SACRED SPACE
A man. Alright, so we're walking through the Book of Genesis. And in one of the things that I love about Genesis is that it gives us a framework for a Biblical theistic worldview our understanding of reality how we think actually about thinking how he how we understand a life the universe and everything in the answer is not 42.
Genesis provides us with a framework of understanding the universe and and and humanity and meaning and purpose every good worldview answers for questions. I've been saying these each week first there's the question of environment. Where are we? What is creation? What is it look like I think we've already seen in the last few weeks that creation is much bigger than most of us have been told and taught all of our life that we live and incredible environment an Incredible Universe that has been created by God and it is ordered. His intentional is relational. Secondly, we and then we're going to begin to get into this today is the question of essence. Who are we what does it mean to be human? Is there a point to it? What is it? That makes us different. Are we different from the rest of creation? And if so, how are we different? What what are the differences between male and female what it what what is the point of being a person as the word of God says made in the Imago Dei the image of God. We're going to bed and move on to the third question the question of evil. What's wrong? How did it go wrong? How is it wrong? What are we supposed to do in the wrongness of the world that we live in and then lastly the question of eschatology. Where are we going? Is there a point and a purpose to Creation? Actually going to touch on all four of those elements this morning as we get into Genesis chapter 2. We're just flying and we're coming back to chapter 1 next week, but we're flying.
This morning. I want to talk about Sacred Space. Genesis chapter 1 1 through 2 3 is this this poetic narrative is this this beautiful song of creation lays out for us the functional reality of God's creation bit when God created the creation story that were given in chapter one is not scientific. It's not materialistic. It's not intended to tell us about chemistry and biology and physics. It's about theology. It's theological implications and end in the story in Genesis chapter 1 is that God hates chaos and brings order on to it. Takes unordered empty things and fill them with order and meaning and purpose. The message of Genesis chapter 1 is that that God has ordered and created this universe and that includes the heavens and the Earth. He has made it and ordered it for himself. and for his creation When we get to Genesis chapter 2 verse 4, we have another angle another perspective another view on creation, and it's now holding and focus in.
Not just on man. But on man's role in creation. If you think about it this way the first creation narrative in Genesis 1 1 2 2 3 talks about how the universe is ordered for mankind with God. in a second creation narrative starting in Genesis 2:4 we see how man is to serve and to exist within the Sacred Space that God has created. So if you got your Bibles, let's go ahead and dive in the Genesis chapter 2 starting in verse 4. Start out this way. It says these are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the heavens and the Earth. This introductory sentence that we probably just Breeze over is actually really important grammatically and structurally for the Book of Genesis. Do you want to understand the book as a whole that little introductory sentence? These are the generations of is the functional structure of the Book of Genesis. We're going to see it about 14 other times throughout the book. It introduces the major chapters the major divisions of the story. It's one of the things that I see in that is at Genesis chapter 1 1 2 2 3 is really like a prologue right when you're reading a novel or play or story often times before you actually start the store. You have a prologue that kind of sets the scene. That's what Genesis chapter 1 is Genesis chapter 2 verse 4 is really the beginning of the book. This is the generations of this is the story of this is Unfolding Narrative of the heavens and the Earth and then we're going to we're going to see it. Next. This is the generations of Adam. These are the generations of paying these are the generations of Noah. These are the this is the way it works in the Book of Genesis.
