We are in the middle this summer of a sermon series entitled Christ and Culture.
! Another way to say that is a biblical worldview.
! Gaining a biblical worldview so that in specific areas we can bring glory to God
! by living out the gospel in those areas.
For example, we had money and finances.
We've had work, our vocation.
We've had arts, creativity.
We've had words, words we speak.
We've had patriotism during the fourth couple weeks ago.
How we live in that by not offending but proclaiming the gospel and having a proper biblical worldview
in that.
This morning, our topic is the environment or creation.
What we live in and around and what is around us.
What I want to do is begin by asking you a couple questions.
The first question is, what do you think or feel when you're standing at the highest peak you've ever been on,
the highest mountain you've ever been on, and you're looking out at the most magnificent view?
What do you feel?
What do you think?
Or when you look upon a beautiful flower blooming in springtime?
What are your thoughts?
How do you feel about that?
Are your affections drawn to the creator of that vast valley, that beautiful flower?
Well, how about, what do you think or feel when you drive by a normal field of pine trees?
Or when you see a moth fluttering around the light on your house?
Are your affections drawn to the creator as the same?
Now, every leaf on the tree, every breeze that blows, every flower that blooms participates in a symphony
proclaiming the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ.
Every bit of creation, no matter how mundane, moths, pine trees here in Georgia,
was crafted and made by God.
And this is to point us to the creator.
Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians 1 verse 15.
He, being Christ, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
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.
Join me in a word of prayer.
Father, we are here gathered together to hear a word from You.
God, I pray that that would occur this morning.
God, that You would use me this morning to speak Your word to all of us.
That they would not be my opinions or my thoughts.
God, they would be Your words to us this morning.
Help us to not grow numb to Your word.
Help us to not take advantage of Your word.
Help us to be moved.
Have our eyes opened to Your truth that affects the way we live and not just gains some knowledge.
We look to You for all things.
None of this can be possible outside of You.
Be merciful to us.
That Your will be done this morning.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Before we dig into Colossians, I want to kind of establish a starting point.
And a lot of you, when I say this first point, you'll go, yeah, of course.
Yeah, got it.
Check.
Which I've actually already mentioned it once already in the introduction.
My first point is that God created everything.
And everything was created for His glory.
Now that's an elementary truth, but I think we need to establish this
so that we can then move forward with our discussion this morning.
God created everything.
And everything for His glory.
Genesis 1 says,
In the beginning, God.
In the beginning, God created.
It was only God.
We have God.
And then we have everything else.
We have God creating everything else.
Everything we see.
Everything we enjoy.
Everything we breathe.
The good and the bad.
God is created by God.
It's very important.
And in the end of chapter 1 in Genesis, God says,
Moses writes that it is very good what He created.
Earlier in chapter 1, He said it was good.
He finishes and says it is very good.
Now, the Olympics are coming up at the end of the month.
And I love the Olympics.
A lot of people, I have a lot of friends who just hate the Olympics.
I love the Olympics.
I just love competition.
And it's very important to be judged by someone who is qualified to judge.
For example, the gymnastics.
They're not going to walk out on the street and say,
Hey, you, come on.
We need to judge.
No, they're going to have somebody who knows what they're looking for
and have the specific scores.
And if you've paid attention to gymnastics at all, it's a little complicated.
So they just can't pull anybody off the street to do that.
They're going to pull somebody who's qualified to judge.
Well, in Genesis chapter 1, verse 31,
God is the most qualified to claim His creation is very good.
Because God is perfect.
He is good.
He is qualified to judge.
He is perfect.
He has no flaws.
And His creation was without flaw.
It was exact as He had designed.
So we can say it was very good.
And because it was perfect,
it was perfect for what it was created.
What it was created to do.
For it was created to bring glory to Him.
See, what makes an artist special, I think, in my opinion, a sculptor, an architect,
is that they make something out of nothing.
They dream up.
And, of course, an architect and an artist do it within the rules of this world.
So if an artist would have a blank canvas,
well, they'd have to have a canvas and paint and color within the creative order.
An architect would have an old dilapidated building.
A sculptor would have a piece of marble.
So they'd have these rules that they would have to abide in.
What makes God so amazing is that He had nothing.
And He created out of nothing.
What we see did not exist.
And God created it.
And God says it was very good.
