What else did God create?

Q: What else did God create?

A: God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.

Genesis 1:31 ESV

31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Colossians 1:16–17 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

INTRODUCTION

Optimism, pessimism, and realism: how do we interact with all that is going on in the world around us?

THE GOODNESS OF CREATION

“And behold, it was very good…”

How do you wrestle with the tension of the good and the bad in the world around you?

Options for Engaging the Tension:

(1) We can ignore the goodness of creation. (Secularism.)

(2) We can exchange the goodness of God with the goodness of creation. (Idolatry/naturalism.)

(3) We can embrace the Biblical position.

i. God created the world with good intentions.

ii. Sin created the division of spiritual and material.

iii. The right approach is to embrace the goodness of God in creation while recognizing the presence and power of sin on the world.

1 Timothy 4:4 ESV

4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

THE WORD OF CREATION

Jesus is our access to engaging the world around us the right way:

“Everything flourished under his loving rule.”

Jesus is the Agent of Creation

John 1:3 ESV

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16–17 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Jesus is God With Us

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the Redeemer and Restorer

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

Jesus confronts and corrects all the other paths for engaging with the world around us:

Ignoring—even the secular see the Divine nature in the gospels (wise men, Gentiles, and soldier at the cross.)

Exchanging—If Jesus is God and truly became a person then we can’t deny the goodness of the world.

(1) In Christ you can fully celebrate what is good and fully mourn what is broken.

(2) In Christ you can find true purpose for your life and your world.

(3) In Christ you can proclaim hope to everyone who is blind to their reason for being.