2024 Winter-Spring Sermon Series

God is the one from before there was anything, who by his powerful and effective word established the universe. He is Creator, owner, sovereign, source of all life and light. Yet he is not just power, he’s personal, the God of relationship who created humankind to share relationship. As we gaze into the realities of God we understand ourselves as his creatures, our lives have meaning because they result not from random chance but God’s deliberate action, we have dignity as his own, worth as his image bearers, purpose as those made for his glory, hope as children of the God who brings light out of darkness through the person of the Son. Let us join with heaven and sing ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’ (Rev. 4:11).

Where do we find our identity? How do we measure our worth? These questions are very much alive in our culture. Arguably we’ve never been more anxious as we seek answers from ‘under the sun’. The book of Genesis lifts our gaze to discover our place in God’s story. We are made in his image, dignified with worth that comes not from our capacities to appeal, accrue or attain, capacities we can lose, but in the gift of his design and purpose for us. We are image bearers, given attributes that reflect him. As he is relational, a community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so we are made for relationship. As he reigns, so we are given to rule under him. This makes sense of the distinctions we see in the world around us, and of the longings of our hearts. In Christ those longings are met, the image marred and distorted by sin is being remade in the likeness of the true image, Jesus himself. One day, as a mirror reflects the light of a candle, so will we reflect his glory, one people, united in him and with him, sharing the blessing of his good reign.

The seventh day of the creation narrative differs from the six that come before. There is no mention of evening and morning, it is blessed and made ‘holy.’ All is complete in its vast array, empowered by God to do that for which it was made. In other words, everything was as intended, relating and functioning after God’s design. This ‘sabbath’ was enshrined in the life of God’s people a reminder that their destiny lay not in toil and sweat, but this fulfillment of all creation and redemption. From the cross, the ‘Lord of the sabbath’ cried ‘it is finished,’ the life of eternity secured, right relationship restored, in Him seventh-day rest is found (Heb. 4:1-11). He beckons ‘come to me… and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28). ‘Since the promise of entering his rest still stands’ let us draw near to him, and as we gather in his name to worship and enjoy him, so anticipate the rest to come.

The opening chapter of Genesis paints the creation story in broad brushstrokes, revealing the majesty and might of our Maker. The second chapter zooms in on our place in his story. Over the next two establishing covenant bonds with his image-bearing vice-regents, but also the remarkable symmetry evident in the whole story. As the first Adam rose to life from the earth, to soon plunge the world into death – so the second Adam would rise from the earth to lift the world into life. Out of the wounded side of the first Adam, in the depths of sleep, God fashioned for him a fitting bride – from the wounded side of the second Adam, in the depths of ‘sleep’, God fashioned for him a bride made fit…
The union of the first marriage is given as the pattern for the union of great marriage, a reality that gives us a foundation of hope and a better story to speak into a world in confusion.

As Genesis 2 zooms in on God’s work of creation, moving from the general to the specific, from the global to the local, we observe a development how God is referred to – God becomes Lord God as he establishes covenant bonds with Adam and places him in the ‘temple’ type setting of the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands as the means of maintaining relationship. Humanity is made to enjoy God in an environment perfectly fitted to him. For the first time in the narrative, however, we learn that something is ‘not good’. Adam is alone, without a suitable counterpart so the Lord God forms for him and from him a like-opposite, ‘bone of his bone’ — similar, to him and yet ‘woman’ different from him. Together they form a bonded unity that echoes the bonded unity of difference the Godhead and establishes the pattern that will point to the ultimate marriage between Christ and his bride, the Church. Here is the foundation for our place in his story.

How do we explain our world where kindness jostles alongside conflict? How do we understand our own capacity to serve others and yet be self-oriented? The early chapters of Genesis provide a diagnosis of the human condition. We’re reminded of our privilege as men and women created in the image of God, made for relationship, made to reflect his love and goodness; yet as we turn the page to chapter 3, we learn how that image became marred and bent in on itself in the rebellion of our representative, Adam. This was a grave exchange, light, love and life for darkness, disconnection and death. And yet, at the heart of the narrative is more than a glimmer of hope – of one who would reverse the curse and restore relationship. Jesus Christ is the second Adam who stood where the first fell, the new representative who proved a faithful Son. In him we stand, by him we are made faithful children, through his great exchange on the cross, we are reconciled to the light and life and love of God. Here is good news – as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)!

