Aug 20 2017 Connecting with God in and through Creation by Mike Marette

Next week we are starting a series on priorities – focusing on priorities with the Lord, Family, Money, Rest, Work, Margins – a practical look – taking from the Bible and how it affects our daily lives.
This week, I’m going to finish a quick two part series I started at the outdoor service– how to connect with God in and through Creation.
We all know what is going on in our country, we all know what is happening, the struggles in our country with regard to racism. On social media, a number of Christian leaders have condemned racism of all kinds and have spoken out against a lot of what is going on there.
I’d like to read a passage - Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female– for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)
When he says neither Jew nor Greek – this is a racial issue in their culture. In the context of the Roman world, this is where racial animosity existed – between Jew and Greek. Racism was one of the most, if not the most significant issue of the first century church – it was about Jews and Greeks learning to live with one another.
Paul says this: We are all one. When he says we are all one, this goes beyond color-blindness. It goes beyond saying, “I’m not a racist!” Being one is something incredibly larger. We are one. As Christians, we are all one. And I believe, it is time for the church, in this dark time, in every way, to demonstrate that. We all as Christians have that responsibility. Here is how – Paul also said in Philippians 2:
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, (Philippians 2:5)
How do we demonstrate that we are one? I’ve mentioned this before: We live a cross-shaped life – in every relationship – in every situation – in every event we encounter – we recognize our privilege and advantage within that situation. Everyone always has privilege and advantage somehow, and then we lay those aside to serve – to become a bondservant – a great servant within the situation. We only view ourselves as servants always to all. And then, the only way to do that? Jesus said, If anyone wishes to follow Me – you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me. It is impossible to solve the world’s problems, and our country’s problems, without the cross and us learning to live as people of the cross.
Lord, help heal our land to bring about reconciliation and peace. I pray that we would be people of reconciliation, people of healing, and people of peace. May we be the light of the world, the salt of the earth in every way. May we just be different, like Jesus – how would You respond? How would You act? And help us to act in that way. You already showed us how You would act: You would lay down Your rights and privileges and advantages and go to the cross for our sins – and help us to have that attitude in us. We should be like that. In Your name we pray.
2 weeks ago we talked about connecting with God in and through creation.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness.
When the eclipse happens tomorrow – how many will notice the glory of God?
The Psalms – more than any other book in the Bible – help us to connect with God – and they are filled with references to creation.
Romans 1:20 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 people are without excuse. . .
We see these things in creation – the character of God.
There are a variety of ways people connect with God – contemplation – study/singing/quiet times/ - everyone will have a unique way – but I am saying – this may not be your primary way – but it is beneficial for each of us to learn to connect in and through creation.
After last time – 2 weeks ago – I always evaluate my messages – and I thought – eh, that was okay.
But many people talked to me about how helpful it was – so I thought it was better than okay – just kidding. A number of people connect with God this way and we never talk about it – and that is a mistake. Today, we will briefly look at the book with the second most references to creation – Job!
Job may have been even before Abraham – thousands of years ago. He was a man who feared God – a good man – prosperous, wealthy, successful and influential – and in the blink of an eye – he lost everything. Wealth, health, children – and this is a problem for Job. It would be for anyone. He wants to meet with God – and for 37 chapters – all he gets is a meeting with so-called friends. And in Chapter 38 – God shows up in a tornado, of all things – and gives Job a guided tour of the universe – and God is saying – God is not the problem – but Job’s view of God is too small and too narrow. Job had a correct view of God – but it was small and narrow. Job’s worldview was built on the Retribution Principle – John Walton – is the belief that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer in the proportion of righteousness and wickedness. It is built on the belief that those who were given good things were righteous. This principle worked for so long – and then it tailed Job. Then Job had a crisis of faith. Things will work for us for a time – and then they don’t and that is when the crisis hits. When it comes to our faith – all of us - myself mostly included – we have too small and too narrow a view of who God is.