Moses is telling the Israelites in the wilderness after they've left Egypt on their way to the promised land about the creation begins here. And now in Genesis 2:4. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. When no bulshit Whitfield was yet in the land of no small plants of the field had yet sprung up for the Lord. God had not caused it to rain on the land and there was no man to work the ground and a Mist was going up from the land was watering the whole face of the ground. Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and the Man became a living creature. End workout planted a garden in Eden in the East and there he put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground the Lord God made the spring up every tree that is Pleasant to the side and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden ends there it divided and became Four Rivers the name of the first is the pishon it is the land is the one that float around the whole land of havilah where there is gold in the gold about land is good. The taoism and Onyx stones are there as well? The name of the second river is the gihan it is the one that float around the whole land of kush and the name of the third and the fourth river is the Euphrates the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. There's a lot in those versus and we're going to have to flush out a lot of it. I mean, if you're paying attention those that that description seems to contradict Genesis chapter 1 if we think it's telling the same story in other words, there's details in Genesis chapter 1 like the ordering like the plants come before mankind, right and spend time is traded after the animal that stuff just placed out of order. Mmmm, very often. What we try to do is squeeze Genesis chapter 2 in 2 days 6 of Genesis chapter 1 and the reason we try to do that is because we are functional materialist. We want to read the text like our culture has taught us to like scientists like material. We want the text to give us a newspaper like historical description of how creation took place and the order and all of this sort of stuff and that is not what Genesis chapter 1 is all about. If you haven't been around go back to the first couple of sermons in this series, I did my best to lay out the reality and the case the Genesis chapter one is giving us a functional ontology. Not a materialistic one. So listen, we don't have to squeeze Genesis 2 into Genesis chapter 1 and those apparent contradiction. I'm really going to try to reconcile for you over the next couple weeks. I help you understand what the writer of Genesis is actually trying to convey and what the hearers of Genesis the original recipients would have her pissed cuz we got to remember through this series. The Bible is written for us. But it's not written to us. It was not written to 21st century Americans. It was not written in a scientific materialistic worldview in order to understand it. We've got to do some work. The work that I want to do this morning really is emphasized in this last verse that I just read the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.
the garden Is Sacred Space? the garden
Is the place where God is going to dwell? in the midst of his people Genesis chapter 1 sets up for us this idea that the heavens and the Earth are created to be a place where God is going to dwell in the midst of his creation not separate from
but interdependent with the heavens and the Earth are not mean to be separated. They're designed to fit hand and glove a God is a god of order has created a universe that that she wants to bring into order. And so we we see it in Genesis chapter one that when God makes mankind In His Image gives him a mandate he wants us as cute images to spread his glory his rule. Order to the chaos of creation. That's not a way that were used to reading Genesis chapter 1 most of us. I think are probably custom reading Genesis chapter one that at the end, you know, we imagine a perfect completed planet. And that's not what the text lays out for us. That's the stuff that we're putting on to the text. Genesis chapter 1 paint for us a picture that God intends to dwell on the earth with his people, but he wants his people to be a part of the process of extending his order. Extending his Rule and his ranks. It does chapter one doesn't tell us where God's going to start and how God is going to do it Genesis chapter 2 feels Us in the guy a design and the plan. four Sacred Space
this picture that we get. dwelling on the air he creates the gardens surrounding it and there's these Rivers which it there's one river which then flows into four rivers and imagery of life that God has picked a place. That we typically call The Garden of Eden Place from which his life and his rule is going to spread and she creates a man. And places him in the garden. to watch over that Sacred Space but also to extend it. To extend it I grew up in the church. I grew up with flannel graph Sunday school. I grew up very familiar with the Adam and Eve story in Genesis chapter 2 and I always, you know, I always thought it was great and weird and a little R rated
God created a bunch of naked vegetarians that hang out in the garden, right?
And I don't I don't think that's what the text is saying it all what the what the text is saying is that God created in order this place called Eden. To beat the bass the starting place the starting point of where his kingdom and his Rule and his Reign would be spread.
By the image bears that he created. So Adam is taken and placed in this ordered reality You placed in in the place where God dwell. God has a purpose and a plan tweet. We see that Sacred Space the place where God meets with man. Is the intention of God for mankind right from the beginning. This is what God wants God wants to dwell with his people and where God meets with his people you have Sacred Space. We see some important things that we see that it's relational. Hey, it's God's with man. This conversations taking place. There's directions taking place and it's participatory God's not doing it all that's inviting the man to join him in the work that got intense. It's relational, but it's intentional and it's functional at the same time the garden Sacred Space. It's where we find meaning satisfaction.
If it's if it's where we find purpose and significance.