In the narrative of the ‘fall’ Adam and Eve heed the voice of the creature over the Creator. As the representative and head of humanity, what Adam did, he did for all. We share his disconnection, family traits and inheritance. However, the story of the bible is of God moving to restore in the person of Jesus Christ. As Adam took humanity from garden presence to wilderness exclusion, from true image to twisted, by his atoning death and obedient life Jesus reversed every curse and consequence – ‘once you were alienated from God… but now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation’ (Col. 1:21-22). What Jesus did by his life and death, he did for all who come to him. He stands as the new Adam and better representative. United to Christ by faith, we share in his righteousness, his connection, his family traits and his inheritance. Here is our hope. ‘Just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ (Rom 5:19).

History is littered with many cases of sibling rivalry, some with greater fall out than others, but perhaps the most famous case of all is the story of Cain and Abel. In a dramatic tale of jealousy, rage, murderous intent and innocent blood we see human history spiral to a new low east of Eden. What drove Cain to such rage? Was there more than envy at work? We learn much here about the condition of our hearts as inheritors of Adam’s family traits. However, it is not all doom and gloom; there is hope for us. God is not, as he’s often imagined, a remote cosmic policeman waiting for his people to mess up, but one who stoops to intervene, most profoundly in the mediator of a new covenant, Jesus Christ, whose sprinkled blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Where Abel’s blood cried out for justice, a cry not unheard by God, Jesus’ blood speaks of justice done, the promise of a secure identity and a hope for restoring relationships.

The story of Noah and his ark is undoubtedly one of the most well known narratives of the Bible, featuring in many children’s books and toy boxes. However, rather than a focus on cute animals skipping two-by-two into a giant boat ‘all to get out of the rain’ it is the account of the character of God in justice, mercy and in faithfulness to his word. Told over four chapters in a mirror-like form, the centre of story is God keeping his covenant with Noah; in the midst of justice, God remembers mercy. As creation is thrust into reverse gear, the Lord moves to save and establish a new beginning for Noah and his family. However, it all feels like history repeating as the Adam-like Noah falls — we need a better Noah, one who can save from the storm of justice and establish his people in right relationship forever. The true Adam is the better Noah, who descended into the flood waters in our stead, to establish for us an ark of safety, in order to deliver us to God and a world made new.

The tower of Babel stands as a monument, not to humanity reaching new heights, but sinking to familiar depths. The descendants of Noah sought to build a city to secure their life and a great tower to secure their legacy. This an attempt at autonomy, an echo of Adam’s sin, proved an epic fail. In a comical moment, God descended to inspect the tower that was intended to rise up to the heavens. As they mixed up bricks to assault heaven, so God mixed up their language, bringing the project to a shuddering stop. He scattered the nations to restrain evil and to further his intent, to fill the earth to his glory! What humanity, in arrogance, cannot do, God will accomplish however, on his terms. His name will be honoured as he secures humanity, uniting the nations in the gospel of the seed of Abraham, who descended from heaven to earth to connect the two, establishing his city, the New Jerusalem, where every language and tongue joins to sing the song of salvation, to his praise

The Babel episode is the tragic tale of humanity setting aside God’s word to grasp at greatness for themselves. That city failed, like Adam and Eve before them they were expelled, scattered under judgement. However, God was not done, he will fill the earth with his people for his glory. The account of Babel is set in the midst of the line of Shem, from whom will come one man, to whom God will make a binding promise. He will give him a great name, for he would become the father of a great and global people, not under judgement but the security of God’s blessing. Abraham believed God and set his heart on the city the Lord would build (Heb. 11:8-10), the eternal city of nations, every tribe and tongue, gathered and blessed through Abraham’s particular offspring, Jesus Christ. The ‘gate’ of that city stands open, in Christ we find our place in his story: ‘If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise’ (Gal. 3:29).