The Gospel Call to a Life of Purpose

Genesis this evening. Genesis chapter number one. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to speak from the word of God here tonight is a few things forward again may often times be that we have conversations I may refer to myself jokingly as the fourth stringer of the low man on the total and while that may be accurate and true. I do believe that the privilege the guys give me to minister to your children and grandchildren is the greatest honor that I've had in my life, for they will soon be the future were thankful for your children and their love for the Scriptures and for the privilege of investing in them. With that being said, we are almost in the month of June will be beginning our series on taboo topics addressing some very interesting topics with June having that having a quite an interesting month of celebration are festivities with our with the world around us.

I wanted to order a little catechism and redo that and see if it was worth recommending so. Rather, this is morning before he came here new Reformation catechism of human sexuality and would like to recommend that parents or grandparents would look at investing in that your children it would aid in giving them a scriptural worldview when it comes to the issue of sexuality and allowing them to examine a lot of the perversions that they will witness celebrated here in the next few weeks and that is the goal is to equip them to have a strong Christian worldview and analysis of what was going on around with that being said, will be in the book of Genesis here for just a little while this evening.

Genesis chapter number one and all highlight primarily passages one verse 26 down through verse number 28.

I will read this one more time to so it's fresh in her mind hear the words of the true and living God then God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.

Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the in the image of God he created them male and female he created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Genesis chapter 2 verse number five reads this before any plant of the field was in the earth, and before any herb of the field had grown for the Lord God and not cause it to rain on the earth and there was no man to till the ground. The average member of the workforce would be most of us will spend around 90,000 hours of their lives working several studies internationally of stone shown that between 35 to 40% of people feel as though what they do the work they have dedicated their lives to his pointless with the heightening of our culture's disdain for work and even more aggressive hatred for that position.

That may mean the most gloriously called a stay at home mom is quite easy to find yourself sucked into that same discouraged mindset and this poses quite an issue for us doesn't.

How could you and I possibly find encouragement if 90,000 hours of our existence is pointless and even more so how is there any encouragement for the stay at home wife or mother his entire life is devoted to the work of keeping her home. The Westminster shorter catechism questions. Wanting to ask this, what is the chief end of man and responses man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Question two what rule has God given to direct us how we make glorify and answer the word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the old and New Testament is the only rule to direct us and how we may glorify jewelry him just since we are to glorify God and enjoy God what the Scriptures say about this topic that will consume such a vast majority of your life upon this earth.

The question I hope for us to explore and to answer today is is the work I do, or better yet is the life that I live pointless for a few moments this evening I want to speak on the subject of how the gospel calls us to a life of daily purpose and we will do that as we look at the book of Genesis and highlight the call of God for mankind to take dominion of the world for his glory now that's not necessarily a word that we use very often in there somewhere perverted. That word means something differently than it does so for us and I don't highlight three things beginning with point number one is dominion define .2 will be dominion disoriented and .3 will be dominion delivered him if he understood this way when I am going through my work weaker when I am living my life in a tidal wave of emotion approaches me and tells me that the life that I live in the work I do is pointless. I may first realize that God has called me to a life of working and cultivating for his glory.

However, in our fallen state. The work that I do unless I be regenerated and the son of God is pointless if her selfish reasoning so I must look to Christ who has restored me as a son and as a king to go forward and cultivate the earth for the glory of my most precious Redeemer. Let's go ahead and look here this evening as we approach number one dominion define the many may be defined as one who cultivates where God has placed you for his glory. Genesis chapter 1 verse 26 says this, God said, let us make man in our own image, according to our likeness.

Let them have dominion over the fish of our live at the minyan over the fish of over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created them at him, male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. In Genesis, we see that man is ordered to do the work of killing ground slowly find as we read Genesis chapter 2 verse five is God has not yet allowed the flourishing of herbs and plants because some translation may read in Genesis 25.

There is not a man to till the ground.

This assignment of cultivating the earth which is an interesting thing. Cultivation has the Oracle within it and call is a word is associated or defined as worship as Adam is called to cultivate the earth. We find it is Genesis account and as early human civilization plays out that there is an agricultural culture cultivation. There are communities there are cultures forming around work of man as a matter of fact as we look in the fall of man. We notice that Satan that serpent is cursed well. Serpent slithered, we find that the life she is cursed as a as a wife and as a birth giver, but that is what's her intention is, and we find that Adam whose life give and is calling us to cultivate your however every aspect of these beings.

