Sermon on Salvation and Creation

The first account or hymn of creation speaks of a God who made something wonderful out of nothing, who brought order out of chaos, made light shine in the darkness and brought forth life through physical and spiritual means. And we are told. "...and God saw that it was good".

We are drawn to wonder by this at the greatness and the majesty of our God, Creator, life-giver and provider.

As we celebrate God's creation this day we give thanks thus for God's goodness and for his provision. We rejoice in the wonder that is the creation and we reflect upon how we ought to appreciate and relate to that creation.

In the second account of creation found in Genesis chapter 2 we learn more concerning God's purpose for that creation, God's creation of man is no random act on God's part but in creating man God also gives to man responsibility over that which he has made for him, specifically, the Garden of Eden where God placed him "to work it and take care of it", but more generally also, man is to rule over the earth, to protect it, to eat of its provision, to give names to the animals, which surely also implies caring for them too, and to "subdue it and have dominion over it", which surely implies ordering it to prevent it from returning to chaos and darkness.

Here we have a picture then of responsibility and respect and rule, of making good use of the resources with which we have been provided by God of endeavouring to please God by the way that we do so, a picture of bounty and beauty and blessing. A picture too of a symbiotic relationship between man and creation both existing to benefit each other and both co-dependent and necessary for each others welfare.

What a wonderful God we have who cares for us so and would have us care likewise for that creation which he has entrusted into our hands.

"Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food... God saw all that he had made. And it was very good." Genesis 1:29, 31

In reflecting upon God's creation we recognise therefore the importance of the Earth, as ground and as planet, we acknowledge the relationship that exists for our good between us and it and we realise afresh how valuable to us is this blue planet, as it is often now described. So, we thank God this day for those who work the earth and tend our planet and we consider what we should be doing ourselves to better use its resources and not harm or waste our world and its resources which are so essential for all life to flourish upon it.

By the power of God our world was created, by the presence of God our world is sustained. Harvest/the creation accounts is/are also about then thanking God not just for his provision but also for his promises and providential care relating to his sustaining of our world, the creation, and of our lives, by physical and by spiritual means. Given by God to us the symbol of the rainbow is very powerful here.

Notice, very significantly how this covenant is not just between man and God but between God, man, every living creature, and the earth, between God that is and all creation.

We are all bound up together in God's purposes for his creation, so much so that man's disobedience of God at the Fall not only affected his relationship to God, but also is evidenced in a spoilt relationship too with the whole of creation.

The Fall speaks to us thus, not just of moral disobedience, but of spiritual disobedience, economic disobedience and environmental disobedience. Our whole lives affected, our health, our wealth, our goodness and our natural affinity to the world about us. No longer content in the garden Adam and eve become wanderers upon the earth.

However, just, as the spoiling of our lives has lead also to the spoiling of our world, so thank God we discover that God's salvation is not just about the redemption of our lives but also about the refreshment and restoration of all creation.

By way of proof of this , consider first John 3:16, that text which truly is, is it not, the best known of all in the New Testament concerning salvation. What does it say? Not "God so loved man..." but "God so loved the world..." now the actual Greek word used here is not "laos" meaning all people but "cosmos" meaning all of creation. Second, reflect upon what Paul says in Romans chapter 8:20, 21

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope, that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

The Good news of the Gospel is that it is not just man who in his life can be renewed and become a new creation in Christ but that it is also God's will to recreate the cosmos. In Acts, in declaring the Gospel, Peter speaks of times of refreshing and of that day to come when God will "restore everything" (Acts 3:19-21), alluding to Christ's return, when we are told Revelation 21 that there will be "a new heaven and a new earth".
For this reason we as Christians should in giving thanks to God this day for the harvest/his creation be mindful of the importance (also) of our relationship to and co-dependency with God's creation and of why therefore we ought to take more seriously our care for it and the respect that we ought to have for it by using its resources wisely and well.

For these reasons too we ought to in consequence of this also take much more seriously the way we live our lives such that we do not abuse or misuse our world or its resources, which provided by it God, he has entrusted to us to use rather for the blessing of not just the few, but of all mankind.

Environmental issues such as climate change, conservation and deforestation are things that we should be concerned about as Disciples of Christ, as also economic issues such as poverty, trade justice and famine which are more often the result of human rather than natural disasters, the result of our abuse and misuse of our worlds resources or, of our greed or lust to control for ourselves that which we consider most important for our own needs at the expense of others.

Hence, we urgently need to re-learn God's truth concerning these salvation and creation, to see the bigger picture, and so to understand above all what truly is God's purpose for our lives and for our world, and therefore to adapt our lives accordingly such that we work not just for the good of our neighbour but also for the good of our world as we appreciate in a fuller way just how truly precious it is to us.

We need to repent of our narrow understanding of salvation. To see sin in a wider way as applying not just to our personal misdemeanours but also to our wider responsibilities to our neighbour and concerning also our planet. Repentance is about a change of habit and lifestyle, a turning to do as God would have us to be doing, morally, spiritually, economically and environmentally. In 1988 the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church developed a model of mission work for local churches. It became known as the five marks of mission. These five marks have been since then adopted and developed by other denominations around the world. I rather like them.

• 1. to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
• 2. to teach, baptise and nurture new believers
• 3. to respond to human need in loving service
• 4. to seek to transform the unjust structures of society
• 5. to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

We as churches and individuals have tended to major on the first three alone and in that our Gospel has I believe been lacking, for, it has not been related sufficiently enough to the whole of life and all the needs that clearly exist in our world.

We need I believe to consider more thoroughly our way of life, to live simpler lives, more sustainable lives, and to share our lives together in a greater way as God's church if we are to make a more significant impact upon the world today in which we live. To live more sacrificial lives, be to as Jesus was who gave his life "For God so loved the 'cosmos'..."

In conclusion then on this Harvest Sunday/ day when we reflect upon God's creation we need to accept and repent of the part that we play in the spoilation of our planet and we need to be wiling to re-assess the environmental footprint that we make upon it such that our lives will give out in a fuller way the message that we care not just what happens to our neighbour but also to planet "for the earth is the Lord's" no less than our lives are. For, as it has been said,

"...caring for the whole of creation demonstrates our love of God; destroying creation is akin to spitting on the cross bound face of Christ"

Let us treasure in a fuller way what God has given to us and let us live our lives then in a greater way that will ensure then many others can also enjoy life in all its fullness as we do to God's praise and glory.

Amen, let us pray.