Sermon Archives
Extending Eden
Genesis 1-2Extending Eden
J. Josh Smith
June 21, 2015
Description:
Far too often, God’s people treat certain aspects of life as far less significant than the plan God has for them. The feeding of 5,000 is a great example of this reality. The disciples thought the five loaves of bread and two fish were insignificant considering their circumstances. Little did they know that God planned to take what they considered insignificant and do something magnificent with it. In modern society, there may be no better example of this principle than the institution of the family. Our culture has a very low view of this foundational institution. Even the church, whose perspective is at times a bit more sanctified than broader culture, nevertheless maintains a very man-centered view of the family. It would not be uncommon to hear churchgoers say that marriage exists to bring you personal satisfaction and that the goal behind bearing children is to bring fulfillment in one’s life. Let me assure you that God’s purpose for the family is much larger than individual gratification. His plan for the family extends far beyond the walls of your own enjoyment and literally reaches to the ends of the earth. What is God’s purpose for the family? In order to answer this foundational question, we must go all the way back to the beginning—to the Garden of Eden.
We see in Genesis 1-2 three reasons God created mankind. First, God created us to enjoy His presence. Eden was the dwelling place of God on earth, where He would “walk” in the midst of His creatures. Both the “tree of life” and the river that flowed into Eden symbolized the life-giving presence of the Lord. Eden was the first temple, and He placed man in this environment that he might enjoy the presence of God.
Second, God created us to exhibit His character. Genesis 1:26-27 says that God created us in His image. We are icons of God, created to reflect a reality much lager than ourselves. The primary way we reflect the glory of God is through relationship; God is a relational being (He is a Trinity), and His image-bearers must also be relational. The primary earthly relationship that reflects the image of God is marriage as Genesis 2 demonstrates. A husband’s loving leadership of his wife and a wife’s willing submission to her husband paint a beautiful picture on earth of the relationship between the Father and Son within the Godhead, as well as between the Son and the Church on earth. We exist to exhibit His character on earth.
Finally, God created us to extend His worship. The Great Commission did not begin in Matthew 28; it began in Genesis 1 when God commanded the divine image bearers to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” God’s desire has always been to fill the earth with His glory through a worshipping progeny. As image-bearers produced new image-bearers and began to extend beyond the garden to fill the earth, God’s plan would have been fulfilled. The command to be fruitful and multiply is not merely a command to have biological children, but to leave a spiritual progeny that fills the earth with the glory and worship of God.
What does this have to do with family? Everything! God created the family in the midst of Eden (i.e. Gen. 2) in order to continue the purpose of Eden. Your home exists as a place to enjoy the presence of God. Sundays at church should not be the only occasion when your family enjoys the presence of God. Your home, especially your marriage, exists to exhibit the character of God as the Gospel is displayed in the way husband and wife relate to one another. Your home exists to be a place where God’s worship is extended as you raise children with the primary goal that they will grow to be God-worshipers that reflect His glory on earth.
God’s purpose for family is so much bigger than your happiness and mine. Throughout this sermon series, we will look at all the various aspects of the Christian home and see the magnificent vision God has for your family. We pray that it will restore in your own mind not only a God-sized vision for your family but also a God-centered hope for your home.
Keywords:
Family, Love, Manhood, Marriage, Relationship, Womanhood, Worship