(080) Camping Trip_The Other Testament
Camping Trip: The Grandeur of God
Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20-23
July 19, 2009
Scripture reading: Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20-23
Objectives of sermon:
· Encourage all of us to actively seek God’s presence and natural revelation in nature.
NIV Psalm 19:1-6 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
NIV Romans 1:20-23 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Mountain cathedrals
As I kid, there was a song that I loved:
I've sung in mountain cathedrals; With steeples rising high
And altars made of evergreen; And windows made of sky
· We are worshiping God in his cathedral this morning.
There is something about being out in nature that inspires us. The artwork and beauty of our church building is an attempt to imitate God's beauty and creativity; here we have it firsthand.
The first testament
Creation is a testament to God. Almost in the same way that we have OT and NT, we have God's general revelation in the world around us and his specific revelation through the Bible.
Creation is the starting point of my belief – I cannot make myself believe that all of this just happened. While we may debate the methods by which God created the universe, it is evident that he created it.
But in the same need NT to understand OT, we need the Bible to understand the God of creation. It show us “his eternal power and divine nature,” but not his character.
· Without his Word and Son, he’d seem a monster.
What do we learn? 1) Understand Scriptural truths (Bible best read outdoors), 2) Learn to rest, and 3) See God more clearly
The glory of God
In nature, we experience what we read. Having taught on God’s glory, it is what spring to mind the most – here we can see the majesty and glory of God:
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
· Hebraic mindset: Our God is like that mountain, etc.
This is both to move us in worship, but also to teach, so take 15 minutes to go with our kids to see what we can teach them about God through nature, then come back to discuss.
Leftovers
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
GM Hopkins