Weekly Emmaus City Culture Q&As | Part 1, Q&A 5

 

EMMAUS CITY CULTURE Q&AS | PART 1: GOD, CREATION AND FALL, LAW CONTINUED

Each week, we are adapting Redeemer's New City Catechism with modern language, including the questions and answers, along with the commentary and prayer. Our goal is to make these easily accessible for all ages, as well as those with various levels of education in Worcester. 

Since we don't want this to be just information transfer, but life transformation by God's Word and Spirit, we purposely changed the word catechism to culture as we pray for God to help us creatively display and declare the good news of Jesus in our communities. 

Here are the previous weeks' Q&As:

• Q&A 1: What is our only hope in life and in death?
• Q&A 2: Who is God?
• Q&A 3: How many persons are there in God?
• Q&A 4: How and why did God create us?

Cheers to 2014 and many becoming more like Jesus together.

Emmaus City Culture | Part 1, Q&A 5

Question 5

What else did God create?

Answer 5

God created all things and all His creation was very good. 

Genesis 1:31

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.    

Commentary 
God did by His power create from nothing heaven, earth, and the sea; which He did immediately decorate with all kinds of good things. And into this world He brought man and put all things under his care. How great is the power of God? How good and liberal to man, who never deserved anything from God’s hand? Our God, who has created so many great riches and good things, cannot be adequately praised; He alone made man and put everything under humanity’s care to obey us as their lord and master…But here, in the creation of the world, we have to consider this same God preserving and governing our world. For the world does not stand and endure by its own power; nothing stirs and moves in its own strength. It’s crazy to say that God has created all things, but He doesn’t care for the things He has made…God does care for the state of men and women and everything that He has made for the use of humankind. God has not only created the world and all things that are in the world; but He also governs and preserves them to this day, and every day forward.

Adapted from “That God is the Creator of All Things: The Fourth Sermon” in “The Other Eight Sermons of the Fourth Decade” in Decades of Henry Bullinger, translated by H.I., Volume 4 (Cambridge: University Press, 1851), 177–179.

Prayer

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come; without beginning or end; without boundaries; the infinite Spirit, Father, Word, and Holy Spirit. The infinite Life, Understanding, and Will, powerful, wise, and good. Of You, and through You, and to You, are all things. All Your works declare Your glory, for Your perfections appear everywhere; and for Your glory, and the pleasure of Your will, You created everything. The heavens; the sun, and all the stars; the fire, with its motion, light, and heat; the earth, and all that live there, with all its beauty; the air, and all the meteors; the great oceans, and all that swim in them: all are the preachers of Your praise, and show the great Creator's glory. How great is Your power that made so great a world from nothing; who, with wonderful speed, moved great and glorious lights in a moment to shine their motion, light and heat, through all the air, to sea and earth. Your powerful life gives life to all; and sustains nature, which You made. How glorious is Your wisdom that keeps everything in order, and assigns to everything a place, and maintains the beauty and harmony of all! How glorious is Your goodness and love that made everything good, and very good! We praise and glorify You, our Lord, for we, and all things, are Yours.

From “A Shorter Form of Praise and Prayer for the Lord's Day” in “The Poor Man’s Family Book” in The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Volume 19 (London: Paternoster, 1830), 635–636.

Coming next week: Q&A 6: How can we glorify God?

– Sully

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