Stewards for God: Stand in the Place Of
Genesis
1:1 -2:4a
May 22, 2005
Aldersgate UMC
Last night during a family dinner, my family and I started talking about the creation stories that are in the book of Genesis. I, of course, knew that this first narrative was one of the morning lessons, but Richard and Sarah started talking about the second story and how man was created first and then woman was created second. Much to our surprise Richard said, “Does that mean we believe in intelligent design?”
I. Source of Foundational Judeo-Christian Theology
a. God’s pre-existence
i. God is the chief actor
ii. God is the only speaker
iii. Speaking is defining characteristic
iv. When God speaks things happen
b. God transcends natural world
i. Over against Babylonian myth of the ancient world
ii. Which suggests many gods (watery deep, heavens, sea, dry land, sun, stars and moon)
iii. rather than many gods, these verses press upon us that the earth and the heavens are creations of the one God
c. God’s ability to create
i. On first day, light without the sources
ii. When creates to humanity, God creates with others
iii. Gives rise to “With whom is God speaking?”
1. perhaps consulting Torah
2. or the ministering angels of heaven
d. Our distinctive role in the created order
i. Break in God’s pattern of commands
1. “let there be” days 1, 2, & 4
2. “let the waters/earth” days 3,5,6
3. “let us make”
ii. This one all powerful God, created us as image of
1. spiritual
2. if not literal children of God
a. stand in the place of
3. both woman and man bear the image
a. Dr. Paul Brand, medical missionary to India
b. speaks to basic tenant of faith
c. wrote about his way of caring for his many leprosy patients
d. summon in the people we meet the image of God
e. We can see spark of God’s likeness in human spirit
f. or we can squelch or ignore image and judge on basis of external appearance
g. pray to see image of God, ultimate worth of each
4. We are invited into relationship with God and with each other
II. As bearers of God’s image we are heirs to the divine nature and the divine work
a. Given responsibility as stewards
i. What does it mean to be a steward?
ii. to care for and continue the goodness that was originally intended by God
1. God calls the creation ‘Good’
2. “Finally, God surveys all of creation and pronounces it ‘very good.’”
3. If all that comes from God’s mouth is very good, then what happened?
III. Humanity confused about nature of God’s gift of dominion and power
a. dominion does not imply ruling over,
i. Yes, we are engineering creatures
1. we use the natural world for many things
2. we need to use God’s creation humbly and wisely
ii. Humanity’s devastation of the natural environment suggests not acting as stewards
b. God reigns over creation, sustaining and safeguarding every living thing
i. in original Hebrew clear that God speaks about the sacredness of all life
1. nefesh chaya (living souls) applies to animals and humans
2. yet translators rendered “living souls” when related to Adam and “living creatures” with animals
ii. we are called to stand in the place of God, yet often it feels like humanity is we working against God rather than with God, this is sin
c. dominion more related to care giving than exploitation
i. about nurturing rather than using up
ii. subduing literally related to cultivation
iii. God’s command to “fill the earth” in verse 28 has root meaning of replenish
iv. this is about stewardship
v. relationship between this use of stewardship and the stewardship of our finances
1. both are about carrying on the work of God
2. both are about using resources in a manner that conserves and values
d. part of our God-ordained purpose is to carry on the work of God with regard to creation
i. Aroostock county potato farmers
1. used up the land
2. tried to get them to switch out some fields to growing sugar beats
ii. we use up our financial resources on treasurers that have no value in the scheme of things, rather than using them to further God’s goodness
e. as Christians our stewardship shaped by Christ
i. his way
1. not top down rule of emperor
a. those who have power seek to destroy Jesus
2. some denominations talk more about 2nd coming
3. Will we recognize Christ?
a. Come in same humble way
b. Cup of stewardship
i. Not jewel encrusted Holy Grail
ii. Simple wooden cup
ii. Jesus rules through solidarity with outcasts
1. the way of Christ is about outreach and inreach
a. caring for others in a way that changes who we are
b. ‘with us” of verse 20 has connotation of among us or in our midst
c. always ask are we on Jesus’ side, rather than is he on our side
d. Mother Theresa prayed to see face of Jesus so she could serve beggar as she would serve Jesus
2. horizontal not vertical
IV. Generativity: related to birth giving, but open to men as well as women
a. In 1970’s Erik Erikson, human development researcher, coined this phrase
i. to describe middle adult years
ii. “I am what survives me.”
b. God calls us to be generative, to continue in the work of creating goodness
i. Having moved to the Lowell area three years ago
ii. Surprised to read about Paul Tsongas in my nationally published magazine, “Homiletics”
1. two terms in house
2. elected to Senate in 1978
3. mentioned as potential candidate for president
4. 1984 diagnosed with cancer
5. left political life to spend time with family
a. if life would be shortened
b. wanted to guide his children rather than shape nation
6. after bone marrow transplant decided to run for president
7. asked why the change of mind
a. felt survival from cancer laid an obligation on him
8. Thought he knew what country had to do and where we had to go to avoid economic disaster
9. “So what am I supposed to do?” he asks, “Sit back in Lowell, MA, make my money as a lawyer, protect my family, and say ‘Well, the rest of you are on your own’? …I have an obligation to give back…”
iii. political spin or genuine expression of commitment?
c. What is our expression of commitment?
d. How will we be God’s stewards of our lives?
e. Even the great commission is about generativity
i. Matthew 28 “Go therefore and make disciples
1. Limitations of earlier verses (10:5 15:21-28)
2. Superceded by this new command
ii. Called to share the goodness of God with others
f. we are called to be stewards of our lives
i. to generate goodness through the resources that God has given to us
ii. to bring value to this opportunity that God has given
iii. not about cloning, we are not life sized cardboard cut outs
iv. stewardship is about using
1. the hours and days that have been granted to us
2. as well as resources entrusted to us
v. and assist God in the process of creating goodness