By Pastor Greg
Some of my worse spankings I received
as a child came because I was a bit too insolent. For example, I remember dropping a potato
chip on the ground while we were at a picnic.
I did what any 7 year old boy would do; I picked it up and ate it. Dad, of course, scolded me. But I reminded him that potato chips come
from potatoes which, I reminded him, come from the ground. And besides, wasn’t he the one who told me to
eat the skin of my baked potato, and they grow . . . That was about as far as I
got. Then I got what I deserved.
We all know that you don’t go around eating things that have fallen on
the ground because of germs. Germs are
bad for us. Germs are unhealthy. We are supposed to be wary of germs; almost
fear them. And it seems that our fear
doesn’t stop at germs. Alarmists have
given us lots of things to worry about; things to fear. We are continually informed about things
which hurt our health, our well-being, and our world. We are told to be concerned about germs,
about certain foods, and about certain chemicals in our food. We worry about failing health and looking
old. Even Nature may, at any moment,
unleash its fury against our peace and security. Fear the ocean because of all the man-eating
sharks. We are afraid of killer asteroids
and killer tornados. Alarmists have made
us worry about Global Warming (oh, I’m sorry, that’s now called “Climate
Change”). And if all these scary things were
not enough, we now are told to be alarmed about population growth. It seems there are too many people on this
planet, and in order to make things better, we need to drastically reduce the
earth’s population.
About two weeks ago the United Nations
met to discuss growing population trends, and called all the countries of the
world to enforce more control. Their
fear is that at some point the earth will not be able to sustain such a large
number of people. These alarmists point
to the fact that we humans are destroying the earth[1]. We are the earth’s greatest enemy. This planet would be better off without us;
at least that’s what some want us to believe.
If this world was the result of chance
then its existence hinges precariously in the balance. Tip the scales too far, and the whole thing will
come crashing down. But if this world
has a Creator, and if this Creator is watching over His creation, and if this
Creator continues to have a vested interest in His creation, then the Creator
is not about to allow His work to fall apart.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he
points out that this world was created through Jesus, by Jesus, and for
Jesus. And it is Jesus who holds all
things together. “For by Him all things were created, both in the
heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He
is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians
1:16-17).
The Colossian Christians had begun to
worship angels (Colossian 2:18), and this is part of the reason Paul points to
Christ and said that He is above all things, even in the spiritual realm, and
that all things were created by Him and for Him. Borrowing an image from Old Testament
literature, Paul says that the “Wisdom” which crafted the world was Jesus (I was the architect
at his side - Proverbs 8:30). Paul even echoes the words of John the
Apostle; where John says that “God created everything through Him, and nothing was created
except through Him.” (John 1:3).
Paul wanted these Christians to put Jesus in His proper place of
authority. They needed to see that Jesus
had a unique position over creation, and that He is the One who should be
worshiped.
I understand why Paul told these
things to the Colossian Christians, but how does this affect you and me
today? We certainly don’t worship
angels, do we? What difference does it
make for us to know that Jesus was the Master Workman of creation? I tell you that it is extremely significant
for Christians to know this and understand this. Knowing that Jesus, the Lord who died upon
the cross to save us, was the agent of creation and the reason for creation,
our hearts should move from fear to trust.
Think about this: In the beginning Jesus was the agent of creation. In the end we will find that this creation
was for Jesus. In other words, He is the
Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end.
The reason we exist and the reason for all of creation is Jesus. This world, this universe, and you and I are
Christ’s inheritance. “God promised
everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the
universe” (Hebrews 1:2). God’s
certainly not going to promise Him something, only to let it slip away. To give an inheritance, there must be
something to give. Paul also points out
that between the beginning and the ending, Christ will sustain all things. Jesus is in a place right now where he is
holding all things together (He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command - Hebrews
1:3). Jesus will not allow this world to
fall apart until it is time. And no
force of nature, no power on earth, and nothing in the spiritual world will
ever prevail against creation until that appointed time. No prophecy of Nostradamus, no Mayan
calendar, no asteroid from space will ever put an end to what Christ is holding
together. Not even Global Warming (oops!
Climate Change) will bring about creation’s demise. Christ will not allow this to happen to His
creation until He is ready. As a matter
of fact, when the end does come, it will happen through Him. He brought all of this into existence, and he
will be the One to end this existence.
Too often humanity forgets that Jesus
is still the author of creation. He
notices even when a sparrow falls from the sky.
This is His world, not ours and not Satan’s (although Man gave Satan
rule on this earth, the earth still belongs to Jesus). And although humanity may not be living in
fear of angels like the Colossian Christians, we are still a people who look
nervously over our shoulder at the next thing which might spell our doom.
Honestly I think we have misplaced
fear. We’ve become more afraid of the
things that might kill us or make our lives more difficult. We’ve become more afraid of running out of
food or running out of money or running out of freedom than we have in fearing
God. But Christ commands “Do not fear those
who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a
cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more
valuable than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:28-31).
We place our hope in Jesus for
our salvation in the life to come (when we die). Can we not also place our trust in Jesus for
our life today? Have we forgotten that
the One who holds us in His hand is the same One who is holding all things
together (My
Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. –
John 10:29).
As the world panics all around
us, I believe the Church has a responsibility to remain calm and assured amidst
the chaos; amidst the stormy gale. And I
believe we can do this because the One who is holding all things together is
the same One who said: For this reason I say to you,
do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at
the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a
single hour to his life? “And why are
you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do
not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his
glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much
more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do
not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What
will we wear for clothing?’ “For the
Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you
need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for
tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)
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