Acknowledging our Creator & His Purpose in Heaven and on Earth!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Take a piece of paper fold it over twice, unfold it and write down in the first quarter 10 people, then underneath in the next quarter write down 10 places, top right 10 times, then Bottom right ten problems. Then take the last 4 numbers of your phone number and write a story - with that chracter, time, place and problem! Such was a pretty fun exercise in a lesson on narrative writing for my grade 6 students. They loved it. Every story a character, a time, a place, a problem which launches a plot. Well, the Bible, God’s Word as the fullest and truest of stories is no different. And when we are believing and confessing the Christian faith, we are doing more than saying there is a God, or its this God not that idea of God. And we are doing more than saying, God is one of the many things that there are in this universe - you better know math, science, art, work, family, and oh here religion, better know God for a complete life too.
Know as God does through the prophet Isaiah - before we even talk about the problem and the plot of the story, let’s get the character and the setting down. This is how God’s Word begins, and it is what Ps 19:1 declares with Isaiah.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
John Calvin in the Institutes says knowing God like this as Sovereign Creator - something known generally from looking into creation itself, but declared with greater specificity and clarity and without any error - is necessary to set the stage for the drama of the Bible and of all life. Calvin says: you know what sets the true God clearly revealed in Scripture from all the other manufactured ideas of Gd in this world - its the creation of the world, the whole universe. We can conjure up all kinds of ideas about God , but there is only one sovereign LORD who made all that is seen and unseen - and this revelation of God’s Creation and His purpose in it, is the starting point of knowing and living with God. This understanding that the whole universe, isn’t random chance, isn’t a independent given, but all of creation is a demonstration of God’s glory, wisdom and power, and every little creature in this universe is dependent upon the Lord! That is is a necessary starting point of understanding the story and the faith of the Bible.
IN Guido deBres day, necessary foundation for confessing the salvation this Sovereign God who has a purpose for both humanity and this physical world. By and large all people had an idea of Christendom, of this world as God’s and Him building a society and church within it. And the controversy of the day was not in creation but in how salvation worked! But in our day, the foundation of God’s act of creating and its meaning and purpose not just a foundation to move quickly to salvation. No in our day, as philosopher Charles Taylor puts it: we live in a “secular age” , not just secular parts of life, but that the whole of nature around us has become disenchanted - we think creation is just stuff - always been there, and it’s just instrumentality and nature to be manipulated . Just material for buffered individuals to use for whatever happiness they can make out of it. Radically individualized society no greater purpose, no greater Person with a plan.
This particular form unique in Post-enlightenment West, the ancient world had a form it too. Both Aristotle and Plato taught - though there is a god - didn’t make all things, not involved with all things, not sovereign - always been that matter with god. matter is lesser, only mind in touch with God matters. Even Judaisms and Islam, though they share the book of Genesis - more distant static God - not the Triune One who is intimately involved in His Creation as the Bible describes. And so we too, in this day, need to believe by faith and confess with reason and explanation to our neighbours our friends, to each other - God’s power, goodness, and purpose in creation!
Key Truth: When God’s creation is acknowledged by faith, His purposes towards us and His world must be embraced!
A. All things Come from to me by Father God, by His Son ( Who is the Word), in the power of the Spirit
This is something that is not so readily acknowledged - we are alright having God as a little extra in our universe like all the rest of stuff.. But right from Genesis 1:1 In beginning God. By faith e must embrace that there was a time beyond time, when there was nothing but God in all His fulness. Either matter or God has always been here. Nothing comes from nothing. And it is just as much as statement of faith - maybe more to say, the beginning is stuff . In fact to say that is not empirical science, but it is naturalistic world view that rules out anything beyond what we can taste and touch. Empircal sience can get us a ll little distance i discovering and formulating laws of nature governing the universe, but its incapable of establishing the initial conditions out of which the universe arose. That is cosmology not science and as much a presupposition, an unproved axiom as belief in God! Science can gets us t the point that a powerful intellect outside the natural realm is required for the complex world we live in, but it can’t get to the Who or How he brought it about!
And we have good reason to believe and have faith that this is God and not just matter. The human and human heart have this knowledge of God as a properly basic belief imprinted in our very soul. That belief is not just wishful thinking or irrational unthinking superstition, it is the only appropriate response to this wonderful creation!
So, God reveals in his Word that there was time when there was nothing but God. Then there is everything he created, physical and spiritual - visible an divisible - and those are two different circles. Everything in God - infinite, ultimate, independent, and necessarily everything in creation is dependent, finite has a beginning. That’s the focus of God’s question in Isaiah: don’t you know from the beginning - from the foundation of the earth - IT IS HE .v22 poetically by analogy try to speak of it who sits above all this.