An artist has a picture in their head,
an idea of what they want to create,
what they want to draw or paint or carve out.
They have this picture, but nobody can see it.
Only the artist.
Only the sculptor.
It's only when that piece of work is finished
that the audience, the people around,
knows what it is
and knows that the work is completed.
It is that moment of completion
when the artist or sculptor is proud of his work
and quite possibly may say,
it is very good.
And that is what God has done.
He has created,
and He says it is very good.
God created everything out of nothing.
When you see a Frank Lloyd Wright house,
and if you don't know who he is,
he's a famous architect,
you know it's a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
When you see a Van Gogh painting,
you know it's a Van Gogh painting.
He just has his own style.
And the painting, the picture, the art,
points to the artist.
The work brings glory to the artist or the author.
And so God's creation then
is to bring glory to Himself.
So He can say,
it is very good for His doing
what it was created to do.
Creation brings glory to God.
It points to the Creator.
Now Jonathan Edwards,
in speaking about relationships,
he's talking about relationships here,
but the principle applies.
Listen to this.
Fathers and mothers,
husbands, wives, or children,
or the company of earthly friends,
are but shadows,
but God is the substance.
These are but scattered beams,
but God is the sun.
These are but streams,
but God is the ocean.
Gifts should point to the giver.
Creation points to the Creator.
God created everything,
and everything is to point to Him.
Now, what about the fall?
Some of you may be thinking,
what about the fall?
What about sin?
Now everything can't be perfect.
All of creation was affected by the fall.
By sin.
This was not just a man issue.
It was not just hearts that had been affected.
The choice of Adam and Eve
affected nature and creation.
They brought devastation upon creation
in the form of things such as
ugliness and corruption.
In Romans 8,
we know that nature is groaning,
awaiting redemption,
awaiting for that time of perfection.
See, creation though is still beautiful.
We can still look out and see
shades of green that we haven't seen before.
We can still see shades of color
that we have not seen.
We can still get our breath taken away by beauty.
But this beauty is limited.
And truthfully,
it pales in comparison to the beauty of Christ.
The beauty of the Creator.
So, now that we have that established,
we're all on the same page
that God created everything,
and everything for His glory.
Everything was created for Jesus,
by Jesus,
and through Jesus.
This is where we dig into
Colossians chapter 1.
Now, verse 15 says,
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
He being Jesus.
The heading at the top of this section,
my Bible says,
the preeminence of Christ.
Speaking of Jesus Christ,
He is the image of the invisible God.
Now, this statement here,
the image of the invisible God,
was considered blasphemous
to Orthodox Jews.
The Old Testament forbid images of God
because every image
and every picture
that we tried to create
would fall short
of the beauty
and the awe
and the greatness
of God
and who He is.
So they would ban,
they would allow you,
no,
we do not do images of God.
We do not try to create
a picture of who God is.
So for Paul to say
that Jesus
is the image
of the invisible God,
he's making a statement here.
He is saying
that Jesus is God.
Not just that He's a representation,
not that He's a reflection of,
but He's saying
that Jesus is God.
So Jesus is actually
not just God,
but He is Creator God.
Same Creator
who created everything.
The firstborn
of all creation.
Now, some people
want to make an argument
and say that,
well, see,
Jesus was created,
He comes in second here.
Well, this statement
is not about
Him being born
or created.
It's actually about
His status.
That Jesus is above
all creation.
So Paul has established
in one verse
that Jesus is God
and because He's God,
He's above all creation.
So,
He's making a big,
bold statement here
for all of us readers
to grasp.
Jesus is God.
Now, earlier I said
that God created everything
just a few minutes ago.
And now I'm saying
that everything was created
for Jesus,
by Jesus,
and through Jesus.
So what gives?
Well, the easy,
fast answer
is that Jesus is God.
that's simple.
But let's dig in a little bit
into verse 16.
Verse 16,
it says,
For by Him
all things were created.
By Him
all things
were created.
In John 1,
verse 3,
it says that
all things were made
through Him.
And without Him
was not anything made
that was made.
Hebrews 1,
verse 2,
says,
Through Him
also He created
the world,
Him being Jesus,
John 1 being
Jesus the Word.
The picture here
in Colossians
and in John
and in Hebrews
is that
the God the Father
is the architect.
He's the designer.
He's the guy
with the dream.
