What does it mean that God is the Lord of Creation?

A. Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:3
What is a constant theme?
What exists that God did not make?
Do we really believe that?

Colossians 1:15-20
What is a thing?
*recognized
*emotions/feelings
*concept
*thought
*actions
Any thing that is or was, visible or invisible
Everything is being reconciled to Christ

B. Do we really believe it?
Everything is made by God

We tend to select certain things that are more important to God
What are some of these things?
*Can I really worship god by stepping around that mess?
*Wouldn't he much rather have my prayer?

Enlightenment—not Scriptural
*Greek
*separation of body and soul
*Plato's shadows and caves

We have this worldview and bring it to Scripture.

Sacred—Secular
Therefore:
The best way to serve God: missionary, pastor, teacher, social worker

We lean away from politics, arts…
How do you think God feels about this? A group of people only worried about saving souls and the rest of God's creation is going to Hell.

We reduce God's creation to our little area of pastoral work and devotional time.

We decieve ourselves by believing that some things belong to God and others don't.

How I buy things—worships God
* spend all my money
*live in community
*put bricks in my toilet to save water

C. Matthew 24:37-42

Two things mark the End Times
a. Persecution
b. Deception

Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready"—poor theology

Who got taken from the Earth?

Who was left? Noah and his family

Amy Grant's "In a Little While I'll be with the Father"

The Flood was a purging of Evil, not the Rapture
II Peter 3:3

Day of the Lord
*When the waters came, was the Earth destroyed?
No—poor translation: "destroyed" = purged, not obliterated
"laid bare" = "found" in Greek
same word used in Malachi to describe a very hot oven used to purify metal

Direction
Everything should be directed toward bringing glory to God. Now everything I do has meaning and is significant.

Zachariah 14:20
Pots inscribed on pots and bells of horses "Holy to the Lord"

Everything as insignificant as the horn on your car is sacred for worship.

D. This is not to say there isn't a sacred and a secular.

Present View:
Church
Reading Bible
Drinking
Sex
Politics

Needs to be:
Church
Politics
Sexuality

We translate "world" as SIN.

Some areas are more sacredized—more in obedience
secularized—have been more ravaged by sin because we have not gone into his land to be obedient

Christians have had the worst environmental ethic because we have reduced it to what will be destroyed when God returns.

What areas are distortions of Creation?
Everything we do has meaning! It is an expression of glory to God.

E. Genesis 3:15—The Fall

Look at singular and plural

He will crush your head—Christ
You will strike his heel—Satan

The rest of Scripture is an unfolding of a story that tells where this guy is coming from.

"The Terminator"
Satan is waiting and preparing himself for this one who's coming

Abraham—12 Tribes—Joseph—famine—Pharoah—Moses

Wilderness—to learn about God—Mary and Joseph

Herod kills babies.

The War is Won

The problem is that we live in deception.

Luke 19:11-27
He was made King, however v. 15: It doesn't matter if you like it or not. He is King.

He gives them things to steward.

We approach our salvation as a plane ticket—a reservation
—who cares if we live it secularly/in sin
Even the way you walk brings glory to God.
God delights in watching his creation work.

Is the Lordship of Christ a reality in your life?

What are the areas in my life I have not surrendered to God?
Politics
Scripture
Study
Sexuality
Exercise
Eating

Distance is secondary. Direction is everything.