Made to Flourish | Genesis 2:4-25

Summary

What does it look like for us to flourish? The Bible is clear on where we can find life, meaning, joy, purpose, and fulfillment. In Genesis 2:4-25, we find there are four specific conditions for us to flourish:

• We were made to flourish in relationship with God (Genesis 2:4-7). Only in relationship with God can we find life, joy, peace, meaning, and our ultimate fulfillment.
  • Unlike the rest of creation, you were made in God’s image to know Him and reflect His glory. The God of the cosmos created humanity to reveal His relational nature. Humanity was created and formed in the image of God, and still today, He is carefully shaping and designing each of us in His image to be in relationship with Him.
  • The Lord is our Creator. Every one of us was made in the image of God with equal dignity, purpose, and worth. Every life is made uniquely by God and is valuable in His eyes. You matter to God (Psalm 139:13).
  • Your value is not determined by what you do but in whose you are. This world promises life, purpose, and peace apart from Him through our careers, money, experiences, or pleasure. But true purpose and abundant life are found only in Him (John 10:10).
• We were made to flourish through His provision (Genesis 2:8-15). We find meaning and purpose when we recognize that He is the One who provides everything that we are called to steward.
  
  • The Lord provided a home with bountiful provision. God’s original plan was to provide a home for humanity to live in the garden sanctuary of Eden. Man was created to work, guard, and serve in this paradise described as a pleasure and delight. After the fall, we can see parallels between the garden and the tabernacle as they were both dwelling places of God; they opened to the east; and, like Adam, the priests were instructed “to work and keep” the tabernacle (Numbers 3:7-8).
  • The Lord is our Provider. You are called to steward all that God has provided. Your health, body, and time are owed to God, who gives everything to us to make God more famous. We are called through the cultural mandate (Genesis 1:28) to cultivate the world by building families, churches, schools, cities, and governments. We are called to take dominion over the earth by stewarding every thing around us. We must have a biblical ethic and see that all we do in this world is an act of worship and we must not believe the lie that the secular is separated from the sacred.
  • All of life is an expression of our worship. Imagine if you saw your life's purpose as offering God the very best of you. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do in our lives, we do all to the glory of God. Imagine a world where people lived and worked with the mindset that their purpose in everything was to serve the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24).
• We were made to flourish under His rule (Genesis 2:16-17). To live in relationship with God, we must trust Him as the Ruler of our lives who has our best in mind.
  
  • The Lord gave man a clear command. God’s first command in the Bible was that all of the earth’s goods and resources were at man’s disposal. Man was given a choice between trusting in God or in himself. The consequence of man’s disobedience was physical and spiritual death in which we would no longer experience the presence of God.
    
  • The Lord is our Ruler. The Lord is our ultimate authority, and His way is best because He always has our best interests in mind. Sadly, we can believe the lie that His Word is not true, that He is not good, and that disobeying Him is not that big of a deal.
  • We rejected the Lord’s authority. The fundamental lie of our day is that we are our own authority. The Bible tells us that we are not our own, but belong with body and soul, in life and death, to Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
• We were made to flourish by His design (Genesis 2:18-25). God gives us our design for marriage, sex, families, and gender.
  • The Lord made a helper for man and unites them in marriage. Man was always created for community. His isolation was the only aspect of creation the Lord considered “not good.” When God created woman, He made a co-equal helper; each was able to provide what the other lacked.
  • The Lord is our Designer. As our Designer, the Lord is the One who determines our gender, defines marriage, and creates the family unit to serve as the basis of society. His design allows us to flourish.
  • It is tempting for many of us to focus on the problems in our society. Gender fluidity, same-sex marriage, rising infidelity, and divorce rates are all real problems in our society. As a church and as individuals, we must respond by focusing first on our own hearts and relationship with God.

Discussing and Applying the Sermon

• We are given much freedom, but we are still accountable to God. Do you find it hard to submit to God’s authority? What needs to change to help you have a healthy biblical view of God’s authority?
• Everything is an act of worship. What do you worship? Is God the main focus of all that you do, or do you get distracted by worshiping other things (career, image, experiences)?
• How do you see your work as a means to worship God? What kind of “work” do you think God is calling you to?
• Do you have a marriage your children want to emulate? What is compelling about your marriage to a watching world?
• It can be tempting or overwhelming to focus on the world around us. As a church and as individuals, we respond by focusing first on our own hearts and discipleship. Read Psalm 139. Pray to Lord to search your heart and show you areas in your life that you can surrender to Him.

Other Mentioned or Recommended Resources

• Additional Scripture: Genesis 1:1-31; Genesis 3:1-24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 20:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 22:1-5
• Resources: Uncommon Marriage Conference; BetterMan; re|engage; Watermark Community Development Corporation; The Heidelberg Catechism; The Westminister Confession of Faith