I like to see myself as an amateur photographer – but putting me in the same phrase as photographer is an overstatement.
I love to hike – and to try to get a picture of what I see – and it never comes close. I want to get this panoramic view – and I must not have a great camera – but I take it – and I zoom in – and I think the picture is better – but that is how we live – we can’t capture it all – so we zoom in to that one part that we want to hang onto – and live our lives in triple zoom mode and never see the whole picture

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 5 Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? 6 What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone
I will show you – You think you know so much?
God takes 4 aspects of creation – and I encourage you to read them – 38-42 – in different translations –He starts with the earth – and for Job and his culture – the earth was the center of all creation. And He talks in ways Job can get – foundations – cornerstone – If God took Job and put him in the space shuttle – it would have killed him – not because of outer space, but it he would have realized he knew nothing.
Second – the heavens
"Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? 13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness?
We know scientifically that the earth spins and the sun doesn’t rise, but it appears to be - God declared it to be so -
Can you direct the movement of the stars-- binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? 32 Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? 33 Do you know the laws of the universe?
We think we know the laws of the universe – but we keep learning, don’t we? 75 years from now – if we keep learning – it will be like now to 75 years ago. Science doesn’t know it all yet.
Job 38:22
"Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?
There are things about God that can only be expressed in that way. And God is saying – I have a storehouse of it!
25 "Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning? 26 Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives? 27 Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground and make the tender grass spring up?
If a tree falls in the forest – does it make a sound – and God says, Yes!
Then he spends time on the animal kingdom – and He talks about animals that man has not tried to control – can’t be domesticated. Like turning that zoom lens, God is saying – just as the Creation is wild – so I am wild – and you cannot domesticate or control Me!
He talks about a behemoth and leviathan – one that breathes fire!
Job 39:13
13 "The ostrich flaps her wings grandly (joyously!), but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. 14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. 15 She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. 16 She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn't care if they die. 17 For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.
Why is that in there? To Job and his narrow perspective, there is no reason for an ostrich – it doesn’t make sense – they don’t fit his small principle of life.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
And God is saying – even the ostrich is phenomenal. I just thought of Chariots of Fire and the ostrich saying, I run for His pleasure!
Job 42:1
Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I-- and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
It is the guided tour of creation that allows Job to see God. This is why we need to learn to connect with God in and through creation.
Go to the next slide -
6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.“
This is in Greece – and this is a monastery built in the 1400s. There are monks living there today – and for people to connect with God – alone and separated. Most of us will never live in a place like that. We live in the real world – dealing with traffic, neighbors, bills –and we could go on and on – but if we learn to connect with God in and through nature – we can experience God moments – regularly.
This next picture – is the view from my brother-in-law’s porch. We all need to find a place to connect with God. We can find a place. I love to go to Sand Run or the Towpath. For you it may be your garden – sitting on a patio. Everywhere I am – I find a place – somewhere where I can go and connect with God. You have places throughout your life where you can connect.
It expands our opportunity for worship – it helps our worship to go beyond Sunday morning – the radio or our phone or ipod. We are always living within creation – so we have unlimited opportunities for worship
It gives us freedom to experience God in new ways and not be afraid of that.
Before we moved here – Cindy and I went to a concert at this older church in Westerville – and it filled the place – they did Mozart’s Requiem Mass. I was overwhelmed by God, thinking – what in the world is happening to me?!
God just wants to touch our lives.
Third – doing this will touch new aspects of our souls and spirits. He takes Job to places in his soul And He will do that for us.
For some, it may have to do with scent! It takes us deep into our own souls to reveal God.
Fourth – it increases our awareness of God.
Beauty and grace will be performed whether or not we sense them – the least we can do is to try to be there.
Finally – it will help us to recognize how big God is and how small we are – with a healthy sense of humility. There is shaming and guilt – and those things are unhealthy and unhelpful. But there is also a healthy humility that we must possess and acquire.
10 When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!