1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,000 well I hope that you will open your Bible with me right at the beginning at the book of Genesis 2 00:00:05,000 –> 00:00:11,300 And I want you to imagine for a moment that you are in a theater for the first performance of a new play 3 00:00:11,300 –> 00:00:18,500 and before the curtain goes up and the play begins, the author walks onto the stage 4 00:00:18,500 –> 00:00:21,299 He introduces himself 5 00:00:21,299 –> 00:00:27,500 He tells you what the play is about and why he wrote it 6 00:00:27,500 –> 00:00:35,200 The author does not begin by presenting an argument for his own existence 7 00:00:35,200 –> 00:00:37,799 What he does is he simply walks onto the stage 8 00:00:37,799 –> 00:00:42,400 and he introduces himself, and he introduces what you are about to see 9 00:00:43,200 –> 00:00:49,599 Now in the same way, the Bible begins with God, as it were, walking onto the stage 10 00:00:49,599 –> 00:00:51,900 and introducing himself 11 00:00:52,099 –> 00:00:59,500 Genesis 1.1, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth 12 00:00:59,500 –> 00:01:03,700 God introduces Himself as your Creator 13 00:01:03,700 –> 00:01:10,500 and being Creator always carries with it the rights of ownership 14 00:01:11,199 –> 00:01:19,000 If you paint a picture, the picture is yours because you created it 15 00:01:19,199 –> 00:01:22,500 What you create belongs to you 16 00:01:22,900 –> 00:01:29,800 and God introduces Himself as your Creator and therefore, by definition, your Owner 17 00:01:30,000 –> 00:01:31,699 You are not your own 18 00:01:32,699 –> 00:01:34,400 You belong to God 19 00:01:35,599 –> 00:01:38,300 God brought you into being 20 00:01:39,000 –> 00:01:43,099 and what that means very wonderfully is that you are not an accident 21 00:01:43,699 –> 00:01:45,699 You are not a mistake 22 00:01:46,599 –> 00:01:53,300 You are not simply the product of random chance as it has evolved over millions of years of human history 23 00:01:53,699 –> 00:01:59,000 No. This is good news You are a creation, the special creation of God 24 00:01:59,500 –> 00:02:03,099 and it is good news because if your life were an accident 25 00:02:03,599 –> 00:02:07,500 if you were, as it were, merely the product of random chance 26 00:02:07,500 –> 00:02:11,300 that it was merely a matter of random chance that you came into being 27 00:02:11,500 –> 00:02:14,600 then, ultimately, your life would have no meaning or purpose 28 00:02:15,500 –> 00:02:18,199 and that, of course, would leave you free to indulge it 29 00:02:18,899 –> 00:02:22,300 or to waste it, trash it, or even end it 30 00:02:22,800 –> 00:02:26,600 Because it has no ultimate meaning or purpose, it’s just a thing that happened 31 00:02:28,399 –> 00:02:31,600 but what you’re being told here is that you are not an accident 32 00:02:31,600 –> 00:02:36,199 you are not the product of random chance. You were created by God 33 00:02:37,000 –> 00:02:42,080 and what that means is that your life, therefore, has meaning, significance, and purpose 34 00:02:42,279 –> 00:02:47,279 and that you will find that purpose in as much as you get to know the God who made you 35 00:02:48,479 –> 00:02:52,179 So right at the beginning of the Bible, God introduces himself 36 00:02:52,179 –> 00:02:58,279 and then, he tells us two things that we most need to know about ourselves 37 00:02:58,279 –> 00:03:01,779 the first is that you’re made in the image of God 38 00:03:01,800 –> 00:03:03,580 Verse 26 of Genesis 1 39 00:03:04,059 –> 00:03:11,460 God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness 40 00:03:11,460 –> 00:03:15,580 Two observations, first, as you’ll see from the footnote 41 00:03:15,580 –> 00:03:18,179 in the Bible, if you have the Church Bible there 42 00:03:18,179 –> 00:03:23,679 the word man here is a generic term that includes both male and female 43 00:03:23,679 –> 00:03:26,160 and you see that specifically in Verse 27 44 00:03:26,179 –> 00:03:28,479 God created man in his own image 45 00:03:28,479 –> 00:03:31,679 male and female, he created them 46 00:03:32,080 –> 00:03:40,580 So God created male and female and both reflect his image and his likeness 47 00:03:40,580 –> 00:03:47,080 Second, did you notice the plural pronoun in Verse 26? 48 00:03:47,080 –> 00:03:56,699 God says, let us make man in our image 49 00:03:56,699 –> 00:03:59,679 There is one God 50 00:03:59,779 –> 00:04:04,440 but here is a fascinating hint about his nature 51 00:04:04,440 –> 00:04:07,320 that is to be unfolded later in the Bible story 52 00:04:07,320 –> 00:04:12,220 that he is Father, Son and Holy Spirit 53 00:04:12,220 –> 00:04:18,200 Now of course, it is later in the Bible story, that this is unfolded to us 54 00:04:18,200 –> 00:04:21,859 but it’s actually right there from the very beginning 55 00:04:21,859 –> 00:04:23,320 I wonder if you have ever noticed 56 00:04:23,320 –> 00:04:25,500 It’s in the first three verses of Genesis 1 57 00:04:26,339 –> 00:04:28,339 Verse 1 58 00:04:28,339 –> 00:04:33,579 In the beginning, God created the heavens and Earth 59 00:04:33,579 –> 00:04:35,380 Verse 2 60 00:04:35,380 –> 00:04:37,179 The Earth was without form and void 61 00:04:37,179 –> 00:04:42,600 and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters 62 00:04:42,600 –> 00:04:43,579 Verse 3 63 00:04:43,579 –> 00:04:47,359 and God said 64 00:04:47,359 –> 00:04:51,459 So right there in the first three verses of the Bible 65 00:04:51,459 –> 00:04:53,339 You have God 66 00:04:53,339 –> 00:04:55,339 You have God’s Spirit 67 00:04:55,519 –> 00:04:57,459 And you have God’s Word 68 00:04:57,459 –> 00:05:00,339 first three verses of the Bible 69 00:05:00,339 –> 00:05:02,600 Now back to verse 26 70 00:05:02,600 –> 00:05:08,779 God says let us make man in our image 71 00:05:08,779 –> 00:05:12,799 An image of course is very simply a reflection 72 00:05:12,799 –> 00:05:17,220 what that means is that God has made you in such a way 73 00:05:17,220 –> 00:05:23,140 that you reflect something of his own nature and his own glory 74 00:05:23,140 –> 00:05:29,839 and the image of God of course is what makes you different from the animals 75 00:05:29,839 –> 00:05:34,739 and if you were to think of yourself simply as a highly developed animal 76 00:05:34,739 –> 00:05:38,660 you would miss the most important thing that God says about you 77 00:05:38,660 –> 00:05:41,940 you are made in his image and in his likeness 78 00:05:41,940 –> 00:05:45,459 and that is why your life and every human life 79 00:05:45,459 –> 00:05:49,679 has unique dignity, value and worth 80 00:05:49,920 –> 00:05:55,559 so the first thing that you need to know about yourself is that you are made in the image of God 81 00:05:55,559 –> 00:05:58,760 second thing you need to know about yourself is that you are not God 82 00:05:58,760 –> 00:06:00,119 that you are not God 83 00:06:00,119 –> 00:06:04,959 in fact you’re made very fragile from the dust of the ground 84 00:06:04,959 –> 00:06:06,720 chapter two and verse seven 85 00:06:06,720 –> 00:06:12,480 the Lord formed the man from the dust of the ground 86 00:06:12,480 –> 00:06:14,920 and breathed into his nostrils the breadth of life 87 00:06:14,920 –> 00:06:19,000 and the man became a living being 88 00:06:19,200 –> 00:06:21,859 you are made in the image of God 89 00:06:21,859 –> 00:06:23,899 but you are not God 90 00:06:23,899 –> 00:06:28,399 the reality is that your life is actually very fragile 91 00:06:28,399 –> 00:06:33,720 God made you from the dust, you live in a fragile human body 92 00:06:33,720 –> 00:06:37,980 it does not take much of an accident for life in this body to cease 93 00:06:37,980 –> 00:06:41,160 it’s very fragile 94 00:06:41,160 –> 00:06:44,640 and you depend therefore on the life 95 00:06:44,640 –> 00:06:47,540 that God breathes into you 96 00:06:47,540 –> 00:06:50,220 for the life that you have 97 00:06:50,220 –> 00:06:54,380 notice in the way in which God created the first man 98 00:06:54,380 –> 00:06:55,579 we are told 99 00:06:55,579 –> 00:06:57,220 that he made him from 100 00:06:57,220 –> 00:07:02,380 the dust so a corpse, a material corpse, a physical corpse 101 00:07:02,380 –> 00:07:04,000 was made 102 00:07:04,000 –> 00:07:05,299 of matter 103 00:07:05,299 –> 00:07:08,440 and you could do a chemical analysis on the 104 00:07:08,440 –> 00:07:09,859 human body 105 00:07:09,859 –> 00:07:13,119 God brought from the elements of the earth a 106 00:07:13,679 –> 00:07:18,779 physical body, a corpse, and there it was lying on the ground 107 00:07:18,779 –> 00:07:23,959 the skeletal frame covered in flesh, muscle and skin 108 00:07:23,959 –> 00:07:29,619 and then we are told that God breathed his own breath into this corpse 109 00:07:29,619 –> 00:07:35,839 in other words he gave the kiss of life to the corpse and the corps became a living 110 00:07:35,839 –> 00:07:37,220 self-conscious 111 00:07:37,220 –> 00:07:39,160 being 112 00:07:39,160 –> 00:07:43,040 think about what that meant for Adam 113 00:07:43,079 –> 00:07:44,079 kind of like 114 00:07:44,079 –> 00:07:45,079 you know 115 00:07:45,079 –> 00:07:46,959 you suddenly come to life 116 00:07:46,959 –> 00:07:49,880 you’re suddenly aware…I am 117 00:07:49,880 –> 00:07:56,119 and in his first moment of conscious existence he is looking up into the face of God 118 00:07:56,119 –> 00:07:59,440 and he knows immediately his first knowledge is 119 00:07:59,440 –> 00:08:04,440 I exist because this God has brought me into being 120 00:08:04,440 –> 00:08:07,679 I belong to him, he has given me life 121 00:08:07,679 –> 00:08:12,019 I live because of Him 122 00:08:12,019 –> 00:08:14,380 and of course what God did for Adam there 123 00:08:14,380 –> 00:08:17,660 he continues to do for all of us each and every day 124 00:08:17,660 –> 00:08:20,420 Acts chapter 17 and verse 25 125 00:08:20,420 –> 00:08:24,440 speaks of how God gives life and breath 126 00:08:24,440 –> 00:08:25,440 to all of us 127 00:08:25,440 –> 00:08:29,559 right here we are, sitting here right now 128 00:08:29,559 –> 00:08:30,679 and we’re breathing 129 00:08:30,679 –> 00:08:32,020 and we’re alive 130 00:08:32,020 –> 00:08:35,099 and why are we alive in this fragile body? 131 00:08:35,099 –> 00:08:39,159 because God is giving this breath of life to us 132 00:08:39,159 –> 00:08:41,140 your life is given by God 133 00:08:41,179 –> 00:08:43,000 it is sustained by God 134 00:08:43,000 –> 00:08:45,340 and you will discover the meaning and significance 135 00:08:45,340 –> 00:08:46,859 and purpose of this life 136 00:08:46,859 –> 00:08:51,479 in as much as you come to know him 137 00:08:51,479 –> 00:08:53,940 now having introduced himself 138 00:08:53,940 –> 00:08:55,900 and having told us the first things 139 00:08:55,900 –> 00:08:59,840 that we need to know about who we are 140 00:08:59,840 –> 00:09:02,919 God then describes for us 141 00:09:02,919 –> 00:09:05,979 four marvelous gifts 142 00:09:05,979 –> 00:09:07,859 that He gave to the first man 143 00:09:07,859 –> 00:09:10,739 and to the first woman 144 00:09:10,780 –> 00:09:13,859 and the first of these of course is the gift of a home 145 00:09:13,859 –> 00:09:15,340 chapter two in verse eight 146 00:09:15,340 –> 00:09:19,020 the Lord God planted a garden in Eden 147 00:09:19,020 –> 00:09:20,700 in the east 148 00:09:20,700 –> 00:09:23,539 and there he put the man 149 00:09:23,539 –> 00:09:27,039 whom he had formed 150 00:09:27,039 –> 00:09:29,460 there is a very wonderful truth 151 00:09:29,460 –> 00:09:33,320 God has a place for you 152 00:09:34,539 –> 00:09:37,619 and we see this in the place that He had for Adam 153 00:09:37,619 –> 00:09:40,099 He planted a garden 154 00:09:40,739 –> 00:09:45,059 and He brings Adam and He puts him in the garden 155 00:09:45,059 –> 00:09:49,979 this is the place I have prepared for you 156 00:09:49,979 –> 00:09:55,179 this is where I want you to know and to enjoy my blessing 157 00:09:56,140 –> 00:10:00,500 now it’s difficult to be precise about the location of Eden 158 00:10:00,500 –> 00:10:05,619 what really matters though is to remember that it was a real place 159 00:10:05,619 –> 00:10:09,460 it’s located here in relation to four different rivers 160 00:10:09,739 –> 00:10:12,460 as I mentioned in chapter two verses 10 to 14 161 00:10:13,020 –> 00:10:15,500 and in verse 14… two of them we know today 