CREATED TO BE CLOSE

Last Sunday I preached two-part message on Being Human. Since we each have some personal experience with this topic, you might think that dealing with this topic was completely unnecessary. But as I hope I was able to show last Sunday, being human is not as obvious as we might think. As I stated in Part 1 of the message, delivered in our morning service, how we understand this topic is not a matter of life or death – it’s a matter of how many lives will be lost and how many unnecessary deaths will occur! What may have surprised those there last Sunday was that the driving forces behind trying to answer the question What is a human being? is not the science – but two very different competing stories. What is so alarming is just how many followers of Christ are reading from the wrong script when it comes to understanding who we are and what life is really all about.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 1239:14

STORY #2, MATERIAL NATURALISM

We are not the random result of some uncaused cosmic accident. As obvious as this statement should be, it is the underlying foundation to the mythical story shaping our culture at the moment. The Material Naturalism Story says that there is nothing more to the universe than its material components which assembled accidentally in a completely unguided fashion. This story denies that any immaterial substance is even possible let alone exists in reality. Despite its appeal to science, this story is not grounded in science. This is born out by those in the biological sciences pointing out this story does not correspond to, or explain, reality. For example, Dr. Fazale Rana Ph.D., a biochemist, states the Material Naturalism’s evolutionary attempts to explain the universe and its diversity, fails to account for some crucially important pieces of life’s puzzle. He writes –

Currently, evolutionary biologists lack explanations for the key transitions in life’s history, including these-

• origin of life,
• origin of eukaryotic cells (see diagram below),
• origin of sexual reproduction,
• origin of body plans,
• origin of consciousness,
• and the origin of human exceptionalism.

To be certain, evolutionary biologists have proposed models to explain each of these transitions, but the models consistently fail to deliver, as a recent review article published by two prominent evolutionary biologists from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences illustrates.1

If you take a close look at the inner workings of this diagram of a eukaryotic cell, even you are untrained biol-chemically, you will notice the incredible complexity and elegance within this microscopic human cell. I only mention this biochemistry to show that despite Material Naturalism’s appeal to science, reason, and rationality, it is nether scientific nor rational. As bad as its lack of scientific credibility as an explanation for how life works is, worse still is its influence on how Material-Naturalists view the world – and especially human beings. In their view, a human being is only of value if they can communicate, contribute, consider their own consciousness, and have the ability to live and interact independently. Only when they can do these things should they be considered a human-person and thereby entitled to the usual protections which come with human rights. This is why Material Naturalists have no qualms about prematurely ending the life of an unborn child, or an elderly patient in a nursing home. 

“Peter Singer insists that the severely mentally incapacitated are candidates for euthanasia because they ‘were once persons’ but no longer. ‘Their lives have no intrinsic value….They are biologically alive, but not biographically.'”
Nancy Pearcey, ‘Love Thy Body’, 2018, p. 92,  citing, ‘Practical Ethics’ by Prof. Peter Singer, 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press New York, 1993, 192

Fortunately, there is another story which corresponds far more accurately to the actual world in which we live.

    

STORY #1, THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

American astrophysicist, Dr. Neil Tyson deGrasse, criticises Christianity because, in his mind, it seeks to make humans special. In his mind, human beings are no more special than any other collection of molecules in the universe. This Material-Naturalist view stands in stark contrast to the view of the world presented by the Bible. We should not write this sharp difference off to some ‘Science versus Religion’ misunderstanding. The Biblical worldview is not some weird and novel way of looking at the world. Rather, it is an accurate description of the way the world is, and a particularly accurate description of who human beings are and why we each share a common problem.

The Biblical worldview is in perfect concordance with science. This includes: the Universe had a beginning of all space, energy, time and matter; life appeared on earth over progressive stages; large-bodied life appeared suddenly and without transition (“Day 5”, “the Cambrian Explosion”); mankind appeared fairly recently in the Universe’s history (Creation Day 6). But only the Biblical worldview gives us an explanation for the human condition, and an explanation for why humans are capable of supererogatory acts (self-sacrificing for the weak), yet also the most heinous evil. This is because we are all created in the image of God, yet fallen into sin. 

