FRUIT OF KNOWING GOD AS CREATOR

Why do we go to church every Sunday and listen to sermons? Wouldn't it be better to spend our time at church singing, praying or socializing? After all, singing worship songs involves everyone, and is inspiring and uplifting, prayer is essential to our spiritual life, and in a world characterized by isolation and alienation, fellowship provides much needed connection and comfort. So why not forget about the sermon?

Well, for most people, the sermon represents the preaching of the Word, which serves as our handbook for living and a compass through the confusing forest of a darkened world. We want the preacher to forcefully remind us that spiritual matters matter more than material accumulation. The treasures in the Book are more valuable than the toys of the world. The satisfaction of salvation is secured through the Scriptures, but destruction, depression and dysfunction are discovered in the deadly doctrines of devils. Furthermore, while we promote the individual reading and reflection on the Word, we also realize that, left totally to ourselves, we may succumb to the eating of emotional convenience foods, snacking on TV or radio spiritual sound-bites, or at best, reading from the Bible what we want to read and avoiding the hard to chew meat which is essential to our true growth and spiritual prosperity.

So we submit to the selected sermons of our professional preacher, believing that we will end up listening, not to what we, with itching ears, want to hear, but to what the Spirit is saying. (II Timothy 4:3 - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.")

However, we still come with some expectations as to what makes for good preaching; there are certain topics that are very important to us - subjects we want preached on, perhaps not for ourselves, but for the other people who are either in the church, or who ought to be there. It's like the second sermon I ever preached, at age 18 in a little country church in Pennsylvania's farmland. I was naive enough to think it was a compliment when a man immediately came up to me after the service and said, "Good sermon, son. Right away I could think of three people in this church who really needed to hear that."

The fact is, there are many very important pet preaching points.

• One congregant says, "Preach on sin and repentance, and the judgment of God."
• Another says, "Emphasize the resurrection of Jesus and the Spirit filled life.
• And yet another insists on the importance of spiritual warfare, healing, and deliverance.
• "Give us sermons on worship, keeping the Ten Commandments, tithing, prayer, church attendance, and Bible Study."
• Some want more promises for prosperity, faith-building messages, and motivational speeches to get more people involved in ministry tasks, and perhaps practical pointers on financial management for Christians.
• Others insist that we need to hear more about holiness, family responsibility, loving one another, caring for the poor, and support for Israel, racial injustice, and faithfulness in marriage.
• Preaching should renounce the evils of television violence, internet pornography, sexual promiscuity, abortion, gambling, racial injustice, along with politicians and business leaders who cheat and lie.
• Besides that, "Why doesn't our Pastor ever preach on the superior value of the King James Bible, the fantastic findings reported by Archeologists and Numerologists, or for that matter, on end-times prophecy?" 
• And didn't the Apostle Paul say that he didn't preach about anything except "Jesus Christ, and him crucified"? (I Corinthians 2:2)

In the midst of all this clamor, let me tell you that today we are not going to preach about any of these things, but about something that is much more fundamental, and therefore far more important than any of these topics. The fact is, if the truth of what we say today is not accepted and fully believed, nothing else matters - there's no use preaching on any of the other subjects or a hundred others like them. This is a subject which, although embraced by Christians, predates Christianity - it is not a major teaching of the New Testament and not printed in the red letters of the sayings of Jesus.

To put it another way, if all doctrines were likened to the branches of a very large tree, this truth would be the trunk of that tree. We must also admit that although it is a reasonable truth, it is not a provable doctrine - we can know it, but we cannot prove it to somebody else.

"What is it?" you ask. This truth is found on the first page of the Bible, the very first words, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) (Allow me to facetiously point out that this is not a sports related verse, it doesn't say, "In the Big Inning"!)

A hymn written in Ireland by Mrs. Cecil F. Alexander in 1848 expresses this truth. It was first published in a book of "Hymns for Little Children" and was titled, "All Things Bright And Beautiful."

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate.

The purple headed mountains, The river running by,
The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water, To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.

Of course lots of questions arise, like, "Then, who created God?" The problem is, we humans who are bound by the dimensions of time and space cannot fathom the being of Someone who is not. Besides, a lot of effort has been put into trying to define other answers to the basic questions of our existence, like "Big Bang" and "Evolution".

Understand, we are not going to enter arguments in proof of creation, for as someone has said, "God is not looking for lawyers, He has simply asked for witnesses." Instead, we today are going to reaffirm this as our faith assumption, and then look at the ramifications, or fruit of that faith.

