CREATED FOR SO MUCH MORE!

The Big Story

UNDERSTANDING THE CHRISTIAN

WORLDVIEW AS A GREAT DRAMA, AND THE ROLE WE WERE CREATED TO PLAY IN

IT

THE COSMIC DRAMA

Our Need for Context

The individual stories of our lives are lived within the context of a transcendent all-encompassing story or meta-narrative.

God has revealed that “meta-narrative” through creation, through Scripture, and through Jesus Christ.

IN THE BEGINNING,

GODThe true story of God, man and the

universe.

A COSMIC DRAMA IN

FOUR ACTS

BYYAHWEH

ACT 1: The CreationACT 2: The FallACT 3: Redemption and

RenewalACT 4: Glorification

THE WRITER

God’s Essential Attributes – Belonging to Him Only

A Personal Being (Exodus 3:14)Invisible/Spirit (John 4:24)Eternal (Isaiah 26:4)Immutable (Malachi 3:6)Infinite (Psalm 147:5; 18:30)

THE WRITER

God’s Essential Attributes – Belonging to Him Only

Omnipotent (Luke 1:37)Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-8)Omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24)Transcendent (2 Chronicles 6:18)Absolute Truth (Isaiah 45:19)One God in Three Persons (2

Corinthians 13:14)

THE WRITER

God’s Moral Attributes – Belonging to Him and Reflected in His

Image-BearersPerfect Love (1 John 4:8)Perfect Righteousness (Deuteronomy

32:4)Perfect Holiness (Leviticus 19:2)Perfect Faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9;

10:13)

THE SCRIPT

Truth revealed by the only true and living God – “I am the Lord, and there is no other… I the Lord speak

the truth; I declare what is right.” Isaiah 45:18-19The General Revelation of Truth through Nature (Psalm

19:1)The General Revelation of Truth through Conscience

(Romans 2:15)The Special Revelation of Truth through Scripture (2

Timothy 3:16)The Special Revelation of Truth through Christ

(Hebrews 1:1-2)

ACT 1A CREATION OF PERFECT

HARMONY WITH:GODSELF

OTHERSTHE EARTH

The Creation

Revelation 4:11

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and

power,for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

THE FIXED INTENT, NATURE, ORDER,

UNITY, HARMONY, AND DIVERSITY OF ALL

ASPECTS OF CREATION

The Structure of Creation

HUMANITY

Our OriginCreated by God (Genesis 1:26-28)

HUMANITY

Our NatureImage Bearers of God (Genesis 1:26-

31)o Spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:11)

o Rational (Isaiah 55:8-9)

o Emotional (Psalm 42:1-5)

o Moral (Romans 2:14-15)

o Volitional (Genesis 2:15-17)

o Creative (Exodus

35:30-33)o Relational

(Genesis 1:28; 1 John 1:3)

o Crowned with Glory and Honor (Psalm 8:5)

o Finite & Dependent (John 15:5; Acts 17:25, 28)

HUMANITY

Our Relational PurposesTo live in a relationship of harmonious

fellowship with God (Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 John 1:3)

To live for the service, praise and glory of God (Ephesians 1:6-12)

To Live in a trusting, dependent relationship with God (John 15:5; Acts 17:25-28)

HUMANITY

Our Relational PurposesTo live in a harmonious relationship

with SELF by bearing and reflecting the perfect image of God (Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 103:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

HUMANITY

Our Relational PurposesTo live in a harmonious relationship

with OTHERS by serving them in love within the institutions of the family, the nation and the Church (Genesis 2:18; Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14-16; 9-20)

HUMANITY

Our Relational PurposesTo Live in a harmonious relationship

with THE EARTH as God’s stewards by filling, subduing, caring for, and ruling over it (Genesis 1:28; 2:15)

HUMANITY

Our DestinyTo glorify God eternally on the new

earth (Revelation 4:21)To serve and rule with God eternally

over the new creation (Revelation 22:3-5)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its OriginCreated by God (Genesis 1:1;

Ephesians 3:9)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its NatureReflects the order and character of God

(Genesis 8:22; Romans 1:20)Very Good (Genesis 1:31)Comprehensible (Genesis 1:26-28)Sustained by God (Hebrews 1:3;

Colossians 1:17)Under man’s dominion (Genesis 1:26-28;

Psalm 115:16)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its PurposeFor God’s glory and pleasure (Psalm

19:1; Revelation 4:11)For habitation of life (Genesis 1; Psalm

115:16)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its DestinyThe renewal and eternal existence as

the home of God and His redeemed image-bearers (2 Peter 3:10-13)

ACT 2DISHARMONY WITH:

GODSELF

OTHERSTHE EARTH

The Fall

Romans 5:12

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death

spread to all men because all sinned.”