Sometimes I hear people saying and I think I've said it myself and I wish I could just go back to the garden. Atlas idea that like there is no work there. There's no it's just it's like the Great Escape vacation or hey
That's not what it was at all. That's that's us putting our idea of Eden on to the text. Rather than letting the text speak to us of the Lord. God took the man and put him in the garden. to work at and it keep it the work it and to keep it imagine that all if not the vast majority of us we read that and we think
God made man kind of bee farmers. The idyllic life is taking care of a garden right and garden some of you you're like that and the rest of us would like. Google show me some great to me.
That's cuz we're reading it from a functional materialistic worldview. The text doesn't say that that that that's the end point that the end of the process is for him to be in the garden. The text doesn't say that at all and if that's their significant Clues within the text that that's not the case that you just starting point. That's when we when we start to dive deep into the Hebrew words there that are used for work and keep it does those two words and Hebrew are used together several times in the Hebrew scriptures and it's always in the context of the priests serving within the Tabernacle or the temple.
I've been saying for the last several weeks of Genesis one is a temple narrative. It describes creation at the temple of God and what Genesis chapter 2 dust is it begins to locate where the temple is. The temple is a place where God is dwelling in creation. He plants a garden and from there mankind is passed to work and to keep the garden Man was created to serve God not as a farmer not as a gardener, but as a priest-king of God's creation. This text is absolutely essential to our understanding of the purpose and meaning of life. God made mankind to join him in his work of extending Sacred Space across the totality of his creation. We were not created to sit in a garden and do nothing. We were created to be his priest. We were created to be as representatives were created to be king. We are the ones who spread the authorities and the Dominion and the rule of God across. is planet
we going to verse like Numbers chapter 18, which is talking about the priests serving. Tabernacle Temple, it says this you shelf cheap guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that their men never again be the Wrath of the people on Israel. And behold. I've taken your brother's the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are give to you giving to the Lord to do the service of the tent of meeting. Same words that we find in Genesis 2:15 to keep and to work to keep and to work. It's a Priestly vocation. We are two guards the honor and glory and integrity of God's purpose and kingdoms and we are to spread its rule across the totality of God's creation.
So from the Sacred Space the garden the rule of God would spread for the work that that we're going to we're going to keep going through Genesis chapter 2 because we find right away. Adam can't do it by himself is not supposed to is not designed to a lot of fun stuff in that but why would I want us to think about this morning?
the vastness the Wonder the adventure of what it means to be a human in God's creation. There is a reason you've been made there is a purpose for your existence and that purpose is not self-gratification that purpose is not the warm-and-fuzzy that purpose is not. Oh Lord. Help us the American dream.
One of the things that the gods been doing to me as I've been studying this and one of the things that I hope happens to all of us is that man God keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and I think it's just a part of being human that God's vastness his large miss his difference. We're so uncomfortable with it. We're constantly trying to put them in categories that we can understand. We're constantly trying to put God In The Box and want to think that I'm hoping is that as we walk through Genesis together, the guy just keeps shattering that box and we'll keep building boxes. That's kind of what we do, but I'm hoping to keep getting bigger and bigger and wider reasons that's important. Is that the size of our God determines the size of our vision? We went we went when we turned God into this clock word deity this material list Creator. He just created the universe wound up and then he kind of hangs out in the heavens every once in a while. He's absolutely Miracle here and there. When we think of God's that way the best you can come up with is the American dream.
but when we start to see the god of the scripture we start to see a God has created a vast Cosmos most spiritual and Earthly the heavens and the earth when we start to see that God has made us in His image for a purpose. We start to get a bigger vision for our lives. That's my hoe. Maybe we get a bigger vision for a church. Fresh small groups for families. I hope we can get a bigger vision for our children. and our grandchildren we need a bigger picture of God to get us a bigger picture of life in infamy Genesis 2:15 just blows apart some of the boxes that are culture puts around God.
