Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20080302.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History
Part I: Explaining The Creation Of The Universe, Genesis 1-2
D. Explaining God's Relief Plan From Sin's Coming Unrest
(Genesis 2:1-3 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

"If God made the world to be very good as Genesis 1:31 claims," many ask, "How could He not make provision for the trouble that has come to that 'good world'?" Consider the following:

(1) In the Monday, February 25, 2008 issue of USA TODAY, p. 1A, in the lead article, "Ready on Day One?", Susan Page observed the gnawing concern many Americans have that "None of the top contenders for president [Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and John McCain] has ever run a government or a business." If we recall that the president must manage the government, negotiate with Congress, command the armed forces that are in conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, and garner public support both at home and abroad for economic and peace initiatives, it is little wonder that the electorate is nervous! (Ibid.)

(2) Page 9A of that same paper ran a story by Gregg Zoroya on how callers at a 24-hour hotline for military personnel are increasingly answering calls from desperate soldiers and their families. "They're having a lot of issues they're facing at home like reintegration (with their family) or just the stress of, 'Am I going to go back (to war)' . . . A lot of them emphasize that they have a hard time sleeping . . . having nightmares or they're thinking that, 'Oh, I'm still in Iraq,' or 'I'm thinking I'm going to hear a bomb go off'" according to Amy DiMalanta, 34 who answers calls. Consultants even have their own "'serenity room'" to "chill out", or they take walks around the building to get a mental break from the stress of handling all the calls! (Ibid.)

(3) This last week, I heard of needs expressed from several believers over concerns about the coming national elections, over financial and relationship stresses they face, about health needs that all signaled the need for rest from the unrest in our world!



Accordingly, we consider the question: "If Genesis 1:31 claims God made the world to be 'very good,' what about that GOODNESS in view of the CURRENT UNREST?!"



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "If God was so GOOD in creating a 'very good' universe (Genesis 1:31), WHERE is that GOODNESS in view of the current UNREST that man faces in the events of human history?!"
  1. When God finished creating the universe, He saw that everything He had made was "very good," or very wholesome, Genesis 1:31.
  2. However, noting that man would SIN, leading to UNREST, God in this His FOREKNOWLEDGE and INFINITE GOODNESS supplied RELIEF from SIN'S COMING UNREST (as follows):
    1. The seventh day marked the cessation of God's creative work (Genesis 2:1-2), but NOT because GOD had any NEED to be REFRESHED:
      1. God did not tire in creating the universe, for Genesis 1:1-31 with Hebrews 11:3 shows He made it by merely calling it all to exist!
      2. Besides, God is all-powerful, and He does not become weary so as to need any slumber or sleep, cf. Hebrews 1:1-3 with Psalm 121:4.
    2. Hence, God established the seventh day rest for man, Mark 2:27!
    3. God's purpose in setting apart the seventh day rest is seen in His goodness and foreknowledge of man's future sin and its unrest :
      1. At creation, everything in man's experience was "very good" until he sinned, and that led to comprehensive unrest:
        1. When Adam and Eve sinned, they felt shame at their nakedness, and sewed fig leaves together to make coverings, Genesis 3:3-6.
        2. They also experienced a break in fellowship with God (Genesis 3:8), with each other (3:12) and with nature (3:13-19)!
      2. Thus, in FOREKNOWLEDGE of man's COMING sin and its resulting UNREST, the GOOD God planned a REST for MAN from his SINFUL FAILURE'S UNREST, Hebrews 4:4, 9!
    4. Just HOW God produces rest for man is shown throughout Scripture:
      1. As typified in God's seventh day rest in Genesis 2:1-2, man must cease his own efforts to enjoy God's rest, Hebrews 4:10!
      2. This truth is beautifully seen in God's provision for Adam and Eve:
        1. The fig leaf coverings Adam and Eve themselves had made for their nakedness were a futile effort to be clothed, Genesis 3:7!
        2. So, APART FROM their futile effort, God graciously killed some animals to supply skins for them to wear, Genesis 3:21!
        3. This provision prefigured the substitutionary death of Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29), for man's sin; those who trust in Him apart from their own futile merit or works are clothed in His righteousness and receive eternal life, 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9.
      3. Then, following this salvation, believers today find God's rest from sin's effects in heeding His Word, Hebrews 4:11, 12-14:
        1. Hebrews was written to keep believers trusting in Christ versus returning to errant ritualism, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 779.
        2. In that context, the author of Hebrews urged believers to "rest" in trusting and heeding God's Word, Hebrews 4:11-14.
      4. [Sample areas of rest for today's Christian then are as follows:
        1. Relief from general stress -- Isaiah 26:3.
        2. Protecting the inner man -- Proverbs 4:23-27.
        3. Responding to injustices -- Romans 12:19-21.
        4. Relief from livelihood worry -- Philippians 4:19.
        5. Broad guidance for business needs -- 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.
        6. Insight on how to invest productively -- Ecclesiastes 11:1-6.
        7. Adjusting well to political election results -- Rom. 13:1-2.
        8. Handling confusion about one's direction in life -- Psalm 23:3b.
        9. Broad guidance for Christian service needs -- Romans 12:1-5.
        10. Relief from worry about the Church's welfare -- Col. 1:18.
        11. Deliverance from past sins as a believer -- 1 John 1:9.
        12. Handling nagging questions on innocence, guilt -- 1 Cor. 4:3-5.
        13. Solution to Bible interpretation confusion -- 2 Tim. 3:13-17.]
  3. God's rest ALSO COUNTERS the ABUSIVE DISTORTION of the SEVENTH DAY by ancient PAGANS (as follows):
    1. The literary structure of Genesis 2:2-3 in the Hebrew text emphasizes the "adjective seventh" (Ibid., p. 29) to Moses' contemporary readers.
    2. Well, pagans saw the seventh day, or various days that were multiples of seven, as unlucky days that were to be spent trying very hard not to offend their gods , Int'l. Stand. Bible Ency., 1937, vol. IV, p. 2630.
    3. In contrast, Genesis 2:1-3 shows God GRACIOUSLY GAVE man REST the seventh day OPPOSITE paganism's OPPRESSIVE view!
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ for salvation from sin in rest from our own efforts for eternal life, John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9. (2) Then, may we (a) heed Scripture in the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:20) and (b) trust its promises of God's provision for rest!

