Now, imagine this is a metaphor.
This opening illustration is a metaphor.
Imagine walking into your doctor's office,
and your doctor, she walks in, and you look at her,
and she's wearing her white doctor's lab coat,
and you don't think anything of it until she turns around,
and she sits down at her computer,
and you notice right away that the entire backside of her lab coat
has been cut off at the seams.
You have your conversation, and you get in your car,
and you start going back, and on your way back,
you drive by this car accident, and all these firefighters are there,
and they are spraying out the flames,
and they're using the jaws of life to rescue a trapped motorist,
and you can't help but notice that all of these firefighters
have those heavy fire coats on, but when they turn,
the backside of their fire coats has been cut off at the seams.
You keep on going through your day.
You go to your bank.
You have an appointment with your personal banker.
You sit down across from him,
and he's wearing his banker gray blazer with red tie,
and you'll think nothing of it.
You've got to set up an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings,
and he gets up to get the paperwork,
and when he gets up and turns around,
you're shocked because the back of his banker gray blazer
is totally cut at the seams.
Something's missing.
You start to wonder,
hmm, am I seeing something for the first time?
So you get home, and you run to your closet,
and you open up your closet,
and all the coats in your closet,
every back has been cut off at the seams.
There's something missing.
All these examples, all these coats
represent the particular work vocations God has called us to.
And in every situation in that little metaphor,
something has been cut out.
You see, we've got a problem when it comes to our work.
And what I mean by work is not just what you get paid for.
It's every calling to which you've been called.
There's a word that covers this.
It's called the word vocation.
It comes from a Latin word meaning to call,
as in God calling you to a particular occupation,
and every one of us in this room
has been called by God to a number of vocations,
a number of occupations.
And so just one person in this room,
they can be called to be a parent,
they can be called to be a child,
they can be called to be a church member,
they can be called to be a citizen,
and they can be called to a particular job.
That's a bunch of different hats.
In every calling, God has called you to this.
In the Bible, the New Testament's use of calling
is a very interesting use.
It shows up at least 51 times in your New Testament.
In the majority, 46 times,
the word calling uses a word described
to be called to follow Jesus,
to be called to be a Christian.
The vocation of being a disciple of Jesus.
And it's this calling
that is the calling over all callings.
The calling to follow Jesus
informs every other calling
with which we've been called.
So all of us in this room right now,
some of us have similar callings,
some of us have different callings,
but all of our callings
fall under the one great calling
of being a follower of Jesus.
But let me get back to the problem.
This problem
of having all the backs
cut out of our occupational coats,
here's what it is.
Here's the point.
Human pride,
the sharp edge of human pride
has cut God out
of our vocations
at the seams.
We've got a problem
with our work.
We forgot something
in our work.
We've left God
at the front door
of our work.
We've disconnected God
from our vocation.
And when you disconnect God
from your vocation,
do you know
what likely is
to become your God?
your vocation?
So when we talk
about this call
to work,
this is all about
worship of God.
And so here's my task
for the next three Sundays.
Here's how I want
to help you all.
I want to help you
reintegrate
with the needle
and the thread
of God's word.
I want to
reintegrate
God
into
your vocation.
I want to get
God
back
into work
and we look
to God's word
to do that.
And so over the next
three weeks,
I want to lay out
for you
a biblically
informed,
God-centered
view
or framework
of vocation
with the desire
that having
a biblically
informed,
God-centered
view of work
will change
the way
you think
about work
and change
the way
you go
about your work.
And so
over these
next three Sundays,
we're going
to cover
four aspects
of a God-centered
view of vocation.
You ready?
Number one is this.
This morning,
we're going to look
at the origin
of work,
creation.
We're going to be
spending our time
in Genesis chapter one.
Next week,
we're going to look
at the corruption
of work,
the effect
of the fall
on our vocations.
And then,
Labor Day weekend,
we're going to be
looking at
the redemption
of our work
through the cross
of Jesus Christ.
He changes
the way we work.
And on that Sunday,
too,
we're going to
be anticipating
our future work,
the new earth work,
when He comes back
and He makes new
the heavens
and the earth.
So this morning,
we're going to focus
on this first aspect
of a God-centered
view of vocation,
the origin of work.
Your work matters
to God.
He's very interested
in your work.
And so we must
reintegrate God
into all our vocations,
whether that's
in our workplace,
whether that's
in our church,
our family,
our neighborhood,
our country,
or our school.
You see,
a theology of vocation
covers all of life.