Reality is cursed by sin this term that we find here of cultivation may seem as though it is just digging in the ground to plant some beans or some peas, but it is far more significant than that what God is calling them to do what God is: us to do is to worshipfully harnessing the potential of the earth for the glory of God is our virtue that he is an Old Testament scholar said subdue the earth in Genesis 128 refers to the general acquisition or dominion of property by which mankind engages in the mastering appropriating and transforming the earth's products.

Because of this we are called to work productively where God has placed us.

Genesis 25 seems to place emphasis on there being no man to till the ground. This is interesting because God doesn't bring us is he doesn't bring his creation to a close, until he is placed mankind.

There, the purpose within mention.

So what does this mean for you and I love the attitude of the world today is to hate work.

We find that there is been a growing and sensitization of the rejection of work if you love it. You're quite audited.

The reality is that as believers we are the only ones who can have a good and godly view of work because we have a creator who has sanctified, and blessed work. God has you where you are doing what you're doing for a purpose, and he has called you to strive to do your best to make contributions to grow and to learn his glory. So dad who is doing backbreaking work in the hot summer sun. Her mom who is going nuts with a house full of kids really bathing in their brother because they have had their nap in your overwhelmed by the amount of task tomorrow, you both can and will honor Christ by the power of the Spirit in the work that you now, we have found dominion define as cultivating where God has placed you for his purpose. But how we work as faithful representatives of the God was made us his likeness as we look to the Scriptures, we notice that he says that he creates fish in accordance to their likeness in cattle, in accordance to their likeness in the birds in accordance to their lines man. He is creating in accordance to his likeness. See our actions in this world and dominion over it should serve the purpose of the one who is put us here should be in obedience to the rules and guidelines of the one who is put us here, so wherever God has placed us. We are to do the task that he is given to the best of our abilities is the Lord's representatives.

How are we to represent him in Genesis 1 we had a few things about the character of God, that would be perfectly applicable to our lives, we should work with wisdom. We should work with care. We should work with the Forney we should work with the community. I want to focus on those first two for just a moment that we are to work with wisdom. We are to work with wisdom as we look in Genesis 1, you will notice that God creates any names he creates any names. He does this repetitively until he looks at Adam and notices Adam and his only estate and what God does is seek brings creatures before Adam and he has Adam name these creatures. This is a demonstration of Adam's wisdom in obedience and representation of God in his wisdom and power so as we go forward in this world there is no way that Adam could work with birds and with issues of Tigers snakes and slugs or whatever. There may be an ignorant man. He had to have wisdom and the work that he did yet have wisdom in the place that God has placed them in, so you and I must learn how the world operates.

It would be a scary thing to have a surgeon who is telling you that they have never once practice more studying the operation and they are about the pond and is God has called us to go forward into this world and is a sinus with different locations province will allow.

He is called you to be the best at what you can be for the glory of Christ, for the glory of God was placed you here and is a major representation to the world of his glory and of his character. That is what we are to do. We are to work with wisdom and we are to work with care, Robert Chisholm says of the word subdue applies to cultivation like farming applies to domestication like shepherding, advising in the mining it is making use of all economic and cultural potential associated with the concept of the land.

This doesn't give us the authority to destroy the earth. The ruler harshly seek God opens up in his law that will allow the land rest every seven years week but we have seen them into the opposite day. We have farmland, so are the vegetables and fruits are losing the nutritional values. Animals are entirely going extinct in the REIT responsibility of that falls upon. This is not the result of that is not the result of politicians would've meant not laboring for the glory of the Lord.

We have indeed taken what God has called us to do in our fallen state abandoned her, and have used it for sinful purposes. We will see this address and point to as we normally see dominion define what we see dominion disoriented receipt disoriented and the corruption of fallen man in the garden, God's place and there is a prophet is a priest and as a king, and he fails to perform his duty and he falls in the sin against God, and now he is under the dominion of sin according to Romans chapter 6 verses eight. So what does that mean well man continues his work of dominion after the fall we know is that right we notice man like Cain is he is banished away in the rise of claimant as they begin to build this godless Empire. What we notice years that men do continue to work with their working for the wrong purposes. This is what Augustine would call the beat of the minutes are. It is the lust instead of godly work. Mankind now uses dominion over the earth and ungodly way for their own purposes instead of the purposes of the one who is the refining cane cane acted as his father Adam did by exercising rebellious independence against God, believing that he would worship God according to his own terms and what what does he do in anger of the fact that God doesn't accept his worship exercises dominion over one person. He is not been granted authority over not as other men slays his own brother.