We believe that God is the Creator of the universe, the world we know, all that is in it, and all humanity. So what?

There's one particular Bible author who refers a great deal to God as Creator. It's not Moses who wrote Genesis, or David who wrote many of the Psalms, or Paul, or any of the Evangelists. This author of one Old Testament book makes 17 references to creation or the Creator, more than in any other book in the Bible, and as many as there are in the entire New Testament - in comparison, Genesis has 8, and Psalms 5.

Who is this author? He's the prophet Isaiah, and we will allow him to instruct us as to what it means, what are the ramifications of the truth of God being Creator, and what the fruit of our faith in this Creator is.

We will take a quick look at seven passages found in the second half of the book, in chapters 40-45, 54 and 65. In these passages we will learn seven truths concerning our Creator. He is:

1) Inexhaustible and all-wise
2) Responsive and faithful
3) Desires partnership
4) Personal
5) A Father

6) Greater than the weapons
7) Still the Creator

Let's read each passage as together we Remember our Creator.

1) Isaiah 40:25-31 - The Creator is inexhaustible and all-wise - He notices - we receive strength from Him.

"'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

2) Isaiah 41:17-20 - The Creator is responsive and faithful - He miraculously provides for weary travelers - we are renewed in Him.

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it."

3) Isaiah 42:5-9 - The Creator desires partnership - He commissions His people - we preach, heal and deliver.

"This is what God the LORD says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 'I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.'"

4) Isaiah 43:1-3a - The Creator is personal - He claims His own - we accept His comfort in our times of trials.

"But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.'"

5) Isaiah 45:9-12 - The Creator is a Father - He knows best - we respect Him.

"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, `What are you making?' Does your work say, `He has no hands'? Woe to him who says to his father, `What have you begotten?' or to his mother, `What have you brought to birth?' This is what the LORD says - the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts."

6) Isaiah 54:16, 17 - The Creator is greater than the weapons and the one who wields them - He protects - we trust in Him.

"'See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD."

7) Isaiah 65:17-25 - The Creator is still the Creator - He will create again - we place our hope for eternal life in Him.

"'Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,' says the LORD."

So this is Isaiah's teaching concerning the Creator. Notice again what the fruit of knowing God as Creator is:

1) we receive strength from Him
2) we are renewed in Him
3) we preach, heal and deliver
4) we accept His comfort in our times of trials
5) we respect Him
6) we trust in Him
7) we place our hope for eternal life in Him

However, there is one other important text regarding this subject. It can be found in the writings of the Preacher whose last sermon began with these words, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come. . . ." (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 The Hebrew, "zakar" means "to mark so as to be recognized, i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; be mindful.")

This is a most remarkable appeal to recognize the Creator now (KJV) while you can, while you are still able. Then what follows this appeal is a graphic presentation of the diminishing of life, disintegration and ultimately death. The message is simple, don't wait until then, recognize the Creator now. Reading through the first seven verses, we can see in these words a picture of an old and dying man, and be warned of what is to come. Or to say it another way, if you don't look like this, it's not too late:

Verse 2: Pleasures are gone; days are characterized by darkness and gloom.

Verse 3: The keepers of the house, representing the arms, have become weak and begin to tremble; the legs give out so that the man stoops; teeth are almost gone and the eyes gone blind.

Verse 4: The doors represent the mouth which, because of absent teeth, have begun to cave in; even the chirp of a bird disturbs the sleep; the vocal chords fail so that songs can no longer be voiced.

Verse 5: There's fear of climbing ladders or even stairs, in fact fear of going anywhere because of any number of dangers along the way; the hair has become white like almond blossoms; like a grasshopper that has not yet developed its wings, the old man drags himself clumsily along; like the overripe fruit of the "caper" tree, the body shows signs of decay, ready to fall into the grave; the mourners are on their way to begin their cries of lament.

Verse 6: Then comes death, like a lamp held up with a cord, but when severed, causes the oil bowl to fall and be dashed on the floor below; and like a broken wheel and bucket at the well.

So please don't wait until then - remember your Creator now!

No, we don't like to talk about it, but death is an item on everyone's plan for life. Yes, there are things to do, places to go, people to see, but the story book of every life, no matter how active or lazy, productive or vain, fulfilled or boring - the last page is always the same - death. If we remember our Creator now, there's nothing to worry about because a new book will be ready to write, a book which will never have a final page.