So would you turn
with me now
to Genesis chapter one,
and we're going
to look at the
origin of work
and when we do,
we're going to look
at two things.
God engaging
in His work,
His creating
work,
and then we're going
to look at God
entrusting His work,
His creation mandate.
And so I'm going
to read all the way
through Genesis one.
So if you want
to open your Bibles
now to Genesis one
and read along with me,
here is God's Word.
In the beginning,
God created the heavens
and the earth.
The earth was without
form and void,
and darkness was over
the face of the deep,
and the Spirit of God
was hovering over
the face of the waters.
And God said,
let there be light,
and there was light.
And God saw
that the light
was good.
And God separated
the light from the darkness.
God called the light
day,
and the darkness
He called night,
and there was evening,
and there was morning
the first day.
And God said,
let there be an expanse
in the midst of the waters,
and let it separate
the waters from the waters.
And God made the expanse
and separated the waters
that were under the expanse
and from the waters
that were above the expanse,
and it was so.
And God called the expanse
heaven,
and there was evening,
and there was morning
the second day.
And God said,
let the waters
under the heavens
be gathered together
in one place,
and let the dry land
appear,
and it was so.
And God called
the dry land earth,
and the waters
that were gathered together
He called seas,
and God saw
that it was good.
And God said,
let the earth
sprout vegetation,
plants yielding seed,
and fruit trees
bearing fruit
in which is their seed,
each according
to its kind
on the earth.
And it was so.
The earth brought forth
vegetation,
plants yielding seed
according to their own kinds,
and trees bearing fruit
in which is their seed,
each according to its kind.
And God saw
that it was good,
and there was evening,
and there was morning
the third day.
And God said,
let there be lights
in the expanse
of the heavens
to separate the day
from the night,
and let them be
for signs,
and for seasons,
and for days,
and years,
and let them be lights
in the expanse
of the heavens
to give light
upon the earth,
and it was so.
And God made
the two great lights,
the greater light
to rule the day,
and the lesser light
to rule the night,
and the stars.
And God set them
in the expanse
of the heavens
to give light
on the earth,
to rule over the day
and over the night,
and to separate
the light
from the darkness,
and God saw
that it was good.
And there was evening,
and there was morning
the fourth day.
And God said,
let the water swarm
with swarms
of living creatures,
and let birds fly
above the earth
across the expanse
of the heavens.
And so God created
the great sea creatures,
and every living creature
that moves
with which the waters
swarm according
to their kinds,
and every winged bird
according to its kind.
And God saw
that it was good,
and God blessed them,
saying,
be fruitful and multiply
and fill the waters
and the seas,
and let birds multiply
on the earth.
And there was evening,
and there was morning
the fifth day.
And God said,
let the earth bring forth
living creatures
according to their kinds,
livestock and creeping things,
and beasts of the earth
according to their kinds.
And it was so.
And God made the beasts
of the earth
according to their kinds,
and the livestock
according to their kinds,
and everything that creeps
on the ground
according to its kind.
And God saw
that it was good.
Then God said,
let us make man
our own image
after our likeness,
and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds
of the heavens,
and over the livestock,
and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.
So God created man
in his own image,
and the image of God
he created him,
male and female
he created them,
and God blessed them.
And God said to them,
be fruitful,
and multiply,
and fill the earth,
and subdue it,
and have dominion
over the fish of the seas,
and over the birds
of the heavens,
and over every living thing
that moves on the earth.
And God said,
behold,
I have given you
every plant yielding seed
that is on the face
of all the earth,
and every tree
with seed and its fruit,
ye shall have them
for food,
and to every beast
of the earth,
and to every bird
of the heavens,
and to everything
that creeps on the earth,
everything that has
breath of life,
I have given
every green plant
for food,
and it was so.
And God saw
everything he made,
and behold,
it was very good.
And there was evening,
and there was morning,
the sixth day.
What an account.
Right now,
what I'd like to do
is let's focus
on Genesis 1.
I'm going to pull
a couple things out.
We're going to look
at God engaging
with his creation,
his creation making,
and then we're going
to turn a quarter,
and we're going to look
at God entrusting
his creation to us
in the creation mandate.
And the reason
why we're doing this
is to begin to
restitch in God
into our vocations.
We would have
a God-centered view
of vocation.
God engages his work.
What we see in Genesis 1,
these six days of creation,
is God at work
in his creation.
and he is at work
bringing things together,
forming things,
calling things
into existence
out of nothing
to bless
all the inhabitants
of the earth.
