s] foundations? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” That phrase “sons of God” almost always refers to God’s heavenly council of spiritual creatures that God created that exist beyond the physical world, and thousands upon thousands, possibly even millions of spirit beings that have access to earth, and serve God’s purposes in the world. The good spirits are referred to as angels, and the evil spirits are called demons.

A lot of books have been written and talked about and a lot of things are presumed when it comes to the spiritual realm, but the only reliable source of truth is what scripture tells us – and it’s unfortunately a little vague on a lot of what happens in the spiritual realm.

[ 009 ] But John 1:3 assures us, “All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” [ 010-1 ] Colossians 1:16 “For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, [ 010-2 ] whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.”

If God created all things, and every good and perfect gift comes from him, it means that evil and death and suffering are intruders in God’s good world – not the way things are supposed to be. It means that evil is not an equal and opposite power.

All of those things are encouraging so far, but if we leave it at that, God just feels so big and unknowable. So “other” than us. And it’s not all bad for us to sense that. But Genesis 2 shows us that that isn’t the whole story. It’s not the complete picture of who God is. In Genesis 2 that Tom read for us this morning, we zoom in on a particular moment of creation – and there’s a different feel in this chapter.

[ 011 ] 4. God is personal

Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” This time, as God finishes up his act of Creation, God isn’t over there speaking and things appear over here. This time, God is forming. Shaping. Touching. Building. It’s the same word used to describe a potter shaping clay. And when the form is exactly the way he wants it, verse 7 says, he breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils and he became a living being.

If I walked up to Doug this morning, and I specifically blow breath into his nostrils (Which I’m not going to do by the way), that’s no longer God is over here and Doug is over there. God is right up in Adam’s business, almost CPR-style, breathing the breath of life into his nostrils, And the man became a living being – physically, mentally, spiritually. The first face he sees when he comes to life is the face of God.

Then, God declares the only part of his creation that isn’t good is that Adam is alone. Every other creature has a male version and a female version, a corresponding partner except Adam. So, in Genesis 2:21 God puts the man to sleep, takes a rib out of his side, fashions a woman from the rib, and probably has to do the same thing he did to Adam – breathe into her the breath of life. The first face the woman would have seen was also the face of God, standing her up and in verse 22, leading her to the man to be his corresponding helper and partner.

I know there are a lot of discussions around is the earth young or old, was evolution part of what God did in the world, how does scienctific discovery match up with the Bible’s story of Creation – and we’ll talk a little bit about that next week, I’m not going to chase that rabbit today, other than to say I think you are going to have a very difficult time reading these words in Genesis 2, and holding onto some evolutionary or gradual process at the same time. God formed man out of the dust and breathed life into his nostrils. There is nothing here that would suggest that cells multiplied over time, or that even with God’s help a man emerged or evolved out of some other animal that was already created. There is nothing that hints at anything even remotely close to that.

In Genesis 2, you have a bunch of dust, piled into the shape of a human one second, God breathes into the nostrils, and a second later that dust stands up with eyes that are fully functioning, a brain that is fully functioning, a nervous system, cardio-vascular all in place, heart pumping, emotions already processing, reason already being put to use, a soul that is designed for eternity, personality already in place, capacity to speak langauge, write poetry about his wife in verse 23, and interact with God – these humans are incredible, just one breath of God away from being a pile of dust, yet bursting with life and purpose and capability. No shame. No guilt. No fear. No envy or rivalry. No insecurity. No baggage or wounds from the past. No disappointments or rejection or loss. Perfectly whole. Perfectly loved. Perfectly safe.

That’s what God intended for the human race. That’s how it was on day one. And these humans were given one very important responsibility. Rule, subdue, and fill the earth.

[ 012 ] 5. God empowers humans to steward his creation

Some of you may have seen that the world famous [ 013 ] Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, reopened to the public this morning after a devastating fire 5 years ago. Construction of this cathedral started in 1182 – let me say that again, not 1882 or 1782… 1182, and finished around 1260ad. So this structure is over 800 years old, with incredible artwork and architecture that make this an iconic cathedral. Can you imagine being one of the 2000 contractors that were hired to clean up from the fire and restore this icon? I read an article about how they cleaned the soot and ash off of the walls, how they hired workers to carve giant wood beams by hand for the rafters - stuff people just don’t do much anymore.

[ 014 ] Can you imagine the pressure? Can you imagine the weight of stewarding the responsibility of restoring this beautiful space without cheapening it, or taking shortcuts, without harming the building anymore than it already was, and on top of all of that, making sure you honor the original vision of the artists and architects that built it? On the other hand, can you imagine a better compliment of your capabilities and skill than for someone to say, we trust you to do this? That’s what God is doing with his creation, though, isn’t it? It’s not about one building. It’s about stewarding a garden full of resources –

Beauty/Enjoyment - 2:9, Abundant water - 2:10-14, Precious metals/gems - 2:12, Abundant food - 2:16, Animals/birds - 2:19

And God effectively says, I’m shaping you, men and women, designing you as my representatives, my ambassadors – that’s what it means to be made in the image of God – so that you can work together and steward the resources of this place and expand it while you enjoy it. And as long as you stay locked into relationship with me, you’ll never be on your own to figure it out. I’ll help you, I’ll walk with you, I’ll teach you my wisdom every step of the way, so that all of creation – both the earthly creatures you can see, and the heavenly creatures you can’t see, all get a deeper, fuller picture of who I am, until Habakkuk 2:14, “…the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the water covers the sea.” And there’s our next clue...