Being created in the image of God gives every human being a very special status. As the founders of the American Constitution wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights. This means that all human life – from the womb to the tomb – is sacred. Our humanity is not determined by our size, level of development, environment, or, dependency (S.L.E.D.). This is why it has been Christians, envisioned with a Biblical worldview, who have helped the most vulnerable in society by establishing hospitals and medical clinics, schools and universities, aid and relief agencies, orphanages, and hostels.

“In the ancient world, Christians were distinctive for their humanitarian efforts – taking care of babies and slaves, of widows and orphans, of the sick and elderly, of the unwanted and abandoned.”
Nancy Pearcey, ‘Love Thy Body', 2018, p. 81

HOW THESE COMPETING STORIES AFFECT OUR VIEWS OF VALUE, RIGHTS, GENDER, & SEXUALITY

In the Material-Naturalist worldview, some human beings are not ‘human persons’ and are therefore not deserving of human rights (which is a concept they borrow from the Biblical worldview story). In the Materialist’s worldview, personhood is an immaterial reality – even though the Materialist denies anything immaterial exists! This is why gender becomes very confusing for the Materialist. In the Biblical worldview, our Creator has designed a correspondence between our material biological sex and our gender. For Materialist, sexuality is nothing more than a physical encounter. For the Christian, sex is a sacred bonding between a man and a woman who have covenanted their lives together whereby they lovingly celebrate their union in a complementary physical union which has the potential to procreate life. Thus, sex involves emotional blending, intellectual merging, as well as the ultimate physical intimacy two people can experience.

This is why the Genesis account describes the sexual union of a man to his wife as becoming ‘one flesh’ (Gen. 2:24) and the Apostle Paul stated that when a man and a woman united sexually that they became ‘one body’ (1Cor. 6:16). We now know that our Creator has designed that when a man has sex, his body is designed to release a hormone called vasopressin which has a remarkable effect upon the male brain –

“The irony is that science is constantly uncovering new evidence of the profound interconnection between body and person. Pick up any recent book on sexuality and you will read about the role played by hormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin. Scientists first learned about oxytocin because of its role in childbirth and breastfeeding. The chemical is released when a mother nurses her baby, and it stimulates an instinct for caring and nurturing. It is often called the attachment hormone…

Consequently, the desire to attach to the other person when we have sex is not only an emotion but also part of our chemistry. Oxytocin has been shown to create a sense of trust…

The same is true for men. The main neurochemical responsible for the male response in intimate sexual contact is vasopressin. It is structurally similar to oxytocin and has a similar emotional effect. Scientists believe it stimulates bonding with a woman and with offspring. Vasopressin has been dubbed the monogamy molecule.”
Nancy Pearcey, “Love Thy Body“, 2018 p.127  

Once again, science confirms what God’s Word reveals: there is something sacred about our bodies and our sexuality. While Materialism pretends that there is nothing special, particularly intimate, or sacred about sexuality, the litter of hurt, broken, lonely, depressed lives can no longer endorse the pretence. Instead, these shattered souls bear testimony to the truth of God’s Word that we are indeed created to be uniquely close to someone – and ultimately this One is God Himself. 

POSTSCRIPT: WELCOMING REFUGEES

Over the next few months we expect to see increasing numbers of ‘refugees’ – those people who have been hurt and broken by a culture gone mad – seek sanctuary with our church. I pray that you’ll join with me in welcoming these precious ones into our healing community.  

Pastor Andrew

Who You Are Is Not Yet Who You Will Be

WHO AM I?

The Sale of The Century was one of Australia's most popular and longest running TV game shows. It featured a section called Who Am I? where contestants would have to guess the identity of someone starting with obscure facts and progressing to well known facts. But what if those facts were your facts? Could you guess the identity of the mystery person? Do you know who you are?

"To thine ownself be true" said Shakespear's Polonius in 'Hamlet'. In modern language: be yourself. Peter Sellers (aka, The Pink Panther) was to be interviewed by a TV Talk Show host.

"Who do you want me to be?" he asked the host. "Be yourself" was the reply. "I can't." "Why not?" "I don't know who I am!" said Mr Sellers.