He wants his earth
to be filled.
Fullness,
life,
goodness,
blessing.
and he's purposely
designed this planet
for it.
And he wants us
to experience
the great blessing
of having him
as our creator.
So the first thing
I want you to notice
is where Genesis 1 begins.
In the beginning,
God created.
And so,
in order for us
to have a right view
of our vocations,
every calling
with which we've been called,
we don't start
with our callings.
we start
with the one
who calls us.
In the beginning,
God created.
We start
where the Bible starts.
What gives significance
to our vocations
is God himself.
We notice right away,
maybe you were
sensed this
as I was reading through,
that the God
of the Bible
is a God of order.
that as we read
through Genesis 1,
did you pick up
on the rhythm?
Did you pick up
on the days?
And where there is rhythm,
there is order,
and where there is order,
there is purpose.
God purposefully created
this planet
in which we occupy
for life,
for good.
And so,
throughout Genesis 1,
we see God declaring,
God saying,
let there be,
and then we see God doing,
and it was so.
And then in the first part,
first three days,
he's naming things.
The day,
day,
the expanse,
heaven.
And at the end
of every day,
there's this closing,
and there was evening,
and there was morning
the first day.
And there was evening,
and there was morning
the second day.
We've got a God
of order.
And what you need
to know about
Genesis chapter 1
is that there's
a correspondence.
Day 1
corresponds with
day 4.
Day 2
corresponds with
day 5.
Day 3
corresponds with
day 6.
It's like this.
Days 1,
2, and 3,
God is creating
the nest of creation,
and days 4,
5, and 6,
he's filling
the nest
with living
creatures
full of life,
full of
goodness.
This morning,
I have been
feeling the weight
of something
all week.
And I believe
it's what God
wants,
at least in part,
to impress upon us
this morning.
It's his goodness.
Did you pick up
on that refrain
throughout Genesis
chapter 1?
And God saw
that it was good.
Verse 4,
verse 10,
verse 12,
verse 18,
verse 21,
verse 25,
climaxing in
verse 31.
It's good.
I think I know
what he's talking
about.
I edge my lawn.
Do we have any
lawn edgers
in the room?
I think,
brother,
you and me,
man.
Now,
when you hear
about a guy
edging his lawn,
you might be like,
what?
Let me tell you.
It's about
art.
It's artwork.
After I mow
my lawn,
I edge it,
and you know
what I do?
I stand at the
end of my sidewalk,
and I look upon
the work of my
hands,
and I say,
it is good.
It is good.
Now,
nobody else may
notice that,
but I do,
and I have one
brother in the room
that does,
and that's
with grass.
God said
it is good
to creating
things
out of nothing.
God said
it is good
for working
with things
on a scale
we just have
no real sense
for how big
and how complicated.
I mean,
on day six,
of all the
creations he made,
he made the
platypus.
and it was
very good.
When God
creates,
he takes
delight
in what he
makes.
He looks
upon it,
and in that
moment,
he says,
now that's
a nice piece
of work.
And I believe
not only is
this goodness
an in-the-moment
goodness,
I think it's
an anticipated
goodness.
Because God
knew on day
one who
he's making
this all for.
So part of
the it is good
is anticipating
the blessing
we would
experience
in his good
creation.
Now here's
why I'm saying
this.
I want you
to be thinking
God's creation
making results
in good,
blessing,
good for all.
and that
has bearing
not just
on his
creation
making,
but on the
creation
mandate.
So we've
looked at
his creative
work,
now we're
going to
focus in
on day
six,
starting
in verse
26.
This has
been classically
known as the
creation
mandate,
specifically
in verse
28.
And he
speaks this
creation
mandate to
every human
being on
the planet.
All 7.6
billion people
today are
under this
creation
mandate.
There's two
things I want
you to notice
here.
This,
who this
creation mandate
is given to
and what
this creation
mandate
involves.
So let's
look at the
who first.
In verse
26,
then God
says,
let us
make man
in our
image
after our
likeness.
Image
bearers.
That's who
he gives
the creation
mandate to
in verse
28.
But I
want you to
see a little
clue here of
what an
image bearer
is.
There's a
connection you
need to see.
It's in verse
26.
He says,
God says,
let us make
man in our
own image
after our
likeness and
let them
have dominion.
Whatever this
image bearing
business is,
it's connected
to having
dominion over
the earth.
They go
together.
So let's
talk about
what it
means to
be an
image
bearer.
It's an
image bearer
of God.