[ 016 ] 6. God created all things For his Glory

God does not only exists outside of his creation; he is also intimately involved in it – especially with humans, in that he gives to all men life and breath and everything, and Isaiah 43:7 says why: “...everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

So the answer to the age-old question, “Why did God create the world?” is simple: He created it for his glory. Okay great, but what is God’s glory?

Let’s use sports for example. You can sit at home and watch a Cardinals game or Hawkeyes game or whatever, and it’s enjoyable. [ 017 ] But there’s something about going to a game that’s worth spending $200 or more on tickets and parking, $50 or more for a drink and a hot dog, standing in line for a Carver Cone, parking 2 miles away. Right? And why is it worth it? It’s the atmosphere. The hype of Back in Black as the team runs out on the field, the crowd cheering when the team scores, the big screen replays, seeing the players up close, rushing the field on a game winner, and feeling like you’re part of something big – you can watch the same game from home, but there’s just something about being there… even though you couldn’t point to just one thing. It’s all the things put together that make the atmosphere.

[ 018 ] There are a lot of things that God is. Scripture reveals him as patient, powerful, compassionate, just, merciful, healing, redeeming, restoring, punishing evil, he’s the bread of life, he’s a rock, a fortress, a mother hen, he’s living water, and so much more. You can talk about those things one at a time, and it’s great – but God’s glory is all of those things put together. That’s what makes up his glory. So why did God create the world? Why are we here? We just heard the Apostle Paul say a few weeks ago in Acts 17 to the people of Athens, that God didn’t create humans so that we would serve him. He doesn’t need served. He doesn’t need anything, but rather he is a GIVER of all good things.

We are here so that in our lives, God can be seen and appreciated and enjoyed for all that he is! You and I exist so God can be enjoyed as merciful. You and I exist so God can be enjoyed as compassionate. Creation exists so that God can be enjoyed as powerful and sustaining and life-giving. We exist so that by our lives, the world can see God as a redeemer, savior, restorer, healer, creator, Father.

And there was always only one way that we would see that in the fullest clarity – and that is, through the person and work of Jesus.

[ 019 ] 7. Jesus was always the plan

Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9: “‘God called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.’ So, before the ages of time began, the plan was for the revelation of the glory of the grace of God specifically through Christ Jesus”. Before there was any human sin to die for, God planned that his Son would be killed for sinners. We know this because of the name given to the book of life before creation. According to Revelation 13, [ 020 ] there is a book in heaven that was written before the foundation of the world, and it’s title is: “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” The plan was always glory. The plan was always grace. The plan was always Jesus. And the plan was always that Jesus would die for sinners. It’s the heart of the gospel, which is why in 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul calls it “the gospel of the glory of Christ” (Piper).

So before the ages began, God had a plan and a purpose – and he had company. He was not alone. There’s something else that was happening before the world began. In John 17, as Jesus is praying for you and me on the night he was going to be betrayed, the night before being crucified, Jesus prays for anyone who would believe in him, and utters these astounding words.

[ 021 ] John 17:24–26 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation.”

Do you see that? Jesus wasn’t something God created so that he could fix the problem of this rebellious creation. God the Father and God the Son always existed in a perfect Father/Son relationship, expressed and carried by and overflowing in God the Holy Spirit. What was God doing before he made the world? He was loving and delighting in his Son, Jesus! “You loved me before the world’s foundation.”

God the Father overflowing in love for the Son, and God the Son overflowing in love for the Father, with the Holy Spirit stirring up the love of the Father for the Son and the delight of the Son in the Father, binding them together in perfect, overflowing fellowship (Reeves, 29). God didn’t create Jesus, and become Father somewhere along the way. They didn’t bump into each other a party among the heavenly hosts and become good friends. When Jesus reveals God as his Father, it’s because God has always been Father, all the way, through and through.

[ 022 ] Now, we’re not done with Jesus’ prayer yet. “Righteous Father...“I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

Do you see that??? Jesus lived his life on this earth, went to the cross to die for sinners, and rose again on the third day, to make the Father’s name, his authority, his wisdom, his attributes, known to us – and he will continue to do that, so that you and I can know the eternal and overflowing love of the Father – the same love that Jesus has been experiencing for eternity. In other words – God overflows in love for Jesus, and in response Jesus overflows in love for the Church – saving her, washing her, making her clean and reconciling her back to God.

That means God’s primary move toward you today is grace. Kindness. Mercy. Exodus 34:6–7 “...The Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But... (he’s not a pushover)...he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.”

Church, our problem today is not that we need to learn more facts about who God is. We need to come home to him so we can see how much we’re loved. This isn’t a wispy, wishywashy love, and neither is it an angry Father tough love – it is a costly, all-in, nothing-held-back, sprinting down the driveway, kind of love. God proved his love in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God rose him from the dead on the third day so that still to this day, the Love of God overflows from the Father to the Son, and from the Son to the Church, sealed and solidified with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

It is absolutely insane that it could possibly be true, and it is absolutely insane to reject it. Sadly, thats the topic of next week’s message.

PRAYER -

Today I invite you to come home to the Father. He is the life-giver. Do you have sin to confess? Come home to the Father. Maybe it’s for the first time, maybe it’s for the 100th time. Come home.

BENEDICTION

Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things.

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, and may he strengthen our hearts in holiness that we would be blameless before our God and Father when Jesus returns with all his saints.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.”

SOURCES

John Piper, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/why-did-god-create-the-world

Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002

David Haines, Lexham Survey of Theology, 2018.

Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012