162 00:10:15,500 –> 00:10:18,260 the Tigris and the Euphrates 163 00:10:18,260 –> 00:10:22,179 both of which run interestingly through modern Iraq 164 00:10:22,179 –> 00:10:24,979 somewhere in that region of the world 165 00:10:24,979 –> 00:10:26,539 somewhere in the East 166 00:10:26,539 –> 00:10:27,619 in Eden 167 00:10:27,619 –> 00:10:29,179 in the East 168 00:10:29,179 –> 00:10:33,500 He put the man whom He had formed 169 00:10:34,280 –> 00:10:36,159 formed 170 00:10:36,159 –> 00:10:40,900 what matters is that God put Adam there 171 00:10:40,900 –> 00:10:48,140 and Adam was at home because he was in the place where God had put him 172 00:10:48,140 –> 00:10:52,260 and again what God did for Adam He does for us today 173 00:10:52,260 –> 00:10:57,219 Acts chapter 17 and verse 26 reminds us 174 00:10:57,219 –> 00:10:59,340 that the time that we live 175 00:10:59,340 –> 00:11:01,900 and the place that we live 176 00:11:01,940 –> 00:11:06,400 is guided and provided by the hand of God himself 177 00:11:06,400 –> 00:11:07,820 have you ever thought about this? 178 00:11:07,820 –> 00:11:11,299 that the hand of God is in where you live 179 00:11:12,359 –> 00:11:14,099 and that the hand of God is in 180 00:11:14,099 –> 00:11:16,500 the fact that you live now 181 00:11:16,500 –> 00:11:19,239 rather than sometime before 182 00:11:19,239 –> 00:11:23,659 or even sometime in the future 183 00:11:23,659 –> 00:11:27,739 and no place is perfect 184 00:11:27,739 –> 00:11:30,940 and no time is perfect 185 00:11:30,940 –> 00:11:33,440 but there is no better place and time to grow 186 00:11:33,440 –> 00:11:37,539 than the place and time that God has set you down 187 00:11:38,580 –> 00:11:40,859 try and imagine God walking with you into your home 188 00:11:40,859 –> 00:11:43,000 and saying this is where I want you to know 189 00:11:43,000 –> 00:11:44,820 my presence and my blessing 190 00:11:46,239 –> 00:11:48,179 or God walking with you into this church 191 00:11:48,179 –> 00:11:50,320 and saying this is the place that I’ve prepared 192 00:11:50,320 –> 00:11:53,140 for you to grow 193 00:11:53,140 –> 00:11:55,020 wherever God sets you down, 194 00:11:55,020 –> 00:11:57,239 you can be at home 195 00:11:57,320 –> 00:12:02,200 because home by definition is where God places you 196 00:12:03,719 –> 00:12:06,940 Then secondly there’s the marvelous gift of work 197 00:12:06,940 –> 00:12:08,539 we’re told that the Lord puts the man 198 00:12:08,539 –> 00:12:10,239 in the Garden of Eden, why? 199 00:12:10,239 –> 00:12:13,900 To work it and to keep it 200 00:12:14,940 –> 00:12:18,520 now God had worked for Adam to do in the garden 201 00:12:18,520 –> 00:12:20,919 work it and keep it 202 00:12:20,919 –> 00:12:22,960 later when Eve is created 203 00:12:22,960 –> 00:12:24,900 God says to both of them 204 00:12:24,900 –> 00:12:26,840 that there is work for both of them to do 205 00:12:26,880 –> 00:12:28,780 chapter 1 verse 28 206 00:12:28,780 –> 00:12:31,179 that work is to fill the earth 207 00:12:31,179 –> 00:12:34,039 and to subdue it 208 00:12:34,479 –> 00:12:36,820 notice this, that God gave the gift of work 209 00:12:36,820 –> 00:12:40,539 before sin entered into the world 210 00:12:41,200 –> 00:12:43,359 working of course is one of the ways 211 00:12:43,359 –> 00:12:46,359 in which we reflect the image of God 212 00:12:47,419 –> 00:12:49,640 God introduces himself to us 213 00:12:49,640 –> 00:12:50,679 in terms of his work 214 00:12:50,679 –> 00:12:53,039 in the beginning God created 215 00:12:53,039 –> 00:12:55,640 and then we have the description of how God worked 216 00:12:55,659 –> 00:12:57,320 each of the first six days 217 00:12:57,320 –> 00:12:58,640 and he looks at his work 218 00:12:58,640 –> 00:13:00,679 and pronounces that it is good 219 00:13:00,679 –> 00:13:02,299 and on the seventh day he rests 220 00:13:02,299 –> 00:13:03,840 from all of his work 221 00:13:04,000 –> 00:13:04,979 God works 222 00:13:05,000 –> 00:13:07,080 and the man is made in his image 223 00:13:07,080 –> 00:13:09,340 and now Adam is given this work 224 00:13:09,520 –> 00:13:11,580 to share in as well 225 00:13:11,780 –> 00:13:13,340 and notice the work he’s given to do 226 00:13:13,340 –> 00:13:14,719 verse 19 227 00:13:15,039 –> 00:13:16,940 that the lord had made the beasts of the field 228 00:13:16,940 –> 00:13:18,099 the birds of the heaven 229 00:13:18,099 –> 00:13:19,479 brings them to the man 230 00:13:19,820 –> 00:13:23,119 to see what he would call them 231 00:13:23,979 –> 00:13:25,940 and whatever the man called 232 00:13:25,940 –> 00:13:27,299 every living creature 233 00:13:27,299 –> 00:13:29,400 that was it’s name 234 00:13:30,340 –> 00:13:32,059 now here’s something very important 235 00:13:32,059 –> 00:13:34,099 that arises from that 236 00:13:34,400 –> 00:13:37,260 that the work that God gives 237 00:13:37,500 –> 00:13:41,159 reflects the work that God does 238 00:13:41,919 –> 00:13:42,880 see 239 00:13:42,880 –> 00:13:44,440 God was the one 240 00:13:44,440 –> 00:13:47,820 who gave names to things 241 00:13:48,200 –> 00:13:50,039 right at the beginning of creation 242 00:13:50,039 –> 00:13:52,679 God called the light day 243 00:13:53,099 –> 00:13:55,080 and he called the darkness night 244 00:13:55,080 –> 00:13:57,219 God names things 245 00:13:57,799 –> 00:14:00,099 now Adam is made in the image of God 246 00:14:00,099 –> 00:14:01,280 and God says to Adam 247 00:14:01,280 –> 00:14:03,960 now I want you to do the work that I’ve been doing 248 00:14:03,960 –> 00:14:06,219 I want you also to participate 249 00:14:06,219 –> 00:14:08,140 in this naming of things 250 00:14:08,140 –> 00:14:09,880 so the work God gives 251 00:14:09,880 –> 00:14:14,260 reflects the work that God does 252 00:14:15,960 –> 00:14:19,080 now very practically you will find 253 00:14:19,080 –> 00:14:21,340 that your own view of the work 254 00:14:21,340 –> 00:14:22,979 God has given you to do 255 00:14:22,979 –> 00:14:24,500 will be elevated 256 00:14:24,500 –> 00:14:25,900 heightened 257 00:14:26,619 –> 00:14:28,580 if you can see 258 00:14:28,580 –> 00:14:31,640 that the work God has given you to do 259 00:14:31,640 –> 00:14:34,799 reflects