So what
does that
mean?
Well,
don't be
thinking
physically
because remember
Adam was
formed,
Genesis 2,
out of the
dust.
But notice
that whatever
this imaging
is,
both male
and female
are image
bearers of
God,
verse 27.
So men
aren't more
of an image
bearer of
God because
they're men
and females
aren't more
or less of
an image
bearer because
they're females.
We are
image bearers
of God,
male and
female,
which means
we have
intrinsic
worth.
We are the
same value
in God's
sight.
So don't
think physically.
think morally.
This image
bearing has
something to do
with a moral
capacity.
Just like
God,
we are to
do good
to others,
to bless
others.
That was the
whole thrust
of God's
creation,
to bless the
inhabitants of
the earth.
We are to be
a blessing
to the
inhabitants of
the earth.
earth.
It gets
at a
moral
capability.
And so
in Genesis
chapter 2,
when we read
about this
garden of
Eden and
God has
these two
trees in,
one of them
is the
tree of
the knowledge
of good
and evil
and God
commands Adam
and Adam,
don't eat
of that tree.
There's no
other created
thing on the
face of the
planet in
which God
says,
don't eat
of that.
The reason
why is because
of our moral
capacity.
It has to
do with our
imaging forth
of God.
We're like
God in
that.
So think
morally and
think relationally.
God created
us in His
image with
the capacity
to have a
relationship,
not just with
one another,
but with
Him.
It's unique.
And we get a
taste of that
in Genesis 3
verse 8.
If you want to
turn there real
quick, this is
after Adam
and Eve
have sinned
and we read
about God
doing something
really interesting.
And they,
Adam and Eve,
heard the sound
of the Lord
God walking
in the garden
in the cool
of the day.
And you know
what the
impression you
get?
This is how
God rolled
every day.
He would
come to be
with Adam
and Eve
as image
bearers,
to relate
with them,
to be
with them.
You see,
God has
created us
in His
image,
which means
we have
the capacity
to have
a relationship,
a personal
relationship,
with the
living God.
It's unlike
any other
created thing
on the planet.
So when you
think of
imaging God,
think morally,
think relationally,
and think
cognitively.
God has
uniquely created
us with the
intellectual capacity
to understand
who He is
and what
He's called
us to.
Unlike any
other created
thing.
Moral,
relational,
cognitive,
and all of
these are
essential
to
representing
Him
on the
planet.
to be
an image
bearer
with our
moral,
relational,
and cognitive
capacities,
it serves
the God-given
responsibility
to represent
Him
on the
earth
for the
good of
others.
So when you
hear image
bearer,
you need to
be thinking
representative.
And not just
to mirror
God back
to God,
but to
display
God
to all
of
creation.
We're to
represent Him
on earth.
And that's
the link
between being
an image
bearer
and having
dominion
in 26.
So that's
who we are.
Now let's
look at
what He
commands
us to
do.
In
verse 28,
now this is
the creation
mandate
itself.
We read God
say to Adam
and Eve,
be fruitful
and multiply
and fill
the earth.
Now these
are the same
words He
speaks to
the swarming
animals on
day 5
and 22.
Hey,
He blessed
those beasts
and said,
hey,
be fruitful,
multiply,
fill.
Evidently,
God wants
His creation
teeming with
life.
And as
image bearers,
God has
commanded us
to fill
the earth
with other
image bearers
who will
represent Him
for good.
He wants
the planet
filled
with them.
But the next
two commands
set us apart
from every
other living
thing.
In verse 28,
we go on
to read,
be fruitful,
multiply,
and fill
the earth
and subdue
it.
And then He
says,
and have
dominion
over it.
These two
commands,
to subdue
and to have
dominion,
set us
apart from
all the other
created things
as God's
representative
on earth
to do good
to the
inhabitants
of the earth.
And this
starts informing
our understanding
of vocation
because in
your understanding
of your work,
of your jobs,
you are to
represent God
in whatever
you do
for the good
of those
around you.
That's the
creation mandate.
To subdue
means to
bring something
under subjection.
And I don't know
about you,
but when I think
of subdue,
I think of
rodeos.
I think of
cowboys.
There's this
one move
where,
you know,
how cowboys
will ride
those broncos
and then
bull riding
and there's
this other
event at
a rodeo
in which
a little
calf will be
let out of
a pen
and it'll
start running
along and
then cowboys
will be
released from
their slot
on their
horse.
They've got a
lasso going,
they put it
around the
calf,
they jump
off,
they put the
calf in a
headlock,
flip it up
on its back
and they wrap
its legs real
quick for time.