Some people do know who they are, yet they fail to understand who they should be. They know what they like, what they're good at, what they're not good at, what motivates them, what irritates them, and whether they work like a cat or a dog. But sometimes these same people use this knowledge as an excuse for not becoming who they should be. They don't try new things. They don't keep learning. They don't ask for correction. They don't seek to improve what they're good at, let alone improve what they know they're not good at.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ
Ephesians 4:15

After a while, you can discover who you are. Your natural inclinations toward certain activities, your experiences, your training, your physical condition, your opportunities, your upbringing, your successes, your critical outlook, the type of people you attract, all help to inform you about who you are. But the danger is that this leads to the ugly practice of justifying stagnation. You may be an anti-social person. But if you follow Christ, you can not remain an anti-social person. You may be an impatient person. But if you follow Christ, you can not remain an impatient person. You may not be very academic and loathe studying. But if you follow Christ you can not remain willfully unlearnéd. Who you are is not yet who you should be.

I consider that it takes humility to become who Christ has called you to be. For some, Christ has called you to be extraordinarily successful. You will face some very humbling reactions from those around you as you fulfil this call. People will misunderstand. People will accuse you of snobbery. People will assume you are being arrogant. All these reactions require deep humility on your part. To be who Christ is calling you to be demands that you don't allow your pride to lead you to seek the acceptance of the crowd at the expense of the approval of the One.

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. When I Survey The Wondrous Cross, Isaac Watts

It is not humility that keeps people from being successful or even attaining greatness - it is nearly always pride of one form or another.We are becoming who we are designed to be. But this presents an obvious and immediate problem. If I am not yet who I am meant to be, this means that I must change. My addiction to comfort means that I am reluctant to change. Change requires being stretched to my limits. It unavoidably involves failing, which I loathe. It therefore involves some degree of humiliation, which again, I loathe. But in order to grow into the person God has ordained me to be, I must change.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 
Second Corinthians 3:18

We sometimes have "dreams" of what we want to do or be. For me, winning Wimbledon was a part of it. [Sigh] Then along come setbacks, disappointments, surprises, and we 'feel' that we are not becoming who we are designed to be. Yet, the Bible unveils an amazing mystery. God uses pain, tragedy, loss, failure, problem-people, and humiliation to carve and fashion us into into who we are called to be. God redeems what the world considers 'negative' experiences in order to accomplish something outstandingly positive in us!

¶ Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

What keeps us from becoming who we are meant to be? Apart from a reluctance to change, we are dogged by fear. Sometimes we are unable to be honest about who we really are. We claim to be someone or something that we really are not. Added to these two hindrances is our peace-treaty with Excuses. "I'm too old to change now." "I'm just not a very tidy person." "I'm not a reader." "I'm a really shy person, I don't make friends easily." "I'm not very good at remembering names." "I just didn't get time." And so on.  As a follower of Christ we have a choice at which altar we will bow our knee: the altar of God, or the altar of Excuses. One altar summons us to change so that we can better reflect our Lord. The other altar tells us we have no need to change.

I am becoming increasingly convinced that what Tasmania urgently needs now is for Christ's followers to show some loving leadership and demonstrate the ultimate joy that following Christ brings. This leadership involves showing what it means to honour Christ by - the way we speak, how we spend our time, relate to others, use our money, care for our families, attend church, and our means of finding peace. To do this authentically, we need to know who we really are. Some are called to lead and make decisions yet are reluctant to do so and experience misery most of the time as a result. If you've ever seen "The Al Jolson Story", you will recall that this born entertainer (at one time called "the greatest entertainer on earth") married a woman who demanded that he stay at home and never perform again. The movie shows how Jolson went into virtual depression as a result. Others are writers, or musicians, or artists, or craftsmen, yet fooling themselves into thinking that this is just a silly waste of time and so they neglect who God has made them to be. Some are pastors or preachers or worship leaders yet dismiss this call by having the wrong audience fill their vision.

God has called each of us to play our role in presenting a glorious Christ to the world. Who you are is not really about you - it's about Jesus. When you follow Christ, who you are says volumes to the world about who you think Jesus is. Are you changing into the image of Christ that God has designed for you to be? Note the key word in the previous sentence. Who are you?

Ps. Andrew

What Makes Us "Human"

THE REST

There are certain things that make us unique and utterly different from animals. We desire and aspire. We appreciate and applaud. We love unreasonably and can reason unlovingly. We laugh. And we can repair our souls while resting.

