Stewardship of God’s Creation
March 10th Sermon
We are continuing the Lenten sermon series on Stewardship, with our focus today on the Stewardship of Creation.
Firstly, I must share that I love the outdoors. Hiking is a new hobby of mine, and I enjoy several outdoor sports. But mostly, I really enjoy prayer walking and spending intimate time with the Lord in His creation. There is nothing more peaceful and restorative for me then speaking (and listening) to God, outside in His creation. Doing all we can to be good stewards of creation seems like a straightforward and simple notion.
However, where it gets a bit complicated is that the restoration of our planet seems to have become a very profitable enterprise for many. And many of these individuals who profit, do not walk the talk in their own lives. Global think tanks, politicians, and large corporations all are benefiting from one another in this crusade to save the planet. And when thoroughly examined, we find that these policies can very often take advantage of impoverished countries and less fortunate people.
How do we as Christians navigate this essential, yet profit driven discussion today? How do we preserve and care for God’s creation yet avoid aiding the policies that are put in place that profit the top one percent and profit driven corporations.
Well, we start by remembering that it is God’s creation, and we therefore need to go to God’s Word for direction.
Our NT reading from Colossians starts us off well by reminding us that “Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and for him all things were created.” From this truth, there are four key principles about creation that emerge, which should guide our relationship to the earth.
God created all of it. All natural processes such as plant growth and seed bearing, cycles of day and night, cycles of rain and drying, etc. God declared each part of his creation good and blessed each (e.g. fish and birds), expressing His will that they flourish. God is the sustainer of all creation, and He is sovereign over all He has made.
It all belongs to God, not to us. God is the owner and sustainer of the earth and everything in it. All that we have and all that we receive from the earth belongs to God. We are stewards, not owners, and our care of creation is a role delegated to us by God. Thus, our relationship to the earth should be God-centred rather than self-centred. We show honour and respect to God in the way we treat His earth.
The earth was created for Him, not for us. The primary purpose of all of creation is to glorify God, not to sustain us. Although the Lord has blessed us abundantly by providing, through the earth, water to drink and animals and plants for food, trees to shade us - the primary purpose of the earth and all its creatures is to glorify God.
God’s creation is an important part of His revelation to us. God reveals His character and will and guides and teaches us through both His written Word and His created world. His majesty, power, beauty, and goodness are clearly displayed through all that he has made. Throughout the scriptures we are instructed to observe His creatures, the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, and even ants! He frequently points us to features of his creation to teach us (e.g. the life and behaviour of animals, the water cycle, the beauty of the mountains, the life cycle of plants, the features of trees, vines, branches, roots, soil). Each time we cause the extinction of one of God’s creatures, pollute or tarnish one of the ecosystems he formed, or otherwise mar these aspects of his revelation to us, it is like removing or tarnishing pages of the Bible.
Simply put, God is the creator of all of creation. Creation belongs to God, created for Christ. Creation also plays a key role in how we can have a relationship with God.
But what are we to do, to become good stewards?
In Genesis 1:28 (OT reading), God gives mankind its first stewardship assignment. It says, And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’
In this short verse, God gives us three earth stewardship directives: (1) To fill the earth with people; (2) subdue the earth or bring it under control; (3) Have dominion over all living creatures. This three-fold directive provides us with a solid biblical foundation and basis for a responsible, God-centered, approach to creation care.
We learn that one of the primary purposes of humanity is to manage, or steward, that which is God’s. This includes His creation of the earth and everything in it. It is clear in scripture that this means the land, the plant life, and the animals.
It is important to God how we care for His whole creation, not just the things that we “own.” I believe that this principle can apply to how we manage our impact upon the earth regarding contributing to pollution and waste. In our stewarding of the earth, Christians should be leading the way regarding not littering, practicing recycling, and seeking ways to minimize the negative impact. By stewarding the earth well, we seek to worship the Lord through our care of His creation.
In what is often termed “the creation mandate” in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve are instructed to maintain a Godly “dominion” over creation, looking out for its good, helping it to flourish, and to care for it and protect it. The language used in Genesis is the same kind of dominion that a shepherd has over his sheep, caring for them and protecting them, and doing all he can to help the flock to flourish, not self-serving domination. In Genesis 1:28, the seemingly harsh words (subdue) and (rule or have dominion over) are set in the context of God’s will of blessing and fruitfulness of all the creatures He has made. Because we are delegated by God to have dominion over creation and put it in under our subjection, we should model after God in our undertaking of this task and rule the earth in a manner that promotes its flourishing, not its depletion and ruin.
Stewardship of creation is also an important way we can demonstrate love to others, particularly to our own children and grandchildren. Being a good steward of God’s earth is a significant way we can love our children and grandchildren, as well as others throughout the world who are already suffering from the effects of climate and global policies.
Finally, I will mention that being committed to care of creation is one of many ways we can be a positive witness to God. Discussion of creation stewardship can provide an excellent entry point for us to give a testimony of Jesus our Creator.
Now that we know why we are to be good stewards and what to be good stewards of……. I would like to share a few practical ways that can help us become good stewards:
Go outside: Connecting with creation and being reminded of God’s goodness, is a powerful way to motivate ourselves and others to care for our earth. Not only that, but numerous research studies also show that spending time in creation is so good for us in many ways – mentally, physically, and spiritually. Make some time this week to spend time in nature and give thanks for this beautiful world that God created. Plant something in the garden, walk in your local park or find a nearby hiking track. Share with a friend or family member what you saw, heard, and experienced. Give thanks to God for creating such a precious and amazing world.
Pray: We may not have all the answers to the many challenges facing our world today, and this can feel overwhelming. A wonderful place to start is with prayer. You could pray in your own devotional time, around the dinner table as a family, or invite your church (or Bible study group), to pray for God’s creation.
Reduce your waste: One way of helping reduce the burden on creation is for us to reduce the amount of household waste we are sending to the landfill. Start by looking into the things that seem to be cropping up a lot in your waste bin, choose one of them, and research to see if there are any waste-free alternatives You could find a local shop that sells bulk ingredients, get a vegetable box delivered or find a local farmers’ market. Take reusable bags to the shops or your own container when you buy takeaway food.
Learn More: One of the greatest injustices of our time is that the people least responsible for the impact on creation and climate are often the most vulnerable to its impacts. A helpful thing you can do to go deeper on your journey of caring for God’s creation is to learn more about the impact on our neighbour’s facing poverty.
Share conversations: Having a conversation about the importance of caring for God’s creation and having open dialogue with others who have a different insight can only be beneficial.
Commit to one thing for one year: One thing done well can be much better than many things done at half commitment.
Conclusion:
Stewardship of Creation really comes down to two things:
It is for the Glory of God.
And.
It is for the good of others (children and the next generations).
And it is not hard to see how this is an important part of obeying the two great commandments. Glorying God with out stewardship of His creation is a part of loving God. Expressing this with our care for our children and following generations is a part of loving thy neighbour.
This is not about “saving the planet.” It is not about worshipping the creation. We are never to deny or ignore the sovereignty of God over His creation.
Rather, it is about honouring God by being good stewards of the earth that He created for His glory and good pleasure, and it is about loving others by exerting Godly dominion and care for God’s earth, and sharing all He has provided through His earth with our children and their children. Our dedication to care for creation is loving, compassionate, and God-honouring, and it can provide great opportunities for sharing with of our great God.
AMEN.