the work that God himself does 260 00:14:35,859 –> 00:14:37,799 so let me just give you some examples 261 00:14:37,799 –> 00:14:38,719 to get you going 262 00:14:38,719 –> 00:14:40,140 and then you can work this out 263 00:14:40,140 –> 00:14:42,580 in relation to your own particular work for yourself 264 00:14:42,580 –> 00:14:44,979 it will be a blessing and a joy to you 265 00:14:44,979 –> 00:14:46,000 I am sure 266 00:14:46,000 –> 00:14:47,099 think of this 267 00:14:47,799 –> 00:14:48,659 God 268 00:14:48,659 –> 00:14:52,299 brings order out of chaos 269 00:14:54,260 –> 00:14:56,539 so the next time you’re clearing out a closet 270 00:14:56,539 –> 00:14:58,179 you should say 271 00:14:59,659 –> 00:15:02,619 I’m doing something that reflects what God does 272 00:15:03,539 –> 00:15:04,599 now I’m being serious here 273 00:15:04,599 –> 00:15:05,940 and I want you to think it through 274 00:15:06,299 –> 00:15:08,059 if you bring order to a home 275 00:15:08,059 –> 00:15:10,219 that is a reflection of the work of God 276 00:15:10,900 –> 00:15:12,739 if you bring order to a business 277 00:15:12,739 –> 00:15:14,059 or to a community 278 00:15:14,059 –> 00:15:16,619 that is a reflection of the work of God 279 00:15:17,000 –> 00:15:18,520 let me give you another example 280 00:15:19,000 –> 00:15:21,340 God creates that which is beautiful 281 00:15:22,340 –> 00:15:23,619 every time you engage 282 00:15:23,619 –> 00:15:26,900 in something that creates something beautiful 283 00:15:26,900 –> 00:15:28,960 artistic, musical, whatever 284 00:15:28,960 –> 00:15:30,760 you decorate 285 00:15:31,419 –> 00:15:33,440 there is a reflection in your work 286 00:15:33,440 –> 00:15:35,979 of creating something beautiful 287 00:15:35,979 –> 00:15:38,619 that is a reflection of the work of God 288 00:15:39,179 –> 00:15:40,140 and as you see that 289 00:15:40,140 –> 00:15:42,979 your sense of the value of what is being done here 290 00:15:42,979 –> 00:15:44,099 will be elevated 291 00:15:44,099 –> 00:15:45,080 it will be lifted 292 00:15:45,619 –> 00:15:46,940 and let me give you another example 293 00:15:47,739 –> 00:15:49,239 God protects 294 00:15:50,440 –> 00:15:51,479 I sometimes think about that 295 00:15:51,479 –> 00:15:53,099 if I arrive here at the church 296 00:15:53,099 –> 00:15:55,479 at the time when children are either 297 00:15:55,479 –> 00:15:56,440 arriving at the school 298 00:15:56,440 –> 00:15:58,320 or they are leaving from one of the schools 299 00:15:58,320 –> 00:15:59,659 that are at either side 300 00:15:59,659 –> 00:16:00,960 of our building here 301 00:16:01,700 –> 00:16:02,799 and there are those folks 302 00:16:02,799 –> 00:16:04,059 who are there on duty 303 00:16:04,059 –> 00:16:05,419 and they are doing what 304 00:16:05,419 –> 00:16:06,880 they are standing in the road 305 00:16:06,880 –> 00:16:09,099 and they are protecting the children 306 00:16:09,099 –> 00:16:11,919 so that they cross the road in safety 307 00:16:12,320 –> 00:16:13,919 and I think to myself often 308 00:16:14,260 –> 00:16:16,000 well there is a reflection 309 00:16:16,479 –> 00:16:17,739 of what God does 310 00:16:18,640 –> 00:16:20,099 it is a beautiful thing 311 00:16:20,780 –> 00:16:22,859 and your understanding of any work 312 00:16:22,859 –> 00:16:23,739 will be lifted 313 00:16:23,739 –> 00:16:26,440 when you can see that the work God gives 314 00:16:26,440 –> 00:16:27,700 is a reflection of 315 00:16:27,700 –> 00:16:28,539 the work God does 316 00:16:28,539 –> 00:16:29,260 think about this 317 00:16:29,260 –> 00:16:30,700 God provides 318 00:16:32,059 –> 00:16:34,119 so every person therefore 319 00:16:34,119 –> 00:16:35,880 who is involved in any way 320 00:16:36,080 –> 00:16:37,219 in the growing 321 00:16:37,659 –> 00:16:38,900 the transporting 322 00:16:39,400 –> 00:16:40,260 the selling 323 00:16:40,599 –> 00:16:41,400 the cooking 324 00:16:41,400 –> 00:16:43,219 or the serving of food 325 00:16:43,460 –> 00:16:45,500 in some way is participating 326 00:16:45,500 –> 00:16:47,539 in God’s great work of provision 327 00:16:48,260 –> 00:16:49,820 think about how your work 328 00:16:49,820 –> 00:16:51,219 reflects God’s work 329 00:16:51,219 –> 00:16:52,900 and you will find great joy 330 00:16:52,900 –> 00:16:54,059 in knowing 331 00:16:54,059 –> 00:16:55,780 that you have been given work to do 332 00:16:55,780 –> 00:16:57,859 that reflects his work also 333 00:16:58,299 –> 00:16:59,460 and then think about this 334 00:16:59,460 –> 00:17:01,380 which will elevate your view of work 335 00:17:01,380 –> 00:17:02,820 even more highly 336 00:17:02,820 –> 00:17:05,640 that God is actively engaged 337 00:17:05,640 –> 00:17:07,959 in the work that he gives 338 00:17:07,959 –> 00:17:09,660 notice that we’re told here 339 00:17:09,660 –> 00:17:11,359 that the Lord brought 340 00:17:11,359 –> 00:17:12,520 the Beasts of the Field 341 00:17:12,520 –> 00:17:14,339 and the Birds of the Heaven to the Man 342 00:17:14,339 –> 00:17:16,020 to see what he would call them 343 00:17:16,020 –> 00:17:17,319 isn’t that marvellous 344 00:17:17,319 –> 00:17:18,300 I’m so grateful for that 345 00:17:18,300 –> 00:17:20,020 how in the world would Adam 346 00:17:20,020 –> 00:17:21,819 ever have caught up with all of these animals 347 00:17:21,819 –> 00:17:23,359 of God had not brought them to him 348 00:17:23,359 –> 00:17:25,699 but the Lord actually brings them 349 00:17:25,699 –> 00:17:26,719 to Adam 350 00:17:26,719 –> 00:17:28,520 and what are you going to name this 351 00:17:28,520 –> 00:17:30,699 so do you see that there is an 352 00:17:30,699 –> 00:17:32,380 active engagement 353 00:17:32,380 –> 00:17:34,760 on the part of God 354 00:17:34,760 –> 00:17:37,060 with Adam 355 00:17:37,060 –> 00:17:37,959 in the work 356 00:17:37,959 –> 00:17:39,520 that God has given Adam 357 00:17:39,520 –> 00:17:40,140 to do now 358 00:17:40,140 –> 00:17:41,160 why are we being taught these things 359 00:17:41,160 –> 00:17:42,359 at the beginning of the Bible 360 00:17:42,520 –> 00:17:43,699 we’re being taught 361 00:17:43,699 –> 00:17:45,180 a biblical or Christian 362 00:17:45,180 –> 00:17:48,020 view of work 363 00:17:48,020 –> 