Now,
that's the
first thing
that comes
into my
mind when I
think about
subduing,
a show of
force.
But that's
not what's
going on
here.
The kind
of subduing
that God
is calling
us,
His image
bearers,
to do
is not
a show
of force.
It's to
purpose things
for goodness.
Remember,
we are His
image bearers
and we
are to
subdue
creation for
good,
His creation
for His
good purposes.
We are to
represent God
in the way
we subdue
His creation.
And so
when we
talk about
subdue,
it's the
Hebrew word
kibosh.
You've heard
it before.
You know,
to put the
kibosh on
something.
And you're
usually in a
context of
the meeting
and your
boss is like,
yeah,
I'm going to
put the
kibosh on
that.
It's done,
right?
It's not
that kind
of putting
the kibosh
on something.
The Hebrew
way of putting
the kibosh
on something
is to
purpose it
for good,
to bless.
Let me
give you a
couple examples,
both negatively
and positively,
of human beings
putting the
kibosh on
things,
on a large
industrial scale.
I was recently
doing some
reading that
touched on the
effects of strip
mining in West
Virginia.
Strip mining,
if you're not
aware of it,
is basically
where you
lop off the
top of a
mountain in
order to
access the
coal in it.
and what
study after
study has
shown for
decades following
these practices
is that it's
devastating.
It's devastating
for the natural
environment around
these mountains
and it's
devastating for
the human
beings living
around it
too.
This would be
an example
of putting
the kibosh
on God's
creation in
a way that's
not pleasing
to the Lord
because of
the effects
that it has.
It doesn't
bless in the
long run.
It harms
in the long
run.
But let me
give you
another example
more positively
of putting
what the Bible
really means
about putting
the kibosh
on something.
Let's say
there is
a lumber
company
and they
intentionally
limit
the harvest
of lumber
that they do
every year.
And as well
as limiting
the amount
of lumber
they harvest
they replant
trees
where they
harvest from.
And the reason
why they do
that is to
create a
kind of
sustainable
renewable
resource
that blesses
the environment
and the people
living there
and the people
living beyond
as well.
That would be
an example
of putting
the kibosh
on something
for good.
of subduing
creation.
Here's what
happens though.
When you
disconnect
God
from your
vocation
human beings
are still
going to want
to put the
kibosh
on things.
And when you
disconnect
God from
putting the
kibosh
on God's
creation
you end up
exploiting
things
and hurting
things.
That's why
God has to
be reintegrated
into everything
we do.
We end up
representing
Him and doing
good for
others.
Subdue.
It doesn't
mean exploit.
It means to
bless.
Have dominion.
If subduing
creation is the
initial
purposing of
God's
creation
having dominion
is the
ongoing
management
of creation
of what
you've already
subdued.
It's not
dominion
apart from
God.
It's
exercising
dominion
as a
representative
of God.
It is a
delegated
authority.
This planet
does not
belong to
us.
It's
God's
and He
has given
us to be
stewards
of it
as image
bearers.
Here's an
example of
that recently.
I'm not sure
if you've been
reading the
papers but
there's been
some talk
in the
papers about
the lead
piping in
our city
that provides
water to
our homes.
And in light
of what
happened to
Flint,
Michigan,
there's some
concern over
it, right?
Has anybody
been reading
about this?
Ed St.
Peter, who
is the
director of
the Kenosha
Water Utility,
he's a
brother in
the Lord.
He's a
friend of
mine.
He's a
great guy.
And what
he's doing
right now
is looking
to exercise
his image
bearing in
order for
the good of
Kenosha to
replace the
lead pipes
at a cost
that is
reasonable for
everybody living
in the city.
he's
exercising
dominion as
an image
bearer of
what's already
been subdued
for the good
of all people
in our city.
You see how
being an image
bearer of God
shows up in
our everyday
work?
It matters.
We represent
him.
Now,
we've talked
about God
doing creative
work in his
creation making.
We've turned
now and we're
talking about
this, the who
and what of
the creation
mandate.
I want to
tackle three
objections.
Three
objections.
Some of you
in your pews
right now may be
saying something
like this.
Mike, it's all
going to burn
anyway.
It's all going
to burn.
Does it really
matter?
Does it really
matter?
It's a reference
to 2 Peter 3
when the earth
will be utterly
transformed at
the coming of
Jesus.
But here's the
deal.
We don't know
when Jesus is
coming back.