All this created stuff including the heavens and the earth are just a tent to dwell in, but I am the eternal one lives beyond it all. This is what that word creation means: not make form out of existing matter.
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.
There was a German philosopher Fichte who quite rightly said, you know all this Enlightenment Science - wants to prove everything nationalistically - but this idea creation, “is something which cannot properly be imagined.” And he is right, humanity couldn’t dream up how something came from nothing but God. He’s wrong to deny that there was a creation, but he is right to see that it is a stupendous event beyond our reasoning ability.. We are to stand back and let it sink in, how out of this world God is, how beyond our understanding is His idea and ability to Create.
It is just a little like author of the book A History of Everything. Before taking 3 years off, he was sitting down and said I hardly know anything about this planet which the only one I’ll ever know. I don’t know what makes sea salty but no the great lakes. Don’t know if oceans getting more salty with time or less. i don’t really know anything. Can I get to know science behind it all not in expert but general understanding way and make it known. For instance work out how eclipse works, take for granted - but work it out oh wow. Well tip of the ice berg only, but do you feel how incredible it is that there is anything at all.
And Emil Brunner a theologian of that day said, absolutely right Mr. Philosopher - if God were apart of Creation, or just a construct of created by people in ti Creation 0 then we could imagine and explain it; but source of all things , making all that is creation ex nihilo out of nothing. We can't even imagine that. Doesn't make it unreasonable and against reason, but reason and science can’t enable you to conceive or imagine it.
And so we read in Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
So much we don’t understand and reason out but we believe it … Science about everything.. properly basic belief - like belief in other minds Unassisted reason couldn't get you there. But God revealing Himself both in nature, in your self, and especially in your Word - you can then imagine and attempt to express the wonder of it. This word created bereshit, Isaiah 40:26 not like anything - kittel says, No analogies in the realm of human life and knowledge - We just make, FASHION, SHAPE THINGS, BUT GOD ALONE God create out of nothing. So the doctrine of creation is not a theory of the cosmos , it is not even an explanation of HOW exactly God created out of thing. It is our expression that all of this - doesn’t stand on its own. It is from God’s creation and we can only know this ultimately by faith, even though reason, ,and experience support and make sense with this faith!!
This two circle metaphysics matters so much. There is God in one circle and creation in the other. Christians aren’t one circle people, who believe everything there is in one circle including God all the same system. No God exists beyond and outside of our circle and we must pre-suppose him in all our thinking and acting! You know what creation, rather than naturalistic material evolution means? it means the Creator engages with and gets involved in this creation. The meaning of history is His engagement with us! God, the God who acts and promises and speaks in this Revelation the Bible, this circle we are living in, it is His world.
Some people have turned the Bible just to find how God saves them. Some use God like a part of this creation to solve their happiness, power or security problem in their lives. And much of this confession is going to be about God’s saving work. But we begin our confession, after establishing the main character the Triune god, with the setting, not the plot. What does God save us from and for. You need to know how and why He made us to understand salvation don’t you. You need to understand God’s purpose in creating a good world and the human being’s place and purpose in that world.
Listen carefully, existence - God’s good creation and his purpose and plan in it are prior to salvation. Human beings like you and me are to be saved, but we are saved to be not even just to how we were first made, but we are saved to fulfill what God’s life for us was intended to be. Can only know that through a strong view of God’s Word about creation. Creation isn’t just brute facts about what exists, a biblical view of Creation shows us how all of this and every part of life, is set up for God’s purpose and plan and kingdom.
Think of it God creates the stuff of the universe, he fills it perfectly , and sets it towards a purpose, and this particular God says its good. It good for that purpose. Creation the stuff and the institutions in it, are not evil nor are they neutral, but they are good when they operate in God’s appointed direction.
Which brings us to the second thing we must believe and confess about creation and our Creator.
B. Creation has a Definite Purpose & is Directed to God
The development in Creation is poetically and deliberately told. Real progress of God calling things out of nothing to beauty. There is a real wonder of the Spirit of God, over the chaos of the darkness. And then Let there be; OF God gathering things together, bringing forth more and more life. But it is all headed to a more complete moment isn’t it. The whole creation points to the point, when God makes a garden in the middle of it - says something is not good - that aloneness. Then with that fellowship, with image bearer in a garden that needs tending and developing. Finally on the seventh day we get to the purpose of Creation - rest - enjoyment - that glorying in God’s work. All creation designed to move from chaos, formlessness, to form God points it to, service of His glory and creatures good.