00:17:49,180 think about this 364 00:17:49,180 –> 00:17:50,400 when you are involved in your work 365 00:17:50,400 –> 00:17:53,099 that God is actively engaged 366 00:17:53,099 –> 00:17:54,079 in your work 367 00:17:54,079 –> 00:17:55,839 He has given you work to do 368 00:17:55,839 –> 00:17:57,660 that is a reflection of His work 369 00:17:57,660 –> 00:17:58,660 in the world 370 00:17:58,660 –> 00:18:00,319 and it is therefore through your work 371 00:18:00,319 –> 00:18:01,699 as He works with you 372 00:18:01,699 –> 00:18:02,760 that His great purpose 373 00:18:02,760 –> 00:18:05,099 gets advanced in the world 374 00:18:05,099 –> 00:18:06,459 it’s a wonderful thing 375 00:18:06,459 –> 00:18:07,680 think about that 376 00:18:07,680 –> 00:18:10,119 next time you are at your desk 377 00:18:10,119 –> 00:18:11,800 in the shop 378 00:18:11,859 –> 00:18:13,719 on the site 379 00:18:13,719 –> 00:18:16,020 or by the sink 380 00:18:16,020 –> 00:18:18,380 God cares about your work 381 00:18:18,380 –> 00:18:19,780 and it is through the work 382 00:18:19,780 –> 00:18:21,020 that He has given you to do 383 00:18:21,020 –> 00:18:23,020 that reflects His work 384 00:18:23,020 –> 00:18:24,479 that His work in the world 385 00:18:24,479 –> 00:18:28,459 actually gets done 386 00:18:28,459 –> 00:18:30,079 and this is why, you see 387 00:18:30,079 –> 00:18:31,780 for all eternity 388 00:18:31,780 –> 00:18:33,420 we shall be serving Him 389 00:18:33,420 –> 00:18:35,359 day and night in His temple 390 00:18:35,359 –> 00:18:37,020 we shall be actively engaged 391 00:18:37,020 –> 00:18:39,380 in His ongoing work 392 00:18:39,380 –> 00:18:40,380 and it will be marvelous 393 00:18:40,420 –> 00:18:43,400 and it will be glorious indeed 394 00:18:43,400 –> 00:18:44,400 now, we are going to see 395 00:18:44,400 –> 00:18:45,400 of course next week 396 00:18:45,400 –> 00:18:48,400 that sin changed everything 397 00:18:48,400 –> 00:18:51,400 and the experience 398 00:18:51,400 –> 00:18:53,359 of the first man and the woman 399 00:18:53,359 –> 00:18:55,359 was changed 400 00:18:55,359 –> 00:18:58,380 when sin came into the world 401 00:18:58,380 –> 00:19:00,380 but never forget this 402 00:19:00,380 –> 00:19:02,380 that whatever the frustrations 403 00:19:02,380 –> 00:19:03,380 that may be involved in work 404 00:19:03,380 –> 00:19:04,380 in this fallen world 405 00:19:04,380 –> 00:19:06,380 it is the good gift of God 406 00:19:06,380 –> 00:19:07,380 it is the work that He has 407 00:19:07,380 –> 00:19:09,380 given you to do 408 00:19:09,380 –> 00:19:12,380 and he is actively engaged 409 00:19:12,380 –> 00:19:13,380 in it 410 00:19:13,380 –> 00:19:16,380 third the gift of relationship 411 00:19:16,380 –> 00:19:18,380 what does God give to the first man 412 00:19:18,380 –> 00:19:19,380 and the first woman 413 00:19:19,380 –> 00:19:21,380 well he gives a home 414 00:19:21,380 –> 00:19:25,380 he gives this marvelous gift of work 415 00:19:25,380 –> 00:19:27,380 and then he gives this gift of 416 00:19:27,380 –> 00:19:29,380 relationship 417 00:19:29,380 –> 00:19:31,380 chapter two and verse 18 418 00:19:31,380 –> 00:19:32,380 then the Lord God said 419 00:19:33,380 –> 00:19:35,380 it is not good 420 00:19:35,380 –> 00:19:37,380 that the man 421 00:19:37,380 –> 00:19:39,380 should be alone 422 00:19:39,380 –> 00:19:42,380 I had the pleasure of endorsing 423 00:19:42,380 –> 00:19:44,380 a new book by 424 00:19:44,380 –> 00:19:45,380 Drew Hunter 425 00:19:45,380 –> 00:19:48,380 who is a pastor in Indianapolis 426 00:19:48,380 –> 00:19:49,380 in which he 427 00:19:49,380 –> 00:19:51,380 I think very wisely and rightly 428 00:19:51,380 –> 00:19:52,380 applies 429 00:19:52,380 –> 00:19:53,380 this verse 430 00:19:53,380 –> 00:19:56,380 not only to marriage 431 00:19:56,380 –> 00:19:58,380 but also to friendship 432 00:19:58,380 –> 00:20:00,380 Drew makes the point 433 00:20:00,380 –> 00:20:04,380 that the first problem in the world 434 00:20:04,380 –> 00:20:06,380 was not sin 435 00:20:06,380 –> 00:20:08,380 but solitude 436 00:20:08,380 –> 00:20:11,380 throughout Genesis 1 437 00:20:11,380 –> 00:20:14,380 God is creating 438 00:20:14,380 –> 00:20:17,380 and he looks at what he has created 439 00:20:17,380 –> 00:20:19,380 and he says it’s good 440 00:20:19,380 –> 00:20:20,380 it’s good 441 00:20:20,380 –> 00:20:21,380 God saw that it was good 442 00:20:21,380 –> 00:20:22,380 it was very good 443 00:20:22,380 –> 00:20:25,380 now in chapter 2, verse 18 444 00:20:25,380 –> 00:20:27,380 for the very first time 445 00:20:27,380 –> 00:20:28,380 God says something is not good 446 00:20:28,380 –> 00:20:30,380 it is not good that 447 00:20:30,380 –> 00:20:33,380 the man should be alone 448 00:20:34,380 –> 00:20:36,380 Why was it not good 449 00:20:36,380 –> 00:20:38,380 that the man should be alone? 450 00:20:38,380 –> 00:20:40,380 Answer 451 00:20:40,380 –> 00:20:44,380 because he is made in the image of God 452 00:20:44,380 –> 00:20:48,380 and God enjoys relationship 453 00:20:48,380 –> 00:20:49,380 fellowship 454 00:20:49,380 –> 00:20:51,380 love 455 00:20:51,380 –> 00:20:57,380 in the trinity of his own nature 456 00:20:57,380 –> 00:21:01,380 that of course is the significance of the word us 457 00:21:01,380 –> 00:21:02,380 hinting towards 458 00:21:02,380 –> 00:21:04,380 the three persons 459 00:21:04,380 –> 00:21:07,380 the father, the son and the Holy Spirit 460 00:21:07,380 –> 00:21:09,380 from all eternity before of the creation 461 00:21:09,380 –> 00:21:11,380 there was love 462 00:21:11,380 –> 00:21:14,380 flowing between father, son, Holy Spirit 463 00:21:14,380 –> 00:21:16,380 love before the beginning of time 464 00:21:16,380 –> 00:21:18,380 we live at a time when people are afraid 465 00:21:18,380 –> 00:21:21,380 that the only ultimate thing is power 466 00:21:22,380 –> 00:21:25,380 But the Bible tells us from the very nature of God 467 00:21:25,380 –> 00:21:27,380 is that God is love 468 00:21:27,380 –> 00:21:31,380 and that from before the beginning of time 469 00:21:31,380 –> 00:21:33,380 love permitted 470 00:21:33,380 –> 00:21:36,380 father, son, Holy Spirit 471 00:21:36,380 –> 00:21:38,380 and that the whole of creation 