Now we are given dominion over all of creation. The two things we are not friends dominion over his God and our brother Emily find in the rebellious act of man Adam is the meaning of a God or attempt to express that in the attempt of dominion over man after case management. He goes on to exercise dominion by being fruitful and multiply, and building cities and more. In Genesis, yet we notice his grandson Lamech coming along and he decides going to pervert marriage is going to have all of these children scatter the world with his image bears to build his own kingdom. We see how this is working how God has given us this glorious deed of work and now in sin, we have taken what is good and we are using it for that which is bad. We see this today. Don't the attempt of man to take dominion over that which we are not called to do. Not doing it the way that God supposedly was refund me in violating women for self pleasure or women destroying their own children for the sake of convenience, receipt in the workforce as well, as those who everyone especially in the South has all of their business is stable as a Christian business should, therefore, for sake in Christian values and the work ethic and the way that they work with those around.

This is dominion disoriented and in the midst of all of this rebellion rebellion of Adam, the rebellious act of man in the midst of all this, and we wonder to ourselves if work has become so tainted with sin is forever lost. Is there any way the work I can do will glorify God in the midst of a of the evening scene of the fall of man God as he is delivering forth judgment makes this most glorious statement as he looks upon man.

There is signs of grace, as he says, and I will put enmity between you and the woman between your seed verse he shall bruise your head.

This leads us to dominion delivered as we behold the absolute dominion.

Christ's in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18. The Scriptures read and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 19 through 23. Reread what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ, and he raised it when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power in my dominion, and every name that his name not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all in the gospel we see the promised Messiah has come, ending the dominion of sin that rains upon his people. He is delivering us from the captivity that has so dastardly ensnared us. Adam was the prophet he was priest and king. Any failing guarding the temple of God on earth which was Eden, where he was supposed to minister as a priest where he is to defend the holy sanctity of Eden is abandoning his role as profit reassignment in declaring the word of God to Satan used for sake in his place as King. He was the kill that syrup in the cultivate the garden of God's glory were Adam has fallen Christ almost perfect.

Adam is not the Lord comes declaring the gospel as the faithful prophet becomes fulfilling the totality of the law as our faith priest.

He comes conquering all things in all kingdom, taking all power in heaven and on earth, as he rises from the dead. We have more in Christ than we ever lost in Christ is presently seated at the right hand of the father.

This very minute in a Psalm 110 tells us he will reign making all of his enemies a footstool.

Now this is an absolute dominion over all things, not merely the spiritual realm. Ephesians 612 says for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly and Christ disclaim to have absolute rule not only in the heavenly's all things as well.

What is it that these dark forces are using upon the earth today is not a you and I doing witness the walls in empty forest.

We go forth and preach them to wicked rebels. Those are enemies of the gospel of grace and hope that Christ as he is conquering would turn our hearts from stone, the flesh and bring them underneath his dominion.

As we look upon the wicked atrocities and agendas that come from their mind and our Lord, the great King who has dominion over all will conquer them all will quickly give you two points as to how he is currently raining we find the dominion mandate that is set forth in Genesis is now perverted in the fall of man in Christ is come, and he is now given us the mandate redefine and that is engine in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18 through 20.

Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

And low I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Christ being the one raining with all power has sent forth his gospel and he will draw unfailingly his people to himself and how is he doing that. How was he conquering the world is not in the schemes of man is not the wisdom of those who are publishing their own ideas for the carving of the church. The way that Christ is taking dominion. Is there was preaching the gospel. He is working through last putting the world beneath his footstool. How is he doing that through the church Ephesians chapter 1 verse 20 through 23 tells us of the limited scope of his reign, but we also see the inseparable condition of Christ as body. The ascending forth you and me is people to cultivate the world spiritually not brought power novel are clever devices are schemes through his gospel which will be successful. I've said it once, I'll say it again when we preach the gospel. We have a 100% success. His work will not return void as we preach the word as he is called us to do it. He brings forth the harvest he is raining is been redefined, and as he saves his elect as he is moving forward.

