2019-09-22-LIVE OAKS - Re-Creation

Everyday to the one-day the miraculous works of God are all around us and we pray that God would give us the eyes to see them what we talked about last week. It is this idea that if we if we could just if we could just see God doing awesome Miracle then our faith would really be in and that's that's the Cry of the skeptic and the believer alike. We just want to see a miracle cuz we we really do believe that if we can just see that Miracle happen within our faith would really take off, you know, we wouldn't be like, you know, Adam and even Enable and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob to all of his 12 sons in Moses and all the Israelites and the judges and David and Solomon and all the prophets like Elijah in this is where my favorite show is Elijah on Mount Carmel. So there's four hundred prophets of asherah. There's 450 prophets of Baal and God calls Elijah to say, nope. Not going to have it choose me or them. I'm not going to do this anymore. It's a showdown on Mount Carmel and I don't know if you remember the story from from Sunday school, but they made to altars and and the prophets of Baal called out in the prophets of asherah called out in and and those Gods didn't answer because they don't exist Elijah called on the Lord and the altar was consumed by fire. I mean Right after they've soaked it with water right consumed the altar with fire, right? And then I don't know if you kept reading but he he tightens up his his his jockeys and he outruns a chariot out of head right of the news that rain has come right cuz that's what was playing in the land and rain was coming out. What will then he just gets like this little note from Jezebel saying I'm kind of mad at you for seeing you know, 850 of my profits executed. So if I find you I'm going to kill you.

Done and now he's cowering. We are just like them we see the miraculous around us everyday. Look out of the window. Look at your hand. Look it up baby Miracles are happening each and every day the miraculous surrounds us.

Yeah, we're still waiting. If only we could see you like a real Miracle you like a real miracle.

So I encourage us this is what we need to do. See the miracle of Creation in understand that this all exists not because God needed anything. Doug Doug wasn't didn't he didn't lack anything. God didn't create man or woman cuz he was lonely. He didn't mean any of it, but he created it God is and we began if you're with that statement from last week. That's how that that's the beginning step of a life a true real life. Well anchored is that God is and we began he has no beginning. He had no beginning.

God is and because He Is We Are? The miracle of our our is a reflection of his is he is and he created everything to be a reflection of himself. I have seen amazing wonders of of like the natural world. I'm not like a world traveler anything. I reference. Avalanche Lake was last week. I think it was being so awesome. Right that was in Glacier National Park. I've seen redwoods of Vancouver Island British Columbia right in the top left you no way up there. I mean, I'm 8 like trees that I mean make are Giant Oaks in the waters of the Dominican Republic off the island of Hispaniola. Just The Bluest. I mean, it's almost like stunning like you can't even look at it too Long Island water so blue and beautiful. And speaking of blue. I've seen the Blue Ridge Mountains at Sunrise. I don't know if you've ever seen them. I've seen things that are stunningly beautiful. And and while I was on this trip out west is a sophomore in college. I was struck and in the middle of being in awe of what I was seeing. I was struck with this. Yeah, but it's Fallen.

And that's the kind of twist that I'm putting on us this week is that this is amazingly miraculous. Avalanche Lake I hope you see it someday. It's amazing. But it's actually the Fallen version. It's almost like God saying now at your man. You should have seen it when it was new. I've seen what I think is the absolute ultimate of the creator of God's creation and that is babies being born like like a fresh baked. I mean, you know us husband's dad's like we agreed. I mean we'd we understand that the babies in their man intellectually we get it but man when we see that, baby. And I'm floored. I'm amazed at the six times like they're here. They weren't here and then they're here. And when was it that God declared creation to be very good. In Genesis 1 27 through 31. It went like this Genesis 1 starting at verse 27. So God created man in his own image in the image of God. He created them male and female he created them and God bless them and God said to them be fruitful multiply fill the Earth and subdue it at dominion over the fish of the Sea of the birds of the heavens over every living thing that moves on the Earth. And God said behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the Earth every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food and the Beast and every beast of the earth and every bird of the heavens and everything that creeps on the earth everything that has the breath of life. I have given you every green plant for food and it was so and God saw everything that he made it be cold. It was very good. And there was evening and there was morning the Six-Day. It wasn't very good until man and woman was present there. And then and then Jesus later refers to it for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh bosses. Put it on Bible study on Wednesday. That is that that promise that is the promise of that Miracle of two becoming one is there they are. The running around after church trying to knock you over the miracle of this one flesh. I mean it is fantastic.