So, we don't
know when God
is going to
recreate the
heavens and the
earth, which
means we don't
know how long
we need to
conserve the
present resources
of his
creation for
the good of
people.
So, we
need to
wisely steward
what he's
been entrusted
to us.
So, the
thinking of
it's all
going to
burn anyway,
that is a
little lazy,
my friend.
It's a
little irresponsible.
It's
neglecting the
fact of who
this planet
belongs to.
Let me
apply it
this way.
you wouldn't
appreciate me
applying this
kind of thinking
to your car.
Let's say
after the
service, you
come out to
your car and
I'm in your
car pulling out
the car radio.
And you're
like, Mike,
what are you
doing?
I'm like, man,
I love Culver's
concrete mixers
and I would
just need this
radio.
I'm going to
sell it on
eBay.
I'm taking my
family out to
get some ice
cream.
But you're
like, uh, I
need that car.
I'm like, but
it's just going
to be on a
scrap heap in
10 to 15
years.
It reveals I
don't have an
appreciation that
this car belongs
to you.
This planet is
not ours and
that we own
it.
It's God.
God's and all
the resources
thereof.
And he calls
us to be
stewards of it.
A God-centered
view of vocation
understands that
God's command to
have dominion over
all creation, it's
a responsibility
to steward what's
his for the good
of all those he's
created.
There's another
objection.
It goes like
this.
Hey, but there
are people
exploiting others.
for selfish
gain.
It's an
objection of
this is not
fair.
You want me
to represent
God and do
good to others
while at the
same time
people are
exploiting others
for selfish
gain.
they're
going to
you're
right.
It's the
way it is.
And so in
so long as
we're followers
of Jesus
looking to
live by
faith, we
must honor
God and
steward his
resources for
the good of
others regardless
of what other
people are doing.
in fact, we
need to put the
kibosh on this
other stuff going
on for the
glory of God.
We need to
help people who
are exploiting
others for
selfish gain to
see what they're
doing is grievous
in God's sight that
they need Jesus to
change.
there's a third
objection.
And it's
maybe more than
an objection.
It's more like a
confession.
Maybe you're
feeling something in
your pew right now
and it's going
something like this.
Hey, I
believe the
creation mandate
is
is good.
It's good for
others.
But why,
as I'm hearing
this,
why is the
creation mandate
intended for
good making me
feel bad
right now?
The creation
mandate
exposes
our sinful
self-centeredness
that uses
God's resources
at the harm
of others.
It exposes
our self-centeredness.
And so you
can be hearing
the creation
mandate on one
level, you're
saying, yeah,
that's right,
but this stings
a little bit,
this stings a
little bit,
because it's
exposing you.
And when God's
word exposes us
like this,
we may need,
we need to make
a beeline
to Jesus.
You see,
it's Jesus,
the creator
who became
flesh.
We need Jesus
for two reasons.
Because we've
sinned against
the creation
mandate,
we've used
God's resources
not for good,
but for ill,
for self-gain.
So we need
Jesus to forgive
us by his
blood,
and we need
Jesus to help
us to be
faithful today
to the creation
mandate which
still stands.
We've covered
some ground
this morning,
and what I've
wanted to show
you is that
from Genesis
chapter one,
and we see
God at work
creation making,
and then we see
God entrusting
his work to
us in the
creation mandate,
this provides
the framework,
the foundation
for vocation,
that we need
to reintegrate
God into
all of our
work,
and the result
will be
increasing
blessing,
goodness,
benefit.
Next week,
we're going to
look at the
fall,
and what the
fall is going
to show us
is what we
bring to
work,
and it's
going to show
us our need
for Jesus
again.
But this
morning,
before I
close,
I just want
to point you
to one more
thing in light
of tomorrow
morning.
Would you
look at
Genesis 2.19?
Genesis 2 is
basically a
recap of the
sixth day of
creation.
God brings
to Adam
every beast of
the field and
every bird of
the heavens,
and he brings
them to the
man to see
what he would
call them.
tomorrow morning
when you walk
into your work,
you walk
into your
family room,
maybe you're
going back to
school,
the God of
the universe
is interested
in watching
of how you're
going to go
about your
work,
what you're
going to do
with what he's
entrusted you.
Let's pray.
God in
heaven,
we thank you
so much
for your
word.
We pray,
God,
that you
would help
us to think
your thoughts
about the
work you've
given us
to do,
that we
would be
your
representatives
on this
planet for
good,
your good
purposes to
all people.
We ask this
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.