Remember Your Creator

Text: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:7

 

I.         Have you made something? (No, no, besides that mess in your room.) Something that originated in your own mind and formed with your own hands.

            A.        As creative as we are, man only takes exiting things and joins them in new ways.

            B.        The ancient language of Hebrew contains two words for making something:

                        1.         The word 'asah refers to what we do with our talents. We make things from what already exists.

                        2.         But there is another word, bara, that is used in connection with God. It is the creation of something from nothing, or in another way to look at it, to create something that never existed before.

                                    a.         What would it take to make some that never existed before, whose idea is brand new?

                                    b.         There is a story circulating that illustrates this:

One day a group of scientists decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to tell God that they were done with Him. The scientist approached God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do miraculous things. We can handle things on our own from now on; we don’t need you." God patiently listened to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, to prove this let us have a contest. Let us see who can create a man.” The scientist was a bit ruffled, this wasn’t going as he had expected, but he loved a challenge. He agreed. Then God added, “We're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam." The scientist realized that starting from scratch might take a while, but he replied, "Sure, no problem" and bent down to grab himself a handful of dirt. God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. Create your own dirt!"

                                    c.         Romans 4:17 - God calls into being what did not exist

                                    d.         Exodus 34:10 - God promised to do marvels never seen before (bara)

                                                (1)       The earth swallowing people - Numbers 16:30

                        3.         Task: Using a concordance or lexicon, go through Genesis 1 and mark the things God created versus the things God made. What was new that did not exist before?

                                    a.         Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

                                                (1)       Time (in the beginning)

                                                (2)       Space (heavens)

                                                (3)       Matter (earth)

                                    b.         Genesis 1:21 - God created living creatures (life)

                                    c.         Genesis 1:27 - God created man in his own image (a spiritual being in a physical body)

                                    d.         Everything else was a repackaging of existing things and ideas. But even that is beyond comprehension.

            C.        The extent of God’s creation

                        1.         Isaiah 44:24 - God made all things, including you and I

                        2.         John 1:1-3 - All things were made through Jesus. Nothing existing wasn’t made

II.        Implications of God’s creation

            A.        The nature of God

                        1.         God pre-existed the world

                                    a.         Nothing comes before Him - Job 41:11

                        2.         God is greater than his creation - I Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1-2; 48:12-13

                        3.         God’s knowledge far exceeds the combined knowledge of all mankind - Isaiah 40:12-17; 55:8-9

                        4.         God is not dependent on man - Acts 17:24; Psalm 50:12

            B.        The right of ownership - authority

                        1.         Everything belongs to God - Psalm 24:1-2

                        2.         Deuteronomy 10:14 - The heavens as well as the earth

                        3.         Psalm 50:10-12 - All life belongs to God

                        4.         Ezekiel 18:4 - All souls belong to God

            C.        The right of respect - Psalm 95

                        1.         Respect is more than politeness in His presence

                        2.         Isaiah 29:15-16 - Trying to sneak things past God

                        3.         Respect means honoring His desires - John 14:15

                        4.         Not striving against his Maker - Isaiah 45:9-13

III.       The purpose of creation

            A.        Made for Jesus to inherit - Hebrews 1:2, 10; Colossians 1:16

            B.        Given the earth to man - Psalm 115:15-16

            C.        We exist for God - I Corinthians 8:6

            D.        Duty to serve God - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

IV.      God’s interest in His creation

            A.        Considering the vastness of God’s creation, why would He come among man? - Psalm 8:3-4

            B.        When you make something, you care about it.

            C.        When a couple has a child, they put a portion of themselves into him. They care about his outcome.

            D.        John 3:16; I John 4:9-10

V.        God doesn’t want His work to be for naught - II Peter 3:9

            A.        God created the world to produce righteous people

            B.        He doesn’t want you or anyone else lost - Ezekiel 18:23, 32