The creation of humanity is the Apex of God's work or is it?

Matt challenge you to show me something in the created order. That's more amazing than a newborn, baby.

But is it really the Apex of God's creation this week? I want to share with you a lot of ideas and a lot of thoughts in there. They're all sit around one central idea here. Is the miracle of God's Recreation?

He's even more glorious is even more amazing. And it was always God's plan from the beginning not just to create and get Glory. To see his own reflection in his creation, but it's actually not till he's recreate Recreation that is full glory is put on display. So I think about the times where where you have made something that is weird. We use the words made we use the words created. I think a little loosely.

I have it in a while cuz I've been so you guys have kept me so busy gloriously awesomely but I made Furniture I still do from time to time. Really? I mean what what do I need to make the furniture at I need trees? Right. I don't know if you've assembled furniture that isn't made from trees. It's like it's like the sweet and low of lumber like

looks like Lumber. I don't make anything. You don't make anything. I don't create anything. I reassemble things at best. I reassemble what has already been created. But when I set out to reassemble something when I set out to now that you know, my true feelings, I'll make it easier. I'll just go back to the word make and create now that you really know how I feel about it. I can be short and Joe went when I set out to create something when I set out to make something. I don't know what your craft might be a might be in the kitchen might be in the might might be in the Woodshop might be in the in the garage. I don't know when I'll be in the garden. Will you set out to create something you have to start? Even before materials you have to start with purpose. You have to start with plan. All right. Otherwise, wait, what are you doing? You don't know you like make it up? You start with a purpose and you start with a plan. Of what's going to be created? 1 sets out to make something you start with a purpose and plan what what's the purpose and plan of the universe we talked about this the glory of God and how does the universe glorify God? Through reflection what we will use the term in in in the context of worship. We use the term give God glory. I don't know about you. I look inside my own Storehouse at I don't see much Glory that I own. I don't have any like Surplus glory to give God till how are we to give God glory our only our only prayer only hope is to reflect the glory of God cuz we have none on her own. So the canvas of creation is God's reflection. It reflects the Beauty and the glory of the painter right not the paint and the canvas but the painter gets the glory as of reflection case existence of the Universe show creationism mirror. I don't mixing metaphors to mirror. Okay, so the mirror reflects the glory of God the universe reflects the glory of God. Well, you know the rest of the story of Genesis, right? It was really sweet for what like a minute and a half. And then Shin came in and broke it broke the mirror. Write it broke. It broke the mirror. It's not I mean argue with me if you want on that front, I mean, but I'm telling you non-believer skeptic believer a like you cannot honestly look at in the world and say yeah, that's whole let's hope it's working great. That's perfect. That's just the way it is. It's great. It's fine. No, it's not. It's broken. We can all see that is broken. I just given creation. I made that the Bible cyst it to subdue it. Well, I got tired of the pine needles on the roof. So on Wednesday, I have a leaf blower. Right, right. It's warned against me. Just like God said it was chigger bites in my in my elbow pits in my knee pits in my waistband around my I mean, I got it. I mean so, you know, God was not wrong, you know, the grounds cursed but man, I mean that roof was sub done those pennies were off Glory.

I came on Thursday.

How many pints?

Asbestos broken heads warning against this look at your look at your relationships. I might look at your past. Look at your history. Look at your presence. You will see evidence of Brokenness everywhere. Believe in Jesus don't believe in Jesus believe in a Creator don't believe in a Creator. You cannot with all Integrity look at me and tell me that the world is not broken. The world is broken. So how can this broken World reflect the full glory of God?

In that creations re-creation. May I ask you a question? What is more glorious? something being crafted in made and shown or taking that which was crafted and made and utterly destroying it. And then with those pieces rebuilt it even more amazing than it was when it was brand new.

Which is more glorious?

I've already mentioned. I like building Furniture burn it to the ground. And then with the ashes put it back together more amazing than it was when I first made it.

