Created For a Purpose

Introduction:

·   Where were you on August 21, 2017?

·       Why was this experience so moving? Transcendent? One word: “Glory.”

THE PSALMS – BEING THE POETRY THEY ARE – HELP US PUT THAT EXPERIENCE INTO WORDS.

I)  God Sets His Glory in the Heavens (vv. 1-4)

A.    God’s Glory is Seen in the Beauty of the Sky (vv. 1-2)

                                               i.     God reveals his glory TO all the earth (vs. 1)

1.     The idea here is more of beauty than of the usual “glory”

2.     Yet, his glory is so great that there is no other being:

                                             ii.     God reveals his Glory IN the sky

1.     The “HAND-Iwork” of God: there are more stars than grains of sin

2.     APPLICATION: “Consider the heavens: Sun (marble) earth (mustard seed), next star (in Grand Island)… and YOU: on the seed: Feel small! 

B.    But Where do Human Beings fit in Creation? (vv. 3-4)

                                               i.     The “son of man” is a lowly person in creation

1.     SOM occurs 6 times in the OT, emphasizing the lowliness of people

2.     APPLICATION: A God like this doesn’t exist to be your assistant, etc.

                                             ii.     Yet, human Beings receive God’s tender Care (vs. 4)

1.     This leads to a) desperate loneliness, or…b) joyful assurance

2.     APPLICATION: From trouble w. kids; grief; pain…GOD KNOWS

THE GOD WHO SETS HIS GLORY IN CREATION KNOWS YOU INTIMATELY – BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. THIS SAME GOD HAS ALSO SET HIS GLORY ON YOU.

II)  God Crowns Human Beings with Glory (vv. 5-9)

A.    God Crowns Human Beings with… (vs. 5)

                                               i.         …Dignity: God created us “a little lower than God”

1.     Some translations can’t bring themselves to say: “Lower than God”

2.     APPLICATION: Every person that you see is an image-bearer of God

3.     EXAMPLE: The trans-gender person you work with;

                                             ii.         …Glory: & Honor: Human Beings reflect God’s character

1.     What sets human beings apart from animals? Flowers? Trees?

2.     We have a soul, therefore: we reason; discern good and evil; feel guilty

B.    God Commissions Human Beings (vv. 6-8)

                                               i.         To Reflect God’s image means to reflect his authority

1.     God’s authority over creation is inherent, while ours is delegated

2.     A fundamental question many struggle to answer: Why are you here

                                             ii.         To reflect God’s Image is to participate in the gracious task God has given

1.     The Cultural mandate says we “rule” creation, bringing it to fruition

2.     APPLICATION: Business luncheon vs. owning a pizza joint

OBVIOUSLY AS YOU START TO THINK ON THIS, YOU REALIZE THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS THAT THIS GOES BADLY.

III)       God Secures His Glory in the Son of Man

A.    The Failure of Human Dominion

                                               i.         Human beings DISTORT MISSION

1.     APPLICATION: In OR, many value creation so highly as to reject any kind of development;

2.     APPLICATION: Others focus so much on developing creation that they care little for creation itself

                                             ii.         Human beings distort IDENTITY

1.     From a works-defined identity, to a self-defined identityà Display it!

2.     EXAMPLE: “Be who, what you want;” and display it to others.

B.    The True Son of Man

                                               i.         In the NT, the SOM is a greater reflection of God’s image

1.     The title SOM is used in the NT only to refer to Jesus

2.     Jesus is the archetypal “man”, representing the perfect picture of what human beings are to be

                                             ii.         The Greater SOM does what no other dominion-keeper can do

1.     No human being could exercise power over death

2.     But Jesus even puts death under his feet (1 Cor. 15:25-27)

Transition:

Conclusion

 ...Like Lucy, in the Chronicles of Narnia