Hebrews 4:9 "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God"

WE DESIRE AND ASPIRE

We have wants and dreams. We desire to have, to do, to go, and to know. We aspire to improve, contribute, achieve. This is a part of being human and created in the image of God.

WE APPRECIATE AND APPLAUD

We are able to recognise the difference between poor, good and great achievements. When we recognise the latter we often show our appreciation by applauding in some way. When a cat catches a mouse you rarely see the other cats from the neighbourhood gather around and clap (not that paws could clap that loudly anyway). But we humans often give in to the urge to show our appreciation. The highest compliment an artist could receive for their painting would be to have someone sit and admire it for hours. The act of sitting in this instance is actually disguising what is really happening. What looks like sitting is actually admiring and appreciating. (Husbands take note: Apparently women feel the same way when a man pays careful admiration to them.)

LOVE UNREASONABLY

The recent Colorado tragedy where a deranged gunman senselessly shot at movie goers highlighted the best and worst in humanity. As the worst was rampaging the best were selflessly putting their bodies on the line to protect others from the showers of bullets. Many young men instinctively shielded nearby women and as a result died in doing so. This is called "altruism". It is an utter mystery to those atheists who hold to Darwinian Evolution as the explanation for how humanity came to be because it clearly does not fit within their story since it can not be about personal survival (or even the survival of the fittest). This kind of love is both unconditional and nicely unreasonable. Why do people do it? And why do people do it for complete strangers? Because we are created in the image of a God who loves unreasonably and unconditionally!

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(We all long to love and be loved. We are designed to find love firstly from our parents, then our family, then our friends, then our spouse and eventually from our church. I have discovered that when people do not find love in their home, their craving for love from elsewhere is very difficult to satisfy. This is why people in a loveless home may come into a church and become very critical of that church for not filling their love needs. A truly loving church will help people look to Christ as the Ultimate Source of their loving and through this lens they will recognise the sincere love that Christ provides for the less-loved through His Body.)

REASON UNLOVINGLY

Animals do not negotiate or reason. We do. We can internally reason with ourselves about the consequences of our actions. We can reason with others about our opinions, ideas, or experiences. And even though our hearts may tell us one thing, we have the ability to reason toward the truth of a matter despite its impact upon us. People have reasoned that their nation was perpetrating acts of evil despite their hearts loving their nation (we saw this during the Second World War with people like Bonhoeffer).

Second Timothy 2:7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

LAUGH
Humans are also unique because we laugh. We (well, most of us) have a sense of humour. When we enjoy something funny we laugh. It is almost involuntary!

We are created in the image of a God who laughs and enjoys.

Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

REST
We humans are created to repair and rest. Each night we need sleep to repair and rest. Every seventh day we are designed to cease from our regular activity and rest and repair our souls through congregational attention to worship and the Word. At least once a year we need a holiday of sorts so that we come away from the demands of ordinary life and rest. Every 10 to 15 years we need an extended time off work to take leave and have an extended rest. And eventually we will all need to rest from our work and retire.

Pastor Philip Hills used to say of Christians, We work from rest rather than rest from work.  Hebrews 4 speaks of the rest that is available in Christ since He has done the work. We celebrate this rest from work each Sunday. Under the Old Covenant they looked forward to the rest that Christ would provide by anticipating it with their weekly Sabbath (Saturday) rest. Since Christ rose again from the dead on Sunday, poured out His Holy Spirit on a Sunday, and established the Church on a Sunday, we now celebrate our rest in Christ each Sunday.

When you come to worship in the House of God this Sunday, you are indeed coming to worship because you are created to desire God and aspire to be the person He has called you to be. You come to worship on Sunday because you are created to admire and applaud greatness - and no one is greater than God and therefore no one is more deserving of admiration and applause than Him. When you come to worship this Sunday you are coming to show love. When you come to worship together this Sunday you are coming to strengthen your reasons for trusting God. And when you come to worship this Sunday you are coming to rest from your ordinary work and celebrate the work which Christ could only do on your behalf. The rest we are looking for is found in worship.

Psa. 34:8 ¶ Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

Ps. Andrew

Understand The Embryonic Stem Cell Debate

Understand the debate about Embryonic Stem Cell Research from an ethical perspective...

To watch the full presentation of this summary video click here.
To read the transcript of this presentation, click here.