That's God's original plan. It's not his Back-up Plan. It's his original plan to create an and see it get broken and smashed and burned and then through the ashes with the broken pieces make something even more glorious than it was at the beginning. So I guess I keep I keep going back to this question. But did this is like a tree like kind of a Monumental shift and in our default way of of thinking Okay, let's go back to the original purpose of beautiful cuz the original purpose of the universe why God created the first place was to reflect him. Is full reflection is the purpose and plan. So it's think about some of God's attributes and also say this God is infinite Yes, No Beginning No End. So if God is infinite and God is something he's infinite that something that makes sense ever lost. Anybody that God is infinite and he is something he is infinitely that something so it's just some random attribute to God awesome. Is he awesome it is not like the way we throw that word around but really awesome.

Is the only response he's awesome. He's creative. He's beautiful. He's infinite. You can even say he's complicated. I think it's a fair statement. So he he's awesome any is creative beautiful exemption and he's complicated. So you look at the original creation read the Genesis account. Look at that. Do you see those attributes reflected in him? Awesome is power creativity Beauty infinite's and even love love love in there. He didn't have to create anything. But he did so we took the fact that we the fact that we merely exist no matter the quality of our like the fact that we exist is proof that God is loving because you don't have to do this. k but God is also just

he's infinitely just is infinitely right and he cannot tolerate what is wrong that is infinitely just he's also infinitely gracious. How can both of us exist at the same time? How how can how can you be utterly completely infinitely just and utterly completely infinitely gracious at the same time. And and how can something reflected both of those at the same time? So you look at the original creation and you go do you see his Justice reflected in that DC is graciousness reflected know why? There was no cause for him to pour out either. There's no reason for him to call it to pour out his Justice. Well, I say Adam and Eve are still in the garden. This is this is all a dream like they're still in the garden. They stayed away from the tree, right? They stayed in the garden attended the garden. They were very fruitful and multiply and all still there. And yes, they were still naked. That's all Google cuz it hadn't fallen and broken. All right. Well power. Yes creativity. Yes Beauty. Yes might yes. But Justice snow. Mercy, no. He has no occasion is no reason.

to show the universe either of those

This is a big shift in our thinking because unfortunately, I think we have this Glory diminishing view of God. We throw sent into the picture and keep reading the story and we know that sin came and send broke right since and broke it and ruin it again. We would be any different. I so we wouldn't be tempted by the same things that so, you know us fellow Adams wouldn't be just as lazy and just sat idly by while our wives and ingested Universe destroying poison is a game was on or something. I don't know as if we would be any different but sin has come in and because of that sin we look at it and I believe we add it all up to it to to this Glory diminishing view of God that that paints a picture of God like he's chasing after broken Creation with little broom and a dustpan, you know, turn doing his best to like sweep of all the pieces call out of everything if you to slow down for a minute if you just read the book and just read the rules you won't be making such a big Don't worry. Daddy will fix it.

But that picture of God sink into your minds a God that that chases after broken creation. Not not like I didn't let none in like Pursuit.

What's knucklehead station? Keep messing things up. I gave him one. Will you had one job Adam and Eve you had one job you couldn't do that. Don't flood the place and start over. All right now and family one job can't do that either. Okay. Alright. I'm going to smash Tower Moscato you around. I'm going to call one dude. I'm going to be really on point this time, you know, Jesus Holy Spirit. Watch this Abram. I'm going to make from you a mighty nation. You're doing a really good job farming dirt in a ran wherever and I'm going to come and make a nation out of you. That doesn't work. All right. Well, I'll guess I'll send them judges send them judges. That didn't work didn't work. All right, fine. They want to do you have any more ideas? Do you have any more ideas?

Jesus is like I guess I could go.

Straighten them out.

Tell me that doesn't diminish God's awesomeness as though he's scrambling trying to hold something together that he didn't intend.

God's purpose from the very beginning

Was to recreate what he knew we would undo.

You could go back to Elijah on Mount Carmel. And what would a random and beautiful picture that was where Elijah had them filled up the big jars of water and and dumped on the altar in that with our sin broken. It's really does. I'm just when you think you couldn't get any more soap with terribleness. We just dump more on it. Then what is God do consumes the altar? It's it's his work has always been his plan. It's always been his plan.