He's the guy.
Don't judge me
on that statement.
God is the architect.
He's the dreamer.
He's the guy
who has the plan.
And Jesus
brings the plans
into existence.
So everything
was created
by Him.
The Father
is the developer
of a property.
Jesus is the builder
of that property.
Both working together
to accomplish creation.
And the Spirit
then does
the actual work
of applying the plans
in a hands-on
relationship
to creation.
So the Spirit
is even at work.
In Genesis 1,
the Spirit
was hovering
over the earth.
The Spirit
does the actual work.
So creation
then is
trinitary.
And this is as deep
as I'm getting
for you,
I promise.
Creation is trinitary
like the Gospel.
Okay?
God the Father
sends,
calls,
God the Son
makes it possible
by His life,
death,
and resurrection.
And God the Spirit
draws and opens
the eyes of the heart.
So creation
is like the Gospel
there,
trinitarian.
Creation
by Him.
Everything
was created
by Him.
What we see
came about
through the working
of Jesus'
power and ability.
Jesus is the power.
He is the agent
of creation.
He brought the plans
into existence.
Look at the end
of verse 16
of Colossians.
It says,
all things
were created
through Him
and for Him.
creation.
This means that
Jesus is the goal
of all creation.
Of all creation.
He is the goal.
Everything exists
to display His glory.
That's the third point
this morning
if you're following along.
Everything exists
to display His glory.
Creation declares
the glory of Jesus.
Now remember the artist,
the sculptor,
creating?
Once the piece
is complete,
those who admire
the finished work
think of the artist
and admire the artist
who imagined
and planned
and accomplished
this work of beauty.
As long as that
sculpture stands,
as long as that
artwork is on the wall
displayed for people
to see,
people remember
and admire the artist.
Jesus is the artist
to be admired.
He is exalted
through creation.
He's the central point
of creation
and He is why we exist.
So when we look out
and we see something beautiful,
we think of Jesus.
We thank Jesus
for it.
Psalm 19.1 says,
The heavens declare
the glory of God
and the sky above
proclaims His handiwork.
So when that cool breeze
in a 90 degree day
hits our cheek,
rejoice,
for Jesus had a hand
in that breeze.
When you visit paradise
here on earth,
wherever that is for you,
when you visit paradise,
thank God for His creation,
for Jesus making it possible.
Don't complain about the weather
that God in His sovereignty planned.
He created it.
He ordains it
for that moment
and that time.
Every time I think of that,
complaining about weather,
my mind goes straight to Facebook.
Facebook has become
the complaining capital of,
I don't know,
it's where we can all
just drop our complaints
and just run away.
We can just say whatever
and just leave.
And it doesn't take very long,
so we had a warm winter
and those cold days we had,
we were waiting for summertime.
And as soon as summer hits,
we're waiting for wintertime.
As soon as winter hits,
we're waiting for summertime.
It's just a cycle.
Well,
why complain?
Because God has created it.
He's ordained it
for us in that moment
and that time.
Martin Luther said,
Our Lord has written
the promise of the resurrection
not in words alone,
which is what we hold
in our laps and in our hands,
but in every leaf in springtime.
So when every leaf comes out
and grows and blooms,
speaks to the resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
And all of creation speaks
to the glory of Christ,
not just a leaf on a tree.
Nature and creation
performs a symphony
for the glory of Jesus Christ.
I want to combine
a couple thoughts here for us.
Now,
if creation,
all of creation
points to Jesus,
if everything
points to Jesus,
so creation is here
and we are to enjoy it
for the glory of Jesus.
It was created
for Him
as the end of verse 16 says.
And the Westminster Confession,
which is not Scripture,
but based on Scripture,
says that the chief end of man,
our Logos question,
what we were made for
is to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever.
We were created
to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever.
We too join
in all of creation
and glorify Jesus.
That's the end there.
We join in all of creation
and we also enjoy Him forever.
And one way we enjoy Him
is by enjoying His creation.
We enjoy what He's created.
We enjoy the weather.
We enjoy a nice flat field
to play football on.
We enjoy these things
that God has created for us.
See, the builder of the boat,
the builder of a boat,
rejoices when that boat
is finally put out in the water
and it doesn't sink.
He rejoices when people
are on that boat
and they're able to have fun
in that boat.