472 00:21:39,380 –> 00:21:44,380 is an overflow of the love of God 473 00:21:45,380 –> 00:21:48,380 and Adam is made in God’s image 474 00:21:48,380 –> 00:21:49,380 and so Drew Hunter says 475 00:21:49,380 –> 00:21:52,380 to be made in God’s image 476 00:21:52,380 –> 00:21:58,380 means that we are wired for relationships 477 00:21:58,380 –> 00:21:59,380 to be made in God’s image 478 00:21:59,380 –> 00:22:03,380 means that we are wired for relationships 479 00:22:03,380 –> 00:22:05,380 that’s why it says in the books of Proverbs 480 00:22:05,380 –> 00:22:09,380 this is Proverb 18 and verse 1 481 00:22:09,380 –> 00:22:13,380 whoever isolates himself 482 00:22:13,380 –> 00:22:17,380 breaks out against all sound judgment 483 00:22:18,380 –> 00:22:20,380 did you know the Bible said that? 484 00:22:20,380 –> 00:22:23,380 if you isolate yourself 485 00:22:23,380 –> 00:22:26,380 you break out against all sound judgment 486 00:22:26,380 –> 00:22:28,380 why? because you were made in the image of God 487 00:22:28,380 –> 00:22:31,380 and that means you were made for relationships 488 00:22:31,380 –> 00:22:34,380 it is not good for the man to be alone 489 00:22:34,380 –> 00:22:38,380 it is not good for a Christian to be alone 490 00:22:40,380 –> 00:22:41,380 that is why in the church 491 00:22:41,380 –> 00:22:45,380 God brings us into relationship together 492 00:22:45,380 –> 00:22:46,380 people who love him 493 00:22:46,380 –> 00:22:49,380 brought together in order to love one another 494 00:22:49,380 –> 00:22:51,380 as we love him 495 00:22:51,380 –> 00:22:55,380 in anticipation of the great company of the redeemed 496 00:22:55,380 –> 00:22:58,380 when one day God will gather together as one 497 00:22:58,380 –> 00:23:00,380 all who know and love him 498 00:23:00,380 –> 00:23:02,380 in and through Jesus Christ 499 00:23:02,380 –> 00:23:04,380 in a world in which we will know what it is to 500 00:23:04,380 –> 00:23:06,380 love him and love one another fully 501 00:23:06,380 –> 00:23:08,380 and the mission that we are given here 502 00:23:08,380 –> 00:23:10,380 is to pursue that right now 503 00:23:12,380 –> 00:23:14,380 now very clearly having said that 504 00:23:14,380 –> 00:23:16,380 there is a wonderful statement here 505 00:23:16,380 –> 00:23:18,380 about marriage in particular 506 00:23:18,380 –> 00:23:21,380 relationship in general, marriage in particular 507 00:23:21,380 –> 00:23:23,380 the Lord said it is not good 508 00:23:23,380 –> 00:23:25,380 that the man should be alone 509 00:23:25,380 –> 00:23:27,380 I will make a helper 510 00:23:27,380 –> 00:23:29,380 fit for him 511 00:23:29,380 –> 00:23:31,380 and God created 512 00:23:31,380 –> 00:23:33,380 Eve and do you notice 513 00:23:33,380 –> 00:23:35,380 in verse 22 514 00:23:35,380 –> 00:23:37,380 that he brought her 515 00:23:37,380 –> 00:23:39,380 to the man 516 00:23:41,380 –> 00:23:43,380 God brought these two together 517 00:23:43,380 –> 00:23:45,380 I’ve had the 518 00:23:45,380 –> 00:23:47,380 great privilege and joy as a pastor 519 00:23:47,380 –> 00:23:49,380 on many occasions of conducting a wedding 520 00:23:49,380 –> 00:23:51,380 service and of course the most holy 521 00:23:51,380 –> 00:23:53,380 and special moment 522 00:23:53,380 –> 00:23:55,380 is when as the pastor 523 00:23:55,380 –> 00:23:57,380 you have the privilege of taking 524 00:23:57,380 –> 00:23:59,380 His hand and her hand and 525 00:23:59,380 –> 00:24:01,380 joining them together and placing your hand 526 00:24:01,380 –> 00:24:03,380 over the top and 527 00:24:03,380 –> 00:24:05,380 pronouncing that they are man 528 00:24:05,380 –> 00:24:07,380 and wife, those God has 529 00:24:07,380 –> 00:24:09,380 joined together, let no one 530 00:24:09,380 –> 00:24:11,380 ever, ever 531 00:24:11,380 –> 00:24:13,380 separate. Now why 532 00:24:13,380 –> 00:24:15,380 does the pastor do that 533 00:24:15,380 –> 00:24:17,380 in the course of the wedding service 534 00:24:17,380 –> 00:24:19,380 because that is what God did with the first couple 535 00:24:19,380 –> 00:24:21,380 He brought them together 536 00:24:21,380 –> 00:24:23,380 he brought the woman to the man 537 00:24:25,380 –> 00:24:27,380 Joining hands 538 00:24:27,380 –> 00:24:29,380 now you love each other 539 00:24:29,380 –> 00:24:31,380 now you help each other 540 00:24:31,380 –> 00:24:33,380 now you walk side by side together 541 00:24:33,380 –> 00:24:35,380 you do 542 00:24:35,380 –> 00:24:37,380 each other good 543 00:24:37,380 –> 00:24:39,380 I am making you one 544 00:24:39,380 –> 00:24:41,380 that is what marriage is 545 00:24:41,380 –> 00:24:43,380 being joined by 546 00:24:43,380 –> 00:24:45,380 God 547 00:24:45,380 –> 00:24:47,380 We are going to see next week 548 00:24:47,380 –> 00:24:49,380 that this marriage had more than its 549 00:24:49,380 –> 00:24:51,380 fair share troubles 550 00:24:51,380 –> 00:24:53,380 but this man and this woman 551 00:24:53,380 –> 00:24:55,380 could never ever have doubted 552 00:24:55,380 –> 00:24:57,380 that they had been joined together by God 553 00:24:57,380 –> 00:24:59,380 even when 554 00:24:59,380 –> 00:25:01,380 a marriage had come to a time 555 00:25:01,380 –> 00:25:03,380 of difficulty or of great trouble 556 00:25:03,380 –> 00:25:05,380 that knowledge 557 00:25:05,380 –> 00:25:07,380 will be a great 558 00:25:07,380 –> 00:25:09,380 strength to you 559 00:25:09,380 –> 00:25:11,380 we were joined 560 00:25:11,380 –> 00:25:13,380 together by 561 00:25:13,380 –> 00:25:15,380 God 562 00:25:15,380 –> 00:25:17,380 and that is right here 563 00:25:17,380 –> 00:25:19,380 in the very first pages 564 00:25:19,380 –> 00:25:21,380 of the Bible 565 00:25:21,380 –> 00:25:23,380 so marvelous gifts that 566 00:25:23,380 –> 00:25:25,380 God is giving here 567 00:25:25,380 –> 00:25:27,380 He gives the gift of a home, he gives the gift 568 00:25:27,380 –> 00:25:29,380 work, he gives the gift of relationship 569 00:25:29,380 –> 00:25:31,380 but the greatest gift of all 570 00:25:31,380 –> 00:25:33,380 is that God gives the gift 571 00:25:33,380 –> 00:25:35,380 of Himself 572 00:25:35,380 –> 00:25:37,380 I want you to notice chapter three 573 00:25:37,380 –> 00:25:39,380 and