To remake what was undone now? I'm speaking of the miraculous speaking of repairing. What's broken. And police report that yesterday late afternoon our family minivans started in my driveway.

Christ Okay, the reason it's been sitting in my driveway since mid-march is because I fixed my van a week prior.

And in fixing the van I failed to tighten one bolt to its proper torque spec. And because of that one Bolt the serpentine belt tensioner came flying off loose which tent the serpentine belt around the engine bay, which broke open the the timing belt cover which snap the timing belt which clause the Pistons in the engine to slam up against the valves like and there it was dead on the side of the road next to a strawberry field in Lakeland. Right because of one bolt. So well first gets dragged to a mechanic and the mechanic says I'll sure I can fix it before it blooms. And I said I don't I don't have any of those. So AAA towed my car in my driveway and I set out to fix it again right to fix it again and this time it's going to be different right? I'm going to set out to repair the repair. And repair what was sweetly unbroken in my engine and I was going to do it right this time. So what was I going to do? I was going to go and I was going to follow

it's going to follow the Haynes repair manual it was $30. Imagine all the money I saved by not buying it. and and figuring it out on my own and all the money that I saved. It's all going to follow the rules. Right? Let's follow the rules and you know, there's pictures and stuff just pictures and arrows and and then steps and it's you know, it's fantastic you just to know I need to do this thing. So, you know, we find one here. No, intake manifold removal it cuz I need to do that first right relieve the fuel pressure on Step 1. I can do that see chapter 4 I'm going to chapter 4. call the steps for that and while you're in chapter 4 learning how to review it since you do another chapter and then another one and it's like I needed the Thompson Chain reference study manual to follow all of the connections of all the steps and But you know what followed it step by step by step new valve to valve seals new head gaskets and timing belt. I set the gap of the spark plugs of Gavin set the valve lifters new water pump and water pump gasket and serpentine belt tensioner and serpentine belt and timing belt covers new timing belt. I flush the power steering fluid replaced all the seals at flush the engine change the oil and filter charging jump the battery.

She's alive again.

But no weight. You'll ruin my sermon if you applaud.

She's pretty noisy. and exhaust kind of just

cat willy-nilly all higgledy-piggledy exhaust everywhere, but you know what? She runs tire back on jack stands out, right? gardener reverse back out of driveway

the the parking brake line snapped when I took the parking brake brake off and now the rear brakes are clamped down and I'm at the jacked up the back of the van up and and pull those wheels off and disassemble the rear brakes and replace the parking brake line. It's right here. It's right here. It's right here in the book. It's in there. Good luck.

understand this

God's plan

was not to sit back.

And help us fix what's broken? this book

it does it tells us how to live. Tells us who we are to be tells us right from wrong. It's saves us from from heartache and and pause that would lead to our destruction. It it it lays out the proper way to eat this and that and food just to read the book so much extra death. Could be avoided.

But this book is is is not primarily. prescription it's primarily description of who God is and what his plan is and what he is doing what he has done and what he will do to bring himself the fullest glory and us too full of joy. It is not just an instruction manual and praise God that we have one, but it is not just that our God does not chase after us saying just read the instructions just follow the instructions.

Our God our savior sister follow me

He's in here, but we are to follow him. And what will see laid out in front of us?

it is is is like My Cries in the driveway, okay my cries in the driveway aren't okay Tommy. All right, let's do this thing. That's really just knuckle down. I know you can do it. You've got the instructions you can you got the tools this time you're going to fix it and it's really going to work this time. How many times have you all said this time? It's going to be different this time. It's going to be My Cry is not. Oh God. Let me do it this time. Okay My Cry is dear. Mr. Honda. Whoever you are. I am done trying to fix this. Could you kindly come and retrieve this van? Melt it down and pour me a new one.

The gospel call is not for you to take the advice in this book and make your heart shiny. And shiny enough for the presence of God. This book The Gospel call of this book is Jesus will take your heart out of your chest and replace it.

Give it to you a new.

It won't break. And I won't break down. It will not wear out.

