Weekly Reflection: 4/3/23

“G.O.S.P.E.L.” Gospel reflection to go along with Sunday’s message on 4/2/23

God created us to be with Him.

• So the wisest thing we could do is ask the questions, “Where did humanity come from?” And “What was the original, chief purpose for humanity?”

First, where did humanity come from?  

 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis1:1, 26-27

• God created us. If we don’t believe this, then you can’t believe the Gospel.

Second, what was the original purpose for humanity?

“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7 ESV

• When God created man, He did not speak us into existence as He did with the rest of the world. 

• God took the time to form man from the dust from the ground.

• We were created uniquely, differently from the rest of creation. Given life by the very breath of God.

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has put eternity in the heart of man.

• The life that humanity has in us is different than the life in animals. Our soul, our spirit will never die.

• We were created in the image of God.

• We’re different in that we have a moral, spiritual, and intellectual capacity that nothing else does.

• Our purpose, or the reason why we were created is to glorify God by enjoying an intimate relationship with Him.

• Our purpose, or the reason why we were created is to glorify God by enjoying an intimate relationship with Him.

• To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. 

• Commanded to glorify God:

“I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”” Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV

• “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

• Commanded to enjoy God:

•  “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 ESV

• “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4 ESV

• This command to rejoice in God is a command to enjoy Him, to be happy in Him.

• We were created, designed for, given the purpose of glorifying God by enjoying an intimate relationship with Him.

• Nothing else in this world was created for that, animals were not created to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

• One more argument that has meant a lot to me is this: You can take away everything from a person, and put them through the most excruciating times but if they are enjoying a relationship with God they have joy and consider it all worth it.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” Philippians 3:8

• This verse only makes sense if our ultimate purpose is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. 

• How else would it make any sense that the loss of ALL things is no big deal compared to the worth or value of knowing Jesus? That losing everything is not a sacrifice when you gain a relationship with Jesus.