verse eight 574 00:25:39,380 –> 00:25:41,380 that’s the man and the woman 575 00:25:41,380 –> 00:25:43,380 they heard the sound of the 576 00:25:43,380 –> 00:25:45,380 Lord God walking in the garden 577 00:25:45,380 –> 00:25:47,380 in the cool 578 00:25:47,380 –> 00:25:49,380 of the day 579 00:25:49,380 –> 00:25:51,380 Now here’s something 580 00:25:51,380 –> 00:25:53,380 important, and it’s a question that may 581 00:25:53,380 –> 00:25:55,380 already have occurred to you 582 00:25:55,380 –> 00:25:57,380 God is 583 00:25:57,380 –> 00:25:59,380 spirit 584 00:25:59,380 –> 00:26:01,380 and that means that He is 585 00:26:01,380 –> 00:26:03,380 invisible to the human 586 00:26:03,380 –> 00:26:05,380 eye 587 00:26:05,380 –> 00:26:07,380 but throughout the creation account 588 00:26:07,380 –> 00:26:09,380 in Genesis we read 589 00:26:09,380 –> 00:26:11,380 of God relating to Adam 590 00:26:11,380 –> 00:26:13,380 and to Eve in 591 00:26:13,380 –> 00:26:15,380 such a way that they could 592 00:26:15,380 –> 00:26:17,380 clearly see Him 593 00:26:17,380 –> 00:26:19,380 they could hear Him 594 00:26:19,380 –> 00:26:21,380 and they were directly able 595 00:26:21,380 –> 00:26:23,380 to enjoy him 596 00:26:23,380 –> 00:26:25,380 notice they heard 597 00:26:25,380 –> 00:26:27,380 the sound 598 00:26:27,380 –> 00:26:29,380 of the Lord God 599 00:26:29,380 –> 00:26:31,380 walking in the garden in the cool of the day 600 00:26:31,380 –> 00:26:33,380 that can only mean one thing 601 00:26:33,380 –> 00:26:35,380 and that is that God took on a 602 00:26:35,380 –> 00:26:37,380 visible audible 603 00:26:37,380 –> 00:26:39,380 form in hich they were 604 00:26:39,380 –> 00:26:41,380 able to see Him, hear Him, know Him 605 00:26:41,380 –> 00:26:43,380 speak with Him, walk with Him 606 00:26:45,380 –> 00:26:47,380 and it’s in that 607 00:26:47,380 –> 00:26:49,380 way that we should understand 608 00:26:49,380 –> 00:26:51,380 that the Lord God put 609 00:26:51,380 –> 00:26:53,380 the man in 610 00:26:53,380 –> 00:26:55,380 the garden 611 00:26:55,380 –> 00:26:57,380 the Lord God brought the 612 00:26:57,380 –> 00:26:59,380 woman to the man, clearly here 613 00:26:59,380 –> 00:27:01,380 we have what is called 614 00:27:01,380 –> 00:27:03,380 a Theophany 615 00:27:03,380 –> 00:27:05,380 it is a series of Theophanies 616 00:27:05,380 –> 00:27:07,380 a Theophany is simply God 617 00:27:07,380 –> 00:27:09,380 making himself known in a 618 00:27:09,380 –> 00:27:11,380 visible form, and you find 619 00:27:11,380 –> 00:27:13,380 a number of examples of this especially 620 00:27:13,380 –> 00:27:16,380 throughout the earlier part of the Old Testament 621 00:27:17,380 –> 00:27:18,380 and the significance of it is this 622 00:27:18,380 –> 00:27:20,380 number one 623 00:27:20,380 –> 00:27:22,380 that God is showing in this way 624 00:27:22,380 –> 00:27:24,380 that He intensely 625 00:27:24,380 –> 00:27:26,380 desires to be known 626 00:27:26,380 –> 00:27:28,380 He wants the 627 00:27:28,380 –> 00:27:30,380 man and the woman to know Him 628 00:27:30,380 –> 00:27:32,380 and so He comes and He appears 629 00:27:32,380 –> 00:27:34,380 in a form in which 630 00:27:34,380 –> 00:27:36,380 they are able to hear Him 631 00:27:36,380 –> 00:27:38,380 and see Him and relate to him 632 00:27:38,380 –> 00:27:40,380 in this way He makes Himself 633 00:27:40,380 –> 00:27:42,380 known, He does this through Theophanies 634 00:27:42,380 –> 00:27:44,380 second significant thing is this 635 00:27:45,380 –> 00:27:47,380 that at the very heart of 636 00:27:47,380 –> 00:27:48,380 the Bible story 637 00:27:48,380 –> 00:27:50,380 we have something far greater than 638 00:27:50,380 –> 00:27:52,380 God appearing in a visible form 639 00:27:53,380 –> 00:27:55,380 at the heart of the Bible story we have 640 00:27:55,380 –> 00:27:56,380 God actually 641 00:27:56,380 –> 00:27:58,380 becoming a man 642 00:27:59,380 –> 00:28:01,380 and that is what these Theophanies 643 00:28:01,380 –> 00:28:02,380 all points to 644 00:28:04,380 –> 00:28:06,380 it should come as no surprise 645 00:28:06,380 –> 00:28:07,380 that the God 646 00:28:07,380 –> 00:28:09,380 who one day will actually become 647 00:28:09,380 –> 00:28:10,380 a man 648 00:28:10,380 –> 00:28:12,380 in order to make 649 00:28:12,380 –> 00:28:13,380 Himself known 650 00:28:13,380 –> 00:28:15,380 to us and to bring us into 651 00:28:15,380 –> 00:28:17,380 relationship with Himself 652 00:28:17,380 –> 00:28:19,380 it should come as no surprise to us 653 00:28:19,380 –> 00:28:20,380 that from the very beginning 654 00:28:20,380 –> 00:28:22,380 this god made Himself 655 00:28:22,380 –> 00:28:24,380 known in such a way that they 656 00:28:24,380 –> 00:28:26,380 could see Him and 657 00:28:26,380 –> 00:28:27,380 hear Him and 658 00:28:27,380 –> 00:28:29,380 walk with Him 659 00:28:29,380 –> 00:28:31,380 in the garden in the cool of 660 00:28:31,380 –> 00:28:33,380 the day and 661 00:28:33,380 –> 00:28:35,380 one day you know faith is going to be 662 00:28:35,380 –> 00:28:37,380 turned to sight and we will 663 00:28:37,380 –> 00:28:38,380 see Him 664 00:28:38,380 –> 00:28:40,380 and you will walk with 665 00:28:40,380 –> 00:28:41,380 Him 666 00:28:42,380 –> 00:28:43,380 and you will rejoice 667 00:28:43,380 –> 00:28:45,380 with a joy that is beyond anything 668 00:28:45,380 –> 00:28:47,380 you have ever known 669 00:28:47,380 –> 00:28:49,380 in your entire life 670 00:28:49,380 –> 00:28:51,380 in this world 671 00:28:51,380 –> 00:28:53,380 Now here’s what we should 672 00:28:53,380 –> 00:28:55,380 take away in this last moments from 673 00:28:55,380 –> 00:28:57,380 this first step in 674 00:28:57,380 –> 00:28:59,380 Jamal’s story 675 00:28:59,380 –> 00:29:01,380 my prayer for our first 676 00:29:01,380 –> 00:29:03,380 step in the journey today is that it would 677 00:29:03,380 –> 00:29:05,380 be settled in your mind 678 00:29:05,380 –> 00:29:07,380 that God 679 00:29:07,380 –> 00:29:09,380 is good 680 00:29:09,380 –> 00:29:11,380 that God is love 681 00:29:11,380 –> 00:29:13,380 that every 682 00:29:13,380 –> 00:29:15,380 good and perfect gift 683 00:29:15,380 –> 00:29:17,380 that you experience in your life 684 