Create us to sit around in comfort and convenience. God created us to enter into the chaos of this order and bring the rule of God to bear. Were made to participate in God shaping and forming the earth into his Temple and it was all supposed to start in this place called.
so much in this text, you guy I wish you'd let me preach for like 3 hours, but Maybe something had so much in here that God created us for this. Now. We know and we're going to have to skip ahead a little bit cuz we know it doesn't laugh. We know that right in the next chapter. We're not sure how much time has passed but we know the very next chapter Adam forfeits his role as priest. Adam and Eve shoes rather than to work and keep the garden rather than spread the rule and authority of God they decide if he better to spread their own ruling Authority. Rather than partner with God. They want to replace God. Rather than in interdependence with God they choose in the pendant. It's all the heavens and the Earth are split they are ejected from Sacred Space. There's a freaky ninja cherubim placed around with flaming sword. You don't get to come back. You no longer have access to the tree of life and the River of Life. You've been cast out sin entered into the world and because we've been separated from the Tree of Life Death Ray for Humanity.
Really in this is this is what I hope this morning you get the rest of the scripture. Is the story of God recreating Eden?
with the descendants of Adam and frankly, it reads like a story of great failure.
Do it for Noah. No. I'll do it through Abraham. Did Sir Isaac Jacob well from the beginning? I'll do it through David. No. Solomon not even close the story over and over and over again God chooses descendants of Adam. And here's what I want to show you a little bit up from the tech. Every time he does it he does it from Sacred Space. God meets with a descendant of Abram and create Sacred Space from which they are to spread his Rule and his rain since we're walking through the Book of Genesis. Let me just let me just show you in Genesis just a few of these time. Impact let's focus on on Abraham Isaac and Jacob went when God first chooses Abram in Genesis chapter 12 when God claims him as his person that threw him he's going to make a nation and they're going to blast him. But threw him God is going to bless all the nations that sound like the mandate to you ready in the glory of God through Adam was called to leave the charge of spreading God's kingdom, but he blew it now. She was Abraham's that's all right through you. We're going to spread it to everybody.
what I find beautiful is that in Genesis chapter 12 after God makes this coven mental promise with him. Appears to Abraham verse 7 says then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to your Offspring I will give this What's a lamb? Why is it important because that is how God chooses to function if he starts with a place Sacred Space and from it. He wants his people to spread. Imma give you this land. So there he built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him.
From there. If you move to the Hill Country to the east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and I in the East and there he built an altar to the Lord and call upon the name of the Lord Genesis chapter 1 verse says that God is creating the cosmos to be a temple in Genesis chapter 2 Eden is created to be that Temple when it doesn't work out because of man's faithlessness and sin. God doesn't give up on playing Ace. There's no plan B. This is how God's going to do it.
Abram said I'm going to do it to you and your descendants now and you're going to start with this land and so he goes on this little journey. He marks out of space he builds authors and he begins to call upon the Lord. What is that? If not Sacred Space.
Did you see that this morning? How about his son Isaac? The Lord appeared to him on the same night and said I am the god of Abraham your father. Fear not for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your Offspring for my servant Abraham's sake so he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his pants there and their Isaac servants dug a well. Sacred Space Isaac, he picks up from his father Abraham. He is the seed to whom the seed is going to continue going. I got such a chosen you you're going to continue in the work. And what does he do? He builds an altar? He pitches his tent. He makes it his place his base of Sacred Space.
No surprise then that we get to his son or one of his sons. Jacob becomes Israel than Jacob woke from his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it had this Vision with the Lord fun passage Genesis 28 will get there in like 3-4 years. I'm sure. And he was afraid and said how awesome is the Spy. Visited him in that place. And he said this is none other than the house of God. This is the Gate of Heaven. I like that because we get that heavens and earth combination. That's what Sacred Space is Sacred Space is the place where the Heaven and the Earth as Realms coincide God met with him there. And so they're in that place they call out to God. It is Sacred Space. So early in the morning Joe Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and he set it up for a pillar and oil poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Beth-El which means literally the house of God. Biblically, we don't know this to be true. But but Jewish history says that that rock is what was used by Solomon as the Cornerstone for the temple that he eventually built. Beth-El the house of God God is absolutely committed. 2 using his image Bearer mankind. To extend Sacred Space. That's what we're going to see throughout Genesis. We're going to see it through the entirety of the Hebrew scriptures. The problem is Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and we go farther to Saul and David and Solomon and all the other is that those people needed saving just as much as everybody out.