Same way,
God rejoices in us
enjoying His creation.
That points to Him
and is for our joy.
Theologian Joseph Sittler said,
delight is the basis
of right use.
The light is the basis
of right use.
Enjoying Him
is the basis
of right use.
It's not just enjoying creation,
but using it rightly
for His glory and our joy.
We can all think of abuses
used here on earth,
on the earth.
You're growing a field of marijuana.
Well, that's a negative.
That's not good.
If you're cutting down trees
for lumber
to build houses
for people,
that's not necessarily bad.
You've got to kind of balance
and think about
using it rightly.
If creation points to Jesus,
then we can point to Jesus
with how we use His creation,
how we use what He has created
for us.
Now, that does not mean
we all drive Priuses.
It does not mean
that we all recycle
and wear hemp clothing
and live in trees.
It doesn't mean any of that.
But it does mean
that we have concern
and care
for this world.
Apathy is not allowed
where the Gospel is concerned.
Apathy does not work.
Just not care
doesn't fit in the Gospel.
So if all creation
was created for Him,
Jesus,
by Him
and through Him,
let us make much of Him
in the way that we care
for this world.
In the way that we are concerned
for this world.
Now, I expect all of you
to go and sell your cars
after today.
Stop buying fuels.
No.
Here's five practical ways
we can live this out.
And I stole this from
Owen Strand's book
on Jonathan Edwards,
so these five points are his,
but they're right on.
Five practical ways
that we can live this out.
Point number one.
We can appreciate
the design of creation.
We can appreciate
the design of creation.
God's wise design
from spiders,
if they creep you out,
eight legs walking on webs,
that's pretty amazing.
To silkworms spitting silk.
To the human body,
the cell,
just the cell in the human body
that makes up who we are.
God's complexity in His mind.
Appreciate the design of creation.
And this next statement
may hurt some of us,
and it hurts me
just writing it down.
Take a break
from our technologically
saturated lives
to see God's creation
in His mind.
To see His design.
To see His work.
Put praise on God,
to God,
and not on humanity
and our accomplishments.
Because reality check
is our accomplishments
are going to pale
in comparison
to what God has created
and what He has accomplished.
Next practical way.
Marvel at the beauty of nature.
Marvel at the beauty.
We must find time
to consume God in nature
within our busy schedules,
our busy worlds
that we live in.
We must find time
to consume God,
to be with God
outside of four walls
and a roof
and a cubicle
or a cell phone
in our face.
Romans 1.20 says
that God's divine nature
and eternal power
has been clearly displayed
in creation.
Clearly displayed.
We can go out
and see God.
Now hear me,
I'm not saying
God is in nature.
I'm not making up
a new religion here
at Christ Family Church.
We can go out though
and see His creation
and see His mind
and see His design
and enjoy
what He has created.
God reveals Himself
in nature
and His creation.
We can start
by watching
far less TV
or taking in
far less web content.
We can stop
by taking in
our experiences
through a three
and a half inch screen.
I don't have my
iPhone on me
but I can hold that up
and start
reporting you guys
for that.
Get out for a walk.
Enjoy creation.
This does not mean
to go to the Appalachian Trail
and start hiking.
Get outside.
We can get outside
and enjoy His creation.
We can play football
and enjoy His creation.
We can play basketball.
We can do all sorts
of things
and enjoy God's creation
and marvel
at the beauty
of nature.
We can praise God.
We can sing to God.
We can celebrate God
while being in the very realm
that was created
to testify for Him.
Third point.
We can look
for spiritual truth
in nature.
Joseph Sittler,
I quoted him a second ago,
says that nature
is a theater of grace.
Nature is a theater of grace.
We can sit
and just be
in awe of God's grace.
In awe of His creation.
Nature is a theater
of grace.
Psalm 19.1
I quoted a second ago.
The heavens declare
His handiwork.
Look for natural signs
of truth
of the Bible.
Mercy.
Judgment.
Mercy.
A long-needed rain.
A rain that comes
on a drought.
Judgment.
We'll look at the
raging storm
of lightning and thunder.
Raging storms
of tornadoes
and hurricanes.
Jonathan Edwards.
Now,
none of us in here
are Jonathan Edwards.
None of us have the mind
of Jonathan Edwards.
I've got to say this
before I read this.
Okay?
Because this is a little
out there,
but the principle here
we can certainly grasp.