00:29:17,380 –> 00:29:19,380 in this world and every good and 685 00:29:19,380 –> 00:29:21,380 perfect gift that you will experience forever 686 00:29:21,380 –> 00:29:23,380 and forever, comes from 687 00:29:23,380 –> 00:29:25,380 His hand 688 00:29:25,380 –> 00:29:27,380 that is actually the essence of faith 689 00:29:27,380 –> 00:29:29,380 not only that you believe in God 690 00:29:29,380 –> 00:29:31,380 but that you believe that God 691 00:29:31,380 –> 00:29:33,380 is good 692 00:29:33,380 –> 00:29:35,380 now of course 693 00:29:35,380 –> 00:29:37,380 as the bible story progresses 694 00:29:37,380 –> 00:29:39,380 we are going to find 695 00:29:39,380 –> 00:29:41,380 that the life that God gave 696 00:29:41,380 –> 00:29:43,380 in the garden of Eden was 697 00:29:43,380 –> 00:29:45,380 lost. We are going to see 698 00:29:45,380 –> 00:29:47,380 how the man and the woman became 699 00:29:47,380 –> 00:29:49,380 alienated from this good God 700 00:29:49,380 –> 00:29:51,380 and when they became alienated 701 00:29:51,380 –> 00:29:53,380 by God, they became dislocated 702 00:29:53,380 –> 00:29:55,380 from their home, they experienced 703 00:29:55,380 –> 00:29:57,380 difficulty in their work 704 00:29:57,380 –> 00:29:59,380 and dysfunction in their relationships 705 00:29:59,380 –> 00:30:01,380 Paradise 706 00:30:01,380 –> 00:30:03,380 was lost 707 00:30:03,380 –> 00:30:05,380 and our life in this world 708 00:30:05,380 –> 00:30:07,380 is a long long way 709 00:30:07,380 –> 00:30:09,380 from the Garden 710 00:30:09,380 –> 00:30:11,380 Eden. But what we are being 711 00:30:11,380 –> 00:30:13,380 told in the very beginning 712 00:30:13,380 –> 00:30:15,380 of the bible story is that 713 00:30:15,380 –> 00:30:17,380 this is what God has made you 714 00:30:17,380 –> 00:30:19,380 for. Let me put it to you this way 715 00:30:19,380 –> 00:30:21,380 some of us enjoy 716 00:30:21,380 –> 00:30:23,380 a very very good life 717 00:30:25,380 –> 00:30:27,380 and I want to say to you 718 00:30:27,380 –> 00:30:29,380 however good 719 00:30:29,380 –> 00:30:31,380 your life is in this 720 00:30:31,380 –> 00:30:33,380 world, God made you for something 721 00:30:33,380 –> 00:30:35,380 better 722 00:30:35,380 –> 00:30:37,380 and some of us 723 00:30:37,380 –> 00:30:39,380 experience a very very hard 724 00:30:39,380 –> 00:30:41,380 life 725 00:30:41,380 –> 00:30:43,380 and I want to say to you 726 00:30:43,380 –> 00:30:45,380 however hard your life 727 00:30:45,380 –> 00:30:47,380 God has made you 728 00:30:47,380 –> 00:30:49,380 for something more 729 00:30:49,380 –> 00:30:51,380 The bible 730 00:30:51,380 –> 00:30:53,380 story at its heart 731 00:30:53,380 –> 00:30:55,380 is about, how the life that 732 00:30:55,380 –> 00:30:57,380 was lost, can be 733 00:30:57,380 –> 00:30:59,380 found again 734 00:30:59,380 –> 00:31:01,380 and this is why 735 00:31:01,380 –> 00:31:03,380 Jesus Christ came into the world 736 00:31:03,380 –> 00:31:05,380 He said, I have come 737 00:31:05,380 –> 00:31:07,380 that they 738 00:31:07,380 –> 00:31:09,380 may have life 739 00:31:09,380 –> 00:31:11,380 more abundantly 740 00:31:11,380 –> 00:31:13,380 and 741 00:31:13,380 –> 00:31:15,380 the more abundant life that he’s 742 00:31:15,380 –> 00:31:17,380 referring to of course, is the life 743 00:31:17,380 –> 00:31:19,380 that was lost from 744 00:31:19,380 –> 00:31:21,380 the Garden of Eden, this is the 745 00:31:21,380 –> 00:31:23,380 life that those who 746 00:31:23,380 –> 00:31:25,380 follow Him will 747 00:31:25,380 –> 00:31:27,380 one day enjoy 748 00:31:27,380 –> 00:31:29,380 so 749 00:31:29,380 –> 00:31:31,380 whatever it may cost you 750 00:31:31,380 –> 00:31:33,380 to follow the Lord Jesus Christ 751 00:31:33,380 –> 00:31:35,380 and 752 00:31:35,380 –> 00:31:37,380 however hard may be your experience 753 00:31:37,380 –> 00:31:39,380 of life in this fallen world 754 00:31:39,380 –> 00:31:41,380 the promise 755 00:31:41,380 –> 00:31:43,380 of Jesus for all who believe 756 00:31:43,380 –> 00:31:45,380 in Him, is that 757 00:31:45,380 –> 00:31:47,380 one day, you 758 00:31:47,380 –> 00:31:49,380 will enjoy a life where 759 00:31:49,380 –> 00:31:51,380 you will finally be 760 00:31:51,380 –> 00:31:53,380 completely at home 761 00:31:53,380 –> 00:31:55,380 when you are in 762 00:31:55,380 –> 00:31:57,380 the presence of the Lord, you will say 763 00:31:57,380 –> 00:31:59,380 you know I feel more at 764 00:31:59,380 –> 00:32:01,380 home than I have ever done 765 00:32:01,380 –> 00:32:03,380 at any time in my life 766 00:32:03,380 –> 00:32:05,380 and 767 00:32:05,380 –> 00:32:07,380 when you are there, in 768 00:32:07,380 –> 00:32:09,380 His presence 769 00:32:09,380 –> 00:32:11,380 you will have work 770 00:32:11,380 –> 00:32:13,380 that will be fulfilling without 771 00:32:13,380 –> 00:32:15,380 frustration and will bring 772 00:32:15,380 –> 00:32:17,380 blessing without burnout 773 00:32:19,380 –> 00:32:21,380 and you will be in a world 774 00:32:21,380 –> 00:32:23,380 of love 775 00:32:23,380 –> 00:32:25,380 where no one will be 776 00:32:25,380 –> 00:32:27,380 alone 777 00:32:27,380 –> 00:32:29,380 and where together in the presence 778 00:32:29,380 –> 00:32:31,380 of God we will enjoy 779 00:32:31,380 –> 00:32:33,380 Him forever 780 00:32:33,380 –> 00:32:35,380 and forever 781 00:32:35,380 –> 00:32:37,380 Father 782 00:32:37,380 –> 00:32:39,380 hasten the day when faith shall be 783 00:32:39,380 –> 00:32:41,380 sign and we shall be in 784 00:32:41,380 –> 00:32:43,380 your presence and know 785 00:32:43,380 –> 00:32:45,380 your joy forever and ever 786 00:32:45,380 –> 00:32:47,380 and until that day 787 00:32:47,380 –> 00:32:49,380 let us serve 788 00:32:49,380 –> 00:32:51,380 you well 789 00:32:51,380 –> 00:32:53,380 knowing that every good gift 790 00:32:53,380 –> 00:32:55,380 we experience comes from your 791 00:32:55,380 –> 00:32:57,380 hand and 792 00:32:57,380 –> 00:32:59,380 trusting you in 793 00:32:59,380 –> 00:33:01,380 all our journey of life 794 00:33:01,380 –> 00:33:03,380 through Jesus Christ our 795 00:33:03,380 –> 00:33:05,380 Saviour and our Lord that in whose name we pray 796 00:33:05,380 –> 00:33:07,380 Amen