Creation.
It is all around us. Uganda especially. You all have the most beautiful plants, and amazing animals. I am awe struck with the beauty around me even now.
Creation.
Yes, when that word is mentioned in a church setting, most of us quickly recall the account from Genesis chapter 1 where God made the heavens and the earth and all that is on the earth in 6 days – and then He rested. Just to refresh your memory, let’s go to that briefly. I want to read a particular version that is fairly new, due to the fresh words that it uses in this chapter. It is called “The Message:
Genesis 1 (The Message)
1-2First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
3-5 God spoke: "Light!"
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good
and separated light from dark.
God named the light Day,
he named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day One.
6-8 God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters;
separate water from water!"
God made sky.
He separated the water under sky
from the water above sky.
And there it was:
he named sky the Heavens;
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Two.
9-10 God spoke: "Separate!
Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place;
Land, appear!"
And there it was.
God named the land Earth.
He named the pooled water Ocean.
God saw that it was good.
11-13 God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties
of seed-bearing plants,
Every sort of fruit-bearing tree."
And there it was.
Earth produced green seed-bearing plants,
all varieties,
And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts.
God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Three.
14-15 God spoke: "Lights! Come out!
Shine in Heaven's sky!
Separate Day from Night.
Mark seasons and days and years,
Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth."
And there it was.
16-19 God made two big lights, the larger
to take charge of Day,
The smaller to be in charge of Night;
and he made the stars.
God placed them in the heavenly sky
to light up Earth
And oversee Day and Night,
to separate light and dark.
God saw that it was good.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Four.
20-23 God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!"
God created the huge whales,
all the swarm of life in the waters,
And every kind and species of flying birds.
God saw that it was good.
God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
Birds, reproduce on Earth!"
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Five.
24-25 God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."
And there it was:
wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
God saw that it was good.
26-28 God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them
reflecting our nature
So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
the birds in the air, the cattle,
And, yes, Earth itself,
and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
God created human beings;
he created them godlike,
Reflecting God's nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
"Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
29-30 Then God said, "I've given you
every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,
given them to you for food.
To all animals and all birds,
everything that moves and breathes,
I give whatever grows out of the ground for food."
And there it was.
31 God looked over everything he had made;
it was so good, so very good!
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Six. Let’s personalize this creation a bit. Let’s turn to Psalms, and understand what David – the once giant- killing shepherd, turned to King of Israel and a forefather of our own Jesus Christ says in Psalm 139, starting at verse 13:
Psalm 139:13-16 (New International Version)
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be. Did David’s parents “make” him? Or was it God?
God creates all life. He has since the beginning back in Genesis. It is easy to think and understand that our parents gave us life – and in a big way they did! But the mystery of life is in God’s hands. And each one of us is unique – there has never been one just like us, nor will there ever be.
Look at your hands. Look at your fingerprints. Those are unique to you and you alone. Amazing.
Look into your neighbor’s eye. The colored part in the middle is very hard to see in detail, but that is specially made for each person and only that person.
Listen to my voice. There is no one that has exactly my same voice pattern. No one. The same is true for each and every one of you.
Some of you may be skeptical of what I am saying. “Really?” you may be asking yourself…. There certainly are folks that look very similar to others and talk like others, but even identical twins are unique in these areas that we just talked about.
In further developed countries like those in Europe and in the United States the concept of God being the Creator is becoming less and less accepted as years go by and knowledge increases. Scientists cannot analyze God in a laboratory, so that concept is thrown out for more scientific theories. Most origin theories have some sort of a evolving or changing of species to become more developed over many, many, many years – some say millions or billions. But our bodies and this we live in are very complex. Is it likely that some sort of crazy accident or explosion happened and water and soil became somehow energized to create even the tiniest form of life? And then did that life survive and change to more advanced species?
Let’s look at this building. Did it just appear? Have you ever seen a horrible storm, tornado, earthquake or any accident create a building? Or did a designer plan and then create this building? How much more complex is you own body than this building?
For a moment let’s dismiss the Bible. Some say it is just words that men have written. Let’s say Adam and Even did not really exist.
Just look around you. No Bible. No God. No Creator. Think about your body. Think about what your eyes can see. Think about your blood pumping through your body. Think about how if you get a cut or scrape that the same blood that is pumping through your body now clots – becomes hard to stop the bleeding and then heals that same wound. Think about the air you breathe. Think about the sun that make those plants grow and produce the oxygen that your body needs. Did all of this really just happen?
I know I said we would forget about the Bible, but I take us there for a quick reminder of a few words of Jesus:
Revelation 3:20 (New International Version)
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.How is God knocking on my door?
When you see a sunset – God is knocking…
When you see those first leaves emerge from the soil on your new maize plants – He is knocking…
When you hear that new baby cry – He is still knocking…
When you feel the rain – He’s knocking…
God wants to be a part of our lives – my life, your life.
When you take your next breath – God is knocking…
When you look at your fingertips and study your fingerprints again – He’s still knocking…
God is knocking.