They were just as much as part of the problem as anyone else. God's plan abusing kids creatures in Sacred Space and spreading it out throughout the Earth. Looks like it cannot succeed because humankind keeps rejecting and rebelling against him.
Set up in the Hebrew scriptures with this. consistent and constant problem
That's what makes the coming of Jesus so beautiful. So powerful and it is in our world today. Are far too often the church talks about Jesus. in a eat contextualized way We just talked about all you got to send problem and you don't want to go to hell and hey, guess what? Jesus came and he died and you believe in him. You don't have to go to hell you get to go out to some place called heaven and isn't that awesome?
The coming of Jesus takes place within a narrative. It takes place within a plan God's plan with the take Mankind and create a temple a Sacred Space from which the world. What experience the rule and reign of God after failure after failure after failure after failure after failure God made a surprise move that nobody saw coming. So it when we when we get to the Gospel of John, he starts it out this way the word became flesh the Eternal logos the Eternal where the one who spoke the world into existence the Divine wisdom of God. God himself. became flesh and
wow. manga that Greek word that's in the Septuagint which is the the the the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures the word that we use for pitch my tent in Genesis the word that we use for Tabernacle. That's the word that we get here the word made flesh and dwelt Among Us. The word was made flesh and Tabernacle with us a logical Imaging John's trying to drive home John knows Genesis. You can't read the first couple of verses in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God a new genesis. He trying to make a point. He knows and understands. The God's plan is to create Sacred Space and to spread it out. And he knows that even though Israel was blessed with the law and the prophets in the temple, they failed and failed and failed. And so God has come to do a God has Tabernacle. God has Temple. God has pitched his tent with us the coming of Jesus Is God claiming Sacred Space in this earth.
Jesus is the temple were used to thinking about that way, but let me say this way. Jesus is meaning
give the Sacred Space where God dwells with his people.
Jesus talks about this all the time. I just read the gospel. How about this one? John Chapter 2 Jesus gets in a fight with some of the religious leaders and and the Jew said to him. What sign do you show us for doing these things? Alright the questioning his authority just so you want to sign I'll give you one destroy this Temple. And in three days, I will raise it up.
You want to sign here to destroy this Temple? And in three days, I'll raise it up. And they're like you talkin about Willis that the Jews been said. Has taken 46 years to build this Temple and you're going to raise it up in three days. They're laughing at him. They're mocking him.
But he was speaking about the temple. his body and I love this when therefore he was raised from the dead after.
His disciples remembered that he had said this and they believe the scripture and the word that Jesus has spoken.
I'm at this at this time. Jesus went through the green fields on the Sabbath in his disciples there walking through field to get to another place. His disciples were hungry and they began to pluck heads of grain to eat.
When the Pharisees thought I was fine interest in right cuz they're upset that he's walking on the Sabbath and doing the stuff that they're out there to watch it. So what's a is always?
Gotcha, jump out from behind a hay bale. Look your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath which is technically not sure. If not, it's it is in the in the Jewish interpretation of the law, but it's not in the lot. So he said that I have you not read what David did when he was hungry and those who are with him how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the presence which is not lawful for him to eat nor for those who are with him. But only for the priests do not read in a lot. How on the Sabbath the priests of the temple profane the Sabbath and yet are still Guiltless. I tell you something greater. Temple is here.