Jonathan Edwards saw
a silkworm
as a type
of Christ.
Listen.
The silkworm
is a remarkable,
this is his words,
the silkworm
is a remarkable
type of Christ,
which,
when it dies,
yields us
that of which
we make
such glorious
clothing.
Christ became
a worm
for our sakes,
and by his death
finished that righteousness
with which believers
are clothed,
and thereby
procured
that we should be
clothed
with robes
of glory.
Jonathan Edwards
saw biblical truth
in a silkworm.
We can look
for spiritual truth
in nature.
Fourth point,
practical ways
we can live this out.
We can care
for creation.
We can care
for creation.
There are,
of course,
extremes of this
on both sides.
We have the guy
who cares too much,
who doesn't
buy a vehicle,
rides a bike,
uses a bullhorn,
and yells at people
who doesn't ride bikes.
We have the people
who are the other side
of that,
who don't care at all,
who litter
and throw their stuff
all over the place
and don't take care
of their property
and do all sorts of things
because,
well,
if we know
the Bible says
that this is not a home,
that this is going
to be perfected,
it's going to all burn up,
well,
let's just leave.
Let's just not
take care of it.
Well,
that's silly
as well.
if we have a God-centered
understanding of creation,
a gospel-centered
understanding of creation,
then we will preserve
and take care
of this creation.
We will manage it.
We will be faithful stewards
of it
because God has given it
to us.
Now hear me here.
we will then possess,
we will then possess
a great opportunity
to witness before people
who too,
love the earth
but have no faith
in the Creator.
It would give us
an opportunity
to share with those
who love the earth
but don't love
the Creator.
Our care for the world,
properly done,
can be both
an act of worship,
worshiping the Creator
for what He has created
and a means
of evangelism,
being able to share
with others
the truth,
the hope that we have
in Christ Jesus.
Finally,
last practical way
we can live this out.
We can yearn,
we can yearn
for a greater realm,
a future glory
to come.
This world
is not our home.
We should look forward
to what's to come.
Not dismissing
what we have here,
not being the guy
who just says
it's all going to burn anyway.
Or thinking selfishly
about the future
and not being concerned
with here.
Thinking,
that day is going
to be great,
right now I'm just
going to get by.
Our future here,
here,
our future home
will be better
because the triune God
will be there.
There will be no need
for the sun.
God's glory will be
the light.
The grass will be greener,
but not because
it's going to be better
for us,
although it will be.
Not because we're going
to gain something,
something selfish
out of it.
It'll be greener
because of Jesus
is there.
And God's glory
is radiating.
It will be perfect,
happy,
and a holy place.
So,
when we see
the effects of sin
in our daily lives,
whether it be
in a person
or in this creation,
we can rejoice
because this is not
our home.
We can rejoice.
We will enter
a place
of beauty
and love.
where God dwells
for all eternity.
And I,
if we have this
proper biblical view,
if we have this
proper mindset
of creation
and creation
pointing to Jesus,
then I know
the way we live
and how we treat
and how we manage
and how we deal.
We would be
conservationists.
We would love
this world
and take care of it
and manage it.
this sermon
was incredibly
convicting for me
because I've been
the apathetic one.
I've been the guy,
just enjoy it.
I've got to cut the grass.
Geez.
Those things.
It's been a burden
to me.
But now,
after studying this
and really seeing
the implications
that everything
was created for Him
and by Him
and through Him,
everything points
to Jesus.
We should revel
in that
and celebrate that
and rejoice in that.
God created
everything
through Jesus Christ
and everything
points to Jesus.
We as Christians
should love creation
more than any,
enjoy it
more than any,
and conserve it
more than any.
We should enjoy it
more,
love it more,
and conserve it more.
That's a biblical worldview
in the arena
of creation
and environment.
So,
Colossians chapter 1,
when we read
15, 16, and 17,
which I didn't even
get into,
He, Jesus,
is the image
of the invisible God,
the firstborn
of all creation.
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.
All of creation
points to Jesus.
Our lives
are not compartmentalized.
Nature is not
this thing
that we just
have to deal with.
We live
in God's creation.
We live
in nature.
We can bring
great glory,
great honor
to Him
through the way
that we live.
Not just
with people.
Not just in communication,
but how we live
with creation itself.
Pray with me.