Really interesting the word tree, leaves, garden -paradise - what’s the purpose how should it be arranged,.. development for highest good. Focus of the garden not the stuff - creation isn’t evil, but it is also not divine and the end all and be all. Creation is the bearer of God, temple God now chose to dwell with us in. So nothing in creation is to be worshipped or used as an object of worship. Creation, even the garden, does not abide on its own. It is a product of the SOVEREIGN WHO turned toward this Created world, says enjoy it, but only for my purpose to glorify and enjoy me to build up those I’ve placed beside you!
And isn’t that what we see all over our text, yes, grasp by faith God made all this, but grasp that this all-powerful creator - his eye is on the sparrow and the cattle of a thousand hills, but most especially on us. After hitting the climax of title the LORD is the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth … not faint or weary. understanding unsearchable. But what doe He do? Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Do you see where God is going with this creation, he’s going toward us. God is frightening when Adam and Eve, and you and I hiding in sin, but not when God calls, comes, clothes us.
And that is beauty of our Christian testimony to the Creator because we testify of His purpose in a way no others can.
C. Creation & Its Purpose are Bound Up with the Word, Who is Christ!
Listen to the wonder of this. Some thought that eternal God created a lesser divine being, subcontractor to make the world. But that big up there God remains aloof from us. Our neighbours often have the idea God is distant, unknown. Christians can even have the idea that fellowship with God only for disembodied spirits far far from here. But listen to the gospel of John. It explains how and why this Creator of the Ends of the Earth, comes swooping down like mother eagle - so that we fledgling falling creature might be restored to rise up on wings like eagles runs and not grow weary!
John 1:3
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
We don’t just confess an aloof God created all this. We confess that this Creation is rooted in the Second Person of the Trinity. The Son was the Person of God who made this, he reflecting the Father and executing His plan - He was the eternal workman of Prov 9, - by the Spirit at work. And this same Son actually Mediator of Creation and Salvation, and Revelation . This Son most fully revealed God not in creation, but when He Himself became incarnate in human nature, He entered the creation, and lifted up the image bearing task we failed in. It is this Christ Messiah, Mediator, taking on thee role of Adam as prophet, priest, and king; developing God’s creation into God’s kingdom. It is He who made this world, and it is He who showed up to restore it to that purpose!
And so we confess by faith, Creation was made by the power that Word who is Jesus. And he shows up to restore that world, and guess what the announcement: It is not just forgiveness of sins and go to heaven. But what’s the announcement: Mark 1:15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The believing of this gospel with forgiveness, atonement at the centre serves the purpose of re-establishing the kingdom of within and among us! Though this creation is good, its also twisted and broken and gone askew. But we are still to be so for this world God created as He is. And we see in Christ the Word of God come to restore the creation, we catch a glimpse of the original “blueprint”. We see in His cross that this world under the powers of darkness, oppose the architect, and builder and cornerstone of that kingdom. But beyond the Cross we see Him rising, turning sinful rebels toward the fulfillment of God’s intentions for the creation. We see Christ risen, ascended as perfect prophet priest and king saying, - come begin reigning with me - as servants and even co-rulers have dominion in the new creation! Everything you touch, every tool and material, each person you relate to, every place and challenge, and even all the problems find yourself in - walk with me - the redeemer of all things!
We are not deists - content to say God created and moved away. But :
We believe that He also continues to sustain and govern them according to His eternal providence and by His infinite power in order to serve man, the end that man may serve His God. Article 12
Not one of the starry host are missing or named, in Genesis 1 we read he gave them not as ends in themselves, nations worshiped, or just exploited, but as signs to SERVE. And we, as the Redeemed, are to find the form and function of all things - see God’s Providence, so all the stuff of life, our work, our citizenship, our families to our jobs, our recreation - see how serve us, in a way that humanity might serve God!
From time to time our neighbours acknowledge the Providence of God, pagan religions certainly see it in limit way. But we too are testify - not my lucky stars aligned, big guy up there smiling on me to win jack poit. But our confession in the providence of life is to be that No of us live separate from God, - don't have 20-20 vision, but are to consider the judgment s of God in this life on the nations, moral universe - ascribe that man can’t live out God, that justice and provision and accountability displayed around us all the time! And this isn’t a individualistic - all things will work out for me, though bend towards the salvation of His people. It is the idea that all history won’t make sense until Christ is all, and in all. Dark providences unknown how in this world where evil still exists, can’t figure out how beninding evil to serve His purpose, but waiting on Christ to make all things new! b
Article of faith to see Christ bringing everything that happens to serve this grand purpose; Look at the end towards whifh creation is moving in and under Christ: 1 Cor 15:25-27a
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
Do you see how intimately Christ is bound up in you and I using this creation, and pointing it back in service to the glory of God teh Father. Look at the very end, Christ continues to reign and mediate, but it will be complete then and Christ says - now you are all and in all - F,S,HS with us: 1 Cor 15:28
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
D. We Must Testify to the the Unseen Creation of the Spiritual Realm
But lastly another powerful and especially important part of our testimony is to the Unseen Creation of the Spiritual Realm.
