Luke

1. Lost Sheep Ministries Luke 15:4-7 Leave - Go - Find - Bring Back - Rejoice

2. CREATION: All Peoples for His Glory

3. The worship of God is the path for all creation, but man has strayed from the path. In the beginning there was God. The Path He created all that is. The reason He created was not because He was lonely or in need of man. God created mankind in order that He might be known and worshipped as the Creator

4. In creating all the peoples of the world, God desires to be known and glorified as the Creator. Praise and worship -- through the diversity of language, culture and color of the peoples of the earth -- honor God. Let us discover why God created the peoples of the earth. See how people from every tribe and language are a vital part of God’s plan to establish His glory and renown.

5. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10

6. Creation is the expression of God’s passion for praise and worship. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels, Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon, Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, The Psalmist describes all of creation as praising God…

7. And the waters that are above the heavens: Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. Praise the Lord from the earth. Sea monsters and all the deep; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all the hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples, Princes and all judges of the earth, Both young men and virgins, Old men and children. Let them praise

8. the Name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.” Psalm 148:1-5, 7-13

9. Everything exists to praise the Creator! The diagram below illustrates God’s intent in creating, God created and in return the creation is to worship Him. Worship means that God is known and praised as the absolute and awesome Creator. God Creation Worship All peoples

10. Instead of worship, men and women choose to ignore and reject God. Because worship is absent, chaos reigns on the earth.

11. Babel: People on earth seek to make a name for themselves: “Come let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the earth.” Genesis 11:4

12. Life in defiance of God leads to confusion (babble) and chaos. Without acknowledgement of God as Creator, chaos reigns. God created the universe so all of His creation would resound with worship to His name. The creature has replaced the honor due to God’s name with its own. The result is that instead of there being worship of the Creator by creation, chaos reigns. God Creation Chaos All peoples

13. Chaos is not from God “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissentions, factions.” Galatians 5:19-20 Mankind is Divided Because of Pride “He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.” Luke 1:51

14. Worship Restored at Pentecost: Diversity is transformed into worship “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs ---we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mightydeeds of God.” Acts 2:9-11

15. At this Pentecost celebration, the opposite of Genesis 11 takes place. Babel is reversed. At the tower of Babel, God confuses languages and chaos reigns. At the day of Pentecost, language is understood and worship of God dominates! God gives those present a common experience so that they are no longer divided and confused but understand clearly the mighty deeds of God. While cultural, national and linguistic differences are not done away with, a ruptured world is mended.

16. Each of those present heard the disciples speak of the mighty deeds of God in his or her own language. The knowledge of God crossed linguistic limits and soon moved beyond racial boundaries. Three thousand of those present were convinced that what they had witnessed was from God. They believed in Jesus as the Son of God and were baptized (Acts 2:41). They returned to North Africa, Asia Minor, Rome and Arab countries worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ as God.

17. The worship of God across linguistic and racial lines that began at Pentecost will make its way through every people group before the end of time. God will eliminate chaos and restore worship. “For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:11

18. Worship will Reign! “All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to your name.” Psalm 66:4

19. The only place of true racial, social and religious harmony is in the worship of God. The only place without conflict and war will be in the acknowledgement of God. Political, social and religious solutions to domestic and international conflicts are only temporary.

20. The only remedy for the chaos and anarchy of our world is worship of the Creator! Either we reflect the chaos and turmoil of the world around us or we reflect the RENOWN of God. It is only by laying aside our aspirations for greatness, our ethnic pride and our self-serving intentions that God’s purpose becomes a reality in our individual and corporate lives.

21. Why were you created? For God’s Renown! What do you reflect? The World’s Chaos? OR The Creator’s Glory?

22. Chaos reigns for the present time, but the battle for God’s RENOWN is being waged. One day, God will reclaim all of creation for His honor and glory. Until that day the RENOWN of God widens and spreads through His people!

23. APPLICATION Reflecting His Renown! What did God intend for His creation to reflect -- Worship or Chaos? The following questions will help you assess and record your thoughts about the purpose of God in His creation.

24. Why were you created? Why do so many different kinds of people speak so many different languages? In what ways do you try to make a name for yourself? Your family? Your ethnic group? Your church or denomination? Do you just try to “fit in” to what everyone else is thinking and doing or do you stand up for God’s name?

25. Since the beginning of time, nations, tribes, men and women have sought to make a name for themselves and thus, chaos reigns. One day the worship of God will be restored and creation will be reclaimed. PRAY: See worksheet

26. We memorize Scripture in order to know God and His purposes. As God’s purpose becomes part of our conscious and subconscious memory, we focus our activities and lives on establishing worship of God and His renown. Take 10 minutes to memorize the key verses. Ask God to drive His purpose deep within you, in order that He might be glorified through your life.

27. The intent of this second leg of our journey has been to see past the chaos and confusion of the world in order to see God’s creative purpose. You were created by God to reflect His glory!