God designed and created:? Universe Humans Marriage
God’s design for us:
1. God designed and created us for His glory Genesis 1:26 ?
What this means is that: ? We are the pinnacle of God’s creation
? We are unique in creation
? We have a high and holy purpose: to glorify God 1 Corinthians 10:31?
2. God designed us for purposeful living Genesis 1 & 2
Relationships Genesis 2:18
Marriage & Families Genesis 1:27-28
? Work Genesis 1:28-30
? Rest Genesis 2:2-3?
3. God designed us for relationship with Him.
A relationship with God--what does that mean?
Is it true for you?
Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1:1
The next 3 weeks I want to talk to you about 3 spheres (draw; need tablet/marker) of reality that define our world, our community, our church, in fact, each one of us.? And the first sphere of reality I want us to examine is God’s Design (fill in circle; need 3 circles in the worship folder; two on top, one on bottom in the middle—; see me)
If you want to know what God’s design is, then you can go to the beginning of OUR reality, the origin of the universe; God’s act of creation. And that begins in Genesis 1 & 2.? When you study Genesis 1 & 2 you see that God designed and created: (build)? Universe (‘heaven and earth’; a merism)? Humans? Marriage
Let’s talk a moment about the universe. We could spend all day just talking about the expansiveness and beauty and glory of the universe. The Bible says that “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Psalm 19:1 And what a glorious God He is. Just look at a few images of what God created (3 awesome pics from Hubble) And as you know, the image of something never measures up the reality of something right? Astronomers guesstimate that there are 100 billion galaxies with an average of 100 billion stars per galaxy so that there are at least 100 billion trillion stars in the heavens. (brain explosion). And God designed the heavens and created the heavens just on power of His word. “Let there be Light. Let there be stars”? And Genesis 1 also says that God created our earth; beautifully designed so that the distance from the sun was just right and the tilt of the earth is just right and the speed of the rotation is just right and the makeup of water to solids is just right and the distance from our moon is just right. Scientists, in a recent article in Discover Magazine, estimate that for all these factors to be right, if there was no Designer, right? If this was pure chance, it would be 1 in 700 quintrillion, that’s 1 followed by 20 zeros. (see Case for Miracles)
And of course, God created and established marriage. Let me repeat this: marriage is not a human construct; something humans thought up. It was designed by God and so therefore He gets to define what it is. He said in Genesis 2:26 “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” Jesus affirmed this arrangement of a man and a woman.” Jesus quoted this verse when asked about marriage. Paul quoted this verse when writing about marriage issues. That’s God’s design.? But what I really want to talk about this morning is God’s design for humanity;
God’s design for us:
1. God designed and created us for His glory
When you read the creation account in Genesis 1, you get the sense that God is an orchestra conductor and He is creating a symphony that starts with a bang and gets even more magnificent. (example?)? Let there be light! Really in the Hebrew, there is no “Let there be.” It’s just God saying Light! And there was light. Atmosphere! Land and Sea! Plants! Sun, moon, and stars! Sea creatures and land creatures and air creatures. And then a dramatic pause: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” Genesis 1:26 ? Imago dei. Latin for the image of God. What does it mean the image of God??It means simply that image of God: we are made to resemble God; even to represent God?That can’t mean that God is physical and He is just bigger and stronger and more handsome than us. The Bible insists that God is spirit; that He’s non-physical. ? Like God, and unlike the rest of creation, we have volition; i.e., we can make decisions; we have free choice. The rest of the animal kingdom is has instincts, but not volition.? Like God, we have a moral compass. His compass is always right or righteous we might say, but the rest of creation does not have that capacity.? Like God, we possess rationality and cognitive capacity. That just means that we can think rationally and think conceptually.? There are some other attributes we share only with God, but I want us to remember that
being made in the image of God "describes not just something that man has, but something man is” Anthony Hoekema
What this means is that: (build)? We are the pinnacle of God’s creation We are the highpoint; we are the apex; we are the crème de le crème of all of creation…more than the amazing stars and galaxies (another stunning pic) , more than the mountains majesties (pic) or beautiful seascapes (pic). We, you and me, are the pinnacle of God’s creation.? We are unique in creation Of all of creation, only we bear the image of God. Trees do not—sorry tree huggers; animals do not—sorry PETA. Only we bear the image of God. ? We have a high and holy purpose: to glorify God?You and I were created ultimately to bring glory and honor to our Creator.?“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
2. God designed us for purposeful living
Relationships “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Genesis 2:18 Humans were not created to be in isolation; we were made to be in healthy and whole relationships.? Marriage & Families “ So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:27-28
Barksdale clan is doing all they can to fulfill that challenge! ? Work “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” Genesis 1:28-30
To work is a command from God. Your work, whether at home or on the road or in a classroom or office, your work is a provision of God and a gift from God. Stop running down your job. It’s a gift from God. It’s part of living a purposeful life. If you hate your job; if it’s not fulfilling, quit it and get another one that is closer to your passion. No job is perfect. I’ve told my kids if you can land a job that is satisfying and fulfilling 80%, that’s good. But whatever you do, see your job as a gift from God. ? Rest 2 On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.” Genesis 2:2-3? When God rested, it’s not because He was tired. It just means that he rest=cease from work. We’ve lost this idea of sabbath; of rest; of ceasing from hyperactivity and overcrowded schedules. We weren’t built for this. Rest, my friends, is what recharges our batteries so that we may enjoy the fruits of our labor, the warmth of friendships and family, and contemplate the grace and mercy of God.
3. God designed us for relationship with Him.
Think back to what we said earlier: only we are created in the image of God. That means that only we humans can have a meaningful and real relationship with God.
A relationship with God--what does that mean? (build)
Someone we can trust completely? Someone who meets our deepest needs? Someone who clears the confusion and guides the way? Someone who knows our inner most secrets and desires? Someone who touches us in our most intimate places? Someone who loves us with a more powerful love than any human could possess.
That’s God’s design, for me, for you, for everyone. Question: Does what you see on the screen typify YOUR relationship with God? Is this true for you??
