God's Grand Design

Intro:

This week at Spark Studios VBS, kids will learn a lot! It will be a great week of the main points of Scripture and Christianity!

It begins at Creation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

There is a lot of discussion about how God created all things. The one thing I am certain of is that God did create all things. The The certainty that He did it is more important than me understanding all the nuances of the process of how He did it. He spoke, He created, the Son and Spirit are active and completely involved and we get the great creation we have.

God goes on to create man in His own image, male and female, Adam and Eve.

God creates humans for fellowship, for His glory, and for His purpose.

We know the next part of the story. Adam and Eve sin against God, mankind falls into sin and is separated from God’s perfect fellowship and presence.

Ephesians 1 and 2 is one of the places we find a New Testament explanation of God’s plan for fallen humanity.

Ephesians 1:4-14 is one of the longest sentences in the Bible and comes in at around 257 words.

That is what it takes for Paul to recount and summarize the great design and plan God has for His people. The Grand design and of creation and redemption are the plots and stage in which the Bible is speaking to and what we see being carried out.

I. The plan-

God does not love us because we’re valuable; we’re valuable because God loves us.

God created us out of love, to experience His love, and express His love.

II. The purpose- His glory, eternal relationship with humanity, to extend His blessings to His creation.

Our greatest blessings are the blessings that come from knowing God.

III. The problem- sin, the deception of Satan and the desire for sin, the resulting spiritual and physical death that is the result of sin.

If you use Miracle grow for plants, it helps them grow and live. If you use diesel and round up or rodeo, they are going to die!

Manufacturers instructions must be followed to get the desired result.

We have so many problems today because humans desire darkness rather than light.

As crazy as it is, we do not want to follow the instructions of our Grand designer.

The results are clear and they are not good when a majority are not following God’s plan.

IV. God’s plan for salvation and redemption.

Saved, signed, sealed, and delivered.

There are a lot of shows made and money spent on restoration projects. Homes, furniture, vehicles, etc.

God’s redemption is purchased by His Son on our behalf and will be everlasting and eternally perfect!

He saves us completely to deliver us unto Himself for eternal life, love, and glory.

Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

He always had a plan.

His plans are eternal and perfect. Trust Him!

His purpose is to save, redeem, restore, and ultimately return His people to eternal fellowship and everlasting life.