1강 - GOD CREATED US

INTRODUCTION

The God we believe in is a good God. The first thing God did was to create the heavens and the earth and all things therein by His Word. After completing the creation of all things, God then made man to rule over the earth that He had created. God's purpose in creating man was to have communion and fellowship with him and to receive glory. To fulfil this purpose, God established the garden of Eden, a blessed place where man could live and meet with Him. To live happily with all the blessings was the only thing that man had to do there. His living in the garden had already been endowed by God. But the first man, Adam, and his wife Eve transgressed by surrendering themselves to Satan's temptation through the snake. Man was judged by God and was driven out of the garden, falling under the curse of death. Therefore, without the providence of our loving God's redemptive plan for us through Jesus Christ, we sinners would have been condemned forever and bound to suffer helplessly in the pit of eternal damnation.

[God created us]
1. The Purpose of Creation 

2. The Order of Creation 

3. The Creation of Man 

4. The Creation of Eden 

5. The Temptation and the Fall 

6. The Judgement 

7. The Foretelling of Salvation

 

LESSON ONE
THE PURPOSE OF CREATION

1. Today's Scripture

    : 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
2. Memory Verse

    : Isaiah 43:7
Bring to me all the people who are mine. I made them for my glory. I formed them; I made them.
3. Reference Scripture

   :  Psalm 19:1~6

      Isaiah 45:18
4. Objectives
     a. Let us find out  - God's purpose in creating all things and man.
                                  - the meaning of our living.
     b. Once we recognize that all things were created by God, let us proclaim this truth to the whole world!

LEADING QUESTIONS

1) Christians should live for whose glory?

       (1 Corinthians 10:31)

2) Who is "I" in today's scripture?

      (1 Corinthians 10:31-33)

3) What should we offer to God as His children?

     (Isaiah 43:21)

TODAY'S MESSAGE

 In the beginning God created the sky and the earth (Genesis 1:1). After He had created all things by His Word, God created human beings to take charge over them (Genesis 1:27). Evolutionists deny the idea of creation by God, but people today no longer pay attention to the fallacy of the theory of evolution.

There are things about God that people cannot see - his eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand. They are made clear by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do. (Romans 1:20)

Why did God create all things? What is the purpose of His creation?

 

The Purpose of God's Creation of All Things

First, God created all things for man. This is clearly shown when we look into the order of the creation as follows:

1) The mineral kingdom - including the air or "firmament", the earth, the sea, and so forth.
2) The vegetable kingdom - that which can be rooted in the mineral world.
3) The animal kingdom - the vegetable kingdom that sustains the life of animals.
4) Then God created man to rule over all of His creation.

God's purpose in creation was to reveal Himself to man by creating a beautiful world for him and giving that created world to him to enjoy and to dominate. After He created the world, God especially provided the garden of Eden for man where there was no ruin, no hurt, no lack, but only abundance. Yet when Adam and Eve transgressed they were driven out of the garden and began to experience the curse and spiritual death. Later, God sent Jesus Christ to make atonement for man's sin so that all mankind could be born again through the blood of Jesus Christ. So, to save man, God provided the suffering of the cross in which His purpose of creation was fulfilled. Only those born of God through Jesus Christ can truly fulfil God's creation purpose (John 1:1-18, 1 Peter 1:3).

As we have shared, God created all things for man and though man sinned and was removed from the garden, to fulfil His purpose of creation, God sent Jesus Christ later to suffer on the cross to restore man's rightful place with God. Unbelievers trust all the imperfect and mortal things of the world that pass away with time, but we, who have found the purpose of God's creation through the grace of Jesus Christ, trust only our God, the Creator. King David confessed in Psalm 20:7:

Some trust in chariots, others in horses. But we trust the Lord our God.

This good God pours out His grace and love unto those who trust Him only. God blesses with all things those who trust God, truly desire His kingdom and want to do His will (Matthew 6:33).

 

The Purpose of God's Creation of Man

Many people,  especially  middle-aged  non-believers who have lived half of their days,  are seized with fear, doubt and hopelessness as they still do not know the meaning of life. They have struggled day and night with many goals for a better life but even after having achieved those things they still cannot help but feel an emptiness with the question, "What is the real meaning of life after all?" Blessed is the man who has found the meaning and purpose of his life.

What is the purpose and meaning of the creation of man? 

 

First, God created man for His glory (Isaiah 43:7).

When God created Adam, He wanted to receive glory through him. He wanted Adam to give worship, praise and glory to God for the blessings that had been bestowed on him.

It is the same today. The ultimate responsibility of man is to worship, praise and glorify God. The apostle Paul taught believers in Thessalonica:

Always be happy. Never stop praying. Give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Therefore, whether we eat, drink or whatever we do, we should do all to the glory of God.

Second, God created man to manifest His glory through man.

Before Adam fell, he didn't need to worry about what to eat, what to wear, or where to sleep since his good God provided every need for him. Jesus Christ affirms too that all the needs of humanity are God's business but our priority is seeking His kingdom and doing what He wants (Matthew 6:31-33).

Therefore, we must give ourselves to God so that God can accomplish His will through our living and this will bring glory to God.

Third, God created man to share His love.

God is love (1 John 4:8). To love, there must be an object to love and God made man as His object of love. So our God, the God of love, created man to share His abundant love through fellowship and communion. Adam and Eve, however, disobeyed God and were cast out of the garden of Eden. They lost God's love.

But God provided a way to restore man through the cross of Jesus so that man now can receive God's love and can have fellowship with God again through the Word of God.

Humanity was never meant to be empty creatures thrown out to the world aimlessly like some philosopher's jabber. Man has a definite purpose and reason to exist. That purpose and reason is to give worship, praise and glory to God who did not even spare His only Son to be crucified on the cross, so that He could restore us and bless us. Therefore let us be awakened to discover the love of God and live up to His desire to receive joy and glory through our worship and praise.

 

CLOSING QUESTIONS

1) For whom did God create all things? 

     (Find answer from today's message.) 

 

2) By whom were all things created? 

     (Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-4) 

 

3) What makes people praise our Father in heaven when they see believers? 

      (Matthew 5:16)

APPLICATION

1. Let us examine our present life and discuss with each other if we are truly living a life 

   that glorifies our Heavenly Father or not.

2. Let us meditate on how Jesus Christ manifested the fact that God created man for His love.