While much superstition has always abounded, and often within the church - angels, demons - would like to have us either deathly afraid or pleasantly amused an unbelieving. Orly slight reference in comparison to God above the inhabitants of the earth like grasshoppers to him. But he also speaks of God stretching the heavenly realm, and not just the skies, but the spiritual abode of angelic spiritual being like a tent. When we read a fuller decryption of this in Colossians 1: 16-17
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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
We are to see that we’ve got to stand against our cultures idea that we are just a bunch of lose individuals… no we are members of a human race, but there are structure and orders and forms of existence, beyond our human race - that God has called into being that exist around us, and influence us, and are part of the fabric of this story -
There are over three hundred references to angels, created at the beginning of creation accord into Job, celebrating the creation f this world from the heavens. Spiritual beings that are God’s servants, sent to serve those receiving salvation. Others focused on the worship of God serpahim, protection cherubim. Dispatched to watch over and protect. because not omnipresent , nor Omnipowerful like God. And some time before the last day of creation, we have a fall of one of these angels, and according to Jude 1/3 follow.
Satan isn’t just an arch-typical representation of the weight of human fallenness . nor are demons to be seen as mental illness. No, there is a so to speak angelic race, power not necessary evil or bad, but with freedom and calling to serve in particular way. And no one of them not even Satan independent existence, equal and opposite of God. But nonetheless permit to fall, fallennness and their rebellion against the kingdom and seeking us to be part of that not God’s creation or moral responsibility.
But part of the story now, as are angels who serve those receiving salvation. Not individual guardians angels, those watch over us and Christ’s church. And there are arch Angels - Gabriel and Michael. Like God in the OT at times appeared in human body appearance. And real task among the spiritual realm to battle Satan and his demons who wage war against Christ and His people At the end of time, at Son’s return - accompanied by angels - and some will carry out the punishment of the wicked int the lake of fire. In the new heavens and teh earth - populated not just with redeemed family of humans, but of myriads of angels!
We are not to have an undue curiosity or freakish, assigning - believer not able to be possessed but certainly influenced. And the NT clear that way Satan frantically attacks is much less through demon possession, but against God’s church and His people - it is through false teaching twisting God’s word. Snares of sin through temptation. We are to confess real evil at work behind our human nature, and the scene of history. conspiracy against the CHRIST and His kingdom and church. But our firm belief even in the worst of times is that in God’s providence He can and will turn all this evil toward God’s good end and the salvation of His church.
Dear Congregation in this time of COVID 19, lot of people living as isolated individuals not a lot to live for but own pleasure individually pursued, and all lot fear, and the story of their lives has stalled. They fear the future and the present, and see creation as if God has abandon it and it is all left to chance or fortune or the administration of human governments. But as Christian in worst times have confessed and proven. History and our story doesn’t move willynilly nor by the fortune of human endeavor. History and your story and mine it exist and the events of our lives move toward an end. We are not stuck in a repeating groove of a skipping record. We can’t see it with eyes of mere reason and logic, yet . God is hidden in his providences. Sometimes evil does seem stronger. But we must ever testify to the one who is stronger even then all the evil That the creator who made the trees, was confined one that Creation could be born again at his returned unified and become the new creation. That the One who is truly the Image of God, became the man of all sorrows , that we might become heir s with joy and eternal fellowship. That the one who holds the sceptre of the universe he created, carries that sceptre with nail prints in his hand. That love and suffering exist in the Creator Redeemer and can exist in you and me with the love triumphing!
The foundation of God’s providence, of Him working this world, is in the salvation Christ works in it. We believe providence - we confess it and it keeps - confess to each other and our neighbours, God is not finished with this world yet, God didn’t create this world and leave . he continues to engage it and He is engaging and rewriting the story of my brokenness and sin and suffering, he rewriting how it all would be By Christ the Word the Son’s engagement with us. There is what Christ has done that we must unpack but there is also what the Spirit tis doing now in applying that great work to us!
In conclusion, let me tell you the story of George Fox
God is not done with this world, He is the Creator and Sustains er and Redeemer who is toward s this world and for us in Christ the Mediator. This is what we must confess even now about God’s creation and His World! Amen.