THE DEVIATION FROM GOD’S CREATIONAL

STRUCTURE CAUSED BY SIN

The Direction of Creation

HUMANITY

Our NatureFallen, Sinful and Marred (Genesis 3;

Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; 5:12)Still Crowned with Glory and Honor

(Psalm 8:5)Finite and Dependent (John 15:5; Acts

17:25, 28)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsSeparated from and in Disharmony

with God (Genesis 3:8; Isaiah 59:2)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsSeparated from and in Disharmony

with Self (Genesis 3:10; Ezra 9:6; Psalm 38:4, 18; 69:5)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsSeparated from and in Disharmony

with Others (Genesis 3:12; Proverbs 11:9; Jeremiah 9:5; James 3:16; 4:1-2)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsSeparated from and in Disharmony

with Creation (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its NatureGood (Genesis 1:3)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its NatureCursed and Subject to Decay because

of the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its NatureResponds Reluctantly to the

Stewardship of Fallen Humanity (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12)

Phil Larson and Brian Smith; “Biblical Integration at BJU Press” April 10, 2007

“The brokenness of the natural order is all around us, and it is part of every academic discipline. Because it is all we have known, it is easy for us to ignore it (or to assume that the natural order has always been as it is now). Because we desire to shelter our children from the tragedies of human existence, it is easy for us to skip those aspects of the academics that deal with God’s curse on the world. But we must confront our children with the fact that this world is not as it should be. Part of being educated is knowing what is broken and why it is broken. Life is tragic, and it is tragic because God is speaking to us about our sin.”

ACT 3RESTORED HARMONY

WITH:GODSELF

OTHERSTHE EARTH

Redemption and Renewal

Colossians 1:19-20

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and

through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in

heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

THE REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION TOWARD

GOD’S CREATIONAL STRUCTURE

The NEW Direction of Creation

HUMANITY

Our NatureJustified or Guiltless (Romans 5:1;

Galatians 3:24)Forgiven and Righteous (Colossians

2:13-14; Romans 4:18-25)New Creation and Adopted Child (2

Corinthians 5:17; John 1:12-13)Sanctified but still subject to decay

and death (2 Corinthians 4:16)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsRestored in Harmony and Fellowship

with God (Romans 5:8-11; 1 John 1:3)Restored Harmony with Self (Jeremiah

31:13; Romans 5:11; 15:13; Galatians 5:22-23)

Being Conformed to the Glory and Image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsRestored in Harmony with Others as

Members of God’s Family, the Church (Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:19; 4:1-6, 25-32; 1 Peter 2:9)

Stewards of Creation still in Disharmony due to the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-21)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its NatureGood (Genesis 1:31)Cursed and Subject to Decay (Romans

8:20-21)Groans in Frustration awaiting it

Liberation from Decay (Romans 8:20-23)Still responds reluctantly to the imperfect

stewardship of fallen and redeemed mankind (Romans 3:23; 5:12)

ACT 4PERFECTED ETERNAL

HARMONY WITH:GODSELF

OTHERSTHE EARTH

Glorification

Colossians 1:19-20

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and

through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in

heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

THE COMPLETED REDEMPTIVE

RESTORATION OF GOD’S CREATIONAL

STRUCTURE

The PERFECTED Direction of Creation

HUMANITY

Our NatureGlorified, conformed perfectly to the

same image of Christ.(Romans 8:18, 30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2)

Eternal New Physical Body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49; Philippians 3:20-21)

HUMANITY

Our RelationshipsPerfect Harmony with God (Revelation

21:3-4)Perfect Harmony with Self (Revelation

21:4)Perfect Harmony with Others

(Revelation 21:9-27)Perfect Harmony with the Earth (2

Peter 3:13)

THE EARTH/UNIVERSE

Its Nature and DestinyRenewed for Eternity as the Home of

God and His Children (Revelation 21:1-5)