Basics #4
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
We have covered God the Father, Jesus the Son, The Holy Spirit, and the Trinity.
Tonight we are going to look at creation, man, and the church
I think this is a good progression because we go top down
By looking at why God created anything, why man is in the image of God, and the purpose of the church we can get a full circle picture
Creation
Creation
Why did God create everything
This is a good question
It was an outward expression of his love
Created Creation
Created Creation
God created the universe out of nothing
Nothing but God existed before the universe was created
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.
God spoke all of creation into existence, except humans
Man and Woman were created with God’s hands and recieved life from God’s very breath
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Man is the pinnacle of all creation
Science conflicts with the Biblical view of creation
Their theory is that living things came into being as a result of random mutations
The Bible asserts that everything was created by God’s intelligence design
God did not need to create anything, he chose to create us and do it in his image
Science can correct people’s misunderstandings
The church used to think the Sun orbited the earth
They resisted the theories of Galileo until they realized the Bible said nothing about it
God created man from the dust of the earth he created
Before creation nothing existed but God
Nothing but God is eternal
Nothing but God can ultimately rule over what he has made
Distinct but Different
Distinct but Different
God is distinct from his creation
He is unlike his creation in many ways
He is greater than creation and very much independent of it
He doesn’t need creation in any way
Yet, God is intimately involved in creation
Nothing in creation is worthy of the affection that God deserves
Although God is greater than creation, he did not choose to leave creation to function on its own
Because God is greater than all of creation and involved with creation, if we hope in God, we have nothing to fear
Glory-Given
Glory-Given
All creation was made to give glory to God
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Even a brief reflection on the complexity, diversity, and beauty in creation should cause us to praise God for his power, wisdom, and understanding
The Good Creation
The Good Creation
God can delight in his creation because it was good
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.
Even though creation doesn’t always function as it is supposed to because of sin, we should also consider it good
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
Man
Man
After God created the plants and animals on earth, he had one more thing to create
God did not create us because he was lacking or needing anything
He wasn’t lonely
He chose to create us in His image
we do bring him glory
This should give our lives significance
Unless we understand was it means it can seem empty and meaningless
To give God glory means to give him great honor and praise, and we can do that in various ways
To give God glory means to give him great honor and praise, and we can do that in various ways
Created for God’s Glory
Created for God’s Glory
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
What is Our Purpose?
What is Our Purpose?
Our ultimate goal in life should be to live for his glory
Giving God glory will give our lives purpose and meaning
Created in God’s Image
Created in God’s Image
Man is the pinnacle of all creation
We are created in His image
Imago Dei = latin for image of God
As creatures made in God’s image, we were made to be like him
We are created with an innate sense of right and wrong
We are spiritual creatures
Our spirit is a reflection of God’s nature
Our ability to think and process information is a reflection of God’s knowledge
Because of sin, God’s image is partly distorted
The good news is that God’s image is being erstored
God redeems his children through Jesus so we can be conformed into the image of His Son
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Responsibilities
Be fruitful and multiply
Take care of the land
Help restore his people
The Church
The Church
The church is the community of all true believers for all time
All true believers, regardless of what time period they lived in, make up the true church
Jesus said he would build his church
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Invisible Yet Visible
Invisible Yet Visible
Because we cannot see the spiritual condition of people’s hearts, the true church, in its spiritual reality as the fellowship of all genuine believers, is invisible
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Then invisible church is the church as God sees it
The church is also visible
The visible church is the church as Christians on earth see it
The visible church contains genuine believers as well as others who do not truly believe or follow the claims of Jesus
Other descriptions of the church
A Family
Bride and Groom
A Body
An unbalanced emphasis on one metaphor will result in an unbalanced view of the church
What Makes a Church?
What Makes a Church?
Two major activities of every church
First, correct preaching from the Bible
Second, correct administration of the sacraments
Baptism & Communion
Serve as membership controls
Baptism is a means for admitting individuals into the church
Communion shows good standing
The purity of the church is determined by its freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct
As members we should pursue purity
WE should pursue unity
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
What is a Church Supposed to Do?
What is a Church Supposed to Do?
The church is to minister to the God, to its members, and to the world.
Ministry to God is done through worship
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Worship isn’t just preparation, it is a fulfillment of a major purpose of the church
The church’s ministry to its members is done through nurturing and building them up sop that the church can present everyone mature in Christ
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
The church’s ministry to the world is done through preaching the Gospel to all people in word and deed
The Power to Fulfill its Mission
The Power to Fulfill its Mission
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus followers with gifts required to do the ministry of the church