It will be eternal.

And so with that you can be with me.

This is always been always been always been God's plan. I have some scriptures from the book that I have a lot of them that I could share. I want to skip to Ephesians 1.

And I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to read it and I'm not going to read I'm going to read it and and and we're going to pray and we're going to ask God to speak and and we're going to listen. Okay.

Ephesians 1 starting in verse 3

Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places. Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved in him. We have Redemption through his blood The Forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will. According to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan hear me. You're the Holy Spirit as a plan for the fullness of time. To unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth. In him, we have obtained an inheritance.

Having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. So that we who were the first to Hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also when you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed. What the promised Holy Spirit? Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory? For this reason because I have heard of your face. In the Lord Jesus and your love toward All Saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you remembering you in my prayers, but the god of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of Glory may give you a spirit of wisdom and of Revelation in the knowledge of him having guys have your hearts enlightened that you may know. What is the hope to which he has called you? What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints? And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when you raised him from the dead and seated him at the his right hand in the Heavenly places far above all Rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the one to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church. Which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all? and you you were dead. In the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now at work in the sons of Disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and we're by Nature children of Wrath like the rest of mankind. but God being rich in Mercy. Because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by Grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So they didn't coming ages. He might show the immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by Grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God. Not a result of works. So that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Which God prepared. beforehand That we would walk in him. This purpose is plan was prepared beforehand. Saint sinner look at your hand again this amazing miracle. The plan was not for this to do Mighty things.

Plan was for these hands. Do mice tanks? And with these hands to reform From the Ashes a re-creation more glorious than we could possibly fathom So Glorious it will take us and Eternity to fully comprehend.

We're about to baptize some folks out here in the in the in the in the backyard. I covered up the Rubbermaid logo with a potted plant. I it's basically a trough but don't worry. It's not a used drop that Jesus was laid in a Manger we can baptize you in a truck and then so it's a it's a small little bit smaller than the ones we doing out here. What what are we doing? Look look back in in a in a fusions.

I won. 13 in him you also when you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation and believed in him. We're sealed with the promised. Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance? We don't have the slightest clue. What a guarantee is. Never buy the extended warranty. Never be there by Ice snapped two different lifetime guarantee tools in the repair of my van. But it's guaranteed to last a lifetime. It it didn't what does that mean the guarantee at a store? Your money is guaranteed. The product is not

everything guaranteed has a seal on it, doesn't it? Baptism is just a mark. It doesn't do the work. It doesn't ensure the work. Baptism is declaring that he has done the work. I belong to him. I am going to be gloriously recreated you think this is impressive.

Wait till you see what happens when I get really crusty and old and I die and then it Some Day Some Great gettin up morning the trumpets blow Jesus returns, and those ashes get reformed. into an eternal being I will run and not grow weary.

You seem weary. Have you been weary? Baptism is a sign that this weary is not forever.

Die I'm going to come to die to myself. I'm going to raise again and new life with him.

Philip share the gospel with this Ethiopian Ethiopian after receiving and hearing it says I look there's some water why can't you be baptized right now?

He didn't come to my little class. You didn't talk to me about it. If you want to be identified with Christ baptized in that trough. Let's do it. Let's pray. Let's pray that the offer is for everyone be reborn beaver made. Let's pray Jesus.

Blood has washed away my sin.

Blood can wash away the sins of any who would just come. Won't you come?

And be marked be sealed with a guaranteed inheritance of eternal life guaranteed inheritance of of of a of a new body.

Some of us in this room are newer than others. But outside of you Jesus all of us are heading to just more death only in you can we be headed to more life and then on that day when the trumpet blows we will see you fully reflected in your in the fullness of your glory. Awesome. Yes, creative. Yes loving yes, just yes.

Saw it on the cross gracious. Yes. We saw on the cross all put on display. a tank of water

I couldn't make this up. I can't make this up. Jesus you Jesus. Thank you. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.

in your name, we pray I'm at

give us a few moments. We have a little you know, I got some fellowship food dealer items that we can share with one another give us a few moments to set up our our baptism service in a couple minutes will be will be heading out into our Courtyard and and celebrate worship the baptism of