You know what? This means I desire mercy and not sacrifice. You would not have condemned the Guiltless. for the son of man Is the lord of the Sabbath? We don't understand the Sabbath. I've been touching on it here and there wait. We don't know what to do with a 7. Rested forgot took a nap. He was tired. Right? So Jesus, I'm lord of the Sabbath. He's the king of the naps. What they saying? I'm lord of the Sabbath is every bit of heart of the creation narrative as the first six days is on the 7th Day God comes in and to take up his rest is to take up his rule in creation. Jesus to say there's not there's something better than your brick and mortar mortar Temple hear the temple of God. The dwelling place of God is physically in your midst and he is Lord of the Sabbath when Jesus says, he's the lord of the Sabbath who sang I am the one that is the king of the kingdom of God.
Why is messages so consistent and simple repent? for the kingdom of the heavens Is a pain you? repent for the kingdom of the heavens is in your mitts. Repent for the the chairman chairman or no glue no more blocking the way back into the presence of God. The king of the kingdom is in your missed. You can be rejoined to Sacred Space when you came to Jesus. You came to Sacred Space the rule in the reign of God on the Earth.
They did exactly what Jesus said they tore down the temple and he rebuilt it in 3D.
death and not stop the rain in the rule of God. Death is not an obstacle to the life in the power of God. And in fact what look like God's defeat what looked like the Triumph of the spiritual Powers was actually their greatest mistake if they had known what was going to happen. They never would have done it. Because in killing them. He takes upon himself the weight and penalty and guilt a sin and the power of his righteousness and the power of His obedience overcomes our Disobedience and are unrighteousness and he rises from the dead. You can't stop the Temple of God. Then Jesus got something different. We're asking the Hebrew scriptures on up to that point. It is always been about land. I guess really didn't do anything different did it because what did Jesus say to his disciples? the way here and In Jerusalem, you'll receive. What? the power of the spirit What's next when I say and you'll be my Witnesses wear in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth? Did you see Eden being?
the dispersion of Sacred Space Dynasty Spirit Jesus is giving us Adams mandate in the Great Commission go and make disciples of all the nations is exactly what I had and was supposed to do in Genesis chapter 2. Work and keep it serve the Lord as a priest thing mediate announce good news. Bring order to chaos light the darkness life today.
The Paul says this Just because of what Jesus did you? He's right into a mixed bag of people Jews. Got some Gentiles. He's got some slaves. You got some free to get some men. He's got some women get some rich. He's got some poor. He's got some educated. He's got something you all of you no matter where you came from the matter who your doesn't matter. What what lands you came from? Those matter? What God's your parents are ancestors, you are no longer strangers and Aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household the family of God built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ. Jesus himself the Cornerstone to see the temple imagery. In the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord. Who's the temple? We are. Let me ask you again. Who's the temple? What's the temple its Sacred Space. It's where God meets with Humanity. It's where she's images serve as his voice and his representative. We are the temple in Christ in the holy spirit will bring the presence of God's to the world.
We've we've got it all wrong in America.
What we're living like David and Solomon we want to build temples. buildings out of wood and glass we think this is Sacred Space. Where is Sacred Space? We think our job is to get people to come to church. We we think our job is to get people to come to the Sacred Space. But the thing that Jesus wept as he said, no, actually we're going to send the Sacred Space out the temples not going to be stones and mortar the temperature going to be Flesh and Blood the dwelling of God, which used to only be in the holy of holies. when inter has now taken up residence in your mortal bodies, where you go God is where you go Sacred Space exists you you at the bank at the school and at the doctor's office.
When you're driving when you're at Starbucks.
you
Are the place where God is dwelling on the Earth? And you've been given. the adamic mandate to work and to keep God's creation Just spread the rule and reign of God wherever he takes you. In that just a little bit bigger.
Then the house with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids, which I never understood. How the works I mean, I know my math ain't great, but I still is not better than retiring early and playing golf.
Not better.
Then anything else this world has to offer in that better than just showing up for church on Sunday. We don't come to church. We are the church. We don't come to Sacred Space. We bring Sacred Space with us because sacred the Holy Spirit has come and dwells within us. We are the presence of God in a disordered and chaotic world. We are God's answer to the Brokenness of this world not in our strength, but in his
There is no plan B forgot. In him, you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God. Bye. the sphere