CREATED FOR SO MUCH MORE! The Big Story

UNDERSTANDING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW AS A GREAT DRAMA, AND THE ROLE WE WERE CREATED TO PLAY IN IT THE COSMIC DRAMA

Our Need for Context The individual stories of our lives are lived within the context of a transcendent all-encompassing story or meta-narrative. God has revealed that “meta-narrative” through creation, through Scripture, and through Jesus Christ.

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD The true story of God, man and the universe. A COSMIC DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS BY YAHWEH ACT 1: The Creation ACT 2: The Fall ACT 3: Redemption and Renewal ACT 4: Glorification

THE WRITER God’s Essential Attributes – Belonging to Him Only A Personal Being (Exodus 3:14) Invisible/Spirit (John 4:24) Eternal (Isaiah 26:4) Immutable (Malachi 3:6) Infinite (Psalm 147:5; 18:30)

THE WRITER God’s Essential Attributes – Belonging to Him Only Omnipotent (Luke 1:37) Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-8) Omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24) Transcendent (2 Chronicles 6:18) Absolute Truth (Isaiah 45:19) One God in Three Persons (2 Corinthians 13:14)

THE WRITER God’s Moral Attributes – Belonging to Him and Reflected in His Image- Bearers Perfect Love (1 John 4:8) Perfect Righteousness (Deuteronomy 32:4) Perfect Holiness (Leviticus 19:2) Perfect Faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13)

THE SCRIPT Truth revealed by the only true and living God – “I am the Lord, and there is no other… I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.” Isaiah 45:18-19 The General Revelation of Truth through Nature (Psalm 19:1) The General Revelation of Truth through Conscience (Romans 2:15) The Special Revelation of Truth through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) The Special Revelation of Truth through Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2)

ACT 1 A CREATION OF PERFECT HARMONY WITH: GOD SELF OTHERS THE EARTH The Creation

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

THE FIXED INTENT, NATURE, ORDER, UNITY, HARMONY, AND DIVERSITY OF ALL ASPECTS OF CREATION The Structure of Creation

HUMANITY Our Origin Created by God (Genesis 1:26-28)

HUMANITY Our Nature Image Bearers of God (Genesis 1:26-31) o Spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:11) o Rational (Isaiah 55:8-9) o Emotional (Psalm 42:1-5) o Moral (Romans 2:14-15) o Volitional (Genesis 2:15-17) o Creative (Exodus 35:30-33) o Relational (Genesis 1:28; 1 John 1:3) o Crowned with Glory and Honor (Psalm 8:5) o Finite & Dependent (John 15:5; Acts 17:25, 28)

HUMANITY Our Relational Purposes To live in a relationship of harmonious fellowship with God (Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 John 1:3) To live for the service, praise and glory of God (Ephesians 1:6- 12) To Live in a trusting, dependent relationship with God (John 15:5; Acts 17:25-28)

HUMANITY Our Relational Purposes To live in a harmonious relationship with SELF by bearing and reflecting the perfect image of God (Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 103:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

HUMANITY Our Relational Purposes To live in a harmonious relationship with OTHERS by serving them in love within the institutions of the family, the nation and the Church (Genesis 2:18; Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14-16; 9-20)

HUMANITY Our Relational Purposes To Live in a harmonious relationship with THE EARTH as God’s stewards by filling, subduing, caring for, and ruling over it (Genesis 1:28; 2:15)

HUMANITY Our Destiny To glorify God eternally on the new earth (Revelation 4:21) To serve and rule with God eternally over the new creation (Revelation 22:3-5)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Origin Created by God (Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 3:9)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature Reflects the order and character of God (Genesis 8:22; Romans 1:20) Very Good (Genesis 1:31) Comprehensible (Genesis 1:26-28) Sustained by God (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17) Under man’s dominion (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 115:16)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Purpose For God’s glory and pleasure (Psalm 19:1; Revelation 4:11) For habitation of life (Genesis 1; Psalm 115:16)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Destiny The renewal and eternal existence as the home of God and His redeemed image-bearers (2 Peter 3:10-13)

ACT 2 DISHARMONY WITH: GOD SELF OTHERS THE EARTH The Fall

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

THE DEVIATION FROM GOD’S CREATIONAL STRUCTURE CAUSED BY SIN The Direction of Creation

HUMANITY Our Nature Fallen, Sinful and Marred (Genesis 3; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; 5:12) Still Crowned with Glory and Honor (Psalm 8:5) Finite and Dependent (John 15:5; Acts 17:25, 28)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Separated from and in Disharmony with God (Genesis 3:8; Isaiah 59:2)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Separated from and in Disharmony with Self (Genesis 3:10; Ezra 9:6; Psalm 38:4, 18; 69:5)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Separated from and in Disharmony with Others (Genesis 3:12; Proverbs 11:9; Jeremiah 9:5; James 3:16; 4:1-2)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Separated from and in Disharmony with Creation (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature Good (Genesis 1:3)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature Cursed and Subject to Decay because of the Fall (Genesis 3:17- 19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature Responds Reluctantly to the Stewardship of Fallen Humanity (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12)

Phil Larson and Brian Smith; “Biblical Integration at BJU Press” April 10, 2007 “The brokenness of the natural order is all around us, and it is part of every academic discipline. Because it is all we have known, it is easy for us to ignore it (or to assume that the natural order has always been as it is now). Because we desire to shelter our children from the tragedies of human existence, it is easy for us to skip those aspects of the academics that deal with God’s curse on the world. But we must confront our children with the fact that this world is not as it should be. Part of being educated is knowing what is broken and why it is broken. Life is tragic, and it is tragic because God is speaking to us about our sin.”

ACT 3 RESTORED HARMONY WITH: GOD SELF OTHERS THE EARTH Redemption and Renewal

Colossians 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

THE REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION TOWARD GOD’S CREATIONAL STRUCTURE The NEW Direction of Creation

HUMANITY Our Nature Justified or Guiltless (Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:24) Forgiven and Righteous (Colossians 2:13-14; Romans 4:18-25) New Creation and Adopted Child (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 1:12- 13) Sanctified but still subject to decay and death (2 Corinthians 4:16)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Restored in Harmony and Fellowship with God (Romans 5:8-11; 1 John 1:3) Restored Harmony with Self (Jeremiah 31:13; Romans 5:11; 15:13; Galatians 5:22-23) Being Conformed to the Glory and Image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Restored in Harmony with Others as Members of God’s Family, the Church (Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:19; 4:1-6, 25-32; 1 Peter 2:9) Stewards of Creation still in Disharmony due to the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature Good (Genesis 1:31) Cursed and Subject to Decay (Romans 8:20-21) Groans in Frustration awaiting it Liberation from Decay (Romans 8:20-23) Still responds reluctantly to the imperfect stewardship of fallen and redeemed mankind (Romans 3:23; 5:12)

ACT 4 PERFECTED ETERNAL HARMONY WITH: GOD SELF OTHERS THE EARTH Glorification

Colossians 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

THE COMPLETED REDEMPTIVE RESTORATION OF GOD’S CREATIONAL STRUCTURE The PERFECTED Direction of Creation

HUMANITY Our Nature Glorified, conformed perfectly to the same image of Christ.(Romans 8:18, 30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2) Eternal New Physical Body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49; Philippians 3:20-21)

HUMANITY Our Relationships Perfect Harmony with God (Revelation 21:3-4) Perfect Harmony with Self (Revelation 21:4) Perfect Harmony with Others (Revelation 21:9-27) Perfect Harmony with the Earth (2 Peter 3:13)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE Its Nature and Destiny Renewed for Eternity as the Home of God and His Children (Revelation 21:1-5)