THE KING OF CREATION

This is the sermon I preached at our little interdenominational church on the NC Outer Banks this past Sunday morning. It was the second in a series of messages about the importance of understanding the Kingdom of God. I introduced the message with a segue about the birth of the King of Creation.

The Kingdom of God is all-encompassing. The scope of God's redemptive work encompasses all of creation, including all mankind and all human relationships. Today, some in the church would say, "We only need to save souls for heaven." Others would say that we don't need to concern ourselves with saving souls at all; rather we should concern ourselves with poverty, hunger, and injustice. What does the Bible say regarding the scope of the Kingdom of God? It says that the Kingdom is comprehensive. As such, everything is to be redeemed. The whole of creation is to be redeemed:

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

Why did Jesus die on the cross? Many in the church today would respond: "He died to purchase my salvation." Some may go beyond this and affirm that He died to save all humanity from sin. This is very true, but for what else did He suffer and die? The Colossians passage above makes it clear that He came to redeem all things. He died, not just to purchase redemption for humanity, but to purchase redemption for all things. To emphasize this point, the Apostle Paul added the words "things on earth or things in heaven." There is nothing outside the scope of God's Kingdom. It represents a total, global transformation. It is a vision of the entire cosmos, purified of evil and full of the glory of God. This is the end to which the Kingdom advances.

The Apostle Paul said more about the scope of redemption intended by the Kingdom of God:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 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. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:18-23).

All of creation was subject to the devastating effects of the Fall. Sinful humans viewed creation as something to own and exploit for selfish gain, rather than something to responsibly steward. The resulting destruction of the environment is sadly evident throughout human history. Several times in the above passage, the Apostle Paul declared that all of creation is waiting for redemption and restoration.

Paul also made reference to the "sons of God" in the above passage. The "sons of God" are God's children (daughters, as well as sons) who have been adopted into the family of God and have, therefore, entered the Kingdom of God. As children of God, we are to grow in expressing our Heavenly Father's nature and character in our lives. As we do, we realize more of what it means to be fully human, and this includes our God-given responsibility to steward God's creation. In essence, Paul was saying that creation is eagerly waiting for us to mature in Christ, so we will increasingly treat His creation according to His intentions. As we mature in Christ, we see the need to stand against natural evil in the world, fight hunger and poverty, and steward the creation. Christians should be leading, not following, the environmental movement. Why? Because we're God's children, and God is redeeming all things to Himself. God is at work, liberating all of creation.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20

The Kingdom of God Encompasses Everything!

Because the Kingdom of God is comprehensive, it encompasses everything! It even sanctifies and exalts the common things of life. It brings a sense of purpose, calling, and dignity to all of life -- even those things that are seen by the world as lowly or common. The Apostle Paul said: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all it to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Even things as common and mundane as eating and drinking should be done in the light of God's Kingdom and for His glory:

On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty (Zechariah 14:20-21).

Even lowly, everyday cooking pots and bells on horses are to be inscribed "Holy to the LORD." The Kingdom of God is comprehensive, and things that the world sees as small and insignificant have new significance. This is a radical notion for many in the church today who see a sharp division between "secular" and "sacred." The "sacred" involves devotional lives, Bible study, church attendance, and careers in "full-time Christian service," such as the pastorate or missions. Everything else is in the "secular" category, which seems somehow more lowly and worldy. But God's Kingdom encompasses everything! There are no "sacred" and "secular" categories. Even common things are to be "Holy to the LORD."

As we look at God's all-encompassing Kingdom, our lives take on freshness and dynamism. Even the simple and menial tasks of life have new purpose and significance. All of our lives -- each and every moment, each and every task -- are to be lived "before the face of God."

During the European Reformation, a simple Latin phrase -- coram Deo -- was commonly used to remind the community of believers that God's Kingdom was comprehensive. It is appropriate for us today, as well. Coram Deo means that we are to live "before the face of God," "under the authority of God," and "to the glory of God." The Christians of the Reformation period understood that God's Kingdom is comprehensive and that it sanctifies even the common things of life. They understood that Christ's death on the cross was meant for the redemption of "all things."

In our generation, this understanding of the Kingdom of God is nearly lost. There are, however, people who keep it alive. Consider the woman who has a plaque in her kitchen that says: "Worship services held here three times a day." She understands that common tasks, such as meal preparation, become acts of significance and worship-when done in light of God's Kingdom. She is not a Christian only when she attends church or studies her Bible. She lives coram Deo. A vision of God's Kingdom is infused into every aspect of her life. Likewise, when her husband plants his field, he stands before the face of God. He thinks: "How can I glorify God as I plant? This is God's field, and I want to make it bountiful for Him!" May we each have a comprehensive understanding of the Kingdom of God in our lives!