And as he has been pleased to bring all of us under his reign as he has been pleased to wrap us all in his office is most beloved as he is been used to regenerate our minds. What is the what is the change that occurs in the life of a man who is in place with the Lordship of the gospel, that man's conduct has been reoriented. Man's conduct is been rewarded for us to separate the intertwined effects of the spiritual and physical would be Gnostic and there's a great gospel heresy that is going around that you can come the Christ merely as Savior, but you can reject him as Lord until later. This is heresy for us to separate the effect of the spiritual reality of our new birth and how it plays out for a life of Gnostic source Christ saves us, he changes how we see the world he changes our desires. He changes our affections is hard first and passed from death into life. And there to be no change within us is NSE has been pleased to call us from the great to bring us from death on the live by the work of his regenerating grace as he has been pleased to do that.

There is a change. There is a change not merely upon the house on the inside but it pours through all of us. The word that we preach is not merely entering through our years, and lodge in our brains but it oozes from our course it goes forth from our fingertips. We are a transform people and as we have been given the call as King's the cultivate your we are fallen, but what we have lost in Adam, Christ, disclaim and restore as we are restore people. We are a people who live in light of that restoration. Remember the last man takes dominion but it does it for his own rules and for his own.

You and I know that we haven't placed her as representative of God by Stearns, we may now go forward every sphere of life and work. Lori first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31 reads. Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So as the sweat beads on your brow, and as a tidal wave of emotion screaming to you that you live a pointless life and work a pointless job is 95,000 hours of taking look to Christ and behold his glory look to Christ, and behold, the promised one who is all the you might now be a priesthood of believers. You might now be kings and submission to the King the you might go for MA offer of your very life as an offering unto his praise. Romans 12 is a supply house supply. This is a passage. This is the thing.

This is a truth that had great effects on me. I grew up believing that indeed if any man loves Christ, he should surely give his heart, his life and his his abilities to the mission field to the pastor and indeed it would be horrible thing for you to believe that Centura graphic designer since you work at a hospital Centura stay-at-home mother that you will never be committed to a life of glorifying Christ and the work you do because you have not committed to the ministry that would be a horrid thing. The 90,000 hours or plus of your stay-at-home mother are ticking by wastefully and God is not glorified, that would be a greatly depressing thing when you can glorify God in the work. The books we are new people in a way that we view the world is been changed by the gospel of grace. We are new creatures in Christ and the reality of his new birth loses forth from our very fingertips as we put them to the plow before us. This work since God is place this year to work for his glory.

That means that everything that is not inherently sinful that one more time.

Since God has placed us here for his glory.

That means that everything that is not inherently sinful, can be an avenue to cultivate glory of God. That means that those those nice meals. Mom or grandmother you make for your spouse for your children, your grandchildren, they have meaning if you call and the children from outside that are so rambunctious you had to shut them out of the house for a little while and I can them in the coming gather around the table might be prayed over, they may see the provisions of God in their godly mother and father in the work you do you have purpose and you show hospitality and inviting those who are in the church. The coming fellowship with you on Sunday. There is great purpose and God is glorified.

That means that you who would work.

Whatever you may do the blankets you make the wood that you work with the guards that you can think of it this way in the middle of South Carolina. There is somewhere right now some flowers that are that are blooming that will die. No man ever seen.

Indeed, they have bloomed and died washed away in his goddess that you and I forth the cultivate wherever he is put you in.

We do that work for his we do it for his honor. It means that the finals know that I have a few view have not finished up her school year. You means that the finals that you are studying so hard for the sports that you have practiced so hard to play the chores that you do. They have purpose in Christ is glorified as you do them as unto submission unto the Lord. It means that since you and I have been called forth the cultivate this world, but instead we are fallen from doing it well, but now Christ embraces made as new creatures we may do all things for his glory and he may be pleased from the mills that you may the wood work that you do. The finals were beloved. What you do matters because it glorifies God heavenly father, thank you for your mercy for your grace to us. Indeed, if you would please and all rebellion to allow us to go forward, to do nothing more than cultivate a world that is wicked and purposeless and does not glorify you would be a miserable lot stuck in the hamster race of the wrap fall into eternity with you in Christ of, and you have come to deliver us from disorientation of dominion. You have called us forth to go and have a life of purpose a life of managing our business as well. Loving our families well. Mills and building things will God let us put our hands to those things and let us do them well. Or let us not be discouraged with the 90,000 hours to stand before us and believers that they have no purpose.

Indeed, I pray that we will go for tomorrow and approach our work weeks Tuesday and approach our work week with a heart committed to doing all things well for the Christ is what you have placed us here for. Pray that we would do it well by the minors. But I love this.

Your church pray that the Scriptures to a great work within our hearts this day is in Christ name I pray