Lesson: God is SO GOOD that, though creating man with the capacity to use his will to SIN, producing UNREST, BEFORE man DID sin, God in His FOREKNOWLEDGE of SIN set apart the seventh day of REST to signify His PROVISION of REST from SIN'S COMING UNREST!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

Both at the national and local levels, the truth of this "rest" of God finds edifying application (as follows):

(1) At the national level, we can name several applications to needs of unrest created by sin reported in last Monday's USA TODAY:

(a) The lead story, "Ready on Day One?" noted that "None of the top three contenders for president has ever run a government or a business." (Ibid., p. 1A).

Well, to rest from the unrest that concern over this issue can bring, we recall Romans 13:1-2, that whoever is elected president will be so elected only by God's permissive will: we can trust God to run affairs relative to His plan regardless who becomes the next president!

(b) Another story, "Calls rise at Pentagon help hotline," told of the rising tide of calls for help coming from both the soldiers and families of those who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. "Emotional and relationship problems are big areas of need . . . [along with] legal problems, child care, education, finance and taxes." (Ibid.)

Again, to gain God's rest, after receiving Christ (John 3:16), the believing soldiers and their families can claim Isaiah 26:3 and Proverbs 4:23-27 for mental health and stress management, and Psalm 23:3b for guidance, Philippians 4:19 for livelihood needs, Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 for investing, etc. finding God's Word what they need for specific needs.

(2) Locally, one of the background points I used in this sermon I first found in a book that, after I had bought it, I learned had been published without the author's consent! This was reportedly painful for the author as the group that published was a conservative evangelical one! I have since been by Luke 12:42-46 not to cite from that book lest its author read it on our web site, and I add to his hurt! Yet, I also felt badly for you that I could not share that edifying point with you!

Yet, in God's "rest," via searching my library, I read the same content in another book I had been given by a missionary 30 years ago! That book he in turn had received from a retired pastor years before that! Moved at God's foresight in all of this that has now spanned three generations of Christian ministry, and in view of His "rest" for all involved, be it the author of the first book, or you, I have given the content of the important point in this sermon in thanksgiving to God!

God in His GOODNESS FORESAW and PLANNED for REST from SIN'S UNREST, so, may we ENTER it for blessing!